Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Chinese int'l rescue team continues to conduct medical outreach in Myanmar's Mandalay Xinhua) 10:12, April 06, 2025 MANDALAY, Myanmar, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The China International Search and Rescue Team continued to conduct medical outreach on Saturday in the urban area of Mandalay region, Myanmar. Through disease screening, consultations, medication guidance, and medicine distribution, the team provided "zero-distance" medical services to the 7.9-magnitude earthquake-affected residents. At a relief camp near the University of Medicine in Mandalay, the team's medical personnel utilized self-developed mobile diagnostic equipment such as handheld ultrasound devices, portable X-ray machines, and bedside ECG monitors to conduct free examinations for over 250 local residents. Essential medications, including anti-infectives, analgesics, and antihypertensives, were distributed on-site based on diagnoses. Near Mandalay Palace, the medical personnel team tailored solutions for prevalent local diseases, particularly respiratory, digestive, and immune system disorders exacerbated by the high temperatures in the earthquake-affected areas, providing medication guidance and conducting health education on respiratory care and chronic disease management to enhance public health awareness and self-care capabilities. The team comprises over 10 experts from the China International Search and Rescue Team, spanning 14 specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics. Since deploying to Myanmar, they have supported search-and-rescue operations and structural assessments while disinfecting over 120,000 square meters of rescue and operational zones. Collaborating with other Chinese rescue teams, including China Search and Rescue Team, a rescue team from China's Hong Kong and Shenzhen Public Welfare Rescue Team, they have provided round-the-clock medical support, conducting over 500 medical consultations. The China International Search and Rescue Team will continue to conduct medical outreach across Mandalay's relief camps in batches, prioritizing treatment for acute and chronic conditions such as respiratory, hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, and endocrine disorders. Additionally, they plan to donate urgently needed medical supplies and equipment to local facilities. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) The Assad regime was accused of using chemical weapons, such as sarin gas and chlorine, against opposition leaders and fighters. It revealed the presence of 27 chemical weapons sites in Syria following a deal between US and Russia that was reached after the Ghouta sarin gas massacre of August 2013 read more People stand in front of damaged buildings in the town of Douma, the site of a suspected chemical weapon attack, near Damascus, Syria, on April 16, 2018. Source: AP A new report has hinted at presence of over 100 suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria, way more than what the deposed regime of Bashar al-Assad ever acknowledged. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) gave the updated figure after the current government allowed it to carry out inspections and begin documentation. The organisation said its figure was based on external researchers, non-profit organisations, and shared intelligence from member states. Advertisement The New York Times reported citing former OPCW employees that many of such cites could be located inside caves or in remote regions, which are difficult to trace through satellite imagery. Allegations against the Assad regime The Assad regime was accused of using chemical weapons, such as sarin gas and chlorine, against opposition leaders and fighters. It revealed the presence of 27 chemical weapons sites in Syria following a deal between US and Russia that was reached after the Ghouta sarin gas massacre of August 2013. Following the revelations, the OPCW inspectors visited the sites and shut them down. However, allegations of the use of chemical weapons continued to flow until at least 2018. That year, the Assad regime was accused of carrying out the Douma massacre that killed at least 49 people. There are many sites we know nothing about because the former regime lied to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Raed al-Saleh, the former head of the Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) and currently Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in the new government, was quoted as saying by the OPCW. History A former Syrian government chemist, who spoke to The New York Times anonymously, revealed that Syrias chemical weapons programme dates back to the 1970s. He said it was built with the help of hundreds of scientists, many of whom had studied in Germany and other European countries. While many of these scientists fled during the war, some chose to stay behind. Today, the new Syrian government claims it is cooperating with the OPCW and says it respects international law. However, concerns remain. Chemical materials are still present in the country, and if not properly secured, they could end up in the hands of armed groups. The government also hasnt appointed a permanent ambassador to the OPCW, which has raised further doubts about its true intentions. Despite these concerns, Syria took a step forward on February 8 when interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa welcomed an OPCW delegation led by Director-General Fernando Arias to Damascus. (With inputs from agencies) Despite recent efforts by PM Carney to placate Hindus, tensions with the ruling Liberal party have persisted. For instance, the partys soft stance on Khalistani extremism has stoked fears among Hindus. Criticism also mounted when the Liberal party revoked the candidacy of Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya last month based on unspecified new information read more Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is campaigning aggressively ahead of April 28 federal elections, showed up at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto on Saturday (April 5) to mark the festival of Ram Navami. At the temple, Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister Anita Anand received the PM, who later wrote on X, So pleased to welcome @markjcarney on his first visit to @bapstoronto to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. A very Happy Ram Navami! With her, Liberal Party MPs from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were also present at the temple. Advertisement Significance of Hindu voters in Canada elections According to media reports, there are about 600,000 Hindu Canadians eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. They form significant voting blocs in regions like the GTA or Metro Vancouver and even cities like Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta. Their support can be critical for political parties in a case of tough competition. Tensions persist Despite recent efforts by PM Carney to placate Hindus, tensions with the ruling Liberal party have persisted. For instance, the partys soft stance on Khalistani extremism has stoked fears among Hindus. Criticism also mounted when the Liberal party revoked the candidacy of Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya last month based on unspecified new information. Arya has often taken a stand against Khalistani elements in Canada and elsewhere. For his anti-Khalistan views, Arya has been targeted by Khalistani groups in the past. In October, US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun urged Trudeau to go after Arya. In a post on X, Pannun said that Canada should investigate Arya for spewing venom against the Khalistan movement and being a mouthpiece of India. Interestingly, there have been attacks against Hindu temples in the country. Just last week, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) launched searches for two men suspected of vandalising the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in the Greater Toronto Area. A CCTV footage showed the two men walking to the temple and tearing down and damaging a sign at the entrance. In September 2023, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India, asked Hindus to leave Canada and go to India. Advertisement Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs, said Gurpatwant Pannun in a video message. Reacting to Carneys visit to the Hindu temple, the Hindu Canadian Foundation said in a statement, The past few years have posed significant challenges for the Hindu community, which numbers over a million. The recent surge in anti-Hindu sentiment, fuelled by rising separatist groups, has deeply affected every Hindu Canadian. Addressing these pressing issues will be a critical focus for the upcoming Government, the statement added. Tens and thousands of people took to the streets of Spain to stage demonstrations against the brewing housing crisis in the country. Tourist apartments have now led to a rise in rents for young Spanish citizens read more Tens and thousands of people staged demonstrations across Spain to protect against the housing crisis in the country and demand access to affordable homes. The Organisers of these protests claim that up to 150,000 joined the protest in Madrid, while smaller demonstrations were held in about 40 cities nationwide. The protesters were seen chanting End the housing racket and Landlords are guilty, the government is responsible," The Guardian reported. Valeria Racu, a Madrid tenants union spokesperson, called for rent strikes in several Catalan coastal towns. This is the beginning of the end of the housing business, Racu said. The beginning of a better society, without landlordism and this parasitical system that devours our salaries and our resources," he said. Advertisement The union argued that 1.4 million Spanish households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, 200,000 families more than 10 years ago. The housing crisis has become one of the major social issues in Spain as a combination of property speculation and tourist apartments shot up rents. Youngsters face the brunt Government statistics suggest that there are at least 15,000 illegal tourist apartments in Madrid, while in Barcelona, the city council says it will not renew the existing 10,000 tourist apartment licences when they expire in 2028. What was a problem initially limited to areas with a high concentration of tourists has become an issue across the country. The young population of Spain were hit the hardest as housing costs have soared while salaries remain stagnant. A study published by the Spanish Youth Council showed that a lack of affordable housing meant that last year 85 per cent of young people under 30 were still living with their parents. The protests in Barcelona demanded a 50 per cent reduction in rents, indefinite leases and an end to property speculation. The housing game is rigged in favour of anyone with assets while tax incentives encourage them to acquire more and more property, Jaime Palomera of the Barcelona Urban Research Institute and the author of El Secuestro de la Vivienda (The Kidnapping of Housing) told The Guardian. The rich have got richer since the financial crash in 2008 and the Covid crisis and they have used this wealth to buy more and more property, constantly driving up prices and increasing inequality." The fact is that property offers a better return than other investments. We have an economic model that encourages investment in assets that dont create any value but simply use rent as a way of sucking money out of the middle classes," Palomera furthered. Advertisement The author suggested that the solution to this crisis is to tax those who own multiple properties. He went on to cite examples of countries like Singapore, where the state offers financial support to first-time buyers but imposes an ascending tax regime on second and subsequent homes. With inputs from agencies. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk took jabs at Navarro, a Harvard-educated economist who advises Trump on trade read more Tesla CEO and head of Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk took public jabs at US President Donald Trumps adviser on trade and manufacturing, Peter Navarro, over the sweeping reciprocal trade tariffs proposed by the president earlier this week. The tariffs not only initiated a new kind of tariff war among several nations but have also tanked Wall Street, with investors taking a major hit. Musk has been typically vocal while supporting and defending Trump and his policies. However, he has been quiet since Trumps Liberation Day tariff announcement led to the US stock market losing a whopping $2.5 million, a loss of value that cost the Tesla CEO more than $30bn, CNBC reported. Advertisement Elon Musk now taking open shots at fellow top WH adviser Peter Navarro, who happens to be an architect of the Trump tariffs Musk has largely avoided commenting on. pic.twitter.com/UGH7JI82uF Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 5, 2025 In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk took jabs at Navarro, a Harvard-educated economist who advises Trump on trade. Interestingly, Navarro was originally tapped for a spot on the advice of Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. A user of X shared a video of Navarro defending the tariffs on CNN and insisting he went to Harvard. Musk responded to the post, calling it a bad thing. He aint built s***: Musk Musk alluded that a PhD from Harvard can result in a big ego. A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing, he wrote. Results in the ego/brains1 problem, he wrote in the post. Another user replied to the Tesla CEO, trying to defend Navarro, but Musk rejected the argument and questioned Navarros practical economic experience. He aint built s***, the Tesla CEO wrote. It is pertinent to note that Navarro was jailed after a grand jury indicted him in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress. The Trump loyalist refused to comply with a subpoena from the White House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The trade and manufacturing adviser was sentenced to four months in jail and fined $9,500. With this, he became the first former White House official imprisoned on a charge of contempt of Congress. In another post, an X user shared a quote from conservative American economist Thomas Sowell. In every disaster throughout American history, there always seems to be a man from Harvard in the middle of it, the quote, attributed to Sowell, said. Musk replied to the post with a simple yup. Advertisement According to Fox News, Sowell has been a vocal critic of Trumps tariffs and warned that the presidents policy could set off a global trade war and even lead to another Great Depression. Navarro is yet to respond to these jabs. Around 240,000 Ukrainians have been settled in the US as part of the Uniting for Ukraine or U4U Program, which was launched during former US President Joe Bidens time read more Donald Trumps presidential administration has acknowledged and apologised after it accidentally informed some Ukrainian refugees that they needed to leave the United States. Several Ukrainian refugees who fled their country after Russia commenced its full-scale invasion were informed in an email that their legal status in the US was revoked. Around 240,000 Ukrainians have been settled in the US as part of the Uniting for Ukraine or U4U Program, which was launched during former US President Joe Bidens time. According to CBS News, some resettled Ukrainians who were part of this program received emails this week telling them that the US Department of Homeland Security would be terminating their legal protections. Advertisement DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole, read the notice dated 3 April, referring to the temporary legal status (TPS) granted to Ukrainians after Russia invaded its neighbouring state. Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice." The email further stated that if the recipients failed to leave the United States, they would be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States and encouraged the recipients to sign up for self-deportation. Do not attempt to remain in the United States the federal government will find you, the notice warned. Please depart the United States immediately. DHS calls it a mistake Shortly after the news broke out, DHS told CBS News on Friday that the notice was sent in error to some Ukrainians under the U4U program. The U4U parole program has not been terminated, the DHS statement read. The missive had been corrected with a follow-up message that said: No action will be taken concerning your parole. The Trump administration has already gotten rid of the Biden governments immigration programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, and ordered them to self-deport by 24 April. Hence, the notice caused panic among Ukrainians in the US who have long-held the fear that they might face the same cancellations, forcing them to be deported back to a war-torn nation. One Ukrainian parolee, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retribution from the US government, told Reuters that she couldnt breathe normally and was uncontrollably crying upon receiving the email. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. The strikes in Saada killed two people and wounded nine others, with footage aired by the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel showing a strike collapsing what appeared to be a two-story building read more Suspected U.S. airstrikes killed at least two people overnight in a stronghold of Yemens Houthi rebels, the group said Sunday, as a bombing video posted by U.S. President Donald Trump suggested casualties in the campaign may be higher than the rebels acknowledge. The strikes in Saada killed two people and wounded nine others, with footage aired by the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel showing a strike collapsing what appeared to be a two-story building. The Iranian-backed Houthis aired no footage from inside the building, which they described as a solar power shop. Advertisement The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under Trump targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 69 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis. However, the Houthis have not acknowledged any casualties from their security and military leadership something challenged after an online video posted by Trump. Trump bombing footage suggests rebel leaders targeted Early Saturday, Trump posted what appeared to be black-and-white video from a drone of a group of several dozen people gathered in a circle. An explosion detonates during the 25-second video, with a massive crater left in its wake. These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack, Trump claimed, without offering a location for the attack or any other details about the strike. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again! The U.S. militarys Central Command, which oversees Americas Mideast military operations, has not published the video, nor offered any specific details about the strikes it has conducted since March 15. The White House has said there have been over 200 strikes so far targeting the Houthis. The rebel-controlled SABA news agency in Yemen, citing an anonymous source, described the bombing as targeting a social Eid visit in Hodeida governorate. Muslims across the world just celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the festival at the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. SABA had published images of other commanders meeting fighters during the holiday, though not any high-level Houthi officials. Advertisement Those present at that gathering had no connection to the operations carried out by the (Houthis), which are implementing the decision to ban navigation on ships linked to the American and Israeli enemy, the SABA report said, adding that the attack killed and wounded dozens. However, the Houthis previously have not acknowledged any strike on Hodeida during that time with such a high casualty count. The SABA report also did not describe those killed as civilians, suggesting those killed had ties to the rebels security or military forces. Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert of the Basha Report risk advisory firm, cited social media condolence notices suggesting a colonel overseeing police stations for the Houthis in Hodeida had been killed in the strike Trump highlighted alongside his two brothers. The strikes have expanded significantly, hitting multiple goveronates simultaneously, alongside telecommunications infrastructure, command nodes, properties tied to senior Houthi leadership and previously untouched tunnel networks in mountainous areas, al-Basha told The Associated Press. Advertisement Weve also seen direct targeting of Houthi force gatherings, indicating a more aggressive and evolving shift in the targeting strategy, al-Basha said. Intense US bombings began nearly a month ago An AP review has found the new American operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than those under former U.S. President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities. The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success. The attacks greatly raised the profile of the Houthis, who faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers in Yemen amid a decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation. Advertisement The campaign shows no signs of stopping as the Trump administration repeatedly has linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. US President Donald Trump is pushing the two sides to agree to a partial ceasefire, but his administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both. read more Ukraine is set to dispatch a delegation next week to Washington to start talks on a new deal that could grant the United States access to its rich mineral reserves, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said in an interview with The Associated Press. Speaking during a visit to northern Ukraine on Saturday, Svyrydenko said The new draft agreement from the US shows that the intention to create a fund or jointly invest remains,. Advertisement The team will include officials from the Ministries of Economy, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance. Negotiations over the mineral resource partnership have been ongoing for months and have tested the strength of U.-Ukraine relations. A framework agreement had been scheduled for signing in February but the plan fell apart after a tense meeting in the Oval Office involving President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine possesses substantial reserves of more than 20 minerals considered critical to US strategic interests, such as titaniumused in aerospace manufacturinglithium, essential for battery production, and uranium for nuclear energy. Meanwhile, the US is reportedly seeking to improve relations with Russia. Russian media reported that Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev indicated that the next round of US-Russia talks could take place as soon as next week. Dmitriev, who traveled to Washington last week, is the most senior Russian figure to do so since the beginning of the war. In a parallel diplomatic effort, Zelenskyy welcomed tangible progress following a meeting in Kyiv on Friday with top British and French military officials. Discussions centered on a proposal from London and Paris to deploy a multinational reassurance force to Ukraine once a peace deal is in place. On social media, Zelenskyy shared that the talks with UK Defence Chief Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkhard produced initial agreements on the structure and deployment of a partner security contingent. Advertisement The move reflects Europes push to regain diplomatic traction after being sidelined by Trumps direct engagement with the Kremlin. Russia rejects truce, US remains silent: Zelenskyy President Zelensky said on Sunday that the United States had issued no response after Russia rejected its proposal for an unconditional truce, which Ukraine agreed to. In his evening address, Zelenskyy said: Ukraine has agreed to Americas proposal, to a full, unconditional ceasefire. Putin refuses. We are waiting for the United States to respond so far there has been no response. Russia ramps up aerial assault Zelensky warned Sunday that Moscow is increasing its aerial bombardment after Russia mounted a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight, killing two people and wounding at least seven. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the number of Russian air attacks is increasing, which he said proved that the pressure on Russia is still insufficient. Russia on Sunday claimed the capture of a village in Ukraines Sumy region in a rare cross-border advance. Early Sunday Russia launched a massive nationwide attack on Ukraine using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, said first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Cross-border advance Russias defence ministry said troops liberated the village of Basivka, close to the border with Russias Kursk region, only the second time it has claimed an advance into the region since 2022. Moscow claimed the capture of another village in Sumy region in early March but Ukraine has not confirmed Russia has taken territory there, saying it is managing to destroy small Russian assault groups attempting to cross the border. Advertisement The latest attacks came two days after a missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig killed 18 people including nine children on Friday evening. With inputs from agencies Former US President Barack Obama slammed current POTUS Donald Trumps proposed tariffs and federal cuts. He urged Americans to defend democratic values and call out what is not right with the current administration read more Former President Barack Obama arrives ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration. Michelle's absence was glaring at the event as Barack made his entrance. Reuters Former US President Barack Obama called on Americans to resist the political agenda spread by current US President Donald Trump and defend the democratic values this country stands on. The remarks from Obama came during his address at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York on Thursday. The former president warned Americans to prepare to possibly sacrifice in support of democratic values. The speech came days after Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs worldwide, making foreign goods more expensive for Americans. In light of this, Wall Street tumbled, with experts predicting that America might be heading towards recession. Advertisement It has been easy during most of our lifetimes to say you are a progressive or say you are for social justice or say youre for free speech and not have to pay a price for it, Obama said in his address. The two-term president from the Democratic Party said that the Trump administration has led to the erosion of mutual respect for free speech. Its up to us to fix this: Obama In his address, Obama urged people to call out what is wrong with the Trump administration. It is up to all of us to fix this, Obama said, including the citizen, the ordinary person who says: No, thats not right. He emphasised that he disagreed with some of Trumps economic policies, including widespread new tariffs. However, the former president emphasised that he is more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they dont give up students who are exercising their right to free speech. Obama also said schools and students should review campus environments around issues of academic freedom and prepare to lose government funding in their defence. If you are a university, you may have to figure out: Are we, in fact, doing things right? he said during the conversation at Hamilton College. Have we in fact violated our own values, our own code, violated the law in some fashion? If not, and youre just being intimidated, well, you should be able to say: Thats why we got this big endowment. Obamas address came at a time when Columbia University has become a prime target of the Trump administration. The White House has cut federal funding to different programs the university has to offer and conducted a crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters who took part in the demonstrations last year. Harvard, Princeton University and other institutions are also under federal funding review over their policies on the issue. Now were at one of those moments where you know what? Its not enough just to say youre for something; you may have to do something, the former president concluded. Advertisement Analysts say that Hezbollahs future role will depend not only on domestic politics and military considerations, but also on how much leverage Western countries, including the US, are willing to exert through aid and diplomacy read more Hezbollah flags flutter as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to show support to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon's Hezbollah, in Sanaa, Yemen, on September 27, 2024. Reuters File A senior Lebanese official has said that US deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, raised the issue of disarming Hezbollah during her visit to Beirut over the weekend. According to the official, Ortagus discussed intensifying and speeding up the work of the Lebanese army in dismantling Hezbollahs military infrastructure, leading to restricting weapons to state hands, though no timetable was given. Her meetings with top Lebanese officials come as tensions simmer along the Israeli-Lebanese border despite a ceasefire reached in November 2023 that brought an end to over a year of intermittent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli forces remain in several points in southern Lebanon, and occasional cross-border strikes continue. Advertisement Ortagus met with Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Economy Minister Amer Bisat, and newly appointed central bank governor Karim Souaid, on Sunday (April 6), according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). While the envoy has not made any public remarks during her visit, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said their discussions with her on Saturday were positive and touched on both the security situation in the south and urgent economic reforms. Disarmament without a deadline A United Nations resolution that underpins the November ceasefire calls for the disarmament of all non-state armed groups and stipulates that only Lebanese army forces and UN peacekeepers should be present in the south. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and has long framed its arsenal as essential to defending Lebanon from Israel, is the only armed faction that retained its weapons after the countrys 15-year civil war ended in 1990. Analysts say that Hezbollahs future role will depend not only on domestic politics and military considerations, but also on how much leverage Western countries, including the US, are willing to exert through aid and diplomacy. 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Rocamora April 5, 2025, 3:12 pm MANILA -- The National Security Council (NSC) has expressed alarm over the arrest of three Filipino nationals for suspected espionage in China, saying they are mere "ordinary Filipino citizens with no military training." "They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a statement on Saturday. Citing the limited information released by Chinese media, Malaya said their detention "can be seen as a retaliation for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices" in the Philippines in recent months. He also mentioned an edited video released by Chinese media showing alleged "confessions" by the arrested Filipinos. He said the clip "raises more questions than answers" as a portion of one of the Filipinos' statements, while expressing regret, "also notably portrayed China in a positive light". "There was also mention of a 'Philippine Intelligence Agency' or 'Philippine Spy Intelligence Services,' which is a non-existing government agency," he said. "The 'confessions' appear to be scripted, strongly suggesting that they were not made freely." The arrested three are former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program established under the sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan, which provided scholarships to 50 scholars from Palawan at the Hainan National University. At that time, Malaya said, they only went to China at the invitation of the Chinese government to study. Meanwhile, he assured the public that the Philippine government would prioritize their safety and well-being and ensure that they receive appropriate legal support. "We urge the Chinese government to respect their rights and afford them every opportunity to clear their names in the same way that the rights of Chinese nationals are respected here in the Philippines," he said. He also called on the Filipino public to "remain vigilant and discerning in the face of these accusations." "Let us stand united in our commitment to truth, justice, and adherence to international law while prioritizing the well-being of our citizens abroad," he said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier said it recognizes the significance of this matter but deferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is handling the case. (With a report from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Head of State: The World Must Free Itself from the Self-deception that Peace Can Only be Guaranteed for a Given Country and Region or at the Expense of Someone Else President of the Republic of Bulgaria 4 April 2025 | 11:17 President Rumen Radev and H. M. King Abdullah II of Jordan are hosting a high-level meeting in Sofia "Aqaba Process for the Balkans III" The great challenge not only for the Balkans and Europe, but also for the world today, is to free ourselves from the self-deception that it is possible to guarantee peace and security only for a given country and region or at the expense of someone else. This was stated by President Rumen Radev before the start of the high-level meeting "Aqaba Process for the Balkans III", co-chaired by the Republic of Bulgaria and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Bulgarian Head of State and H. M. King Abdullah II of Jordan welcomed at the forum "Aqaba Process for the Balkans III" the Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovi? , the President of the Republic of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska- Davkova , the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovi? , the President of Slovenia Natasa Pirc Mussar , the president of Albania, Bayram Begai , the president of Kosovo, Vjesa Osmani , the President of Croatia Zoran Milanovi? , the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vu?i? and the Minister of Interior of Belgium Bernard Quintin. The meeting is attended by representatives of nearly 30 delegations, led by heads of state, representatives of governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and heads of diplomatic missions in our country. The "Aqaba Process" initiative, launched in 2015 by Jordan's King Abdullah II, is dedicated to current issues related to terrorism, illegal migration and radicalization , and Sofia is hosting the third high-level meeting of this format, dedicated to the Balkan region. "Today, when security is becoming a daily challenge, it is especially important for state leaders to be able to exchange views and jointly seek ways to strengthen it," the Bulgarian President emphasized. According to him, in a time of sharp deterioration in the security environment, it is especially important to hear more voices of leaders and experts and to respect their opinions and suggestions. "If this had been done, the fatal counteroffensive for Ukraine, launched in 2023, would not have happened, and a number of leaders in Europe would not have lived with the naive belief that by pouring more funds and weapons into Ukraine, it would achieve significant military successes and be able to negotiate from a position of strength," said the head of state and recalled his repeatedly stated position that these actions would not lead to success, but to more destruction, victims, the distancing of peace and the loss of even more territories by Ukraine. "The lessons of history are often forgotten, that in times of global conflicts there cannot be isolated islands of peace and tranquility," Rumen Radev also pointed out and highlighted the significance of today's forum dedicated to security in the region. "It is the Balkans that are particularly sensitive to the topic of security, because we directly suffer the consequences of the military conflicts around our region, which fuel illegal human trafficking, migration, terrorism and radicalization ," the president emphasized, adding that this is precisely why the focus of the high-level meeting "Aqaba Process for the Balkans III" is on this common understanding of security issues and the search for common ways to resolve them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 4, 2025 By Matthew Olay, DOD News DOD Task Force to Assess Progress of DEI Elimination A nine-member Defense Department task force headed by Jules W. Hurst III, an Army veteran who is performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will visit numerous military installations, including military service academies, in April and early May. The task force will evaluate the implementation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent "Restoring America's Fighting Force" memorandum. Signed Jan. 29, 2025, and addressed to all senior DOD leaders, the memo called for the creation of a task force to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and initiatives. Hurst led the creation of the task force, which first issued guidance across the department. That task force has now entered the validation phase of the department's accomplishments. Hurst said the task force's job is to ensure military installations have a thorough understanding of the secretary's directive so DOD leaders can be successful. "When a policy is issued, you want to ensure seamless implementation from the headquarters down to the unit level," he said. He added that the task force will also ensure the policy is implemented correctly and that the service academies are returning to solely merit-based practices. "My team and I are traveling to installations and service academies to ensure the president and secretary's intent and guidance are being carried out across the department. We want to hear from the leaders and service members on the ground, identify any challenges to implementation, and help our warfighters overcome these obstacles," Hurst said. He also noted that the task force wants frank feedback, honesty and candor from the people they interact with during the upcoming visits, as such feedback is necessary to ensure consistency across the force. "Really, it's an educational visit for us to make sure that we have conveyed what [President Donald J. Trump and the secretary] want [to communicate] to the force and that they understand it," Hurst said. He acknowledged that moving from policy issuance to full implementation at the ground level requires significant work, communication and validation, and that issues usually occur because individuals interpret policies differently, rather than because of intentional mistakes by the force. As an example, Hurst referenced a challenge regarding the removal of culturally and historically significant content from some DOD organizations. "I think the department is executing well and that organizations are exercising more diligence as they go through these processes to make sure they're compliant [with the policy] but not overzealous," Hurst said. He also said that one of the task force's key priorities is ensuring the sites they visit in the coming weeks have returned to a culture of meritocracy. Meritocracy is one of five key focus points the defense secretary mapped out in his Jan. 25, 2025, message to the force, along with lethality, accountability, readiness and standards. "This is about the Department of Defense getting back to merit-based, colorblind policies because, at the end of the day, our responsibility is to make sure that we take the best people and put them in positions of responsibility to lead America's sons and daughters," Hurst said. He added that the Defense Department owes the American people the best fighting force it can possibly muster, which involves getting the best people in positions of responsibility that are in accordance with their talents. The task force will visit six military installations, including two military service academies, over the next four weeks. The military services and DOD components plan to conduct similar validation exercises during the coming months, to ensure that the department delivers on the intent of the "Restoring America's Fighting Force" memo. The task force will produce a final report on DOD's actions to terminate any DEI initiatives no later than June 1, 2025. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy Secretary Landau's Call with Panamanian Foreign Minister Martinez-Acha US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson April 4, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha to reaffirm shared priorities and discuss ways to further advance U.S.-Panama ties. The Deputy Secretary expressed gratitude for Panama's cooperation in halting illegal immigration and working with the United States to secure a nearly 98 per cent decrease in illegal immigration through the Darien jungle The Deputy Secretary also recognized Panama's actions in curbing malign CCP influence and discussed the importance of Panama's ongoing audit of Hutchison's management of concessions of two ports at either end of the Panama Canal. The Deputy Secretary and the Foreign Minister pledged to work closely to support the safety, security, and prosperity of United States and Panama. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy Secretary Landau's Call with Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Alvarez US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson April 4, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke with Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez to reaffirm the enduring strength of the U.S.-Dominican Republic partnership. The Deputy expressed appreciation for the Dominican Republic's efforts to curb illegal immigration. He pledged to partner closely with the Dominican Republic to strengthen investment and commercial ties. The two discussed planning efforts for the Tenth Summit of the Americas in December, highlighting the CEO Summit as a key opportunity to foster new investment in the region. They also discussed efforts to promote stability in Haiti, including international efforts through the Multinational Security Support mission. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China-Cambodia Ream Port Joint Support and Training Center inaugurated, 'to help with disaster relief, humanitarian assistance' Global Times By Guo Yuandan and Zhang Han Published: Apr 05, 2025 02:21 PM The China-Cambodia Ream Port Joint Support and Training Center was officially inaugurated and put into operation on Saturday, which will support joint operations between the two militaries in areas such as counterterrorism, disaster prevention and relief, humanitarian assistance, and training, China's Ministry of National Defense announced in a statement. A military affairs expert described this as a new model of cooperation between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and foreign militaries, with both sides jointly building, utilizing, and maintaining the center. Necessary personnel from both countries will be stationed at the site to ensure smooth operations, per the statement. The center's establishment and operation are based on mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia. It complies with the domestic laws of both countries, relevant international laws, and established norms. The center is not aimed at any third party and aims to further strengthen practical military cooperation, enhance both militaries' capacity to fulfill international obligations, and contribute to global public security, according to the statement. Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Saturday that based on the information from the Ministry of National Defense the center has two core functions: joint support and joint training. The center will provide logistical support for counterterrorism, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance operations undertaken by both sides, fulfilling international obligations and contributing to global public security, Zhang said. The center will also host joint training exercises to enhance coordinated military operation capabilities of the two militaries, enabling them to jointly address regional security threats and uphold peace and stability, the expert said. Responding to some claims that the center is the PLA's second overseas base after Djibouti, Zhang said the two are not exactly the same. "Unlike the Djibouti support base, which is used and maintained by the PLA independently, the China-Cambodia joint center in Ream Port is built and used by both sides, and its smooth operations are maintained by both sides. In addition to logistical support, it also includes joint training functions, which help advance Cambodia's military modernization. This counters rumors from certain Western countries alleging that China is secretly building a PLA-exclusive naval base in Cambodia," Zhang noted. However, both the Djibouti base and the Cambodia center share one key trait, they are both established based on mutual respect and equal consultation between China and the related country, and are conducive to regional peace and stability, the expert said. The center can also support PLA's overseas humanitarian rescue and disaster relief operations. In the event of sudden disasters such as an earthquake or tsunami occurring in ASEAN countries near Cambodia, the PLA would be able to respond more rapidly and efficiently. Zhang cited the example of the Djibouti base. After it entered operation, it effectively supported the PLA Navy's escort missions against piracy in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, as well as evacuation operations. During evacuation missions from Yemen and Sudan, PLA naval vessels also carried foreign nationals, providing public safety services to the international community. "It is foreseeable that the China-Cambodia joint center can also play a positive role in regional security affairs." Based on the experience of the PLA's first overseas support base, the China-Cambodia Ream Port Joint Support and Training Center will not pose a threat to any country. On the contrary, it will contribute to regional peace, stability, and development, Zhang noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More countries express strong opposition to US tariffs, call for 'proportionate' response Global Times By Global Times Published: Apr 05, 2025 03:15 PM More countries have voiced strong opposition to the US' new sweeping tariffs, with leaders from Europe, Asia, and Africa opposing the move and calling for more action to prevent further trade escalation. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a "reciprocal tariff" policy, imposing sweeping new tariffs on almost all its trading partners, sparking a raft of retaliatory moves by targeted countries. France's industry minister called on Friday for a proportionate but firm response to US tariffs and said Europe wanted to avoid a damaging trade escalation, with the door open to negotiation, according to a report by Reuters on Friday. Speaking to reporters at an Airbus factory in Toulouse, France's Industry Minister Marc Ferracci said sweeping tariffs introduced by Trump were without precedent since the 1930s and could destabilize the global economy and cost jobs. "We obviously expect a response which must be proportionate because neither France nor Europe want an escalation in trade: a trade war can only have losers and it is absolutely certain that it will hit the American economy," he said. British prime minister Keir Starmer spoke to his Australian and Italian counterparts, Anthony Albanese and Giorgia Meloni, respectively, about how they should respond to Trump's tariffs, on Friday, saying they agreed an "all-out trade war would be extremely damaging," according to The Guardian. "They all agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging and is in nobody's interests, while agreeing to keep in close contact in the coming days," according to the report. In a YouTube video on Friday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Singapore must brace itself for more shocks to come, as the global calm and stability that once existed "will not return anytime soon," CNA reported. "We cannot expect that the rules which protected small states will still hold," said Wong. "I am sharing this with you so that we can all be mentally prepared." He assured that if Singapore stays resolute and united, it will continue to hold its own in what he described as a "troubled world" that is seeing a growing likelihood of a full-blown global trade war. South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on Friday also reiterated Pretoria's concerns over newly imposed US tariffs, unveiling a strategic plan to diversify the country's export markets, according to the Xinhua News Agency. At a joint press conference in Johannesburg with Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau, Lamola described the tariffs as "a barrier to trade and shared prosperity." Lamola announced that South Africa would take wide-ranging measures to counter the tariffs. Foremost among these would be diversifying South Africa's export destinations to curb dependency on a single market, as reported by Xinhua. Previously, some national leaders from around the world have urged companies to suspend planned investments in the US, while heads of international organizations warned of the dire consequences of the imposition of the US' latest sweeping "reciprocal tariffs." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas calls for trial of Israeli leaders for 'systematic targeting' of Palestinian children IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 On International Palestinian Children's Day, the Islamic Resistance Movement called for the prosecution of Israeli leaders for "systematically targeting" Palestinian children. In a statement on Saturday, Hamas said Israeli crimes against Palestinian children continue unabated and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. "Since the start of aggression against the Gaza Strip, 19,000 Palestinian children have been martyred. Additionally, 39,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents," the statement read. The movement criticized the lack of accountability for these actions, saying that international silence has emboldened further crimes against children in Gaza. It urged legal organizations to act decisively, expose Israel's violations, and implement measures to protect Gaza's children. 'No land for children' Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that children make up 51 percent of Gaza's total population. The agency reported on Saturday that, since Israel resumed the war on March 18, an average of 100 children have been killed or injured in Gaza every day. "Young lives cut short in a war not of children's making," UNRWA chief Phillipe Lazzarini said in a post on X. "The ceasefire at the beginning of the year gave Gaza's children a chance to survive & be children. The resumption of the war is again robbing them of their childhood. The war has turned Gaza into a 'no land' for children," he said. 2050**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: Israel continues war to eradicate the Palestinian nation IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 Sami Abu Zuhri, an official of the Islamic Resistance Movement, said in an interview with al-Ahed news website that the Israeli regime's attacks are not limited to Hamas targets; rather, it aims to eliminate the entire Palestinian nation. Consequently, what is going on in the Gaza Strip is an attempt to eradicate Palestinians from the face of the earth. According to the Hamas official, Israel seeks to transform the Gaza Strip into a large detention center with no living conditions in order to force the Palestinian people to relocate. The occupying regime continues its crimes and kills civilians, while the world watches in silence that the Palestinians are suffering , he said. Abu Zuhri also said that Israel has dismissed political proposals from international parties regarding a cessation of hostilities, aiming to deprive the Palestinian nation of their basic rights to defend themselves, all while the regime continues its genocidal operation across all Palestinian territories. On March 18, the Israeli regime resumed its attacks on Gaza, aiming to compel Hamas to accept its terms for the extension of the ceasefire deal and the prisoner swap. There are still dozens of Israeli prisoners in Gaza awaiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to negotiate a deal with Hamas for their release. Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, warned that half of the Israeli prisoners are held in regions where the regime's army ordered eviction and conducted bombardments in recent days. He said that if the enemy is concerned about the lives of its prisoners, it must begin negotiations to facilitate their evacuation or release; otherwise, Netanyahu will be responsible for their lives. 4208**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen hits Israeli military site; downs 'American-Israeli' drone IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 The Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out a drone attack against an Israeli military site near Tel Aviv and shot down an "American-Israeli" drone in Sa'ada governorate located in northern Yemen. In a statement late on Friday, the Yemeni army said that its forces had carried out a military operation against an Israeli military site in the occupied area of Yafa (Tel Aviv) using a drone. The statement said the Arab nation's air defenses also managed to shoot down a Giant Shark F360 reconnaissance drone "operated by the American-Israeli enemy, while carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Sa'ada Governorate." "The Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to continuing to fulfill their duties toward the oppressed Palestinian people until the aggression stops and the siege imposed on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted," it added. Meanwhile, a member of the Ansarullah resistance movement's political bureau warned on Friday that things are heading toward escalation due to the Israeli regime's aggression on Gaza and the American mobilization in the region. "We do not need to negotiate with America, directly or indirectly. Our military operations will stop only when an agreement to end the Israeli war on Gaza is implemented," Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti told Al Jazeera news network. He further warned that if the United States and Israel seek escalation, "we are ready." "We will inflict heavy losses on the occupation, both militarily and economically, and our operations are a bargaining chip in the hands of Palestinian negotiators," he said. Bukhaiti said that the Yemeni Armed Forces would halt their operations whenever a ceasefire agreement on Gaza is implemented. "Whoever wants calm in the region must negotiate with Gaza, not with Yemen," he stated. 4354**4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The U.S. conducts new attacks on northern Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 The United States has carried out fresh airstrikes on Yemen, targeting the northern governorate of Sa'ada. Yemen's Al-Masirah TV channel reported that U.S. fighter jets bombed the Kahlan region in Sa'ada governorate twice early on Saturday. The media outlet did not report any casualties from the attack. The U.S. launched intense airstrikes on Yemen in mid-March after the Arab country resumed its military operations against Israeli targets in an effort to pressure the regime to lift its siege of the Gaza Strip where an already dire humanitarian situation has been deteriorating. Since then, the U.S. has been pounding Yemen on an almost daily basis to crush the military capabilities of the Yemeni armed forces. On Friday night, CNN cited three American officials as saying that the military operation against Yemen has so far cost the U.S. $1 billion, but left limited impact on the Yemeni Armed Forces' capabilities. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CNN that the operation has used hundreds of millions of dollars in munitions for strikes against Yemen, including JASSM long-range cruise missiles, GPS-guided glide bombs, and Tomahawk missiles. The U.S. military is also using B-2 bombers out of the Diego Garcia airbase. According to CNN, the U.S. military may request Congress to allocate additional funding for the offensive in Yemen. The Pentagon has not yet disclosed the impact of the United States' daily air raids on the Yemeni army. However, some military officials have acknowledged that the Yemeni Armed Forces are still capable of preserving their arms stockpiles underground. "They've taken out some sites, but that hasn't affected the Houthis' ability to continue shooting at ships in the Red Sea or shooting down U.S. drones," CNN quoted one of its interviewees, in reference to the Yemeni armed forces who are members of the Ansarullah Movement and are called Houthis by Western media and officials. The Yemeni armed forces announced on Thursday that they had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was conducting "a hostile mission" over Yemen's airspace. According to the Yemeni army, it was the 17th MQ-9 drone that was downed since November 2023 when Yemen launched for the first time its pro-Gaza operations. 4208**4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas says 19,000 children killed in Gaza, calls for prosecution of Israeli leaders Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 1:52 PM On Palestinian Children's Day, Hamas called for the prosecution of Israel's leaders for war crimes as the regime's genocidal war on Gaza continues with "systematic targeting of children." The Palestinian Children's Day, celebrated annually on April 5th, is marked this year as the regime's forces have killed some 19,000 children, including 274 newborn babies and 876 infants below the age of one year, in Gaza since October 2023, Hamas said in a statement on Saturday. In Gaza, Hamas said, over 1,100 children have been abducted and "around 39,000 have become orphaned by losing one or both parents, while thousands others face the threat of famine, malnutrition, and disease." "The fascist occupation continues its systematic targeting of children, using them as human shields, depriving them of education in Gaza." Hamas also warned that the resistance group will never forget the regime's "crimes against our children." It reiterated that the international community's silence, "which is a shameful stain on human rights and humanitarian organizations... emboldens the occupation to escalate its crimes" against innocent Palestinian children. The resistance group urged "the United Nations and governments to criminalize the occupation and activate its inclusion on the 'List of Shame' for perpetrators of crimes against children." Hamas also said that human rights organizations need "to assume responsibility in exposing the occupation's crimes and to work seriously to protect Palestinian children and ensure their rights." Marking Palestinian Children's Day, Palestinian political prisoners' legal defense and advocacy groups said in a report that at least 350 Palestinian children are currently being held in the Israeli regime's prisons and military camps across the occupied territories. The report warned that the Palestinian children "face a wide array of abuses and rights violations including torture, starvation, deprivation of medical care and systematic maltreatment." Walid Ahmed, a 17-year-old Palestinian prisoner, became the first child to lose his life in Israel's prison on March 22, after being held in detention without any charges. According to the report, Walid "faced systematic crimes, the most notable of which was the crime of starvation, which led to his martyrdom." Walid was the 63rd Palestinian who lost his life in the Israeli regime's detention since it launched in October 2023. Since then, more than 4,000 Palestinians have been abducted by Israeli forces in the West Bank. According to Palestinian prisoner rights groups, Israel is holding the bodies of 72 Palestinian prisoners who died in its detention centers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lebanese president appeals for US pressure to halt Israeli attacks, ceasefire violations Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 1:46 PM Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called on the United States to pile pressure on Israel to halt its attacks against the Arab nation and cease its recurrent violations of a ceasefire agreement that went into effect more than four months ago. Aoun made the appeal during a meeting with visiting US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Saturday. The Lebanese president emphasized that even though his country is standing fiercely committed to the ceasefire deal, the Tel Aviv regime is pressing ahead with its violations, which have resulted in the deaths of dozens of victims and injuries to hundreds of others. After enduring substantial losses over almost 14 months of conflict and not achieving its aims in the offensive against Lebanon, Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah. The ceasefire was implemented on November 27. Since the initiation of the agreement, the occupying forces have been conducting attacks on Lebanon, violating the ceasefire, which encompasses airstrikes across the Arab nation. On January 27, Lebanon declared its decision to prolong the ceasefire with Israel until February 18. Despite the February 18 deadline having passed, Israel persists in its occupation of five critical areas in southern Lebanon, which include Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, located near the border. According to Lebanon's Presidency, Aoun and Ortagus also exchanged viewpoints on key regional and domestic issues, including the status quo in southern Lebanon, the work of the international committee monitoring the ceasefire agreement with Israel, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. The talks also addressed the security situation along the border between Lebanon and Syria, coordination efforts between the two countries, financial and economic reforms, and the Lebanese government's continued efforts to combat corruption. A positive and constructive tone purportedly marked the meeting. Ortagus later met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and held talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri later in the day. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US spent $1 billion on Yemen offensive with limited results: Report Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 9:51 AM A recent report has revealed that the US military's nearly $1 billion offensive against the Yemeni armed forces has had limited success in impacting its capabilities. The US broadcaster, CNN, cited three unnamed sources as saying that the onslaught, which was launched on March 15, has already used hundreds of millions of dollars worth of munitions for strikes against Yemen's armed forces, including JASSM long-range cruise missiles, JSOWs, which are GPS-guided glide bombs, and Tomahawk missiles. US defense officials announced earlier this week that B-2 bombers out of Diego Garcia a British-administered atoll are also being used against the Yemeni military, and an additional aircraft carrier as well as several fighter squadrons and air defense systems will soon be moved into the Central Command region. "They've taken out some sites, but that hasn't affected the Houthis' ability to continue shooting at ships in the Red Sea or shooting down US drones," said one of the sources, referring to Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement. "Meanwhile, we are burning through readinessmunitions, fuel, deployment time." Another source underlined that the Pentagon will likely need to request supplemental funding from Congress to continue its aggression, but may not receive it as the offensive has already been criticized on both sides of the aisle. Even Vice President JD Vance said he thought the aggression was "a mistake" in a Signal chat published by The Atlantic last week. Although Pentagon has not publicly disclosed what impact the daily US military strikes have actually had on the Yemeni resistance movement, they acknowledged that the group has still been able to fortify their bunkers and maintain weapons stockpiles underground, much as they did during the strikes that the Joe Biden administration carried out for over a year, the sources said. And it has been difficult to determine precisely how much the Yemenis still have stockpiled, a defense official said. In a speech on Friday, Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the intensified US acts of aggression against Yemen had failed to stop Yemeni resistance operations in support of Palestinians plagued by Israel's months-long genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip. Houthi stressed that the US aggression on Yemen, which exceeded 90 attacks on some days, "has failed to stop the military operations supporting the Palestinian people, nor has it been able to protect Israeli navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea." A few weeks after the onset of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Yemeni forces began carrying out solidarity operations with the war-hit Gazans, striking targets throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to targeting Israeli ships or vessels heading toward ports in the occupied territories. In support of Israel, the US announced the formation of a maritime task force in the Red Sea in December 2023 to protect the passage of vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories. The Yemeni forces responded by ramping up their strikes against strategic and sensitive Israeli and American targets, including the US warships and aircraft carriers that are deployed off Yemen's coastline. The Yemeni forces paused their retaliatory strikes in support of the ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on January 19 before Israel broke it last month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel's assaults trigger biggest displacement wave in West Bank since 1967: UNRWA Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 7:11 AM The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that the recent Israeli assaults have caused the largest displacement wave in the occupied West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. UNRWA announced in a statement on Friday that the Israeli Forces' large-scale ongoing attacks that started in Jenin camp and other areas in the north on January 21 have made it by far the single longest aggression against the West Bank since the second intifada in the early 2000s. The aid agency said the unfolding situation in the northern West Bank is "extremely concerning" due to the ongoing Israeli offensives and arrest campaigns. Israeli raids have led to systematic destruction, forced displacement, and demolition orders affecting Palestinian families and refugee camps, it added. This has resulted in the largest wave of displacement since the 1967 Six-Day War between the Israeli regime and a coalition of Arab countries (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan), which led to the Israeli occupation and annexation of Palestinian territories in a move not recognized internationally, it pointed out. In a joint report on Friday, Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, along with Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), also warned that Israel is forcibly transferring Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, particularly shepherding communities northeast of Ramallah. Titled "Displaced Communities, Forgotten People", the report found that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from their homes in the area since January 2023. The report highlighted that "Israel bears responsibility for committing the war crime of forcible transfer of Palestinians in the West Bank." "The systematic nature of these acts, and their repetition in different locations lead to the grave conclusion that in certain areas of the West Bank, Israel is implementing practices of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians," it added. Israel arrested over 100 Palestinians in West Bank last week The Palestinian Prisoners Society said on Friday that Israeli forces arrested over 100 Palestinians, including women, children, and former detainees, across the occupied West Bank last week. It added that Israeli forces have escalated their detention drive in various regions of the West Bank. Recently, it said, there has been a particular emphasis on the Masafer Yatta, al-Fawwar, and Dheisheh refugee camps in the southern part of the territory, along with ongoing raids in the northern governorates of Jenin and Tulkarm, which have been ongoing since late January. Arrests were frequently made in conjunction with field grilling, assaults, threats against civilians and their families, widespread infrastructure destruction, home demolitions, hostage-taking, and the conversion of civilian homes into military posts, according to the rights group. It also reported that since the onset of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, more than 15,800 Palestinians have been apprehended in the occupied West Bank, alongside the detention of numerous Palestinian workers and thousands from Gaza. "These arrests are retaliatory in nature and constitute a form of collective punishment," PPS said, adding that arrests remain "one of Israel's most consistent and systematic policies, both in terms of numbers and the severity of accompanying violations." The Israeli military initiated its assault on the occupied West Bank on January 21, stating that the objective was to target the resistance fighters linked to the Jenin Battalion. Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, the actions of the Israeli army and illegal settlers have led to the deaths of more than 944 Palestinians, with over 7,000 individuals sustaining injuries in the occupied West Bank. Last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that Israel's long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, demanding the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'No land for children': UN says Israel kills or wounds 100 children in Gaza each day Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 6:31 AM At least 100 Palestinian children have been killed or injured by the Israeli military each day in Gaza since the Zionist regime broke the ceasefire on March 18, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, warned that the resumption of the war on Gaza is "robbing" Palestinian children of their childhood, turning the besieged territory into a "no land" for children. "Harrowing," Lazzarini wrote on X. "At least 100 children are reported killed or injured every day in Gaza since the strikes resumed," he said, citing UNICEF figures. "Nothing justifies the killing of children." He lamented that "young lives" were being "cut short in a war not of children's making," calling for renewed efforts to protect Gaza's youngest civilians by resuming the ceasefire. He noted that since the war began on October 7, 2023, 15,000 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip. "The resumption of the war is again robbing them of their childhood. The war has turned Gaza into a "no land" for children. This is a stain on our common humanity," he warned. According to the UNICEF, since Israel resumed its war on Gaza nearly 20 days ago, 322 Palestinian children have been killed and 609 injured. The world's agency for children and their rights said in a statement on Monday that one million children in Gaza are suffering from continuous bombardment and the worsening humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by Israel's ongoing blockade of aid into the narrow Strip. At least 1,249 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed large-scale strikes on the war-torn territory after breaking the ceasefire on March 18, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The number of injured since the Israeli attacks restarted now stands at 3,022, it also said. According to the ministry, the figures include 86 people killed in the past 24 hours and 287 wounded. The ministry also reports that the overall death toll in Gaza has reached 50,609 since the war began on October 7, 2023. The number of people injured in Gaza since that date stands at 115,063. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than a million children in the Gaza Strip deprived of lifesaving aid for over one month UNICEF Aid continues to be blocked from entering, in breach of international humanitarian law and with dire repercussions for children 05 April 2025 AMMAN, 5 April 2025 -- The blockade of humanitarian aid is having terrible consequences for one million children in the Gaza Strip. No aid has been allowed into the Gaza Strip since 2 March 2025 - representing the longest period of aid blockage since the start of the war - leading to shortages of food, safe water, shelter, and medical supplies. Without these essentials, malnutrition, diseases and other preventable conditions will likely surge, leading to an increase in preventable child deaths. "UNICEF has thousands of pallets of aid waiting to enter the Gaza Strip," said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder. "Most of this aid is lifesaving - yet instead of saving lives, it is sitting in storage. It must be allowed in immediately. This is not a choice or charity; it is an obligation under international law." Children receiving malnutrition treatment are at serious risk. Twenty-one treatment centres 15 per cent of total outpatient facilities have closed since 18 March 2025 due to displacement orders or bombardments. The 350 children relying on these sites now face worsening malnutrition, which can be life-threatening. Complimentary food for infantscrucial for growth when food stocks are lowhas run out in central and southern Gaza. Only enough ready-to-use infant formula (RUIF) remains for 400 children for a month. UNICEF estimates nearly 10,000 infants under six months require supplementary feeding, so without the RUIF, families could be forced to use alternatives mixed with unsafe water. In addition to nutrition services, UNICEF has been forced to scale back mental health and psychosocial support, mine education, and child protection case management due to ongoing hostilities and mass displacement. During the cease-fire, UNICEF began repairing critical wells and water points to increase the availability of safe drinking water. With the ceasefire collapsed, many remain unrepaired or are at risk of further damage. In the north, families now rely entirely on water trucking. In central and southern areas, power cuts to the southern desalination plant have slashed water production by 85 per cent, and the main water pipeline has been damaged and cannot be accessed for repairs. Drinking water access for 1 million people, including 400,000 children, has plunged from 16 litres per person per day to just six. If fuel runs out in the coming weeks, this could drop below 4 liters, forcing families to use unsafe water and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, particularly among children. The blockade has also prevented UNICEF from delivering inclusive recreational kits for 1,000 children with disabilities. "For the sake of more than 1 million children in the Gaza Strip, we urge the Israeli authorities to ensure, at a minimum, people's basic needs are met, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law," said Beigbeder. This includes their legal responsibility to ensure that families are supplied with the food, medical and other essential supplies they need to survive." Despite an extremely challenging situation, UNICEF and its partners are keeping a critical presence, delivering services like the resumption of neonatal health care services in the north and providing 21 respiratory machines to save the lives of 150 newborns; increased access to drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people; addressing malnutrition, with more than 7,800 children under 2-years-old reached with Ready to Use Complementary Food (RUCF) and more than 33,500 screened for acute malnutrition; prevention of family separation with more than 300 children reunited with their parents after having been separated by displacement orders and intense strikes. UNICEF continues to call on parties to cease hostilities and reinstate the ceasefire. Humanitarian aid and commercial goods must be allowed to enter and move freely across the Gaza Strip. Sick and injured children must be evacuated for medical care. Civilians, including children and humanitarian workers, and the remaining essential infrastructure must be protected, and the hostages must be released. UNICEF also urges states with influence to use their leverage over the parties to stop the conflict and ensure their respect for international law, including the special respect and protection due to children affected by armed conflict. ##### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 05 April 2025 - Day 1137 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian territorial gains in Ukraine have decreased during the first quarter of 2025, with Russian forces highly likely seizing only 143 sq km of Ukrainian territory in March 2025, an average of less than 5 square kilometres per day. Russia's rate of advance has dropped month by month since November 2024, when its forces seized more than 700 sq km. Most of the advances by Russian forces in March 2025 were in central Donetsk oblast, but Russia did not improve its operational position. Ukrainian forces also carried out tactical counter-attacks, reversing some of Russia's gains around Pokrovsk. The level of Russian ground attacks on several axes was reduced through much of March 2025. These began to increase towards the end of the month but have not resulted in a higher rate of advance. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that so far, there have been 152 combat clashes. The hottest situation today in Pokrovsky, Lyman, Toretsky and Kursky directions. Today, the Russian enemy launched 73 air strikes, dropped 106 KABs, engaged 844 kamikaze drones to strike, executed more than 4100 shells of Ukrainian troops and settlements. In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian enemy once attacked in the direction of Kamyanka. In the Kupyansky direction, Russian forces tried to advance to Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Petropavlivka, Zagrizove and Nova Kruglyakivka six times during the day; Ukrainian units repelled all attacks. In the Lyman direction, Russian forces attacked 20 times in the areas of Novoegorivka, Novolybivka, Grekivka, Novoy, Katerynivka and in the direction of Green Valley. Ukrainian warriors have stopped 15 attacks of the Russian zagarbnikiv, five more battles are still ongoing. In the Siver komu direction, the Defense Forces repelled three Russian assault actions in the areas of Bilogorivka and Verkhnyokamiansky. In the kramators komu direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled three Russian attacks in the areas of the time jar and grigorivka. In the Toretsky direction, Russian forces carried out 18 offensive actions on the positions of Ukrainian troops in the areas of Kurdyumivka, Toretsk, Dachny, Leonidivka and Friendship; so far, three confrontations are ongoing. Since the beginning of the day, the Russian enemy has tried 65 times to infiltrate Ukrainian defense in the Pokrovsky direction in the areas of settlements Kotlyarivka, Valentinivka, Oleksandropil, Tarasivka, Lisivka, Shevchenko, Kotline, Udaachne, Uspenivka, Novooleksandrivka and Bogdanivka; currently there are 11 fighting. The Russian occupiers launched aerial strikes with controlled bombs on the areas of the settlements of Zorya and Stara Mykolaivka. According to available information, the casualties of the Russian occupiers to date amount to 292 people killed and injured; in addition, one MTLB tractor, four cars, four motorcycles, two satellite terminals and four BPLA control points have been destroyed. In the Novopavlovsky direction today, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three Russian attacks in the areas of the settlements of Rozliv, Konstantinopil and Burlatske, four more clashes are still ongoing. In the gulyajpil s komu direction, Russian forces once attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the area of rivnopol. In the Orihivs komu direction, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled four Russian attacks near Stepovoye, Maliy Scherbakiv and in the direction of Mala Tokmacka and Novoandriivka. Aviation strikes were hit by settlements Stepnogirsk and Lukyanivsk. Two unsuccessful attempts of the Russian opponent to pass to the positions of Ukrainians kicked Ukrainian defenders in the pridniprovsky direction. In the Kurs komu direction today, there were 17 boezitknen , two of which last until now. Russian forces launched 19 air strikes and shot down 21 KABs, carrying out 286 artillery shells of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, including seven. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Belgorod direction, the Sever Group have engaged manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades of the AFU and a territorial defence brigade close to Krasnopolye and Miropolskoye (Sumy region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 troops, two tanks, four armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. The Zapad Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation along the front line. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, an assault, and territorial defence brigades close to Komarovka, Kondrashovka, and Kamenka (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to more than 250 troops, two pick-up trucks, and seven field artillery guns including five Western-made pieces. One ammunition depot was destroyed. The Yug Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation. Russian troops engaged units of three mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a territorial defence brigade, and a national guard brigade near Konstantinovka, Pravdovka, Zarya, and Katerinovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy lost up to 300 troops, four tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, and six field artillery guns. Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, an air assault brigade, and an unmanned aerial vehicles brigade of the AFU near Novoekonomicheskoye, Udachnoye, Zverevo,Yelizavetovka, Krasnoarmeysk, and Alekseyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 435 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, and two artillery guns. One electronic warfare station was eliminated. The Vostok Group's units have taken more favourable lines and positions. Russian formations hit manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades of AFU and a territorial defence brigade close to Otradnoye and Volnoye Pole (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 140 troops, six motor vehicles, and a field artillery gun. The Dnepr Group of Forces' units took more advantageous lines and positions. Russian forces damaged formations of a mechanised brigade, a coastal defence brigade of the AFU and a territorial defence brigade close to Stepovoye, Novopokrovka, and Lobkovoye (Zaporozhye region). Up to 65 troops, a U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, five motor vehicles, and two ammunition depots have been neutralised. Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the infrastructure of the military airfield, missile and artillery depots, an unmanned aerial vehicle assembly enterprise as well as clusters of manpower and materiel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries in 147 areas. Russian air defence systems have shot down seven JDAM guided bombs and five U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, as well as 208 fixed-wing drones. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 660 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 49,982 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,683 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,534 MLRS combat vehicles, 23,233 field artillery guns and mortars, and 33,685 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region. In the course of offensive actions, the Sever Group of Forces' units inflicted fire damage on formations of a mechanised brigade, three air assault brigades, and a territorial defence brigade of the AFU near Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery strikes engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Basovka, Belovody, Vladimirovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Loknya, Miropolye, Novonikolayevka, Privolye, Sadki, Khrapovshchina, and Yunakovka in Sumy region. In the past 24 hours, the AFU lost over 210 troops, an infantry fighting vehicle, two armoured personnel carriers, five armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, a mortar, and eight UAV command posts. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 72,150 troops, 404 tanks, 331 infantry fighting vehicles, 296 armoured personnel carriers, 2,252 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,618 motor vehicles, 595 artillery guns, 53 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 26 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 123 EW stations, 18 counter-fire radars, ten air defence radars, 56 units of engineering and other materiel, including 23 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 15 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Training Base of KPA Special Operation Units and Guides General Training Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, April 5 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the training base of the special operation units of the Korean People's Army and guided the general training on April 4. Accompanying him were Pak Jong Chon, secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, and other leading officials of the WPK Central Committee. The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was greeted on the spot by No Kwang Chol, minister of National Defence of the DPRK, Ri Yong Gil, chief of the General Staff of the KPA, and the first vice-minister of National Defence, the director of the combat training department of the KPA General Staff and commanding officers of the special operation units. After receiving a salute from commanding officers of the KPA, he mounted the observation post to watch the general tactical training and small-arms shooting contest conducted and held by combatants of various special operations units according to the training programme. The training was aimed at steadily exploring and applying new military tactics and methodologies of Korean style for bolstering up the special operations forces in keeping with the developing aspects and changing trend of modern warfare and mastering them through practical training for real war so as to prepare all combatants more thoroughly to reliably and skilfully carry out their special operations tasks under any combat situation. The brave combatants, who have grown up to be the strongest combat group and the core vanguard of the armed forces of the DPRK while cultivating matchless strength and courage under the outstanding guidance of the great brilliant commander, fully demonstrated the strong independent operations capability and the fighting spirit and crack-shot marksmanship of our invincible army in all drills. Kim Jong Un highly appreciated the lofty ideological and spiritual world of the combatants who are devoting themselves to their noble mission and duty for defending the security of the state and the safety of the people always with battlefield in their mind, true to the Party's idea of building the special operations forces. The actual war capability for guaranteeing victory in the battlefield is bolstered up through intensive training and it is the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country and the people and the first revolutionary duty for the soldiers with arms to complete the combat preparations, he said, calling for taking it as the core goal of army building to turn the army into a strong one in which all the officers and men fight shoulder to shoulder, in one body and with one idea and one intention. The strengthening of the special operations forces constitutes a major component of our army building strategy at present, he said, indicating important tasks to take a series of crucial measures for putting the special operations capability on a highly-developed basis. He guided an automatic rifle firing drill and a sniper rifle firing drill of the combatants. He personally conducted the test-fire of a sniper rifle to be newly supplied to special operations units and learned about its results, expressing great satisfaction over the performance and power of the sniper rifle developed in our own way. Then he watched general special physical exercises of special operations unit combatants. The combatants, who have prepared themselves to be a-match-for-a-hundred soldiers with iron fists as sturdy as bullets and brave fighters, fully demonstrated their physical and technical abilities. Watching the exercises pulsating with the fighting spirit to annihilate the enemy and the heroic mettle, Kim Jong Un warmly encouraged the officers and men of the special operations forces filled with patriotic enthusiasm and militant courage. He had a photo session with the reliable officers and men who are further improving the strongest capability for an actual war in the training with courage, pluck and towering self-confidence to counter any war and crisis without hesitation. When the photo session was over, the KPA's reliable guards and passionate warriors broke into thunderous cheers reflecting their pledge of loyalty, looking up to the great iron-willed commander with deep emotion. Kim Jong Un expressed expectations and belief that all the units of the special operations forces would remain absolutely faithful to their mission of defending the country, the revolution and the people and firmly safeguard the victorious advance of the most just and sacred cause of the DPRK with matchless arms. All the servicepersons, who took part in the training, hardened their firm determination to more reliably prepare themselves as the spearhead of the elite revolutionary armed forces that always wins victory in every battle and conquers any fortress when it is determined, for the great Comrade Kim Jong Un , the eternal prosperity of our dignified state and happiness of the people. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Transcript of Special briefing by MEA on Prime Minister's visit to Sri Lanka (April 05, 2025) India - Ministry of External Affairs April 05, 2025 Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, friends, I welcome you to this special Press Briefing by Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri on the ongoing State Visit of Prime Minister to Sri Lanka. We also have with us High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Shri Santosh Jha, as also Additional Secretary (IOR) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Shri Puneet Agrawal. With that, I invite Foreign Secretary Sir to make his opening remarks. Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Thank you Randhir, good afternoon all, and thank you for joining us for this briefing on the ongoing State Visit by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka. As you are aware, Prime Minister Modi is the first foreign Head of State or Head of Government to be hosted by the President of Sri Lanka since the latter's assumption of office last year in September 2024. Earlier in December last year, President Anura Kumara Disanayaka chose India as his first overseas destination for a State Visit after assuming office. These two visits happening in quick succession demonstrate the rather special and unique nature of the India-Sri Lanka partnership. The ongoing visit is a very substantive one, and rich in outcomes. So let me take you through a little bit of what has happened since the arrival of Prime Minister yesterday late in the evening, and some of the discussions that have already taken place today. So you would be aware that after concluding his engagements at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok in Thailand, the Prime Minister arrived yesterday evening in Colombo to a very warm welcome. He was received by six Cabinet Ministers of the Government of Sri Lanka, led by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. Later on at the hotel, he received a very warm welcome from the Indian community that had gathered there in good numbers. Several collaborative works featuring common cultural themes from India and Sri Lanka such as Sri Lankan audio book of stories from the Panchatantra, the Jataka tales, the Hitopdesh and the Pali composition of Gita Govinda, etc. were on display to mark the occasion. Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister was received by President Disanayaka for a ceremonial welcome at Colombo's iconic Independence Square. I am told that the Independence Square has been used for such a ceremony, possibly for the first time ever to welcome a foreign Head of State or Head of Government. The ceremonial welcome was followed by official discussions between the Prime Minister and President Disanayaka at the Presidential Secretariat. The two leaders held a restricted meeting followed by delegation level talks. They were able to review developments in the relationship and the progress made on the Joint Vision of Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future that had been adopted during President Disanayaka's visit to India last year. They took stock of ongoing cooperation in the fields of connectivity, development projects, economic ties, defence relations, people-to-people ties, reconciliation, fishermen related issues and provided guidance for further steps to be taken. After the discussions, the leaders oversaw the exchange of as many as seven agreements and memoranda of understanding. They virtually inaugurated the construction of the Sampur solar power project. They also inaugurated the recently completed temperature-controlled warehousing facility at Dambulla, which is possibly the first facility of its kind in the island, and a project for supply of solar rooftop systems to nearly 5,000 religious institutions across Sri Lanka. As you can see, even as progress has been made on several items that had been outlined in the joint statement, there are a few new ones that have been added from this visit as well, and some of those were reflected in Prime Minister's press statement as well a short while ago. Demonstrating our continued commitment to assist Sri Lanka in its economic recovery, India has concluded the debt restructuring process with Sri Lanka, with the exchange of the bilateral amendatory agreements on debt restructuring. We have, as you would be aware, been pursuing an investment-led strategy with Sri Lanka, together with a grant assistance-oriented approach to ensure that Sri Lanka is firmly on the path to sustainable and long-term economic recovery. There is a recognition also at the Leadership level that the security interests of India and Sri Lanka are interlinked. Both leaders made this point emphatically today, both in their restricted as well as at the delegation level talks, and then during the Press Statements as well. And it is on the basis of this understanding that today the two sides concluded an MOU on Defence Cooperation, providing further impetus to the existing defence partnership, signifying their shared commitment to regional security and stability. This visit has also been particularly significant for the energy cooperation domain between the two countries, where we have achieved some new milestones. The first amongst those that I would refer to is the exchange of, or rather the MOU that has been concluded between the two sides on electricity grid interconnection. This is a project that has been on the drawing board for some time, and with the signature of this MOU, work will start in earnest on realizing it on the ground. The other significant MOU in the energy space that I would highlight is the trilateral MOU for developing Trincomalee as an energy hub. This is an MOU that has been signed between India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. This is an initiative designed to ensure Sri Lanka's energy security, provisioning of energy at affordable rates, and also to possibly contribute revenue for Sri Lanka through export earnings of energy generated at this project. The MOU on digital transformation, which was also exchanged today, will enable the development and scaling up of digital solutions for Sri Lanka across the entire digital public infrastructure domain. We have also during this visit formalized understandings to undertake socio-economic projects, focusing on livelihood assistance, agriculture, capacity building, education and other fields, in the eastern province especially, at a cost of Lankan Rs 2.37 billion. These projects are funded through grant assistance. Bilateral cooperation in the field of health has also seen a boost through the conclusion of MOUs on cooperation in the fields of health and medicine, as well as the recognition of Indian pharmacopoeia by Sri Lanka. These understandings will facilitate the expansion of cooperation in the domain of health, including provisioning of high quality and affordable medicines to the people of Sri Lanka. In terms of inaugurations, I have referred to the groundbreaking of the 120 MW Sampur solar power project by both leaders. This will support Sri Lanka in its clean energy transition, reduce electricity costs for consumers, create jobs and stimulate growth. Similarly, the joint inauguration of the supply of solar rooftop systems to 5,000 religious institutions across Sri Lanka will help enhance energy security for various establishments, and contribute up to 25 MW of solar electricity to Sri Lanka. You would perhaps also have noted the Prime Minister's announcement as a very, very special gesture, and emblematic of the civilizational, cultural and religious ties between the two countries. The announcement of the support for realizing the Sacred City project in Anuradhapura. This goes together with the development of the Thirukoneswaram temple in Trincomalee. Some of you would be aware that this is known as the Kailash of the South. And a third project in the same space, which is the development of the Sita Eliya temple complex in Nuwara Eliya. The Prime Minister also announced that some relics of Lord Buddha, which were found in Aravali in Gujarat during excavations, would be sent to Sri Lanka for an exposition, possibly coinciding with the international Vesak Day festival celebrations in May 2025. India has always been a significant contributor to capacity building initiatives for Sri Lanka. And in this domain too, during this visit, we have seen the announcement of a comprehensive package of training for 700 Sri Lankan citizens annually from different sectors. People hailing from the legislative, judicial and the media sectors in particular. These training slots are over and above the regular slots that are available to Sri Lankan nationals under the ITEC program of India. One of the developments of note during this visit, and which was a very special moment during the Press Statements and the inaugurations, as well as the exchanges of MOU ceremony that was held earlier, was the conferment by President Disanayaka upon the Prime Minister of the highest Sri Lankan honor for Heads of State and Heads of Government of friendly nations, the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana award, which is a recognition of the role of the Prime Minister in strengthening and transforming the India-Sri Lanka partnership. In particular, the unprecedented assistance that India rendered to Sri Lanka during the economic crisis a few years ago. Prime Minister is only the second foreign leader and the first Indian to be honored with this award, which he accepted, not only personally for himself but on behalf of 1.4 billion people of India. Later today, the Prime Minister will be meeting with the leader of the opposition, the Honorable Sajith Premadasa, as well as political leaders from the north and the east, as also the upcountry region. He will also later this afternoon visit the IPKF memorial to lay a wreath there in remembrance of our brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Tomorrow, the Prime Minister and President Disanayaka will together visit Anuradhapura to seek blessings at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple there and also inaugurate two railway projects that have been undertaken there with Indian assistance. So overall, as I said in the beginning, this has been a very significant and substantive visit, rich in outcomes and has added significant momentum to our partnership. It has reaffirmed India's stance of standing with the people of Sri Lanka as they continue on their journey of economic recovery and growth and has also underlined the fact that the well-being and prosperity and security of both countries is interlinked and that is something that has the imprint of both leaderships. Let me stop here and if you have any questions, I would be happy to try and answer them. Sahil Pandey, ANI: Good afternoon, I am Sahil Pandey from ANI News agency. Foreign Secretary, could you please share the components of the defense cooperation and also on the trilateral MOU which has been signed. Could you please share the roadmap and plan of action in that regard? Thank you. Gautam Roy, DD India, DD News: Sir, this is Gautam Roy from DD India and DD News. I just want to ask a little bit more about the defense cooperation agreement. Because, we wanted to understand if it entails or has some elements in future, if not immediately, of Sri Lanka becoming an importer of defense platforms or weapons equipment from India, because last year India exported record amount, 2.76 billion dollars of defense equipment. And we are trying to be self-reliant in our own self-defense and would this then extend to that as well. Manash Pratim Bhuyan, PTI: Good afternoon, Foreign Secretary. This is Manash from PTI, Press Trust of India. Just wanted to ask you about what kind of role United Arab Emirates will play in this project to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub. And my second query is, Sri Lanka is also expected to get some kind of adverse impact from the US sanctions, basically primarily the reciprocal tariff. So, did the Sri Lankan side raise the issue, and seek India's help if it is affected by the reciprocal tariff being imposed by the US? Geeta Mohan, India Today: Geeta Mohan from India Today. Wanted to know about the issue of fishermen. Prime Minister Modi has announced relief for fishermen. But in terms of conversations with the Sri Lankan leadership, what's the kind of conversation on fishermen issue, as also given that Tamil Nadu passed a resolution on Katchatheevu. Did that also come up? Dr. Farooqi, Akashvani & Doordarshan: This is Dr. Farooqi from Akashvani & Doordarshan. Foreign Secretary, just wanted to know what would be the scope of the development of Trincomalee as the energy hub, and how much would be the allocation from the Indian side and what would be the outcomes from that? Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times: Reza from Hindustan Times. Foreign Secretary, just a follow-up question on Trincomalee. Whether this would also involve some sort of a multi-product pipeline and whether there would be some sort of a reserve or a strategic reserve of petroleum or any other energy? Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Okay, thank you. Well, insofar as, so I think there are ... mostly everybody is focused on defense cooperation and the trilateral MOU for the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, and tariffs and fishermen. So, let me take the MOU on defense cooperation. I think this proceeds from the fact that we have had very good conversations between the two leaders. They started in December last year when President Disanayaka visited Delhi, and it continued during this visit, and one of the recurring themes in the discussions and in fact, I would say a point of really close convergence in the narratives from both sides has been a recognition of the completely interlinked nature of the national security of Sri Lanka and India. And the President of Sri Lanka has both during his visit to Delhi and on this occasion and on several other occasions mentioned and stated very, very clearly that Sri Lankan territory will not be used or be allowed to be used in any manner that is inimical or detrimental to India's interests. In fact, if I recall correctly during discussions today, he said that neither Sri Lanka's land nor the oceans around it will be allowed to be used in any manner inimical to India's security. So, this is the background of the signature of the defense MOU between the two countries for the first time, and the MOU is in itself an umbrella framework document that will make existing defense cooperation initiatives more structured. There will be activities related to, of course, the continuing and even intensifying the tradition of high-level visits between the two countries, more joint exercises, capacity building in various areas, exchanges in HADR related operations, increasing port calls by naval units of both countries, and also to explore defense industry cooperation between the two sides. With regard to the questions related to the MOU on the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub. This is an MOU between India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. At the present moment, the way this is structured, it is a government-to-government MOU in order to provide the enabling framework, and to set out some of the broad terms of reference for this cooperation. The immediate next step that will be enabled by this framework MOU is the identification and the nomination of specific agencies and entities that could be government entities or private sector entities or could be entities related to the governments themselves that will try and realize the business-to-business part of this agreement. So, the actual projects that will be carried out will be discussed in detail by the designated business entities of the three sides, and that is the next step that will ensue. The UAE is a major energy partner for India. It is a strategic partner for India in the energy space, and it was therefore an ideal partner for this particular exercise that is being done for the first time in this region. And what the exact contours of the UAE role will be is something that is going to be elaborated once the B2B discussions kick off under this MOU. Insofar as the components of the activities are concerned, I think somebody asked about a multi-product pipeline. That is certainly one of the things that will be discussed under this particular MOU. It is something that has been under discussion bilaterally also between India and Sri Lanka, but this is one of the projects which will be covered under this trilateral MOU. There are a couple of other areas such as ... you are aware that in Trincomalee we have the tank farms. Some of them are already being developed and utilized by Lanka IOC, but there are many more that are lying unused, and have not been put to use as yet. And there is a possibility that they will also be developed and utilized under this particular MOU. Really, in the business space there are a number of initiatives possible for discussion under an MOU such as this. I imagine that once the entities get together, they will look at all issues related obviously to financing, to feasibility, to viability, etc., and come up with the projects that can be taken forward on the ground. On fishermen, yes, this was, as I said, a subject that was discussed in considerable detail between the two sides. It is something that has remained a constant feature of discussions at all levels, including the highest levels between the two sides. As the Prime Minister said himself during his remarks, there was emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides of the Palk Bay. The Prime Minister emphasized that at the end of the day, it is a daily issue for the fishermen and that certain actions that have been taken in recent times could be reconsidered. We have been informed that the Sri Lankan authorities have taken a decision to release 11 fishermen imminently, I believe, and perhaps a few more in the coming days. There are also releases of fishermen that take place from India from time to time. Both sides also emphasized the need to intensify the institutional discussions between the two sides. As you are aware, there is a joint working group on fishermen between the two sides. Its sixth meeting was held last year in October. The representatives of the two Coast Guards that often engage with regard to issues such as repatriation and exchanges also took place recently in November of last year. Both sides are in touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of fishermen's association talks between Sri Lanka and India. The idea is to continue this engagement and arrive at mutually acceptable ways to avoid some of the more difficult situations that arise as a result of this issue. There was, I think, this question on tariffs. Look, it is obviously something that has impacted everybody. I think Sri Lanka is also dealing with this issue. There was a reference to this ... or discussions on this during the meeting between the President and the Prime Minister. I think the President of Sri Lanka emphasized in particular the importance in this regard given these kinds of geoeconomic developments that have a certain impact on Sri Lanka, especially given the economic situation now, and the economic passage that Sri Lanka is passing through at the current moment, that how important it would be in the current context for the relationship between India and Sri Lanka to be strengthened even further, especially in the economic space, in order to deal with the fallout of some of these developments. Of course, the Prime Minister assured him that India would always continue to stand by Sri Lanka as it encountered and dealt with these difficulties. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: With that ladies and gentlemen we come to close of this press briefing. Thank you very much for your presence. Colombo April 05, 2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raksha Mantri reviews maritime security situation & Indian Navy's operational readiness during the Phase-1 of the first Naval Commanders' Conference of 2025 in Karwar India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence 21st century is Asia's century; It is our responsibility to ensure peace & prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, says Shri Rajnath Singh India stands for a free, open & rule-based order; Assess changing circumstances and ensure planning, resourcing & exercising accordingly: RM to Commanders Posted On: 05 APR 2025 5:54PM by PIB Delhi Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviewed the maritime security situation, operational readiness of the Indian Navy, and the future outlook during the inaugural phase of the first Naval Commanders' Conference of 2025 in Karwar, Karnataka on April 05, 2025. Raksha Mantri interacted with the Naval Commanders, with deliberations focussing on addressing contemporary security paradigms, formulating the way ahead to further the combat capability of the Navy, and addressing strategic, operational & administrative aspects. He was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and other senior officials. Addressing the Commanders, Shri Rajnath Singh commended the Navy's contribution in strengthening India's maritime security, surpassing the expectations of the people in every situation, and displaying continued commitment towards serving the nation with new energy & innovation. Raksha Mantri asserted that it is a necessity to reorient the future roles of the Armed Forces amidst the present unpredictable geopolitical landscape. He referred to the acceptance of global experts that 21st century is Asia's century and India will have a crucial role to play, stating "It is our responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as the region has become a focal point for the world". Shri Rajnath Singh reiterated that India stands for a free, open and rule-based order in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), urging the Commanders to assess the changing circumstances and ensure planning, resourcing & exercising accordingly, while remaining alert and prepared. "Security is an ongoing adaptation process, wherein there is a need to keep assessing, planning, and coming out with new ideas. We need to analyse how India can make its role more effective," he said. Emphasising that national security is of paramount importance to the Government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Raksha Mantri stated that it has always been ensured that the requirements of the Armed Forces are fulfilled. "The speed at which the work of naval modernisation is being carried out for the last 10-11 years is unprecedented. Induction of new platforms, state-of-the-art equipment has significantly enhanced our Naval prowess and the morale of our brave sailors. It is a testimony to the fact that we are always standing with you in your preparations," he said. On 2025 being declared as the 'Year of Reforms' in the Ministry of Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh called for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to fulfil their commitment to reforms. "There are two types of reforms. One is policy reforms which are carried out at the level of the Ministries. Many officers look into policy-related issues, obtain feedback from everyone and formulate policies accordingly. The second type is ground-level reform. Whether it is related to training, R&D, financial or manpower reforms, your role is most important in all these. Till the time there is no convergence of top-down approach and bottom-top approach, we will not be able to achieve our reforms' goal in the right manner," he told the Commanders. The conference is the apex-level, biannual event facilitating deliberations on significant strategic, operational, and administrative issues among the top Naval Commanders. It plays a pivotal role in emphasising India's role as a 'Preferred Security Partner' in the Indian Ocean Region, bolstering the Navy's contribution to regional peace, security, and stability. The second phase of the conference will be held in New Delhi from April 07 to 10, 2025, witnessing a comprehensive review of major operational, materiel, logistics, HR development, training, and administrative aspects. Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff & Chief of the Air Staff will also engage with Naval Commanders during the Conference to foster synergy amongst the three Services and further drive the convergence efforts. The Commanders will also engage with Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri and Shri Amitabh Kant on issues related to foreign policy and international engagement. The Indian Navy's quest to strengthen modernisation, indigenisation, and self-reliance in line with Government's vision of Aatmanirbharta is the key focus area of the event. ****** VK/VM/Savvy (Release ID: 2119284) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raksha Mantri flags-off INS Sunayna as Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR from Karwar with 44 personnel of nine friendly nations of Indian Ocean Region India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence IOS SAGAR is a reflection of India's commitment to peace, prosperity & collective security in maritime domain: Shri Rajnath Singh "Indian Navy ensures that no nation in IOR suppresses another on the basis of overwhelming economy & military power" "Our aim is to develop IOR as a symbol of brotherhood & shared interest" RM also inaugurates Rs 2,000 crore modern operational, repair & logistic facilities constructed under Project Seabird Posted On: 05 APR 2025 4:07PM by PIB Delhi Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh flagged-off Indian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sunayna, as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR (Security & Growth for All in the Region) in Karwar, Karnataka on April 05, 2025. Raksha Mantri also inaugurated modern operational, repair and logistic facilities constructed under Project Seabird worth over Rs 2,000 crore. He was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and other senior officials. IOS Sagar The flagging-off of the ship, with 44 naval personnel from nine friendly nations (Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka & Tanzania), marks a significant step in reinforcing India's commitment to regional maritime security and international cooperation. Addressing the representatives from partner nations of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Shri Rajnath Singh termed the launch of IOS SAGAR as a reflection of India's commitment to peace, prosperity, and collective security in maritime domain. He highlighted India's growing presence in IOR, stating "It is not just related to our security and national interests, it also points towards the equality of rights and duties among our friendly countries in the region. Our Navy ensures that, in IOR, no nation suppresses another on the basis of overwhelming economy and military power. We ensure that the nations' interests are protected without compromising their sovereignty," he said. Raksha Mantri also commended the Indian Navy for emerging as the first responder during incidents such as hijacking of ships and acts of pirates, in the region. He stated that the Navy ensures the security of not just Indian ships but also foreign ones, terming free navigation, rule-based order, anti-piracy and securing peace and stability in IOR as one of its biggest objectives. "Along with other stakeholders, Indian Navy is ensuring peace and prosperity in the region. Equipped with state-of-the-art ships, weapons & equipment and well-trained & motivated sailors, we resolve to move ahead with other friendly nations towards developing IOR as a symbol of brotherhood and shared interest," he added. The flag-off coincides with the 10th anniversary of the SAGAR initiative and the National Maritime Day. Shri Rajnath Singh referred to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's recent MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) initiative and stated that it will expand and strengthen the SAGAR vision in a more advanced and collaborative manner. "Now that India has transitioned from SAGAR to MAHASAGAR, there could be no better time to launch the voyage of IOS SAGAR," he said. The Raksha Mantri highlighted the historical significance of April 05, when India's first merchant ship, SS Loyalty, sailed from Mumbai to London in 1919, describing it as a fitting occasion to launch the IOS SAGAR mission. "It's a proud moment to see India leading the charge for regional cooperation on the same date we mark our maritime legacy," he said. Extending his best wishes to the crew, Shri Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that IOS SAGAR will achieve its broader goals of collective security & growth and maritime excellence. IOS SAGAR is a pioneering effort aimed at bringing together the navies and maritime agencies of the Southwest IOR on an Indian Naval platform. The mission will serve as an opportunity to provide comprehensive training to sea-riders from friendly countries and marks an unprecedented collaboration in maritime security. INS Sunayna, during its deployment, will visit Dar-es-Salaam, Nacala, Port Louis and Port Victoria. The international crew aboard will undertake training exercises and apply knowledge gained from various professional training schools at Kochi. The exercises/training planned include firefighting, damage control, Visit Board Search and Seizure, bridge operations, seamanship, engine room management, switchboard operations and boat handling - all of which will improve interoperability between the Indian Navy and its international partners. IOS SAGAR will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the IOR. With this mission, India once again reaffirms its commitment to building stronger ties with its maritime neighbours and working towards a safer, more inclusive & secure maritime environment in the region. Project Seabird Facilities The facilities include marine infrastructure designed for berthing ships, submarines and harbour craft, an armament wharf, two piers specifically equipped for refits, marine utility complexes, residential infrastructure consisting 480 dwelling units for sailors and defence civilians, and support facilities comprising 25 km road network, 12 km storm water drainage, water reservoirs, waste management plants and security watch towers. These facilities will boost the sustenance of assets operating off the West Coast, and augment the Indian Navy's efforts in maintaining a future-ready force. The infrastructure has been developed in pursuit of the Government's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat with more than 90% of the material and equipment being sourced from within the country. The progressive operationalisation of the Karwar base will generate industrial growth and enable substantial support to the local economy in the Uttar Kannada Region. ******* VK/VM/Savvy/KB (Release ID: 2119246) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran not after war but prepared to confront any aggression: IRGC chief IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Iran will never initiate a war but remains fully prepared to confront any aggression from its enemies. "We are ready for both psychological warfare and military action by the enemies, but we will not retreat a single step if that happens," Major General Hossein Salami told a gathering of military commanders and officials on Saturday. He warned that adversaries, operating under false assumptions about Iran's deterrence capabilities, are attempting to corner the nation into choosing between confrontation or submission to their terms. "We are not worried at all. We will not start a war, but we are ready for it," he said. Highlighting threats from Israel, General Salami asserted that the enemy is within Iran's reach everywhere. "We have learned how to overcome this [Israeli] enemy and have developed weapons and equipment accordingly. We possess both the software and hardware needed to defeat the regime, despite the absolute support it receives from the United States." The IRGC chief described the occupied territories as among the most heavily defended areas in the world but said Iranian missiles had shattered their myth of invincibility. "Despite this extensive volume of air defenses, 581 of our missiles hit their targets," he said in reference to Operation True Promise of last year. The commander also spoke on the growing strength of the regional Resistance Front. "The Resistance Front has not yet brought its full potential to the fore. If it opens its hands, the scope and fire of the war will be beyond the enemy's imagination," he said 4399**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran wants dialogue with other countries on equal footing: President IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- President Masoud Pezeshkian has once again rejected foreign threats and pressure against Iran, saying the Islamic Republic will interact with other nations based on reciprocity and from an equal position. Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with the minister of science, research and technology and his deputies in Tehran on Saturday. While addressing regional and international issues, the president emphasized that interactions with other countries were central to Iran's foreign policy. "The Islamic Republic wants dialogue from an equal position; not that they want to negotiate with Iran on the one hand and threaten it on the other," Pezeshkian said in reference to the United States and its policy of "maximum pressure" toward Tehran. "If you want negotiations, what is the point of threatening?" the president rebuked Washington. "Today, America is not only humiliating Iran, but the rest of the world as its behavior contradicts the call for negotiations." Over the past couple of months, Pezeshkian has repeatedly said that Iran is ready for indirect negotiations with the United States on equal terms. He once asked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid "sanctioning and threatening" if he genuinely seeks "peace and tranquility in the [West Asia] region." Meanwhile, Pezeshkian called on the Iranian nation to maintain internal cohesion to foil foreign conspiracies, emphasizing that the people must join hands and work together under Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to overcome the challenges. 4399**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US threats contradict its calls for diplomacy, Iran open to talks on 'equal footing': President Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 1:59 PM Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticized the language of threat against Tehran, saying the country is willing to engage in negotiations "on equal footing." "The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks dialogue on equal footing. They threaten Iran on one hand and seek to hold negotiations on the other," Pezeshkian said on Saturday. "If you seek negotiations, then why are you making threats? Today, the United States not only humiliates Iran but also the world, and this behavior contradicts the request for dialogue," he added. Pezeshkian's remark came after US President Donald Trump called on Tehran to hold direct negotiations on its nuclear program while threatening to bomb Iran if diplomacy fails. On Sunday, Trump once again threatened Iran with bombing and secondary tariffs if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program, and the United States has moved additional warplanes into the region. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday reiterated Tehran's readiness to take part in indirect negotiations with the United States over its peaceful nuclear program, warning that US threats are "complicating" the current situation. "The Islamic Republic, as in the past, is ready for real negotiations from an equal position and indirectly," Araghchi added. He stressed that this "requires a constructive atmosphere and the avoidance of approaches based on threats, intimidation and blackmail." Elsewhere in his remarks, Pezeshkian said it is imperative to improve Iran's interaction with other countries on regional and international developments. He stressed the importance of fostering consensus and unity in the country and said the settlement of internal disputes would thwart foreign conspiracies. "If we set aside our internal disputes and embrace unity, the enemy will not covet us, and we will also be able to solve the people's problems," the Iranian president emphasized. He noted that all Iranians must join hands and make efforts to solve their woes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu Traveling To US To Meet Trump, Discuss Iran, Tariffs By RFE/RL April 05, 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to the United States on April 6 to meet with President Donald Trump for discussions on the "Iranian threat" and new US trade tariffs, the Israeli leader's office said. "The two leaders will discuss tariffs, efforts to bring back Israeli hostages (from Gaza), Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court," Netanyahu's office said, referring to The Hague-based court that has accused him of "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity." Trump and Netanyahu have rejected the ICC allegations as "baseless." The White House did not immediately comment on Nethanyahu's upcoming visit. US media had quoted four Israeli officials and a White House official earlier in the day as saying Netanyahu was expected to visit the White House on April 7. The right-wing Israeli leader is considered a close ally to Trump. Along with the ICC accusations, Netanyahu has come under international criticism for the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. Trump, other US officials, and Netanyahu have defended Israeli military actions in the territory -- which came after a deadly incursion into Israel by the Hamas movement - considered a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union. The trip will mark the second official visit to Washington by Netanyahu since Trump took office on January 20. He held meetings with the US leader in early February, making him the first foreign visitor to the White House during Trump's second term in office. After that visit, Trump signed an order on February 4 to restore his "maximum economic pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program. U.S. sanctions on Iran's energy sector have been in place since 2018, when Trump during his first term withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Iranian oil sales plummeted as a result. Also during Netanyahu's visit, Trump announced a controversial proposal calling for the United States to take over control of the Gaza Strip and economically develop the war-torn Palestinian coastal area. Under the plan, the Palestinian civilian population was to be relocated to other countries in the region. Israel, like most other nations, is facing a rise in tariffs under Trump's newly announced trade policy. The tariff rate against Israeli products is 17 percent, and Netanyahu will likely seek to strike a new agreement with the US leader. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-trump-netanyahu- iran-gaza-tariffs/33374639.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel claims it destroyed former military site in southern Syria Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 7:27 PM The Israeli military has claimed its forces stormed a military base belonging to the former Bashar al-Assad's government in southern Syria earlier this week, destroying and seizing tanks, armored personnel carriers, and rocket-propelled grenades. The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee made the claim in a post published on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday. "The paratrooper forces, under the command of the 210th Division, continue their operations inside Syrian territory with the aim of eliminating threats directed at Israel, particularly the residents of the Golan Heights," Adraee claimed in his post. He added, "This week, the forces raided a site belonging to the former Syrian army," without specifying the exact day of the assault. The Israeli spokesperson also claimed that the forces found a command center belonging to Syria's now-defunct army, proceeding to destroy decommissioned tanks, armored vehicles and artillery there while confiscating mortar shells and rockets. The security situation in Syria remains tenuous after militant factions, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled Assad's government on December 8, 2024. Since the collapse of Assad's government, the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria's now-defunct army. Israel has been widely condemned for the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and for exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad's downfall to make a land grab. The United Nations has condemned ongoing Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory and continuing violations in and around the buffer zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Damascus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Britain warns against Israeli attacks on Syria, citing regional stability concerns Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 7:57 AM Britain has urged Israel against conducting strikes on Syrian territory, saying that Syria's stability is in the best interest of the entire region. Hamish Falconer, the British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, in a post on X on Friday, said that while Israel's strikes in Syria have led to civilian deaths and regional destabilization, the regime should prioritize diplomatic efforts and refrain from military action in Syria. "Israel's strikes in Syria have reportedly killed civilians and risk destabilising Syria further," he wrote. "We call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity and address legitimate security threats through diplomacy. A stable Syria is in the interests of the whole region," he added. Last week, Israel carried out attacks against the Syrian capital of Damascus, the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and the southwestern province of Dara'a. On Thursday, Israeli aircraft carried out at least two strikes on military targets near Damascus, reportedly hitting sites in the Al-Kiswah and Al-Muqaylibah neighborhoods. The attacks came less than a day after similar Israeli strikes and a ground incursion killed 13 people. Nine civilians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Syria's southwestern Dara'a province late on Wednesday. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the strike hit the Jubailiyah Forest area between the cities of Nawa and Tasil. Since the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government last December by militant groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria's now-defunct army. The regime's continued aggression has taken place amid no resistance from HTS. Israel has been widely condemned for the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and for exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad's downfall to make a land grab. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Increased U.S. military presence in Indo-Pacific 'deterrence' to China: Analysts ROC Central News Agency 04/05/2025 04:03 PM Taipei, April 5 (CNA) The United States' recent military activities in the Indo-Pacific region are aimed at deterring China, two analysts from a Taiwanese military-backed think tank told CNA. The U.S. military exercises in the Indo-Pacific in recent years are clearly directed at China, said Shu Hsiao-huang (), an associate research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), a Taipei-based think tank supported by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense. The U.S. has developed new military operational concepts in response to China's military expansion and potential military actions in the Indo-Pacific, such as the Marine's Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), he said. According to the Marine Corps website, the EABO involves the employment of naval expeditionary forces from a series of locations ashore or inshore within a contested or potentially contested maritime area in order to conduct sea denial, support sea control, or enable fleet sustainment. Shu said that in addition to the U.S. forces stationed in Japan, its deployments in South Korea have also seen a "shift" of focus with the aim of countering China. These developments show that the U.S. strategic deployment is concentrated on responding to "potential threats from China" and potential People's Liberation Army's actions in the Taiwan Strait, and the East and South China seas, he added. Shu made the comments shortly after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed the Pentagon's efforts to "reestablish deterrence" in the Indo-Pacific region while strengthening its cooperation with allies, during his visits to Japan and the Philippines last week. At the same time, the Washington Post reported at the end of March that a secret interim internal guidance memo signed by Hegseth had called for the U.S. military to prioritize deterring a Chinese takeover of Taiwan. Speaking with CNA, Su Tzu-yun (), director of INDSR's division of defense strategy and resources, said U.S. President Donald Trump has placed much less emphasis on Europe after returning to office in January and concentrated American resources in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. military is "preparing for potential Chinese maneuvers in 2027," Su argued, adding Taiwan must also strengthen its own defense capabilities to "offset" the PLA's military advantage. Su was referring to warnings by some American officials that China aims to be militarily capable of taking Taiwan by force by 2027, but Chinese officials have not said that. Beijing has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan, although its stated goal is to "peacefully unify" Taiwan. (By Wu Shu-wei and Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joseph Wu in U.S. for 'secret talks' via special channel: Report ROC Central News Agency 04/05/2025 12:35 PM Washington, April 4 (CNA) Joseph Wu (), head of Taiwan's National Security Council (NSC), is on a visit to the United States to hold talks with the U.S. government via a "special channel," days after China held its latest military exercises around Taiwan, the Financial Times reported Friday. The "secret talks" were held Friday, marking the first time that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was using the special channel since his return to the White House in January, according the report published Friday. The special channel for talks between Taiwan and the U.S. has been in place for years, serving as a mechanism for officials from Washington and Taipei to discuss security issues, but it is not openly acknowledged by either side, the report said. Washington has kept such talks secret in an effort to avoid triggering any provocative actions by China against Taiwan, according to the Financial Times, which said it was the first to reveal the special channel in 2021. In 1979, The U.S. switched diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People's Republic of China but has maintained unofficial ties with Taipei, which has drawn frequent criticism from Beijing. The U.S.' special communication channel with Taiwan includes officials from the U.S. National Security Council among others, the Financial Times said. Wu and his delegation arrived in Washington this week for "secret talks" via the special channel, the report said, noting that the Chinese People's Liberation Army had been conducting live-fire exercises in the East China Sea on Tuesday and Wednesday. Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. declined to comment on the report. Earlier this week, the PLA's Eastern Theater Command said the military exercises around Taiwan were meant to serve as "a stern warning" to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. According to the Financial Times report, the PLA's recent sophisticated military drills around Taiwan have heightened the U.S.' concerns about its stance on Taiwan. Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, was cited in the reports as saying that China's military exercises had become so extensive that the PLA could use the drills as a "fig leaf" to conceal a military invasion of Taiwan. "Their aggressive manoeuvres around Taiwan right now are not exercises as they call them, they are rehearsals. They are rehearsals for the forced unification of Taiwan," the report quoted Paparo as saying at the Honolulu Defense Forum in February. The report said that the special communication channel was also used in August 2024 during the administration of then U.S. President Joe Biden. It was a few months after the inauguration of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te () in May. The delegation in August included Wu, a former foreign minister, and the incumbent Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (), the report said. Citing a source familiar with the matter, the Financial Times said Friday that Lin is also part of the Taiwan delegation currently in the U.S. for the secret talks. According to the report, under a practice that has been maintained through multiple U.S. administrations, Taiwan's defense and foreign ministers are not permitted to enter the District of Columbia due to the lack of diplomatic ties. Previously, Taiwanese and American officials have met in neighboring Virginia or Maryland, the report said. (By Elaine Hou and Frances Huang) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lai meets with ICT industry representatives amid U.S. tariff shock ROC Central News Agency 04/05/2025 07:47 PM Taipei, April 5 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te () on Saturday met with representatives from the information and communications technology (ICT) industry which will soon face heavy tariffs on products exported to the U.S. In a news statement, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo () said the meeting took place at the presidential residence, where Lai "listened to the views and needs" of the ICT industry. The government also presented its planned NT$88 billion response measures to the business representatives, Kuo said, adding that the aim is to provide maximum support and mitigate the impact of the proposed duties on Taiwan's exports. The spokesperson added that Lai would meet with representatives from traditional industries and small and medium-sized enterprises on Sunday. At a news conference on Friday, Premier Cho Jung-tai () said Taiwan should be "braced for some shocks" after U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Washington time) announced an import tax of 32 percent on most Taiwanese goods. The Cabinet has estimated that electronics and information technology industries will be hit hardest, as ICT products accounted for 52 percent of total Taiwanese exports to the U.S. in 2024, followed by electronic components (13.4 percent) and automobile parts (1.8 percent). CNA graphic CNA graphic Meanwhile, Cho also met with top financial officials on Saturday to discuss ways to stabilize financial markets, according to the Cabinet. Taiwan's financial markets are closed for Tomb Sweeping Day and Children's Day from Thursday to Sunday. However, U.S. stocks tumbled after Trump announced sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 losing 10 percent in two days. Sources familiar with the matter told CNA that the committee of the National Financial Stabilization Fund, which is tasked with stabilizing the Taiwanese stock exchange in times of economic crisis, would be prepared to convene any time after financial markets re-open on Monday. Taiwan is among dozens of countries that will face the "reciprocal tariffs," set to take effect on April 9, in what Trump described as an effort to address unbalanced trading relationships. Taipei has said the pledged tariffs are "unfair to Taiwan" and indicated it would seek to negotiate with Washington to bring down the duties or limit their scope. (By Teng Pei-ju and Lai Yu-chen) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan investment in U.S. will not cause industrial hollowing out: DGBAS ROC Central News Agency 04/05/2025 05:36 PM Taipei, April 5 (CNA) With the Trump administration using tariffs in part to encourage Taiwanese manufacturers to invest massively in the United States, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said on Saturday such fund flight would not cause the industrial hollowing out of Taiwan. Amid Trump's tariff threats, contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has pledged to invest an additional US$100 billion in the U.S. state of Arizona to build three more advanced wafer fabs, two IC assembly plant and one research and development center, bringing its total investment to US$165 billion in the U.S. state. With TSMC's plans to invest in the U.S., many of its suppliers are mulling following the chipmaker to obviate tariff risks. However, the DGBAS dismissed concerns over possible industrial hollowing out in Taiwan which could repeat the low economic growth three decades ago when Taiwanese investors rushed to China and reduced their investments in Taiwan. DGBAS Department of Statistics chief Tsai Yu-tai () told CNA that 30 years ago, many Taiwanese firms wanted to benefit from low labor costs in China and enjoyed prosperity for a while. Indeed, investment in China became a major trend after Taiwan's government lifted a ban on China-bound investment in the 1990s, when environmental awareness became more prevalent at home, Tsai said. However, most of these Taiwanese firms from old economy industries such as petrochemical, textile, food and metal firms did not focus on high-end technology development, Tsai said, so they were replaced by Chinese counterparts when China intensified efforts to cultivate its own industries. Under such circumstances, Tsai said, Taiwan's economic development gap with China narrowed and its economy fell into low growth mode, leading to the hollowing out of industrial development. In contrast, as a result of the trade war between the U.S. and China in recent years, many Taiwanese firms mulled launching operations in the U.S. to avoid high tariffs, Tsai said. It was easy for old economy industries like petrochemical firms to be replaced by Chinese counterparts, but the semiconductor industry is very different, he added. CNA graphic CNA graphic TSMC is already investing US$65 billion in Arizona to build three wafer fabs, the first of which started mass production at the end of 2024, using the sophisticated 4 nanometer process. The second fab is under construction and scheduled to begin commercial production in 2028, using the more sophisticated 3nm, 2nm, and A16 processes. TSMC is seeking to break ground on the third fab as soon as possible. Although Tsai admitted political factors influenced semiconductor firms like TSMC to some extent when deciding to go to the U.S., the company places greater emphasis on whether it can capitalize on investments and rake in profits. In addition, many of these semiconductor firms consider Taiwan to be their home and keep the latest technologies at home by spending more on R&D, Tsai said. "It is unnecessary to worry semiconductor firms' knowhow will be stolen when they go to the U.S.," Tsai said. "The U.S. market is a capital-intensive place so investing there is expected to help Taiwanese semiconductor firms upgrade their technologies." As Taiwan has limited manpower and resources, the U.S. is expected to make up such a shortage by using its high-end tech professionals to advancing R&D efforts, he added. TSMC has repeatedly said its investments in the U.S. aims to cater to its American clients and meet demand from them. Echoing Tsai, Wang Jiann-chyuan (), vice president of the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), said Taiwanese high tech manufacturers will have to consider their customer base and raw material supplies when they decide to go to the U.S. market. Wang added it is not easy to quickly replicate the semiconductor ecosystem that exists in Taiwan. Investment in the U.S. is expected to extend Taiwan's footprint by taking advantage of technologies, talent and the capital market there to help Taiwan's industry to grow, adding as long as companies list their shares on the U.S. stock markets, they can use the U.S. capital market to make themselves stronger, Wang said. Currently, TSMC and several Taiwanese companies such as United Microelectronics Corp., a smaller contract chipmaker, have listed their American depositary receipts on the U.S. market. Pai Tsung-cheng (), head of the Supply Management Institute, said if Taiwan is able to use the world as its base to grow, that will help Taiwanese firms to seize on more global business opportunities. (By Pan Tzu-yu and Frances Huang) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwanese manufacturers in SE Asia worried about impact of new U.S. tariffs ROC Central News Agency 04/05/2025 04:03 PM Taipei, April 5 (CNA) Taiwanese textile and furniture companies that have large production bases in Southeast Asia have expressed concerns about their ability to navigate the risks caused by the latest round tariffs imposed by the United States on countries worldwide. Eclat Textile Co., a Taiwanese supplier to major international sportwear brands like Nike, Lululemon and Under Armour, said Thursday that 60 percent of its garment sales come from the U.S. market. In an interview with CNA, the textile supplier said 60 percent of its total production is in Vietnam, 27 percent in Indonesia, and 10 percent in Cambodia, which means it is now facing increasing risks. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced what he called reciprocal tariffs on countries worldwide, ranging from 10 percent to more than 40 percent, with effect from April 9. On Trump's list, a 32 percent tariff was imposed on Taiwan, 34 percent on China, 49 percent on Cambodia, 46 percent on Vietnam, 36 percent on Thailand, and 32 percent on Indonesia. According to Eclat, even with its diversified production bases, it cannot escape the fallout of the new tariffs. Eclat said it will work closely with its suppliers to improve production efficiency, so as to cap costs, and will set up strategic partnerships with its clients as means of weathering the turbulence caused by Trump's policies. While some Taiwanese companies are considering investing in the U.S. market to avoid the tariffs, Eclat said it will be difficult for the textile industry to expand its production to the U.S. in light of the high labor costs and shortage of suppliers in the textile industry. Meanwhile, Makalot Industrial Co., which manufactures garments such as pants, underwear and sleepwear, also said it is worried about the financial impact of Trump's tariffs on Southeast Asian countries. The U.S. accounts for more than 70 percent of Makalot's total sales revenue, while 41 percent of its total production is based in Indonesia, 37 percent in Vietnam, and 14 percent in Cambodia, the company told CNA. Makalot said it will hold international meetings next week and engage in discussions with its clients to find ways to share the expected financial burden caused by Trump's latest tariffs. Meanwhile, a leading Taiwanese manufacturer of footwear Pou Chen Corp. also told CNA that it will hold discussions with its clients to figure out the best response to the tariffs. Pou Chen, which is a contract supplier to major international brands such as Nike, Adidas, and New Balance, has 53 percent of its production in Indonesia and more than 30 percent in Vietnam, according to market estimates. Apart from textile companies, other Taiwanese firms are also bracing for the impact of the U.S. tariffs, including furniture manufacturers Shane Global Holding Inc. and Nien Made Enterprise Co. Shane Global has 64 percent of its production in China and Cambodia, while Nien Made has a total of 80 percent in those two countries, market estimates show. Several Taiwanese companies in the tech sector also have large production lines in Southeast Asian countries. CNA graphic CNA graphic On Friday, Taiwan's top economic planning body the National Development Council (NDC) said it would provide assistance to Taiwanese manufacturers in Southeast Asia that wish to return to Taiwan. NDC head Liu Chin-ching () told reporters that the government will optimize Taiwan's investment environment to help Taiwanese firms improve their global competitive edge. (By Chiang Ming-yen, Lai Yu-chen, and Frances Huang) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM call with President Macron of France: 5 April 2025 The Prime Minister spoke to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, this afternoon. 5 April 2025 The Prime Minister spoke with President Macron following this week's announcement that the US will impose additional tariffs. They agreed that a trade war was in nobody's interests, but nothing should be off the table and that it was important to keep business updated on developments. The Prime Minister and President also shared their concerns about the global economic and security impact, particularly in South East Asia. Following discussions between military planners in Ukraine this week, they discussed the good progress that has been made on the Coalition of the Willing. The Prime Minister and President agreed to stay in close contact over the coming weeks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Evidence Identifies Russian Unit Behind Bucha Executions By Dmytro Dzhulay and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 04, 2025 A new investigation by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, supported by unseen dashcam and drone footage, sheds new light on the mass executions of civilians in Bucha during Russia's occupation in March 2022. The footage shows Russian troops ambushing clearly marked civilian vehicles on Zavodska Street and opening fire without warning. Survivor Mykola Bryednyev, who was shot in the head, described the chaos as bullets ripped through the car, killing several people. Hours later, drone video confirmed the presence of Russian armored vehicles, marked with their distinctive "V" symbol, stationed at the scene. The troops involved are believed to be from the 234th Air Assault Regiment, known as the Pskov paratroopers. Surveillance footage captured near the site shows soldiers from this unit looting buildings and vandalizing property the day before the killings. Investigators say this regiment controlled the area at the time of the massacre. According to Ukrainian authorities, over 2,500 Russian soldiers who were present in Bucha have been identified. Of those, 100 are suspected of war crimes, and 34 have been officially notified of suspicion. The National Police report that 72 murders have been solved, with 24 indictments already sent to court. In total, 358 civilians were killed in Bucha, and more than 300 of those deaths have been directly linked to Russian forces. Many of the victims were burned, which made identification difficult. "The identification process is ongoing. A year ago, we had 60 unidentified bodies. Now this number is 13. The process is a little complicated because of the exact condition in which we found these bodies -- they were simply burned by the Russians. However, this process continues, the relevant forensic examinations are under way," said Dmytro Shevchuk, head of the war crimes unit for Ukraine's National Police. The 33-day occupation of Bucha, from February 27 to March 31, 2022, left 561 civilians dead, including 12 children. The discovery of mass killings after Ukrainian forces liberated the town sparked global outrage, derailed cease-fire talks, and further galvanized international support for Ukraine. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kharkiv-ukraine-drone- attack-russia-moscow/33373185.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia: Ukraine increases energy attacks despite U.S.-brokered moratorium IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Apr 5, 2025 Russia says Ukraine has increased its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, hitting targets 14 times in the last 24 hours, despite a U.S.-brokered moratorium. In a statement published on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine has "multiplied the number of unilateral attacks using drones and artillery shells on the energy infrastructure of Russian regions." The Russian ministry said the strikes had caused damage to Russia's Bryansk, Belgorod, Smolensk, Lipetsk, and Voronezh regions, as well as the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Kherson, parts of which Russia controls. In its own statement on Telegram, Ukraine's military said that the reports were "fake" and that its forces were only striking military targets. Ukraine's military has previously said it halted strikes on Russian energy facilities on March 18. Russia and Ukraine agreed last month to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day moratorium on striking each other's energy infrastructure. Both sides have since repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal. The deal was part of a wider diplomatic push by U.S. President Donald Trump since his return to the White House in January to end the conflict. Separately, on Saturday, authorities in two Russian regions reported Ukrainian drone strikes on local industrial facilities. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine 'multiplying' energy attacks in Russia despite 30-day moratorium: Moscow Iran Press TV Saturday, 05 April 2025 6:04 PM Russia says Ukraine has increased its attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, hitting targets 14 times in the last 24 hours in violation of an energy truce deal brokered by the president of the United States. On March 18, President Vladimir Putin of Russia agreed to a proposal by US President Donald Trump for Moscow and Kiev to stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed his support for the peace initiative. The Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Ukraine "multiplied the number of unilateral attacks using drones and artillery shells on the energy infrastructure of Russian regions." Ukraine's military dismissed the remarks as "fake" and "disinformation." On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he would give his US counterpart a list of energy facilities struck by Ukraine "so that they can present concrete evidence about what the word of the current Ukrainian authorities is worth, if you can call them authorities at all." On April 2, Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine's drone and shelling attacks in the western Kursk region had cut power to over 1,500 households. In the Luhansk region, which separated from Ukraine and joined the Russian Federation in 2022, a Ukrainian drone strike on a gas distribution station had left more than 11,000 customers around the town of Svatove with limited access to gas, said the state gas company. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the fact that Putin had agreed on the energy truce was evidence he was serious about engaging in a peace process. He said that Moscow would keep working with Washington despite daily Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sri Lanka's leader rolled out the red carpet on Saturday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as Colombo balances ties with neighbouring giant India and its biggest lender, China. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake welcomed Modi -- the first foreign dignitary to visit Colombo since the leftist leader swept elections last year -- with a 19-gun salute. Dissanayake and Modi are expected to sign agreements on energy, defence and health, but the visit's highlight will be the launch of an Indian-backed 120 megawatt solar power project. The solar plant on the island's northeastern Trincomalee district had been stalled for years, but reinvigorated with New Delhi's backing as a joint project. Modi, who praised his "spectacular welcome" to Sri Lanka after arriving in Colombo late on Friday evening, was given an honour guard parade in the capital's Independence Square. His visit comes as Colombo grapples with the competing interests of New Delhi and Beijing. New Delhi has been concerned about China's growing influence in Sri Lanka, which it considers to be within its sphere of geopolitical influence. Dissanayake's first foreign visit was to New Delhi in December, but he followed that with a visit to Beijing in January, underscoring Sri Lanka's delicate balancing act. China has emerged as Sri Lanka's largest single bilateral creditor, accounting for more than half of its $14 billion bilateral debt at the time the island defaulted on its sovereign debt in 2022. Beijing was also the first to restructure its loans to Sri Lanka, a move that cleared the way for the island to emerge from that year's worst-ever economic meltdown. Colombo also signed an agreement announced in January with a Chinese state-owned company to invest $3.7 billion on an oil refinery in the island's south. It would be Sri Lanka's largest single foreign investment and is seen as crucial for the island's economy. New Delhi has expressed concern over China's growing influence in Sri Lanka. Modi's visit to Sri Lanka comes after a summit in Thailand and a string of meetings with leaders of regional nations as he sought to shore up India's relations with neighbours. On the sidelines of the Bangkok BIMSTEC meeting -- the grouping of the seven nations on the Bay of Bengal -- Modi held a rare face-to-face meeting with Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. Modi also held talks on Friday with the interim leader of neighbouring Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, the first such meeting since a revolution in Dhaka ousted New Delhi's long-term ally Sheikh Hasina and soured relations. India was the biggest benefactor of Hasina's government and her overthrow sent cross-border relations into a tailspin, culminating in Yunus choosing to make his first state visit last month to China. Modi also met on Friday in Bangkok with his Nepali counterpart KP Sharma Oli, the first since Kathmandu's leader returned to power last year, as well as Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan. Zelenskyy Calls Out 'Weak' US Response To Russian Playground Strike That Killed 9 Children By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 05, 2025 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticized a "weak" US response to a Russian air attack that hit a playground, killing at least 18 people, half of whom were children. Moscow claimed the attack late on April 4 -- which Kyiv said involved the usage of a cluster munition -- was on a military gathering. Verified photos and video from the scene, however, showed destruction at a playground in a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryviy Rih, Zelenskyy's home town. US Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink said in a social media post that she was "horrified" by the strike that also injured at least 74 others, saying "this is why the war must end." But Zelenskyy slammed the statement for failing to call out Russia by name, something which Brink -- who was appointed by former President Joe Biden -- regularly did in statements before President Donald Trump came to office. In a social media post, he listed the names and ages -- which ranged from three to 17 -- of the nine children who died, while calling out Washington for Brink's statement. "Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing - such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," he wrote. "They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children." The Russian Defense Ministry said it had targeted a meeting of military officials in Kryviy Rih and described it as a "high-precision strike" that targeted "a meeting of unit commanders and Western instructors" in a city restaurant. Kyiv, however, rejected the claim and warned against the spread of Russian "lies." The Russian strikes are one of the deadliest against civilians this year, Ukrainian officials said, and they've sparked fresh outcry inside Ukraine that Moscow is not committed to ending the war amid ongoing US-led negotiations with both countries to broker a cease-fire. "We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a cease-fire. We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people," Zelenskyy. Kyiv has accused Moscow of using cluster munitions on civilian targets before, but their use in the attack in Kryviy Rih adds new tensions to anger over the attacks amid efforts to strike a truce. The weapons release smaller bomblets across a wide area to maximize an attack, with some of them detonating long after the attack, posing a continued danger to the local population. The Ukrainian president said the attack was further evidence that additional pressure on Moscow is required to broker a cease-fire for the war. He added that discussions have occurred with Washington about procuring more air defense systems, saying that the recent strike highlights the urgent need for them. "We are counting on our agreements with the president of the United States, who promised to help with the search for additional "patriots," he said, referring to the US missile-defense system. US President Donald Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority since taking office less than three months ago. Earlier this week, he reiterated threats to sanction Russian oil if Russian President Vladimir Putin was an obstacle to achieving peace. Meanwhile, at a NATO summit of foreign ministers in Brussels this week, several of Europe's top diplomats called out Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to agree to a US-led peace proposal to end the war. Ukraine has already signed on to the deal. The Kremlin said on April 4 that Putin and Trump had no plans to talk after a visit to Washington by the Russian president's investment envoy as wider negotiations over a Ukraine truce appeared to have slowed. More Attacks Across Ukraine Eyewitness accounts, official statements, and public records and other open-source materials reviewed by Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, show that the restaurant the Russian military says it targeted because it was hosting a meeting of military units and foreign advisers was actually the site of a beauty industry forum and a birthday party. People attending these events are among the injured from the strike, according to social media posts. No evidence of a military presence was found by Systema. Ukraine and Russia also accused each other of fresh attacks on energy infrastructure, in breach of a US-brokered moratorium in March. The Kryviy Rih attack came on the heels of an overnight drone attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv that killed at least five people, including an entire family, and injured more than 30 others. Russia's Defense Ministry said on April 5 that Ukraine had increased its attacks on energy infrastructure, hitting targets 14 times in the last 24 hours. In a statement published on Telegram, the ministry said Ukraine "multiplied the number of unilateral attacks using drones and artillery shells on the energy infrastructure of Russian regions." Kyiv denied the charge saying that it only strikes military targets, with Ukraine's military calling it "fake" and "disinformation." Kyiv has previously said it halted strikes on Russian energy facilities on March 18 after the two sides agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day moratorium on striking each other's energy infrastructure, as well as a partial truce for strikes on the Black Sea. Both sides have since repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kharkiv-ukraine-drone- attack-russia-moscow/33373185.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coalition of the Willing Military Chiefs in Ukraine ahead of crucial meetings next week As part of the UK's leading efforts to build a Coalition of the Willing to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine, the Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin met with Ukrainian and French counterparts in Kyiv. 5 April 2025 UK continues to lead international efforts to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine. Defence chiefs meet in Kyiv to coordinate military planning of multinational force to deter future Russian aggression. Visit comes as Defence Secretary John Healey prepares to host meetings of defence ministers in Brussels. As part of the UK's leading efforts to build a Coalition of the Willing to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine, the Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin met with Ukrainian and French counterparts in Kyiv. The meetings focused on how to build on Ukraine's current capabilities to put the country in the strongest possible position for the future. The Defence Chiefs addressed the structure, size and composition required of any future reassurance force in Ukraine. With 30 countries expected to contribute to the Coalition, the UK's leadership has been critical in pulling together partners and allies around the world. Discussions will continue this coming week as the Defence Secretary hosts the next meeting of Coalition of the Willing defence ministers in Brussels with his French counterpart on Thursday and chairs the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with his German counterpart on Friday. The UK and France will convene defence ministers from coalition nations to discuss the next stages of planning to support the security arrangements which will be needed to prevent any further Russian aggression. Discussions will build on the military planning that has taken place over the last few weeks with nations looking at contributing their own capabilities to support any future force. Meanwhile, the Ukraine Defence Contact Group will bring together around 50 nations to drive forward additional military support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian attacks. The UK convened and chaired the UDCG for the first time in February, with 46 nations in attendance, raising extra 1.5billon Euros in military aid for Ukraine. Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: Our coalition of nations, working at pace and willing to stand with Ukraine for the long-term, is a stark contrast to Russia who stand alone with only North Korea for a friend. As Putin prevaricates over a ceasefire, we will continue to ramp up our military planning, exploring the air, sea and land forces that could support a lasting peace in Ukraine. However, we will not jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war. That's why in the week ahead we will also convene the Ukraine Defence Contact Group to supply Ukraine with the military equipment they need to put them in the strongest possible position as they fight back brutal continuing Russian attacks. The Chief of the Defence Staff's visit follows a series of high-level engagements hosted in both Paris and London in the past month, with the Prime Minister travelling to Paris and hosting leaders in London and the Defence Secretary conducting simultaneous visits to France as well as joining an operational planning meeting alongside the Prime Minister at the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ). Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: The UK is ironclad in our support for Ukraine, which is why we're stepping up for a just and lasting peace. Our meetings looked at how we can build on the formidable capabilities of the Ukrainian Army and put them in the strongest possible position to deter Russian aggression. I am encouraged by the strength of unity we've seen between our European and international allies. This work delivers on the Prime Minister's four-point plan to support Ukraine by ramping up delivery of weapons and equipment, boosting Ukraine's defensive capabilities in the long term, working with allies to develop robust security assurances, and keeping up pressure on Putin. The UK is fully committed to working with allies to step up support to ensure Ukraine remains in the strongest possible position, which is why 4.5 billion of military support will be provided this year - more than ever before. The Defence Secretary has been clear that supporting Ukraine is vital to the security of stability of Europe, which is essential to the UK economy. The UK's national security is a foundation for the government's Plan for Change. Last month, the Prime Minister announced a historic 1.6bn deal to provide more than five thousand air defence missiles for Ukraine in a boost for UK jobs and growth. The Chancellor also announced a 2.26 billion loan to bolster Ukrainian defence capabilities from frozen Russian assets. The MOD has sent around 400 different capabilities to Ukraine, with a new 150 million package including drones, tanks and air defence systems announced on 12 February 2025, a 225 million package including drones, boats and munitions announced on 19 December 2024, and 650 lightweight multirole missiles announced on 6 September 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Honors Rescuers, Medics, National Guardsmen, and Police Officers Working at the Site of the Russian Strike in Kryvyi Rih President of Ukraine 5 April 2025 - 21:34 Throughout the entire day following the Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih, every possible effort has been made in the city to save lives. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in his evening address. According to the Head of State, some of the wounded - those in critical condition - were transported to Dnipro, where doctors are doing everything possible to save as many lives as they can. As a result of the Russian strike, 18 people were killed, including 9 children. The youngest boy was only 3 years old. Following the ballistic missile attack, Russia launched a drone strike on Kryvyi Rih, killing one more person and injuring others. The President extended his condolences to all the families and loved ones of the victims. Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the efforts of the State Emergency Service, medics, National Guard, and police officers who are rescuing the wounded and working at the site of the ballistic missile strike. Those recognized include personnel from the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Dnipro region: Oleksandr Parubenko, Chief of the 14th State Fire and Rescue Unit; Vasyl Denysiuk, Deputy Chief of the 12th State Fire and Rescue Unit; Svitlana Cherednychenko, Senior Inspector; Serhii Haidamaka and Tetiana Kutsenko, psychologists. Personnel of the State Mining Rescue Unit of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine: Pavlo Doroshenko, Squad Leader of the Operational Platoon; Yevhen Bilokrynytskyi, Squad Leader of the Second Platoon; Andrii Siryi, Assistant Platoon Commander. Medical workers: Hryhorii Maksymenko, Paramedic of the Emergency Medical Response Team; Dmytro Fursenko, Emergency Medicine Feldsher. National Guard servicemen: Junior Lieutenant Vladyslav Tychyna and Senior Soldier Oleksandr Vasylchyk. Police officers: Ivan Trush, Patrol Police Officer, Kryvyi Rih Patrol Police Regiment; Illia Bohdan, Deputy Head of Police Department - Chief Investigator, Kryvyi Rih District Police Department; Mykola Harmash, Head of Forensic Support Sector, Investigation Division, Kryvyi Rih District Police Department; Volodymyr Titov, Acting Platoon Commander, Kryvyi Rih Patrol Police Regiment. "I thank you. I thank all your colleagues, everyone in the city's utility services who cares for people, all the doctors and nurses, every volunteer who joined in to help, and everyone who cares for our people and our country. It's important that we all stand together," the President emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Staying Silent About the Fact That It Is Russia Killing Children with Ballistic Missiles Is Wrong and Dangerous - Address by the President President of Ukraine 5 April 2025 - 20:30 Dear Ukrainians! All day today - following the Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih - every effort has been made in the city to save lives. Some of the wounded - those in critical condition - were transported to Dnipro. Doctors are doing their utmost to save as many lives as possible. I am grateful to everyone involved in this effort - those who responded immediately and those still helping. This strike is one of the darkest chapters for Kryvyi Rih. Tragically, 18 people were killed, including 9 children. The youngest was just 3 years old. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. Last night and today, many around the world voiced their position in response to this strike - a clear rejection of Russian terror. To everyone who sees this and does not close their eyes, who speaks the truth clearly and directly - not only we in Ukraine, but the entire world should be grateful. Staying silent about the fact that it is Russia killing children with ballistic missiles is wrong and dangerous. It only emboldens the scum in Moscow to continue the war and keep ignoring diplomacy. Weakness has never ended a war. That's why I'm thankful to every country whose representatives have spoken out - leaders, foreign ministers, embassies. A Russian ballistic missile - targeting the street of an ordinary city, striking residential buildings - and after that, an additional drone strike. One more person killed, more people wounded. Russia must be held accountable for everything it has done. To end this war, it is necessary to put pressure on them - real pressure - without wasting time on empty talk. Days of mourning will be declared in Kryvyi Rih for those who were killed. Right now, Ukrainian cities, our villages are united in their support for Kryvyi Rih. From Dnipro and Kharkiv to Uzhhorod, from Odesa to Kyiv - all regions, all regional centers, many communities are showing solidarity and honoring the memory of the fallen. I thank everyone for this absolutely rightful emotion - the emotion of support and unity that strengthens our entire nation. And I want to thank each and every one of you whose heart felt the pain and anger over what happened. We must all remember: the war continues. We must support our defense, our warriors, our country. We must do everything to strengthen Ukraine's position, and to ensure that as many people in the world as possible know and truly feel what is happening and why it matters to stand with Ukraine, especially in moments like this. I also want to acknowledge the people who distinguished themselves at the site of the strike in Kryvyi Rih - those who were working there yesterday and today. The Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Dnipro region - Oleksandr Parubenko, Vasyl Denysiuk, Svitlana Cherednychenko. Psychologists - Serhii Haidamaka, Tetiana Kutsenko. The men from the State Mining Rescue Unit of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine - Pavlo Doroshenko, Yevhen Bilokrynytskyi, Andrii Siryi. Medics - Hryhorii Maksymenko, Dmytro Fursenko. The National Guard - Vladyslav Tychyna, Oleksandr Vasylchyk. The National Police - Ivan Trush, Illia Bohdan, Mykola Harmash, Volodymyr Titov. I thank you. I thank all your colleagues, everyone in the city's utility services who cares for people, all the doctors and nurses, every volunteer who joined in to help, and everyone who cares for our people and our country. It's important that we all stand together. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Holds Meeting with Chiefs of Defense of France and the United Kingdom President of Ukraine 5 April 2025 - 20:10 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with General Thierry Burkhard, Chief of the Defense Staff of the French Armed Forces, and Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defense Staff of the United Kingdom. The key focus of the meeting was security guarantees for Ukraine and the future architecture of peace in Europe. The Head of State noted tangible progress and the first details regarding how a partner security contingent could be deployed. "We are discussing presence on land, in the air, and at sea, as well as air defense. And some other sensitive matters. I believe we will be meeting weekly - not at my level, but at the level of our military. Specific locations are being discussed separately. There is already a strong understanding among our partners of what Ukraine needs," President Zelenskyy stated. During the meeting, Ukrainian, British, and French military officials discussed the preparation and the state of operational planning in order to be able to swiftly implement the plans of the coalition of the willing in the event of a cessation of hostilities. Ukraine is ready for a just and durable peace, which must be protected by the strength of international support. The President expressed gratitude to the United Kingdom and France for their leadership in the coalition of the willing, as well as to all participating countries for their consistent support of Ukraine. The Head of State emphasized that it is precisely this kind of joint work that helps bring a durable and lasting peace closer. "This is not the first meeting, but I believe it is one of the first truly fundamental ones. And it is very important that we will now work in this format regularly, with tangible results," Volodymyr Zelenskyy added. The President noted that the Chiefs of Defense will report the outcomes of the meeting to the leaders of France and the United Kingdom, as well as to the military command structures of partner nations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNICEF calls for immediate end to attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine as nine children reportedly killed in Kryvyi Rih UNICEF Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Regina De Dominicis 05 April 2025 GENEVA, 5 April 2025 - "We are devastated by the horrific attack in Kryvyi Rih that reportedly killed at least nine children and injured many more, including one as young as three months old. "A missile reportedly struck a residential neighbourhood in the Saksahanskyi district in the early evening, a time when many families gather ahead of the weekend, landing near a playground and tearing through homes, schools and a restaurant. Among the scenes of devastation, parents were seen weeping, cradling the body of their dead son. No child should ever suffer such terror. No parent should ever endure such pain. "UNICEF and our partners are on the ground supporting affected families and coordinating with local authorities to deliver emergency assistance. The response is ongoing. "More than 2,500 children have been killed or injured since February 2022, according to UN-verified data, and millions of young lives have been upended. "Every child killed is a future stolen. The brutal use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure, which disproportionally harm children, must end. "Children in Ukraine need peace. They need protection. They need a sense of hope for the future, not more grief and pain." ##### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN deplores deadly attack on city in central Ukraine 5 April 2025 - The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine has strongly condemned a missile strike in Kryvyi Rih on Friday which killed more than a dozen people, including at least nine children, and left several others injured. Matthias Schmale said he was outraged by reports of yet another Russian attack on the city, which is located in the Dnipro region. "This attack follows a deeply disturbing pattern of repeated attacks on populated areas across Ukraine that continue to kill and maim civilians," he said, noting that the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv, was "still reeling" from a massive attack the night before. "The cost to families is unbearable. Civilians are protected under international humanitarian law. They are not a target," he said. Young lives lost In response to the incident, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) called for an immediate end to attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine. "We are devastated by the horrific attack in Kryvyi Rih that reportedly killed at least nine children and injured many more, including one as young as three months old," said UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Regina De Dominicis. The missile reportedly struck a residential neighbourhood in the Saksahanskyi district in the early evening, when many families gathering ahead of the weekend, she said, adding that it landed near a playground, tearing through homes, schools and a restaurant. "Among the scenes of devastation, parents were seen weeping, cradling the body of their dead son. No child should ever suffer such terror. No parent should ever endure such pain," she said. Stolen futures UNICEF and partners are on the ground supporting affected families and coordinating with local authorities to deliver emergency assistance. Ms. De Dominicis noted that more than 2,500 children have been killed or injured, and millions of young lives have been upended, since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Every child killed is a future stolen," she remarked. "The brutal use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure, which disproportionally harm children, must end." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FRANKLIN SQUARE, N.Y., April 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- You are not the only person who has trouble falling asleep at night; a lot of Americans have been reported to have trouble falling or staying asleep due to stress, late-night screen use, or even for no identifiable cause. Not getting enough sleep can take a huge toll on your body, so it makes sense that you are eager to get some help. Wellamoon Sleep Patches Reviews Let us introduce you to Wellamoon Sleep Patches, an all-natural remedy that has gained popularity for assisting individuals just like you in getting the rest they need. These patches, claimed to be simple to apply and kind to your body, help you relax and fall asleep more quickly with their fine combination of potent ingredients like melatonin, lavender, and chamomile. Many customers had tried other sleep aids, ranging from weighted blankets and melatonin gummies to prescription drugs and blue light blockers, with very little progress. Sleep patches are one of the newest products to become popular, and Wellamoon is one brand that has recently generated interest. Wellamoon Sleep Patches are being marketed as being unique in that they provide a non-pill substitute for anyone who would rather not use conventional sleep aids. Applying the patch to your skin before bed eliminates the need to swallow a tablet; it works all night long, supplying your body with calming substances. What's the best part? Unlike other sleep aids, you don't wake up feeling drowsy. Wellamoon Sleep Patches claims to be a drug-free, non-habit-forming substitute for conventional sleep aids. The idea is straightforward: put a little patch on the skin, leave it there overnight, and wake up feeling rejuvenated. However, can a patch enhance sleep quality without the typical negative effects of medications or supplements? There are a lot of people who are interested in this product and want to know if the hoopla surrounding these sleep patches is true. Claims are simple, of course. The performance of a product in actual use is what counts the most. In this Wellamoon Sleep Patch review, we will discuss the special qualities that make Wellamoon Sleep Patches stand out, explore authentic user feedback, and analyze the science behind the Wellamoon sleep patch. Let's find out whether the Wellamoon Sleep Patches are just all hype or whether its worth your dime! What Is Wellamoon Sleep Patch? (Wellamoon Reviews) Wellamoon Sleep Patches are an easy-to-use, non-invasive sleep aid that promotes better sleep without the need for harmful chemicals or medicines. Before going to bed, they are placed directly on the skin in the form of tiny, breathable patches. A combination of relaxing, natural substances is gradually released by the patch after it is in place, promoting relaxation and making it easier for users to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. Unlike conventional sleep aids that involve ingesting tablets or consuming tea, Wellamoon employs a transdermal method. As a result, there is no chance of gastrointestinal distress or morning grogginess because the components are absorbed through the skin and provide a consistent release throughout the night. Many USA and Canada users, particularly those who have trouble sleeping but would rather not take medicine, find this strategy to be both practical and efficient. The carefully chosen formula in each patch is intended to promote relaxation, lessen excessive brain activity, and assist the body's normal sleep cycles. Consistent use can result in noticeable increases in the quality of sleep and general energy levels during the day, while individual outcomes may vary. Wellamoon stands out for its pill-free strategy and focus on user-friendliness. No water, no preparation, no interruptions; just peel, stick, and sleep. Users will wake up feeling more focused and rejuvenated because the patch works softly during the night. The Wellamoon Sleep Patches have gotten an average rating of 4.75/5 and this is not a coincidence. The patch has worked for so many users in the USA and Canada. Verified customers worldwide have left positive reviews on the Wellamoon Sleep Patches official website. Read on to get more information about the Wellamoon. DONT MISS OUT: Wellamoon Sleep Patches Are Available At A Special Price Click Here To Order From The Official Website The Science Behind the Wellamoon Sleep Patches: How Do They Work? Wellamoon Sleep Patches work by taking advantage of a special blend of organic ingredients intended to encourage rest and enhance the quality of sleep. The patches provide a non-invasive, long-term cure to sleeplessness by releasing these substances gradually into the skin, where they are absorbed over time. Active compounds like melatonin, lavender, and chamomile, which are known for their relaxing qualities, are the secret to their efficacy. While lavender and chamomile promote relaxation by lowering tension and anxiety, melatonin aids in regulating the body's natural sleep-wake cycle and creates the perfect atmosphere for sound sleep. These substances are released gradually and continuously throughout the night by the transdermal patch, unlike oral supplements that could take longer to start working. It's simpler to fall and stay asleep with this gradual release because it keeps you relaxed and calm. The patch's shape also guarantees that you may wear it comfortably and covertly all night. Since there are no liquids or pills to take, many users find this technique of sleep support to be less disruptive and more convenient than other sleep aids. To put it simply, Wellamoon Sleep Patches offer a reliable, natural alternative to conventional sleep aids for anyone looking to enhance their quality of sleep without experiencing the negative side effects. Wellamoon Sleep Patches Ingredients List (Wellamoon Reviews) A combination of safe, natural chemicals is used in the Wellamoon Sleep Patches to promote relaxation and enhance the quality of sleep. Below is a summary of the main components: Melatonin: The body naturally produces this hormone, which aids in controlling the sleep-wake cycle. The patches' inclusion of melatonin aids in promoting a quicker onset of sleep and better quality of sleep. The body naturally produces this hormone, which aids in controlling the sleep-wake cycle. The patches' inclusion of melatonin aids in promoting a quicker onset of sleep and better quality of sleep. Lavender Extract: For ages, people have used lavender, which is known for its relaxing and soothing qualities, to help lower tension and anxiety. It facilitates mental and physical relaxation, which makes it simpler to get to sleep and remain asleep all night. For ages, people have used lavender, which is known for its relaxing and soothing qualities, to help lower tension and anxiety. It facilitates mental and physical relaxation, which makes it simpler to get to sleep and remain asleep all night. Chamomile Extract: The mild calming properties of chamomile are well known. It has been demonstrated to lessen anxiety and encourage relaxation, both of which are critical for getting the body ready for sleep. The mild calming properties of chamomile are well known. It has been demonstrated to lessen anxiety and encourage relaxation, both of which are critical for getting the body ready for sleep. Vitamin B6: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps control mood and sleep patterns, and it is produced in part by this vitamin. The body's natural relaxing processes will benefit from it. Standout Features of Wellamoon Sleep Patches Together, these features in the Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide a mild, all-natural way to improve sleep without the unpleasant side effects that are often associated with drug pills. Below are some of the unique features of the Wellamoon Sleep Patches: Transdermal distribution technology: Wellamoon Sleep Patches' transdermal distribution technology is one of their distinguishing features. These patches enable immediate skin absorption of active substances, unlike oral supplements that need to go through the digestive tract. Improved bioavailability and a continuous release of substances that promote sleep throughout the night are two benefits of this approach. A more natural transition into sound sleep without sudden awakenings is ensured by the gradual onset of relaxation experienced by users. Wellamoon Sleep Patches' transdermal distribution technology is one of their distinguishing features. These patches enable immediate skin absorption of active substances, unlike oral supplements that need to go through the digestive tract. Improved bioavailability and a continuous release of substances that promote sleep throughout the night are two benefits of this approach. A more natural transition into sound sleep without sudden awakenings is ensured by the gradual onset of relaxation experienced by users. Gradual and Sustained Release: The strong but transient effects of traditional sleep aids can cause morning grogginess. The components in Wellamoon Sleep Patches are released gradually over time thanks to their controlled release formulation. By encouraging deeper sleep cycles without triggering abrupt spikes or crashes, this prolonged action helps people wake up feeling rejuvenated rather than groggy. The strong but transient effects of traditional sleep aids can cause morning grogginess. The components in Wellamoon Sleep Patches are released gradually over time thanks to their controlled release formulation. By encouraging deeper sleep cycles without triggering abrupt spikes or crashes, this prolonged action helps people wake up feeling rejuvenated rather than groggy. Non-Habit Forming Formula: Ingredients in many sleep aids have the potential to cause dependency over time, making it challenging to fall asleep on your own without continuous use. Wellamoon Sleep Patches offer a gentle yet efficient solution by combining natural substances in a non-habit-forming blend. Users do not have to worry about withdrawal symptoms or reliance while integrating the patches into their nightly routine. Ingredients in many sleep aids have the potential to cause dependency over time, making it challenging to fall asleep on your own without continuous use. Wellamoon Sleep Patches offer a gentle yet efficient solution by combining natural substances in a non-habit-forming blend. Users do not have to worry about withdrawal symptoms or reliance while integrating the patches into their nightly routine. Easy to Use and Mess-Free: Wellamoon Sleep Patches are easy to apply, unlike liquids, pills, or powders that need to be measured out and taken before bed. Before going to bed, just put the patch on a dry, clean part of the skin, like the back or arm. It is a hassle-free substitute for traditional sleep aids because it doesn't require water or complex dosage instructions. Wellamoon Sleep Patches are easy to apply, unlike liquids, pills, or powders that need to be measured out and taken before bed. Before going to bed, just put the patch on a dry, clean part of the skin, like the back or arm. It is a hassle-free substitute for traditional sleep aids because it doesn't require water or complex dosage instructions. Discreet and Comfortable Design: The patches are made to be worn comfortably all night long and are lightweight. They allow users to move freely while they sleep since they stick firmly to the skin without causing irritation. They are appropriate for people who desire a straightforward, unobtrusive sleep aid because of their discrete design, which guarantees that they won't draw attention to you. The patches are made to be worn comfortably all night long and are lightweight. They allow users to move freely while they sleep since they stick firmly to the skin without causing irritation. They are appropriate for people who desire a straightforward, unobtrusive sleep aid because of their discrete design, which guarantees that they won't draw attention to you. No Artificial Preservatives or Additives: Pure, premium ingredients are the top priority for Wellamoon Sleep Patches. The patches offer a natural method of supporting sleep because they are devoid of artificial ingredients, preservatives, and needless fillers. They are therefore the perfect option for people who would like to stay away from artificial chemicals in their wellness regimen. Pure, premium ingredients are the top priority for Wellamoon Sleep Patches. The patches offer a natural method of supporting sleep because they are devoid of artificial ingredients, preservatives, and needless fillers. They are therefore the perfect option for people who would like to stay away from artificial chemicals in their wellness regimen. Convenient and Travel-Friendly: Bringing sleep aids on a trip might be challenging, especially if you have liquid limitations or large pill bottles. The Wellamoon Sleep Patches are small and lightweight, so they are convenient to travel with. You dont have to battle with airport security or the bulk of extra luggage. Bringing sleep aids on a trip might be challenging, especially if you have liquid limitations or large pill bottles. The Wellamoon Sleep Patches are small and lightweight, so they are convenient to travel with. You dont have to battle with airport security or the bulk of extra luggage. Targeted components for Optimal Sleep: Wellamoon Sleep Patches' carefully chosen components complement one another to promote sound sleep. The goal of the recipe is to improve overall sleep quality, encourage relaxation, and lessen overnight disruptions. The patches guarantee effective absorption of these substances by delivering them directly via the skin. Wellamoon Sleep Patches' carefully chosen components complement one another to promote sound sleep. The goal of the recipe is to improve overall sleep quality, encourage relaxation, and lessen overnight disruptions. The patches guarantee effective absorption of these substances by delivering them directly via the skin. No digestive problems: Transdermal patches completely avoid the digestive system, unlike conventional sleep aids that need to be broken down by the digestive system. Wellamoon Sleep Patches are a great choice for anyone who has digestive issues or stomach irritation when using oral supplements. Transdermal patches completely avoid the digestive system, unlike conventional sleep aids that need to be broken down by the digestive system. Wellamoon Sleep Patches are a great choice for anyone who has digestive issues or stomach irritation when using oral supplements. Encourages Regular Sleep Patterns: Health and day-to-day functioning can be significantly impacted by irregular sleep habits. Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide consistent assistance all night long, assisting users in maintaining a regular sleep schedule. When used consistently, they help people form sound sleeping patterns, which enhances the quality of their sleep over time. Health and day-to-day functioning can be significantly impacted by irregular sleep habits. Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide consistent assistance all night long, assisting users in maintaining a regular sleep schedule. When used consistently, they help people form sound sleeping patterns, which enhances the quality of their sleep over time. Versatile: Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide a versatile solution for those who struggle with jet lag, occasional insomnia, or trouble sustaining deep sleep. They are appropriate for a broad spectrum of users seeking natural sleep support free from undesirable side effects due to their mild yet potent mix. MUST SEE: CLICK HERE NOW TO GET THE WELLAMOON SLEEP PATCHES DIRECTLY FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE Are Wellamoon Sleep Patches Safe? (Wellamoon Canada Reviews Side Effects) With a focus on safety, Wellamoon Sleep Patches use natural, non-invasive ingredients to assist in improving sleep quality without the typical negative effects of many pharmacological sleep aids. When used as directed by the manufacturer, the product is usually regarded as safe for the majority of consumers. The usage of natural substances like melatonin, lavender, and chamomile is one of the main reasons Wellamoon Sleep Patches are safe. These components are often found in some sleep-related products and are well known for their relaxing and sleep-inducing qualities. For instance, the body naturally produces the hormone melatonin, and the patch's amounts are precisely balanced to assist in controlling sleep without going overboard. A safe and gentle option for supporting sleep, lavender and chamomile are both herbal remedies that are well-known for their capacity to lower stress and encourage relaxation. Another factor contributing to Wellamoon Sleep Patches' perceived safety is their transdermal distribution system. A consistent and regulated dosage of sleep aids is provided throughout the night by the patches, which release substances gradually through the skin, unlike oral supplements. The transdermal approach reduces the possibility of any abrupt increases or decreases in the levels of the active substance, which can cause unintended side effects. Like any product, Wellamoon Sleep Patches should be used exactly as prescribed. Before using, people with pre-existing medical issues or allergies to any of the substances should speak with a healthcare provider. Overall, a large number of users indicate that the patches work safely and effectively with no notable side effects. Who Needs Wellamoon Sleep Patch? (Wellamoon Sleep Patches Reviews) Anyone who has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling rested should try the Wellamoon Sleep Patches. These patches provide a gentle and natural way to encourage improved sleep, whether you're struggling with jet lag from travel, an active mind at night, the stress of everyday life, or long hours in front of screens. They're also ideal for those looking for a drug-free, non-habit-forming alternative to sleeping medications. The relaxing properties of Wellamoon's components can help professionals balance hectic schedules, students, new parents, and shift workers. As part of a healthy evening routine, those who just want to sleep better and wake up feeling more rested can even use these patches. If you've been having trouble getting a good night's sleep, Wellamoon can be the gentle yet powerful reminder your body needs to unwind and rejuvenate. Why Are Wellamoon Sleep Patches So Affordable? (Wellamoon Reviews) The Wellamoon Sleep Patches are notable for their price, which has grown to be a major selling point for many customers. Unlike your regular sleep aids that are expensive, especially prescription drugs or high-end supplements, Wellamoon Sleep Patches are affordable and provide remarkable advantages. There are a number of reasons why these patches are so reasonably priced. Wellamoon prioritizes efficiency and simplicity first. The patches are made to offer a simple fix for sleep problems without requiring costly manufacturing procedures. The patch eliminates the expenses related to more complicated formulations or sophisticated technology found in other sleep aids by using natural, efficient components in a straightforward patch style. Second, the affordability is influenced by the brand's direct-to-consumer business strategy. Wellamoon cuts out the middlemen, retailers and distributors who would otherwise mark up prices by selling after buying straight through the official website. The direct sales approach guarantees that there are no needless price increases and that the product is obtained at the real price. Additionally, you're receiving excellent value for your money because of the patch's long-lasting effects. Each patch lasts for a full night, making it a more affordable option than nightly pills or other sleep aids that might need to be bought more frequently. According to numerous customer reviews, the product offers long-lasting advantages, making it a wise purchase for anyone looking for reliable, high-quality sleep. Last but not least, favorable consumer reviews support the notion that Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide outstanding value for the money. Jane Z is one of the users who has discovered it to be a cost-effective alternative that outperforms more costly alternatives, making it the preferred choice for anyone wishing to enhance their sleep quality without going over budget. MUST SEE: CLICK HERE NOW TO GET THE WELLAMOON SLEEP PATCHES DIRECTLY FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE How To Use Wellamoon Sleep Patches (Wellamoon Sleep Patches Reviews) Follow these simple and easy steps to get the best out of your newly purchased Wellamoon Sleep Patches: Step 1: The skin where you plan to place the patch should be clean and dry; you can put it on your back, shoulder, or upper arm. The skin where you plan to place the patch should be clean and dry; you can put it on your back, shoulder, or upper arm. Step 2: After removing the peel, put the patch straight to your skin. After removing the peel, put the patch straight to your skin. Step 3: The patch will release its components gradually as you sleep, so leave it on all night. The patch will release its components gradually as you sleep, so leave it on all night. Step 4: Take off the patch and dispose of it appropriately in the morning. Is The Wellamoon Sleep Patch A Scam or Legit? You undoubtedly have used a product which failed to meet your expectations in the past, so no surprises if you are skeptical about going all in on the Wellamoon Sleep Patch, but for the sake of clarity, the Wellamoon Sleep Patch is very authentic and truly works! Wellamoon has marketed itself as a natural, non-invasive sleep aid that eliminates the need for drug or sleeping pills ingestion. Rather, a skin patch is used to administer its components, which are intended to promote healthy sleep throughout the night and assist in soothing the body. The delivery mechanism alone is a big selling feature for a lot of users. Verified buyer Cavallo had this to say about the product: "I like the fact that I don't have to take another pill. The ingredients combine to make me calm and fall asleep quickly. I can still wake up if I need to use the BR, but then I can go back to sleep fast. In the morning, I feel alert and not groggy. I am ready for my day. I would recommend this product to everyone." Jane Z., another verified client, called her first Wellamoon experience "amazing to use," adding that she "slept so much better" and that she would be placing another order shortly. Personal accounts of people quitting sleep aids completely are even more inspiring. Anita L. stated, "I'm so happy. From the first night I put the patch on my husband's arm, he's been having a really nice sleep and is not taking any more sleeping tablets." The user experience is notable for its consistency. Reanette N. "These patches are amazing!" she said, praising them. "I fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and feel amazing in the morning." "After 20 years of dealing with lack of sleep, your patches let me sleep through the night! My sister-in-law bought these for me, and I couldn't be more grateful!" wrote Kathy Herrinson in a very heartfelt testimonial. The pattern of good reviews from verified consumers from many countries of the world, including the USA, supports the credibility of Wellamoon Sleep Patches. They seem to provide genuine assistance for those who have had sleep issues for years, rather than being a gimmick. These reviews are sufficient justification for anyone who is unsure to give the patches a try! The manufacturers of the Wellamoon Sleep Patches have also been transparent about the product features and terms of use. They have also provided a good customer care team, which will answer any additional questions you may have. The team have also made available a money-back guarantee offer as well as a purchase warranty; all these show that the Wellamoon Sleep Patches are legit. Why Are Wellamoon Sleep Patches Trending in the United States and Canada? Wellamoon Sleep Support Patches have rapidly gained popularity across the United States and Canadaand its not just hype. As sleep issues become increasingly common, especially among adults over 40, people are actively seeking safer, more effective alternatives to pills and supplements. What makes Wellamoon stand out is its unique transdermal patch technology that delivers a blend of natural, sleep-enhancing ingredientslike melatonin, valerian root, hops, and magnesium malatedirectly through the skin. This method allows for gradual, sustained absorption throughout the night, promoting deeper, uninterrupted sleep without the harsh side effects of conventional sleep aids. One of the biggest reasons for its growing fan base is its impressive 65% absorption rate, significantly higher than the average 15% seen with oral supplements. That means more of the active ingredients are actually used by the bodyleading to better results. And it works fast. Many users report feeling noticeably relaxed within minutes of applying the patch, often leading to a full night of sleep without tossing and turning. Whats more, Wellamoon is free from synthetic chemicals, habit-forming compounds, and groggy morning side effects. Its discreet, easy to use, and doesnt disrupt your nightly routine. With hundreds of glowing reviews and personal testimonialsfrom exhausted parents to retirees who thought theyd never sleep well againpeople are finally finding a solution that works. In a health-conscious culture that favors natural remedies and convenience, its no wonder Wellamoon is trending as a trusted choice for better sleep across North America Wellamoon Reviews Consumer Reports USA and Canada Real users of Wellamoon Sleep Support Patches across the United States and Canada are sharing their honest experiences and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. From chronic insomniacs to light sleepers, many have found the restful sleep they had long been searching for. Sleep? YES! I really thought they wouldnt work at first, but these patches are amazing! I've been using them for a month now, and my sleep has drastically improved. No more tossing and turning just solid, restful sleep. And I wake up feeling refreshed, with no grogginess. Highly recommend! - Rebecca B, VERIFIED BUYER A miracle for sleep issues I've struggled with insomnia for years and tried countless remedies with no success. These patches are a miracle! Easy to apply and incredibly effective. I even got some for my son, who also has inherited my sleep problems. Both of us are now enjoying deep, uninterrupted sleep every night. - Walter P., VERIFIED BUYER Fantastic product These patches have been a lifesaver. The combination of natural herbs and melatonin works wonders. I've never slept this well before, and there's no groggy feeling in the morning. My husband and I both use them and couldn't be happier with the results! - Liz V., VERIFIED BUYER DONT MISS OUT: Wellamoon Sleep Patches Are Available At A Special Price Click Here To Order From The Official Website Pros Of Wellamoon Sleep Patch (Wellamoon Reviews Canada, USA) Non-Invasive: For people who would rather not take oral pills, Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide a non-invasive, pill-free method of enhancing sleep. For people who would rather not take oral pills, Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide a non-invasive, pill-free method of enhancing sleep. Easy to Use: Just peel, adhere, and go to sleep. The Wellamoon Sleep Patches don't require any extra setup or preparation and are quite simple to apply. Just peel, adhere, and go to sleep. The Wellamoon Sleep Patches don't require any extra setup or preparation and are quite simple to apply. Natural components: Free of harsh chemicals or additives, the patches are made with natural ingredients that are intended to promote relaxation. Free of harsh chemicals or additives, the patches are made with natural ingredients that are intended to promote relaxation. Promotes Better Sleep: A lot of users say they go to sleep more quickly and stay asleep for longer, which can lead to better sleep and health in general. A lot of users say they go to sleep more quickly and stay asleep for longer, which can lead to better sleep and health in general. No Grogginess: Unlike conventional sleep aids, the patches don't make users feel groggy in the morning, enabling them to awaken feeling alert and rejuvenated. Unlike conventional sleep aids, the patches don't make users feel groggy in the morning, enabling them to awaken feeling alert and rejuvenated. Long-Lasting Effects: The patch gradually releases its calming ingredients throughout the night to provide the restful sleep you have always wanted. The patch gradually releases its calming ingredients throughout the night to provide the restful sleep you have always wanted. Discreet: The Wellamoon Sleep Patches are small, so you can wear them comfortably while you sleep without bringing attention to yourself. The Wellamoon Sleep Patches are small, so you can wear them comfortably while you sleep without bringing attention to yourself. Safe: Due to the usage of natural substances, there is little chance of adverse effects for the majority of users. Due to the usage of natural substances, there is little chance of adverse effects for the majority of users. Positive Customer Feedback: A lot of people, including Kathy Herrinson, have expressed how happy they are with the patches and how much better their sleep has been. Cons Of Wellamoon Sleep Support Patches (Wellamoon Reviews) May Take Time to Show Results: Before seeing any discernible changes in their sleep habits, users with chronic sleep problems could require a few nights of regular use. Before seeing any discernible changes in their sleep habits, users with chronic sleep problems could require a few nights of regular use. Restricted Availability: People who want to buy the patches in physical stores may find it inconvenient that they are mostly sold on the official website. Price of Wellamoon Sleep Patches The Wellamoon is currently available at a discounted price, and you can get yours at the following pricing: Where To Buy Wellamoon Sleep Patches The official Wellamoon website is the best and safest location for everyone who wants to get the Wellamoon Sleep Patches. You stand to gain a lot by buying directly from the source, as it guarantees you are receiving the authentic Wellamoon Sleep Patch, in addition to any discounts, bonuses, or packages that might not be found elsewhere. There are other advantages to buying straight from the manufacturer. First, customers can save money by taking advantage of the official website's limited-time deals and bulk order discounts. For instance, consumers typically have the option of value packs with lower prices per unit or one-time purchases. Second, shopping from the official website gives you access to important buyer protections like a money-back guarantee and customer care services, which aren't always offered when buying products from third parties. Many USA(US) and Canada(CA) customers had a good experience shopping directly from the official website. Many customers who searched for the Wellamoon Sleep Patches on Reddit, TrustPilot and BBB were happy with their official website purchase. Buy your own Wellamoon Sleep Patches from the manufacturers website today for the best shopping experience. CLICK HERE NOW TO BUY WELLAMOON SLEEP PATCHES DIRECTLY FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE Frequently Asked Questions (Wellamoon Sleep Support Patches Reviews) To help make the right choice, we have included the most common questions regarding the patches below. Are Wellamoon Sleep Patches supported by science? The all-natural components of the Wellamoon patch have been extensively researched for their potential to improve sleep, which came out positive. As with any product, it's crucial to thoroughly read the directions and make sure you don't have any allergies to any of the ingredients. How long do Wellamoon Sleep Patches take to start working? After applying the Wellamoon Sleep Patches, many customers say they start to feel the effects 30 to 60 minutes later. Slowly, the natural components begin to help you relax and get to sleep faster. It can take a few days of regular use for some people to really benefit, though, particularly if they have long-term sleep problems. Are There Any Negative Effects of Wellamoon Sleep Patches? Not at all. No side effects have been reported by any of the Wellamoon users. It is important to do skin testing, especially for persons battling with so many allergies. How Often Should Wellamoon Sleep Patches Be Used? It is advised to use Wellamoon Sleep Patches every night for the best benefits. You can, however, modify use in accordance with your own sleep requirements. While some people might only require the patches occasionally, others who have more serious sleep issues could find that using them every night helps them sleep better. Are Other Sleep Aids Compatible with Wellamoon Sleep Patches? Generally speaking, using Wellamoon Sleep Patches in conjunction with other sleep aids without first speaking with a healthcare provider is not advised. Ingredients that overlap, such as melatonin or other sedatives, may cause excessive sleepiness or other negative side effects. Consult your physician to make sure using the patches in conjunction with other sleep aids is safe. Can Children Use Wellamoon Sleep Patches? Children under the age of 18 should not use Wellamoon Sleep Patches without a healthcare provider's supervision, as they are designed for adults. Before using the patches with children, it's crucial to receive professional guidance because their sleep demands and reactions to sleep aids can differ from those of adults. Any Wellamoon Sleep Patches Review complaints? Wellamoon Sleep Patches have been well received by many customers in the USA, And Canada. Many customers rated the patch highly, noting that it had helped them fall asleep faster and wake up feeling rejuvenated. Reanette N., one of the verified buyers of the Wellamoon, had this to say about the patch, "These patches are incredible! The product is particularly well-liked by people who want natural sleep aids without the negative effects of conventional prescription medications. I fall asleep quickly, stay asleep, and wake up feeling fantastic." Conclusion on Wellamoon Sleep Patches Reviews To sum up, Wellamoon Sleep Patches provide a straightforward, all-natural remedy for anyone having trouble sleeping. These patches are made to help you fall asleep more quickly, remain asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed without the grogginess that frequently comes with regular sleep aids. The Wellamoon achieves this by combining potent substances like melatonin, lavender, and chamomile. For individuals looking for a non-pill-based remedy, the ease of the transdermal patch, which produces consistent results throughout the night, makes it an appealing choice. The favorable comments left by many USA users, such as A. Reanette N. and Cavallo. demonstrates how well the patches work to encourage sound sleep and enhance general well-being. Wellamoon Sleep Patches may be the answer you've been seeking if you struggle to fall asleep at night, have stress, or have occasional insomnia. You can only purchase Wellamoon Sleep Patches on their official website, where you can also take advantage of great deals and a money-back guarantee, if you're prepared to take the next step toward improved sleep. These patches are absolutely worth including in your evening regimen because of their low cost, safety, and favorable customer feedback. With Wellamoon Sleep Patches, bid adieu to sleepless nights and welcome to a revitalizing sleep experience! DONT MISS OUT: Wellamoon Sleep Patches Are Available At A Special Price Click Here To Order From The Official Website Media Contact: Email: support@wellamoon.com Disclaimer: Statements on this press release have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Wellamoon products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are taking any prescription medication, or are pregnant or nursing, consult with your health care provider before using this product. The product may cause drowsiness or sleepiness; therefore, do not use while driving, operating heavy machinery, or consuming alcohol. DO NOT use on damaged skin, or if you have an allergy or hypersensitivity to the components of this formula. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. For adult use only. Keep out of reach of children. **Individual results may vary. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cdaa60a-0a57-4e28-9431-4d097829efe1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f68c61a4-63e9-4bbb-a32a-1276ec8a4d18 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/716df667-470a-4620-a32d-a0a75f062cf3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/63eb88b5-4096-4c7d-b486-5008785fdc3f North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has test-fired a newly developed sniper rifle, state media said Saturday, as he inspected special forces whose training he said bolstered "actual war capability for guaranteeing victory". Such units are among the thousands of troops that South Korea's spy agency says Pyongyang has deployed to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. During the visit to a special operations unit on Friday, Kim said the "actual war capability for guaranteeing victory in the war field is bolstered up through intensive training," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. He added that their training is "the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country," according to the agency. Images released by state media showed Kim peering through the scope of a sniper rifle that KCNA said was going to be "newly supplied to special operation units". Other images showed him pointing to the bullseye of a target, crouching alongside heavily camouflaged soldiers, and smiling and waving to troops. Kim supervised "automatic rifle firing drills and sniper rifle firing drills" and, after personally test-firing the weapon, expressed "great satisfaction over the performance and power of the sniper rifle developed in our own way", KCNA said. Kim's visit to the special forces came on the same day that South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld president Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, booting him from office and triggering fresh elections. Yoon had defended his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out "anti-state forces" and what he claimed were threats from North Korea. KCNA reported Yoon's dismissal for the first time on Saturday, citing foreign media. South Korea's opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen as a frontrunner in the next election, experts say, and his party has taken a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea. US President Donald Trump, who met Kim three times during his first administration, said this week that he is in "communication" with Kim and intends to "do something at some point", according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency. Nick Gradisar used to joke that if Martians landed in his hometown of Pueblo, Colo., and said, Take us to your leader, he wouldnt know what to say. Thats because Pueblo didnt reallya leader. Nobody had held the position of mayor since 1954, when the city did away with the practice of designating the council president as mayor. Before that, no one had actually been elected to the post since 1911. Pueblo, population 110,000, is the only American city of comparable size that functioned for the past 65 years without even a figurehead mayor in the corner office.Thats no longer the case. Gradisar fought for years to change the system, got that done in a referendum in 2017, and then ran for the job himself. He won, and this January he was sworn in as the citys first elected mayor in more than a century. Now Pueblo not only has a mayor but a strong one: Gradisar has the authority to make all the executive decisions, handle the important personnel appointments and prepare the budget. The city manager who did some of those things under the old system has already cleaned out his desk.Youre probably wondering just how big a deal this is. After all, cities all over the country have mayors who function largely in a ceremonial capacity while the council or manager takes care of the administrative side. But as the citizens of Pueblo finally realized, theres a difference between a ceremonial mayor and no mayor at all. When corporate executives made site-location visits to Pueblo and asked if they could meet the mayor, they had to be told something like, Um, we dont have one. Any management consultant will tell you thats not a very good way to impress a CEO.Its easy to see why Pueblo might have wanted to try something different. Once the second-largest city in Colorado, it slipped to ninth in recent decades after its main employer, a huge steel mill, largely shut down. Its current unemployment rate is the highest among Colorado cities. None of those things can be blamed directly on missing-mayor government. But taken together, they persuaded the citys electorate to move to a strong-mayor system after rejecting the idea decisively eight years earlier.They didnt have to go as far as they did. They could have just slapped a new title on the council president and left everything else the same. But they felt the need to make a bolder move. Economic development is a huge issue for that city, says Sam Mamet, the longtime executive director of the Colorado Municipal League. They wanted someone in charge.Pueblo is an extreme case, but quite a few cities that long had weak-mayor governments have gone strong-mayor in the past couple of decades. Colorado Springs, just up the road from Pueblo, is one. Among the others are Cincinnati, Oakland, Calif., Richmond, Va., and St. Petersburg, Fla.If you mention this to people at the International City/County Management Association, they will remind you that the city manager system is the most popular form of urban government in America, used in 55 percent of all jurisdictions, and gaining new adherents all the time. That is true. But it doesnt apply to the largest places: Of the 30 most populous U.S. cities, 21 operate under some form of strong-mayor regime.And for all the cogent arguments the city management people have made for the past 100 years about the virtues of nonpartisan administrators over politicized and personally ambitious mayors, it remains true that the best strong mayors are the heroes of urban history, the leaders that cities like Cincinnati and Oakland and Richmond longed to produce.Anyone who has read about Fiorello LaGuardia as mayor of New York in the 1930s, or better yet seen a video clip of him in action -- making a hundred decisions in a single day, fully absorbed in his work far into the night, riding all over the city to investigate crime and fire scenes, wheedling billions of dollars for roads and bridges out of the federal government -- anyone who has seen this will find it hard to resist the idea of LaGuardia as the gold standard in American urban government. Or consider a less dramatic example: Boston Mayor Tom Menino, whose mildly autocratic mayoral regime in the 1990s and 2000s was instrumental in resuscitating Boston to prosperity and coolness. And of course there are the Mayors Daley of Chicago. You may love them or hate them, but its hard to ignore the transformation of that city from an overgrown Midwest factory town to a global metropolis over 40 years of combined Daley stewardship.Other, less-celebrated cities have also made impressive advances in recent years by managing to elect a string of honest and competent strong mayors one after another. Nashville is one example (with the sole exception of Mayor Megan Barry, who in 2018 resigned in scandal after less than three years in office); Indianapolis is another. Those are examples that any aspiring metropolis is bound to look at.There have been a few highly visible strong-mayor disasters over the same period. Detroit kept Coleman Young in office for 20 years, starting in 1974, and watched as he all but urged the middle class to leave the city, with ruinous consequences. Kwame Kilpatrick, one of his successors, was sentenced to a 28-year term in federal prison. When strong-mayor government produces the wrong leaders, there are few protections against its abuse.At the same time, clever politicians elected mostly as figureheads in weak-mayor cities have learned how to make the most of those situations for their own and their constituents benefit. Freed from the responsibility of managing city services and departments, they have built reputations as dynamic representatives on economic development and national political issues. Henry Cisneros wrote the book on this in San Antonio in the 1980s; Julian Castro rode a weak-mayor position in the same city 20 years later into a federal cabinet position and a presidential candidacy. In Phoenix, Phil Gordon and Greg Stanton took historically ceremonial mayoralties and used them to promote and develop a successful public transit system.When you add it all up, though, it seems fair to conclude that the original idea of city-manager government, developed by Richard Childs in the early 20th century as a progressive solution to urban problems, has not traveled very well to the 21st. Childs idea was that the city manager would be an unshakably nonpolitical presence, making decisions on the strength of statistics and hard evidence and avoiding partisan infighting like the plague. The belief survived longer than the reality. Most city managers found it impossible to stay out of politics, even if they were able to eschew formal partisanship. Generally conservative by temperament, they tended to run their cities as offshoots of the local chamber of commerce, often settling on the important decisions with business leaders over morning coffee at a friendly diner in the shadow of city hall. It was nonpartisan government, but it was also, at least by todays standards, closed government. It isnt practical now in any city of decent size.Over time, strong-mayor and weak-mayor government have tended to move closer together. Many places that used to elect ribbon-cutting figureheads have gradually given their mayors additional tools to work with. At the same time, places that once dumped virtually every form of governmental responsibility on an elected partisan mayor have brought in managers to take over some of their administrative burden. The distinction between the two systems isnt nearly as clear-cut as it was a couple of generations ago.The one fundamental truth that seems to emerge from a century of experimentation is that no one arrangement is ideal for every city. Almost anything can work with the right sort of community leadership. Dallas and Houston provide an interesting case. Their systems of government couldnt be much more different. In the past several decades, Houston has had a series of strong mayors who have not only dominated the city but frequently become familiar names on the broader urban government scene. Dallas, administered largely by an appointed city manager, has had a series of mayors whose names tend to be forgotten outside the city once they leave office.The results of these different approaches have been pretty similar. Dallas and Houston both have more than their share of urban problems, but they have largely thrived in recent years, attracting new businesses and residents and earning reputations as two of Americas better-governed cities. As the Colorado Municipal Leagues Mamet likes to say, its not the system, its the people.Still, its hard to argue with the decision Pueblo made this year. When corporate recruiters knock on the door of city hall, its best to have somebody sitting at a desk with a nameplate that says Mayor on it. The details can be worked out later. Alan Ehrenhalt | Senior Editor | aehrenhalt@governing.com As a strong advocate of council-manager government, it is with pride that I can point out that two-thirds of Moody's Aaa-bond-rated communities operate under the council-manager form. Council-manager cities, according to the IBM report "Smarter, Faster, Cheaper," are nearly 10 percent more efficient than cities with "strong" mayor forms of government. And the majority of All-America City Award recipients for the past five years have been council-manager.Residents of council-manager communities can expect to see a professionally qualified staff led by an appointed manager who is ethically compelled to tell the governing body what they need to know rather than what they want to hear. Residents can expect to see an appointed manager and senior staff that find themselves responsibly at the intersection of political and administrative arenas, facilitating the connection between what is "politically acceptable" in the community and what is "operationally sustainable." These two basic elements of effective governance could occur under any form of government, but I deeply believe that they are embedded within the council-manager structure. This does not mean that every council-manager government does these things well, but if they do not, it is not the fault of the structure, which is designed to promote effectiveness.Council-manager government is fundamentally about structure-the place in which democratic values, processes and professionalism are embedded. This structure and these qualities cannot exist when communities seek purely "heroic" leadership. I do not think council-manager communities look for Superman or Wonder Woman to create community prosperity and resilience through charismatic leadership. I do, however, believe mayor-council communities create more of that expectation.Consider all the challenges we face locally, things like affordable housing, homelessness, opioid abuse and climate change. No "heroic leader" is going to solve these issues. Rather, they require leadership and organizational structures that foster a culture of experimentation anchored in trusting relationships between the governing body and an independent administrative staff."Heroic" mayors capture our attention. But I would rather focus on a system that dependably provides access to democratic values; that promotes professionalism; that facilitates the connection between politics and administration; that gives exceptional leaders a chance to make a difference. I strongly believe that these are the characteristics of the council-manager structure, not the mayor-council form. Marko hits back at nonsense Horner speculation Dr Helmut Marko has slammed reports that he has become increasingly disempowered at Red Bull. Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, Japanese GP 2025 Red Bull Days ago, the energy drink brand's well-known Formula 1 advisor was quoted as saying had had nothing to do with the decision last year to re-sign Sergio Perez. That wasn't my decision, he reportedly said. I didn't choose Perez, Christian (Horner) did. The Austrian broadcaster ORF asked Marko about it at Suzuka. Absolute nonsense! he declared. Nobody even knows the journalist. It's been a tumultuous period for the once-dominant team, with a steady performance decline coinciding with high-profile staff departures and political turmoil. McLaren CEO Zak Brown admits he played his role. Of course, our goal is to be as fast as possible ourselves, he told TechStuff, "but there's also the strategy of destabilising the opponent. If you can unsettle a rival, then it can slow them down while you pick up the pace. Red Bull's latest turmoil has been predominantly driver-related, with first Perez and then Liam Lawson ousted as they were so far behind Max Verstappen. Indeed, Verstappen was on pole at Suzuka, while Lawson's replacement Yuki Tsunoda qualified P15 - even behind the man he replaced, Racing Bulls' Lawson. Only Max can do that, Fernando Alonso enthused about Verstappen's stellar lap. Marko, however, said Tsunoda simply made mistakes in qualifying - and should in fact have made it into Q3. Yuki was only two tenths behind Max in practice, he said. "We haven't had that in a long time. It can now be understood why we swapped. We are completely satisfied, Marko added. According to Verstappen, however, Red Bull still has clear problems. "I have already said that our problem is not with the driver. It's the car. The team decides who they put in the car, and I think that's all fine, but we have to keep the focus on the problem, and that is the car. (GMM) Ghana to engage US over new 10% tariff on April 7 GraphicOnline Apr - 06 - 2025 , 13:01 2 minutes read The Ghanaian government has announced plans to urgently engage the United States over the newly imposed 10 per cent universal tariff on imports, including goods from Ghana, which took effect on April 5, 2025. In a press release issued by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness & Industry, the government assured exporters and investors of its commitment to resolving the issue to avoid trade disruptions. "The Ministry as a matter of urgency, is also engaging relevant stakeholders to determine the extent of the effect and assess the full impact of the US tariffs on the countrys economy," the statement read. The high-level meeting, scheduled for Monday, April 7, 2025, will involve the Ministers of Trade, Agribusiness & Industry, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, who will discuss the implications of the tariffs with the US Ambassador to Ghana. The tariffs, announced by the US on April 2, 2025, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), cite economic and national security concerns linked to global trade deficits. While the 10 per cent levy applies broadly, certain productssuch as copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and critical mineralsare exempt. Ghanas export sector, particularly under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), stands to be significantly affected. AGOA provides duty-free, quota-free access to the US market for key Ghanaian products like apparel, cocoa derivatives, shea butter, and horticultural goods. The government is exploring strategies to mitigate the immediate impact on these exports. The Ministry emphasized its dedication to keeping the private sector informed, stating, "The Government is committed to ensuring that the private sector is well informed on the details of the imposition to avoid trade disruption as well as ensure predictability of investment decisions in the country." Next article: Police begin investigation into shooting by 16-year-old at Adventist Senior High School Previous article: Ghana to engage US over new 10% tariff on April 7 Govt spokesperson dismisses drug claims over KIA aircraft landings, cites technical faults and cargo inspections Kweku Zurek Apr - 06 - 2025 , 12:31 2 minutes read The Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu Felix Kwakye Ofosu has dismissed fresh allegations of drug trafficking linked to recent aircraft landings at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), insisting that the incidents were technical and logistical in nature. His comments come in response to the renewed claims by Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member on Parliaments Defence and Interior Committee, who maintains that the aircraft in question were involved in transporting narcotics and cash. In a series of Facebook posts on Sunday, April 6, Mr Kwakye Ofosu offered detailed explanations and visual evidence to counter the claims. According to him, an Air Med aircraft that recently landed at KIA had suffered damage to its landing gear tyres, necessitating repairs that extended its stay at the airport. These pictures show engineers fixing damaged tyres on the landing gear of the Air Med Aircraft at the Kotoka International Airport. The damaged parts and engineers were brought in by a different aircraft, reason why it stayed here for five days. Dont let anyone lie to you, he wrote. He also addressed suspicions surrounding a Cavok cargo flight, providing video footage showing a security inspection upon arrival at KIA. This is actual footage of the inspection of the Cavok flight by security officials at the Kotoka International Airport on arrival which shows it carried a cargo of oil drills and oil in jerrycans, he stated. Dont let anyone lie to you and shift the goal post when pressed for evidence. Mr Kwakye Ofosu urged the public to disregard what he described as deliberate misinformation and stressed the governments commitment to transparency in matters involving national security and airport operations. The clarification is the latest in a series of rebuttals from government officials following opposition calls for investigations into suspicious aircraft activity at Ghanas main airport. Next article: Oversight isnt childs play Dr Aning urges parliament to use powers, not press conferences, in drug probe Previous article: Govt targets $100m to cultivate 20,000 hectares of oil palm in move to cut imports Govt to restrict state institutions from importing goods that can be produced locally Mohammed Ali Apr - 06 - 2025 , 10:58 2 minutes read The government is set to introduce a new policy that will require state institutions to purchase selected goodsincluding rice and sugarexclusively from local producers, unless they obtain special approval from the Office of the President. The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, announced the measure during a meeting with the leadership of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), describing it as part of a broader effort to strengthen local industries, create jobs, and reduce Ghanas reliance on imported goods. To support our local industries, the government will soon publish a list of items that all public sector agencies must procure locally, Dr Forson said. Going forward, any government procurement from outside Ghana will require special approval from the Office of the President. Dr Forson questioned why Ghana continues to import basic commodities such as rice and sugar despite having the capacity to produce them locally. According to him, no country can achieve meaningful development without a strong industrial foundation. He acknowledged the importance of trade but emphasised the need for deliberate policies to support domestic production. He also raised concerns about the impact of smuggling on Ghanaian businesses, noting that illegal imports are undercutting local manufacturers. The government has identified smuggling routes, he said, and will soon introduce measures to prevent the influx of illegal goods that compete unfairly with locally manufactured products. As part of a wider industrialisation drive, Dr Forson proposed a working session with leaders in the private sector to discuss how local businesses can leverage the governments 24-hour economy programme to increase production and stimulate economic growth. President of the AGI, Dr Humphrey Ayim-Darke, welcomed the governments move and described it as a positive step towards revitalising the countrys manufacturing sector. He said ongoing dialogue between the state and industry stakeholders would help address the structural challenges facing local producers. Meet the new Acting Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu GraphicOnline Apr - 06 - 2025 , 09:01 2 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has named Dr Alhassan Iddrisu as the Acting Government Statistician, pending consultations with the Council of State. The appointment was announced in a statement issued by Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesman and Minister of State in-charge of Government Communications. Dr Iddrisu is an economist with a background in economic strategy, research, and public sector leadership. He currently serves as the Director of the Economic Strategy and Research Division at the Ministry of Finance, where he oversees national macroeconomic analysis, forecasting, and coordination of both real and external sector assessments. In his current role, he plays a critical part in producing the Ghana Macroeconomic Outlook Report and contributes significantly to the preparation of the National Budget and Economic Policy. Beyond his core duties, Dr Iddrisu represents the Ministry on several governing boards, public councils, and inter-ministerial technical committeesplatforms where his expertise has informed high-level decisions on economic governance and development strategies. Over the years, he has held key leadership positions within the Ministry, including Director of the Economic Research and Forecasting Division (20132019), where he led national macroeconomic modelling and long-term projections. He also served as Acting Director of the Real Sector Division (20102013), leading research on sectoral growth and productivity. Dr Iddrisu is also active in academia, serving as a part-time lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. He has previously worked as a consultant for Oxfam GB and the World Bank. His academic credentials are equally impressive. He holds a PhD in International Development Studies from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan; a Master of Public Administration (Public and Economic Policy) from the London School of Economics; an MPhil in Economics; and a BA in Economics with French from the University of Ghana. Next article: NHIA begins payment of arrears, urges private health providers to resume NHIS services Previous article: Govt to restrict state institutions from importing goods that can be produced locally Oversight isnt childs play Dr Aning urges parliament to use powers, not press conferences, in drug probe Mohammed Ali Apr - 06 - 2025 , 10:51 2 minutes read The Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr Kwasi Aning has criticised the handling of recent drug trafficking allegations raised by Reverend Ntim Fordjour, urging Parliament to use its constitutional powers rather than holding press briefings. Speaking on Joy FMs Newsfile programme on Saturday, April 5, 2025, Dr Aning said Parliament possesses the authority, capacity, and mechanisms to scrutinise national security matters without resorting to public accusations based on suspicion. He described such press conferences as premature and warned they could undermine public confidence in state institutions. The way forward is about rebuilding trust, respect, and collegiality centred on what makes Ghana work best, he told host Samson Lardy Anyenini. This is a conversation that takes place in all parliamentary democracies, where the opposition may receive credible intelligence, but that intelligence is not first made public. Dr Aning outlined at least seven parliamentary procedures available to MPs for raising security-related concerns. These include inviting ministers to answer questions on the floor, filing motions, delivering statements, reviewing quarterly expenditure reports, and visiting relevant institutions such as airports and security agencies. He noted that Reverend Fordjour and his committee could have exercised these options rather than going public. Security oversight is serious business, he said. If the committee had concerns, they could have conducted in-camera hearings or used their powers to subpoena documents like flight manifests. Dr Aning emphasised that national security issues should be approached in a bipartisan manner. If resistance is met, then escalation may be necessary, but public accusations without evidence damage institutional trust, he added. He also referenced Ghanas past involvement in the global narcotics trade, saying: About 13 percent of Europes cocaine once passed through Ghana. That is not something to take lightly, but allegations must be investigated properly and not made loosely. Dr Aning urged Parliament to approach its oversight responsibilities with gravity and professionalism. Parliament must act with authority, ability, and the right attitude, he stated. Oversight isnt a childs play. His comments follow recent claims by Reverend Ntim Fordjour, who alleged that suspicious flights linked to possible drug trafficking were landing at Ghanas airports under the pretext of technical stops. The government has since rejected the claims, describing them as baseless. Next article: Govt targets $100m to cultivate 20,000 hectares of oil palm in move to cut imports Police begin investigation into shooting by 16-year-old at Adventist Senior High School GNA Apr - 06 - 2025 , 12:17 1 minute read The Ashanti Regional Police Command has begun investigations into a shooting incident that occurred at the Adventist Senior High School on Friday, April 4, at about 1200 hours. Preliminary investigations reveal that a I6-year-old second-year student (name withheld) brought a locally manufactured pistol loaded with one BB ammunition to school. The student allegedly attempted to show the firearm to his classmate and during an exchange the firearm accidentally discharged, hitting another student. A press release signed by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Godwin Atsu Ahianyo, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, said: All names of those involved are being withheld. The injured student had since been treated at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and is currently in stable condition. The juvenile suspect had been arrested and the empty cartridge had been recovered and retained as evidence, the release noted. During the questioning, the suspect stated that he took the weapon from his fathers bedroom without his fathers knowledge. The authorities were working to locate and arrest the father to assist with the investigation, it said. Previous article: Adwoa Safo set to appear before NPP disciplinary committee on Monday NPP demands answers over foreign aircraft and cocaine seizures in Cape Coast and Sekondi Mohammed Ali Politics Apr - 06 - 2025 , 13:45 2 minutes read The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is demanding answers from the government over the unexplained presence of two foreign aircraft in Ghana and the lack of updates on two major cocaine seizures. In a statement issued on April 6, 2025, and signed by its Director of Communications, Mr Richard Ahiagbah, the party raised concerns about AirMed flight N823AM and the Cavok Air Antonov An-12B, both of which reportedly developed faults while in Ghana. The NPP claims the governments response thus far has failed to address the publics concerns. The story about the two jets is baffling, the party said. The government must explain the purpose of the aircraft and the nature of their cargo. Ghanaians deserve to know whether these planes were involved in any illegal activity. Mr Ahiagbah described the explanation provided by Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who spoke on behalf of the government, as inadequate. He said Mr Kwakye Ofosus comments were scanty and primarily defensive, which he believes has only increased public suspicion. The NPP also cited a call by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has reportedly urged the government to investigate the purpose of the flights. Beyond the aircraft, the party is also asking for updates on two separate cocaine seizures. One involved a $350 million cocaine bust in Cape Coast, and the other a $150 million seizure in Sekondi, the latter allegedly linked to a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The party claims that Mr Kwakye Ofosu failed to respond to public calls for clarity on these cases. The silence on these high-profile arrests undermines public trust, particularly given the alleged involvement of a senior member of the NDC, the statement said. Mr Ahiagbah warned that downplaying matters related to drug trafficking and money laundering could damage Ghanas international reputation. The international community is watching, and Ghana cannot afford to be seen as unwilling or unable to deal with transnational crime, he stated. The NPP says it will continue to demand accountability from the government, stressing that the public has a right to clear and honest information. Read below the full statement: These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. A San Francisco sex worker killed a man who demanded a refund after finding out she was transgender. Leniyah Butler, 21, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a client unnamed by federal prosecutors. Prosecutors stated that Butler performed a sex act on the man in November 2023. When Butler revealed that she was transgender, the man demanded a refund and that Butler get out of his car. During the altercation, Butler shot the man in the eye, killing him. Once the man was dead, Butler stole his car, attempted to wipe away fingerprints and DNA, and then spent the rest of the morning scattering the physical evidence, including the murder weapon. "We extend our sincere condolences to the victim's family, whose son and brother was taken from them prematurely, and hope today's verdict brings some measure of justice," said Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. "We commend the swift actions of the FBI agents, who promptly and thoroughly investigated this case from the moment the victim's body was found in the Presidio." Butler was quoted in court documents stating that she felt her actions were justified, according to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Say that I apologize to anyone I hurt, but my life was in danger, and I felt like I had to defend myself in that moment or it would have been me. I don't think I should say sorry to nobody because ... I don't feel sorry for smoking him." Butler is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2025. The maximum statutory penalty Butler faces is 15 years and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. Originally published on Lawyer Herald We were going to poll this sooner, but Google took over a week to decide when the Pixel 9a will be available April 10 is the date (Thursday next week) for the US, Canada and the UK. Then the mid-ranger will expand to 23 more countries in Europe on April 14, followed by an Asia-Pacific rollout on April 16. First, lets talk about the price the base 8/128GB model will match the launch price of last years Pixel 8a (pricing info on the 8/256GB upgrade is yet to be revealed). This means $500 in the US, 550 in Europe and 53,000 in India. Google Pixel 9a We have a Pixel 9a in for review, so expect a detailed report soon. Compared to its predecessor, the major upgrades are the newer chipset (Tensor G4 vs. G3), larger 1080p+ 120Hz display (6.3 vs. 6.1), larger battery (5,100mAh vs. 4,492mAh) with slightly faster wired charging (23W vs. 18W, wireless is the same at 7.5W) and upgraded water resistance (IP68 vs. IP67). The main camera is new and features a 48MP 1/2.0 sensor and f/1.7 aperture, while the 2024 Pixel had a 64MP 1/1.73 sensor with f/1.9 aperture. The question of whether there is an appreciable change in image and video quality will have to wait for the review. We do appreciate that Google removed the chunky visor and created an almost flush design. This combined with the aluminum frame feels good in the hand, but the thick bezels around the screen make it clear this isnt a premium product. Google Pixel 9a Anyway, lets have a quick look at potential competitors to the Pixel 9a. The Galaxy A56 still isnt available in the US, but in Europe and India, its already under 500 and 50,000, respectively. You may be better off with the Galaxy S24 FE, though, which costs about the same. Samsung Galaxy A56 Samsung Galaxy S24 FE The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is also cheaper than the Pixel and while it wont get as many OS updates as the Pixel and Galaxy models (just three), it does have a 50MP 3x periscope, which is rare in this price range. Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Apple iPhone 16e The Apple iPhone 16e doesnt even have an ultra-wide camera (and lets not talk about its 60Hz display with a notch), but it costs even more - $600/700/60,000. You can probably think of other alternatives too, we will be thinking about that too as we work on the review. But lets talk about the elephant in the room Googles own Pixel 9. Pixel 9a, Pixel 9, 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL Its currently $630, but weve seen it as low as $600. Yes, thats $100 more than the Pixel 9a, but you get more RAM (12GB vs. 8GB), small display upgrades (HDR10+, GG Victus 2), a much better main camera (50MP 1/1.31 sensor) and a smaller battery with faster charging (4,700mAh with 27W wired, 15W wireless). Are you considering the Google Pixel 9a as your next phone or do you have your eye on another model? The Department of Public Health and Social Services is inviting the public to a Health Awareness Fair at Micronesia Malls Center Court today. The event is a part of Public Health and Social Services Month, and will be open from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. The fair is a free community event that will feature health information, resources, and some services for the public. It is an opportunity to learn more about how DPHSS supports the health and wellness of Guams community, the agency said. An on-site vaccination clinic with staff from the DPHSS Immunization Program will be present at the location of the old Gamestop on the first floor, to provide adult immunization services to all eligible adults from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. or while supplies last. The vaccines will be available to adults covered by Medicaid and MIP, or those who do not have health insurance. Persons 19 through 49 years old will have the opportunity to receive vaccines for TdaP and seasonal influenza or flu. Persons 50 years and older will have the opportunity to receive vaccines for Flu, TdaP, Pneumococcal, and Zoster. Adults must bring a photo ID and a current shot record (if available). Individuals with physical disabilities or use walking aids such as canes, crutches, or walkers, and proof of physical disability will have priority of service. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Marianas has kicked off emergency repairs on the Glass Breakwater in Apra Harbor ahead of schedule, marking the first significant step in a $571 million multi-year project to restore and strengthen the vital coastal structure. The project was awarded to TPC-NAN, a joint venture based in Sylmar, California, under the Navys SIOP multiple award construction contract, NavFac Marianas said. "This project strengthens Apra Harbor and aligns with NavFac Marianas' mission to deliver resilient infrastructure that supports Fleet capabilities and island logistics, said Capt. Troy Brown, commanding officer of NavFac Marianas. Brown, in a statement, said the focus is on stabilizing the structure, ensuring safe operations, and maintaining project momentum through disciplined oversight and coordination. "This effort demonstrates NavFac's role in planning, designing, and executing projects that enable mission readiness and enhanced warfighter lethality throughout the Indo-Pacific," Brown added. Rear Adm. Brent DeVore, commander, Joint Region Marianas, observed the first armor stone lift. "The Glass Breakwater was built by the Navy Seabees following World War II in the 1940s, and has not only been a mainstay of Apra Harbor since that time, but is critically important to the military mission on Guam," DeVore said. "Today's milestone, therefore, represents the Department of Defense's commitment to the island, and reflects the importance of this infrastructure to support our warfighters." Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander, Joint Task Force-Micronesia, was also invited to witness a critical step in the repair process. "Advancing the joint military mission in Guam and the region begins with significant investments in the island's infrastructure," Huffman said. He said these upgrades to strengthen and harden the Glass Breakwater are vital to not only the operational capacity of Apra Harbor ensuring military readiness, but also support the commercial Port of Guam to supply necessary goods to the entire island. The Glass Breakwater, which shields Apra Harbor and the Port of Guam from strong waves and storm surges, was severely damaged by Typhoon Mawar in 2023. Classified as failed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the breakwater had continued to deteriorate, prompting NavFac Marianas to accelerate assessment and repair timelines. The projects early start is credited to rapid coordination, innovative assessment methods, and early contractor engagement, NavFac Marianas said in a release. The initial phase involves relocating large armor stoneseach weighing 10 to 15 tonsfrom the breakwater's crest to its most damaged sections. These stones are packed tightly to form a temporary barrier, reducing further damage and ensuring continued access to critical repair zones. Joe Patterson, PE, NavFac Marianas waterfront project manager, said post-typhoon assessments provided critical insights into areas where wave action had displaced armor stones and exposed the breakwaters inner core. Although we couldnt safely access the most damaged sections on foot, the use of drone imagery and coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard gave us a clear picture of the conditions, Patterson said. That rapid assessment helped us move quickly to secure funding and begin targeted repairs, ensuring we stayed ahead of any further deterioration. NavFac Marianas said the design team used specialized software to analyze drone imagery and measure each armor stones size and weight, allowing for the accurate selection of stones that could be relocated using equipment already available on the island. The long-term design includes the use of large interlocking concrete armor units, each weighing approximately 42 tons. These will be transported by barge and trailer and placed from the center of the breakwater outward in both directions to enhance stability against wave action. The biggest challenge will be setting the toe of the structure underwater, Patterson added. It requires advanced technology, precision crane work, and a little cooperation from Mother Nature. Once in place, the breakwater will be strong enough to handle wave events with a 25-year return period. To ensure construction safety, the contractor has deployed two nearshore buoys that provide three-day wave forecasts. Typhoon readiness plans are also in place to protect personnel and equipment during storm conditions. Design work began in October 2024, with in-water construction expected to start by August 2025 and completion scheduled for July 2029. Two baseload plants, Cabras 1 and Piti 8, are operating with limited energy output so the Guam Power Authority asked residents to conserve energy Sunday night. The repairs to these plants will be scheduled during low-demand hours. Baseload unit Piti 9 has been offline since March 30 for a three-week planned overhaul. The standby and peaking units will be online, GPA told mayors. However, the reduced baseload output increases the risk of load shedding if energy demand exceeds the energy supply. "The community is asked to conserve energy tonight. Together, we can beat the peak," GPA said. The new Ukudu power plant is undergoing its months-long testing as part of the plant commissioning process. Ukudu was able to assist with peak energy demand last week. It will continue to contribute energy to the grid during the scheduled testing periods, GPA said. "Until Ukudu's official commissioning this September, we remain vulnerable to load shedding," GPA added. Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' humanities councils have lost their grant funding as part of ongoing federal cuts and both could close as a result. Humanities Guahan and the Northern Marianas Humanities Council have lost all their active grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Both councils are now asking for residents to show their support by reaching out to federal and local leaders to help get the funding reinstated. Humanities Guahan and the other 55 state and jurisdictional humanities councils were officially notified on April 2 that all active grants have been canceled, effective retroactively to April 1, the organization said. This abrupt action, directed by the federal Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, includes the complete rescission of five-year general operating support grants and other program-specific awards, Humanities Guahan said. The consequences for Guam and the broader Micronesian region will be significant, the organization said. "The cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities are a major loss for Guam and the wider region, CJ Ochoco, executive director of Humanities Guahan, said in a statement. Ochoco said NEH funding has supported projects that document Guam's history, share its stories, and engage the community in meaningful dialogue. "Without this support, critical initiativeslike preserving CHamoru language, exploring Guams complex history, and fostering public conversations about our futurewill be at risk," he said. "These cuts dont just impact institutions; they impact our ability to tell and preserve the stories that matter to our island. Ochoco, speaking with the Pacific Daily News, said they were expecting about $500,000 in funding for general operating support. Thats the one that keeps us afloat, Ochoco said. Another $200,000 from a Pacific Islands Cultural Initiative grant was lost, Ochoco said. The funding was given so that the humanities councils in the Pacific, including in Hawaii, Guam, CNMI and American Samoa, got the support they needed as they are often overlooked, she said. It was a three-year grant and Humanities Guahan just finished year one of the grant, she said. Its just really devastating that now all of us have lost this grant that was bringing us closer together as Pacific Islands, Ochoco said. She said because of the pandemic, the organizations fundraisers slowed down and shes just completing her first full year as executive director so she has been focused on understanding the role. We were getting ready to gear up for some fundraisers and donor campaigns, she said. As of now, Humanities Guahan is almost 100% funded by federal grants, Ochoco said. They do have some corporate support, which they are grateful for, but theres just not enough funding to go around for all the nonprofits, she said. She said Humanities Guahan is also a granting agency through NEH, and gives thousands of dollars in grants to organizations in the community, which will also be impacted with the cuts. It definitely represents a loss, not just for ourselves, but for all the humanities and cultural work in the community, Ochoco said. She said they will do what they can to keep their doors open for as long as possible. They hope the cuts will be reversed, but for now are acting as if it will not change. Were actually having to gear up to sunset most of our programming, Ochoco said. After May, they dont know how much of the staff they will be able to keep full time, she added. Founded in 1991, Humanities Guahan has been serving Guams communities for over 30 years. Humanities Guahan said it depends on NEH support to operate vital programs that uplift community voices, build intergenerational connections, and bring accessible humanities experiences to island residents. These include family literacy projects, youth engagement, elder storytelling, educator workshops, cultural preservation initiatives, and regional partnerships that amplify CHamoru and Micronesian perspectives, Humanities Guahan said. Humanities Guahan is calling on the island community to stand in support of the humanities. Residents are encouraged to contact Guams congressional delegate, engage local senators and leaders, and share the news on social media and public forums, Humanities Guahan said. Spreading the word helps raise awareness and build solidarity around the urgent need to protect and sustain the humanities in Guam and beyond, the organization said. Anyone interested in helping Humanities Guahan continue its mission despite the loss of federal funding can consider making a donation. Residents can email info@humanitiesguahan.org to contribute or learn more about how they can support Humanities Guahan. Those wanting to take action and support Humanities Guahans mission can follow the organization on Instagram @humanitiesguahan to stay updated, share resources, and amplify their message. To learn more about past work and ongoing impact in the community, visit www.humanitiesguahan.org. CNMI cuts The Northern Marianas Humanities Council may have to close shop after the NEH terminated all its grants. As much as this news is difficult to share, our community must be made aware of the immediate threat to our work and the public humanities across the U.S. Yesterday, I received a series of emails from acting chair Michael McDonald of the National Endowment for the Humanities notifying us that the agency had terminated all grants awarded to the Northern Marianas Humanities Council in their entirety, effective April 2, 2025, said council executive director Leo Pangelinan. NEH grants awarded to the council account for approximately 93% of its annual operations and programmatic expenses. It currently receives no funding from the CNMI government and cash donations from supporters amount to 5% of its total revenues. Pangelinan said the council has been an independent affiliate of NEH for over 33 years, working in partnership with the agency to provide vital programs and activities that advance the humanities in the Commonwealth. In addition to the public-facing humanities projects we have conducted since 1991, we have awarded a total of $1,412,493 in the form of subgrants to individuals and groups, providing critical funding support for 222 humanities projects in the CNMI, he said. Without the NEH grants, the council may have no choice but to cease operations. Needless to say, the loss of NEH funding will severely diminish our ability to continue serving our Commonwealth, eliminating programs essential to our cultural infrastructure," he said. Among the programs the CNMI stand to lose if the council folds are the following: Support for literacy, local authorship, and scholarship in the humanities like the annual Sengebau Poetry Competition; Vital support for CNMI-wide K-12 teachers and students, including our plans to offer adult conversational Chamorro and Carolinian courses for parents of students in CNMI PSSs Chamorro Carolinian Language and Heritage courses; Projects that document, preserve, and promote CNMI history and cultural heritage much of which is held in its digital archive; Activities that support civic engagement and foster critical thinking and dialogue on topics and issues important to CNMI citizens as reflected in its Marianas Values research project; Programs that promote awareness and understanding of the experiences and perspectives of the CNMIs diverse community, and made available in various media formats like our weekly Your Humanities Half-hour Show; and The Community Grant Program which provides CNMI citizens and local nonprofits with the agency and funding support to implement public humanities projects to address our community needs. Moreover, Pangelinan said the council works on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, and supports regional concerns through the Pacific Islands Humanities Network. He suggests the following to help save the council: Contact their elected officials in the U.S. Congress. For residents of the CNMI, contact Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds and express their concern for the future of public humanities programs and share stories or experiences they may have that speaks to the impact of the Council and programs. Share this message with family and friends. Write a letter or op-ed to the Marianas Variety News & Views. Like and share its social media messages. Make a cash donation today to protect the humanities in the Marianas. More than ever, your voice and action for the humanities is so important. Thank you for your support and courage to stand with us in this fight to protect the vitality of our cultural heritage and the work we do together to navigate and explore the human experience, said Pangelinan. In a demonstration of unity among the U.S. territories, the Judiciary of Guam joined top elected leaders of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for a joint Law Month resolution-proclamation ceremony on April 3. In line with this years theme, The Constitutions Promise: Out of Many, One, leaders from the territories spoke about the importance of inclusion, fairness, and working together to strengthen democracy. Law Month is a time to reflect on the principles that hold us together as a nationand on the work still ahead to make those principles real for all, Supreme Court of Guam Chief Justice Robert Torres said. Torres said across the country, and particularly in the territories, inequalities persistin access to federal resources, in political representation, and in the full application of constitutional protections. But while we may not be states, Torres added, we are very much part of the American story. The event, held at the Guam Judicial Center and streamed live to remote participants, marked a rare and significant Law Month collaboration across jurisdictions and branches of government. Our respective jurisdictions are separated by water and our colonial past, but we are united by our duties and responsibilities as members of the American political familyand our shared commitment to upholding the rule of law across our island nations, CNMI Supreme Court Chief Justice Castro said. We are here to reaffirm our collective commitment to democracy. The heads of all three branches of government from both Guam and the CNMI were among the dignitaries who delivered remarks. These included Guam Gov. Lou A. Leon Guerrero, Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio, Speaker Frank F. Blas Jr. of the 38th Guam Legislature, CNMI Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, CNMI Senate President Dennis C. Mendiola, CNMI House Speaker Edmund Villagomez, and the chief justices of the Guam and CNMI Supreme Courts. Students from Guams Agueda Johnston Middle School read the proclamation declaring Law Month 2025. Both jurisdictions then collectively signed their resolutions and proclamations. Guams Law Month will feature a variety of public events hosted by the Judiciary of Guam, the U.S. District Court of Guam, and the Guam Bar Association. These include fairy tale mock trial plays by Guams elementary and middle schools, outreach oral arguments, essay and art contests, and other community activities designed to engage the public and promote civic education. These events reflect not only the power of participation, but also the belief that everyone, regardless of status or geography, has a stake in justice, Torres added. The newest members of the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency executive leadership were recognized during a promotion ceremony on Thursday at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governors Complex. Col. Franklin Gutierrez and Col. Barbara Tayama were elevated to the position of assistant chief of customs, according to a release from the agency. Gutierrez has dedicated 30 years to the agency, while Tayama has dedicated nearly 28 years. In addition to Gutierrezs experience in airport, maritime, and special enforcement operations and supervision, he has been crucial to the agencys interdictions as a drug detector dog handler, and a deputized task force officer with federal counterparts combating drug smuggling, organized crime, and illegal migrants. He developed and implemented CQAs mobile X-ray unit and holds certificates in helicopter insertion and extraction, intelligence surveillance, ion mobility spectrometry, evidence collection, and other critical interdiction skills. Tayama has served at all ports of entry throughout her career. She was a legacy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement task force officer, has taken the helm as the operations officer for the Inspection and Control, Special Enforcement, and Logistics and Support divisions, and supervised the Property and Evidence Custodial Office and Contraband Enforcement Team. She was the first from CQA to graduate the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy, and retired from the Guam Air National Guard as a master sergeant after nearly 27 years of military service. During the ceremony, CQA Director Ike Peredo underscored the pivotal roles Gutierrez and Tayama will have in shaping the future of the agency amid ongoing efforts toward modernization and advancement. The responsibilities of leading our core divisions have evolved beyond traditional methods. The customs landscape is rapidly changing, and with it, so must our strategies, tools, and processes, said Peredo. During the ceremony, the officers new ranks were secured to their uniforms. CQA leadership presented their official certificates of promotion. They also received certificates from the Office of the Governor of Guam, the 38th Guam Legislature, and Del. James Moylan. The leaders we honor today will be a driving force behind this transformation. We look to them to guide us through these exciting challenges, ensuring we are not only meeting the needs of the present, but anticipating the demands of tomorrow, he said. The agencys last set of assistant chief promotions was nearly eight years ago. Besides recognizing Pacific Federal Management Inc. owner and president Robert Salas II as the 2025 Small Business Person of the Year for Guam, the U.S. Small Business Administrations Guam Branch Office is also celebrating five other local honorees. Salas was nominated by Kieron Ward, First Hawaiian Bank Guam vice president and team leader. Salass PFM began its journey in 2017 with a primary focus on residential landscaping and tree trimming with 19 employees. The company has since experienced significant growth, expanding to 180 employees by the end of 2021. As early as March this year, PFM already issued a press release about Salas winning the coveted SBA award. Salas is in the running for the National Small Business Person of the Year and national runner-up, on May 5, at the National Small Business Week kick-off and awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. SBA Guam, in a release last week, also recognized five Guam honorees: 1. Veteran-Owned Business of the Year: Joseph Harrington Matanane Brown, Set Point Solutions, self-nominated. 2. Veteran-Owned Business Champion of the Year: Gary A. Tanaka and Joseph C. Connelley, The Coconut Company, nominated by Bank of Guam senior vice president/chief experience officer Lesley-Anne Leon Guerrero. 3. Women-Owned Business of the Year: Glendalyn Carolino, Polyphase System Inc., nominated by Coast360 FCU Guam business credit officer Daniel Olchondra. 4. Women-Owned Business Champion of the Year: Clare Baza Calvo, Judy Christine Rosario, Lillian Llaneta Reyes, and Jesrae Moylan, Love and Light LLC dba Synergy Studios, nominated by Bank of Guams SVP/CPO Lesley-Anne Leon Guerrero. 5. Home-Based Business of the Year: Austin Grant, Grey by Grant, nominated also by Bank of Guams Lesley-Anne Leon Guerrero. The SBA Guam Branch Office is also preparing for National Small Business Week, set for May 4 to 10. Along with awards ceremonies, the week will include a national small business roadshow with SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, a two-day virtual summit, community events and educational sessions about manufacturing, digital marketing, cybersecurity and cryptocurrency, as well as online business resources and renowned speakers. Details on National Small Business Week, the virtual summit, registrations and speakers are featured on www.sba.gov/NSBW and will be updated as additional information and activities are confirmed. Just several days ago, the Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth, visited Andersen Air Force Base. Apparently, Hegseth did not set foot outside a military base. Hegseth certainly confirmed Guams role as the Tip of the Spear by stating to the ordered assembled airmen at Andersen Air Force Base that he was talking to the warfighters that are prepared to fight an inevitable war. His belligerent comments are certainly disturbing since he was apparently posturing that the United States is advocating war with China. These statements are common in the playbook of rulers in charge of a failing country. War is a great distraction to the increasing problems they have brought onto the people. Just wave the flag and issue a few self-serving patriotic statements. Of course, we have known for two decades now that Guam is the first part of the United States that would receive a military attack from China. Somehow the secretary did not dwell on the cold hard truth that Guam is not prepared with any civil defense for the residents of the island. This perspective is from the man that just recently abolished the Office of Net Assessment from the Department of Defense. This office was tasked to provide objective (read that as not political), long-term analysis of risks to our nations future security and efforts that should be made to defend the country. Apparently, the political persuasions of the moment trump any logical and rational conclusions. Secretary Hegseth immediately prior to employment was with Fox News as a contributor and host from 2017 to 2024. Fox is hardly an organization known for objective news reporting (more like propaganda) and certainly does not provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to manage our most demanding and comprehensive agency, the Department of Defense. Then most recently, Hegseth was a party to a classified chat that included an unauthorized press individual as they discussed an ongoing airstrike on Yemen. This hardly improves his image and that of his organization toward guarding the nations military secrets and personnel. What is the Trump administration doing to further the cause of peace in the Western Pacific? Apparently, nothing, from the lack of any news coverage on the subject of peace efforts in the region. One media outlet actually stated that the next Pearl Harbor of the United States will be Guam. Certainly, reckless President Trumps slapping a tariff on China is not a peaceful gesture. Will Secretary Hegseth be at the command post at Nimitz Hill when the war starts? Of course, not. He will be safely hunkered down in a secure bunker at an undisclosed location in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern U.S. when the missiles strike Guam that is devoid of any preparations such as shelters for the people of our island. The reality of war coming to Guam will be casualties, both military and civilians, on our island. With uncertainty prevailing, this column aims to share tidbits of Guams success. Our latest challenge with Eric is his gluten-intolerance. Finding gluten-free products is tough. When St. Patricks Day was on the horizon and knowing the expected treats were not allowed, finding a bakery with gluten-free treats was prayed for. Prayers delivered! At Gourmet Guam, Rena Diegos team is happy to help. Bernice, Shayla, Marlene, Keisha and Isabel patiently listened, returned calls, answered questions. When I stopped in to check the size of the cake, Mark remembered me from our DOE days as he was a part of our team at AJMS. His smile was refreshing, and he was thankful for serving our students. The cake was superb and the cookies amazing. Thank you, Gourmet Guam including those not named, for going the extra mile. God Bless you! I closed my eyes when the low tire pressure icon flashed. I pulled into the Tamuning Shell. Eric greeted me. When I said I should know how to do the tire pressure thing, he easily replied, Thats why were here. At Oka Shell, Albert cleans my windshield like its his truck. At East Agana Shell, Ray persisted until the tire pressure nozzle cooperated. At Route 8 Shell, Joe shared they wondered if I left the island as my schedule changes my route at times. He and Theresa always greet their customers with smiles. Respectful, efficient, clean Shells customer service shines. When Eric announced there was no internet, I took a deep breath. It was 4 on a Friday afternoon, making for a very long weekend if Eric did not have internet. Once again, I connected with GTAs Buki who walked me through the steps of calling GTA and starting the process. And, once again, Buki saved us. I told him hes not allowed to retire. Throughout the weekend, Eric repeated, Thank you, technician Buki! Whew! Continuously, Pacific Refrigerations Pete Gervacio delivers service. He responds to text messages and solves problems. When he shared the brilliance of his 7-year-old grandson, Christian, of building complex Lego, I was not surprised at all. The Guam genius reverberates in the hard-working, successful, loving Gervacio family. Remember the Hallmark days where cards and meaningful gifts could be found? Today, you can find similar items at Faith Bookstore on Marine Corps Drive in Tamuning. Owner Ahyen Madrid does an outstanding job at gracing shelves with thoughtful gifts, cards, cups, books, notebooks and wall hangings. There is a beautiful assortment of Guam products childrens books, t-shirts, bags, graduation shawls, art and kitchen items. And theres plenty of parking spaces. The atmosphere is peaceful and inviting a slice of serenity to be enjoyed! You walk in hopeful, and you leave smiling. I nodded as I read how BankPacific president Phil Flores is helping the Guam Homeless Coalition. Live a better life, not just for yourselves but for everybody. Securing a loan and handing it over to Aja Ramos, chair of the Guam Homeless Coalition, represents our faith in our younger leadership. Helping others is a Guam thing. Thank you, President Flores! For years, Ive been asking Department of Public Works Vince Arriola to take over the Sharks rebuild. So, when the article appeared that over 10 companies participated in the preconference meeting and then walked the property, I cheered. This has taken over 10 years not for a lack of money but for a lack of leadership. Looking for more than a contractor but an actual partner tells us were in good hands. Finally, the Simon Sanchez Sharks will reclaim their home school in about two years. Thank you, Director Arriola, for your visionary and organizational leadership. Yes! Haiti - Geneva UN : A resolution approved supports Haiti in its fight against gangs On April 4th, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland, the final day of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, a resolution was adopted urging UN Member States to strengthen their support to Haiti in combating violence perpetrated by armed gangs, which has plunged the country into chaos in recent years. The text, approved without a vote, also calls on the international community to combat the illicit sale of arms to these armed groups and emphasizes the importance of effectively combating gang violence "and its adverse impact on the realization and enjoyment of human rights by the people of Haiti" The resolution also calls on the Haitian Government to "strengthen the rule of law, including the judicial and prison systems," as well as the fight against corruption and impunity. It encourages the Haitian authorities to establishing a country office of the High Commissioner in Haiti, as suggested by the Government of Haiti during the High Commissioners visit to Haiti from 8 to 10 February 2023 Finally, the resolution renews for a period of one year the mandate of the American William O'Neill, independent human rights expert appointed by the High Commissioner for Haiti. It should be recalled that in 2024, gang violence in Haiti resulted in at least 5,626 deaths (1,000 more than in 2023), 2,213 injuries, and 1,494 kidnappings, according to data verified by the UN. Full text of the resolution in English : https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/55/24 HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Rome : Pope Francis' Surprise Exit On Sunday, April 6, 2025, at the end of Communion at the Mass presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pope Francis surprised everyone by leaving the Vatican's Santa Marta residence for a few minutes in St. Peter's Square in a wheelchair, pushed by his personal nurse. After the final blessing, the Pope, surrounded by pilgrims expressing their enthusiasm and joy with applause and numerous chants of "Viva il Papa," went to the platform where Mass was being celebrated and addressed the faithful, saying a few words, "Have a good Sunday, everyone, thank you very much", before returning to Santa Marta. PNH : Targeted attack with explosive drones in Tabarre On the evening of Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, several members of the criminal coalition "Viv Ansanm" were fatally injured in a targeted attack with explosive drones in Tabarre, near Cassandra Market. Distribution of thousands of solar lamps The World Food Programme (WFP) facilitated the delivery of 6,240 solar lamps and more than 7,000 water containers to the International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti) to protect vulnerable communities and address health needs, particularly those of displaced persons. Arrest of former MP Alfredo Antoine Jr. On Friday, April 4th, 2025, suspected of having links with armed gangs, former MP Alfredo Antoine Jr. for the Kenscoff constituency was arrested at his home in Morne-Calvaire by agents of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) on suspicion of having links with armed gangs and destroying his reputation. Budget Surplus ! The Bank of the Republic of Haiti's (BRH) first-quarter monetary policy note for 2024-2025 reveals that tax collections increased by more than 14% compared to the previous quarter (July-September 2024). At the same time, a similar trend was observed in public spending, which increased by 30.5%. However, Treasury operations resulted in a surplus as of December 31, 2024, which enabled a reimbursement of 3.6 billion gourdes from the government to the BRH. This result supports the zero monetary financing objective set out in the 2024-2025 budget. Training for Masons and Foremen This Friday, April 4, 2025, marks the end of a week of UNESCO training for 20 Haitian masons and foremen to teach them resilient construction techniques to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods, thus ensuring the safety of the population. By training them in safe and sustainable construction techniques, the knowledge and skills acquired will help reduce the risk of collapse and protect critical infrastructure, particularly schools. HL/ HaitiLibre The Trump administrations tariff policy has come under scrutiny after analysts discovered its formula mirrors outputs from AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, and Gemini. At the same time, Donald Trump continues to publicly confuse value-added tax (VAT) with tariffs, deepening what economists now describe as a fusion of populist economics and autocomplete. The formula used by Trump divides the US trade deficit with a given country by total imports from that country, halves the result, then applies a 10 percent minimum. This formula, which reads like something cobbled together during a late-night Google search, has been used to justify tariff rates as high as 34 percent on Chinese imports. When given prompts about how to reduce trade deficits, AI models responded with nearly identical logic. ChatGPT suggested tariffs proportional to the trade deficit ratio, halved, and padded with a base levelprecisely matching Trumps math, although the chatbot also warned against using such a formula outside a theoretical sandbox. Economists have called the result economically meaningless. Trump, unfazed, cited what he claimed were foreign tariffs of 67 percent in China and 39 percent in the EUfigures that dont appear on any actual tariff schedule but fit nicely with the outputs of confused AI models or late-night YouTube explainers. World Trade Organization data shows that Chinas average tariff on US goods is around 3 percent. The EU figure stands at 2.7 percent. Despite this, Trump told supporters the US was being ripped off and promised to respond with tariffs generated by something that may or may not be running on a chatbot server somewhere in San Francisco. Further complicating things, Trump has repeatedly claimed that value-added taxes in countries like Germany and France act as hidden tariffs that disadvantage US exports. They do it in the form of a VAT tax, which is about 20 percent, he said during one event, drawing enthusiastic cheers from supporters and concerned glances from economists who had to explain, again, that VAT is not a tariff. The VAT confusion is not new. Trump has long claimed that foreign VAT systems unfairly tax US goods, describing them as stealth tariffs. In reality, VAT is a consumption tax applied equally to all goods sold within a country, regardless of where they were made. In the EU, both a bottle of German shampoo and one from Ohio are slapped with the same tax at checkout. The Tax Foundation described this idea of VAT-as-tariff as complete nonsense. Kimberly Clausing, an economist at UCLA, said the confusion ignores basic tax design and international trade rules. VATs also include rebate systems, meaning domestic producers recover the tax when exporting. Tariffs, on the other hand, are a permanent charge on imports. The VAT misunderstanding appears more tactical than accidental. By presenting VAT as an unfair advantage, Trump frames his own tariffs as fair retaliationeven if the justification makes as much sense as using a restaurant tip calculator to write fiscal policy. Economists noted that combining trade deficits, a rough percentage halving, and a random baseline figure might be fine for a chatbot trying to pass an economics midterm. For real trade negotiations, its less ideal. Paul Krugman summed it up as chatbot cosplay with global consequences. Despite the confusion, Trumps reciprocal tariff message has resonated with supporters. It avoids the complexity of real trade dynamics and frames foreign taxation as theft from American wallets. In this version of trade policy, foreign governments invent hidden taxes, America retaliates with chatbot math, and everyone cheers. The administration has declined to say whether AI tools were consulted in creating the tariff formula. Several AI platforms tested by journalists reproduced the exact figures and logic used by the former president when asked how to fix unfair trade deficits with tariffs. All of them included disclaimers warning that the approach was oversimplified, flawed, and potentially dangerous if taken literally. The convergence of Trumps trade math with AI-generated logic has raised questions among trade experts. Either the administration used an AI tool and ignored its own warnings, or they independently reached the same flawed idea through analog meansa sort of parallel evolution of economic nonsense. The White House has not released any documentation explaining how the tariff figures were developed. In the absence of transparency, analysts continue comparing Trumps numbers with AI outputs, finding eerie consistency in structure and logic. Whether the formula came from ChatGPT or a cocktail napkin remains unknown. Regardless of origin, the result is the same: mathematically unsound policies sold as common sense. If the VAT-tariff confusion is any indication, the economic compass at work in the Trump camp may have been borrowed from a malfunctioning GPS unit in a discount calculator. HT Correction: Organised by Helsinki Partners, the programme invites 10 to 15 decision-makers in deep tech to explore opportunities for expansion or collaboration in the Finnish capital. The 2025 edition begins on 18 August and runs through 5 September, with an optional extension until November. Finland has reopened its 90 Day Finn programme, targeting international innovators to participate in a business and cultural immersion experience in Helsinki. Participants are expected to be CEOs, founders or key figures in startups, scale-ups or established tech companies with an interest in entering or expanding into European markets. The programme excludes job seekers and entry-level professionals. Selected individuals gain access to the Helsinki startup ecosystem, which includes more than 2,200 companies with a combined enterprise value exceeding $31 billion. According to Helsinki Partners, the city hosts a concentration of innovation in sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainable technologies and quantum computing. Jessica Mendoza, writing for Forbes, reported that the programme combines tailored business support with cultural activities. Participants attend exclusive networking events, receive strategic consultancy, and visit companies including KONE and IQM. Activities also introduce them to Finnish culture through forest foraging, sauna experiences and language lessons. The programme is offered without an application fee. Selected participants cover travel and living expenses. Applications for the 2025 round closed on 31 March, with results expected in May following interview rounds in April. Finland ranks among the top three European countries for deep tech investment. From 2016 to 2022, 32 percent of venture capital in the country went to deep tech companies, according to the European Deep Tech Report 2023. Key institutions supporting the sector include Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre and Business Finland, which runs a 6 million accelerator grant for deep tech startups. The country is also home to the LUMI supercomputer and Silo AI, Europes largest private artificial intelligence lab. Helsinkis business environment prioritises collaboration, with flat hierarchies and public-private partnerships encouraging efficient decision-making and innovation cycles. Alumni of the programme include Singapore-based Leo Capital, which opened a European office in Helsinki after attending. The firm launched a 25 million Nordic-focused fund following its participation. Other alumni have founded new companies or formed investment relationships with Finnish startups. Helsinki is part of the Nordic network of innovation cities and ranks highly in sustainability metrics. The Global Destination Sustainability Index recognises Finland as the worlds most sustainable travel destination. The government targets carbon neutrality by 2030, making the city attractive to cleantech and environmental technology companies. Participants in past editions cite Helsinkis business transparency, access to public research infrastructure, and high quality of life as factors contributing to the citys appeal. Nearly half the working-age population in Helsinki hold university degrees, supporting the regions talent pool. The core programme offers structured engagement over three weeks, with meetings at startup campuses such as Maria 01 and sessions with policy makers, investors and local entrepreneurs. The optional extension allows deeper engagement and potential deal-making. International business leaders also maintain contact through the programmes alumni network, which includes annual reunions and virtual platforms for collaboration. According to Maija Innanen, programme lead at Helsinki Partners, the initiative helps deep tech leaders understand how Finland supports sustainable and long-term innovation. She added that the mix of strategic business support and cultural immersion enables participants to evaluate the regions fit for their European operations. Applications for the 2026 edition are expected to open in early 2026. The programme continues to position Finland as a key entry point for tech companies targeting Northern and Central Europe. Helsinki Partners expects demand to rise following increased interest in quantum and ethical AI developments. The Finnish government continues to fund science-based entrepreneurship and research commercialisation through public schemes. The programme is part of Helsinkis broader effort to compete with other European innovation centres such as Berlin, Stockholm and Amsterdam. More info and application here. HT The figure stands at 47 percent. This refers to the share of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence from someone other than an intimate partner. Sweden follows at 42 percent, with Denmark at 38 percent. The Netherlands (36 percent) and Luxembourg (34 percent) round out the top five. Finland has the highest reported rate of non-partner violence against women in the European Union, according to data from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and Eurostat. The lowest reported rates were in Bulgaria (6 percent), Poland (8 percent), and Czechia (10 percent). The data comes from an EU-wide survey conducted in 2021. The figures highlight regional disparities in reported gender-based violence. They also expose the persistent trend of high violence rates in Nordic countries despite their strong gender equality rankings. The European Institute for Gender Equality describes the phenomenon as the Nordic paradox. In Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, gender equality measures are among the most developed globally. However, all three countries consistently report high levels of gender-based violence. Researchers suggest that this trend may partly reflect a higher trust in institutions, leading to greater willingness among women to report incidents. In Finland, public discourse around domestic violence and sexual assault has grown over the past decade. Legislative changes and national campaigns have aimed to strengthen victim protections. Still, violence statistics remain high. Finland's 47 percent rate refers specifically to violence committed by non-partners. This includes strangers, colleagues, acquaintances, and family members who are not romantic partners. The data does not include intimate partner violence, which forms a separate category in EU reporting. Non-Partner Violence (EU Survey, 2021) Finland: 47% Sweden: 42% Denmark: 38% Netherlands: 36% Luxembourg: 34% Lowest: Bulgaria (6%), Poland (8%), Czechia (10%). Femicide Trends (20212022) Highest increases : Greece (+155.6% in 2021), Sweden (+120% in 2018), Slovakia (+66.7% in 2020). Absolute numbers: France (118 femicides in 2022), Italy (61), Germany (rising sexual violence cases). Sexual Violence (Rape Rates) Countries with consistently high reported rapes per 100,000 women: Sweden France Denmark Finland Austria. Figures from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) indicate that intimate partner violence also affects a significant proportion of Finnish women. According to THL, approximately one in three women in Finland has experienced physical or sexual violence in a relationship. In addition to the high rate of non-partner violence, Finland ranks among the top five EU countries in reported rape cases per 100,000 women. Sweden, France, Denmark, and Austria also report high rates. These statistics are drawn from national police data compiled by Eurostat and reflect reported incidents, not convictions. Official crime data from Statistics Finland shows that the number of reported sexual offences has increased steadily over the last ten years. In 2022, over 1,600 cases of rape were reported to police. Authorities attribute this partly to increased awareness, changes in legal definitions, and more comprehensive support services for victims. Femicide, or the killing of women due to their gender, remains a focus of EU concern. While Finland has not recorded the sharpest increases, its femicide rate remains a key metric in monitoring gender-based violence. The highest recent increases were seen in Greece (+155.6 percent in 2021), Sweden (+120 percent in 2018), and Slovakia (+66.7 percent in 2020). France recorded the highest number of femicides in the EU in 2022, with 118 cases. Italy followed with 61 cases. In Germany, sexual violence and assault rates continue to rise. In Finland, femicide is less systematically reported as a separate category. Most cases fall under homicide or aggravated assault. NGOs and women's rights organisations have called for clearer statistical tracking of gender-motivated killings. The Finnish government has adopted the Istanbul Convention, which is the Council of Europes legally binding treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. In 2023, Finland updated its criminal code to remove the requirement of violence or threat in rape cases, focusing instead on the absence of consent. Despite legal reforms, experts point to structural and cultural challenges. The Womens Line (Naislinja), a national helpline in Finland, reports high demand for its services. In 2022, the organisation received over 25,000 contact requests. Most callers reported ongoing psychological, physical, or sexual violence. Shelter services have also struggled to meet demand. In 2021, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health noted that many shelters were at full capacity. Access to emergency accommodation is limited in some regions, especially in rural areas. Data discrepancies across EU countries remain a barrier to full comparison. Definitions of violence, reporting mechanisms, and institutional responses differ widely. Underreporting remains a major issue, particularly in Eastern European countries. Cultural stigma, limited legal protections, and lack of trust in authorities reduce reporting rates in countries such as Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, collecting harmonised data remains essential for understanding the scope of gender-based violence and improving policy responses. In Finland, ongoing public discussion, improved legal frameworks, and active civil society engagement continue to shape the national response. Still, the high levels of violence, particularly outside intimate relationships, remain a persistent and urgent problem. HT Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho will visit China from 6 to 9 April at the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The official visit will include meetings in Beijing and Shanghai. Discussions will focus on FinlandChina relations, economic cooperation, and broader issues including Chinas ties with the EU and the United States, as well as Russias war in Ukraine. The Finnish delegation includes Jouni Ovaska, chair of the Transport and Communications Committee, and Saara-Sofia Siren, chair of the Employment and Equality Committee. In Beijing, the delegation will meet with Zhao, Wang Huning of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, and Liu Jianchao, minister for international relations within the Communist Party of China. In Shanghai, talks will focus on trade and investment. The delegation is expected to meet local officials including Chen Jining, party secretary of the Shanghai Communist Party Committee, and Huan Lixin, head of the citys legislative body. Finnish business leaders will also brief the delegation on market conditions and commercial activity in the region. The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Finland and China. The two countries established formal relations in 1950 and later opened embassies in Helsinki and Beijing. The anniversary will be marked during the visit. The trip follows a state visit to China by President Alexander Stubb in October. After that visit, Stubb stated that he had warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping not to trust Russian President Vladimir Putin. China has maintained a public stance of neutrality on the war in Ukraine, while continuing to hold close economic ties with Russia. Finland, a NATO member since 2023, has supported Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid. In November 2023, Finland returned two giant pandas to China. The pandas had been leased to Ahtari Zoo as part of Chinas so-called panda diplomacy, but financial concerns prompted their early return, eight years ahead of schedule. The official programme during the Speakers visit is expected to address current regional dynamics in East Asia alongside global political developments. HT Speaking at a National Coalition Party event in Turku on Saturday, Orpo said Trumps announcement had triggered significant market reactions and raised broader concerns. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the European Union must remain strong and united after US President Donald Trump announced sweeping import tariffs earlier this week. Trumps move was harsh and wide-ranging, which is why markets have reacted so strongly, Orpo said. This is his way. First he puts extreme goals on the table, and the outcome ends up being something else. Now the European Union must be strong and united. That brings us security. Orpo linked economic resilience to national defence. Without a healthy economy, there is no basis for security, he said. The tariffs risk disrupting global production chains. Orpo noted this could affect the availability of metals and critical components used in the defence industry. He repeated Finlands position on NATO, saying Europe continues to rely on the alliance for its defence, but is also assuming more responsibility. Europe is quickly taking on more responsibility for its own defence, while at the same time strengthening NATO, he said. Orpo also pointed to education, public awareness, and broad political consensus as key to Finlands national resilience. Finlands strength is supported by education, knowledge, and the will to understand what is happening around us, he said. It is important that all parliamentary parties remain committed to democratic rules. Orpo referenced recent societal pressure points. Negative phenomena on social media, information influence operations, hybrid attacks on infrastructure, and the war in Ukraine have tested the Finnish people, he said. One must truly take off their hat to Finns for how strong our resilience has been. Hybrid CoE Director Teija Tiilikainen said Russias actions in Ukraine are part of a broader geopolitical shift. Through the war in Ukraine, Russia has made its goals clear, Tiilikainen said. The aim is not only to keep Ukraine out of NATO or NATO out of Ukraine. The aim is a world order more favourable to Russia. She said Russia is pushing for a world dominated by great powers. Russia wants a system where the large powers have more rights than the small onesand where large powers are entitled to spheres of influence, she said. Russia is seeking this kind of order. It has shown its cards through the war. Even if the war ends, this goal remains. There is a long road to mutual trust. Foreign Ministry Ambassador for Technology Stefan Lindstrom said technology has become a major tool of global political influence. He cited the growth of social media, large infrastructure projects, rising volumes of data, and artificial intelligence as sources of possible manipulation. Social media creates division, which in turn creates fear. Fear is the state in which a person is most easily exploited. That is the target for those who want to manipulate, Lindstrom said. He said the global power struggle is shifting. The next quarter-century will show whether the main battle will be between the United States and China or between nation states and technology companies for influence, he said. HT According to an investigation by the food safety agency Rosselkhoznadzor, nearly 25 percent of all butter packages sold in Russia last year were fake. Authorities in Russia have reported a sharp rise in counterfeit butter and other dairy products following a year of steep price increases. The study found that instead of containing real dairy ingredients, many products included non-dairy fats, starch, soda, food additives, and microbial transglutaminase, a binding agent banned in some contexts and often referred to as meat glue. Rosselkhoznadzors nationwide inspection showed widespread food fraud in other dairy products as well. Some 16 percent of cheeses, 14 percent of cottage cheese, 13 percent of powdered milk, and 11 percent of sour cream tested were also found to be counterfeit. The fake products were purchased across Russias largest retail chains, including Diksi, Magnit, OKEY, Verny, and Svetofor. Producers were located in at least ten regions, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Saratov, and Kursk. In one case, authorities discovered that a company listed as a manufacturer in Tula Region did not physically exist at the registered address. The results follow a year in which butter prices in Russia reportedly surged by 55 percent, prompting cases of theft and driving demand for cheaper alternatives. The Moscow Times noted that the use of fake dairy ingredients is not new in Russia. In 2015, Rosselkhoznadzor reported that a quarter of all dairy products sold in the country failed to meet basic authenticity standards. That spike followed Russias ban on Western food imports after its annexation of Crimea in 2014, which disrupted supplies and created incentives for substitution. The 2024 figures show that the proportion of fraudulent dairy products rose to 13.9 percent, up from 12 percent the previous year. Consumer groups say food fraud is driven by price pressure from both shoppers and retailers. According to the National Union for Consumer Protection, shops often demand low wholesale prices, pushing producers to cut costs using cheaper, lower-quality ingredients such as vegetable fats and palm oil. Despite government systems designed to trace and label food products, enforcement remains weak. The Public Consumer Initiatives chairman, Oleg Pavlov, told Izvestia that the absence of supporting legal measures from the Ministry of Economic Development prevents the blocking of fake goods at store checkouts or during state procurement. Only one company, TMK Tverca in Tver Region, has so far faced criminal charges. Authorities fined 15 other producers, issued formal warnings to 45, and withdrew quality certification from eight firms. Duma member Sergei Lisovsky has proposed changing the law to grant Rospotrebnadzor, the national consumer protection agency, the authority to stop non-compliant food products from being sold without requiring a court decision. Under current regulations, sales can only be blocked by legal order. HT China-Cambodia joint logistics, training center officially launched Xinhua) 10:19, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- A joint logistics and training center established by the armed forces of China and Cambodia was officially inaugurated and put into operation on Saturday at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia. The center is designed to support the two militaries in conducting regional counter-terrorism, disaster prevention and mitigation, humanitarian assistance, joint training and other operations, according to a statement released by China's Ministry of National Defense. Both sides will dispatch personnel to jointly maintain the regular operation of the center, said the statement. The construction and operation of the center reflect mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia. The initiative fully complies with the domestic laws of the two countries, relevant international laws and international practices, which is not aimed at any third party, according to the statement. The establishment of the center is conducive to further strengthening practical cooperation between the two militaries and helps them to better fulfill international obligations and provide international public security products. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday embarked on a visit to Brazil to participate in the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum where he is scheduled to prese ... Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House to discuss new tariffs imposed on Israel: media Xinhua) 10:24, April 06, 2025 JERUSALEM, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported on Saturday. Citing an Israeli source, the channel stated that the two leaders are expected to discuss the 17 percent tariff the United States imposed on Israeli goods as part of Trump's so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners. Israeli news website Walla reported that Netanyahu plans to depart for the United States directly from Budapest on Sunday, following his current visit to Hungary. The White House visit, however, depends on an Israeli court granting permission to postpone the upcoming hearings in his corruption trial, according to Walla. The day before Trump's announcement, Israel had lifted all tariffs on imports from the United States, but this step did not prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on Israel. In addition to the tariff issue, the two leaders are expected to discuss the nuclear crisis with Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) Pope Francis made a surprise public appearance on Sunday as he mingled with crowds at the Vatican just two weeks after leaving hospital for a serious case of pneumonia. "A good Sunday to all. Thank you very much," the 88-year old pope said as he was pushed through Saint Peter's Square in his wheelchair after a mass dedicated to the sick. Surrounded by a mass of smartphones and cameras, and attached to nasal breathing tubes, his voice was fragile but more audible than in his last public appearance on March 23, when Francis greeted crowds before leaving the Gemelli hospital. Before that, the Argentine had not been seen since February 14. Francis is, in theory, undergoing two months of convalescence following his life-threatening health scare, with strict rest, no public activity and no contact with crowds ordered. Yet the Jesuit spent Sunday morning blessing the masses gathered on the sunny square, in an encouraging signal for his health two weeks before Christians the world over will celebrate Easter. "I was very overwhelmed to see the holy father because I did not think that his state of health would allow him to greet us," Italian doctor Dora Moncada told AFPTV, admitting to have "cried out of emotion". His eagerness to reach out to the flock, however, comes against the advice of his doctors, who have urged him to avoid meeting groups of people to limit the risk of infection. "He's doing better, that's clear, and he wants that to be seen," a Vatican source told AFP on condition of anonymity. "He's not yet well enough to deliver a message, but well enough to make a gesture... and show up," the source added. According to his doctors, Francis almost died twice during his time in hospital, the longest and most fraught in his 12 years as head of the Church. His physical state has sparked speculation that the pontiff might hang up his papal crook after the example of his predecessor Benedict XVI, who quit in 2013 citing his declining mental and physical health. A few minutes before his surprise appearance, the leader of the globe's 1.4 billion Catholics received the sacrament in St Peter's Cathedral, the Vatican said in a statement on Telegram. "We were not expecting him, until for myself I saw it on the screen -- I couldn't believe it," said Janet Muchengwa, a nurse who came from the United Kingdom. As in previous weeks, Francis did not read out the customary Angelus prayer, which was published in written form instead. "I pray for the doctors, the nurses and the healthcare workers, who are not always helped to work in adequate conditions and who are even, sometimes, victims of attacks," the pontiff wrote. "Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected." His message went on to offer a prayer for an end to the world's conflicts, mentioning in turn Ukraine, Sudan, neighbouring South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, quake-hit Myanmar and Haiti. Francis likewise prayed for the Middle East and especially Gaza, where Israel last week again launched a ground offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas. In the Palestinian territory "people are forced to live in unimaginable conditions, without shelter, without food, without drinkable water," the pope said. "Let the weapons fall silent and dialogue begin again," he added, calling for the freeing of the hostages held by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack that began the war. Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has suffered a series of health woes in recent years. The pneumonia he suffered means that Francis will require physical re-education to recover the use of his voice. He is being assisted in his recovery by healthcare workers night and day at his Vatican residence. Francis has not seen any visitors beyond his closest colleagues since his release from the Gemelli Hospital. Yet he has taken up his papal duties again, notably in editing and putting his signature to documents, according to the Holy See. He has, however, been forced to reduce his usual frenetic schedule, and the scale of his involvement in the religious events leading up to Easter -- the holiest period in the Christian calendar -- is so far unclear. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed the Trump administration took "decisive action against a network of money launderers" who were allegedly working for the Sinaloa Cartel. "By cutting off financial flows to the cartel, these sanctions will safeguard the U.S. financial system, weaken the cartel's ability to get deadly drugs into the U.S., and protect American lives," Rubio wrote in an X post shared Saturday. The Trump Administration has taken decisive action against a network of money launderers for the notorious Cartel de Sinaloa. By cutting off financial flows to the cartel, these sanctions will safeguard the U.S. financial system, weaken the cartels ability to get deadly drugs Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 5, 2025 Last week, five alleged Sinaloa Cartel money launderers were charged with multiple drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. The IRS disclosed that money laundering investigations have yielded charges against 51 defendants and forfeited more than $4.1 million as well as 1,304 kilograms of methamphetamine, 34 kilograms of heroin, 11 kilograms of cocaine and 14 kilograms of fentanyl. The Sinaloa Cartel, which is based in Mexico, is one of the most powerful and influential drug trafficking organizations in the world. It is known for its extensive operations in the production, smuggling, and distribution of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, across global markets. Originally published on Latin Times Promotional Inspiration to Help Your Restaurant Increase Easter Revenue - Image Credit Unsplash+ Easter, the first warm-weather holiday of the year, is fast approaching on April 20th this year in 2025, and if you are a restaurant, its prime time to increase Easter revenue! Studies consistently show that holiday offers drive significant growth in sales, customer spending, and brand visibility, especially for restaurants like yours. Easter presents a golden chance for chefs and restaurateurs to breathe new life into their offerings, entice new guests through the doors, and significantly boost their bottom line. Is your restaurant ready to drive holiday business? Lets take a look at consumer spending trends and some ideas you can use to inspire your own Easter promotions. How Much Are Americans Planning to Spend on Easter in 2025? Overall spending is expected to be high this year, and food is the biggest spending category for consumers around the Easter holiday. It is anticipated that a spend this year could reach $24 billion which is an increase of 6.36% compared to last year. Reasons to Promote Holidays Including Easter at Your Restaurant Attract New Customers: Capitalize on the fact that holidays like Easter consumers a way to discover new restaurants. This is your prime opportunity to make a lasting first impression! Capitalize on the fact that holidays like Easter consumers a way to discover new restaurants. This is your prime opportunity to make a lasting first impression! Foster Brand Loyalty: Promotions arent just for immediate sales. Delight shoppers with coupons and deals. Studies show that 75% are likely to stick with your brand even after the holiday ends. Promotions arent just for immediate sales. Delight shoppers with coupons and deals. Studies show that 75% are likely to stick with your brand even after the holiday ends. Achieve Revenue Targets: Holiday sales are often critical for restaurants to meet their annual financial goals. Dont let this crucial window pass you by! Holiday sales are often critical for restaurants to meet their annual financial goals. Dont let this crucial window pass you by! Boost Brand Exposure: Holiday promotions extend beyond just seasonal revenue. Theyre a powerful way to increase your brands visibility and convert seasonal guests into lifelong loyal customers. How Can Restaurants Drive Business During Easter While traditional Brunch is a popular Easter tradition at restaurants, there are many options for celebrating and promoting Easter. Easter Brunch or Dinner Special Menu: Offer a special prix fixe menu or buffet featuring Easter-themed dishes like glazed ham, roasted lamb, deviled eggs, hot cross buns, and carrot cake. Easter Egg Hunt: Organize an Easter egg hunt for kids on the restaurant premises or nearby park, with prizes and discounts for finding special eggs. Easter Baskets or Treats: Offer Easter baskets or treats, such as chocolates, candies, or baked goods, for dine-in or takeaway orders. Easter Decor: Decorate the restaurant with Easter-themed elements like bunnies, eggs, flowers, and pastel colors to create a festive atmosphere. Easter Cocktails and Beverages: Feature special Easter-themed cocktails, mocktails, or beverages like carrot-ginger mimosas or hot cross bun martinis. Easter Photo Ops: Set up a photo booth or backdrop for diners to take Easter-themed pictures with props like bunny ears or egg baskets. Easter Promotions and Discounts: Offer discounts or promotions for Easter reservations, family meals, or takeaway orders. Easter Gift Cards: Sell Easter-themed gift cards or offer bonuses for purchasing gift cards during the holiday period. Outdoor Event for Easter: If the weather allows you to have an outdoor patio, guests will love an outdoor Easter event. Easter Social Media Contests: Run social media contests or giveaways for Easter-themed prizes or discounts to engage with customers online. Easter Catering or Takeaway Options: Promote Easter catering services or takeaway options for families hosting celebrations at home. Easter Kids Activities: To entertain children during their visit, offer Easter-themed coloring books, activity sheets, or small toys. Easter Charity Initiatives: Partner with local charities or organizations for Easter-related fundraising or donation drives. 3 Examples of Promoting Restaurants for Easter 1. Bunny Buffet Prime and Provisions, a well-regarded steakhouse in the heart of Chicago, is enthusiastically inviting guests to secure their Easter brunch reservations, signaling that they have crafted a truly exceptional experience for the holiday. Saving the most visually stunning for last, the Ferris Wheel of decadent desserts promises a truly unforgettable finale to the brunch experience. Forget a simple dessert table; Prime and Provisions has elevated the sweet ending to an art form. Imagine a tiered Ferris wheel display, each compartment showcasing an array of miniature and full-sized decadent desserts. This could include rich chocolate tortes, delicate fruit tarts, creamy cheesecakes, elegant macarons, and perhaps even bite-sized versions of their signature desserts. This whimsical and impressive presentation is sure to delight guests of all ages and provide fantastic photo opportunities. 2. Added Menu Specials Davios, a renowned restaurant with established locations in vibrant cities like Boston and Atlanta, and likely others across the nation, is embracing the arrival of Spring with enticing new lunch and dinner menu selections. Egg frittata, lobster benedict, and caramel pancakes sounds like a lovely way to entice Easter guests. Not to mention the Easter Bunny! This thoughtfully curated menu seems designed to particularly appeal to guests celebrating Easter, a holiday synonymous with family gatherings and festive meals. The combination of savory and sweet options ensures theres something to please every member of the party. The casual mention of the Easter Bunny further reinforces Davios intention to create a welcoming and family-friendly atmosphere for the holiday. 3. Rooftop Easter Party Perched high above the Dallas skyline, Crown Block at Reunion Tower Restaurant is set to host a truly spectacular brunch buffet, promising an elevated dining experience with breathtaking views. This isnt just your average brunch; Crown Block is pulling out all the stops to create a memorable culinary event. Adding a touch of whimsy and fun, the inclusion of a brunch candy bar is a unique and exciting concept. This isnt your typical candy selection; envision a curated assortment of brunch-themed sweets and treats. This could include mini pastries, gourmet chocolates, fruit tarts, perhaps even homemade marshmallows or candies with breakfast-inspired flavors like maple or bacon. Its a delightful way to satisfy any sweet cravings and adds a playful, celebratory feel to the buffet. Manage Easter Large Parties, Events, and Catering Easily with Tripleseat Your customers are eager to celebrate holidays with their family and friends at your restaurant. Once youve decided which specials or promotions to offer, turn to Tripleseat to streamline the experience. Tripleseat and TripleseatDirect with Large Party Reservation empower restaurants to offer on-premise and off-premise events, large parties, and catering that clients can book directly from their website, social media platforms, or EventUp listing. Customers can simply book, plan, and pay for the event as quickly as an Easter bunny! If your restaurant isnt using TripleseatDirect yet, head on over to our TripleseatDirect page for more information or to book a demo. Heather Apse As a content writer for Tripleseat, Heather channels her industry expertise into crafting insightful, actionable resources for hospitality professionals. Her background in hospitality includes hands-on experience as a hostess, busser, and waitress during her college years and she holds a deep appreciation for the nuances of restaurant and venue event operations. When she's not immersed in research or writing, Heather is adventuring outdoors with her three energetic sons and their lively, larger-than-life dog. Connect with Heather on LinkedIn. Veteran Spotlight: Marine/Army Lt. Col. John J. Harding II EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. John J. Harding II served his country with honor and distinction from 1991 to 2018 in Marine Corps and in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He grew up in East Boston and Wilmington and graduated from Arlington Catholic High School in 1987. He would later attend Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., and graduate with his juris doctor from Mississippi School of Law. He also attended the U.S. Naval Justice School. I asked him the driving force for his wanting to enlist and he offered this: "I was well aware of the sacrifices of those who went before me ... I had to serve to honor those men and women and give back." What was basic training like? "I loved the USMC [Officer Candidate School] in Quantico, Va., after Norwich University. Loved the no-nonsense training and the espirit de corps of the United States Marine Corps." Harding's first assignment of his 28 years of service would be as a lawyer/judge advocate and would end as an infantry officer. He would spend 20 years as a Marine and eight with the Army. He would have four combat deployments two in Iraq and two in Afghanistan as well as an amazing 13 operational tours throughout the Pacific and Europe. I asked Harding if he was ever afraid and he responded with this: "I was never afraid of anything as I always prayed Psalm 91." Often called the " Soldier's Psalm ," Psalm 91 contains the verse "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day." He spoke about why he served in the Marines and Army. "The Marines have the highest standards, but the Army gave me the opportunity for a regular (or vice versa) commission and retirement so I service-transferred as a lieutenant colonel from the United States Marine Corps to the United States Army ... It was great blessing as I continued to serve in my same capacity, but received a full retirement much earlier than I would have as a reservist," he said. How were the holidays? "I always stayed close to my family and loved my service so much that being away was tolerable, somebody had to be serving and I was happy to be able to do so," he recalled. "I was blessed with great mentors in both the USMC and the ArmyCol. Matt Matter, USA, Father [Cmdr.] Dennis Rocheford, USA, and Lt. Col. David Reintjes, USMC," he said, when asked about mentors. "They were great men who guided me along the way." When asked what he would consider his greatest achievement in service, he responded with this powerful statement: "The greatest honor was returning the late Lance Cpl. Marc Lucas Tucker, USMC, who died in Iraq, to his family in Pontotoc, Miss.," he said. "I gave a speech at the town's memorial service and hopefully helped them recover from their great loss ... the family and I still stay in touch." Who was the person that he looked up to most in life? "I most look up to my faithful father who worked so tirelessly to provide for our family growing up. He remains a great source of guidance and wisdom," he said with pride. Harding shared this story: "My most memorable part of service were the years I spent as a military adviser in Afghanistan while also working as a mediator between the Taliban and our US / NATO Command and U.S. Government ... I worked with many great Afghan men, one of which I was able, with the great help of Congressman Richard Neal, to rescue out of Afghanistan (along with his family) after our withdrawal. I'm forever grateful to Congressman Neal for his dedicated assistance with rescuing that family when all other politicians failed to answer my call." Harding now practices law in Springfield. He and his wife, Min Sun Kim, have three beautiful children. Lt. Col. John Harding II, thank you for your service to our great country. Container Planting Lecture At The Adams Free Library ADAMS, Mass. The Adams Free Library will host a lecture on container planting and gardening on Tuesday, April 8th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Jennifer Munoz, who leads the Growing Healthy Garden Program in North Adams, will conduct the lecture. Munoz has led gardening workshops in the Berkshires. The event is open to the public and does not require registration. BFAIR Selected for Big Y Community Bag Program in April NORTH ADAMS, Mass.BFAIR has been selected as the beneficiary of Big Y's Community Bag Program for the month of April. During April, $1 will be donated to BFAIR for every $2.50 reusable Community Bag purchased at the Big Y located at 45 Veterans Memorial Drive, North Adams, MA. Protesters outside the Adams Free Library on Saturday afternoon. At least 150 people stood out at the library and around the Town Common in the rain as part of nationwide rallies. Adams Williamstown Pittsfield PreviousNext Berkshires Turns Out in Protest Against Trump Administration Hundreds of people were at Park Square on Saturday afternoon to protest actions by the Trump administration and expressed fears about the potential loss of civil rights and Social Security. ADAMS, Mass. A cold and rainy Saturday didn't stop hundreds of Berkshire residents from making known their feelings about recent actions by the Trump administration. At least 150 people assembled in Adams around the Town Common, with the statue of voting rights icon Susan B. Anthony in the background, and at the Adams Free Library where Civil War veterans once gathered. "Last time I was in one of these marches was in 1969 against the Vietnam War down in Boston," said Michael Wellington of Adams. In Williamstown, more than 200 people turned out to line both sides of Main Street (Route 2) in front of First Congregational Church at noon on Saturday afternoon. And hundreds gathered at Park Square in Pittsfield, with chants so loud they could be heard from the McKay Street Parking Garage. "We need peaceful protest, I think, is the only thing that is going to make a difference to certain people," said Jackie DeGiorgis of North Adams, standing across the corner from the Adams Town Common. "So I'm hoping we can get more people out here and say their peace. ... "I would like our our representatives in Congress, to do their job and listen to their constituents, because I don't think that's happening." Her friend Susan Larson King, also of North Adams, acknowledged that "government needs to be downsized, maybe." "But we need to look at the programs and how they're being run and make changes there, not just slash people from their jobs," she said. "I just retired so I'm collecting Social Security. It's my whole income. I'm really scared, and I shouldn't have to feel this way." Elaine Nash of Lanesborough was at the Pittsfield protest wondering how it all happened. "I'm saddened by it, and I don't understand how we got here, because Donald Trump has told us what he is going to do right from the beginning," she said. "I'm looking for answers why everyone chose someone like him and the co-president Elon Musk." The local protests, which also were planned in Great Barrington and Stockbridge, were part of a wave of "Hand's Off" assemblies across the nation. More than 20,000 people were expected in Washington, D.C. In Boston, 55 Berkshire County residents took a bus to join thousands of protesters on Boston Common. Originally estimated at 5,000, by Saturday organizers were expecting 25,000 people to march to City Hall Plaza to hear speakers including U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and the Dropkick Murphys. From North County south, protesters showed up with mostly handmade signs with messages targeting specific policies they say are threatening civil rights, health care, education and veterans, and bemoaning the chaos that consumed Wall Street this week after the president announced a dramatic increase in tariffs. More than 200,000 employees have already been slashed from the federal workforce, entire departments eliminated and billions in grant funding terminated. Kathy and Joseph Arabia, founders of the AYJ Fund, which supports research and families affected by child cancer, were holding signs in Adams calling for "Hand's Off Real Science." Kathy Arabia noted the hollowing out of the National Institutes of Health and canceling of grants for cancer research. "We're going to lose research, too, because the whole system is going to slow down," she said. "So the research is going to go other places. ... "Then you start thinking long term, even people going into the industry, thinking, every four years, is this gonna happen?" Adams Selectman Joseph Nowak was holding a large sign with a sarcastic "Climate change is a hoax really?" "I'm here because I've always loved the environment and it's under attack. It's getting to a point right now where we're almost too late to save it, so I'm doing what I can," said Nowak, who retired from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. "No Kings No Tyrants No Trump," stated one sign, with others ranging from "Hands Off USAID" to "Hands Off Our Health Care" to "Hands Off LGBTQ+ Rights" to "Too Many Issues for One Sign" to the more simply stated "Trump Sucks." There were American flags, upside down American flags signaling distress, and a scattering of Ukrainian blue and yellow. Protestors chanted and cheered and waved as passing vehicles blew their horns in support or offered the occasional angry shout or obscene gesture. There were no counterprotests in either town or the city. Bryan Patton's lived in Pittsfield his whole life and has been alarmed by recent events, particularly the raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. "I think I was primarily motivated [to protest] by just the compassion for the immigrants that I work with and and teach, but also work with here in the community," he said at Park Square. "Also just to be around other people who care about the basic tenets of the Constitution and that we are not descending in the monarchy. We are a democracy, and it only is that way if people stand for it." Valerie Nicole from Lee said she was hoping the protests could turn things around. "I don't like the way we're going right now," she said. "I don't like the fact he's taking away a lot of the power of the people." Sherwood Guernsey of the Berkshire Democratic Brigades, organizer of Williamstown's rally, said it was the largest such gathering he could remember in the town of 7,500 (fewer on Saturday with the college and its 2,200 students on spring break). Guernsey said the nationwide event was the vanguard of a national protest movement and likened it to the revolution born in Massachusetts and the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s. He scoffed at the notion the protests were no match for Republican control of major levers of political power: the White House, the Supreme Court, both chambers of Congress, 27 of 50 governorships, and 23 state legislatures (15 are controlled by Democrats and 11 are split and according to the National Conference of State Legislatures). State Rep. John Barrett III tells protesters in Williamstown to keep up the pressure. "I think that's just wrong, and history also says that's wrong," Guernsey said. "People's minds change, and the biggest danger we probably face is whether or not we'll have free or fair elections coming up. We will win those elections." And if restrictive voting laws, 26 Republican secretaries of state and a Supreme Court skeptical of the Voting Rights Act tip the balance? "It's a problem, we know that," Guernsey said. "But that means we're going to have more and more protests, and people will stand up. This is just the beginning. "But we got over 200 people here. I've been doing this for 30, 40 years, and I've never had a protest this large in Williamstown. And hundreds of people all across Berkshire County, thousands across the nation are out. This is gonna make a statement, and it's gonna grow." Other protesters felt the same. "I'm here because I believe that our country is in a very uncomfortable place and a very negative place, and we need to stop and recognize where we're headed and why it's not good for any of us," said protester Sue Hanson in Pittsfield. "And we need to make a statement. ... "I hope a greater awareness across the country that we will not stand for the injustices that are happening every single day." A contingent from New Lebanon, N.Y., traveled to Pittsfield to protest. "I certainly hope that our representatives in Congress and the Senate will wake up to the fact that they have a significant base of support for refuting the ridiculous policies and procedures that our president is pursuing," said Kris Cottam, president of the New Lebanon (N.Y.) Town Democratic Committee. Peg Munves, another committee member, said she hopes people driving by and participating feel empowered. "Many people are feeling powerless, and these kinds of things show that we're all many of us like do not like what's going on and we can do things to change it," she said. Paul Borst said he's "just sick and tired of all the stupidity that's coming out of Washington, D.C." State Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, who grew up in Williamstown and has been a major figure in North County politics for four decades, agreed that Saturday's was the largest gathering he had seen in the Village Beautiful. The crowds that lined Main Street migrated to the lawn in front of the church to hear Barrett speak on the steps. Barrett told the group that the people can lead the politicians if they turn out in force. "Like [Sen. Charles] Grassley is out in Iowa, fighting for his farmers like he should have been fighting before instead of fighting for Trump," Barrett said. "Fighting all over this country. Change is coming, and it's because of people like you. Don't stop what you're doing. It will make a difference, and I guarantee you, it will bring those weak politicians right to their knees. "Keep it up." Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sally Phillips has shared a bizarre anecdote from the first time she came face to face with Hugh Grant. The Bridget Jones star, 54, who plays cursing journalist Shazzer in the films based on Helen Fieldings novels, had a small role in Richard Curtis Notting Hill, which was ultimately cut. Phillips was set to appear alongside Grant, who played the films lead character, but was so taken aback by seeing him in real life that she let out a yell when she first laid eyes on him. Speaking on author Caroline O'Donoghues Sentimental Garbage podcast, Phillips said: I was walking down to set, and I turned around and the third [assistant director] said, Have you met Hugh? And I turned and there was Hugh Grant and I screamed. I accidentally screamed. To this day I dont know why, but I think it was something to do with size? That he was smaller. That was a really bad start to my relationship with him, she joked. Elsewhere in the interview, Phillips recalled how shed struggled to make conversation with Grant and Colin Firth on the set of Bridget Jones the following year. open image in gallery Sally Phillips (right) with co-stars Jamies Callis, Shirley Henderson and Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary ( Miramax/Alamy/PA ) Id try and talk to them like a grown-up, she said of the actors. I remember one time Colin saying, Oh you can come have lunch in my trailer if you like, and going into his trailer and just being so awkward. Hes trying to talk to me about London theatre. He doesnt know that Im not a proper actress and Ive never done any theatre really, Phillips recalled. Im going, Yes, the [Royal Shakespeare Company] Id never been Really interesting. I practically tripped going down the stairs on the way out, she continued. And then I could just hear this screaming laughter from the others. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Phillips also addressed a rumour that shed done something on the set of the Bridget Jones sequel Edge of Reason that caused Grant not to speak to her for two years. open image in gallery Hugh Grant and Zellweger in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason ( Allstar/Miramax ) Well, lets be honest, our paths dont cross much, so its easy not to speak to me for two years, she quipped, explaining that she got really drunk and lost her flip flops in the sea while filming in Thailand. And I was indiscreet, and that was the line that the moment that [Grant] felt I was no longer a safe person to spend time with, Phillips admitted. Thats completely understandable, she said. Weve spoken about it now and its all fine. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice At the age of 25, Patrick Bringley realised he no longer had the appetite for his glitzy job on the events team at The New Yorker. It was 2008, and hed just lived through the death of his 26-year-old brother, Tom, from cancer. I had lost someone, I did not wish to move on from that, Bringley writes in his memoir, All the Beauty in the World. In a sense, I didnt wish to move at all. He found a job that fitted his state of mind, as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Ten long years passed, with Bringley standing watch as visitors moved through the vast museum, marvelling at its treasures. Now, Bringley is preparing to tread the boards at the off-Broadway DR2 Theatre for the opening night of his one-man show based on his bestselling memoir. I can rekindle these feelings when Im on stage, he tells me. Were standing in the atrium outside the museums American wing, bathed in light from the glass ceiling. Facing us is the grand, 19th-century facade of a Wall Street bank. They tore it down in the 1910s, Bringley, now 41, tells me matter-of-factly. The Met said, Well take it! Since the publication of his book in 2023, the writer, who has an undergraduate degree from New York University and a masters in history from nearby Hunter College, has led private tours at the Met, which he says are lucrative. Now, Bringley is bringing his memoir to life on stage with the help of Dominic Dromgoole, former artistic director of Shakespeares Globe in London. There seemed something so natural to me about doing a one-man show about a lonesome figure like a guard, says Bringley. It just makes a certain cosmic sense. At first glance, Bringley looks gentle and unassuming. Hes dressed for our meeting in jeans and a slouchy blazer. His wispy blond hair is somewhere between neat and unkempt respectable. When he speaks, however, Bringley has the mesmerising air of a man whos found enlightenment. What was extraordinary about coming to this place, and my job, is that I was forced to step outside the normal flow of life. And when you do that, you realise that you can start thinking with an incredible freedom, he tells me, because youre not just forced to funnel your thoughts down into some actionable little piece of intelligence thats going to forward your career, or impress the guy sitting next to you. Instead, I can think grandiose thoughts, or foolish thoughts, or experimental thoughts. You can stop and think, What the hell is this existence? The sort of things a philosopher would think, or a Buddhist monk would think. And here, you have so many things to ping that off against, he adds, casting a hand around at the Mets innumerable masterpieces. And I found it to be the only way to really perceive the true beauty, and mystery, and majesty, and strangeness of this existence. open image in gallery Not too close, Sir: Patrick Bringley back on guard at the Met ( Ariana Baio/The Independent ) Days later, Im speaking to Dromgoole about his earnest new apprentice. Hes got a good, bright spirit, he tells me. You just think, God, thats somebody who has worked out how to walk well through the world. The pair met at the Charleston Literary Festival in 2023, bonding over their mutual love of Shakespeare before Bringley gave a presentation on his book. Dromgoole was instantly impressed. Hes got a very seemingly guileless way of looking quite Aw, shucks, and quite innocent, and then taking you through to places you dont expect to go to, that are quite rich and quite profound. Across 80 minutes on stage, Bringley will portray himself, fellow guards, museum visitors, and even his late brother. I spent about three hours a day for 10 weeks just running lines, he says of memorising the gargantuan script. He did so while taking walks around Central Park or riding one of New Yorks many public ferries, listening to himself in his headphones playing, pausing, remembering. The irony of going from a stoic watchman to an orator is not lost on him. I used to be very, very quiet for a living. Now I just talk, like, half a million words every day. open image in gallery Bringley found solace in the Mets innumerable masterpieces while grieving the loss of his older brother ( Ariana Baio/The Independent ) Over several months of rehearsals, Dromgoole taught Bringley how to translate his prose for a live audience. Sometimes, his advice was broad. Every thought that youre speaking, youre having for the first time, Dromgoole told him. It has to pop, it cant be monotone. Other times, the director homed in on specific lines, telling Bringley to deliver them with more violence or less piety. Sometimes he reaches for cosmic statements, Dromgoole says of Bringleys writing, and sometimes that works, but that always has to be fed by a bedrock of specificity, and banality, and plain and boring details. In particular, the director was keen to include more details about life as a guard to balance Bringleys more philosophical musings. For instance, Met guards walk so far each day that theyre paid a hose allowance of $80 (62) a year for socks. In one chapter of his book, Bringley recalls being told by a wizened older colleague that 12 hours standing on wood floors is like eight hours on marble. As well as the big questions about art and life, you want it to have just information about procedure, says Dromgoole. Its lovely in that it does open up those big questions, but you just have to get the balance right. open image in gallery Its your job as an actor, when you are actually performing it, to relive the things that youre talking about, says Bringley ( Ariana Baio/The Independent ) During the play, Bringley will once again don his old dark-blue suit the uniform of the Met guards. He was adamant that his former colleagues should be among the first to see his play, and for free. However, when he put it to the producers, they suggested a meagre discount. Ten per cent, he says, incredulous. I was like, You cannot offer these people a 10 per cent discount. Luckily, someone had the idea of inviting them to the dress rehearsal, which is happening the day after our conversation. When I speak to Dromgoole afterwards, he describes the night as terrific. Because everything he said about them in the book is true... They were a truly, astonishingly, genuinely various group of people. Seeing them all in a room, he said, Youd never guess what the connection was. Of course, revisiting his memoir has meant Bringley inhabiting a younger version of himself one that is still grieving. Has it been an emotional process, living in those shoes again? It has, he says, pausing thoughtfully. Its your job as an actor, when you are actually performing it, to relive the things that youre talking about and some of the things are painful, and some of the things are beautiful. Its all in the pursuit of making a human connection. Hes hoping people will leave the theatre feeling like they really experienced something, not just a man giving an art history lecture. Even the parts that are about being a museum guard, thats all true of anyone who walks into a museum and spends a few hours in solitude, or out in the woods, he says. That is something that feels numinous, that feels beyond words, that feels somehow more elemental. And Im trying to kindle that feeling on stage. All the Beauty in the World opens 7 April at DR2 Theatre; tickets and information here Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Saturday Night Lives James Austin Johnson took to the stage as President Donald Trump, promising to Make America Great Depression Again in a spoof of the presidents Liberation Day announcement in which he detailed his widespread tariffs. Thank you all for coming out to hear about tariffs. My favorite word, tariff, which, of course, is short for a-terrific-idea, said Trump, calling the tax on Americans the backbone of my incredible plan for our economy. It's actually even better than a plan, because it's a series of random numbers, like the numbers on the computer screen in Severance, he added. You have no idea what the hell they mean, but I know what the numbers mean They mean we're gonna make America wealthy again. You know you're gonna check your stock portfolio in a couple days and think I'm almost too wealthy. But before all that, the president said, Were going to do MAGDA Make America Great Depression Again It'll be better than great. It'll be a fantastic, unbelievable depression, the likes of which have never been seen before. Johnson, as Trump, called back to the campaign in the fall when the president, then a candidate for office, spread the conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were stealing and eating peoples pets. You know, the depression is going to be so great. We'll be the ones eating the cats and the dogs. That's going to be fun, he said. As he announced widespread tariffs on Wednesday, the actual Trump claimed that the Great Depression would never have happened had the U.S. stuck to its tariff policy even though experts say the tariffs worsened the economy at the time. Trump indicated trouble began after the income tax was launched in 1913. Before that, the U.S. relied on tariffs. From 1789 to 1913, we were a tariff-backed nation, and the United States was proportionately the wealthiest it has ever been, the president argued. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. The U.S. was collecting so much money, so fast, we didnt know what to do with it, claimed Trump. Then, in 1913, for reasons unknown to mankind, they established the income tax so citizens, rather than foreign countries, would start paying the money necessary to run our government, he said. Tariffs imposed on foreign goods arent paid by foreign nations as Trump often falsely claims. U.S. tariffs imposed on imported goods are paid to the American government by companies in the U.S. importing the goods. Much, if not all, of that extra cost is passed onto consumers in the form of higher purchase prices. Trump claimed Wednesday that the good times in the U.S. all came to a very abrupt end with the Great Depression in 1929. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 raised tariffs on thousands of goods and is widely seen as exacerbating the economic downward spiral. Smoot-Hawley remains a watchword for the perils of protectionism, notes the State Departments Office of the Historian. Smoot-Hawley did nothing to foster cooperation among nations in either the economic or political realm during a perilous era in international relations, the site states. It quickly became a symbol of the beggar-thy-neighbor policies of the 1930s. Such policies, which were adopted by many countries during this time, contributed to a drastic contraction of international trade. The act is viewed as having worsened the economic decline, which lasted between 1929 and 1939, as it undermined international trade and drastically reduced the nations income from products. On Saturday night, SNL moved on to mocking Trumps massive board on which the tariffs were laid out. James Austin Johnson portrayed Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, mocking his massive board laying out his new tariffs ( NBC / Saturday Night Live ) We listed the countries in an order that's neither alphabetical nor numerical for maximum confusion, said the president. The tariffs will be reciprocal. We love the word reciprocal, unless it's in the bedroom, right fellas? You want me to do what? Yeah, the guys know what I'm talking about. We need to send a message to countries who have been ripping us off, like South Africa. South Africa puts a 60 percent tariff on everything we send them, and they've never even sent us one good thing, said Trump, prompting the appearance of Mike Myers as Elon Musk the South African-born head of DOGE lamenting the protests against Tesla. We're introducing the new Tesla Model V, the first electric car in history to be fully self-vandalizing, with features like self-smashing headlights, self-slashing tires, and AI-powered graffiti, said Musk. You can choose from penises or swastikas or my favorite swastikas made out of penises. Wow. Swastikas made of penises we are truly the party of Lincoln, Trump responded. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Finn Wolfhard has revealed the one thing he would do differently amid his Stranger Things rise to fame and it says a lot about his experience of Hollywood. Born in 2002, Wolfhard was 13 years old in the first season of Netflix sci-fi hit series, which was released in July 2016. His role as Mike Wheeler made Wolfhard an overnight star, along with his fellow child actors including Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, and later Sadie Sink. Now 22 years old, Wolfhard has reflected on the sudden change to his life and named the one thing he would do differently in those early years. Speaking to People magazine, the actor said: I don't think I'd ever go back and do something over, but maybe I would go back to when the show first came out and blew up, and I would directly put myself into therapy. On why he didnt enter therapy at the time, Wolfhard explained: It was so crazy and overnight that there was not really any time to think about that. That said, he added: I would end up probably making a mistake in a different way anyways. I think childhood, and life in general, is about trial and error. This is not the first time that Wolfhard and his Stranger Things co-stars have spoken about their struggle with overnight fame. open image in gallery Media-Streaming ( 2022 Netflix, Inc. ) Speaking in 2023 to GQ, Wolfhard who is also a musician said that his crazy whirlwind career affected his mental health, stating that it caused him to have routine panic attacks. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Everyone was like, Look at him, hes fine. Hes having the best time, the It star said. But in reality, I was probably also developing, and things were happening in my brain, and anxieties were forming, and [there were] things that I didnt realise that I had to bury because of how I had to feel at work. Bobby Brown, who plays Wolfhards love interest Eleven in the Eighties-set series, has also spoken out regularly about the challenges of growing up under the public eye. open image in gallery Wolfhard has played Mike Wheeler for three seasons now, with a fourth one in the works Both actors will star in the fifth and final season of the hit show, which wrapped production in December last year and is expected to be released on Netflix sometime this year. Wolfhard told Variety that his last day on the Stranger Things set was incredibly emotional, obviously. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The White Lotus executive producer David Bernad has revealed that fake scripts containing six different finales were distributed during production to ensure the real ending wouldnt leak. The final episode of season three of Mike Whites hit social satire airs this Sunday, with speculation rife as to how the 90-minute final installment will play out. Speaking to People, Bernad said: We have fake endings to the scripts. So we wrote up we have six different endings and we kind of distributed fake endings to people just in case someone leaked anything, and then we could say theres different fake endings. He continued: And then when we shot the ending scene, it's a locked down set. So no one really has access to what we were shooting, and there would be no non-White Lotus participants ever seeing what we're doing. Along with the ending, Bernad said there were two further key secrets that were closely guarded during production: the return of Jon Gries and the casting of Sam Rockwell. Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff and Sam Nivola as his brother Lochlan in season three of The White Lotus ( Fabio Lovino/HBO ) Bernad explained that Gries was determined not to reveal his presence ahead of time, saying: Jon was really committed to keeping the secret. When we were traveling and entered Thailand, he, one time, rode with the equipment in a bus, instead of flying the 45 minutes or whatever it was. I think he drove like, 12 hours from Phuket to Bangkok. Ahead of Sundays finale, it has still not been revealed which character or characters may end up dead and which may be killers. Seven The Independent writers have offered their own theories. Phil Harrison suggests sweet-natured security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) could turn violent: Is he going to be the hero? Or, as seems more likely, entirely lose the run of himself when things get real? Its always the quiet ones Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Annabel Nugent says troubled patriarch Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) is the most likely murderer: For seven episodes straight, the financially troubled Ratliff patriarch has been simmering like a kettle on the stove about to go off. And theres only so much lorazepam one man can take. Hes been fantasising about it all along: first, hell shoot Victoria, then Saxon and lastly himself. Jacob Stolworthy speculates that Rick (Walton Goggins) might turn to murder if he catches his girlfriend being unfaithful: How might Rick react if he returned to the resort after his abortive revenge mission to find the incest-curious American [Saxon] in his private suite? My money is on badly. Read more White Lotus theories here. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Jeremy Clarkson has called James May senile over his former co-hosts latest claims about The Grand Tour reunion. Last month, it was confirmed that Amazon would be releasing four special episodes of the fan-favourite car show, which concluded in September 2024 with a one-off special that was thought to be bring the 22-year-long partnership between Clarkson, May, and Richard Hammond to an end. The trio first worked together on BBCs Top Gear in 2002 before moving to Amazon for the Prime Video series The Grand Tour. The new episodes, titled The Not Very Grand Tour: The Power and the Glory, will be released on 18 April and will reportedly be followed by three further specials titled The Grand-ish Tour, which are expected in 2025 and 2026. Clarkson, however, will not be appearing in the forthcoming retrospective if May is to be believed, at least. Speaking to Al Arabiya News, May, 62, said that Clarkson would be absent from the special, stating: Well, Im afraid its not a reunion. The Not Very Grand Tour is essentially a best-of compilation hosted from the studio by me and Richard Hammond. Jeremy Clarkson wasn't available for some reason, but we're all in the clips. It's all things you've seen before, but chopped up in a different way. On why his co-star would be missing from the episodes, May said: We recorded it a while back. I can't remember why he couldn't be there. He was probably busy. Clarkson, 64, has since refuted Mays claims, writing on X/Twitter on Saturday (5 April): I fear the poor old dear has become senile. Because while he cant remember me being there, I can. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. The Independent has contacted Mays representatives for comment. I fear the poor old dear has become senile. Because while he cant remember me being there, I can. https://t.co/T7uC2L3ALE Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) April 5, 2025 Fans, however, will be disappointed to learn that there will be no typical Grand Tour seasons to follow. Clarkson said: To be clear, there are some best ofs coming. Zimbabwe was the last one. I have far too many cows now to go swanning off. Released in September 2024, One for the Road saw the trio embark on their final ever adventure as they travelled across Zimbabwe in the cars they had always wanted to own. Last year, it was reported that Clarkson, Hammond and May had dissolved their production company, declaring solvency and appointing a liquidator to wind up their business. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The son of a British couple detained by the Taliban has asked US officials to help facilitate their release from a prison in Afghanistan. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie Reynolds, 75, were arrested by Taliban officials on 1 February when they were returning to their home in Afghanistans Bamyan province. Their friend American citizen Faye Hall and an Afghan interpreter were also arrested but Ms Hall was released on 29 March. Jonathan Reynolds, their son, said anyone who can secure the release of his parents should do it now. "Anybody who has the ability to unlock that key and let them out, whether it be the Taliban, whether it be the British government or whether it be the American government, I would ask do it now, please, Mr Reynolds told the BBC. open image in gallery Britons held by Taliban to face court hearing despite charges remaining unclear ( Family handout/ The Independent ) "And if you have the ability to put the pressure on the people who hold that key, do it now, please," he said. The remarks came shortly after the US facilitated the release of Ms Hall, who was freed last month following a court order and logistical support from Qatar in its role as Americas protecting power and diplomatic representative in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. The Taliban called her release a goodwill gesture towards president Donald Trumps administration. The British couple remain in Taliban custody without any formal charges filed against them. The Taliban has said their initial detention came after a misunderstanding that they had fake Afghan passports. open image in gallery Britons held by Taliban to face court hearing despite charges remaining unclear ( Family handout/ The Independent ) The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, have been running Rebuild, an organisation that provides education and training programmes for businesses, government agencies and NGOs in Afghanistan for 18 years. Theyve been in and out of court, which is infuriating for them because theres no charges and they are told every single time: yes, they are innocent, its just a formality, weve made a mistake, their son said. Mr Reynolds said he is having excruciatingly painful conversations with his parents via a prison payphone. He said they have always been open about their work in Afghanistan and sought to work with the Taliban. In February, Taliban official Abdul Mateen Qani confirmed the detention of the couple and said: A series of considerations is being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible. open image in gallery Peter Reynolds and Barbie ReynoldsTaliban takes two Brits hostages in Afghanistan in an alarming lawlessness move ( Supplied ) In an earlier appeal to the Taliban, the children said: We sincerely hope that this request will be embraced as a compassionate gesture during the sacred month of Ramadan, a time when the principles of mercy and compassion are especially valued in Islam. Their children have previously described the Reynolds detention as unjust and cruel. They were moved to a maximum security prison after being separated, their daughter Sarah Entwistles told The Independent. Mr Reynolds is in immense pain after he was beaten and shackled by the Taliban, according to his family members. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Manufacturers and suppliers across Asia are anxious over the future of apparel hubs following Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs that they believe could endanger their businesses. The US president on Wednesday slapped particularly harsh tariffs on major apparel manufacturing countries in Asia, with Cambodia being hit by 49 per cent levies, followed by Vietnam with 46 per cent, Bangladesh with 37 per cent, Indonesia with 32 per cent and "very good friend" India at 26 per cent. The tariffs have pushed companies in mostly impoverished South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh both nations that have recently witnessed political upheaval and a socio-economic crisis to press government officials to negotiate with the Trump administration to prevent foreign buyers bolting to save costs. The tariff hike will directly impact the fast-fashion retailers and sportswear brands manufactured in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The US is one of the worlds largest consumers of apparel and footwear, but only 2.5 per cent of the US apparel market and 1 per cent of footwear are produced domestically. open image in gallery A man works at a clothing factory in Bangladesh ( AFP via Getty Images ) Manufacturing hubs in South Asia got a boost during President Trumps first term, when tariffs on China pushed apparel and footwear makers to shift to other parts of Asia. However, the hefty tariffs have left them nowhere to hide. "We knew something was coming, but we never expected it to be this drastic ... This is terrible for our business and for thousands of workers," garment exporter Shahidullah Azim, whose clients include North American and European retailers, told Reuters. Mr Azim said his company, which employs 3,200 factory workers, was bracing for order cancellations as rising costs for buyers could spell the end of Bangladesh's competitive edge. The ready-made garment industry is of existential importance to Bangladesh's economy, accounting for more than 80 per cent of total export earnings, employing 4 million people, mostly women, and contributing roughly 10 per cent to its annual GDP. Bangladesh, the second-largest producer after China, produces garments for global brands such as Carrefour, Tire, Uniqlo, Primark, H&M and Zara. Manufacturers rued that buyers would be forced to choose other cost-competitive markets, which would be a massive blow to the industry in Bangladesh. open image in gallery US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs ( AFP via Getty Images ) The International Apparel Federation, which represents garment manufacturers in 40 countries, called the tariffs a "major shock", adding: "Ultimately, someone will have to pay the price." In Sri Lanka, the garment industry exports about 40 per cent of its output to the US, which helped the island nation earn $1.9bn last year, following a massive economic crisis that triggered a mass protest against the government in 2022 The tariffs will hurt more than 350,000 employees of the garment industry. Apparel is also Sri Lanka's second largest foreign exchange earner, which helped the country limp back to economic stability following the protests. Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office said in a statement that a panel of government officials and apparel companies has been formed to study "potential issues" that could arise from the new tariffs. "Sri Lanka could very quickly see its share of US business move to countries with lower tariffs," said Yohan Lawrence, Secretary General of Sri Lanka's Joint Apparel Association Forum. "This situation is serious, and it must be addressed as a matter of national urgency." Trade group United States Fashion Industry Association said they were "deeply disappointed by the Trump Administrations decision to impose new tariffs on all imports". It added that the action will "particularly affect American fashion brands and retailers. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The death toll from last weeks massive earthquake in Myanmar rose to 3,455, state media said Saturday, as UN agencies and foreign aid donors ramped up their emergency relief efforts. The 7.7 magnitude quake hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states including the capital Naypyitaw. The earthquake left many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaged roads and bridges, making the full extent of the devastation hard to assess. It also worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis triggered by the countrys civil war that has internally displaced more than 3 million people and left nearly 20 million in need, according to the United Nations. open image in gallery Myanmar Earthquake ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Myanmars second most powerful quake in history The military governments leader, Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing, has said the earthquake was the second most powerful in the countrys recorded history after a magnitude 8 quake east of Mandalay in May 1912. Min Aung Hlaing told Cabinet members Saturday that the quakes death toll has reached 3,455, with 4,840 injured and 214 missing, according to a report on state television MRTV. He said 5,223 buildings, 1,824 schools, 2,752 Buddhist monasterial living quarters, 4,817 pagodas and temples, 167 hospitals and clinics, 169 bridges, 198 dams and 184 sections of the countrys main highway were damaged by the earthquake. A country torn by war Myanmars military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking armed resistance that is now believed by analysts to control more territory than the army. open image in gallery Pictures of the Week Global Photo Gallery ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Members of the UN Security Council recognised the need to strengthen rescue, relief and recovery efforts and to scale up immediate and rapid humanitarian assistance in response to the requests to help the people of Myanmar, supported by the international community, its president, Jerome Bonnafont of France, said in a press statement Friday. In an apparent reference to the fighting in Myanmar and concerns its military government would block or delay aid to areas under the control of resistance forces, the statement said the council's members affirmed the importance of a safe and conducive environment to ensure the timely and effective delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all those in need, without disruption or discrimination. According to state media, Vice Senior Gen Soe Win, the vice chairman of the ruling military council, said that any international organisations coming to Myanmar to provide assistance are required to seek prior permission from Myanmars authorities, and their efforts will be permitted only when they cooperate with relevant officials. open image in gallery Damaged buildings are seen in the aftermath of last weeks earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar (AP) ( AP ) Aid sparks an unusual diplomatic flurry Maj Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the military government, told media on Saturday, as he arrived back from a regional summit held in Bangkok, that prime ministers and officials from attending countries, including India and Thailand, pledged to provide necessary assistance for relief efforts and rehabilitation in quake-hit areas. Everyone helped Myanmar that suffered from the earthquake. Everyone sympathised. Everyone understood. Everyone was willing to help. It can be seen everyone working together practically, Mr Zaw Min Tun said. He said that 18 countries were providing assistance to affected areas, and more than 60 aircraft had flown in to transport rescuers and relief supplies. The UK allocated a further 10m (about $12.8m) to the ongoing humanitarian response, its embassy in Yangon said in a statement Saturday, bringing its total to up to 25m (about $32m) in aid. There has been an unusual flurry of diplomatic activity in the past few days around Myanmar, usually reluctant to engage with much of the world community. Min Aung Hlaing and senior members of his government are shunned and sanctioned by many Western countries for their 2021 takeover and human rights abuses. His visit to the meeting in the Thai capital Bangkok was his first to a country other than his governments main backers China, Russia and Russian ally Belarus since he attended another regional meeting in Indonesia in 2021. Back in Myanmar on Saturday, Min Aung Hlaing received Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa for discussions about relief assistance from fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and cooperation in health care in quake-affected areas. open image in gallery Myanmar Earthquake ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Although reports of diplomatic activity focus on earthquake relief, there is awareness that the crisis in Myanmar cannot end until the war there stops, and the countrys neighbours have been leading efforts to find a path for peace, even though neither the military nor its foes have shown any serious effort to negotiate. A fragile temporary ceasefire However, the military and several key armed resistance groups have all declared temporary ceasefires on Wednesday in the wake of the earthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid. The UN Human Rights Office on Friday accused the military of continuing attacks, claiming there were more than 60 attacks after the earthquake, including 16 since the ceasefire. The opposition's shadow National Unity Government, which leads resistance to army rule, accused the military Saturday of carrying out 63 airstrikes and artillery attacks since the earthquake, resulting in the deaths of 68 civilians, including one child and 15 women. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump has escalated his trade war with China, confirming a staggering 125 per cent tariff on goods imported to the US on Thursday. This is on top of the existing 20 per cent levy for Chinas alleged role in fentanyl trade, the White House confirmed; bringing tariffs to 145 per cent. Now, Beijing has responded by matching a new 125 per cent tariff on imported US goods. The trade war will hit US consumers hard, with Chinese imports spread across major industries and supply chains - and Apples iPhone in the firing line. Chinese President Xi Jinping said earlier that there were no winners in a tariff war in a meeting with the Spanish prime minister on Friday. Earlier this week, President Trump postponed retaliatory tariffs for all countries except China, in what has become a tit-for-tat levies exchange between the two countries. If the US insists on having its way, China will fight to the end, the Chinese commerce ministry has warned. What Chinese goods will be affected? Of all the countries hit with tariffs, Americans will likely feel the impact of Chinas most and soon. Meanwhile, as the worlds largest exporter, China sells products to nearly every country. This adds a layer of economic protection against Trumps tariffs, since the US makes up just 14 per cent of its goods exports. The 145 per cent total tariff on imported Chinese goods is the highest of any country. And more importantly, American consumers are highly reliant these goods, through many parts of the supply chain. Unsurprisingly, electronics and machinery are the top goods imported to the US from China, at $208bn in 2023 alone. open image in gallery Almost all iPhones are still assembled in China, as Apple products risk price increases from 104% tariffs. ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) These products span all elements of Americans lives; from computers to domestic appliances, and electric batteries. Smartphones are the biggest single export (9 per cent of the total) - and not just Chinese brands such as Huawei, but also American tech leaders including Samsung and Apple which manufacture in China. On a wider scale, drugs and medicines will likely face price shocks as pharmaceutical companies import billions in ingredients from China each year. This expense will ultimately fall to patients, warns Dr Michael Aziz, a board-certified internist and regenerative medicine specialist. "The effect of tariffs on prices of these drugs will be mostly be absorbed by patients, retail pharmacies versus insurance companies, said Dr Aziz. I believe that the rapid application of those tariffs leaves doctors and patients totally unprepared. Many will skip their meds if they cant afford those generic drugs." open image in gallery Trump Tariffs Ending Exemption ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Textile imports worth $36bn will also impact regular consumers; particularly since more and more clothing brands import from China, such as Nike and H&M. The US is also ending an exemption that allowed low-value products to avoid tariffs. This means that cheap, American-favourite clothing and homeware brands such as Shein and Temu may face tariffs for the first time and be forced to increase their prices. The US-China trade relationship Previously, retaliatory tariffs from China only covered specific industries such as fuel and agricultural products. Now, all US exports to China will be hit. The US imports far more from China than it exports. In 2024, goods exported to China were worth $143.5bn, according to the US Trade Representative office. Meanwhile, the US bought three times as many goods ($438.9bn) in the same period. This makes the trade deficit $295bn in 2024 - a 5.8 per cent increase from the previous year; and a prime target for President Trump. This means that the US will be less affected by retaliatory tariffs, Dr Xin Sun, a senior lecturer in Chinese and East Asian business at KCL, told The Independent. "Given the imbalance in trade between China and US, the damage caused by China's retaliation to US is due to be smaller than the impact of US tariff on China, which is not only the highest among all countries but also affects a wider range of sectors. In addition, the economic ties between China and the US have already been shrinking, and the US-China trade relationship accounts for less than five per cent of global goods trade. "There's been a significant unwinding in the economic ties between these countries since the middle of part of the last decade, explains Simon Evenett, Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy at the International Institute for Management Development. The disengagement has been well underway. What we're seeing now is the next chapter in the process of decoupling between these geopolitical rivals," he said. Retaliatory tariffs on US industries According to 2023 data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), around half of all goods exported to China are concentrated within five key categories. The top goods exports are fuel products, including crude and petroleum oil, propane, and liquefied natural gas, which were worth $23.6bn in 2023 (the latest available data). While the US is a big buyer of machinery and electronics from China, it is also reliant on China buying its own technology. China bought $17bn in machinery and parts from the US in 2023, and $12bn in electronics. The top products most affected by reciprocal tariffs, are integrated circuits and gas turbines. While Mr Trump was quick to slap tariffs on foreign-made cars and parts, the US also exports $7.5bn in cars to China, which will now be impacted by its reciprocal 125 per cent tariffs. Other areas of the transport manufacturing sector, namely aviation, have billions of dollars in goods at risk. Dr Mary Lovely, Senior Fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics, said major American brands will suffer from the changes. We had settled into a new routine, and now that status quo was just completely upended by the tariffs from both sides, she told The Independent. I think long term, this actually reduces the prospects for companies like Boeing. This is going to impact companies like Apple and Caterpillar exports - companies which also export to [China]. The US pharmaceutical industry is also a major exporter to China, selling over $7.5bn in vaccines and packaged medicine in 2023, alongside $3.3bn in medical instruments. US farmers set to suffer most Most of all, Dr Lovely believes that the US agricultural sector will be worst hit by Chinas tariffs. China is a top buyer of its vegetable products ($20bn) not least US soy ($15bn), buying over half of all US exports. Billions in American meat and animal products will also be affected, while Mr Trump attempts to force the UK to buy chlorinated chicken in exchange for tax relief. open image in gallery Soybeans are one of the American products hardest hit by retaliatory tariffs ( Scott Olson/Getty Images ) These tariffs on farmers could have a significant impact on Trump's core political base, Dr Sun warned, pointing out that agriculture is a key export from the US to China. Dr Sun said: "Since agriculture constitutes a lion share of US export to China, China's retaliation has a bigger impact on some of Trump's core political base. By targeting this population, China hopes to cause political pains for Trump and force him to back down somewhat. Close Starmer vows UK won't be cowed by Trump's tariffs For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump has confirmed that the US will not be pausing tariffs, stressing that they were not looking at that. The president said many countries have been negotiating with Washington and they will try and make "fair deals" with each of them. It comes as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eliminate the trade deficit with the U.S, while Trump also accused the EU of being formed to create a unified force against the United States for trade. Londons FTSE 100 stock index plunged a further 4.3 per cent on Monday to a value last seen in March 2024, as Donald Trumps tariffs continue to wreak havoc on the global markets. After the US president announced his sweeping tariffs last week, Wall Street sank again, with the S&P 500 briefly approaching bear market territory on Monday, coming off its worst week since Covid-19 began crashing the global economy in March 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 2.3 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite 1.5 per cent lower. The continued volatility came as Mr Trump threatened China with a further tariff of 50 per cent and said all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated unless Beijing withdraws its planned 34 per cent retaliatory levy. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Israels military has admitted its soldiers made mistakes over the killing of 15 paramedics and emergency workers in southern Gaza last month. The convoy of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulancesand a fire truck came under fire near Rafah on 23 March. Israel originally claimed troops opened fire because the convoy approached suspiciously in the darkness without headlights or flashing lights. It said movement of the vehicles had not been previously coordinated or agreed with the army. Mobile phone footage, filmed by one of the paramedics who was killed, showed the vehicles did have lights on as they answered a call to help wounded people. The video showed they had their emergency lights clearly flashing. In a briefing to journalists on Saturday night, an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) official said that soldiers had mistakenly identified the paramedics as a threat and that the incident was under thorough investigation. He added that all claims will be examined thoroughly and in depth in order to understand the conduct of the incident. The convoy of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances and a fire truck from Gazas Civil Defence came under fire ( Palestinian Red Crescent Society via AP ) Eight Red Crescent personnel, six civil defence workers and a UN worker were killed in the shooting. The only known survivor of the incident, Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic Munther Abed, also said he had seen soldiers opening fire on clearly marked emergency response vehicles. Israeli media briefed by the military reported that troops had identified at least six of the 15 dead as members of militant groups. However, the official declined to provide any evidence or detail of how the identifications were made, saying he did not want to share classified information. According to our information, there were terrorists there, but this investigation is not over, he told reporters at the briefing late on Saturday. The UN and Palestinian Red Crescent have demanded an independent inquiry into the killing of the paramedics. Israeli strikes have killed more than 150 emergency responders from the Red Crescent and civil defence, most of them while on duty, as well as more than 1,000 health workers, according to the UN. The Gaza war was triggered by a Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October 2023, during which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 people taken hostage. Israels retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 50,000 Palestinians according to the enclaves health ministry and forced 90 per cent of its 2.3 million residents from their homes. Reuters contributed to this report Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Scientists have developed a 3D-printed imitation of human skin with living cells, an advance they say could enable cosmetic testing without the use of animals. Researchers, including from the Vellore Institute of Technology in India, say the skin imitation mimics the natural three-layer tissue structure of human skin and is ready for testing cosmetic nanoparticles. Their study, published in the journal STAR Protocols, comes amid restrictions imposed in the European Union on the animal testing of cosmetics and their ingredients. open image in gallery A zootechnician holds a laboratory mouse at the University of Geneva ( AFP via Getty ) Scientists worldwide are looking for alternatives to test the absorption and toxicity of cosmetics like sun creams and serums. The latest research provides a protocol for fabricating scaffolds similar to human skin using 3D printing. The process is simple, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and allows customisation by adjusting treatment parameters, scientists write in the study. The starting point for making these skin imitations is a hydrogel formulation, printed together with living cells, researchers say. open image in gallery 3D-printed hydrogel ( Manisha Sonthalia/Vellore Institute of Technology ) These gels, with their high-water content, create an ideal condition for the growth of cells. The hydrogels for our skin imitation from the 3D printer have to fulfil a number of requirements, Karin Stana Kleinschek, one of the new studys authors from TU Graz in Austria, said. The hydrogels must be able to interact with living skin cells. These cells not only have to survive but also have to be able to grow and multiply. open image in gallery 3D printed skin imitation ( Manisha Sonthalia/Vellore Institute of Technology ) The cells growing on the hydrogel also need to be stabilised without the use of toxic chemicals. Only when skin cells in the hydrogel survive in cell culture for two to three weeks and develop skin tissue can we speak of a skin imitation, researchers explain. This skin imitation can then be used for further cell tests on cosmetics. Beagle owners hope to educate on animal testing Scientists claim their first tests with the 3D-printed skin cells were very successful. This is a success for the complementary research at TU Graz and VIT. Our many years of expertise in the field of material research for tissue imitations and VITs expertise in molecular and cell biology have complemented each other perfectly, they write. We are now working together to further optimise the hydrogel formulations and validate their usefulness as a substitute for animal experiments, Dr Kleinschek said. Researchers say the new protocol also offers a method to develop sustainable biomaterials for tissue regeneration medicines. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey said she is frustrated by the governments approach to online safety, as reports suggest the Online Safety Bill could be watered down to appease US president Donald Trump. Esther Ghey spoke to the BBC on Sunday morning about the bill and the death of her 16-year-old daughter, whose murder led to UK-wide protests and vigils. While we are questioning whether its strong enough or whether it should be watered down, young people are at harm, and young people are losing their lives, she said. open image in gallery Brianna Ghey was murdered by a classmate and her friend in 2023 ( PA ) Young people shouldnt be struggling with mental health because of what they are accessing online, and we really do need to take a hard stance on this. Brianna, 16, was murdered by classmate Scarlett Jenkinson and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe. The killers were both 15 at the time of the murder in 2023. Ms Ghey has previously met prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and his predecessor Rishi Sunak to discuss the issue and has criticised the Online Safety Act, saying that it does not go far enough. open image in gallery Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were partly motivated by their victims transgender identity, the judge said ( PA ) She has campaigned for an age limit on smartphone use, stricter controls on access to social media apps, tougher action on knife crime and for mindfulness to be taught in schools. On her campaigning work on online safety and trolling, Ms Ghey said she supports a ban on social media for under-16s. The Online Safety Act could reportedly be watered down as part of US trade negotiations, and the childrens commissioner for England has called for young people to be removed from social media altogether if that happens. The childrens commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, said this week that if regulation is pulled back on children, if the online safety bill is pulled back on children, then we need children off social media. Mr Trump has imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all UK imports to the US, and a 25 per cent tariff on UK cars and car parts. The UK is pushing for a US trade deal in which they hope to see tariffs eased. open image in gallery Esther Ghey spoke to the BBC on Sunday morning about reports that the Online Safety Bill could be watered down ( PA ) On Sunday morning, chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said that the basic protections in the Online Safety Bill are not up for negotiation. He said the government wont be walking away from the idea that online platforms need to be designed in a way to protect children from harm. A government spokesperson said: The Online Safety Act is about protecting children online from harmful content like self-harm and eating disorders as well as making sure what is illegal offline is illegal online. These laws are not part of the negotiation and our priority is getting them in place quickly and effectively, while exploring what more can be done to build a safer online world. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A ban on fake reviews and hidden fees for online shoppers has today come into force. Consumers will now see more transparent pricing, as businesses are required to incorporate administration and booking fees into the upfront cost of goods and services. However, the law stops short of including optional extras, such as airline seat selection or baggage upgrades, in the initial price display. A key element of the new law focuses on the pervasive issue of fake reviews. Online platforms are now legally obligated to implement measures to prevent the posting of fabricated reviews and to remove existing ones. This move aims to provide consumers with more genuine insights into products and services, fostering greater trust in online marketplaces. open image in gallery Fake reviews have been banned under new consumer laws ( AP ) The Department for Business and Trade estimates that consumers collectively spend 2.2bn annually on hidden fees, highlighting the significant impact of these previously undisclosed charges. While the new legislation doesnt cover all additional costs, it represents a step towards greater transparency and fairness in online transactions. Justin Madders, minister for competition and markets, said: From today, consumers can confidently make purchases knowing they are protected against fake reviews and dripped pricing. These changes will give consumers more power and control over their hard-earned cash, as well as help to establish a level playing field by deterring bad actors that undercut compliant businesses. The measures come under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act passed by parliament last year. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Prince Harrys life is at stake in the clash over his UK security arrangements, his lawyer has warned the Court of Appeal on the final day of the dukes legal challenge. The Duke of Sussex is challenging the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK. In her closing submissions, Shaheed Fatima KC, for the duke, told the court: One must not forget the human dimension to this case. There is a person sitting behind me whose safety, whose security, and whose life is at stake. There is a person sitting behind me who is being told he is getting a special bespoke process when he knows and has experienced a process that is manifestly inferior in every respect. In what his barrister said was an illustration of how important the case is to him and his family, the 40-year-old duke, who lives in the US, attended the Royal Courts of Justice in central London for the two-day hearing. open image in gallery The Duke of Sussex arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice, central London, on Wednesday ( Jordan Pettitt/PA ) After arriving at around 10.10am, ahead of the second day on Wednesday, Harry, wearing a dark blue suit, could be seen taking notes and quietly talking with members of his legal team during parts of the hearing. When the proceedings were paused early in the afternoon, the duke was being escorted out of court by his security detail when a member of the public shouted her support for him in a dramatic outburst, adding: If youre members of the press, youre the reason hes no longer in England. Describing how decisions over Harrys security were made in a unique set of circumstances, a lawyer for the Home Office told the court in the morning: There is nothing about the appellants announcement in January 2020 that he was to step back from his role in the royal family and spend most of his time abroad that was usual. In his oral submissions, Sir James Eadie KC added: It was a category of its own. The appeal comes after retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane ruled last year that Ravecs decision, taken in early 2020 after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit as senior working royals, was lawful. Ravec has delegated responsibility from the Home Office over the provision of protective security arrangements for members of the royal family and others, with involvement from the Metropolitan Police, the Cabinet Office and the royal household. open image in gallery Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in January 2020 ( Getty ) Ms Fatima previously said that Ravec came up with a different and so-called bespoke process for Harry. She continued: The appellant does not accept that bespoke means better. In fact, in his submission, it means that he has been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment. Ms Fatima told judges that the bespoke process involved Ravec considering why Harry would attend a particular event even though that is plainly irrelevant to the question of security. The Home Office is defending the appeal, previously telling the court the challenge involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture. Parts of Wednesdays hearing before Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean, and Lord Justice Edis were heard in private, without members of the press or public, though the duke was allowed to remain. During the public part of the hearing, Sir James said that the committee does not proceed by way of comparison between people under its remit. He said: That is for the obvious reason that it is highly unlikely that two cases will ever in truth be the same, when judged against the broad guiding principles that apply. open image in gallery Prince Harry waves as he leaves the High Court in central London on Tuesday ( AFP via Getty ) In Tuesdays hearing, Ms Fatima told the court that the failure to do a risk management board assessment for Harry meant that Ravec did not have the expert analysis that it needed to determine whether the duke should be treated like people in an other VIP category. She continued: Ravec did not make a reasonable decision because the appellants position is analogous to those in that other VIP category. Had the judge properly evaluated the evidence, he would have come to that conclusion. Ms Fatima also said: The appellants case is not that he should automatically be entitled to the same protection as he was previously given when he was a working member of the royal family. The appellants case is that he should be considered under the terms of reference and subject to the same process as any other individual being considered for protective security by Ravec, unless there is a cogent reason to the contrary. At the end of the hearing, Sir Geoffrey said the Court of Appeals decision would be given in writing at a later date, which was most unlikely to be before Easter, adding: Plainly we will take our time to consider our judgments. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Prices could increase and staff working hours fall as the rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) comes into force on Sunday, ministers have been warned. From Sunday, the rate of employer NICs will jump 1.2 percentage points to 15 per cent, impacting earnings from 5,000, down from the previous threshold of 9,100. This tax increase, branded a "jobs tax" by the Conservatives, arrives hot on the heels of a 6.7 per cent minimum wage rise implemented last week. The combined impact of these changes has sparked concerns within the hospitality sector, with industry leaders warning of a negative impact on job creation. The increased costs for businesses could lead to difficult decisions, including potential price increases for consumers and a reduction in staff working hours. open image in gallery Hospitality is expected to be particularly hit with the hikes ( Getty/iStock ) Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: The increases to employer national insurance contributions are going to hit businesses and workers right across the UK. The impacts will be stark, with hours for staff reduced, trading hours shortened, prices increased and, in the worst case scenario, jobs lost. These damaging rises not only hit cherished hospitality venues and communities but the Governments ambition to get people back into work. It needs sectors like hospitality to create the jobs to get people out of the welfare system but these tax rises will have the opposite effect on job creation. open image in gallery (PA Graphics) Ms Reeves said at last years Budget that the move would raise 25 billion per year by 2029, and that she did not take this decision lightly. The Conservatives have accused the Government of slamming businesses with a punishing jobs tax. Pointing also to the tariffs unveiled by US president Donald Trump, shadow business and trade secretary Andrew Griffith said: British firms are already on their knees now Labour delivers a one-two punch that could flatten them. They dont understand that its business, not big government, that drives growth. If they dont reverse course fast, working people will pay the price. The Liberal Democrats say that the NICs increase will be a hammer blow to businesses. The partys treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: In the current climate, it threatens to turn our high streets into ghost towns. The Government needs to rethink, scrap the jobs tax and raise this money fairly by asking the big banks and digital giants to pay their fair share. open image in gallery (PA Graphics) Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged earlier this week that the cost-of-living crisis is ongoing and people are feeling the pressure of rising household bills but pointed to the minimum wage increase. The start of April also saw hikes in council tax and energy bills for households. He told Sky News: I think for most people, they would say the cost-of-living crisis is ongoing, and they feel the pressure financially. Thats why its so important we make good on our pledge that people would feel better off and the national living wage going up today by an average of 1,400 is going to affect millions of people, so in their pay packet this month, and obviously for months to come, they will now be getting more money. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice About 60,000 parents in the UK are expected to benefit from the new neonatal care leave and pay entitlement from April 6. Parents of babies in neonatal care will be entitled to an additional 12 weeks of leave, and pay if eligible, on top of parental leave from Sunday, in what campaigners say will make a huge difference. Those eligible will include working parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care up to 28 days old and who have a continuous stay in neonatal care of seven full days or longer. It will be available to an employee from their first day in a new job. The Department for Business and Trade said the measure will aim to relieve some of the pressure on working families and allow them to be by their childs side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave. Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of prematurity charity Bliss who campaigned for the measures over many years, said she was delighted the new right was coming into force. open image in gallery Parents of babies in neonatal care will be entitled to an additional 12 weeks of leave and pay, if eligible ( PA Archive ) We know it will make a huge difference for parents who only want to be by their babys cot-side when their baby is very sick in hospital, Ms Lee-Davey said. We also know the evidence is clear, babies do best when both parents do their parenting together and are able to play that hands-on role in care. We have heard stories over many years particularly from fathers and non-birthing parents who have been back at work while their babys still desperately sitting in hospital. Catriona Ogilvy, founder of parent-led charity The Smallest Things, said the neonatal entitlement coming into force was a bittersweet moment. Were absolutely celebrating the new entitlements coming in, but we know there have been hundreds of thousands of families whove missed out over this time, particularly since the legislation went through two years ago. She added: Both my children, Samuel and Jack, were born prematurely, and it was in the years after they came home from hospital that we realised that its a lasting journey its not just the time in hospital. My first eight weeks of Samuels life was spent visiting him everyday in intensive care and when youve got a really tiny, fragile baby covered in wires and a life support machine, and youre told thats your maternity leave, you almost feel robbed off that time with your baby. Crucially, when you finally get home, you dont have the time that you need to recover. open image in gallery Justin Madders during a visit to the charity The Smallest Things, Bliss and Working Families ( Department for Business and Trade/PA Wire ) After meeting with parents and charities on Thursday, Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said there had been a groundswell of opinion in favour of the new rights for a very long time. Mr Madders told PA: Theres an awful lot of kids that are born prematurely or have to go into hospital shortly after theyve been born, and dads in particular have not had any legal right to special leave in those circumstances. The MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough said there would be an opportunity for employers to get reimbursed. He added: Small employers will get full reimbursement on that so it shouldnt cost them anything and actually, the best employers understand that theyve got to support their workforce when its a very difficult time. Jane van Zyl, chief executive of the Working Families, said the additional leave and pay would mean parents can be by their babys side when they need them most. Ms van Zyl added: We hope employers will build on this support by developing enhanced neonatal polices, as many compassionate employers have already, and consider flexible working, a little of which can go a long way in supporting families. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice One in four renters struggles to get their full deposit back at the end of a tenancy, according to new research. Almost a quarter of the 1,000 private tenants surveyed 23 per cent said they had experienced deposit deductions that they did not think were reasonable. Of these, only one in five had used the deposit schemes dispute resolution service, a free service designed to deal with disputes about the amount of money tenants receive back from their landlords. Other renters said they hadnt used the service because they werent aware they had the right to challenge their landlord (18 per cent), or they thought it would take too long (13 per cent), or that their landlord had broken the law by not protecting their deposit (18 per cent). The survey, carried out by Generation Rent, found that one in four respondents had needed to borrow money from their friends or family to cover their deposit while 14 per cent had used credit cards or loans, 32 per cent had to use their savings, and only 29 per cent of tenants were able to cover the cost from their current account. Data obtained through freedom of information requests by the charity last year showed that the average deposit was 1,118 in England and Wales, and 793 in Scotland. Landlords can ask for up to five weeks rent as a deposit and also for a months rent in advance before a tenancy agreement is signed. In May 2024, the average private rent in Great Britain was 1,262 per month 101 higher than 12 months ago. Protesters placards by the window of a Foxtons estate agent in central London, demanding urgent action on the citys rising rents ( AFP via Getty ) The average rent for England was a bit higher at 1,301, with 736 being the average for Wales and 957 for Scotland, according to Office for National Statistics data. Landlords must put their tenants deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme if they are renting out their property on an assured shorthold tenancy that started after 6 April 2007. A total of 4.61 million tenancy deposits were protected in England and Wales last March, amounting to a sum of 5.15bn, according to Generation Rent. Of the 35 tenants in the Generation Rent survey who had disputed their landlords claim on their deposit, over half had received more money back than their landlord initially proposed, and three came away with less money. However, only 15 received the undisputed portion of their deposit while the dispute process was taking place, with the others left waiting for their money until the scheme had made a decision. Sarah Edmonds, 40, was unable to get most of her deposit back from a rental two years ago, after the landlady tried to not return any of the money. Ms Edmonds, who lives with her partner Andy Hamilton, 38, and their two small children, explained: The main problem was damp when we were living there, which our landlady didnt do anything about. We were there for three and a half years and there was no general maintenance to the property. It was in different rooms, shoes went mouldy in my cupboard, and you could see it on the walls. When it came to leaving, the landlady tried to claim the deposit back over wear and tear to the property as well as needing to replace the front gate. There was an external gate to the driveway; it had been primed and then not painted, Ms Edmonds said. [The landlady] had been told that it needed to be painted, we even reminded her, and then it rusted. When it came to getting the deposit back, she wanted the full money back for the gate. The deposit resolution service even though we sent them the texts where we had reminded her to paint it made us pay around 400 to 500 towards it. In the end, they got back about 150 of a deposit of around 1,000. Kirsty Bartholomew, 46, who lives in Newark, Nottinghamshire, has moved with her family around seven times in the last 10 years. Most of these moves have been trouble-free, but on one occasion her landlord tried not to give her deposit back. She explained: There was a lot of damp in the house. It was a terrace house that was very exposed to the elements, and so, almost as soon as we moved in, we were having to wipe the walls down. We mentioned it to our landlord and they had to repoint the outside of the house [repairing the mortar joints between bricks]. The external wall never quite recovered, and some of the damp and mould was still there. When it came to leave, Ms Bartholomew offered to paint over the mould, but the landlord said she could leave it. Despite this, they then said Ms Bartholomew couldnt have the deposit back due to the state of the house. After going to the dispute resolution service, Ms Bartholomew was able to get the deposit back because the landlord had taken too long to lodge it into an assured scheme. Have you had problems getting your rental deposit back? Share your story with holly.bancroft@independent.co.uk Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: While the tenancy deposit system is one of the longest-standing protections for renters, too many of us are still getting a raw deal. Despite the schemes offering to adjudicate disputes, many tenants are discouraged by the threat of delays, mystifying rules around what counts as wear and tear, and landlords dirty tricks. This leaves many tenants with less money every time we move, with a large share having to borrow or dip into savings to put a roof over their head. Tom Darling, director at the Renters Reform Coalition, said: Instead of renters being forced to find a new deposit every time they move, the government should consider a deposit passporting scheme that could transfer existing deposits between tenancies. This would end the pressure many renters face to accept unfair charges simply to get a deposit back quickly. A spokesperson for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: It is unacceptable that some landlords are failing to protect tenants deposits, and we continue to monitor the system so we can improve it. This government will transform the private rental sector through our Renters Rights Bill, which will ban Section 21 no fault evictions, cap advance payments to one months rent, end unfair bidding wars, and give tenants stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Several people have been injured after an explosion ripped through a food stall at one of the UKs largest outdoor religious celebrations. Southalls Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan celebration, which sees thousands gather for the Sikh religious procession in west London every year, was called off after a gas canister exploded on Sunday. Footage posted on social media shows towering flames ripping through a canvas stand as police shout at hundreds of people to move back from the blaze on South Road just before 1pm. Two fire engines rushed to the scene to put out the flames, as several people were injured and a number of people were rushed to hospital, the London Fire Brigade said. Ealing Council made the decision to cancel the festival, which was due to end at 4pm. It urged people to avoid the area as fire crews investigated the cause of the explosion. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: We were called at 12.42pm today to reports of a fire at a food stall on South Road in Southall. Two fire engines and a fire rescue unit attended and firefighters safely extinguished the fire. Crews also removed two gas cylinders, which were alight, from the scene and cooled them to an ambient temperature as a precaution, as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat. Several people were treated at the scene by London Ambulance Service crews, with some requiring further hospital treatment. One fire engine remains on the scene alongside the Brigades fire investigation unit. The Independent has approached the London Ambulance Service for comment. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two Labour MPs who were denied entry to Israel have said they are astounded by the decision. Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang have said it is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories. The current war in Gaza began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters launched an attack inside Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 50,000 people have been killed in Israels retaliatory military offensive. The MPs were refused entry because they intended to spread hate speech against Israel, the nation's population and immigration authority claimed. open image in gallery Abtisam Mohamed (above) was part of a parliamentary delegation visiting the West Bank ( via Reuters ) In a joint statement posted on X, Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang on Sunday said: We're astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank. It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch backed Israels decision, arguing that countries should be able to control their borders and expressing concern about the rhetoric of some MPs around Israel. But foreign secretary David Lammy said Ms Badenochs support of the Israeli decision was disgraceful. He said: Its disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China? This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party. The foreign secretary added that it was deeply concerning that they had not been allowed into the country. The Israeli immigration authority said interior minister Moshe Arbel had denied entry to all four passengers after they were questioned. It accused them of travelling to document the security forces. The Foreign Office said the group was part of a parliamentary delegation however Israel's immigration authority contested this claim, saying the delegation had not been acknowledged by any Israeli official. The MPs said the trip had been organised with UK charities that had over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations. open image in gallery Yuan Yang is the MP for Earley and Woodley in Berkshire ( Creative Commons ) We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law, they said in their joint statement. Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted. Emily Thornberry, chairman of parliaments foreign affairs committee, said Israel will rue the day that they did this to British parliamentarians. She told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: These are two women who are potential leaders, people listen to what they say and Israel is badly advised to try to alienate and humiliate them and treat them in this way. Israel really needs to start making friends as opposed to alienating people. Its an insult to Britain, its an insult to parliament and I am outraged. open image in gallery Emily Thornberry said she was outraged by Israels decision to deny entry to the two MPs ( PA ) Ms Yang represents the constituency of Earley and Woodley, in Berkshire, while Ms Mohamed represents Sheffield Central. Both were elected to Parliament last July. The foreign secretary said he had made clear to his counterparts in the Israeli government that it is no way to treat British parliamentarians. Mr Lammy said: It is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. The UK Government's focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Wes Streeting defended Labours controversial national insurance hike as the health secretary accused Reform UK and the Conservatives of plotting to pull billions of bounds of funding from the NHS. As the tax rise comes into effect today, Mr Streeting has challenged critics including Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch to explain how they would pay for a reversal of the policy change. The 2p increase to employer national insurance has been criticised by opposition parties, business chiefs and top economists, who have linked it to the stagnant economy, since it was unveiled by Rachel Reeves back in October. open image in gallery Wes Streeting is being rolled out by Labour as an anti-Reform attack dog ( PA Wire ) But, in a bid to get back on the front foot, Labour has argued the money raised by the tax hike is being used to fund improvements to the health service including an extra two million operations, scans and appointments for patients. In letters to Mr Farage and Ms Badenoch, Mr Streeting said the opposition party leaders plans would cut this funding and leave our NHS more than 25bn poorer. So, will you finally be straight with voters and set out which areas of current NHS funding you would reverse in government? the health secretary asks. Addressing the Reform leader directly, Mr Streeting hit out at his previous support for a move to an insurance-based funding model for healthcare in the UK. That model could mean paying more than 1,300 to visit A&E, over 120 for a GP appointment, 1,000 to call an ambulance, the list goes on, Mr Streeting warned. He added: This might be pocket change for you, but to ordinary working people these costs would be nothing short of catastrophic. open image in gallery Labour is increasingly trying to take the fight to Nigel Farage and Reform UK ( Joe Giddens/PA Wire ) With just weeks until the 1 May local elections, Mr Streeting said: It is time to look under the bonnet and understand what your plans are. Labour has been increasingly on the offensive against Reform in recent weeks as it seeks to stem the flow of voters towards Mr Farages party. Mr Streeting asked: What aspects of Labours NHS investment would you cut as a result of scrapping the NICs changes? How would your insurance-based model work, how much will this alternative healthcare system cost, and what would happen to patients who cant afford to pay? In his letter to Ms Badenoch, he wrote: You would cut this funding and leave our NHS more than 25bn poorer as a result. So, will you finally be straight with voters and set out which areas of current NHS funding you would reverse if in government? Would it be improved pay for nurses? Funding for GP surgeries? New radiotherapy machines? open image in gallery Labour said Kemi Badenoch would leave the NHS 25bn poorer ( PA Media ) Despite trying to take the fight to rivals over the tax hike, Labour faces an uphill battle to convince business chiefs and the public it was the right decision. The chancellor was forced into the measure after ruling out any changes to VAT, income tax and employee national insurance during the general election, moves economists have said would have raised similar sums while acting as less of a drag on growth. Retail and hospitality bosses warned on Sunday that high street jobs and investment plans have been put at risk by the tax hike, with the rate jumping from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent overnight. The salary threshold at which companies pay the tax also dropped from 9,100 to 5,000. UK retailers have warned that hiring plans, particularly for part-time workers, will be held back as a result. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said changes to NICs and wages will cost retailers another 5bn over the next year. It said it will cost shops 10 per cent more to employ workers due to the changes, and 13 per cent more for part-time staff. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: A recent survey of retail finance directors showed that half were planning to reduce hours and workers as a direct result of the employer NIC hike. It will be part-time jobs which take the biggest hit. Part-time retail jobs hit their lowest level since records began in 1996, and have fallen by 200,000 in the last seven years. While the governments welfare reforms aim to increase the numbers in work, this weeks cost increases will kick away the ladder for many who are just getting their first foothold. Meanwhile, the chief executive of pub giant Greene King said its investment plans would be impacted as a result of swallowing larger-than-expected costs following the October budget. Nick Mackenzie said: Everyone in the industry is facing a barrage of costs that are hitting them at the same time, with the minimum wage rise, NICs, business rates. We are still investing heavily but there are areas where we have trimmed our investment plans because we have to be sensible about managing these costs. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sir Keir Starmer will declare the end of globalisation and admit it has failed the public amid the growing fallout of Donald Trump imposing global trade tariffs, including 10 per cent on the UK. The prime minister will argue in a speech on Monday that the shock from the US presidents trade war means Britain must move further and faster cutting red tape to boost economic growth. And, in an article on Sunday, Sir Keir said the world as we knew it has gone. We must rise to meet the moment, he said. open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer will say globalisation has failed ( AFP via Getty Images ) And, in a flurry of announcements this week aimed at boosting growth, chancellor Rachel Reeves will then make a statement loosening regulations on electric vehicle manufacturers and accelerating Labours industrial strategy. Trump has done something that we dont agree with but theres a reason why people are behind him on this, a Downing Street official told The Sunday Times. They added: The world has changed, globalisation is over and we are now in a new era. Weve got to demonstrate that our approach, a more active Labour government, a more reformist government, can provide the answers for people in every part of this country. Sir Keir will appeal to the US president, arguing he understands Mr Trumps America-first approach after years of voters feeling worse off amid free trade and mass migration. The PM will also stick to his approach by not imposing retaliatory tariffs on the US. Ms Reeves will then reportedly visit India to accelerate progress on a trade deal with the country, while officials work to strike an agreement with Australia. Sir Keir has pledged to "do everything necessary" to protect the UK's national interest in the wake of Mr Trump's imposition of tariffs, with ministers "ready to use industrial policy" to help shelter businesses. open image in gallery Jaguar Land Rover is one of the UKs biggest carmakers (Chris Ison/PA) ( PA Archive ) Hours after Jaguar Land Rover paused shipments to the US, with businesses struggling to adapt to the new rules, the PM said "these new times demand a new mentality". Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Sir Keir said that when it comes to tariffs, "the immediate priority is to keep calm and fight for the best deal". He added that in the coming days "we will turbocharge plans that will improve our domestic competitiveness", and added: "We stand ready to use industrial policy to help shelter British business from the storm." And chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones confirmed Sir Keir will unveil plans to boost British industry this week, adding: He thinks globalization has failed in the current context, and that we need to go further and faster in supporting British industry and the British economy. The FTSE 100 had its worst day of trading since the start of the pandemic on Friday, with banks among some of the firms to suffer the sharpest losses. Sir Keir said: This week, the Government will do everything necessary to protect Britain's national interest. Because when global economic sands are shifting, our laser focus on delivering for Britain will not. And these new times demand a new mentality." The PM has been calling world leaders over the weekend to chart a course in response to Mr Trumps tariffs, and shared his "concerns" about the impact on global economics and security in a call with Emmanuel Macron. open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron shared concerns about the global security impact of Donald Trumps tariffs ( PA Wire ) While the UK is set to continue at the 10% baseline, other nations are due to see their tariff rates increase further next week. Some of the highest tariff rates have been applied to nations in South-East Asia, with imports from Vietnam will be subject to a 46% tariff, while those from Cambodia will face a 49 per cent rate. Imports from France will see a 20 per cent tariff, the rate that has been set for EU nations. In a post on his TruthSocial platform, the president said: "We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic." The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Just a few months after being acquitted of the criminally negligent homicide of Jordan Neely, a mentally ill Black man, after putting him in a chokehold on a crowded train, Daniel Penny modeled on a catwalk in an event titled Dressed to Kilt. Penny, 26, appeared at the show in Manhattan on the night of April 5. Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll, the founder and chairman of Dressed to Kilt, explained his reasons for featuring Penny in the show exclusively to The Independent. Daniel Penny was invited to walk in the show in recognition of his service as a U.S. Marine and the values he represents. His presence aligns with this years tribute to the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, and we were honored to have him represent the branch. We honor the commendation he received from the U.S. Marine Corps League and respect their decision to award him the 'Semper Fidelis' honor. Dressed to Kilt has long been a proud supporter of the Navy SEAL Foundation, and we continue to welcome and celebrate veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces as part of our commitment to honoring service and sacrifice. Dressed To Kilt was co-founded in 2003 by Dr Carroll and the late Sir Sean Connery. The recent show took place in The Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York on April 5. open image in gallery Penny pictured behind a Scottish flag at the event in Manhattan on Saturday night ( JP Yim/Getty Images ) The New York Post reports that Penny walked to the sound of Bonnie Tylers Holding Out for a Hero. The site noted that Carroll introduced the former Marine as a hero. Far from being a villain, this man was a hero to all the inhabitants of that subway car, Carroll said. [Penny] leaped into action as a passenger on a subway car when a potential assailant started threatening women, children and elderly people with a knife, he added. An anonymous Manhattan jury cleared Penny of a criminally negligent homicide charge in the death of Neely, 30, in December 2024. The jury had deadlocked last week on a more serious manslaughter charge, which was dismissed. Ill take a million court appearances and people calling me names and people hating me, just to keep one of those people from getting hurt or killed, Daniel Penny told Fox News in a clip that aired a day after the verdict. open image in gallery Jordan Neely was an accomplished Michael Jackson impersonator. ( GoFundMe ) Meanwhile, scores of New Yorkers protested the trial outcome, holding signs and chanting Neelys name in a Manhattan square. Yes, he was acting erratically. But personally, I dont believe being mentally unwell and being homeless is a crime worthy of death, said one of the organizers, Sean Blackmon. Penny, who served four years in the Marines, put Neely in a chokehold for about six minutes after Neely had an outburst that frightened riders on a subway car on May 1, 2023. Penny is white. Neely was Black. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Republican mayor of a Jersey Shore township is reportedly frustrated that rock legend Jon Bon Jovi's library soup kitchen is attracting homeless people to the area. Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick complained that Bon Jovi's "JBJ Soul Kitchen" was bringing people he didn't want into the community and disturbing residents. He claimed that organizations were being paid to bring people into the community and that their intentions were driven by profit, not compassion. These people are being dropped by in our community by agencies pretending to be homeless advocates who get paid by the head to import homeless people into our town from all over the state and the East Coast, Rodrick said, according to the New York Post. These agencies are making millions of dollars importing homeless. Their plan is not about compassion; its about people wanting to profit off the homeless issue. The pop-up "Soul Kitchen" opened on February 11. It allows diners to pay for the meals of future customers, with a suggested cost of $12. By paying their meals forward, people who can't afford food can take advantage of free meals. The cafe is open from 10 am to 2 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays and has multiple locations in the state. Bon Jovi's wife, Dorothea, runs the nonprofit restaurant chain and told the Post that they will continue their work and that their restaurant will continue to operate in Toms River. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi faced criticism from the mayor of Toms River, New Jersey, who claimed the musicians pop-up cafe serving the needy is attracting homeless people to his township ( 2020 Invision ) The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions. We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows. Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing, Dorothea and the rocker said in a joint statement on Friday. The statement goes on to say the nonprofit connects "people to resources and services" whether "they need employment, mental health support, or housing." The couple also questioned Rodrick's claims that agencies were making money by dropping off homeless people in his town. We are unsure where the mayor thinks millions of dollars are trading hands, but we are completely unaware of any such programs and receive no such funding, they said. We invite anyone to the BEAT Center in Toms River or to the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up to see what we are doing to end homelessness and hunger in our community. Rodrick said that he had received multiple complaints about increasing numbers of homeless individuals near the township's municipal parking garage and on benches near the local library. Theyve completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns," Rodrick said on county officials. Mothers shouldnt have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trumps Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has said he visited Texas after it was revealed a second child had died of measles in the state. Kennedy reportedly attended the child's funeral on Sunday. The eight-year-old girl identified by Kennedy as Daisy Hildebrand died early on Thursday morning from "measles pulmonary failure" while she was being treated at a hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Her death is the second tied to a measles outbreak in West Texas and the second tied to the disease in the U.S. in a decade. Dozens of residents in the region including in bordering states have been infected. Kennedy wrote on X: My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief. Despite his past as a vocal vaccine skeptic, Kennedy acknowledged that the MMR vaccine was the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles. The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the M.M.R. vaccine, he wrote. Ive spoken to Governor Abbott, and Ive offered HHS continued support. At his request, we have redeployed CDC teams to Texas. We will continue to follow Texas lead and to offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions. The UMC Health System said on Sunday that the girl had not been vaccinated against the disease and had no underlying health conditions that contributed to her death. open image in gallery Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium in Seminole, Texas. A second child in Texas died from measles on March 3 ( Getty Images ) The first death in the region was also an unvaccinated child who died in February. There may be a third death an unvaccinated individual in New Mexico who tested positive for measles. Health officials are still trying to confirm if measles was the individual's cause of death. West Texas has reported 480 cases of measles, resulting in 56 hospitalizations, since the outbreak began in January. Infections have sickened 54 people in New Mexico and another 10 in Oklahoma. Public health officials in the region are predicting that the outbreak will continue for a year, putting the area's measles elimination status which it earned in 2000 at risk. Measles is extremely contagious. It can linger in the air for up to two hours after someone infected has left a room and can spread through breath, coughs, or sneezes. In most cases, measles symptomslike rashes, high fevers, coughs, runny noses, and red eyeswill subside in a few weeks. But in rare cases, it can cause pneumonia, which is especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. The disease can also cause brain swelling, which can cause blindness, deafness, and intellectual disabilities. Kennedy has faced criticism for his handling of the outbreak, especially considering the HHS boss is a vocal vaccine skeptic. He has been broadly supportive of the measles vaccine but has also emphasized alternative and untested treatments to combat the disease, like using cod liver oil. Doctors in Texas told the Times that Kennedy's endorsement of alternative treatments has contributed to some patients waiting to seek medical care while also consuming toxic levels of vitamin A. Experts are concerned that the Trump administration's decision to pull funding from local health departments will also increase the likelihood of large, multi-state outbreaks. In an X post on Sunday, Kennedy said he would ensure that Texas health officials are supported in their battle to contain the measles outbreak. On Sunday, Dr Peter Marks, who resigned from his position at the Food and Drug Administration where he oversaw the agency's vaccine program, blamed Kennedy and his staff for the child's death. This is the epitome of an absolute needless death, Marks told the Associated Press on Sunday. These kids should get vaccinated thats how you prevent people from dying of measles. He said that he warned the Senate that more measles-related deaths would occur if the Trump administration refused to take more aggressive action to curb the outbreak. The Senate health committee has called Kennedy to testify on Thursday. open image in gallery Director of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy reportedly attended the funeral of the latest child to die in the Texas measles outbreak ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) One of the members of that committee is Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor and a vaccine proponent. Though he joined his Republican colleagues in confirming Kennedy during his hearing, he has taken a stronger stance on the need for vaccinations than the HHS head. On Sunday, Cassidy issued a statement saying that "everyone should be vaccinated." He said there was "no benefit to getting measles" and that "top health officials should say so unequivocally [before] another child dies." As of Friday, the U.S. has more than 600 measles cases this year, more than double the number of cases in all of 2024. Lubbock's public health director, Katherine Wells, told NBC News that the actual number of infected individuals is likely much higher than what has been reported, as many who are infected may not be getting tested for the illness. She said that she and other health officials are begging families to have their children vaccinated against measles. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed for vaccination, and it is 97 percent effective. The MMR vaccine is safe and has been safely administered to children for decades. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Communities across the South and Midwest are bracing for further severe weather, including potential flooding and tornadoes, following a deadly outbreak of storms that has already claimed over a dozen lives. The region, still recovering from the initial onslaught of violent weather, faces days of continued risk, according to forecasters. Severe thunderstorms have ripped through a densely populated area stretching from northeast Texas through Arkansas and into southeast Missouri, impacting an estimated 2.3 million people. The storms have brought torrential rain, leading to widespread flooding, and spawned tornadoes that have left a trail of destruction. Emergency services are working to assess the damage and provide assistance to affected communities. Residents are urged to remain vigilant and heed any warnings issued by local authorities. Severe weather has hit parts of the US ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) What has happened? In Kentucky, more than 500 roads were closed by Sunday because of the floods and mudslides. Two people were killed, including a 9-year-old boy who was swept away as he walked to a school bus stop. The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky a city of 31,000 residents 72 miles (116 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, Tennessee was submerged. The first wave of storms killed at least five people in Tennessee and one each in Missouri and Indiana on Wednesday and Thursday. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called the devastation in his state enormous and said it was too early to know whether there were more deaths as searches continued. There was massive destruction in Lake City in eastern Arkansas, where homes were flattened and cars were flipped and tossed into trees. More than 300 tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service since the tornado outbreak began early Wednesday, and new warnings followed overnight in Alabama and Mississippi, along with flash flood warnings in Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The number of tornado warnings eclipsed those issued during last months deadly outbreak in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and other states. Not all tornado warnings involve an actual tornado, and it was too early to know how many were actually produced by the current outbreak. The severe weather also caused travel headaches. Hundreds of flights have been canceled and more than 6,400 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.com, which reported 74 cancellations and 478 delays of U.S. flights early Sunday. The flooding also led to road closures in Kentucky and southern Illinois, among other places. The severe weather hit at a time when nearly half the National Weather Service's forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates twice that of a decade ago according to data obtained by The Associated Press. What's causing this wave of storms? Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. The prolonged deluge, which could dump more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain over a four-day period, is an event that happens once in a generation to once in a lifetime, the National Weather Service said. What's next? Private forecasting company AccuWeather said northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee needed to prepare for a catastrophic risk from flash flooding. This is a rare and dangerous atmospheric setup, said Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather chief meteorologist. Forecasters have also warned of major disruptions to shipping and supply chains. Shipping giant FedEx, for example, has a massive facility in the danger area, in Memphis Tennessee. Barge transportation on the lower Mississippi River could also be affected. Water rescue teams and sandbags were being set up across the region in anticipation of flooding, and authorities warned people to take the threat of rising water seriously and to not drive through water. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said flooding had reached record levels in many communities. Kentuckians and communities have been affected across the state, and teams are working around the clock to support them, he said Sunday on social media platform X. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Senator Bernie Sanders has broken his silence over President Donald Trumps teasing that he will seek a third term in the Oval Office in 2028. The 83-year-old Vermont senator was asked if he, like many Republicans, laughs off the suggestion of a third term. No, I dont. The idea of a third term? Why not? They don't believe in the rule of law. They don't believe in the Constitution. So, yeah, I would take that seriously, he told CBS News. Last week, Trump told NBC News in an interview that he was considering methods to seek a third term. Later, on Air Force One from Florida to Washington, he elaborated to reporters that I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election, was totally rigged. Trump lost that election to Democrat Joe Biden. Still, Trump added: I dont want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, weve got a long time to go. Sen. Bernie Sanders made his latest comments in a new interview with CBS News ( CBS News ) In his CBS interview, Sanders went on to thank Trump and DOGE leader Elon Musk for creating more urgency in support of anti-oligarchy sentiment. I think I'm seeing fear, and I'm seeing anger. Sixty percent of our people are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Media doesn't talk about it. We don't talk about it enough here in Congress, Sanders told Robert Costa. Sanders is not running for president again, but the stooped and silver-haired democratic socialist has emerged as a leader of the resistance to Trumps second presidency. In tearing into Trumps seizure of power and warning about the consequences of firing tens of thousands of government workers, Sanders is bucking the wishes of those who want Democrats to focus on the price of eggs or roll over and play dead. For now, at least, Sanders stands alone as the only elected progressive willing to mount a national campaign to harness the fear and anger of the sprawling anti-Trump movement. Since losing the White House, Democrats across Washington have struggled to coalesce behind a consistent message or messenger to stop Trumps aggressive moves to slash the government workforce, weaken federal oversight, and empower Musk to execute his vision. There has been no centralized movement to organize the anti-Trump resistance. You look around who else is doing it? No one, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said of Sanders efforts. My hope is that the dam will break in terms of Democrats going on the offense ... We need to take the argument directly to the people. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Attorney General Pam Bondi said in an interview this Sunday on Fox News that President Donald Trump is probably finished as commander-in-chief after his current term ends. Bondi was speaking on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream when she was asked about Trumps various remarks surrounding a third term in office. I wish we could have him for 20 years as our president, but I think he's gonna be finished probably after this term. When questioned on her use of the word probably, Bondi replied: Wed have to look at the constitution. Bondi picked up on Breams use of the phrase heavy lift when describing what actions would need to be taken in order to remain in office past 2028. There are methods which you can use, Trump insisted on NBC News in a telephone interview last Sunday. Attorney General Pam Bondi remained coy when asked about President Donald Trump seeking a third term ( Fox News ) That follows months of Trump making quips about a third term despite the clear constitutional prohibition on it. Am I allowed to run again? Trump joked during a House Republican retreat in Florida in January. Just a week after he won the election last fall, Trump suggested in a meeting with House Republicans that he might want to stick around after his second term was over. This time, Trump said last week, Im not joking. But even some allies dont believe that. You guys keep asking the question, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Monday. And Trump is just having some fun with it, he said, probably messing with you. Trumps musings often spark alarm among his critics even when theyre legally impossible, given that he unsuccessfully tried to overturn his 2020 election loss and has since pardoned supporters who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Trump, who will be 82 when his term ends, has also repeatedly said that this will be his last term. Trying for another also would flatly violate the Constitution. The current gambit seems more like a termed-out president trying to convince his party and the public that he could still be in power four years from now. Senator Bernie Sanders was also asked about Trumps future plans in an interview on April 6 on CBS News. The idea of a third term? Why not? They don't believe in the rule of law. They don't believe in the Constitution. So, yeah, I would take that seriously, he said. Elsewhere in her interview on Sunday, Bondi spoke about mass deportations taking place. The best thing to do is to get these people out of our country, and when that first plane left and landed in El Salvador, there were 261 reasons why Americans were safer, the attorney general told Bream. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Almost no countries were spared from President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs; even small, uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean were included in the exhaustive list. But one country was notably missing: Russia. One of the United States largest adversaries was omitted from the list of countries slapped with even the 10 percent baseline tariff a move that raised some eyebrows given Trumps previously friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But other countries, including the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, which have a population of 59 and Svalbard and Jan Mayen, islands in the Arctic Circle with approximately 2,000 people, were hit with tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that Russia was exempt because the U.S. doesnt trade with them under heavy sanctions placed on the country after it invaded Ukraine in 2022. open image in gallery Noticeably missing from the list of countries slapped with a minimum 10 percent tariff is Russia ( Getty Images ) However, the U.S. Trade Office indicates the U.S. does some trade with Russia, though significantly less than it did. Last year, the total goods trade with Russia was $3.5 billion. Most of Russias exports to the U.S. are radioactive chemicals, nitrogenous fertilizers and platinum. They are the second-largest exporter of fertilizer to the U.S. That number is still higher than the number of imports from other countries hit with tariffs such as Fiji, Paraguay or Albania. Bessent reminded people that other countries the U.S. has heavily sanctioned, including Belarus, Cuba and North Korea, were also excluded from the tariffs. open image in gallery Trump has threatened additional tariffs on Russia if a peace deal isnt agreed. ( REUTERS ) Trump may have left Russia off the list as some reprieve while he seeks to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia did ask the U.S. to lift some of those sanction during the stalled peace talks. However, president recently threatened to impose tariffs on buyers of Russian oil if Putin fails to agree to a ceasefire deal. If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russias fault which it might not be but if I think it was Russias fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia, Trump said during an NBC interview. That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you cant do business in the United States, he added. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that Russia could still face additional strong sanctions. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal announced new legislation on Tuesday that would slap 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium or other products. The extreme measures are an attempt to get Russia to engage in good faith negotiations, according to the Daily Mail. Other countries left off Trumps tariff list are Canada and Mexico, the U.S.s largest trading partners. Trump has already implemented tariffs on both countries for what he claims is their lack of attention to preventing fentanyl from being trafficked across the borders. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukrainians legally in the U.S. were told in an email mistakenly sent Friday by the Department of Homeland Security that their parole status had been withdrawn and that they had to self-deport, according to Politico. The email, sent to an unidentified number of people, prompted widespread fear among those who came to the U.S. to flee the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The refugees have been increasingly concerned about their legal status in the country, as President Donald Trump said last month that they could revoke their residency status. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet that the U.S. has not yet revoked the temporary parole status handed to the 240,000 Ukrainians who came to the U.S., fleeing the war under former President Joe Biden. A reversal, which has been indicated by the White House, could lead to the quick deportation of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. The email was initially reported by Migrant Insider. The message prompted confusion as lawmakers began receiving calls from constituents regarding the emails. Ukrainian refugees wait near the U.S. border in Tijuana, Mexico in 2022 ( Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Many Ukrainians are already preparing for the possibility of a reversal as the Trump administration expands its effort to remove legal status from almost two million people who were allowed to stay in the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole programs during the Biden administration. Trump has ordered the revocation of the parole status of around 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, and Haitians. He said last month that he was considering taking the same action regarding the Ukrainians. Were not looking to hurt anybody, were certainly not looking to hurt them, and Im looking at that, Trump said last month as he was asked about revoking the legal status of the Ukrainians. There were some people that think thats appropriate, and some people dont, and Ill be making the decision pretty soon. The spokesperson for DHS didnt indicate if a final decision had been made or when the emails were meant to go out. Trump told DHS officials on his first day back in the White House to terminate all categorical parole programs just one of many executive orders related to immigration. The president also halted admissions under the programs for Ukrainians just after taking office in January, blocking those who had already arrived in the U.S. from renewing their two-year protections and work permits. He also put an end to new admissions. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Jordanian man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to open emergency exit doors and attacking a crew member on a flight from Malaysia to Sydney. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested Shadi Taisser Ayed Alsaaydeh, 46, after the AirAsia flight landed at Sydney Airport on Saturday night, according to reports. Mr Alsaaydeh was charged with endangering the safety of the aircraft and assaulting the crew of the aircraft, Australian Broadcasting Corporation news reported. According to the police, he attempted to open an emergency exit latch while seated at the back of the plane. The flight crew then moved him to the middle of the aircraft where allegedly again attempted to open another emergency exit. Upon being stopped by a flight attendant, Mr Alsaaydeh is accused of assaulting the crew member. Several passengers had to step in to restrain him, the court was told, according to ABC news. He was then restrained again in his seat. Mr Alsaaydehs lawyer has said he has no recollection of the incident and that he has no criminal history. The lawyer said Mr Alsaaydeh has a wife, three children and supports elderly parents back in Jordan. The Jordanian national has moved a bail application in a local court. The lawyer informed the court that Mr Alsaaydeh was travelling to Sydney to meet with government officials as he works for the Jordanian government in nuclear waste management. The meeting is scheduled for Monday with six government officials, he said and will cover the procedures used to transport those materials in the Middle Eastern country. The court however has refused him bail on the grounds that it would pose an unacceptable risk to the community and due to the seriousness of the offence. Mr Alsaaydeh is now expected to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. Our cabin crew, who are professionally trained to respond to such situations, took all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone on board, AirAsia said in a statement quoted by The Guardian. At no time was the safety of guests or crew compromised. AirAsia has a zero tolerance policy for [alleged] inappropriate behaviour of any kind and as per procedure alerted the AFP and relevant authorities to meet the aircraft on arrival in Sydney. The matter is now with the relevant authorities and as such, we are unable to comment further. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice One year after the government banned cellphones from schools to help students focus and reduce distractions in class, were beginning to see how it has been implemented and how successful its been. As part of that process, our new research asked young people about the ban. Unsurprisingly, they had a lot to say. Schools around the world, including in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, China and parts of the United States, have implemented similar bans. The guiding principle everywhere has been to help students do better in school. When New Zealands ban came into effect in April 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was time to cut the distractions so kids could learn and achieve. open image in gallery New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) But studies have shown these bans often dont work as planned. For example, recent research from the UK involving over 1,200 students found no significant difference in academic grades or wellbeing between schools with strict phone bans and those with more relaxed policies. With so many questions at the time of the ban about how it would be enforced, we wanted to hear what was going on in schools and what young people really thought. We spoke to 77 young people aged 12 to 18 from 25 schools around the country. Some liked the bans, some didnt and some werent sure. Mixed feelings Many students had mixed feelings about the bans. Some admitted the bans helped reduce distractions and gave them a break from using their phones. As one explained: otherwise, well be on our phone all day, all afternoon, all night, and it wont be healthy for our minds. But other students said the ban had created new problems. First, some students felt stressed and anxious when they couldnt contact their parents or caregivers during the day. Second, they said the rules werent always clear or fair. Some teachers were strict, others werent. And sometimes, teachers used their phones in class, but students couldnt. That perceived double standard where teachers can use phones but students cant left many of our respondents feeling frustrated and unfairly treated. In some cases, it even made them more secretive about their phone use. One student said: Even though were not allowed to use our phones, everyone is sneaky and uses it anyway. A lack of consultation A lot of students said they werent asked what they thought before the bans were introduced. They felt as if adults made the rules without asking them or listening to them. One of our interviewees said: It feels like they just ban everything, thinking it will fix the problem. Many didnt understand the purpose of the ban, especially since they still have to use laptops and other technology in class. Recent research found more than 80 per cent of students in Aotearoa New Zealand say technology in class is distracting not just phones. open image in gallery Debate continues over whether mobile phones should be banned in schools in England ( PA Wire ) Already, some students have found clever ways around the phone ban. At one Auckland school, students started using walkie-talkies instead of phones to stay connected with their peers. Examples like this show bans dont always change behaviour the way theyre intended to. It can simply make students feel as though adults underestimate how tech-savvy they really are. Young people as active problem solvers The young people in our research offered some alternatives to the ban. Many suggested allowing phones at break and lunch times. That way, they could stay connected without interrupting class. They also said adults needed to model healthy digital habits, not just set the rules. Based on student responses, it does appear that learning and teaching how to use phones in healthy ways would be more helpful than banning them altogether. Research from the Digital Wellness Lab supports this balanced approach, emphasising skill building over restriction. But for this to work, adults need support too. Teachers and parents need training and resources to help guide young people and should also be surveyed on how they feel about the ban. Banning phones doesnt fix the bigger issue of helping young people to use technology safely and responsibly. If schools really want to support students, they need to move beyond one-size-fits-all rules. Our research shows young people arent just passive users of technology. Theyre active problem solvers. They want to be part of the conversation and part of the solution. This would involve replacing top-down bans with meaningful conversations involving young people and adults to build fair and practical digital guidelines, where everyone benefits. Cara Swit is an Associate professor in the School of Health Sciences at University of Canterbury. Aaron Hapuku is a Lecturer in School of Health Sciences at University of Canterbury. Helena Cook is a Lecturer in the School of Social and Cultural Studies at University of Canterbury. Jennifer Smith is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Canterbury. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump announced wide-reaching tariffs against many U.S. trade partners on Wednesday but the list inexplicably includes a series of uninhabited islands near Antarctica. The Trump administration has placed a 10 percent reciprocal tariff on the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are external territories of Australia near Antarctica, home to penguins, seals and glaciers. The islands are entirely uninhabited by humans and only accessible via a two-week voyage from Perth via a boat. Nowhere on Earth is safe, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday. The White House did not immediately respond to The Independents request for information on why Trump chose to target uninhabited islands. open image in gallery Penguins stand on Heard Island, an uninhabited Australian territory that President Donald Trump has targeted with tariffs ( AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC DIVISION/AF ) Norfolk Island, a tiny volcanic outcrop in the South Pacific, also found itself on Trumps list. The move has left the islands 2,188 residents scratching their heads, a mixture of amusement and bewilderment rippling through the community. For Richard Cottle, owner of a local concrete-mixing business, the explanation is simple: "It was just a mistake." The island, located roughly 600 miles off eastern Australia, boasts a limited export trade, primarily Kentia palm seeds, the value of which falls well below $1million annually, and mostly shipped to Europe. open image in gallery Australian PM Anthony Albanese was bemused by Norfolk Islands tariff ( EPA ) "Norfolk Island is a little dot in the world," Cottle explained. "We don't export anything." The island's inclusion on the list of territories subject to the tariff, alongside major global economies, highlights the seemingly indiscriminate nature of the new trade measures. Dozens of other small territories, similarly lacking significant manufacturing or export industries, also found themselves unexpectedly targeted. Some, like the Heard and McDonald Islands in the Antarctic, which like Norfolk Island is overseen by Australia, did not even have human inhabitants. No matter - as of Thursday, they faced a 10 per cent tariff for exports to the U.S. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on the campaign trail ahead of an election in a month, told the media his country did better than most with a tariff of 10 per cent - half of what the EU was hit with and one-third of what China got - but he had no explanation for Norfolk Island. "Last time I looked, Norfolk Island was a part of Australia," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. The separate, higher tariff "was somewhat unexpected and a bit strange", he added. open image in gallery Norfolk Island has a population of just 2,188 ( AFP via Getty Images ) According to U.S. government data, the U.S. has recorded trade deficits with Norfolk Island for the past three years. The island exported $300,000 worth of goods to the U.S. in 2022, $700,000 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2024. Its imports from the U.S. stayed at $100,000 in those years. Norfolk Island's imports from the U.S. peaked at $11.7 million in 2020, when no exports were recorded. The data did not specify what goods were traded. Other Norfolk Island business owners could think of no manufacturing industry on the island, and added that its main industry by far was tourism. One pest control business owner, who asked not to be named, said that although they did not export to the U.S., they imported some rodent bait from the U.S. via Australia. "Products from Norfolk Island are going to have a 29 per cent tariff? Well, there is no product, so it's not going to have an effect," said Gye Duncan, who owns a tax consultancy on the island. "They probably don't even know where Norfolk Island is in the world. It's just probably an anomaly." On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Katyas brain was swollen. She had been blown up so many times she had hernias on her spine. Her whole skeleton was twisted and distorted after being thrown about like a doll. She often stuttered. She had an explosive temper after years as a special forces medic. But things got better when she went to Valhalla. She didnt take the usual route to the Viking Hall of Heroes, where she undoubtedly belongs, by being killed on a Ukrainian battlefield. Instead she hitched a hallucinogenic ride. On ketamine. The illegal party drug, animal tranquiliser and battlefield anaesthetic is being used to bring Ukraines living dead back to real life. Pioneering ketamine therapy offers hope of a fast-track cure for post-traumatic stress disorder in a nation grappling with widespread trauma. Katya is about 5ft 4in. At 23, she is a veteran of years of extreme combat in Ukraines most secretive and elite units, having enlisted at 19 and joined the marines. Shes alternately diffident and steely holding an unblinking gaze with the ease of a killer. open image in gallery Katya enlisted at 19, but after years of dealing with the dead and injured she found she could not sleep, speak and suffered debilitating headaches ( Supplied ) She spent two years running medical evacuations under fire in Ukraines special forces. She remembers the first time she was hit by an explosion and thrown several yards, smashing her head. She also remembers when a 155mm artillery shell crashed into the ground next to her but did not explode. The rest of her injuries are a blur: I got concussions on every mission. Brain scans of physical traumatic brain injury look very similar to PTSD scans. The symptoms can be similar. PTSD is a vicious circle of glitching between the brains memory bank the hippocampus and the amygdala that controls threat responses and the front of the brain thats supposed to put data into rational context. Sufferers endure hyper-vigilance, distorted threat responses and cognitive decline. It can feel like being a ghost or living in irrational agony. I started losing weight in March 2023, Katya explains. We had an active phase in Bakhmut. I was working with the dead and injured. I was so mentally and physically exhausted that I weighed 44kg. I could not sleep. I was very aggressive. open image in gallery In Katyas experience, the ketamine sessions have brought her spiritual warmth and new experiences ( The Independent ) Katya also suffered the trauma of grief while on active duty with the death of her older brother in the spring of that same year as he led an assault on Russian infantry. After my brother died, I became very aggressive and scatterbrained, she recalls. I don't remember two months of my life at all it was very intense. Mission after mission, without rest. I was so exhausted, I could not sleep, I could not talk to people. I was stuttering, I had constant headaches, I was feeling inadequate. I was not stable and coherent. I was not in control. Katya was treated with ketamine privately at the Expio clinic in Kyiv, founded by the countrys pioneer in using psychedelics Dr Vladislav Matrenitsky. The Ukrainian governments response to the PTSD crisis has been led by the Lisova Polyana psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of the capital. Therapists there have worked with more than 1,000 former prisoners of war, many of whom have endured intense torture in Russia. Traditional therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy can take two, three or five years, says neurologist Dr Kseniia Vosnitsyna, head of the hospital. But therapy under close supervision using ketamine has had staggeringly quick results, she explains. Dr Vosnitsya, who has pioneered a government programme in the use of ketamine, wants to open up research here into psychedelics. open image in gallery PTSD is a vicious circle of glitching between the brains memory bank, which controls threat responses, and the front of the brain that puts data into rational context ( Shutterstock/Designua ) We are constantly searching for more tools that can be used. And its not just about the CBT, classic psychotherapy can last two-three-five years. So we need to find something that works fast. Thats why [we are interested in] psychedelic therapy; it gives faster results. And we need it because we need to get people back to the front line faster. The military imperative is stark. Ukraine is short of soldiers. They need to be repaired and sent back to fight again. Up to 80 per cent of the troops who come through Lisova Polyana end up back in the army. Ketamine could speed that process up. Studies in the UK by teams of scientists at Imperial and Kings College in London have shown remarkable success in using psychedelics to treat depression and PTSD. But the use of ketamine in medical care has been easier to apply in Ukraine and elsewhere because it doesnt require special licensing. Patients get intense therapy before, during, and after their session under the influence of ketamine. They take the drug under supervision, often blindfolded and wearing earphones playing soothing music. They enter a conscious state that takes them on a deep dive into their subconscious. The drug, like psilocybin (also known as magic mushrooms), LSD, and ayahuasca all therapies being investigated elsewhere adds neuroplasticity to the brain, making it able to learn quicker. There is growing scientific evidence that these therapies effectively rewire the human mind and repair burned-out circuits. But it is not straightforward. open image in gallery Katya receives care shortly after being injured in an explosion while on duty in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine ( Supplied ) This experience may be painful. It's not an easy walk in the park, says Iryna Feofanova, a ketamine therapist at Forest Glade where traumatised soldiers wander the corridors, sit silently in the woods and play silent games of pool in echoing halls. It's not some euphoric experience. Mostly it's a painful, prickly experience. But it's a very important one. From what I hear from my patients, it's bearable. It's painful, but it's something you can get through, feel through. For Katya, who had been so exposed to death, the end of life was less confusing than the living of it. It was very important to me to stop surviving and start living, explains the former marine sergeant. I had no goal - my only goal was to kill more Russians, to win, and then I will figure it out. But I never expected to live so long. I thought I would be dead already and I would not have these questions [about a future life]. But it turned out that I did not die, and I had to deal with them. open image in gallery Therapists at Lisova Polyana psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of Kyiv have worked with more than 1,000 former prisoners of war, many of whom have endured torture in Russia ( The Independent ) Katya, who is now studying business, has gone through multiple ketamine sessions under the guidance of Dr Matrenitsky, who says that anecdotally, he is seeing successful treatment of about 70 per cent of PTSD patients. It became clear that standard first-line, so-called first-line treatment which is psychotherapy plus antidepressants does not work efficiently. It's estimated that about 60 per cent of people who suffer PTSD, and veterans particularly, are not responding to first-line therapy, he explains. A very important mechanism for ketamine and other psychedelic actions is that it creates a state of enhanced neuroplasticity which continues for several days after infusion. During these days peoples brains usually better process information in general and dramatic information people may have some insights, new understandings, take new decisions. open image in gallery Dr Kseniia Vosnitsyna, head of the hospital, emphasises the potential of psychedelics as they appear to work quicker than traditional therapy ( The Independent ) In Katyas experience, the ketamine sessions have brought her a spiritual warmth and new experiences from different religions, to visions of Judaisms tree of life, flying through space and meeting old friends. With the help of the drug she says, she experienced hallucinations of nuclear mushroom clouds and plumbed the depths of her most traumatic experiences that brought her back to the present. I travelled from Valhalla to space. I learned to live now and to have a vision for the future. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Far-right French politician Marine Le Pen, who was convicted last week of embezzling public funds and banned from running for office, cited Martin Luther King Jr in her bid to regain power. Speaking in a video appearance for an anti-immigration Italian party at a meeting in Florence, she evoked the spirit of the US civil rights campaigner as she challenged her five year ban. Our fight will be a peaceful fight, a democratic fight. We will follow Martin Luther King [Jr], who defended civil rights, as an example." Le Pen went on to say the existence of France was at stake during a speech in Paris on Sunday. Thousands of supporters gathered at Place Vauban, near the golden dome of Les Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon, for what was billed as a protest but observers said it had all the markings of a campaign rally. A Paris court convicted Le Pen and several National Rally (RN) party members of embezzling EU funds last week and imposed a sentence that will prevent her from standing in France's 2027 presidential election unless she can get the ruling overturned within 18 months. Le Pen was found guilty of using European parliament funds meant for aides to pay party staff in France. Supporters of the far-right National Rally party in France waved French flags and chanted we will win at the protest. Le Pen, 56, said: "I do not know giving up. I do not know surrender. We are committed to the fight." open image in gallery Le Pen supporters near the parliament in Paris on Sunday ( AP ) She also spoke to the crowd about patriotism and painted herself and her supporters as the real and loyal France. "We have to fight the people who want to thwart us at every step, she said. On the other side of the Seine on Sunday, hundreds gathered for a counter-rally led by left-wing parties. "This is bigger than Marine Le Pen," said Green Party leader Marine Tondelier. "It's about defending the rule of law from people who think justice is optional." The leader of Frances National Rally party, which was set up as the National Front by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 1972, is one of the most prominent figures of the European far right. Although her ban from public office begins immediately, her jail sentence and fine will only be confirmed once Le Pen has exhausted her appeals against the ruling. She has appealed the courts decision and vowed to use all the legal means available to run in the election. The court has said it will issue a ruling on the appeal in the summer of 2026. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Pope Francis has made a surprise entrance to St Peter's Square during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick and health workers marking his first public appearance at the Vatican since leaving hospital two weeks ago after a life-threatening bout with pneumonia. He appeared on stage in a wheelchair and waved to the crowds before speaking. "Hello to everybody," the pope said, speaking in a frail voice while receiving oxygen via a breathing tube under his nose. "Happy Sunday to all of you, thank you very much, he added. The pope, 88, had not been seen in public since 23 March, when he appeared at his window before leaving Rome's Gemelli hospital. The Pope appeared on stage in a wheelchair and waved to the crowds before speaking ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Once he returned to the Vatican, doctors prescribed him a further two-months of rest to fully heal. He usually offers a weekly noon-time prayer in St. Peter's Square on Sundays, but he has not been able to do this since getting ill. Pope Francis was admitted to hospital on 14 February for an infection which developed into pneumonia - an especially serious condition for him as he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. He had two critical episodes during his treatments that were life-threatening, according to one of his doctors. Francis came so close to death at one point during his 38-day stay in hospital that his doctors considered ending treatment so he could die in peace, the head of his medical team said last month. However, the pontiffs condition has got better and since Friday his breathing, movement and speaking has improved, according to the Vatican. Blood tests have also shown an improvement in his lung infection. It comes after King Charles and Queen Camillas state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church located in the Vatican, was postponed. Several Vatican events have been removed from the itinerary in Rome, with the remaining engagements in the Italian capital spread over two days. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump is peeved. His officials are starting to spin that his plans for almost instant peace in Ukraine may take a lot longer, while Vladimir Putins business envoy heads for the White House, supposedly to make amends. Yet what it truly reveals is that the 47th president continues to be played by the Kremlin. Trump has unleashed a trade war, expressed colonial designs on two Nato members, scrambled Ukraines defensive war plans, shown public contempt for Europe and set about the pillars of American democracy with a sledgehammer. Trump has shown a remarkable ability to interpret Moscows deepest desires and to deliver on them. That the US president is now saying he is pissed off with Putin and is considering considering increasing tariffs and sanctions on Russia, is play acting. The US-Russia trade account is worth about $3.5bn (2.8bn). Thats nothing. The US doesnt do enough trade with Russia to make sanctions or tariffs mean anything. A meaningful threat, one that he has used and applied to Ukraine, would have been in the military realm. open image in gallery Firefighters at a civilian enterprise following a drone attack in Kharkiv ( AFP via Getty ) To force Kyiv into agreeing to a ceasefire, Trump cut military aid and then refused to share its intelligence with Ukraine at a time when the Russians were, surprise, surprise, launching a massive offensive to retake the Kursk region from Kyivs troops. The 30-day ceasefire on the Black Sea and a cessation in attacks against energy facilities is desperately needed by Moscow, not Kyiv. Ukraine now rules the Black Sea, and its targeting of Russian energy systems is bringing the war back to Russia. Cutting military aid and intelligence sharing meant that European nations, including the UK, have rushed to Ukraines aid and are frantically planning for a new world without the US security umbrella that has kept them safe for 80 years and been mostly funded by the US taxpayer. Americas global power and reach are waning by the day as a consequence of Trumps assaults on the West and his slavish behaviour towards Moscow. And yet the White House sees no need to reverse this. Rather, in a series of meetings and calls over the weekend, officials inside the White House and the state department acknowledged that Putin is actively resisting Washingtons attempts to strike a lasting peace accord and discussed what, if any, economic or diplomatic punishments could push Russia closer to a deal, Reuters reported. Only a team that saw no problem with exploiting Russias invasion and mass murder in Ukraine to try to force a minerals deal by handing control of most of Ukraines resources forever (plus backpay on previous funding for its war plus interest) could have been blind to Russias agenda. Russia wants all of Ukraines resources too. The US has indicated, not that it is theirs to gift, that the 20 per cent of Ukraine that Russia has already stolen is Moscows for the keeping. open image in gallery The US government has acknowledged that Vladimir Putin is actively resisting peace ( AP ) Russia has been keen to encourage the Trump regime to end the US isolation of Moscow and get back into business with the oligarchs and crooks who run the multinational Russian federation, or empire. To further this idea, Kirill Dmitriev, the chief of Russias sovereign wealth fund and Putins special investment and international economic adviser, is heading to talks in the US with Steve Witkoff, Trumps Middle East and Russia envoy. Witkoff was using an unsecured personal mobile phone when he was part of the infamous Signal group on which secret military operational plans were being discussed by Trumps top intelligence officials, including the heads of the CIA and the director of national intelligence. Dmitriev, who has a Harvard MBA and is an old friend of Trumps inner circle, will play Witkoff like a violin and his tunes will be all Russian. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraines minerals have become central to global geopolitics, with the US president, Donald Trump, seeking a deal with Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky to access them. On April 30, Ukraines prime minister Denys Shmyhal said a minerals deal could be signed within the next 24 hours after the final details were worked out. Earlier in the month, Ukrainian economy minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, took to X and shared photos of her and US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, signing the outline of the preliminary minerals deal separately. What are these minerals exactly and why are they so sought after? Ukraine is often recognised for its vast agricultural lands and industrial heritage, but beneath its surface lies one of the worlds most remarkable geological formations, the Ukrainian Shield. This massive, exposed crystalline rock formed over 2.5 billion years ago, stretches across much of Ukraine. It represents one of Earths oldest and most stable continental blocks. The formation has undergone multiple episodes of mountain building, the formation and movement of magma and other change throughout time. These geological processes created favourable geological conditions for forming several mineral deposits including lithium, graphite, manganese, titanium and rare earth elements. All these are now critical for modern industries and the global green energy transition. Ukraine has deposits containing 22 of 34 critical minerals identified by the European Union as essential for energy security. This positions Ukraine among the worlds most resource-rich nations. International race As the world races to decarbonise, demand for critical minerals is skyrocketing. Electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels and energy storage systems all require lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements which Ukraine has in abundance. The price of lithium has surged from US$1,500 (1,164) per ton in the 1990s to around $20,000 per ton in recent years. Demand is expected to increase nearly 40-fold by 2040. open image in gallery Lithium is used in electronics the world over ( Getty Images ) According to the International Energy Agency, the number of electric vehicles is projected to exceed 125 million by 2030. Similar growth is expected for other battery metals. Each electric vehicle requires significantly more lithium than conventional electronics. For example, a Tesla Model S battery requires approximately 63kg of high-purity lithium. Ukraine has three major lithium deposits. These include Shevchenkivske in the Donetsk region as well as Polokhivske and Stankuvatske in the centrally located Kirovograd region all within the Ukrainian Shield. Despite the significant mineral potential, many of Ukraines mineral deposits have remained largely unexplored due to the war with Russia, which has disrupted mining operations and damaged infrastructure. The Shevchenkivske lithium deposit contains high concentrations of spodumene the primary lithium-bearing mineral used in battery production. Its reserve is estimated as 13.8 million tonnes of lithium ores. That said, extracting it requires an estimated US$1020 million in exploration investment before mining can begin. Meanwhile, the Polokhivske deposit at is approximately 270 thousand tonnes of lithium is considered one of the best lithium sites in Europe. Thats because of its favourable geological conditions, making extraction more economically viable. But lithium represents just one element of Ukraines mineral resources. According to the US geological survey, Ukraine ranks globally as the third-largest producer of the mineral rutile making up 15.7 per cent of worlds total output. It is the sixth-largest producer of iron ore (3.2 per cent of total output) and titanium (5.8 per cent), as well as the seventh-largest producer of manganese ore (3.1 per cent). open image in gallery Wind turbines at a solar energy plant in Germany ( AP ) Ukraine also has Europes largest uranium reserves, crucial for nuclear power and weapons. It boasts significant deposits of rare earth elements, including neodymium and dysprosium, which are needed for manufacturing everything from smartphones to wind turbines and electric motors. In addition, Ukraine is home to the worlds largest proven reserves of manganese ores. Theres approximately 2.4 billion tonnes of it concentrated primarily in the Nikopol Basin on the southern slope of the Ukrainian Shield. The strategic significance of Ukraines minerals has gained recognition in international diplomacy. Recent bilateral negotiations between Ukraine and the US highlight the geopolitical importance of these resources. A proposed minerals deal would involve Ukraine contributing 50 per cent of future proceeds from state-owned mineral resources, oil and gas and other extractable materials to a reconstruction investment fund for Ukraines post-war rebuilding. The fund would be jointly managed by Kyiv and Washington. What about the USs own minerals? The USs interest in Ukrainian minerals reflects a broader geopolitical concern over increasing demand, volatile price movements and supply chain vulnerabilities. While the US has many of the same critical minerals as Ukraine, it has historically outsourced mining and refining due to environmental regulations, high labour costs and more attractive foreign markets. This has led to a reliance on imports, particularly from China, which dominates critical mineral production and processing. Getting access to Ukraines minerals in exchange for military protection means the US can avoid having to buy these minerals from China. open image in gallery A man holds a lithium stone found in a mine ( AP ) The US federal strategy in fact states it will prioritise diversification through mineral security partnerships aiming to establish a more stable and resilient supply chain. The USs critical minerals are distributed across various geological provinces including the Appalachian Mountains, the Cordilleran Belt and the Precambrian Shield exposed in parts of the midwest. While the US has developed substantial lithium resources, particularly in Nevadas Clayton Valley and North Carolinas Kings Mountain, much of its current lithium production comes from brine operations. This is the extraction from salt solutions, such as seawater or saline lakes, which can be more expensive than hard-rock mining. The global shift toward green energy and electric transportation is accelerating, and minerals are at the heart of this transition. Around 80 per cent of the lithium produced globally is used for battery production. Major automakers are investing billions in electric vehicle production, driving unprecedented demand for the minerals that power this technology. Ukraines mineral wealth positions it as a potential leader in the clean energy revolution. Once stability returns, Ukraine will have a golden opportunity to reshape the global supply chain for critical minerals. Even with a 50 per cent allocation to the US, Ukraine would still be able to fund domestic infrastructure, industry growth, jobs and economic recovery. Munira Raji is a Research Fellow of Geology at the University of Plymouth This article was originally published by The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article Close Zelensky condemns Russian strikes on hometown: Diplomacy means nothing to them On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Ukrainian team will visit Washington this week for crunch talks on a minerals deal, the first visit since the deal collapsed in dramatic fashion five weeks ago. Volodymyr Zelensky was set to sign a framework agreement in late February before he was booted out of the White House, when a furious Donald Trump berated the Ukrainian president for not being thankful enough for US war assistance. Since then, teams from Kyiv and Washington have been working to hash out a revised agreement - and to rebuild a broken relationship. Washington has proposed a more expansive minerals deal which could give it access to valuable mineral resources, including titanium, lithium, and uranium, according to economy minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. But the deal has not yet been agreed by Ukraine and it is unclear exactly how close the two sides are to reaching an agreement. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has urged Russia to stop bombing Ukraine, after a ballistic missile strike in Kryvyi Rih killed 20, including nine children., We are talking to Russia. We would like them to stop, Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One. I dont like the bombing, the bombing goes on and on, and every week thousands of young people being killed. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two Labour MPs have been denied entry to and deported from Israel in a move described as deeply concerning by the UK foreign secretary. Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected at the Israeli border after being accused of planning to spread anti-Israel hatred. Ms Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, had flown to the country from Luton airport on Saturday afternoon. Foreign secretary David Lammy hit out at the unacceptable Israeli decision and said it was no way to treat British parliamentarians. It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities, Mr Lammy said. open image in gallery Abtisam Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, had flown to the country from Luton airport on Saturday ( via REUTERS ) I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. The UK governments focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza. The Israeli embassy in the UK said Ms Yangs and Ms Mohameds visit was intended to provoke, harm Israeli citizens, and spread falsehoods about them. It is Israel's responsibility to prevent the entry of such individuals (just as is the practice in the United Kingdom), it added. Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice In Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, a vast landfill choked with smoke from decades of decomposing waste serves as an unlikely marketplace for a devastating drug. Amid the billowing soot and the stench of decay, young people like Zainab gather to purchase kush, a cheap synthetic drug wreaking havoc on communities. The landfill, a symbol of the city's struggle with waste management, has become a grim backdrop to a growing public health crisis. This kush is so addictive," she said. "If I dont smoke, I feel sick. Her current home, a shack of corrugated iron, contains only a tattered mattress where she brings her clients as a sex worker. She uses her income to sustain her drug addiction. She is one of many women in Sierra Leone who, as a result of social factors that include living conditions and stigma, have not benefited from intervention efforts after the government a year ago declared a public health emergency over rampant kush abuse. The declaration was meant to enforce criminal, public health and prevention measures to reverse the trend in Sierra Leone, as kush spreads to other parts of West Africa. The drug has been seized in Gambia, Senegal and Guinea. Public health emergency over kush While officials say kush has become scarcer on the streets in Sierra Leone, critics say programs are still underfunded and inadequate. Despite new criminal, public health and prevention measures, only about 300 people have gone through the countrys official rehab program, according to available data. Most have been men. Women have been less visible in the crisis. Rights groups say they are historically left out. Only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receive treatment compared to one in seven men, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The agency said women are usually more vulnerable to gender-based violence, economic discrimination and human rights violations. Fewer women receive help The situation is not so different in Sierra Leone where various advocacy groups spoke about how women are not as visible as men in coming forward to receive support and often do not get adequate help. Far more men, though, use drugs compared to women, experts say. Zainab said five years of smoking Kush has brought shame and isolation. She said no one has helped her, and spoke about days she gets so high that I did not know what was happening around me. But she wants to stop for her children. One night while at work, flames engulfed their home with the two infants inside. They survived, but she entrusted them to an orphanage, haunted by the fire. I would love to hear my children call me mummy again, she said, her scarred face breaking into a smile. Kush is a depressant. Its short, intense effect often leaves users senseless. Symptoms of addiction range from sores to psychosis. Liver, kidney and respiratory problems are common. Kush is difficult to combat The drug's evolving composition, low cost and widespread availability make it difficult to combat in Sierra Leone, one of the worlds poorest countries. A recent report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime earlier this year found that nearly half of kush samples tested contained opioids up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl. The drug's content were largely unknown before now, hindering response efforts, experts noted. Kadiatu Koroma with the local Women for Women Foundation nonprofit said her organization has seen a rise in drug use among women and girls in recent years. When they are very drowsy men will just come and take advantage, she said. Left vulnerable after using the drug, the women are impregnated and they dont even know the men who did it. 25 strains of the drug At Sierra Leone's Kissy Psychiatric Hospital, health workers described encountering 25 different strains of the drug in the wider Freetown area. In one of two female wards, nurse Kadiatu Dumbuya said 90% of kush addicts she has attended to during her six years in the hospital have "sold their body to feed the habit. And yet, among the 50 people majority of whom are kush users who filed into one of Sierra Leones two government-run rehab centers on a recent day, only three were women. Only 300 people have accessed the seven-week program at the Hasting Military Center since it opened in February 2024, guarded by the military and surrounded by barbed wire. Just 40 of the beneficiaries are women. Officials say the program is gender-sensitive, with men and women separated by a fence. However, staff said stigma and family pressure mean women often deny their addictions and refrain from seeking support. A drop in the ocean In most cases, we have 10% of girls that come to our attention. That doesnt mean the girls arent addicts they feel shy in their communities, said Ansu Konneh, who works with the Sierra Leone's Ministry of Social Welfare. It is a drop in the ocean, he says. Due to funding challenges, an ambassador program for recovered addicts from the center has stalled, and admissions were halted for five months. When it resumed, some of the parents on the 2,000 person-long waiting list said their children had died. Among those desperate for help was Melda Lansana, who said she visited the ministry several times to secure a rehab spot for her 18-year-old daughter, Khadija. When I was taking it, I couldnt wash, I couldnt take care of myself, Khadija said, recalling the relief of the days spent in the center last August. Without money for school, she struggles to get her life on track. Due to family tensions, she has chosen to live on the streets with her boyfriend. She vows shes clean. Her mother suspects shes still using. Funding challenges slow progress Progress against kush is slow, much like other parts of the world where the fight against synthetic drugs is often difficult. Officials acknowledge the government has struggled to provide livelihood or business support to ease reintegration, particularly for beneficiaries without formal education - a step advocates say would help women. Last year's emergency declaration, lauded by civil society, has helped shift the approach from punishment to care but the response is only "65% of what it should be, said Habib Kamara, director of the Social Linkages For Youth Development And Child Link, a local nonprofit involved in the fight against drug use. The organization is one of the few that have offered targeted support to female users, especially to vulnerable populations like sex workers, through community peer support, free family planning and beauty sessions to help build confidence. We have to meet the women where they are, Kamara said. Marie Kamara, 19, rejected kush for another drug - Tramadol, which experts have warned is also dangerous. She saw kush as too risky and was put off by her friends' stench and oozing sores. One night, she said, she and her friend Yabu were chased by a kush dealer. Marie escaped. Yabu didnt. They raped her just because of kush, Marie said. Months later, Yabu died from the effects of the drug, Marie said her second friend lost to kush. Let me not die like them," Marie said. "I pray. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice As theories go, Airport Theory is not really up there with evolution or relativity. It is a social media phenomenon in which travellers in the US time themselves going through American airports, from bag drop via security to boarding gate. The theory is that you can often whizz through in 15 minutes. But it is full of holes. For a start, normal passengers at New York JFK Terminal 4 (used by Delta and Virgin Atlantic) will be barely halfway through queuing for security by the end of the first quarter-hour. Many Airport Theory influencers on TikTok and Instagram have evidently paid around $80 (62) for PreCheck a security fast track with the promise 99 per cent of passengers wait less than 10 minutes. All the Airport Theory videos I see are for US domestic flights, which means no labyrinthine duty-free spiral of doom to navigate, nor passport control. But attempting a Schiphol scamper at Amsterdam airport for a flight to the UK could end in tears (possibly those of transit passengers skittled by a late-running influencer). Ridiculous conceit that it is, at least Airport Theory invites travellers to consider how much time to allow before a flight. In the 1980s, the British Airways Shuttle allowed you to turn up at the gate at Heathrow, Edinburgh or Glasgow 10 minutes before departure and still catch the plane paying for your ticket on board. When easyJet and Ryanair began the no-frills revolution, each had a 20-minute check-in. But with expanding airports and increasing security, everything has got slower and more complicated. Ryanair demands 40 minutes, while easyJet is up to an hour at some airports. I took a poll of colleagues about when they would arrive for a 1pm flight to Malaga. All said two to three hours ahead apart from one who lives near Heathrow and will allow 90 minutes with cabin baggage only and already checked in. So many potential hurdles stand between you and the boarding gate. Driving? How bad will the traffic be and how long will it take to get from the car park to the terminal? Public transport? How likely is a cancellation or delay? Checking in bags? How long will the line be? One key variable is the time for airport security queue. Outside the UK and US, you need to add in passport control. Then theres uncertainty about the distance to the departure gate and the risk of a bus transfer to the plane which is likely to mean a rule of be at the gate 30 minutes ahead is strictly enforced. And with children in tow, you can more or less double everything. The consequences of missing your flight also vary. If its an easyJet hop on a route with lots of departures, if you miss it you can pay a rescue fare of 110 to get on the next available one. But if you have a business-class trip to Australia, and a cruise booked at the other end, you will probably want to err on the side of an abundance of caution. One colleague insisted: Early is on-time and on-time is late. Four hours ahead of departure, then? Way too long. An hour and a bit is my policy. Any more, and you will squander some of your valuable life in the airport, a location on a par with prisons and hospitals in terms of wanting to minimise the time spent there. Except there are many more ways to relieve you of your cash while you wait. Airports love dwell time, when passengers sip overpriced coffee or head for the shops. To reduce the time and money wasted at the airport, eliminate all the uncertainties you can, and then build in a bit of padding. Online check-in Use public transport, ideally rail, with a published schedule. Calculate the last possible train to get you to the airport at least an hour before your plane is due to go. Then take the one before No checked-in luggage no need to allow an indeterminate time at bag drop, and by taking only carry-on you eliminate the risk of lost baggage On a trip to Singapore earlier this year, I was glad to have followed my own advice. I turned up at Heathrow 70 minutes before BA11 was due to depart. So when the A380 SuperJumbo was cancelled because of a technical problem, scuppering the plans of more than 400 passengers, I was still landside with no luggage to collect and could rearrange a flight immediately. When the travel gods conspire against you, though, do not hesitate to queue-jump. Ask other less-pressed passengers if you might go to the head of the line. Just make it clear you are not an Airport Theory influencer. Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue and what it means for you. An aid worker who survived being fired at by the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza described his experience. New footage released on April 6, appears to contradict Israel's initial explanation for why soldiers opened fire on a convoy of ambulances and a fire truck last month, killing 15. I took cover going down in the cabin in the back seat to protect myself from the shooting, the survivor, who works for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society told Sky News I didnt hear a sound from my colleagues, god have mercy on them, except the last gasps of death they added. Israel's army has since admitted its soldiers made mistakes over the killing of the emergency workers. The Chinese Communist Party, apostle of free trade. In a strange new world, that was the strangest thing, as shares crashed in reaction to President Donald Trumps opening salvo of tariffs in a global trade war. The market has spoken, said the foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, writing in English on Facebook which is, by the way, banned in China. No double standards there, then. Beijing can always keep a straight face when it matters. Politically, the Chinese government can scarcely believe its luck. It has stepped forward as a voice of reason and stability in a chorus of discord to promote the false narrative that it has been a model of good behaviour since it joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 11 December 2001, a date that seems destined to live in the textbooks as the peak of globalisation. The Trump tariffs are a typical act of unilateral bullying, complained a spokesperson for Chinas Commerce Ministry. This approach disregards the balance of interests achieved through years of multilateral trade negotiations and ignores the fact that the US has long gained substantial profits from international trade, the spokesperson added. The official news agency, Xinhua, said the tariffs were a weapon to suppress Chinas economy and trade and told the United States to stop undermining the legitimate development rights of the Chinese people. It would be a mistake to write off Chinese rhetoric. The regime of Xi Jinping is serious and its actions speak louder than words. Clue: China has listed legitimate development rights as one of its red lines in dealing with the US. The term is code for the export-led economic model which has propelled the country to the rank of second largest economy on earth since it joined the WTO. Understand that and you understand that for China this is existential. There could be no greater contrast to the whirlwind in Washington than the disciplined, efficiently executed responses announced by Beijing in nine statements outlining reprisals that went beyond mere numbers. Xi himself did not deign to speak publicly, let alone do anything as vulgar as posting on social media in capital letters. The Chinese public would have thought it beneath his dignity. Untroubled by such niceties, Trump swiftly posted to his followers online that CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED. With all due respect to the American president, that is exactly what they did not do. The Xi hit list is ominous because it is well-planned and researched. The Red Emperor rules a mandarin class of sophisticated operators who do nothing else but study Chinas opponents using every intelligence tool at their disposal. The easy part for China was to impose reciprocal 34 per cent tariffs on all American imports from 10 April. It also suspended six American firms from exporting to China, launched anti-dumping actions in the medical sector and targeted the US giant DuPont with a probe into potential monopoly practices. The hard part showed just how thoroughly the Chinese had done their work. No penguin islands or weird mathematics here. They banned the export of dual use items, which could have military or civilian applications, to 16 US firms, all in the technology sector. Their key move was to put export controls on seven rare earth elements to safeguard national security. Its on the public record that some of these are vital to US weapons systems. The list of rare earths included terbium, which is used to enhance the properties of specialised magnets used in guidance systems, satellites and radar. The magnets are integral to the state-of-the-art F-35 fighter, Predator drones, cruise missiles and nuclear submarines. Then theres dysprosium, a rare-earth element of which China controls nearly all the worlds supply. It is used to make high-grade magnets that work in super-heated conditions and is found in the newest semiconductors. Other rare earths on the list are vital to jet engine turbine blades. All will now require special export licences. China and America are thus in a new kind of war over technology and artificial intelligence. Both Joe Biden and Trump tried to choke the supply of advanced semiconductors to Chinese manufacturers, while China is seeking to choke the supply of raw materials to Americas tech champions. Its not hard to see how dangerous this could get. The founder of free-trading modern Singapore, the late Lee Kuan Yew, once told me in an interview that World War Two was caused because of empires and protectionism. He recalled that in the 1940s an oil embargo on Imperial Japan pushed its military leaders into war and he warned that if the West tried to isolate China economically that is bound to lead to conflict. Lee was talking in the 1990s, when China stood on the threshold of globalisation. It joined the WTO only after hard-fought talks. But Charlene Barshevsky, who sealed the deal for the United States, later lamented that the Americans failed to use the WTO to punish Beijing when it broke the rules. That created the belief that appeasement and elite inertia condemned the American working class to decline, the foundation story of Trumps movement to Make America Great Again. So it is some irony that the Chinese have just filed a formal complaint about Trumps tariffs with the World Trade Organisation. Michael Sheridan, longtime foreign correspondent and diplomatic editor of The Independent, is the author of The Red Emperor published by Headline Press at 25 Sources said some US companies here were toning down language around such policies. Photo: Getty US multinationals in Ireland are coming under increasing pressure to act on Donald Trumps Stateside crackdown on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies here. Industry sources told the Sunday Independent that some US companies with operations here were now toning down language around DEI policies. Actions included not speaking at DEI- related events and not putting themselves up for relevant DEI awards. Some have also had to pull back from particular targets, programmes, pledges or memberships. Its widespread. Every age cohort, every walk of life. Fraud doesnt see the customer, it sees the account, CEO of Bank of Ireland Retail on a scourge of the digital era Writer, Kate Kerrigan 'I bought a tiny apartment off Grafton Street in the '90s and it's still feeding me and my family to this day.' Kate Kerrigan (above) is currently touring Ireland and the UK with her one-woman show 'Am I Irish Yet? See katekerrigan.ie. Photo: Alison Laredo Kate Kerrigan is a New York Times best-selling author whos currently touring the UK and Ireland with her one-woman show Am I Irish Yet?, which explores her identity as a second-generation Irishwoman who grew up in Thatchers Britain and moved to small-town Ireland. Kerrigan is the nom de plume of Morag Prunty, who left school at 15, trained as a hairdresser, and broke into magazine journalism when she was still a teenager. She went on to become editor of magazines such as Just Seventeen, More!, and Irish Tatler. The writer lives in Killala, Co Mayo, with her artist husband Niall Kerrigan. For tickets to Kerrigans show, go to katekerrigan.ie. Entertainment The brothers behind the Theatre of Light in Dublins Point Village have overseen a 3m investment in a new 1,951 sq m immersive family playground. John and Dan Gleeson are set to open Dream Point, a multi-room interactive playground for families at their venue in the Point Square Shopping Centre. The purpose-built site includes what they claim is Irelands largest-ever ball pit, light-reactive inflatables and immersive projection rooms sourced from across the world. Trump has sought to blame the Signal messaging app for the Houthi attack plan snafu. 'Katherine Maher, the leftist NPR CEO, is currently the chair of the board of [messaging app] Signal. What are the odds?' he said. Photo: Getty A former chief executive of an Irish software company is suing the firm for alleged negligence which she said led to her imprisonment in Abu Dhabi 10 years ago. Sinead Branagh, from Glendalough, Co Wicklow, is seeking over 500,000 in lost earnings plus personal injury damages for psychological trauma suffered after she was detained for five days in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June 2015. Trainer was childhood friend of the late Sadie Andrew Willie Mullins, who trained the winner of the Aintree Grand National on Saturday, has spoken of the profound double emotional impact of the victory on him. Not only was the winner ridden by his son Patrick, but the late Sadie Andrew the co-owner of National victor Nick Rockett was a childhood friend who died from cancer in 2022. The champion trainer in the UK and Ireland said he was just speechless while watching his son, amateur jockey Patrick Mullins, ride to victory in national hunt racings most prestigious race. The Closutton, Co Carlow, handlers horses also came second, third, fifth and seventh in the historic chase. Following the poignant win, Mullins told RTE Radio 1s Sunday with Miriam that it was off the charts for him to see his son winning his first Grand National as a jockey made all the more special that it was trained by him. I was just stunned speechless...watching your son winning, in our world, whats the greatest thing we can win, he said. To be able to leg your son up in a race like that is just an achievement in itself, and then to be able to win it and train it, it doesnt get any better. You must realise Patrick is a very tall guy, so every year the weights come out, he can ride about four horses in the top weights, so the amount of horses that he could ride in it over his lifetime, you could probably count on one hand. And then, to be lucky enough to get him one that wins, its just unbelievable. Its off the charts for us. The owner of Nick Rockett, Stewart Andrew, whose wife Sadie died from cancer in December 2022, just five days after watching Nick Rockett in his debut race, was also overcome watching the victory. On the added poignancy of the feat, Mullins (68) said: Sadie, Stewarts wife, was in the same class [as me], and he actually sent me a photograph of our first Holy Communion last year. I just happened to meet Sadie at the races one day in Cheltenham, and we sat down, had a cup of tea, and just spoke about our lives since we last met over 60 years ago. Trainer Willie Mullins after winning the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase with Nick Rockett on day three of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. Photo: David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA Wire. And coming away from that conversation, she said to Stewart, I want to have a horse with Willie. They rang me up shortly after that and we picked out a horse, Nick Rockett, and went on from there. She wanted the horse to run in November, whatever year, before he was a four-year-old. Normally, I wouldnt have those types of horses ready at that stage of the year. I said, OK, well do that for her, and this was for Stewarts 60th birthday. We got the horse ready, he finished fourth. In the meantime, Sadie had gone in for a regular test and got bad news, and she died within three months. Her name is still on the race card as being the owner, we never took it off. And the whole emotion of the whole thing. We were making the trip to go to the Melbourne Cup and chatting to Stewart one day on the phone, I just said, Look, come away with us. Come on down to Australia for the couple of weeks, and he did. He just [got on] fantastic with all my pals, and he came back again this year. So, weve become good friends on the back of the whole thing, and hes a great guy. The prolific winning trainer normally holds it together following his horses wins, but he was notably emotional after he saw his son winning the National. From the time the horses came around the elbow, and then I could see Patrick lengthening his stride, and I said, Thats it. I couldnt shout, I couldnt do anything, Mullins, himself a former jockey, said. I could just breathe and try and breathe heavier and catch more air in and then I just sort of broke down and just lost it and couldnt believe it. I couldnt pull myself together. And that was thinking of all the people that youd wish were there and enjoy it. It took me a long time to get it all together. At this stage, I still didnt know that wed finished third and fifth and seventh, and I didnt care. It was nothing else in my mind, just that Patrick had ridden a winner. I said, Theres only one horse I need to watch, the one my son is riding. Not because he had a chance, but he was my son, and if he got a fall or carried out or something stupid happened, I wanted to at least know how he was getting on, and thats what I did. Every fence, it was just my eyes on him. The father and son are now getting ready for the homecoming in Carlow. Well probably have a parade through Leighlinbridge, as we usually do, and visit all the different shops and pubs and bring the horse around, he added. Sigh of relief after pharmaceutical sector spared by Trump for now, but food and drink producers werent as lucky Few Irish businesses embody the nightmare caused by Donald Trumps tariff crusade better than Rob Horgans Velo Coffee. At first glance, it might appear to have avoided the worst fall-out from the Republicans Liberation Day tariff announcement. Velo doesnt have massive exports to the US, unlike Irish dairy and spirits firms such as Jameson, Kerrygold and Baileys. However, Velo perfectly illustrates how Trump taking a wrecking ball to global trade agreements could take years to resolve. It isnt as simple as firms that have major exports to the US and firms that do not, Mr Horgan explained. The businessman who employs 18 at his rapidly expanding coffee firm is also president of the Cork Chamber of Commerce. We import our coffee from some countries that have been hammered by US tariffs, and everyone now fears that these countries will now try to offset some of their new US costs with higher prices for their coffee on other world markets such as Europe and Asia. The EU is worried that China could dump products on European markets Velos four major coffee suppliers are Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and India. Brazil, El Salvador and Colombia each earned a 10pc tariff. However, India was hammered by a 27pc tariff. Nicaragua another major coffee producing nation was hit by an 18pc tariff, while Indonesia is reeling from a 32pc tariff. The old US adage is that the best way to gauge the mood of middle America is to check the price of gas, doughnuts and coffee. Almost every US analyst warned they now expect the price of the latter to soar over the coming months across the 50 states, as the impact of tariffs reaches the barista counter. Veteran analysts in Trumps own party had discreetly warned against heavy tariffs on coffee-producing nations, so concerned were they at a potential consumer backlash. For Rob Horgan, the situation is even more complex. Even if you ignore the situation in the coffee-producing countries, we get virtually all of our packaging from China, he said. China has been hit by a whopping 34pc tariff on their US exports. And on Friday, it responded by putting the same tariff on US imports into China, with the trade war now escalating. The major concern across the EU is that China could divert its produce away from suddenly prohibitive US markets to other parts of the globe. Brussels has already warned it will take firm steps to prevent such product dumping. The Velo boss admitted that there are no quick and easy answers for any exporter in Ireland or Europe. We export to a total of 56 countries, he said. I think that diversification of markets helps us. We export to the United Arab Emirates, the UK and across Asia. But everyone is concerned about what these tariffs will mean for global markets over the coming weeks and months. Everyone involved in the food business is acutely conscious of consumer sentiment and thats what everyone will now be watching. The fear is that, as markets recoil from the shock of the Trump tariffs, consumer confidence has been hit and that morning coffee becomes a luxury rather than a daily staple. Ireland Inc breathed a sigh of relief that its key pharmaceuticals sector earned a temporary tariff reprieve but then grimaced as key food exports were left reeling from a 20pc tariff hit. Last year, Ireland exported almost 1bn worth of dairy products, and almost 1bn worth of drinks and spirits to the US. Kerrygold is one of the bestselling butters in the US, and recently celebrated a best in market award in a prestigious New York Times food review. Ornua, Kerrygolds operating co-op, said that it regrets the US tariffs and urged negotiations between Brussels and Washington to avoid penal tariffs. Ireland is also a major exporter of high-end pharmaceutical products in fact, the third largest in the world. In 2024, the pharma industry boasted exports of over 110bn. Today, only Switzerland boasts a greater concentration of the worlds top pharmaceutical operations. Seven of the worlds top 15 pharma firms have major manufacturing sites in the greater Cork area with several having signalled major expansions over the past five years. Few doubt that Irelands pharma sector is next in the cross-hairs for Donald Trump. The US secretary of commerce, Howard Lutnick, speaking after the St Patricks celebrations in Washington, bluntly described Ireland as his favourite tax scam. His ultimate goal is to persuade American firms to relocate pharmaceutical manufacturing aimed at the US market back into the United States. Corporate taxation relocation is also a major US policy goal. And Trump wants technological intellectual property (TIP) also switched back to the US. They [Ireland] have all of our IP for our great tech companies and great pharma companies, he warned. They all put it there because it is low tax and they do not pay us. They pay them [Ireland], so that has got to end. Minutes after saying how much he loved Ireland and how heavily Irish-American voters had backed him in the 2024 election, Trump vowed to use tariffs to end what he described as the unfair treatment of the US by its friends. This beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasp, he remarked. Cork currently has 23 firms engaged in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Include medical technology another sector potentially subject to Trumpian tariffs and that figure expands to 32 firms. We need dialogue and diplomacy and a unified European response More than 14,000 people work in Munster greater pharmaceutical sector, and Cork-based factories manufacture five of the worlds eight best-selling drugs and medical treatments. While deeply embedded in the Irish economy and with third-level institutions, such as Munster Technological University (MTU), working closely with major firms such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly and GSK to develop specific courses for graduate training, the concern is that future new facilities and plant expansions may be focused on the US, rather than on Ireland and Europe. Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Conor Healy said there were major concerns, given the strategic importance of the agri-food sector and pharma industry to the Irish economy. The level of exposure will vary across sectors and businesses, from the large multinationals to the small to medium-sized enterprises, he said. Measures to mitigate the impact and safeguard jobs must be prioritised. In the short-term, continued support for SMEs is essential, by ensuring the resourcing of our state agencies and the trade sections of our diplomatic corps. They will need to play an enhanced role in supporting diversified market access. Tariffs are not a constructive tool for economic progress. Now more than ever, we need dialogue and diplomacy and a unified European response that works to de-escalate trade tensions and protect economic stability. Our business community is resilient but a coordinated and calm response is needed to navigate these challenges and ensure long-term economic stability. How two anonymous phone calls from Australia helped crack the investigation into Irene Whites brutal murder Mother-of-three Irene White (43) was killed exactly 20 years ago today on April 6, 2005, at her home in Dundalk, Co Louth. For eight years there was no significant breakthrough in the case, until an anonymous phone call from the other side of the world in 2013 advanced the investigation and ultimately resulted in two people being convicted. A new book by journalist Robin Schiller and retired detective Pat Marry details the hunt for those involved and the ongoing search for justice Irene White, main, was murdered in her home in Dundalk, inset bottom left, in 2005. Gardai received an anonymous phone tip-off about Anthony Lambe, inset top left Robin Schiller and Pat Marry Sun 6 Apr 2025 at 03:30 Shortly after midday on April 15, 2013, the landline in the office of the Serious Crime Review Team rang. It was Monday, and the team of detectives in the gardais cold case unit were preparing their workload for the busy week ahead. Detective Sergeant Frank Treacy was sitting at his desk in Harcourt Square that afternoon when he picked up the receiver, introducing himself and asking what the call was in relation to. A man shot dead by police at Milton Keynes railway station this week has been named by the UK police watchdog as 38-year-old Irish man David Joyce. Officers were called to the station at around 12.55pm on Tuesday following reports of a man carrying a gun. Armed officers challenged a white man who was carrying a knife outside the station before he moved at speed towards them. Shortly afterwards he was shot at close range, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched an investigation into the incident, said. The scene at Milton Keynes railway station (Andrew Matthews/PA) A single shot was fired by one officer, the watchdog added. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said: The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of this case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases. The Irish Mirror reported that Mr Joyce is a native of Co Galway. An IOPC statement continued: We have viewed police officers body worn video footage and a substantial amount of CCTV footage and established that, at around 1.04pm, the man was just outside the railway station main entrance with a knife in his hand and ran towards the officers. The man, David Joyce, 38, who lived in Milton Keynes, was given first aid by Thames Valley Police officers but died at the scene. His next of kin has been informed and he was formally identified at a post-mortem examination this morning. Forensic investigators at Milton Keynes train station (Andrew Matthews/PA) Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 6th The provisional cause of death is a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. We attended the police post incident procedures on Tuesday, where the officers involved provided their initial accounts of the incident. All officers who attended the scene are currently being treated as witnesses. We will be taking statements from members of the public who were at the station at the time and are looking to secure further CCTV from nearby public buildings. IOPC director Derrick Campbell said: Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this man and all of those affected by this tragic incident. Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police. We appreciate that this incident outside a busy train station will understandably cause concern. We know the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts as we piece together what happened and how. We have obtained details of some members of the public who witnessed the incident who we will be contacting, however we know there were many people near the station around the time of the shooting and we want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or has footage of it. We have contacted the mans family and will meet with them soon to explain our role. We will keep them regularly updated throughout our investigation. Residents in flats above Milton Keynes station reported hearing a single loud noise before a large police and ambulance presence arrived on Tuesday. Alan Brockbank, 70, said: All I heard sounded like something heavy had been dropped, it didnt sound like a shot or anything. A large police presence attended around 10 minutes later, he said, adding: Then, of course, they were all around the front of the building, actually we could see the person lying on the floor and they were trying to resuscitate him. He saw a man receiving CPR chest compressions who was partly obscured by the awning at the station exit. Another man who lives in the flats, but did not want to be identified, said he thought it was a gunshot immediately because it was really loud. From its island base off the west coast, a family business that exports luxurious Irish clothing to some of Americas most iconic stores awaits the backwash from President Donald Trumps announcement of sweeping tariffs. Inis Meain, a pioneering knitwear brand on Aran, has built up a strong following in international luxury markets. Followers of the brand include Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey, who famously modelled an Inis Meain sweater. Its range includes cashmere Aran hoodies (695) and a winter pub jacket for men, made from Alpaca and silk, cashmere and Merino (645), and stocked by 38 high-end US retailers, including Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdales. Half its exports are to the US. The founders hope the unique quality of their products will ensure the company will withstand the economic storm. We sell on design, quality and individuality. Those kinds of items dont traditionally get hit too badly by something like this, said Tarlach de Blacam, who founded the company with his wife Aine Ni Chonghaile who was raised on the island in 1973. The US accounts for half our business so a US economy crash and dollar collapse are also a disastrous prospect Trumps unilateral 10pc tariff on all goods into the US kicked in yesterday and a 20pc tariff on goods from the EU is to start this week. The tariffs will translate into hefty price increases on all US imports from Europe, but are expected to hit hardest on low-cost imports such as cheap products imported from China. What is more concerning to Inis Meain is the impact on the economy. Stock markets have been in turmoil since the tariffs were unveiled at the White House on Wednesday and have continued to plunge. Our product is very high quality, high value so a certain amount of increased fee might not be a complete disaster but a trade war tit for tat with ensuing further increased tariffs would be, said Marie-Therese de Blacam, who with her husband, Ruairi, is joint managing director of the company. The US accounts for half our business so a US economy crash and dollar collapse are also a disastrous prospect. Clearly, however, there is also a significant unquantifiable business cost in terms of research, time, strategy, worry, uncertainty, customer confidence and administration around this which is very unfortunate and we very much hope Trumps administration is as short as possible. It is causing very negative business disruption already since his taking office and months of threatening tariffs before taking action this week. The company is expanding its online business, so one positive from Trumps announcement was the decision to maintain the de minimis exemption. It means that products below a $800 threshold are allowed into the US tariff free except for those coming from China, which Trump plans to hit with a tax. Its very important that the de minimis rule has remained, Ms de Blacam said. So there are no taxes, tariffs or duty (fees) on imports into the US from the EU of under $800, which covers most of our products that we sell directly from our website to customers. Even as markets tumbled on Friday, online orders from the US continued to come in. The feedback from American customers that stock Inis Meain products will come in June, when it takes orders for its 2026 spring/summer collection. For us, its wait and see and hope it doesnt escalate, said Ms de Blacam. Rubio's NATO visit exposes mounting tensions, eroding trust in transatlantic ties Xinhua) 11:20, April 06, 2025 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet the press during a NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) Calling on European allies to significantly increase their defense spending, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeated Washington's commitment to NATO amid mounting tensions, eroding trust in transatlantic ties. BRUSSELS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended his first NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, where he reaffirmed Washington's position that Europe should take more responsibility for defending the alliance. As talks unfolded on critical issues such as the Ukraine crisis, defense spending, and NATO's strategic direction, growing questions emerged about whether Europe can afford to acquiesce to U.S. goals at the expense of its own core interests and whether the terms of the transatlantic partnership should be redefined. CONTENTIOUS GATHERING Calling on European allies to significantly increase their defense spending, Rubio repeated Washington's commitment to NATO at the meeting. U.S. President Donald Trump is not against NATO but "against a NATO that does not have the capabilities it needs to fulfill the obligations that the treaty imposes upon each and every member state," Rubio argued. Trump has called on NATO members to raise their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP -- a threshold that no member currently meets. According to NATO estimates, 23 of the alliance's 32 members met or exceeded the current 2 percent guideline last year, while major European economies such as Italy and Spain remain below the target, spending approximately 1.5 percent and 1.3 percent of GDP, respectively. In a February interview with Tagesspiegel newspaper, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected the 5 percent target as "unrealistic and unnecessary," arguing that such a level would consume nearly half of Germany's federal budget. The meeting's atmosphere grew tense after Trump announced a "Liberation Day" tariff plan on Wednesday, which includes a 20 percent "reciprocal" tariff on EU imports. Rubio refrained from commenting directly, but the latest tariff announcement triggered strong reactions from U.S. allies. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly warned that the relationship with Washington would "never be the same again," while Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remarked, "It becomes a little complicated to demand things from us ... after we are constantly humiliated and insulted all the time." Rubio also avoided commenting on Trump's earlier remarks about acquiring Greenland. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen confirmed that he had "strongly objected" to the idea during his meeting with Rubio despite the topic not being formally on the agenda. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte similarly avoided addressing these sensitive topics, saying only, "I think we should zoom out from Greenland," and refrained from commenting on the trade dispute, noting that it falls outside the scope of alliance policy. Photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows the NATO foreign ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) WIDENING TRANSATLANTIC RIFT On Friday, Rubio canceled his planned final press conference at the close of the NATO meeting, citing a scheduling change. The decision mirrored a similar arrangement in March when U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Greenland was scaled back to a brief stop at a remote U.S. military base after residents reportedly declined to meet him or his wife. Though minor, these incidents reflect a broader unease with the U.S. diplomatic presence in Europe. Last month, Trump suspended U.S. military aid to Ukraine and initiated direct talks with Moscow and Kiev, excluding European allies. The move sparked alarm across the continent, as officials feared being sidelined in a conflict unfolding on their doorstep. In response, France and Germany urged more decisive European leadership, while eastern states pushed for greater defense coordination. "It's not just about Ukraine," Politico quoted one EU official as saying. "It's about whether Europe still has a seat at the table." Meanwhile, reports that the United States is planning to reallocate military resources from Europe have raised further concerns on the continent about potential security gaps, particularly over how to replace critical enablers such as surveillance, refueling and command systems -- capabilities still largely dependent on the United States. Concurrently, the EU's 150 billion euro (164 billion U.S. dollars) security action fund to support domestic defense industries -- excluding U.S. firms -- has drawn objections from Washington. Trust was further eroded by the recent leak of Signal messages from Trump's inner circle. The messages, which included operational chatter about U.S. strikes in Yemen, also revealed blunt disdain for European allies. Vance wrote that he "hated bailing out Europe again," while U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth replied, "I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC." European officials reacted with anger. "Despite the sometimes nice diplomatic words, trust is broken," one EU diplomat told Politico. "There is no alliance without trust." REDEFINING TRANSATLANTIC TIES Rubio's visit was widely viewed as part of a broader effort to manage tensions ahead of the NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, set for June 24-26. However, European diplomats are concerned that the summit, which is expected to include Trump, could become a flashpoint for confrontation. According to the European news website Euractiv, one worst-case scenario involves Trump using the summit to pressure allies into making concessions on several issues. Analysts suggest that, despite Rubio's visit, Trump's hardline stance leaves little room for compromise. Such developments have reinforced a growing consensus among analysts and officials that current tensions are not merely cyclical but indicative of a more lasting shift. Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank, warned that the United States and Europe are "on a collision course" that could reshape the alliance on "every issue." "Europe is now staring at the beginning of a new post-American age," he wrote. In an article published in Modern Diplomacy, John Calabrese, international relations professor at American University, wrote: "If the current trend toward strategic retrenchment and unilateral coercion continues, the transatlantic relationship will likely be redefined along new, less interdependent lines." (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) The number of asylum-seekers appealing a rejected asylum application to stay in Ireland has risen by nearly 900pc over the past eight years. Figures released by the Department of Justice show there were 8,835 asylum appeals received by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) in 2024 compared to 4,775 in 2023, an increase of 85pc year on year. A teenager with additional educational needs was expelled from school on World Autism Awareness Day last week, with his parents angered and upset by the decision. Senan Maguire, from Grange, near Carlingford in Co Louth, has been left without vital health supports and interventions despite pleas for help from his parents, Tina and David. The 13-year-old has been diagnosed with autism, but after speaking with experts, his parents believe he may also be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his younger sister died in 2018. Senan had been attending an autism unit at his local primary school but was suspended earlier this year due to behavioural issues. In February, the board of management at Monksland National School, Carlingford, recommended expelling Senan, saying his presence in the school was a threat to his safety and that of others. The school told the Maguires their son was a disruptive influence and had been involved in assaults leading to other people being injured. His expulsion was confirmed last Wednesday. Senan, David and Tina Maguire. Photo: Mark Condren Senan doesnt know how to fill his day any more. He is at a loss watching his brother go to school every morning knowing its a school day and he is not there. The impact is just devastating, Ms Maguire said. He has low self-esteem. He is feeling rejection, she added. A letter from the schools board of management last week said it considered the potential major impact of the decision but has been obliged to consider serious concerns regarding Senans behaviour and the threat to safety of others. Ms Maguire argued different codes of conduct should apply for children placed in autism units with adequate supports made available to help them progress their education. The family are appealing the schools decision, she added, and are unhappy with how it managed Senans case. They said he missed more than 40 days of school since Christmas because of suspensions. The repeated suspensions did not help. They made him more anxious Now, they are not sure how they will cope with him unlikely to be able to return to education until September when he should start secondary school. The absence from school has contributed to Senan missing out on making his confirmation, the Maguires said. The repeated suspensions did not help. They made him more anxious, Ms Maguire added. Senan does not converse or put sentences together and can display challenging behaviour which leads to him lashing out if he is agitated or anxious. He has also displayed self-injurious behaviour by biting and hurting himself when frustrated. David and Tina Maguire with their son Senan. Photo: Mark Condren Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 6th A consultant clinical psychologist assessed Senan in 2023 and said he also displays signs of ADHD. A demonstration was held outside the school last Wednesday evening, with about 30 local people carrying signs and wearing blue a colour associated with autism awareness in support of Senan. Senans case was highlighted in the Sunday Independent last month because of his parents complaints about a lack of health services and support available to him. It has also been raised in the Dail twice in recent weeks by Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu. Unfortunately, the family have gone through a ping-pong scenario, which many other people have experienced, whereby issues are bounced between the childrens disability network team, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) and Camhs-ID, which deals with intellectual disability, Mr O Murchu said. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he would speak with Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill about Senans case because there should be a Camhs-ID team available. During World War II, I dreaded the doodlebugs that Hitler sent to terrorise London, writes Tom McCaughren A wounded resident speaks on the phone as police officers stand near by, at the site of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on April 2, 2025. Photo: Reuters The war in Ukraine, and in particular Putins use of unmanned drones to bomb civilians, reminds me of a fear I had as a boy during World War II. It was the fear of doodlebugs not bed bugs, but the flying kind that made me pull the sheets over my head and hope they wouldnt fall on me. Doodlebugs were the flying bombs Hitler rained down on London. The engine sounded like a motorcycle, and Londoners would listen with great apprehension, knowing that when it went silent, the bomb would fall. My home was in Ballymena, not far from the RAF base at Aldergrove a long way from London, you might say, but the things I saw and heard falling from the sky led me to fear those doodlebugs. I still remember the moment one that felt like an eternity when everyone in our classroom stopped what they were doing and listened. High above us we could hear the sound of an aeroplane, the engine stuttering, and we knew it was in trouble. The teacher also stopped and looked up. The plane stopped stuttering, then started again, and we knew the pilot was wrestling with the controls, trying to keep the engine going. When it stopped, we knew the plane was coming down, but where? We waited with bated breath. And then we heard it a dull thump. The teacher rapped the desk with a ruler to get our attention. He said nothing; there was no need. We all knew what had happened. Somehow, we had to get back to our lesson. When I got home, my older brother took me up along the by-roads to where people were standing on ditches looking out across the field where the plane had crashed. We knew from what was being said that the pilot had been killed and his body was still in the crumpled wreckage. It was too late to use his parachute. I always thought he should have been given a posthumous medal Somehow, he had managed to get his plane past the town before the engine cut out, and by then it was too late to use his parachute. I always thought he should have been given a posthumous medal, as his plane could have fallen on the town, maybe even on us. As it was wartime, RAF flights were a daily occurrence, and that crash was one of three I saw as a boy. The first had come down perilously close to a row of houses not far from my home. I was very young at the time, but can recall seeing that it had careered down a sloping field and would have crashed into the houses if it hadnt been stopped by lines of overhead wires. I was about eight or nine when I saw the third one coming down. My father was at work, my mother was visiting relatives and I was playing in the back yard when I heard a plane coming around at very low altitude. A V1 flying bomb is readied for launching across the Channel at London in August, 1944. Photo: Getty It had two engines, so was fairly big, and I watched it circle around three times, flying low over a house less than half-a-mile away. I later learned the house was where the girlfriend of one of the pilots lived. However, the third time it flew over the house, it went even lower and out of sight. There was a ferocious thump, and I realised to my horror that it had crashed. Our neighbour, William Rodgers, had stopped work on his farm to watch the plane too, and both of us sprinted up across the fields to find out what had happened. On a neighbouring farm we came across a great gaping hole where it had hit the ground. It had then careered down the field, and following the skid marks, we found it had crashed sideways into the orchard, just yards behind the farmhouse. The bodies of the two airmen were on the ground beside the wreckage, but I dont know if they were thrown clear or if someone from the farm had pulled them away. To this day, I remember looking down at one of them, noting his crew cut and a grimace on his face, as if hed been steeling himself for the impact. Was that the way my own family had suffered? I remember my Uncle Roy on leave, his legs in plaster of Paris, both broken when his plane crashed, and my Uncle Bobby, missing in action, his plane shot down during a bombing mission over Germany. Radio reports painted a vivid picture of the carnage they were causing and filled my young mind with fear At the same time, Northern Ireland, or at least part of it, was being bombed by the Germans, so when the air-raid sirens went off in the town, black blinds were drawn down over all windows in case the enemy bombers might see the lights and bomb us. Sometimes, when the siren went off, I would peek out of the side of the blind in my bedroom, and one night saw the glow over Belfast, less than 30 miles away. The German planes had hit their targets and the city was a ball of fire. Planes and bombs, it seemed, were falling everywhere. Little wonder that I listened with great foreboding to reports of the doodlebugs that were falling on London. There was no television in those days, but radio reports painted a vivid picture of the carnage they were causing and filled my young mind with fear. Not until I grew up would I learn that the doodlebugs were officially known as V1 flying bombs. According to the Imperial War Museum, they were created by Hitler in an attempt to terrorise the people of London and undermine their morale. In using drones to bomb civilians in Ukraine, Putins actions seem eerily familiar. Public are moving on from the speaking rights row, but Government is tainted by association with Michael Lowry When we think of Tony Gregory, the late left-wing Independent TD from north inner-city Dublin, most people tend to remember him fondly as someone who spoke up for his community. At the time, however, the Gregory Deal that was used to help put Charles Haughey into power for his disastrous GUBU government in 1982 was regarded with horror. Where Michelin-star chefs go to eat a curry: I think its some of the best food of any kind being served in Ireland right now Theres a famous scene of celebration near the end of a US Open golf tournament when Hale Irwin sinks a 45-foot putt on the last green on his way to victory, and proceeds to break all the usual protocols of the royal and ancient game by galloping around the green blowing kisses and high-fiving the fans. Although it was 35 years ago, it remains a tremendous vision of jubilation. There are some who think that when a columnist turns out to be right about something, that columnist goes on a Hale Irwin charge and the people who think that well, theyre right. Yet when Donald Trump started talking last week about a possible third term as president, two months after we had predicted it here, the reaction was more restrained not so much the high-fiving, more a discreet fist bump and on to the next shot. If anyone claims to predict for certain what comes next, dont believe them. Economics is an inexact science at the best of times, and Donald Trump has introduced so many wildly unpredictable variables into world trade by following up on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs that anything could happen from here on in. Expect the unexpected. Trump does not have long to prove to US voters that his reckless abandonment of the received wisdom that trade wars are bad for both sides will be to their benefit. The trillions of dollars wiped from stock markets in the past days suggests his leeway is already narrowing. If the US economy goes south, the political backlash will be swift, severe and richly merited. Ireland does not even have anxious Americans distant hope that things will turn out for the best. For us, there are only negatives. Exports will inevitably be hit and corporate tax receipts squeezed. The only question is by how much. EU trade ministers will meet tomorrow to decide on counter-measures. Divisions as to the best approach are already emerging. Some, headed by France and Germany, are minded to play hardball. Others, including Italy, favour a softly-softly approach. Ultimately, those ministers will need to find a way of uniting. Micheal Martin may have to tackle Trump. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Irelands preference appears to be to try to put out the fire rather than pour fuel on the flames. Understandably so, given that we are more dependent on US investment than other EU nations and have far more to lose. Things are bad enough without becoming collateral damage in a muscle-man contest between the US and EU. The best thing to do right now is avoid panicking. It will take time to absorb the implications of this once-in-a-generation shift in the economic world order. The immediate future may make Brexit look like a mere bump in the road, but if the UKs messy exit from the EU proved anything, it is that the tarmac does get smoothed out in time. A fight may be unavoidable all the same. Theres an old saying that you should never wrestle with a pig because you both get dirty and the pig likes it; but some pigs leave no choice but to wrestle. While his political instincts are for conciliation, the Taoiseach must be prepared to fling some mud if Trump proves impervious to reason or the rising risk of recession. Sewing shut the public purse in response to these shocks to world trade could turn a crisis into a disaster Ireland doesnt have huge room to manoeuvre anyway. Tanaiste Simon Harris can head to Washington for all the bilateral talks he wants, but he cannot make bilateral concessions outside of the collective EU negotiating position. The best he can do is beg for mercy when it comes to tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry, the level of which is yet to be determined. De-escalating any situation remains hard to manage when Trumps temperament is so fickle. While the focus remains on the global picture, it is equally imperative that the Government not use tariffs as an excuse to wriggle off the hook of its domestic commitments, not least on housing. The Finance Ministers wriggle room has got considerably less roomy, but sewing shut the public purse in response to these shocks to world trade could turn a crisis into a disaster, and the consequences for Irish society would last well beyond the length of any Trump presidency. US tariffs cannot be an excuse for inaction. The Government has rainy-day funds. If the downpour that Trump has dumped on us does not qualify as the drizzliest of days, what would? For over 25 years, former animator and artist John Sweetman was a regular presence on the frontline of crime scene investigation in Ireland, piecing together the fragments left behind. Within a year of leaving Templemore College, Sweetman had applied for and won a position in the Fingerprints Section of the GTB. As he had predicted, he loved the work. He also loved, he adds with a laugh, the fact that he didnt have to wear a uniform, that he was immediately made detective and, because of the specific nature of the work, he got behind the tape at crime scenes. There are plenty of guards who never get beyond the tape. I was getting stuck into crime-scene investigation, which was fascinating. Every scene was a learning experience. I reckoned I was in the best place in the guards. Sweetman was involved in examining some of the countrys most high-profile murder cases, including the Kinahans first gangland assassination, the horrific Hawe family tragedy, and the brutal killing of Jastine Valdez. With his uniform now hung up for good, Sweetman is pulling back the curtain on his life in the Garda Technical Bureau. Today on The Indo Daily Revisited, Fionnan Sheahan is joined by John Sweetman, author of Identity: Murder, Fraud, and the Making of a Garda Forensic Expert, to look back at a career in the GTB, and look at the details of some of Ireland most profile crime scene investigations. *This podcast was first released in June 2024* Todays podcast contains descriptions of violence and adult content which might be distressing for some listeners. Please take care when listening. The staff and members of Bunclody Daycare Centre made sure to do their part for charity this year by holding a coffee morning event to mark Daffodil Day. The Irish Cancer Society's biggest fundraiser of the year, Daffodil Day sees organisations and groups around the country hold small events to raise essential funds. There are also a number of items, such as pins and pens that can be bought, with proceeds going towards the charity. Bunclody Day Care Services Ltd work towards providing a caring, social and recreational service for older people in the Bunclody area and its environs. Serving to 50 people every Tuesday and Thursday, they provide a setting where members can enjoy good conversation and companionship. For the special occasion, they had a massive selection of treats; everything from lemon drizzle, brownies and carrot cake to cookies, cookie bars, rice krispie treats and cupcakes. They also held a raffle with some fantastic prizes on offer including a huge hamper full of chocolates, biscuits, wine and a selection of gift sets, Easter eggs, wine and chocolates. As well as Daffodil Day, the event was was also held in memory of Paddy Ryan, described as an absolute legend of a man who was an avid supporter of the Irish Cancer Society year after year. Mairead Redmond and Martina Kennedy. Gerald Millar, Marie Breen and Mary Millar. Lily Power. Martina Sheehan and Denis Flynn. Bridie Ryan. Nicola Bolger. EILEEN Dunbar (nee ONeill) who was affectionately known by many of her former students and colleagues as Lady Dunbar, passed away on Sunday, March 23 and will be sadly missed by all who knew her. Eileen of Riverchapel, Gorey, was the beloved wife of P.J., wonderful mother of Colm, Lana, Siofra and Brian, devoted grandmother to Hannah, Jack, Josh, Flora, Alice and Eddie, loving daughter of Kathleen and the late William, sister of Geraldine, Liam and the late Breda, Marian, Dolores, John and Patrick. Eileen taught English and History in St Marys College in Arklow for 36 years before retiring in 2018. A statement by St Marys College in Arklow expressed their condolences with Eileens family as well as their great sadness following her passing. It reads: Her colleagues valued her advice and collaboration and the style and professionalism she brought to all areas of her work. A lady by name and nature, she will be sadly missed by all in our school community but most especially by her beloved husband PJ, her children and grandchildren whom she adored. May Eileen rest in eternal peace. The late Eileen Dunbar (nee O'Neill). Eileen had a great love of literature and of the past, which she imparted to her students along with her demand for both thoroughness and creative expression. Among the many duties she performed during her time at the school were Year Head, Public Speaking and Debating, PRO, as well as the organisation of many foreign trips. She was also instrumental in the design and refurbishment of the schools library. Many touching tributes on RIP.ie, describe Eileen as wonderful and caring. One mourner wrote: I remember Eileen as a bright and shining light and the world was a better place with her in it. One of her former students wrote: I was heartbroken to hear of Ms Dunbars passing. She was an incredible teacher, a lady who believed in her students and helped us to strive to be our very best. She was the type of teacher that you never wanted to let down and so you always put in your best effort in her class. Ms Dunbar has influenced so much of my own practice as a teacher and I often draw inspiration from her empathetic, thorough and fun approach to education. Another mourner wrote: So sad to hear of the passing of beautiful Eileen who was a wonderful and caring friend in our student days in Maynooth and had the pleasure of her company in our annual reunions in the past few years. Eileens infectious smile and great sense of humour will be sorely missed. Eileens funeral took place on Wednesday, March 26 in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Riverchapel, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Eileen will be sadly missed by her loving husband and family, relatives, neighbours and her many dear friends. Irish family's coffee business faces double blow from Trump tariffs and soaring bean prices Wicklow-based Brady's Coffee faces uncertainty as a new 20% EU tariff coincides with a 100% increase in bean prices, but the family-run business remains determined to "weather the storm" and maintain their hard-won US market position Craig and Catherine Brady of Bradys Coffee Company. Myles Buchanan Wicklow People Sun 6 Apr 2025 at 14:00 For two and a half years, the Brady family in Co Wicklow have been expanding their coffee roastery business into the US. But on Wednesday night those years of hard work threatened to go up in smoke as President Donald Trumps new 20pc tariff on EU goods was imposed, with coffee bean prices also soaring. One Piece Episode 1123: After a six-month break, One Piece made a spectacular comeback, launching the eagerly awaited Egghead Island arc. Episode 1123, which marked the start of a new chapter full of intrigue, advanced technology, and intriguing characters, marked the anime's return. In addition to rekindling longtime fans' enthusiasm, the return has garnered praise for One Piece's exquisite animation. It has also served as a reminder to everyone of why One Piece is still one of the most cherished and enduring anime series ever. One Piece Episode 1123 The title of One Piece Episode 1123, "The World Shakes! The Straw Hats' Hostage Situation," continues the journey with the crew and Monkey D. Luffy. Fans were impressed with the comeback, calling it an epic return and praising the animation, saying it looks better than ever. Taking to X, one wrote, Anime came back with a great episode that adapted fairly weak content (Compared to the rest of Egghead). Direction was good, loved the start with them showing the world of One Piece and everything with York was strong and the highlight of the ep. One Piece 1123 After 6 months I once again feel at home with the return of my goat series. Starts warm with gorgeous shots, later turning to world of chaos. New eyecatchers but unfortunately no new sfx despite the claims. Highlight was the powerful af opening, which is too good. pic.twitter.com/n2L5kgE1KL Vivek (@vivekdmurmu) April 5, 2025 Just finished reacting to #ONEPIECE eps 1123. Feels so good to have the anime back The opening & ending were so good!!! The animation is still top tier & I love the Kizaru moments Super excited for the future fights Link to my reaction:https://t.co/4ZNHrY4aiv pic.twitter.com/gVruqj4Czv Hime (@ohimetenshi) April 5, 2025 One Piece 1123 7/10 A good setup episode. The new opening was solid with amazing visuals. Loved seeing some Character Acting animation too, One Piece anime always nails those little touches that bring the characters to life. pic.twitter.com/L1c9rkuYkI Hiren Suva (@HirenSuva30) April 6, 2025 One Piece Episode #1123 - 8/10 Anime came back with a great episode that adapted fairly weak content (Compared to the rest of Egghead). Direction was good, loved the start with them showing the world of One Piece and everything with York was strong and the highlight of the ep. pic.twitter.com/tz3gTQWx07 Mr.Mordicai (@MrMordicai) April 5, 2025 One Piece 1123 7/10 A good setup episode. The new opening was solid with amazing visuals. Loved seeing some Character Acting animation too, One Piece anime always nails those little touches that bring the characters to life. pic.twitter.com/L1c9rkuYkI Hiren Suva (@HirenSuva30) April 6, 2025 A second added, A good setup episode. The new opening was solid with amazing visuals. Loved seeing some Character Acting animation too, One Piece anime always nails those little touches that bring the characters to life. A third went on to add, After 6 months I once again feel at home with the return of my goat series. Starts warm with gorgeous shots, later turning to a world of chaos. The Egghead Arc simulcast, according to Crunchyroll, will return on April 5th, offering the Straw Hat Pirates new adventures and intense drama after they meet the notorious Dr. Vegapunk, a brilliant Navy scientist, and are introduced to his enigmatic research facility! For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Fubar Season 2 OTT Release Date: Get ready for more chaos, more action, and definitely more laughs because the second edition of this hit show is officially dropping on Netflix on June 12 (around Fathers Day). Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is back! And this time, he's not coming alone. Hes bringing along Carrie-Anne Moss for a ride that promises everything bigger, better, and bolder than before. Whats Fubar all about again? In case you missed Season 1, Fubar is a fun mix of action and comedy, centered around Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a CIA operative whos hiding his real job from his daughter until he finds out shes a CIA agent too. The father-daughter duo, played by Arnold and Monica Barbaro, go from lying to each other to teaming up, trying to juggle family drama while saving the world. What to expect in Fubar Season 2? The first season ended with the team's secret identities being exposed. Now, theyre in deep trouble, i.e. no more hiding behind code names. And to add to the drama, theres a possible traitor in the squad. This means more pressure, more missions, and a lot more bonding (and bickering) between our favorite spy family. Season 2 will dive into how this group, made up of spies, exes, oddballs, and best friends, manages to stick together when everything around them is falling apart. Carrie-Anne Moss joins the madness The biggest surprise this season? Carrie-Anne Moss joins the team as Greta Nelso, an East German spy and, wait for it, Lukes ex! Yep, sparks are going to fly. Known for The Matrix and The Acolyte, Moss brings both action skills and comic timing to the table. And from what both she and Arnold have said, filming together was all about fun. Theres even a dance scene, though details are tightly under wraps. (Yes, Arnold and Carrie-Anne dancing. Let that sink in.) Meet the cast of Fubar Season 2 Other than Arnold and Carrie-Anne, the show created by Nick Santora will mark the return of the OG ensemble featuring Monica Barbaro, Travis Van Winkle, Fortune Feimster, Milan Carter, Scott Thompson, Fabiana Udenio, Andy Buckley, Jay Baruchel, Adam Pally, Tom Arnold and Aparna Brielle among others. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. One Piece ep 1124 release date and time in India: After a six-month break, One Piece has finally returned, much to the relief of its admirers. Fans went crazy over what Eiichiro Oda had to offer this time around when it returned with the Egghad island storyline, or episode 1123. Even though the most recent episode received a lot of attention, fans are eagerly anticipating the release of the next one. If youre a One Piece fan, then heres when and where to watch One Piece episode 1124. One Piece Egghead Island Part 2 trailer Crunchyroll had shared the One Piece Egghead Island Part 2 a few days ago and it went viral within no time, sharing what it is all about, the makers wrote, Monkey D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become the king of all pirates. With a course charted for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and beyond, this is one captain who'll never give up until he's claimed the greatest treasure on Earth: the Legendary One Piece! One Piece ep 1124 release date and time in India The release time for One Piece Episode 1124 is Sunday, April 6 at 11:15 p.m. JST. In India it is on 6th April at 07:45 PM. Check the schedule below according to your time zone below, as the precise release hours fluctuate depending on where you live: PDT (Pacific Daylight Time): 7:15 am, April 6 (Sunday) CDT (Central Daylight Time): 9:15 am, April 6 (Sunday) EDT (Eastern Daylight Time): 10:15 am, April 6 (Sunday) IST (Indian Standard Time): 7:45 pm, April 6 (Sunday) JST (Japan Standard Time): 11:15 pm, April 6 (Sunday) ACST (Australian Central Standard Time): 12:45 am, April 7 (Monday) Incredible direction from One Piece 1123, we are so back pic.twitter.com/kYg6uZXLqQ Red (@Red777Seven) April 5, 2025 Where to watch One Piece ep 1124? You can stream One Piece ep 1124 on Crunchyroll and Netflix. For those who dont know, Eiichiro Oda is the creator of the renowned Japanese anime and manga series One Piece. One of the most popular and longest-running anime ever, it began airing in 1999 and continues to this day. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. The Handmaids Tale Season 6 OTT Release Date: The wait is finally over. This superhit dystopian drama is coming back with its sixth and final season, and fans can start streaming it from April 8, 2025, on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. This time, the story picks up right where it left off, and it's going to be emotional. After everything June (played by Elisabeth Moss) has been through, its all building up to one last fight, not just for freedom, but for peace, justice, and the future. A quick recap of The Handmaids Tale Season 5 Season 5 ended on a dramatic note. June and Serena, two women on opposite sides of Gilead, found themselves unexpectedly facing similar struggles. Serena lost her power and was trying to find her place as a mother in a world that once worshipped her but now cast her aside. June, on the other hand, was forced to leave Canada after surviving yet another attack, with the world around her growing more dangerous by the day. By the final episode, June, Luke, and Nichole were on a train out of Canada, while Luke stayed behind, ready to face the consequences of killing a Gilead soldier. The finale set the tone for a season full of change, reckoning, and perhaps, finally, justice. What to expect from The Handmaids Tale Season 6? Without giving too much away, this season starts with Junes continued fight. But now, so are the people around her, Luke, Moira, and others. Serena is trying to rebuild her image, Aunt Lydia is dealing with her past, and Commander Lawrence is facing the mess he helped create. Everyone is at a crossroads, and nothing is simple anymore. This season is about the consequences of actions, choices, and silence. The Handmaids Tale Season 6 Full Release Schedule April 8, 2025: Episodes 1, 2, and 3 April 15, 2025: Episode 4 April 22, 2025: Episode 5 April 29, 2025: Episode 6 May 6, 2025: Episode 7 May 13, 2025: Episode 8 May 20, 2025: Episode 9 May 27, 2025: Final Episode (Episode 10) This time Elisabeth Moss isnt just playing June but also directing some episodes this season. Shes been the heart of the show since the beginning, and it feels fitting that shes helping shape its end. She recently said this season is about June figuring out who she really is, not as a victim, not as a fighter, but as a person who finally gets to choose her future. Even though this is the final season of The Handmaids Tale, the story isnt completely over. A new series, The Testaments, is already in development. It takes place about 15 years after The Handmaids Tale, and yes, Aunt Lydia (played by Ann Dowd) will be back. So while Junes story may end here, the world of Gilead isnt going away just yet. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Trigger Warning: This article contains references to death; readers discretion is advised. Its a heartbreaking time for Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez, as she bids goodbye to her biggest strength - her mother, Kim Fernandez. Kim passed away at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital in the wee hours of April 6, 2025, after suffering a stroke following a long battle with cancer. Heres everything we know so far about Kim. Who is Kim Fernandez? Kim Fernandez, originally from Malaysia with Canadian roots, spent most of her life in Bahrain with her husband, Elroy Fernandez, who is a former musician from Sri Lanka. Together, they raised four children, Jacqueline being the youngest and most well-known to the public. While Kim largely stayed away from the media, those close to the Fernandez family often spoke about her warm nature and the close bond she shared with all her kids. Jacqueline with mother Kim | Credits: Instagram Kim Fernandez medical history In 2022, Kim suffered a stroke in Bahrain, which led to several health issues. But what the family kept private was that she had also been quietly battling cancer. Over the last few months, her health had started to decline. A few days before her passing, she suffered another heart stroke and was rushed to Mumbais Lilavati Hospital. Despite doctors doing everything they could, she couldnt make it. Jacqueline, who was away for work, immediately flew back to be with her mother. Friends close to the actress say she was completely shattered. Jacqueline had always spoken fondly of her mother in interviews, often calling her the glue that holds our family together. Kim Fernandez may not have been in the public eye like other celebrity moms, but her quiet strength and love shaped the life of one of Bollywoods brightest stars. Her passing is a huge personal loss not just for Jacqueline, but for everyone who knew her. May her soul rest in peace. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. Robert Downey Jr. clearly has no plans to hit the brakes at 60. The Hollywood icon, beloved among fans as Tony Stark/Iron Man, just hit a major milestone and decided to mark it in true Marvel style. With a custom birthday invite that gave a nod to his next big MCU role, RDJ made it clear he is the one true Marvelite. Robert Downey Jr. throws a Doctor Doom twist into his birthday bash On April 4th, Downey celebrated his 60th with a party, but it was his birthday invite that really stole the show. The card, which quickly made its way around the internet, looked like something straight out of a comic book. It featured Doctor Doom and playfully hinted at his upcoming Marvel role. The invite wasnt just a quirky design choice, but it was RDJ's way of teasing his comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many fans have now theorised that it could be his first official look from the movie. Robert Downey Jrs Doctor Doom-themed invite for his 60th birthday pic.twitter.com/CKL6OwylSj DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 6, 2025 Fans' react to RDJ's birthday invite aka alleged first look as Doctor Doom When photos of Robert Downey Jr.s Doctor Doom-themed birthday invite started making the rounds online, fans were partly hyped and mostly nervous. The card, styled like a comic book cover, featured a reimagined version of Doctor Doom that some fans hoped wouldnt be the final look in the movie despite rumours suggesting that it could be MCU's new way of teasing his character's first look. In the invitation, Doctor Doom is seen in a green jacket with exaggerated comic-like shading and a dramatic purple cape, giving it a slightly over-the-top villain vibe. His face is partially masked, with one side showing Downeys recognisable features and the other side looking metallic and scarred. His hair is tousled and messy. The top of the card reads "FROM DOCTOR DOOM!" in bold red and green lettering, set against a bright pink and white striped background, which makes the whole thing feel like a vintage comic colour. However, fans felt that both the card and Doctor Doom's look were outdated, with one writing, "He's not actually going to look like that, right?" hes not actually going to look like that right https://t.co/GLqwX4gsUH Monke Knowledge (@DuckKnowledge) April 6, 2025 "If thats what Doom ends up looking like, were cooked," another wrote. If thats what Doom ends up looking like, were cooked. https://t.co/z19MyrvpK7 RJ (@ResonantJustice) April 6, 2025 A third wrote, "That better not be his look, because that concept art leak was peak." That better not be his look cos that concept art leak was peak https://t.co/uYWLWcYRFW JJ (@JjjSoap86260) April 6, 2025 "If thats going to be the design, end it already," another disappointed fan commented. What we know about Avengers: Doomsday After bidding goodbye to the Iron Man character in Avengers: Endgame, where he sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos, RDJ will return as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Downeys return as Doctor Doom was revealed during Marvels Hall H panel at the San Diego Comic-Con last summer. The crowd went wild when he walked on stage wearing Dooms mask and cape, grinning as he said, New mask, same task. Whatd I tell you? I like playing complicated characters. Robert Downey Jr. introduced as Doctor Doom| Credit: X The upcoming film is set for release in May 2026 and is slated to mark a major shift for the MCU as it gears up for the next era of heroes and villains. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Weak Hero Class 1 finally hit Netflix on March 25, 2025, more than two years after its original release on Wavve in South Korea. And now, its gearing up for a second part, with Weak Hero Class 2 set to premiere on April 25, 2025. Whether youve just finished bingeing or need a refresher, heres a recap of what went down in Season 1, including that brutal ending, what really happened to So Ho, and what to expect from the forthcoming part. Meet Si Eun, the Weak Hero Si Eun, the Weak Hero Yeon Si Eun is a model student teachers love he's at the top of the class and focused on his studies. He uses earbuds so that nobody disturbs him. Yes, he's that quiet and focused. But being the smart, introverted kid at an all-boys school came with its challenges for Si Eun. Despite his efforts to steer clear of distractions, Yeong Bin, a full-time school bully and part-time student, gets agitated by his no-nonsense attitude. After facing an intense rebuttal following his first attempt to attack Si Eun, Yeong Bin uses a transfer student, Oh Beom Seok, to get to him. Though Beom Seok comes from an influential background, he is weak-willed, thanks to his messed-up equation with his politician father, who adopted him for his public image. Having been bullied in his previous school, he succumbs to pressure and ends up hurting Si Eun. But Si Eun doesn't break downhe gets even stronger. He knew Beom Seok was tasked by Yeong Bin to hurt him. He puts up a strong fight against him and ends up breaking his nose, forcing Yeong Bin to transfer to save his face. However, the revenge-hungry Yeong Bin doesn't stop there. He pays professionals the ones who have links to the underworldto take him down. After knowing this, Beom Seok regrets his actions and pays Ahn Su Ho, their classmate who is trained in martial arts, sleeps in class, and does multiple part-time jobs to make a living, to protect Si Eun. Si Eun and his unexpected trio Si Eun, who has absent parents, never really formed any friendships in school. But seeing Beom Seok and So Ho side with him, his heart instantly melts, and the trio ends up building an unexpected friendship. The Unlikely Trio| Credit: X For a while, it seems like the three of them have each others backs. They take on the schools worst bullies together, and for once, Si Eun feels like hes not alone. The trio also becomes good friends with Yeongi, who was initially a part of the team that Yeong Bin hired to attack Si Eun. But that trio doesn't last Heres where it starts to fall apart: Beom Seok is struggling. Hes dealing with trauma at home, and he starts feeling left out. Su Ho, who has a casual way of speaking, looks down on him. As Si Eun and Su Ho grow closer, he thinks they dont really see him as an equal and instead of saying anything, he lets it build. And boil. And turn into resentment. Then he flips. He teams up with the same bullies who made his life hell and sets So Ho up to get attacked. What happened to Su Ho? On So Ho's birthday, Beom Seok decides to set up Su Ho. On the pretext of giving So Ho a birthday gift, he lures Yeongi and kidnaps her. He then sends So Ho a picture of Yeongi, asking him to come to the chamber where he has set up a foolproof plan to take him down. However, instead of So Ho, Si Eun ends up seeing the texts and gets beaten by the bullies. When So Ho figures out what happened, he decides to face the attackers alone. By the time Si Eun realises whats happening and gets back, So Ho is barely conscious. Hes covered in blood, his bodys wrecked, and its clear the damage is serious. Su Ho faces bullies alone| Credit: X Later in the episode, we find out that So Ho is in a coma. The doctors say hes in a vegetative state. No response. No recovery. Si Eun loses the one person who ever Si Eun snaps back at Su Ho's attackers After So Hos attack, Si Eun breaks. The kid who used to fight smartly starts fighting angrily. He tracks down the people involved and beats them down with everything he has. He then visits Su Ho in the hospital, and we see Su Ho waking up from a coma to talk to him. However, it's most likely that it was all a fragment of Si Eun's imagination, as Su Ho's chances of survival are really low. Did Beom Seok leave the country? Credit: X As for Beom Seok? Tired of his antics, his rich father pulls strings and sends him abroad before the police can even question him. In episode 8, we see Beom Seok at the airport, but whether he took the flight or not is the question Season 1 did not answer. Why did Si Eun transfer schools? After Si Eun attacked the bullies, he is on the verge of facing serious charges that could end him up at the juvenile detention centre. However, he is presented with a condition: he could transfer to the school. But due to Beom Seok's father's influence, he does not get admission into any school in Seoul despite his excellent grades. Weak Hero Class 2 first look He ends up at Eunjang High a place known for being rougher, meaner, and more dangerous than the school he just escaped. The final shot shows him surrounded by new bullies, staring them down with a look that says, Try me. What to expect from Weak Hero Class 2? Season 2 picks up at Eunjang, with Si Eun walking into another battlefield this time without his closest ally, Su Ho. Hes still smart, still sharp, but colder than ever. The new season is expected to dive deeper into how Si Eun copes with that loss and how he survives in a school that might be even worse than the one he left behind. And maybe, just maybe, well see him find a new reason to keep going. You can check out the trailer for Weak Hero Season 2 below: For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here. No fewer than 18 persons have been killed in a road accident which occurred along Sagamu- Ikorodu way. It was gathered that the horrible incident happened at about 4 p.m. on Saturday, involving five vehicles and two motorcycles. The vehicles involved were: a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number AGL752YC, a Daf truck with registration number T14007LA, a Honda car with registration number HT680, another Daf truck with no registration number, a pickup with registration number STF10204, a motorbike with registration number AGG448Q, and a Bajaj bike with registration number PKA214WS. Advertisement INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps was also killed in the multiple accident. This was contained in a statement by Spokesperson for Ogun State FRSC Command, Florence Okpe on Saturday. Florence noted that the officer from the Mosimi Unit Command was killed during the rescue operation when the brake of another vehicle failed and it ran into them. She said: FRSC Mosimi Unit Command carried out a rescue operation on the Ikorodu-Sagamu road on a crash that occurred on Saturday, April 5, at about 1600 hrs. A total of 22 people were involved in the multiple crash (14 male, 6 female, and 1 child). Four people were injured, and 18 persons were killed, including one of the rescue officers who happened to be an FRSC personnel. This happened when vehicles one and two crashed, and the FRSC rescue team was carrying out the rescue operation when another vehicle ran into them due to brake failure, killing the FRSC staff. Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, Chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee for the Anambra governorship race, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) can take over leadership in Anambra State. He emphasised that the APC has the structure, capacity, and popular support to win the upcoming election, despite the state currently being led by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) under Governor Charles Soludo. Otu urged party members to remain united and committed, stressing that a peaceful and credible primary would position the APC strongly ahead of the main election. Advertisement Speaking to news men on Saturday Otu disclosed:Our party, APC, is already governing two states in the Southeast, and getting a third state will be very good. It is very possible to win over Anambra State. It would be a significant gain for the people because it is time to align with the government at the center. Anambra is the heart of the Southeastern states. Weve to bring out a candidate that will win the main election and connect Anambra, which is the heart of the Southeast, to the center. Winning the state for the APC as the number three will be very good, he said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Crown Princess Victoria Desiree of Sweden will be in Nigeria from Monday, April 7 to Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The announcement was made in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the Acting Spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa. Throughout her visit, the Crown Princess will hold high-level discussions with Nigerian officials aimed at enhancing the diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries. Advertisement On the first day of her visit, Crown Princess Desiree will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar. READ MORE: Osun Contestant Emerges Miss World Nigeria 2025 She will also engage in talks with Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Governor of Lagos State. The statement also highlighted that a major event during the visit will be the opening of the Swedish Trade Office in Lagos, a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral trade relations. The statement read, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce the upcoming official visit of Her Royal Highness Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, to Nigeria, scheduled for Monday, 7th to Wednesday, 9th April 2025. The visiting royalty will be received by high-ranking Nigerian officials and also engage in a series of high-level discussions aimed at further strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between both nations. Crown Princess Victoria will be received in audience by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar. She is also to meet with His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, the Governor of Lagos State and commission the Swedish Trade office in Lagos. Ebienfa stated that the visit underscores the robust and ongoing partnership between Nigeria and Sweden, with an emphasis on trade, sustainable development, gender equality, and cultural exchange. The ministry expressed Nigerias commitment to enhancing its relationship with Sweden and conveyed optimism about the positive outcomes of the engagement for both nations. This visit underscores the strong and cordial bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Sweden, as well as our shared commitment to fostering mutual cooperation in areas of trade, sustainable development, gender equality, and cultural exchange. Nigeria remains committed to deepening its relationship with Sweden, and we look forward to a fruitful engagement that will benefit both nations, the statement concluded. The Lagos State Government has arrested four individuals for allegedly urinating on the Kodesoh Bridge in Ikeja. This action is part of the states intensified efforts to combat open defecation and promote environmental sanitation. The individuals were arrested around 8:30pm on Friday during a late-night operation conducted by the Lagos State Anti-Open Defecation Task Force. Advertisement Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, revealed this in a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday. READ MORE: Container-Laden Truck Falls In Lagos, Crashes Into Seven Vehicles During late night monitoring and enforcement today by the Lagos State Anti-Open Defecation team, 4 individuals were arrested urinating on Kodesoh Bridge in Ikeja at about 8.30pm, Wahab said. The individuals who were arrested have been detained at the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps office in Bolade, Oshodi, and are set to face prosecution under the states environmental laws. Wahab emphasised the state governments zero tolerance for environmental violations and misuse of public infrastructure, warning that more arrests would occur if residents did not adhere to sanitation regulations. Additionally, the commissioner provided an update on the ongoing clean-up efforts at the Oja Oba underbridge in Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island. He stated that the ongoing exercise, now in its third day, has revealed a significant amount of waste, highlighting extensive misuse of the area. The volume of refuse being evacuated is overwhelming a clear indication of misuse of public infrastructure. While the scale of the waste suggests it may take up to 10 days to fully clear, we remain undeterred. Our goal is to reclaim this space for safe and proper public use, and to send a strong message that such abuse of shared spaces will no longer be tolerated in our city, Wahab stated. He encouraged Lagos residents to work alongside the government in promoting cleanliness, environmental awareness, and respect for public spaces. The Lagos State Government, through its agencies, has intensified efforts to enforce sanitation laws, warning that those who violate them will face strict legal consequences. Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has shared a revelation, stating that God told him the churchs governing council will one day meet on the moon. During the April edition of the Holy Ghost Congress convention, shared on X Saturday, the cleric emphasised that although Gods promises may seem unbelievable, he is confident they will come to fulfilment. Adeboye also shared how God told him he would one day own a city, even though he was living in a one-room apartment in Mushin, Lagos at the time. Advertisement READ MORE: Jemima Osunde Refutes BBL Speculation I am not doubting God, I know with him all things are possible. But he told me, and I told some of my people, He told me that a day is coming when the Redeemed Christian Church of Gods Governing Council wants to hold their meeting, they would hold the meeting on the moon. I know that does not make sense, but then, that is God, he said. Just like he said to me not to ask for a house, I have decided to build a city. He was talking to somebody living in a room in Mushin. When I shared with those people who were with me then they all laughed. They are still laughing because they can see what God is doing. When God says we will one day be holding our meetings on the moon, you do not have to believe it, but he has spoken. It is going to come to pass. Gunmen have killed two Chinese expatriates and a police escort in Abia State. The tragic incident occurred, in Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area. According to a statement from the Abia State Police Command, the attack happened while the expatriates and their security detail were traveling to their company site in the Agukwu-Amaya, Ndundu community. Police spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the ambush in a statement released on Saturday. Operatives from Abia State Command, in a joint operation with the military and other sister agencies, launched a search mission. Advertisement As a result, three Chinese expatriates were rescued unhurt, while one sustained injuries. Inspector Uba Ahmed, who was also rescued, suffered gunshot injury on his leg. Both the injured officer and the expatriates are currently receiving treatment and responding to treatment at FMC Abakaliki, the statement said. Another police officer, Inspector Ijeagwa Friday, was also rescued unhurt, thanks to a coordinated effort involving the police, military, and local community members. The Abia State Police Command further disclosed that a tactical team, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), visited the crime scene on April 5, 2025, as part of the ongoing search and rescue operations. Commissioner of Police, CP Danladi Isa, assured residents of Abia State that those responsible for the heinous act will be brought to justice. He also urged the public to remain calm, go about their lawful activities without fear, and promptly report any suspicious individuals or vehicles to the nearest police station. Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has debunked some purported reports, claiming that he would be contesting for Senatorial position after his eight years in office. Speaking on Saturday during a reception held in his honour by Anambra Development Unions Association, Aba branch, Governor Otti described the rumour as baseless and misleading. He also emphasized on the need to give room for younger leaders. Advertisement The Governor said: When I finish my eight years here, I will retire. I am not going to Abuja. We are no longer that young. Society is changing, and the young ones are rising. Its time we give them the opportunity. READ MORE: APC Vows To Unseat Alex Otti As Abia Governor In 2027 The governor also announced plans to revisit the 2011 disengagement of 154 state workers, mostly teachers, from the civil service. He said that the states head of service would be directed to urgently review the matter for possible redress. Mr Otti also added that those under 65 might be reengaged on contract. He said: For those outside the age bracket, well find fair compensation mechanisms. Senator Simon Lalong, representing Plateau South under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has strongly condemned the recent attacks in the villages of Hurti, Ruwi, and others in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State. The attacks, which led to the deaths of innocent citizens, have sparked outrage across the region. Senator Lalong vowed to collaborate with the National Assembly (NASS) and other relevant authorities to put an end to the incessant killings and ensure peace and security in the state. In a statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser, Media, Makut Simon Macham, the statement reads, Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District Simon Bako Lalong has condemned the recent attacks in villages of Hurti, Ruwi and others in Bokkos Local Government leading to deaths of innocent citizens. Advertisement Lalong calls the attacks barbaric, unexcusable and condemnable, saying the unfortunate situation must be brought to an end. While sympathising with the families of the victims and the entire people of Bokkos Local Government, Lalong said the continuous onslaught against the innocent citizens cannot be allowed to go unpunished. He appreciated President Bola Tinubu for giving stern directives to security agencies to fish out the perpetrators, urging them to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the merchants of death are held to account. Senator Lalong also acknowledged the directives by the President to Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, to deliver relief materials to the victims and ensure that they get succour. The Senator said he is working with his colleagues at the National Assembly to ensure that such attacks never occur again. He asked the state Government to deploy all its might in tackling the condemnable action of wicked persons determined to jeopardise the peace and security of Bokkos and Plateau State at large. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested two brothers, identified as John Abugu, and Kenneth Abugu, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State. It was gathered that the suspects were caught with 5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of their suitcases while attempting to board a flight to India. The agency disclosed that the two brothers were apprehended at Lagos airport on Thursday, 3rd April 2025, following proactive processing of credible intelligence. Advertisement This was contained in a statement by NDLEAs Spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday. READ MORE: Navy Hands Over 17 Seized Cannabis Sativa To NDLEA Mr. Babafemi said that the suspects claimed they were traveling to India for medical treatment, but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched by NDLEA officers, whitish powdery substances, later confirmed to be cocaine, were discovered in the walls of their bags. He said: 5 kilograms of cocaine were concealed in walls of their suitcases as they attempted to board a flight to India. The two brothers were arrested at the Lagos airport on Thursday 3rd April 2025 following proactive processing of credible intelligence. They claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched by NDLEA officers, whitish powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine were discovered on the walls of their bags. Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, a leading aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship race in Anambra, has announced his withdrawal from the partys primary election. His decision comes amid growing controversy surrounding the authenticity of the delegates list. The primary, scheduled to hold at the Dora Akunyili Womens Development Centre, was supposed to begin at 9 a.m., but by 6:30 p.m., voting had yet to commence. Reports suggest that delegate accreditation was being conducted secretly at various undisclosed hotels across Awka, raising concerns about transparency. In a statement by Obiora Okonkwo on Saturday, he disclosed: After a careful evaluation, and reflection, on the current state of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election process in Anambra State, I have decided to withdraw my aspiration for the partys governorship ticket. Advertisement This decision to withdraw from the race was a difficult but necessary one because of some developments that are inconsistent with my principles and values. The project is not worth risking the lives of my supporters among other reasons. However, my passion for public service remains strong, and I will continue contributing to the socio-economic and political development of Anambra State and our country, Nigeria. I will also continue to help in ways I can towards the realization of President Bola Tinubus development programmes and the economic growth of our country, for the good of our countrymen and women. I appreciate the trust and support my political associates, supporters and stakeholders in the APC and other places have shown me. Your support has meant a lot. and Im grateful for the opportunity to have connected with so many committed and passionate Anambrarians. President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to fish out gunmen who killed many residents of Ruuwi and Hirti communities in Plateau State. Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that some yet to be identified assailants invaded Ruwi, Hurti, and Tadai communities in Bokkos Local Government, leaving many villagers dead. President Tinubu, in a statement by his Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga on Saturday, commiserated with Governor Caleb Mutfwang, urging the affected communities to cooperate with the authorities and security agencies by volunteering information to catch the perpetrators and secure their communities. Advertisement He said: The report of another violent attack in communities in Plateau State by mindless gunmen saddens me. The latest attacks on defenceless citizens are unacceptable. I have directed security agencies to hunt down the attackers, and they will face severe punishment when apprehended. The intermittent attacks should have no place in our country at a time when we are working so hard to restore peace and order in all parts of our country. READ MORE: Gunmen Kill 10 In Fresh Plateau Attack This unfortunate incident will never dampen and slow us down in our duty to protect every Nigerian citizen. Instead, we will work harder to exterminate forces of evil wherever they are lurking in our country. This unfortunate incident will never dampen and slow us down in our duty to protect every Nigerian citizen. Instead, we will work harder to exterminate forces of evil wherever they are lurking in our country. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims families and all those affected by this senseless violence. No community should have to endure such tragedy. We all must unite to foster peace and stability. I urge all citizensregardless of ethnic, religious, or political affiliations, to uphold the shared humanity that binds us all, embrace peace and reject retaliation. April 6, 2025: An Indian firm, Bharat Electronics Limited or BEL, has developed and produced a Battlefield Surveillance System or BSS called SANJAY, The Indian BSS is being installed in all Indian army brigade, division, and corps headquarters as well as the army high command by the end of 2025. The BSS depends on the existing military communications system as well as communications links deployed by brigade and higher units when they deploy for training or actual operations. The BSS provides improved situational awareness and enables commanders to view real time operations as they unfold and order changes or new orders based on what they detect. Developmental tests of BSS revealed shortcomings and opportunities that were tended to. This monitoring and adjustment activity is continuous to monitor the accuracy and reliability of the BSS. BSS will be updated as new computer and sensor technology is developed. For the government the best part of the SANJAY BSS is that it was developed and manufactured in India by local firms without any dependence on foreign sources. India has long been dependent on foreign imports to obtain the latest military technology. For over half a century Russia was the main supplier, over the last decade Western suppliers have been replacing Russian systems. Arch-enemy China has created a world-class arms development and manufacturing industry. India has not and overcoming this shortcoming has been a major goal for Indian government, military and manufacturing officials. Progress has been slow but SANJAY was an encouraging new development. Indians are mystified at their inability, as the most populous nation in the world, to build their own military equipment. The Indian GDP is $3.9 trillion, the fifth largest worldwide, after the U.S., China, Germany and Japan. The Indian defense budget of $72 billion is the fourth largest after the United States, China and Russia. Despite these numbers, India still has to import most of its weapons and remains unable to develop a domestic arms manufacturing industry befitting the nation with the third largest defense budget. This is exceeded by China with nearly $300 billion and the United States with nearly $900 billion. Efforts to create domestic defense industries have been crippled by specific portions of the bureaucracy. The worst of these is the Defense Research and Development Organization or DRDO. Alas, DRDO became a monumental example of bureaucratic inefficiency, wasting billions of dollars and decades of effort on weapons systems that never quite became operational or when they did, they really weren't. DRDO was created in 1958 to provide government support and guidance for defense related research. But the network of research and manufacturing facilities DRDO established since then were more about patronage and plundering the taxpayers than in actually creating competitive defense industries. Even DRDO efforts to create low-tech weapons like assault rifles and other infantry equipment were failures, with sloppiness and inefficiency resulting in very uncompetitive weapons. Worse, many major DRDO weapons development projects have failed because bad politics ensured that bad ideas kept getting funded, and those efforts rarely produced anything the military found acceptable. There have been some new ideas and opportunities. One of the most alluring is the growing number of private firms in India that can handle defense work. Currently non-government Indian firms get about a quarter of the contracts. Foreign defense firms can make deals with these private firms who can then go after Indian defense contracts. But standing in the way are the Indian defense officials. The Indian bureaucrats have a well-deserved reputation of gumming up the works and preventing needful things from getting done. This makes it difficult for private companies, especially when the main customer is the government. Getting rid of DRDO and its 30,000 employees is difficult. Over 20 percent of them are scientists and engineers unable to compete in a free market economy with many of the rest being obstructionist bureaucrats who cripple the efforts of commercial firms competing with DRDO. Eliminating DRDO is extremely unpopular with most politicians. Yet in the last few years senior elected officials have made some decisive moves to end the bureaucratic deadlock. This involved something as simple as ending the ban on former military personnel taking key jobs in the Defense Ministry and shutting down state-owned arms factories with long records of failure. This situation is tragic and a growing number of Indians realize it. India, a regional superpower and the worlds largest democracy now finds itself in a very rough neighborhood and military efficiency is becoming a necessity, not just a worthy goal. To deal with that, India has always maintained large armed forces and one of the largest armies, with a million troops, on the planet. But keeping these troops equipped to handle combat has proved to be very difficult. The army keeps falling behind in replacing aging weapons like artillery and obtaining new technology like missiles, smart munitions, and night vision equipment. Getting the money from the government has been the least of their problems. The biggest hassles are with corruption and failed efforts to develop local weapons production. The latest government moves to change all that are not revolutionary, but evolutionary. As has long been observed, democracies always do the right thing, but often only after trying everything else. India still has not reached the end of the everything else list. A 23-year-old woman was shot in the head in North Philadelphia by someone in a car that had followed her nearly 20 miles after she left work in King of Prussia early Saturday morning, police said. The victim was reported in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the left side of her forehead at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she arrived by private vehicle around 3:15 a.m., police said. Advertisement According to police, the woman said she had left work in King of Prussia and was followed east on I-76 by a black Nissan with heavily tinted windows and an inoperable left front headlight. The Nissan continued to follow her onto I-676 eastbound and when she exited at Eighth Street and continued driving through the city. Near the 400 block of North Fifth Street, the driver of the Nissan got out of the vehicle and fired a handgun multiple times at the womans car, hitting her, police said. The shooter then got back into the Nissan and fled in an unknown direction, police said. No description of the suspect was available as the investigation continues. Shawn Cox, a co-founder of Activated Brands in Arvada, Colorado, grows and extracts compounds from Cordyceps, the mushroom pictured. The compounds are believed to boost energy and circulation. (Kate Ruder for KFF Health News) Read more BOULDER, Colo. Colorado regulators are issuing licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms and are planning to authorize the states first healing centers, where the mushrooms can be ingested under supervision, in late spring or early summer. The dawn of state-regulated psychedelic mushrooms has arrived in Colorado, nearly two years since Oregon began offering them. The mushrooms are a Schedule I drug and illegal under federal law except for clinical research. But more than a dozen cities nationwide have deprioritized or decriminalized them in the past five years, and many eyes are turned toward Oregons and Colorados state-regulated programs. Advertisement In Oregon and Colorado, were going to learn a lot about administration of psychedelics outside of clinical, religious, and underground settings because theyre the first to try this in the U.S., said William R. Smith, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Psychedelic mushrooms and their psychoactive compound psilocybin have the potential to treat people with depression and anxiety, including those unresponsive to other medications or therapy. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, says the risk of mental health problems caused by ingesting mushrooms in a supervised clinical setting is low, but may be higher outside of a clinical setting. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a social media post last year, before his nomination as U.S. health secretary, that his mind is open to the idea of psychedelics for treatment. Medical experts say more research is needed, particularly in people with a diagnosis or family history of psychotic or bipolar disorder. Adverse effects of psilocybin, including headache and nausea, typically resolve within one to two days. However, extended difficulties from using psychedelics can last weeks, months, or years; anxiety and fear, existential struggle, social disconnection, and feeling detached from oneself and ones surroundings are most common. After the decriminalization and legalization in Oregon and Colorado, psychedelic mushroom exposures reported to poison control centers ticked up in these states and nationally. In February, about 40 people organized by the psychedelic advocacy group the Nowak Society gathered in Boulder to talk about the coming changes in Colorado. They included Mandy Grace, who received her state license to administer psychedelic mushrooms, and Amanda Clark, a licensed mental health counselor from Denver, who both praised the therapeutic power of mushrooms. You get discouraged in your practice because the current therapies are not enough for people, Clark said. Colorado voters approved Proposition 122 in 2022 to legalize natural psychedelics, after Oregon voters in 2020 approved legalizing psilocybin for therapeutic use. Colorados program is modeled after, but not the same as, Oregons, under which 21,246 psilocybin products have been sold as of March, a total that could include secondary doses, according to the Oregon Health Authority. As of mid-March, Colorado has received applications for at least 15 healing center licenses, nine cultivation licenses, four manufacturer licenses, and one testing facility license for growing and preparing the mushrooms, under rules developed over two years by the governor-appointed Natural Medicine Advisory Board. Psychedelic treatments in Oregon are expensive, and are likely to be so in Colorado, too, said Tasia Poinsatte, Colorado director of the nonprofit Healing Advocacy Fund, which supports state-regulated programs for psychedelic therapy. In Oregon, psychedelic mushroom sessions are typically $1,000 to $3,000, are not covered by insurance, and must be paid for up front. The mushrooms themselves are not expensive, Poinsatte said, but a facilitators time and support services are costly, and there are state fees. In Colorado, for doses over 2 milligrams, facilitators will screen participants at least 24 hours in advance, then supervise the session in which the participant consumes and experiences mushrooms, lasting several hours, plus a later meeting to integrate the experience. Facilitators, who may not have experience with mental health emergencies, need training in screening, informed consent, and postsession monitoring, Smith said. Because these models are new, we need to gather data from Colorado and Oregon to ensure safety. Facilitators generally pay a $420 training fee, which allows them to pursue the necessary consultation hours, and roughly $900 a year for a license, and healing centers pay $3,000 to $6,000 for initial licenses in Colorado. But the up-front cost for facilitators is significant: The required 150 hours in a state-accredited program and 80 hours of hands-on training can cost $10,000 or more, and Clark said she wouldnt pursue a facilitator license due to the prohibitive time and cost. To increase affordability for patients in Colorado, Poinsatte said, healing centers plan to offer sliding-scale pay options, and discounts for veterans, Medicaid enrollees, and those with low incomes. Group sessions are another option to lower costs. Colorado law does not allow retail sales of psilocybin, unlike cannabis, which can be sold both recreationally and medically in the state. But it allows adults 21 and older to grow, use, and share psychedelic mushrooms for personal use. Despite the retail ban, adjacent businesses have mushroomed. Inside the warehouse and laboratory of Activated Brands in Arvada, brown bags of sterilized grains such as corn, millet, and sorghum and plastic bags of soil substrate are for sale, along with genetic materials and ready-to-grow kits. Cofounder Sean Winfield sells these supplies for growing psychedelic or functional mushrooms such as lions mane to people hoping to grow their own at home. Soon, Activated Brands will host cultivation and education classes for the public, Winfield said. Winfield and cofounder Shawn Cox recently hosted a psychedelic potluck at which experts studying and cultivating psychedelic mushrooms discussed genetics, extraction, and specialized equipment. Psychedelic mushrooms have a long history in Indigenous cultures, and provisions for their use in spiritual, cultural, or religious ceremonies are included in Colorado law, along with recognition of the cultural harm that could occur to federally recognized tribes and Indigenous people if natural medicine is overly commercialized or exploited. Several studies over the past five years have shown the long-term benefits of psilocybin for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, and the Food and Drug Administration designated it a breakthrough therapy. Late-stage trials, often a precursor to application for FDA approval, are underway. Smith said psilocybin is a promising tool for treating mental health disorders but has not yet been shown to be better than other advanced treatments. Joshua Woolley, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California-San Francisco, said he has seen the benefits of psilocybin as an investigator in clinical trials. People can change hard-set habits. They can become unstuck. They can see things in new ways, he said of treating patients with a combination of psilocybin and psychotherapy. Colorado, unlike Oregon, allows integration of psilocybin into existing mental health and medical practices with a clinical facilitator license, and through micro-healing centers that are more limited in the amounts of mushrooms they can store. Still, Woolley said, between the federal ban and new state laws for psychedelics, this is uncharted territory. Most drugs used to treat mental health disorders are regulated by the FDA, something that Colorado is taking into its own hands by setting up its own program to regulate manufacturing and administration of psilocybin. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado declined to comment on its policy toward state-regulated psychedelic programs or personal use provisions, but Poinsatte hopes the same federal hands-off approach to marijuana will be taken for psilocybin in Oregon and Colorado. Winfield said he looks forward to the upcoming rollout and potential addition of other plant psychedelics, such as mescaline. Were talking about clandestine industries coming into the light, he said. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism. 2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The largest refugee-resettlement agency in Philadelphia has lost millions of dollars in funding and slashed dozens of jobs as the Trump administration halts the program that brings some of the worlds most desperate people to new lives in the United States. Theres no indication when the cuts might end at Nationalities Service Center, as the 103-year-old institution confronts what its director calls seismic change and uncertainty. Advertisement Come May, its budget is expected to be down by half, from $13.4 million to between $6 million and $8 million. The staff has shrunk by about a third, from 125 in December to 81 now. The agency closed its satellite office in Northeast Philadelphia, originally undertaken as an effort to meet immigrants where they live, in an area that has become home to newcomers from China, Brazil, Portugal, Russia, Afghanistan, and the Dominican Republic. NSC has helped lead virtually every major area resettlement effort, supporting displaced peoples after World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War through recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine. Now it faces a different and smaller future than the one it envisioned only last year. The international framework for resettlement has been, or will certainly soon be, eviscerated, said Margaret OSullivan, the organizations executive director. Things are challenging. Extraordinarily so. The federal governments refugee resettlement program is how the United States enables people forced from their homelands to find hope, safety, and support in America. The U.S. has traditionally been the world leader in resettlement and agencies like NSC, which is 80% federally funded, are the frontline instruments of that. Refugees are legal immigrants The refugee system is a form of legal immigration, and new arrivals have a specific, government-authorized status that includes a clear path to citizenship. Typically, people come here carrying only the clothes on their backs and their personal trauma. Over time, economically, they contribute billions of dollars more than they cost, studies show. In an interview at NSCs Arch Street offices, OSullivan and deputy director Steven Larin offered a snapshot of the agencys standing its troubles large and local, but typical of what is happening to resettlement agencies and their immigrant clients across the country. Every day when she walks through the fourth-floor lobby, OSullivan said, she sees concern on the faces of immigrant families, their worry over the future of the agency and a volatile national political climate. When Im with them, you can feel it, its palpable, OSullivan said. I didnt think wed ever be here, as a city, as a country. With dollars limited, the agency is concentrating on continuing to run key services that include teaching English, providing legal services, and promoting wellness and access to health care. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already arrested, detained, and deported some immigrants who had official permission to live here, including a group of Bhutanese refugees in central Pennsylvania. Refugees can lose their legal status under certain circumstances, such as committing crimes or misrepresenting themselves. Trumps order stopped new admissions During the roughly 16 months before Trump took office, NSC welcomed to the area 723 refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The presidents Jan. 27 order stopped new admissions, and a second directive cut off funding for agencies to support those already here. One Afghan family managed to get itself to Philadelphia, showing up at NSC in March, permitted to enter the country on the Special Immigrant Visas granted to war allies. Despite its internal challenges, the agency did everything it could to welcome and support the family. Seeing my colleagues rise up like they have and recognizing the moment were in, and doing everything possible to mitigate the impact, has been something Im extraordinarily proud of, OSullivan said. We had to prioritize both the staff and the clients concurrently, immediately, because we couldnt let these people that arrived, you know, wind up in a shelter. The U.S. resettled 100,034 refugees in fiscal 2024, the largest number in 30 years, as President Joe Biden rebuilt the shrunken system he inherited from the first Trump presidency. Presidents hold enormous power over refugee admissions, as their annual determination sets the numerical ceiling. Trump cut admissions to historic lows during his first term. Now he has cited security and terrorism concerns around refugees, asserting that the U.S. lacks the ability to absorb these newcomers in a way that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation. NSC had tripled in size NSC had tripled in size under Biden, as his administration pushed resettlement offices to expand and take on more work. Three years ago, Nationalities Service Center had rarely been busier, having pledged to resettle 500 Afghan allies and their families, about a third of the statewide total. It was a leader in the national effort to welcome those who served the American war effort in Afghanistan, as Philadelphia International Airport became the countrys main arrival hub. Thousands of Afghans were transferred from there to temporary quarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey. NSC turned part of the Marriott Residence Inn in Center City into a kind of American Orientation University, with English classes in the morning and job preparation in the afternoon, followed by two sessions of information on housing, one in Dari, the other in Pashto. Refugees are, by definition, people who have been forced to flee their homelands and seek safety in another country due to war, violence, or persecution. Some spend decades in refugee camps and others lack even that accommodation, living in tents. If approved for resettlement in the United States, they undergo intense vetting and security checks that can take several years. Trumps decision to halt the program stranded people in volatile countries amid thousands of canceled plane flights, and left others homeless and destitute as they readied for departures that never came. Family members in this country say they are devastated for parents and siblings who counted on the now-broken promise of being brought to the United States. Worldwide need has rarely been greater, with more than 120 million people, roughly the population of Japan, having been forcibly displaced, according to the United Nations. That includes 43 million refugees. One of the few certainties in refugee resettlement now is that admissions, if resumed under Trump, will be light. Those numbers will be extremely low, NSCs Larin said, and the services that were being provided to those refugees once they entered will also have been diminished, and most likely not coming back at the same level. NSC hopes that state and local funding can make up for some losses. It has launched a Back to Our Roots campaign to try to raise $2.5 million, and leading agency donors have pledged to match the first $700,000. The next important marker for NSC comes on Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year. That may give guidance for the future. When a new administration comes in, there are always changes of views and what direction theyd like to take, OSullivan said. But this particular change was incredibly seismic and, frankly, astonishing in how precisely aimed it was at reducing our sector. They descended on Philadelphia from all over, determined to act against a king and his establishment of absolute tyranny over these states. Their long list of grievances included: For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; Advertisement For imposing taxes on us without our consent; For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury; For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses; Those could have been signs carried on Saturday by the thousands of protesters who circled Phillys City Hall on a raw, windy April afternoon marching up Market Street with a banner proclaiming No King as part of a nationwide Hands Off! protest that brought at least three million and maybe as many as 5.2 million Americans out into the streets. But actually, these are quotes from the Thomas Jefferson-penned Declaration of Independence, reminding us of the tragic irony that America under President Donald Trump has, in many ways, become the kind of tyranny citizens on this soil rebelled against in 1776. On Saturday, the huge anti-Trump protests included roughly 100,000 on Washington, D.C.s National Mall, and another 100,000 in New York City who stretched down Fifth Avenue yes, the street where Trump famously claimed he could shoot somebody and not lose any supporters almost as far as the eye could see. But arguably more impressive were the gatherings in smaller towns across America, including a few thousand who lined both sides of the street in little Geneva, Ill., a large rally outside the courthouse in Pittsboro, N.C., population 4,839, and even a healthy turnout in Kalispell, Mont., in a community Trump won by 33 points. One of the Montana demonstrators carried a sign that read, Hands Off Our Money Medicare Social Sec, reflecting the initial main focus of the 50501 Movement and other protest organizers against mass federal worker layoffs and looming budget cuts directed by Elon Musk, the worlds richest person and a close Trump adviser. But undoubtedly, the crowds were swelled Saturday by Trumps autocratic diktat last week that may prove the turning point of his 47th presidency his sweeping, unilateral imposition of tariffs on goods from more than 100 nations, at astronomical rates from 10% in many cases to as high as 54% on China, a major trading partner. Suddenly, the 1776 colonists beef with Britains King George III about imposing taxes on us without our consent had found a loud echo in a U.S. presidents seemingly arbitrary and capricious implementation of what could amount to a more than $2,000-a-year tax hike on a typical American family, since consumers will ultimately pay for these levies. READ MORE: After 248 years, America prepares for life under a king | Will Bunch Indeed, the Boston Tea Party-level of anger and grievance in Americas streets this weekend was amplified by the instant fallout: one of the steepest two-day declines in the history of Wall Street, with major stocks losing more than 10% of their value as investors contemplated a future of higher prices and shortages or product cancellations caused by trade barriers. The Dows implosion was, arguably, a way for the nations captains of industry and masters-of-the-universe financiers to vote by secret ballot on a trade policy that many, if not most, consider bat-guano crazy. Its tanking an economy that just six months ago was the envy of the developed world, despite what millions heard on Newsmax or whatever. And yet, no major capitalist was willing to tell Americas mad king the truth about his nonexistent new clothes. When Americas CEOs and finance leaders had a chance to voice their fears about tariffs or the sweeping federal layoffs to the president at a Business Roundtable event last month, They sat there like docile parishioners in a church while Trump pontificated from the pulpit, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management, told Vanity Fair. No business leader wants to find themselves on the receiving end of wrath from either the White House or the MAGA movement. There is zero incentive for any company or brand to be remotely critical of this administration, a public affairs operative told Politico. Likewise, political commentators have struggled over the last five days to come to terms with the seemingly immense impact of the tariffs, because the self-defeating and inexplicably dumb nature of the levies including tariffs on an island only inhabited by penguins, and a formula that includes Greek letters to help pretend the numbers werent pulled from thin air defies rational explanation. If it endures, Donald Trumps decision on April 2, 2025 to enact sweeping reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners will go down as one of the greatest acts of self-harm in American economic history, wrote the staid Financial Times, a publication not known for its raving left-wing lunacy. Historians will surely continue debating amid the likely rubble for an explanation of why the Trump regime did this, but the more important question Americans need to be asking at this moment is not why, but how. How could one man make such a disastrous and dictatorial decision for 335 million Americans, in a nation that as the faded ink on the Declaration of Independence makes clear was created for the express purpose of preventing this from happening? The sad reality is that we gave him this power. In the fall of 1976 ironically, Americas Bicentennial year Congress passed the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, which grants the White House authority to take strong economic measures against foreign nations without either an investigation or seeking prior approval from Congress. Like a lot of laws passed in the years immediately after Richard Nixons Watergate scandal, Congress thought IEEPA was a way to reign in an imperial president when, in reality, it did the exact opposite. The idea behind the law was to end a raft of ongoing emergencies declared by Nixon and other past presidents and create a better-spelled-out, more democratic process for any future ones. Instead, the declaration of national emergencies has expanded under every president, Democrat or Republican, over high-profile events like the 1979 Iran hostage crisis or the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. In the bigger picture, Americans have become way too numb to sweeping uses and, arguably, abuses of presidential powers, whether thats dropping bombs on Yemen with little more debate than an emoji-laden Signal chat, or imposing economic sanctions, or, before last Wednesday, more targeted tariffs. This development is completely the opposite of the version of America sought by its founders, who envisioned a republic in which Congress a large deliberative body, elected by the citizenry would have the power to declare war or levy taxes, including tariffs. Trumps absurd claim of a national emergency when clearly none existed either in what used to be a flourishing economy or anywhere else makes a mockery of the existing laws. It should sound the alarm for everyday Americans that our presidency has become way too powerful, even before the current self-proclaimed strongman marched on Washington. This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Saturday. But unauthorized border crossings are at their lowest level in years, and the notion that wrecking the global economy can curb fentanyl abuse is beyond laughable. The president has cited fentanyl trafficking from Canada in his on-again, off-again trade war with our formerly friendly neighbor, even though only 43 pounds of the illegal drug were seized at the northern border last year. Even some conservatives who were presumably elated over Trumps victory last November are appalled over his abuse of the emergency law, including the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a conservative legal outfit supported by the likes of industrialist Charles Koch and U.S. Supreme Court influencer Leonard Leo. This week, the group filed a complaint against the presidents new tariffs. But this moment should serve as a much bigger wake-up call for how far America has gone down the wrong track. If Congress wants to listen to the more than three million people in the streets and it should, if it wants to cling to any lingering claim on legitimacy then it should first act immediately to use the power it has under the 1970s law to reverse the taxation without representation of a mad king, as soon as possible. Then it should repeal IEEPA and draft new legislation that severely restricts a presidents emergency declaration powers since weve now seen how badly these can be misused and abused by a power-hungry dictator. Saturdays marchers did a great job in boiling the essence of the American Experiment hatched right here in Philadelphia down to just those two words: No King. The restoration of a monarchy on U.S. soil is perhaps the inevitable result of years of neglecting what this nation is supposed to be all about. Weve now betrayed the legend of Benjamin Franklin in keeping the republic, but there is a path to winning it back. READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter Its been fewer than 100 days since Donald Trump returned to the White House, and in that short time, the president, his ultra-MAGA cabinet, and tech mogul Elon Musk have taken a sledgehammer to the institutions, values, and norms that hold together American society. The Trump administration has gutted foreign aid, fired thousands of government workers, detained people for political speech, challenged the power of the judiciary, embraced strongmen like Vladimir Putin, shutdown medical research, and upended the stock market by unilaterally imposing what appears to be the largest peacetime tax increase in U.S. history. Even programs to plant trees and weatherize homes in Philadelphia have not been spared. Advertisement Now, the president and his cadre of GOP sycophants are coming for the most important institution of them all: free and fair elections. For years, Trump has falsely claimed the American election system is unreliable and vulnerable to malign influence back in office, he wants to make his Big Lie a reality. READ MORE: As Pa. Republicans further the Big Lie, were trapped in a factless debate that wont end | Editorial His administration has announced cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which aids states in safeguarding our election systems. According to election administrators, these cuts have meant the end of federal programs intended to safeguard critical election systems and detect threats. States are now on their own, forced to build redundant infrastructure from the ground up. Even foreign threats, which states lack the capacity to handle on their own, are now left to local leaders. Pennsylvanias secretary of the commonwealth, Al Schmidt, was among the first to sound the alarm. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Schmidt, who is not known for rhetorical exaggeration, wrote, I have seen firsthand how CISAs work has helped prevent and address security incidents, and I worry about the serious consequences of removing this support for our local elections officials without an adequate substitute. Schmidt identified specific examples of CISAs essential support, including dealing with bomb threats, manufactured videos of election fraud, white powder in envelopes, and text message scams. Without CISA, local officials will be responsible for dealing with these incidents alone. In place of CISA, Trump has instructed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a group controlled by billionaire Musk, to undertake a review of the countrys voting machines. No doubt in search of evidence of the long-debunked theory that Joe Biden was able to rig the 2020 election. The Trump administration is also pushing a new federal voter ID requirement called the SAVE Act. The bill, which echoes a Trump executive order, would require voters to produce either a passport or a birth certificate to cast their ballot. This would potentially remove millions of voters from the rolls, including women who have changed their last names to match their husbands, or anyone who cant find their original birth certificate in a timely manner. The Brennan Center for Justice has said the proposed legislation would be the most significant voter suppression bill ever passed by Congress. READ MORE: The Big Lie gets more dangerous with every step it takes | Editorial Meanwhile, Musk has been engaged in his own questionable election campaigning. In the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, the Tesla owner used million-dollar lottery tickets to financially reward voters who supported the Republican candidate. Additionally, Musks America PAC offered canvassers a bounty for each voter they brought to the polls, a bounty promised to the voters, as well. These tactics take the country back a hundred years to the days of party bosses like Matthew Quay, who at least bothered to hold public office before looting the public coffers. The threat is clear. Trump and Musk arent just coming for Americans retirement savings, immigrant neighbors, and the cancer treatments of tomorrow. They are coming for the right to vote in a free and fair election. It is up to the free and fairly elected members of Congress to stop them. A voter signs a huge 50-foot wide VOTE banner is displayed on the north apron of City Hall Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. The banner (and another equally large one that reads VOTE.PA.GOV.MAILBALLOT displayed at other sites around Center City) were created by a grassroots group of a dozen voting rights supporters who are loosely associated through the local LGBTQ+ community to encourage all citizens to vote as the distribution of mail-in ballots begins over the coming weeks. Read more Dana Edwards, a business-insurance executive, is likely to become Narberths next mayor after attorney Rebecca Starr dropped out of the Democratic primary late last month, citing vitriol in the race. As of last months filing deadline, no Republicans had announced plans to seek the seat in the small Main Line borough, clearing the way for Edwards to run unopposed unless an independent candidate enters the race. Advertisement On March 18, Narberths six Democratic committee people, including the rival mayoral candidates, voted 4-2 to endorse Edwards over Starr. The endorsement followed intense debate during the local partys endorsement meeting, which was posted to YouTube. During the meeting, committee people and local leaders argued over party rules and whether committee people should skip the endorsement this year due to the animosity in the race. Eight days later, on March 26, Starr posted to Facebook that she had withdrawn from the race and pledged to remain involved in the community. In a letter sent to voters and obtained by The Inquirer, Starr went into slightly more detail about her decision. Starr wrote that she had encountered vitriol in the campaign when she had expected a well-spirited competition and debate. I entered this race because I love Narberth and believe I have a great deal to offer through my leadership, the letter said. I want us all to live, and for our children to grow up, in a borough where honest, fairness, and community spirit prevail not in a place where divisive, misleading politics take root. Reached by The Inquirer on Saturday, Starr declined to comment further. In an email, Edwards said he could not speak to Starrs experience when asked about her claims of vitriol. I deeply respect her contributions to the Narberth community and her commitment to public service, he said. As Ive said, Im focused on how we can work together to revitalize our main street and fix the bridge, support the police department, and continue to ensure Narberth is a great place to live and a raise a family. The fight for the endorsement was certainly hard fraught, said Jeff Scott, the chair of the Democratic Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth. Now that weve done that, I hope that the folks in Narberth come together behind our endorsed candidate and move forward, he said. Saturday nights episode of the Tommy Tiernan Show touched on the return of one well-known Irish band, the importance of living life to the fullest, and the impact of Riverdance across the globe. Tiernans guests included Leo Moran and Davy Carton of the Saw Doctors, comedian Kyla Cobbler and composer Bill Whelan. Saw Doctors members Leo Moran and Davy Carton were Tiernans first guests of the night. The pair spoke about their break from 2013 to 2022, their return to performing, and the importance of maintaining connections with audiences. They discuss their songwriting process and the importance of giving their best at every performance. Carton said that when touring, they have to treat each performance as if their audience were hearing them play for the first time. These are new people every day and they deserve the best you can give, he said. They spoke about their love for a quiet drink after a gig, how their songwriting is pure luck a lot of the time, and their approach to choosing topics to write about. Moran, who continued to gig in the US while the pair took a break from performing together, spoke about the popularity of house concerts and his experience playing more intimate gigs in private homes. Sharing stories about the different types of house concerts and the varying levels of professionalism and hospitality involved, he described it as a very intense experience. Youd be surprised how many people youd fit in a sitting room with the right furniture, he said. Carton said youre also very exposed because they dont have their band with them but described them as enjoyable experiences also. You sit down then for dinner after the gig with them, and were all talking about the songs - its great, he said. Touching on the vagabond minstrels lifestyle of the Saw Doctors, they spoke of their love of performing in various settings, traveling, and meeting new people. Speaking about returning to performing after some time, Carton said: I didnt want to go out and not be as good as I was. So, I was thinking to myself, have I got this, are you okay? And when I went out gigging again, it was no problem. It was just like getting back on a bike. He said that once he got a bit of confidence from playing again, he was fine. When asked about future plans and why they dont worry about the future, Moran said: The only worry Id have now is we have our first gig in Scotland in May. So, we want to be good for that. We havent played since December but even if were bad, well be fairly good. The pair touched on how they plan their set lists and how their newer material blends with their legendary songs. I would love for us to have a song that people would still be singing in one hundred years, he said. The pair sang their popular song Red Cortina in the studio before Tiernan wished them well in all of their future ventures as a band. Stand-up comedian Kyla Cobbler, who had done some work with Tiernan recently, was the second guest to appear on the show. In what was her TV debut, Cobbler discussed her recent sold-out shows at Cork Opera House, where she debuted a new comedy show titled Not My Lemons. She spoke about her life in Barcelona and her experience gigging across Europe, describing it as exciting but said she is wrecked from travelling so much. Its been a busy beginning of the year but my career has moved and now I need to just get in front of people. She spoke about how lying with her granny as she was passing away made her realise she just really wanted to live her life. She just created this incredible life. She was the first woman in her parish to wear trousers - super cool. I come from a matriarch. I was just sitting there thinking Im going to go for it [comedy], because Im going to die. Cobbler touched on her experiences with online dating and the differences between Italian and Irish men. She also spoke about the importance of therapy, yoga, and meditation in her life, describing them as essential tools for personal growth. Going to therapy teaches you that you are responsible. There has to come a certain point in your life where you have to take responsibility for how you navigate in the world, she said. She touched on the power of continuing to show up and make genuine choices, which she said leads to opportunities and success. Describing Cobbler as a very inspiring woman, Tiernan thanked her for coming onto the show. Award-winning composer and creator of Riverdance Bill Whelan was Tiernans final guest of the night. Whelan discussed the 30th anniversary of Riverdance, the impact of Riverdance across the globe and his current US tour. He reflected on his musical history, growing up with a musically inclined family, and his early exposure to various genres. His father was a self-taught harmonica player who played rhythms on a press, while his mother was a talented pianist. He described his upbringing as a middle-class Limerick upbringing, with his parents owning a newsagent's shop. He shared that both of his parents died in their early 70s, missing his higher-profile career, which he said is a regret for him as they both loved music immensely and that it would have been a thrill to share his successes with them. He emphasised the importance of rhythmic complexity in his compositions, influenced by his father's rhythms and his own interest in jazz. From a very early age, I didnt see any borders, I didnt notice any borders in music, he said. He reflected on how the death of his parents affected him, the acceptance of death, and the concept of legacy and the continuation of his parents' traits through his grandchildren. Whelan spoke about the unexpected emotional impact of his music on others, recounting a touching story of a couple in London who thanked him for the slow air for the pipes in Riverdance, which helped them grieve for their son. He reflected on the evolution of Riverdance and its impact. He discussed the conflict between the business aspect of Riverdance and its original soul, emphasising the importance of staying true to the original vision, and shared his experiences working with various ensembles, as well as the lessons learned from mentors such as Noel Helen and Jim Doherty. Whelan said that when Riverdance took off, he was under enormous pressure to create Riverdance 2 but that he resisted. I resisted it because what made Riverdance the original Riverdance could never be repeated, he said. He said he will be doing a concert for his 75th birthday in November with the National Symphony Orchestra, for which he is writing a new piece. Whelan spoke about the fantastic young talent in Ireland and said one of the great joys in what he does is seeing whats now coming. Closing out the show were the Saw Doctor and the RTE Concert Orchestra with a performance of Same Oul Town. When engineer Roy OFarrell sends his babies out into the world he has no idea of the terrifying missions awaiting them which can involve anything from school shooters to catastrophic explosions. Its all in a days work for the ICP New Tech team in Kilbrittain, Co Cork, whose innovative robots are shipped all over the world to assist with humanitarian efforts and ultimately save lives. The building is a hive of robotic activity when visited by the Irish Examiner as engineers from the companys 30-strong team work on their latest projects. We are introduced to the models like members of a close family. Their creators take a tangible pride in their work. Its not surprising, given the countless hours of love and dedication poured into each product. These unmanned ground vehicles brave unknown territory every day, dismantling bombs at a rate that would make even a mechanical head spin. Life begins for the robots on a pristine production floor which sees man-made creatures of all shapes and sizes find their way into the world. Founded in October 2013, ICP New Tech is known for producing remotely-operated vehicles, ROVs, used in bomb disposal, hazardous material management, and mine clearance. It now exports to 26 countries across the globe. It all started after former chief executive Eamon Jackson and current CEO Kieran Nolan restored a business that shut down in Kilbrittain in 2013. This was when the robotics division of US-owned Allen-Vanguard relocated to the UK and closed its Cork plant due to rationalisation. Mechanical design engineer Marcin Zychowicz is one of the team at ICP NewTech developing cutting-edge robotics that protect civilians and first responders on the front lines. Picture: Chani Anderson ICP New Tech was thus born and is now expanding thanks to an increase in global demand. The companys customised UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) systems feature in some of the worlds most demanding missions and operational environments. Some 600 of these are currently in active service following distribution to various parts of the world. ICP New Tech principal engineer Roy OFarrell jokes that their robots could turn up anywhere. Principal engineer Roy OFarrell in ICP New Techs test area. The Cork firm takes pride in designing robots that go places too dangerous for humans in conflict zones including Ukraine, Colombia, and Cambodia. Picture: Chani Anderson I saw one of them on The IT Crowd, he laughs, referring to the Channel 4 sitcom starring Irish actor Chris ODowd. Another was on CSI. Roy emphasises that the companys ethos is to preserve human life above all else. The main aim and goal of our founders was to provide products that save lives as opposed to taking them," he says. "Not getting involved in politics is part of our ethos. These [robots] are sent to the frontline to deal with chemical or nuclear explosives so that humans on the ground dont have to. It allows the service people to be given the tools by their government that save their citizens rather than any combative or destructive type stuff. We have refused tenders based on the fact that clients were hoping to use our products as offensive weapons because thats not what were about. Roys work has allowed him the opportunity to visit various parts of the world to watch his robots in action. An aircraft interior used to test remote-controlled vehicles at ICP NewTech's plant in Kilbrittain, Co Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson Ive just come back from Japan where a trainer is training the entire unit of the Japanese ministry of defence. We were integrating their x-ray system so that when they go to sites they can actually do radiography and check that things are safe. It means that if there is some threat there they can deal with it rather than sending in an entire force. In previous times they would have had to send one or two people in bomb suits. Some would have had to get into hazmat gear and spend hours in decontamination to avoid spreading any of what they brought back. Electronics engineer Jan Relosky testing the new Avenger LT at ICP NewTech in Kilbrittain, Co Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson Its alien at first but once you meet with the customer you can listen and try to improve things and make sure that they never have to send a person to these places until they are safe. "With the high-definition cameras on the system they can take forensic information too, much of which is used in court cases. In some countries the fire brigade use our products, including Ireland. Given the nature of their work, the engineer says he is accustomed to some unusual customer queries. He recalls one such query coming from Afghanistan a number of years ago. They were trying to clear the roads of landmines, much like what you see in The Hurt Locker. However, the antennas on the robots kept breaking and we didnt know why. It turned out that snipers were shooting at them as they were trying to do their work. "This meant the robots had to be picked up and thrown into the back of the truck. They all ended up upside down which was breaking the antennas. Quality manager Barry Mulcahy at ICP NewTech in Cork with an Avenger fire robot. This cutting-edge machine was recently used to tackle a fire in Galway. Picture: Chani Anderson ICP New Tech director of operations Mick Burke then gives us a demo of their newest product, the Avenger Tactical (A-TAC) robot. The device was created by ICP New Tech to overcome perilous obstacles, explore hostile locations, and gather intelligence. Its possible to send this in as a surveillance camera, he explains. You can take off the arm and put on a 3D mapping camera. It can be brought around a corner into a hostile area. These are places where you dont know if people are going to shoot each other or not. All the while the man with the controller can see everything thats happening from a safe place. Its used a lot in negotiations. A phone will be attached so it can be brought down to a suspect in a hostage situation. You have the camera but you also have two-way audio. If you send a person down, there is a strong danger than they will be shot. Wherever is unsafe for a human can be accessed by the A-TAC. When it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, Mr Burke says they will likely be involved in the cleanup for decades to come. ICP NewTech production technician Attila Naga fine-tuning the latest Avenger 2.0 state-of-the-art bomb disposal robot designed to keep first responders out of harms way. Picture Chani Anderson Large areas of Ukraine have now been contaminated with mines and suspect devices. It will take years for the robots to try and clear these areas. We cant send people in because they just get killed. Its endless work. Its the same with World War II. Equipment is still being found and the clean-up continues. "Our focus is on the aftermath and the cleanup. Quality manager Barry Mulcahy describes the humanitarian nature of their work. We are able to provide something that saves lives every day through firefighting, mine-clearing, and the removal of hazardous waste," he says. "There is a satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are not only contributing to society, but also making it a safer place. April 6, 2025: Iranian Brigadier General Behrouz Esbati is a fortunate man. After he returned from a massive late 2024 defeat in Syria, he gave a public speech about what happened. He explained in detail how Syrian leader Bashar Assad refused to let Iranians use Syrian territory for attacks on Israel. He also described Russian lack of cooperation and refusal to actually do anything against anyone. Esbati was dismayed and frustrated about how Assads control of the country vanished in a week as a former Islamic terrorist and a force of several thousand gunmen took control of the country. Syrian army troops simply walked away, changing into civilian clothes and leaving uniforms, weapons and military careers behind. Syria had been the center for Iranian efforts to foment and sustain resistance to Israel. Iran supplied arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian rebels in the West Bank region adjacent to Israel. A paramount Iranian goal since the 1980s has been the destruction of Israel. Esbati was in Syria to supervise, coordinate and encourage efforts to attack Israel. He supervised the transportation of Iranian weapons into Syria. This was usually done via air transports flying directly from Iran, across Iraq and into airports in Damascus and a few other locations. Esbati saw to it that sufficient warehouses and drone manufacturing facilities were obtained and staffed with Syrian workers and guarded by Syrian soldiers overseen by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC personnel. Esbati was a career IRGC officer who remained in Syria to the end, leaving on the last flight out to Iran. Esbati hinted at new plans to reactivate operations in Syria by quietly sending in new operatives with cash and connections to reestablish Iranian influence. He inferred that negotiations were underway with the new Syrian government. Meanwhile Iran planned to take advantage of the current chaos in Syria. The group that rapidly conquered Syria is now beset on all sides by various troublemakers, gangsters, reinvigorated rebels and spies from Russia, Turkey, Israel and Western nations. Esbati described the Syrian disaster as an opportunity. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei encouraged and supported renewed Iranian presence in Syria, and obtaining revenge against Israel for recent Iranian defeats. For example, in 2024 Iran had twice launched hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel and saw these attacks nullified by Israeli air defenses with the assistance of American warships offshore. Iran feels humiliated because they have not been able to inflict any damage on Israel for years. Meanwhile, recent Israeli airstrikes destroyed Iranian air defense systems and the factories that supplied components for missiles and rockets. Iran now has to find new sources for the solid fuel rockets that powered these weapons. These Israeli attacks have left Iran defenseless and unarmed. At the same time the Israelis have not attacked Iranian oil production and exports or gone after the unacknowledged nuclear weapons program. Esbati admitted that the Americans as well as the Israelis possessed superior weapons and intelligence capabilities. Iran was seeking ways to overcome these shortcomings. Esbatis efforts to reassure the Iranian public was met with anger and dismay. Most Iranians were angry over years of declining living standards and a growing list of defeats inflicted on their religious dictatorship government. Esbati was admired for his frank admission of what happened in Syria but the lack of any proposed practical solutions for Iranian foreign and domestic problems left most Iranians angrier and more resigned to their situation. The justice minister has rejected claims that Gaza protesters removed from outside Leinster House were cavity-searched by gardai. However, the claims were repeated at the latest Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally in the city at the weekend. Garda headquarters has insisted the treatment of the protesters last Monday was in line with the law and that an alleged cavity search never took place. Speaking during a visit to Cork City on Friday, justice minister Jim OCallaghan said he was extremely concerned when the allegations were made in the Dail. He said following an update from gardai, it was clear to him that the information put into the public domain by some of my colleagues was incorrect. There were not cavity searches. Thats the information I have received from An Garda Siochana. And I am dependent on what is being said to me, he said. Being a member of Dail Eireann is a great privilege and one of the great privileges you have is that you are able to say things which are not amenable to any court or to any tribunal. It is a huge privilege but with us comes a huge responsibility. Those allegations that were made in Dail Eireann, the substance of them, appear to me not to be correct. I think the individuals who put them into the public domain should review what they said and consider whether they need to retract them. Gaza protest Last Monday morning, 14 protesters were removed from outside Leinster House and several were arrested under the Public Order Act of 1994, for allegedly blocking the entrance to the building. The group later alleged its members were subject to strip-searches and, in one case, a cavity search. People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett told the Dail on Tuesday that the protestors were arrested violently and strip-searched. At the pro-Palestine rally in Cork on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Mothers Against Genocide group recounted the experience of one of the activists and said: We are now seeing the targeting and abuse of genocide survivors. MC for Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Christine Chaside, appealed to gardai to uphold their motto, keep the people safe, and appealed to ordinary members of the force to reject the cynical use by the State to arrest and violently attack peaceful protesters. Mr OCallaghan said if people have allegations of misconduct against gardai, or their alleged their failure to comply with the rules in respect of searches, they have a mechanism of complaint to what was Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission, now Fiosru. That should be done if there was an allegation of misconduct, he said, but what simply should not happen is that allegations are thrown out there and then there is no backup in terms of a complaint made about garda behaviour. When asked if Mr Boyd Barrett should not have made the allegations in the Dail, Mr OCallaghan suggested that he review his comments. Suspected US airstrikes killed at least three people on Sunday in Yemens rebel-held capital Sanaa, the Houthi-run health ministry said, while a bombing video posted by US President Donald Trump suggested casualties in the overall campaign may be higher than the rebels acknowledge. The strikes in Sanaa hit a home and injured six other people, spokesman Anees al-Asbahi said. Earlier on Sunday, the Houthis said suspected US airstrikes killed at least two people overnight in a rebel stronghold, Saada, and wounded nine others. Footage aired by the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel showed a strike collapsing what appeared to be a two-storey building. The Iranian-backed Houthis aired no footage from inside the building, which they described as a solar power shop. The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under Mr Trump targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 69 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis. However, the Houthis have not acknowledged any casualties from their security and military leadership, something challenged after an online video posted by Mr Trump. Early on Saturday, Mr Trump posted what appeared to be black-and-white video from a drone of a group of several dozen people gathered in a circle. An explosion detonates during the 25-second video, with a massive crater left in its wake. These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack, Mr Trump claimed, without offering a location for the attack or any other details about the strike. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again! A Yemeni soldier visits the tombs of Houthis during Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP) The US militarys Central Command, which oversees the USs Mideast military operations, has not published the video, nor offered any specific details about the strikes it has conducted since March 15. The White House has said there have been over 200 strikes so far targeting the Houthis. The rebel-controlled Saba news agency in Yemen, citing an anonymous source, described the bombing as targeting a social Eid visit in Hodeida governorate. Muslims across the world just celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the festival at the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Saba had published images of other commanders meeting fighters during the holiday, though not any high-level Houthi officials. Those present at that gathering had no connection to the operations carried out by the (Houthis), which are implementing the decision to ban navigation on ships linked to the American and Israeli enemy, the Saba report said, adding that the attack killed and wounded dozens. However, the Houthis previously have not acknowledged any strike on Hodeida during that time with such a high casualty count. The Saba report also did not describe those killed as civilians, suggesting those killed had ties to the rebels security or military forces. Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert of the Basha Report risk advisory firm, cited social media condolence notices suggesting a colonel overseeing police stations for the Houthis in Hodeida had been killed in the strike Mr Trump highlighted alongside his two brothers. The strikes have expanded significantly, hitting multiple governorates simultaneously, alongside telecommunications infrastructure, command nodes, properties tied to senior Houthi leadership and previously untouched tunnel networks in mountainous areas, Mr al-Basha said. Weve also seen direct targeting of Houthi force gatherings, indicating a more aggressive and evolving shift in the targeting strategy, Mr al-Basha said. An Associated Press review has found the new US operation against the Houthis under Mr Trump appears more extensive than those under former US President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities. The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting US warships without success. The attacks greatly raised the profile of the Houthis, who faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers in Yemen amid a decade-long stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation. The campaign shows no signs of stopping as the Trump administration repeatedly has linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. The US Justice Department told an appeals court that a judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious El Salvador prison, and it suspended a government lawyer who admitted in court that the deportation was an error. The governments lawyers asked the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a Friday ruling by US District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to facilitate and effectuate Kilmar Abrego Garcias return to the US by late on Monday night. A judicial order that forces the Executive to engage with a foreign power in a certain way, let alone compel a certain action by a foreign sovereign, is constitutionally intolerable, they wrote. The appeals court asked Mr Abrego Garcias lawyers to respond to the governments filing by Sunday afternoon. Mr Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judges 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs. His mistaken deportation, described by the White House as an administrative error, has outraged many and raised concerns about expelling non-citizens who were granted permission to be in the US. Prisoners look out from their cell at the Terrorist Confinement Centre in Tecoluca, El Salvador (Salvador Melendez/AP) During a court hearing on Friday at a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni conceded to Ms Xinis that Mr Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the US or sent to El Salvador. Mr Reuveni could not tell the judge upon what authority he was arrested in Maryland. Im also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions, he said. But by Saturday, Mr Reuveni had been placed on leave by the Justice Department, a department spokesperson confirmed. His name was not on Saturdays filing to the appeals court. At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Ms Xinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, ruled on Friday that there was no legal basis for Mr Abrego Garcias detention and no legal justification for his removal to El Salvador, where he has been held in a prison that observers say is rife with human rights abuses. Mr Abrego Garcias attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said the government has done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting its errors. Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right, he told the judge on Friday. The White House has cast Mr Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member and repeated that claim after Fridays hearing. Mr Abrego Garcias lawyers have countered that there is no evidence he was in MS-13. Mr Abrego Garcia had a permit from DHS to legally work in the US, his lawyer said. He served as a sheet metal apprentice and was pursuing his journeyman license. His wife is a US citizen. Mr Abrego Garcia fled El Salvador around 2011 because he and his family were facing threats by local gangs. In 2019, a US immigration judge granted him protection from deportation to El Salvador. Government lawyers say they have no control over Mr Abrego Garcia and no authority to arrange for his return any more than they would have the power to follow a court order commanding them to effectuate the end of the war in Ukraine, or a return of the hostages from Gaza. It is an injunction to force a foreign sovereign to send back a foreign terrorist within three days time. That is no way to run a government. And it has no basis in American law, they wrote. Sunday, Apr 6th, 2025 (7:46 am) - Score 11,760 The CEO of network access provider Openreach, Clive Selley, has once again called on the government to help boost the UK roll-out of gigabit-capable broadband networks by making a number of key changes to several new bills. But gaining acceptance of these calls has proven difficult, particularly with a group of cross-party MPs campaigning for the opposite. At present, Openreachs growing Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network already covers around 18 million premises (there are around 32.5m across the United Kingdom) and they aim to reach 25 million by December 2026. The operator has also expressed an ambition to reach up to 30 million by 2030, which was given a boost last month after Ofcoms latest Telecoms Market Review (TAR) showed it wasnt going to upset the apple cart. NOTE: The operator is investing up to 15bn into their full fibre roll-out and is building at a rate of 1 million premises every quarter. The service has a take-up of around 35% (orders for the service increased by 26% during 2024 c.68k orders every week via over 300 ISPs). Despite this, Clive Selley has long been campaigning for the government to make more changes to help move things along, many of which are also supported by the wider industry (here, here and here). But there are differences of agreement on the detail between broadband operators, as nobody wants to hand Openreach an unfair advantage (e.g. the ability to upgrade MDUs that others cannot access in the same way). Advertisement The most common calls tend to echo a strong desire for the full embracement of flexi-permits to boost street works and a push for easier access to run new fibre into large residential buildings (MDUs), such as in cases where operators struggle to identify or communicate with the building owner(s). The latter impacts around a million UK tenants. Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach, said (Mail on Sunday): We work in the streets, we work in the pavements and we work in the roads. So we ask for permission a third of a million times a year. Councils are under cost and staffing pressures, so this generates huge amounts of work. Pushing [flexi-permits] through at pace wouldnt just reduce workload, it would increase the pace at which we could build, and take the cost away from the councils. Its a win-win with no taxpayer money involved. In many of the apartment blocks in London, the owners address is a PO Box in the British Virgin Islands. So you write them a letter and will not hear back. The ability to deliver changes like this would require new legislation, which Openreach and others envisage as coming through tweaks to the new Renters Rights Bill (here) and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (here). But so far the first draft of both bills have largely appeared to exclude such calls, although future amendments may yet see them being debated over the coming months. On top of that, Openreachs push for change will meet opposition from MPs in different parties, although its not yet clear how much success they will have when or if such amendments come up for debate in parliament. Mark Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, said: Openreach have a bloomin cheek. They have already had years to install fibre networks and should really have finished the job by now. Why should long-suffering motorists have to endure more frustrating delays because Openreach cant get the job done efficiently in the first place? The above comment is interesting as most people with knowledge of such networks recognise that deploying optical fibre cables down almost every single street and lane in the UK was always going to take around a decade or more to complete, with payback on that also taking 10-15 years to realise. Hence why the government ultimately set the Project Gigabit goal for achieving nationwide (c.99%) coverage of gigabit-capable broadband as 2030. Advertisement Openreach only started (or re-started) large scale deployments of FTTP technology in 2018 and then took several years to ramp that up, but theres a limit to how fast you can go on a commercial basis. On the other hand, it could be argued that the network operators effective abandonment of their original FTTP roll-out (here), which started in 2009/10 before stalling around 2012/13 for some years, does mean that they could have got here much faster if they really wanted. However, it was also clear in 2012/13 that Openreach hadnt got the right systems, processes or machinery necessary to conduct both a fast and truly economically efficient deployment. This took several years to correct. But it wasnt until rivals, like CityFibre, really began posing a serious threat to their copper centric focus that all of this finally got resolved. Time will tell whether network operators get their way in the new bills currently passing through parliament, although even without that wed still expect the governments core coverage goals to be largely achievable by the current target. But whether or not everybody (e.g. some MDU tenants) will be able to access that remains to be seen. In the early hours of Thursday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a roundtable meeting with business leaders to explore the ramifications of Liberation Day. He addressed the gathered media, using notably more pointed language than before. Last night, the President of the United States took action for his country, which is his mandate. Today, I will take action in Britains interests, he declared with determination. Following Donald Trumps announcement of a 10% tariff on the UK, in addition to a 25% tariff on car exports, the atmosphere in Downing Street was reportedly one of vindication, since the tariffs were lower than those faced by European counterparts. Mr. Starmer remarked that morning on having all options on the table. A detailed 417-page document of various US goods subject to potential retaliatory tariffs was also released, featuring items ranging from live lambs to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Despite the strong rhetoric and threats, there were no signs of immediate action. In fact, the government stated that it would initiate a consultation with business leaders to evaluate the repercussions of any retaliatory measures. This process is expected to last until May 1, and afterward, Downing Street has not indicated whether the UK will be ready to act promptly. Holding out hope Alongside this process, efforts to engage with the US will persist, signifying that the UK remains optimistic about reaching a deal. This approach is supported by former Conservative trade minister, Greg Hands. He participated in the initial six rounds of trade negotiations with the US administration during Donald Trumps first term. Mr. Hands contends that a UK retaliatory response would be a misstep, as such actions presume that the counterpart is a rational free-trader. When I began negotiating with Robert Lighthizer [former US trade representative], he told me, Im not a free trader,' Mr. Hands recalls. He emphasizes that were still in the realm of hypotheticals, and its premature to predict how the upcoming weeks will unfold. However, he also believes that there exists a genuine possibility of the EU opting for retaliatory action while the UK secures some form of agreement. This scenario could serve as a tangible Brexit advantage that Brexiteers could highlight. The former Tory minister cautions that such an outcome could create significant discrepancies in tariff rates and lead to potential tensions between the UK and the EU. Brussels might reasonably ask, hold on, youre in the UK committed to the global rules-based trading system, yet youre attempting to carve out your own deal with Trump, he explains. Nonetheless, Mr. Hands firmly believes that the UK is justified in pursuing a deal. This might also trigger complications on the island of Ireland, especially if the EU enacts substantial retaliatory measures. The UK government has assured Northern Ireland businesses that if they import US goods that are not intended for the EU, they will be eligible for compensation. Even on a personal consumer level, Mr. Hands points out, there may be repercussions. For instance, if the price of Levi Jeans at a Belfast store was 30% cheaper than at a Dublin Levis store, could it lead to consumers crossing the border? he poses. For now, businesses operating in the UK find themselves in a state of uncertainty. Jaguar Land-Rover announced over the weekend that it was halting shipments to the US this month to create its mid to long-term plans. The British Irish Chamber of Commerce denounced the US tariffs this week, warning that they would affect 89% of its members throughout the UK and Ireland. Paul Lynam, its deputy director general, expressed difficulty in understanding the reasoning behind the decision. Some of the justifications provided [for the tariffs] are simply absurd, he remarks, referring to reasons such as VAT and GDPR. Cool heads He has called for cool heads to evaluate the impact and identify the most effective path forward. He also stresses the significance of maintaining EU unity. According to Mr. Lynam, Brexit has actually equipped Ireland with essential experience in diversifying into different markets. Approximately 20% of the chambers members have already implemented contingency measures to address the implications of the tariffs. Nevertheless, businesses across the UK and Ireland would prefer to eliminate such uncertainty. In the forthcoming weeks, Mr. Starmers government will adopt a dual approach, attempting to secure a deal with the US administration while also working to reset relations with the EU. A special UK-EU summit is scheduled for late May. Mr. Starmer has consistently asserted that he does not need to choose between the EU and the US. However, attempting to satisfy both parties may prove to be a challenging balancing act. Eighteen Lives Lost, Including Nine Children, in Russian Airstrike on Ukrainian City A ballistic missile strike by Russia on the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kryvyi Rig, resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals, including nine children, as reported by local authorities. According to Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak, 61 people sustained injuries following the completion of emergency operations overnight. The missile hit a residential neighborhood close to a childrens playground yesterday, as stated by Oleksandr Vilkul, who heads Kryvyi Rigs military administration. A residential area lies in ruins following the Russian missile attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. Unverified videos circulating on social media appeared to depict bodies on a street, with another video showing smoke billowing into the evening sky. 18 that is the number of lives taken by the Russians when they targeted Kryvyi Rig with a missile. Among them were nine children, Mr. Lysak communicated via Telegram. He also mentioned that 12 children were among those injured in the attack yesterday. This is a kind of suffering you wouldnt wish upon your worst enemy, remarked Mr. Lysak. Russias defense ministry claimed it carried out a precision strike with a high-explosive missile at a restaurant in the city where commanders of formations and Western instructors were convening. Additionally, it reported that Russian air defense units intercepted and destroyed 49 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that rescue operations were still ongoing in Kryvyi Rih. The whole world sees it US President Donald Trump has been advocating for a swift resolution to the ongoing war, which has lasted more than three years since his administration began, although attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have not succeeded. Mr. Zelensky insisted that the missile assault on the city demonstrated Russias lack of desire to halt its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. The sole reason this continues is that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire, and we all see it. The whole world is witnessing this, he stated. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed a joint proposal from the US and Ukraine for an unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire in March, while the Kremlin has conditioned a US-suggested truce in the Black Sea on the lifting of certain Western sanctions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated yesterday that Mr. Trump would not fall into the trap of endless negotiations with Russia regarding the invasion. We will know soon enough, in weeks rather than months, whether Russia is genuinely seeking peace, he commented. In his evening address, Mr. Zelensky accused Russia of treating diplomacy as an empty word. A ceasefire could have been negotiated by now, and it is Putin who is rejecting it, he remarked. Read more: Russia agrees to a 30-day pause on strikes targeting Ukraines energy sector. Deliberate strike Kryvyi Rig, located approximately 60km from the front lines in Ukraines central Dnipropetrovsk region, has frequently been the target of Russian drones and missiles. Mr. Zelensky was born in this industrial city, which had a pre-war population of roughly 600,000. Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian official assigned to counter misinformation, identified the missile involved in the Kryvyi Rig attack as an Iskander. The Iskander is a Russian ballistic missile system capable of reaching distances of up to 500km. This is clearly a deliberate strike aimed at creating mass casualties, Mr. Kovalenko stated. In a separate drone strike on Kryvyi Rig, Mr. Lysak reported that a 56-year-old woman was killed and seven others were injured. We need your consent to load this rte-player content. We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences Tangible progress from talks President Zelensky expressed optimism about tangible progress after discussions with British and French military leaders in Kyiv, focusing on bolstering the Ukrainian military and ensuring support for the war-torn nation post-conflict. British chief of the defense staff Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkhard met yesterday with Mr. Zelensky, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky, and defense minister Rustem Umerov. Today, Mr. Zelensky posted on social media: We are seeing tangible progress and initial details on how our partner security contingent can be deployed, although he withheld further specifics. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are leading European efforts to establish a reassurance force in Ukraine following the resolution of the conflict initiated by Russias invasion in 2022. Mr. Zelensky expressed gratitude to the UK and France for their leadership, emphasizing that this kind of collaborative effort, where everyone aims for a strong outcome, aids in achieving a reliable and lasting peace in Ukraine. He stated that allies are working to ensure security in Ukraine and establish robust security guarantees. Determined support Ukraine has asserted that Russia is disinterested in a ceasefire, a situation the United States is attempting to address. Yesterday evening, Mr. Zelensky said, We are discussing presence on the ground, in the air, and at sea. We are also addressing air defense and several other sensitive topics, without providing further detail. Our military will convene weekly. Our partners already possess significant awareness of Ukraines needs, he added. Mr. Burkhard, the chief of staff of Frances armed forces, indicated that discussions focused on reassurance options that could be provided through an international coalition. Together, we aim to ensure a lasting and solid peace in Ukraine, which is essential for the security of the European continent, he stated on X. The objectives of the joint trip were to maintain determined support for the Ukrainian armed forces, enabling them to continue their resistance against Russian forces, as well as to define a long-term strategy for the reconstruction and transformation of the army, he added. Hundreds of Thousands Protest Against President Trump Across the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in major US cities to protest the controversial policies of President Donald Trump, marking the largest protests since his return to office. Opponents of the Republican presidents initiatives, including cuts to government staffing, trade tariffs, and the erosion of civil liberties, gathered in cities such as Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles. In Washington, thousands of protesters traveled from all corners of the country to assemble on the National Mall, where numerous speakers rallied against President Trump. We have around 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration, which is alienating our allies worldwide and causing devastation to people here at home, stated Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide. In Los Angeles, a woman donned as a character from the dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale waved a sizable flag bearing the message: Get out of my uterus, in response to Trumps anti-abortion policies. A coalition of left-leaning organizations like MoveOn and Womens March organized Hands Off events across more than 1,000 cities. In Denver, Colorado, a man within a large crowd of protesters held a placard that read, No king for USA. The protests even reached some European capitals, where demonstrators expressed their opposition to Donald Trump and his aggressive trade policies. Whats happening in America is a global concern, Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen, remarked to AFP at a rally in London. Its economic madness He will lead us into a global recession, she added. In Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest claimed Mr. Trump had instigated a constitutional crisis. In the US, a coalition of left-leaning organizations like MoveOn and Womens March organized Hands Off events in over 1,000 cities and every congressional district, according to the groups. Mr. Trump has irked many Americans by aggressively downsizing government, unilaterally imposing conservative values, and applying sharp pressure on even friendly nations concerning borders and trade, causing stock markets to decline. Many Democrats are frustrated that their party, now in the minority in both houses, appears powerless to counter Trumps actions. At the National Mall, just blocks from the White House, thousands listened to speakers, including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who served as impeachment manager during Trumps second impeachment. No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who understands the price of everything but values nothing, he told the crowd. Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, also spoke at the protest, asserting: Theyve awakened a sleeping giant, and they havent seen anything yet. We will not sit down, we will not be silenced, and we will not disappear. The demonstrations remained largely peaceful, creating an uplifting atmosphere on a mild day in Washington, with participants ranging from the elderly to young couples with infants in strollers. A Womens March shortly after Trumps initial election in 2016 attracted an estimated half-million protesters to Washington. Organizers for the recent Washington rally initially anticipated 20,000 attendees but later indicated that the turnout appeared significantly larger. President Trumps approval rating has reached its lowest point since he took office, according to recent polls. However, despite the global backlash against his sweeping tariffs and increasing discontent among many Americans, the White House has dismissed the protests. The Republican president, who remains popular among his base, shows no signs of backing down. My policies will never change, Mr. Trump stated on Friday. The death toll from a significant earthquake in Myanmar has surpassed 3,300, according to state media, while the United Nations aid chief has reiterated calls for global assistance to the disaster-stricken country. The quake on 28 March devastated buildings and obliterated infrastructure nationwide, leading to 3,354 confirmed fatalities and 4,508 injuries, with 220 individuals reported missing, as per updated figures disclosed by state media. More than a week after the calamity, many residents remain without shelter, forced to either sleep outdoors due to the destruction of their homes or hesitant to return indoors for fear of further collapses. Estimates from the United Nations indicate that upwards of three million people might have been impacted by the 7.7-magnitude quake, exacerbating existing challenges stemming from four years of civil strife. The level of destruction is staggering, Tom Fletcher expressed in a post on X. China, Russia, and India were among the initial nations to extend their support. The world must unite to support the people of Myanmar. The updated death toll was revealed following the return of the military juntas leader, Min Aung Hlaing, from a rare overseas trip to a regional summit in Bangkok, where he engaged with leaders, including the prime ministers of Thailand and India. The generals presence at the summit stirred controversy, with demonstrators at the venue showcasing a banner labeling him a murderer and anti-junta factions condemning his participation. Since the coup in 2021, when the military seized control from the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, the armed forces have governed Myanmar, igniting a multifaceted conflict that remains unresolved. Reports indicate that the junta has conducted numerous assaults in the aftermath of the earthquake, with at least 16 occurring since a temporary truce was announced on Wednesday, as noted by the UN. Years of conflict have decimated Myanmars economy and infrastructure, significantly obstructing international relief efforts following the earthquake. China, Russia, and India were among the first to offer assistance, dispatching rescue teams to Myanmar to aid in locating survivors. The United States has historically led international disaster relief initiatives, although President Donald Trump has dismantled the countrys humanitarian aid agency. The US has announced an increase of over 6 million in addition to a prior allocation of 1.8 million in aid for Myanmar. Pope Francis made his first public appearance since being discharged from the hospital two weeks ago, where he received treatment for double pneumonia. He entered St. Peters Square at the Vatican in a wheelchair, warmly greeting the cheering crowds. The 88-year-old pontiff had been out of public view since March 23, when he delivered a brief greeting before departing from Romes Gemelli hospital after a more than five-week stay, marking the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy. The pope made a previously unannounced appearance in the square shortly before noon, coinciding with the conclusion of a Mass celebrating the Catholic Churchs Jubilee year. Emerging in the bright sunshine before the main altar, Francis waved to the crowd and spoke briefly. The pope beamed as he greeted the attendees, and while his voice was weak, it appeared stronger than during his March 23 appearance when he struggled to speak. Typically, Francis offers a weekly noontime prayer in St. Peters Square on Sundays, but he has been unable to do so since February 9, prior to his hospitalization. He was admitted to the hospital on February 14 for bronchitis, which developed into double pneumonia. This condition was particularly severe for him, given that he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. During his 38-day hospital stay, he came perilously close to death at one point, leading his doctors to consider halting treatment so that he could pass away peacefully, according to the head of his medical team last month. This mornings Mass was part of a special observance honoring healthcare workers and the sick. In a written message issued by the Vatican shortly after noon, Francis expressed that he felt Gods closeness during his time in the hospital. I ask the Lord that this touch of his love might reach all those who suffer and encourage those who take care of them, the message stated. It remains uncertain how frequently the pope will appear publicly in the coming weeks, especially with Easter Sunday just two weeks away. Doctors have recommended a two-month rest period for Francis at his Vatican residence to facilitate healing for his aging body, and the Vatican has cleared all his previous commitments from his schedule. King Charles of Britain, who is visiting Italy next week for a state visit, has canceled a planned meeting with the pope. The Vatican has not yet confirmed whether the pope will preside over the Easter celebrations on April 20, which is the most significant holiday in the Christian calendar. Translation of an interview with Ewoud Butter for the Dutch opinion website and monthly journal De Kanttekening, dated 12 March 2025 How did you get involved with racism? My childhood in the Dutch East Indies had a fundamental impact on my thinking about racism. I grew up in a colonial society in which white Dutch people were at the top, Indonesians were at the bottom, and the Chinese community were somewhere in between. I took it for granted until the Japanese invasion in 1942. Everything changed overnight. We Dutch were arrested and locked away in internment camps, the men separate from the women and children. Suddenly we were the ones who were oppressed. In the camps we saw how the power structures in society were repeated in a completely new form. People who had previously been privileged now had to submit to others. This greatly influenced my view of how power and racism work. Halfway through the war the Japanese, imitating their Nazi German ally, began to isolate Jewish internees. My sister, little brother and I were in a womens camp with my mother, and my father was in a mens camp. My father was Jewish, but my mother was not. That meant we were half-Jewish, and the Japanese threatened to transfer us to a Jewish camp without our mother. She had to pretend to be Jewish in order to stay with us. We were then moved with her to a Jewish camp which was worse than the camp we had come from, but not so bad as the Nazi camps in Europe. After the war, nearly all of our family in Europe turned out to have been killed in the Holocaust. My Jewish grandparents committed suicide on the day the Netherlands surrendered to the Nazis. These experiences greatly affected my ideas about racism. I learned from childhood what it means when your life is determined by your identity. Your father, the sociologist Wim F. Wertheim (1907-1998), was the first researcher to distinguish between different kinds of racism. Can you tell us what these were? As a child and young person in Europe my father experienced for himself the discrimination suffered by Jews. Later, as an adult in the colonial Dutch East Indies, he was confronted with two different forms of inequality. He saw how the Indonesian population were exploited and mockingly stereotyped, while the Chinese commercial minority suffered from racism that greatly resembled the antisemitism of his youth. On the basis of this my father distinguished between two kinds of racism. First there was exploitation racism, based on contempt and a sense of superiority. This was visible in colonialism, with white rulers believing they were bringing civilisation to primitive peoples. He also noted the existence of competition racism, based on jealousy, distrust and fear. This occurs when an oppressed group becomes economically stronger and is seen as a threat by the dominant group. Later I examined these different kinds of racism more closely and applied them to todays situation. You have always emphasised the part that jealousy can play in racism. How did you gain this insight? I only really began to realise it when I was working in adult education in the 1990s. I was doing research at a training centre in the eastern Netherlands for people giving Dutch language lessons to migrants and refugees. Similar signals had come from various educational institutions in that part of the country. Their teachers said that they increasingly caught themselves expressing racist ideas. They said things like If a student does something negative, I immediately think Of course, hes Iranian, or Ethiopian, or whatever. They knew it was wrong, but they couldnt help it, and they asked our training centre to look into it. I attended the lessons, and I saw a pattern: the teachers negative feelings were not just based on contempt, but also on jealousy. Many of the teachers had to teach highly educated refugees for instance, engineers and doctors from Iran. That caused friction, for they themselves were usually less highly educated. The teachers tried to impose their authority, and some of them deliberately applied stricter rules to these students. What at first seemed to be individual prejudice became a collective pattern of exclusion. People dont like thinking about jealousy, and if it happens its mainly about the person who is jealous, and that jealousy is really a bad thing, but still happens. But its almost never about the target of the jealousy, the person who has to suffer the jealous persons aggression which can be terribly fierce. I talked to my father about this he was then still alive and asked him Could it be that this competition racism will only increase? For at the time this still only involved highly educated refugees, but the children and grandchildren of migrant workers would eventually also become highly educated. And that would greatly increase jealousy. My father found this fascinating. He was writing an article for the Dutch literary journal De Gids, and included this idea in it. He didnt quote the source, and at the time I was rather cross about that. Of course he didnt think of me as a sociologist, but as a biologist even though this was my idea! But his enthusiasm did encourage me to explicitly mention my prediction in the final report on my research, which was published in 1993. In your later publications you state that racism in our society is increasingly taking the form of competition racism. How do you account for that? The nature of racism is changing. Its no longer just about contempt, but increasingly about jealousy. The old colonial structures are fading, which means that minorities are no longer in their traditional subordinate position. That is creating resistance. But there is also a refusal to see it. For years I wrote about the shift from exploitation racism to competition racism. And then in 2022 the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) produced its report Gevestigd, maar niet Thuis (Settled, but not at home). This showed that children of migrants suffer more discrimination than their parents did. According to the report, greater participation in society means greater exposure to exclusion. And I thought At last just what Ive been saying all along! To understand the dynamics of racism in this context, it is interesting to consider a theory my father had developed about the emancipation of minorities. In it, he identified three different stages. First the Us too stage, in which a minority group seeks equal rights and access to the same opportunities as the dominant group. In this stage the focus is on social recognition and integration. Second comes the Only us stage, in which the group seeks to define and identify itself, sometimes at the expense of other minority groups. The third and final stage is All of us together, a utopian situation in which full equality has been achieved and the various groups no longer see each other as competitors, but as part of a shared society. Some people are still clearly in the second stage and focusing entirely on their own group, whereas others believe that true emancipation only occurs in the third stage, when solidarity with other oppressed groups is taken for granted. So competition racism is manifested not only in terms of money, housing or jobs, but also in cultural power? Absolutely. Look at the heated social debate about Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), whether or not this figure in the Dutch Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) tradition is racist. People think its only about contempt. But I think the real problem is about who determines what Dutch culture is. Its a power struggle about national identity. Who is to decide what is or is not a Dutch tradition? The established group doesnt want newcomers to have a say in this and thats pure competition racism. Swarte Piet and Sinterklaas, Digital, ChatGPT, 2025 Racism as an addiction In order to understand racism better, Wertheim believes it is important to realise that it can also be psychologically addictive. It gives people a sense of group identity. Think about how bullying works a group feels strong by joining forces against one person. Racism works in precisely the same way. It increases the feeling that youre part of an in-crowd by having a common enemy. Racism activates the same reward mechanisms in the brain as addiction. The idea that you are better than someone else, or that you are part of a group against an outsider, creates a feeling of euphoria. Thats what makes racism so hard to eradicate. The sociology of not knowing Wertheim also uses another of her fathers theories to explain the difficulty of fighting racism: The theory of not knowing, or rather of not wanting to know. Some things are deliberately ignored. Racism continues to exist because people choose not to see it. You see the same mechanism everywhere: in how Dutch people repress their colonial past, or how institutional racism is played down. How do you see the recent focus on antisemitism in the light of your own and your fathers theories? Of course, antisemitism never left Europe. When I tried to make light of it in talks with my father, he always said Dont underestimate it! He himself never wanted to go to Israel, as long as the Israelis continued to treat the original inhabitants, the Palestinians, in that way. If that ever changed, he said he would like to visit a few good friends who had gone to live there after the Second World War. But it never got that far, and he died in 1998. Afterwards the Israelis gradually managed to stretch the concept of antisemitism further and further by making it include any criticism of how they were treating the Palestinians. I dont think that there has been more focus on antisemitism, but that the whole concept has been stretched, so that anyone who supports the Palestinians is considered suspect. And that has been accompanied by a disturbing increase in Islamophobia. I think its crazy how few people seem to see the resemblance between antisemitism and Islamophobia. Theyre always treated as if they were each others opposites. But there are more similarities than differences between antisemitism and Islamophobia. And both are closely connected with competition racism. The focus is not on contempt, but on jealousy, distrust and fear. European Jews were not massacred because they were so greatly despised quite the contrary. And the increase in Islamophobia is also more about distrust and fear than contempt. English version printed here with authors permission. Jewish Studies scholar Oren Kroll-Zeldin discusses his new book Unsettled, which documents the new generation of American Jews resisting Israeli violence. ( Waging Nonviolence ) Over the last year and a half, the movement for Palestinian liberation has become one of the largest American social movements of the decade. Not only that, there has also been an incredible resurgence of the Jewish left, as Jewish Palestine solidarity organizations, such as IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace, organize a growing contingent of young Jews for an end to the genocide in Gaza. As Israel violates its ceasefire agreement and commences an aggressive bargaining campaign, one that killed 400 people in the first night, this movement is only going to grow as the world collectively reckons with the destruction that has been caused. But as Jewish Studies scholar Oren Kroll-Zeldin discusses in his new book Unsettled: American Jews and the Movement for Justice in Palestine, this movement is not new. Instead, these last two years are simply a striking example of a trend that has run through decades of Jewish life as the Jewish left presents itself as an alternative to what Peter Beinart named the American Jewish establishment. Kroll-Zeldin chronicles a number of Jewish groups that have been in the news recently, from Jewish Voice for Peace to All Thats Left in Israel. This also includes the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, or CJNV, an organization that coordinated Israeli Jews and Jews from around the world to engage in a strategy called co-resistance, where they work with Palestinians in the West Bank to block Israeli Defense Forces and settler attacks and bear witness to the brutality of the occupation. For Kroll-Zeldin, the book was not just an academic study, but an auto-ethnography as he defended Palestinian farms on a 2020 CJNV delegation a transformational event for him, which he describes as providing a new pathway back into Jewish tradition. I talked with Kroll-Zeldin about the resurgence of Jewish-led Palestine solidarity, the work and critiques of co-resistance, as well as the role American Jews can have in building up resistance to Israeli violence. Your book came out in 2024 alongside a number of other books about Jewish anti-Zionist and Palestine solidarity activism, but obviously you started writing it much earlier. How did you get the sense that there was an emerging trend you wanted to write about? Ive been feeling it on a personal level for 15 years, and then started seeing groups like IfNotNow, All Thats Left and the Center for Jewish Nonviolence develop. All these groups where young Jews are really coming to the forefront and speaking out in profound ways. Theres a clear and stark divide between older and younger generations of Jews, specifically when it comes to Palestine, Israel and Zionism. So I thought there was something to investigate here because its not just me and its not just anecdotal. Two books, Threshold of Dissent by Marjorie Feld and Geoffrey Levins Our Palestine Question also came out recently. Those two books are providing a 100 year history that leads to the present that I was examining. As Im reading those books Im thinking wow, because the conversations that were happening in 1922 and in 1956 and in 1979 and in 1988 are the exact same conversations and in the exact same places, using the exact same language are happening today. So it became clear that its not a return, but maybe a resurgence of activity, and now we are seeing theres a stark generational divide. What was your journey to rethinking Zionism, all the way to your on-the-ground organizing? In many ways this book is an auto-ethnographic project, though Im not exactly in the generation I was researching. My own process of unlearning Zionism very much mirrors what I heard time and time again in working with people and doing interviews from my book. I grew up in a normative Jewish household. Judaism and Zionism were almost synonymous, although not exactly, and I was taught to question everything. But the one thing I was not ever taught to question was Israel or Zionism. To put it in Jewish language, I felt like the simple son in the Haggadah from the Passover Seder, the one who didnt even know what questions to ask. Unsettled: American Jews and the Movement for Justice in Palestine by Oren Kroll-Zeldin. New York University Press. 2025. Click here to Buy. As I got older and started to encounter Palestinian narratives, something didnt match up. Theres certain values that I was raised with that I dont see manifesting here in stories that Im hearing from Palestinians and in the research Im doing on Palestinian history. Thats when I started spending time on the ground in Palestinian communities, specifically in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and bearing witness to the occupation and apartheid first hand. That is what really made it impossible to ignore seeing the impacts. I didnt think that there was any justification for the things I was seeing. I didnt think that there was a sense of possibility for Jewish safety in treating others in this particular way, and instead there is a safety net in solidarity. Theres a certain way in which Jewish safety and security is inextricably linked with that of the Palestinians. For me, it was bearing witness to occupation and apartheid that made me really understand how deeply interconnected those two things were. I dont know that I ever would have been able to understand it the same way had I not been able to bear witness to it. What is the Center for Jewish Nonviolence and how did you get plugged into it? The Center for Jewish Nonviolence is a group that was intended to be a Jewish presence and voice on the ground in Palestine and Israel to resist the mechanisms of occupation and apartheid and in solidarity and connection with Palestinians. It was started by Ilana Sumka, who had spent many years building deep connections on the ground with Palestinians. She is Jewish, and after the Israeli military uprooted a whole lot of trees in the Tent of Nations in the West Bank, she was on a phone call with Daoud Nassar, whose trees were uprooted. She asked what she could do to help and be in solidarity, and he said she should bring a delegation of Jews to come and replant the trees to show the world you are in solidarity. And thats what birthed the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, or CJNV, which is committed to both a Jewish presence in resisting apartheid and occupation, but also following the lead of Palestinians who are asking for that Jewish presence on the ground. Ive known Ilana for a long time and was trying to attend a delegation for many years. When I started doing research for this book it became very clear to me that CJNV was a major player in how young American Jews are acting in solidarity with Palestinians. So I went on a delegation in the winter of 2019-2020 and that was my first on-the-ground experience with CJNV. I had many experiences doing co-resistance activism previously, but this was my first time organized by CJNV. That experience reinforced what I already thought I knew, which is that co-resistance activism was, maybe is, one of the most profound forms of Jewish solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. It has the potential to make real, serious, material gains, but really has profound and important symbolic impacts in the joint struggle for justice, safety and liberation. Can you explain more about the concept of co-resistance? So during the 1990s and the Oslo Process, co-existence was a major buzzword. There were major programs, which included funding from international organizations and governments, to ensure that Palestinians and Jewish Israelis have a chance to meet and engage with one another on a meaningful level. They would be dialogue programs or joint musical projects or summer camps like Seeds of Peace. They were really meaningful in bringing these groups of people together to interact. It was rooted in contact theory in peace studies, which says you just need to have the two groups of people who are in conflict come into contact with one another and they will realize they are both humans. We can totally co-exist and get along. What scholars have learned is that contact theory is insufficient in transforming conflicts towards justice and peace. In the context of Israel-Palestine, the main reason why these types of programs started to fail is they did not address the dramatic imbalance of power that existed. Oslo then started to fail and disintegrate and the situation on the ground deteriorated into the tremendous violence of the Second Intifada and the incursions of the Israeli military into Palestinian communities. Co-existence programs also fell apart, and Palestinian activists said co-existence is not the model that will work for leading towards our liberation. They made a call for a new tactic and strategy they called co-resistance. Co-resistance is the idea that Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, and Jewish activists from around the world (and international activists in general), will come together to resist the mechanisms of apartheid, occupation and state violence. Collectively, they will put their bodies on the line together to resist these injustices. Co-resistance is always led by Palestinians. Palestinians set the conditions for direct actions and whatever co-resistance looks like on any given day or any particular action or project, and they invite people to come and resist alongside them. Co-resistance is based on the idea that this strategy shifts the power dynamics because, one, Palestinians are the leaders, and, two, its based on shared political commitments. So the power dynamic also shifts. You have Jewish activists who are leveraging their privilege as Jews on the front lines of these demonstrations, so to speak, where now the Israeli military has to confront Jewish Israelis or Jews from around the world. That changes the calculus for them because this is supposed to be a military that defends Jews. Are they going to quell this demonstration? Are we going to send tear gas to disperse the crowd, even though there are Jews there as well? So this is the basic set-up of co-resistance activism. What is the goal of co-resistance organizing? All co-resistance actions, like most direct actions in various global settings, have two sets of goals. One is the material goals, and the second are symbolic goals. How will this action materially impact everyday life for Palestinians? Some of these direct actions meant Palestinians being able to access their olive trees or harvest their field, or rebuilding a wall or home or preventing a home demolition. The material impacts of co-resistance are not always that successful, especially because they are working against a system of state power that is so severe that even if the action is successful one day, the very next day the military or settlers might come in. [And they] act with such impunity that they can undo in a day whatever the co-resistance activists were able to accomplish. On the other hand, you have the symbolic elements of co-resistance, and I think that the symbolic is much more profound, useful and successful than the material. On a symbolic level this type of activism is showing that Palestinians and Jewish Israelis or Jews from around the world dont need to be enemies. They dont need to be working against one another. Rather, theyre showing that actually they have shared political commitments, and this is one way of demonstrating that the safety of one community is truly linked to the safety of another. Also from a symbolic level, co-resistance activists are showing what it looks like on the ground for the possibilities of a shared future rooted in equality, which is very important. What are some of the criticisms of co-resistance activism that have emerged recently? There are also some criticisms of co-resistance, and we need to take them seriously. First is that even though activists are trying to address the power dynamics and theyre attempting to leverage Jewish privilege to have material or symbolic impacts on the Palestinian liberation struggle, theres still a dramatic imbalance of power. You have these, for example, Jewish Israeli activists who can leave and go back to their homes in Israel where they enjoy the privilege of Jewish supremacy. Second, these activists dont necessarily always have to deal with that privilege in the context of the co-resistance struggle. When it comes to Jewish activists from around the world, there is very much an idea of parachuting in. Almost a white savior complex. We can parachute in, do something, and then we can leave and go far away, and we dont have to really engage with the consequences. Another critique, certainly since Oct. 7 in the heightened situation of extreme violence is that theres almost no possibility of any material gains because the military and settlers who pose almost as much danger as the military are acting with complete impunity. They can destroy whatever they want, whenever they want and do so without repercussions. People have also levied the critique of normalization against co-resistance activists, both Palestinian and Jewish Israeli. [They argue] that even though youre not working within the same framework as co-existence, which was the initial target of the normalization critique, co-resistance may run into the same issues. The critique of co-resistance is basically that youre normalizing these unequal relationships and privilege of Jewish Israelis and international Jews who depend on their access to Israel to maintain even these moments of activism. Im myself going through a process vacillating back and forth as to whether or not, in this current moment, this is a good or right strategy, or even a strategy that should be focused on at this time. I do think it still has tremendous value, but at this point I see it merely as symbolically significant and not materially significant in any way. What would be the most effective alternatives then if there is diminishing returns on co-resistance activism? Is there a role for the Israeli Jewish left, or is that largely negligible now? The alternatives are shrinking because the state of Israel, the United States government, the American Jewish establishment, all have tremendous power over the situation and they have criminalized every single element of Palestinian resistance. Previous Coverage The global boycott, divestment and sanctions, or BDS, movement emerged out of this question and the search for alternatives. And besides being the largest global nonviolent movement for Palestinian justice and freedom in Palestinian history, it has been intensely criminalized. I dont know what the alternatives are. It remains to be seen what the next strategy is. Most activists are currently reacting to the genocidal violence unfolding in Gaza and now in the West Bank. Its currently hard to imagine what the next emergent tactic or strategy will be. But history teaches us that new strategies and tactics will emerge. Its a question of when and what. In terms of the Jewish Israeli left, if there is such a thing, there are two strands. There is the liberal Zionist left, often called the peace camp, which is still working within a framework for a Jewish state reliant on Jewish supremacy. It is a very small fringe, and the Palestinian liberation struggle doesnt see that as a partner. But there is an even smaller group that is working within Israel, but also in solidarity with Palestinians. These are many of the co-resistance activists who are saying this entire system is rooted in Jewish supremacy and makes us all less safe and the only way that we can be safe as Jewish Israelis is if we are going to ensure the safety and freedom of Palestinans as well. So I think theres more of a role for that second group, those radical Jewish Israeli leftist activists to have a meaningful impact, both in Israel and on the global stage. They can leverage their Jewish privilege, but theyre also showing on the symbolic level the idea that Jews and Palestinians dont need to be enemies. Whats the role of American Jews in this organizing, both here in the U.S. and on the ground in Israel-Palestine? These are not people who are impacted by it in their everyday lives, in the same way as Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. Thats not to say they dont have a role. But their role, based on what I uncovered in my research from interviews and from participant observation, [relates to] what they experience and learn from bearing witness to Israeli state violence. And they can then [bring that experience] home to their own communities, to their families, to their organizing spaces, to their university campuses, to their professional workplaces. The United States has significant power over the situation in Israel Palestine. American Jews have a significant role in that conversation in the United States. The power of American Jews should not be overstated. Its still a very small percentage of the U.S. population. There are more evangelical Christian Zionists in the United States than there are Jews on planet Earth. At the same time, American Jews do have a significant say in how both the American government, and more importantly, on how American Jewish institutions teach Jews and influence the policy decisions the American government makes. So the role of groups like Jewish Voice for Peace or IfNotNow to challenge those policies is really important. What theyre doing is not just changing the conversation, theyre working to normalize American Jewish dissent towards this full-fledged support for Israel and Zionism. We see that impact in a few ways. Number one, like I discuss in the book, young people are much more inclined to question Israel, to critique Zionism, to speak out publicly about it. We see young people much more likely either to be active participants in or passive supporters of BDS than older generations, and this is because of groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. I also think that we shouldnt overstate the significance and work of these organizations because more and more we see the actions of the Israeli government the hyper nationalist right-wing, violent government and the actions of the Israeli military, actually [making the case] that these organizations are trying to make for them [by clearly revealing their destructive behavior]. Because you have people for a year and a half waking up, looking at their phones, scrolling through social media and seeing incredible destruction in Gaza. You see kids being killed every day, and people are saying, Wait a minute, thats not right. Theres nothing that the state of Israel or pro-Israel organizations can do in the United States to convince people that this non-stop killing of children is alright. This does not match up with my Jewishness. This does not match up with my values. How do I act on that? Ill seek out Jewish Voice for Peace or IfNotNow. This becomes an avenue and outlet for their anger and activism, and this is how theyve been successful in organizing. Via Waging Nonviolence Shane Burley is a writer and filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It. His work has appeared in places such as Jacobin, In These Times, Political Research Associates, Waging Nonviolence, Labor Notes, ThinkProgress, ROAR Magazine and Upping the Anti. Follow him on Twitter: @shane_burley1. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city was under missile attack on Sunday with explosions in the Ukrainian capital, two days after a Russian missile killed 18 people in President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown. Klitschko said paramedics had been sent to two districts in Kyiv, while the Ukrainian air force said missiles had entered the northern Chernihiv region. "Explosions in the capital. Air defence is in operation," Klitschko said on Telegram. "The missile attack on Kyiv continues. Stay in shelters!" He added that three people were injured so far, and said there was reported wreckage falling in two non-residential sites. Across Ukraine, air raid alerts were also issued for the Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. The attacks come at a time when US President Donald Trump is pushing for a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, more than three years into Moscow's full-scale invasion, while seeking a thaw in ties with the Kremlin. - 'Weak reaction' - On Saturday, Zelensky slammed the US embassy for what he called a "weak" statement that did not blame Russia for the deadly missile strike on his home city Kryvyi Rig. Nine children were among the 18 fatalities. In one of the deadliest strikes in recent weeks, a Russian missile struck a residential area near a children's playground in the central Ukrainian city. Seventy-two people were wounded, 12 of them children, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak said after emergency operations ended overnight. In an emotional statement on social media, Zelensky named each of the children killed in the attack, accusing the US embassy of avoiding referring to Russia as the aggressor. "Unfortunately, the reaction of the American embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people -- and such a weak reaction," Zelensky wrote. "They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when talking about the missile that killed the children." The Ukrainian president took aim at the US Ambassador Bridget Brink after she posted a message on X on Friday evening that said: "Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant." Brink, who was appointed by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden and has been ambassador since May 2022, added that "this is why the war must end". Zelensky wrote on Saturday: "Yes, the war must end. But in order to end it, we must not be afraid to call a spade a spade." "It is wrong and dangerous to keep silent about the fact that it is Russia that is killing children with ballistic missiles," Zelensky reiterated in his evening address. "It only incites the scum in Moscow to continue the war and further ignore diplomacy." - Talks with French, UK military chiefs - The Ukrainian leader was born in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rig, which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people. Zelensky said the children killed by the latest attack ranged in age from a three-year-old boy, Tymofiy, to a 17-year-old teenage boy, Nikita. Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rig's military administration, said three days of mourning had been declared on April 7, 8 and 9. "This is nothing less than a mass murder of civilians," he said. Pictures circulated by rescue services showed several bodies, one stretched out near a playground swing. Russia's defence ministry said it "delivered a precision strike" in the city "where commanders of formations and Western instructors were meeting". The General Staff of the Ukrainian army retorted that Moscow was "trying to cover up its cynical crime" and "spreading false information". It accused Russia of "war crimes". Trump, who said during his re-election campaign he could end the three-year conflict within days, is pushing the two sides to agree to a ceasefire but his administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both. Zelensky said the missile attack showed Russia had no interest in stopping its full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022. The president hailed "tangible progress" after meeting British and French military chiefs in Kyiv on Friday to discuss a plan by London and Paris to send a "reassurance" force to Ukraine if and when a deal on ending the conflict is reached. Zelensky wrote on social media that the meeting with British Chief of the Defence Staff Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkhard agreed "the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed". This is one of the latest efforts by European leaders to agree on a coordinated policy after Trump sidelined them and opened direct talks with the Kremlin. bur-am/bc/rjm/dhc X A Bangladesh court ordered at least 70 lawyers linked to the former government to be held in custody on Sunday for the attempted murder of fellow lawyers during last year's revolution. All of the detained lawyers are senior advocates and belonged to the Awami League party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was toppled from power by the student-led uprising in August 2024. "The defendants were accused of attempted murder and assault," Khorshed Alam, a lawyer representing a private individual who brought the case, told Prothom Alo, a Bengali daily newspaper. He said he had "never seen such an incident of assaulting fellow lawyers in the court premises", or as many lawyers taken into custody at once. Alam also said the court in the capital Dhaka had granted bail to one of the lawyers, the former president of the bar association, as well as nine women lawyers. Lutfor Rahman, representing at least 10 of the accused, said his clients had been on bail for eight weeks and had appeared before the court to seek an extension. "A lawyer who is an executive committee member of the bar association filed the case against fellow lawyers, just after Sheikh Hasina's departure," Rahman told AFP. Hasina fled to old ally India as crowds stormed her palace last year and has defied extradition requests from Bangladesh to face charges that include mass murder. Dhaka has requested that India allow Hasina's extradition to face charges of crimes against humanity for the killing of hundreds of protesters during the unrest that toppled her government. The mass charges against the advocates follow a separate case in November when Khane Alam, brother of slain lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, filed a case against 58 Hindu lawyers. Alif was killed on November 26 when devotees of the outspoken Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das went on a rampage after his bail plea was rejected. The Hindu monk is accused of allegedly disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag during a rally in the Muslim-majority nation. Chinmoy's supporters claimed that the case was filed to prevent lawyers from representing him. Saturday, April 5, 2025 - Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a suspect believed to be the mastermind of car thefts in Nairobi and its environs. John Mutua was arrested during an intelligence-led operation, during which a stolen Toyota Axio was recovered. The car had been fitted with fake number plates. The suspect is in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment. Meanwhile, the operation continues, with detectives focused on recovering more stolen vehicles and arresting additional suspects involved in removing tracking devices and manufacturing counterfeit number plates to match the embedded chassis numbers. The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, April 5, 2025 - In response to cases of motor vehicle thefts in Nairobi and its surrounding areas, detectives have launched a crackdown aimed at arresting the masterminds behind these crimes. On March 3rd, 2025, detectives nabbed Mutua Julius John, during which they recovered a stolen vehicle registration number KDR 722K. Further investigative interviews with Mutua paved the way to the swift arrest of three additional suspects. Simon Mumo Chege, who specialises in erasing and altering chassis numbers of stolen vehicles, was intercepted in Grogon, within the bustling Nairobi CBD. Also in custody is Raphael Oloo Kira, known for his skills in panel beating, riveting, and producing fake number plates, as well as prefabrication and identity change on the mirrors. Additionally, George Nyakundi Ogoro was nabbed for his involvement in hiring vehicles using fraudulent identification, only to steal them thereafter. All the suspects are in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment. Meanwhile, the operation continues, with detectives focused on recovering more stolen vehicles and arresting additional suspects involved in removing tracking devices and manufacturing counterfeit number plates to match the embedded chassis numbers. Courtesy: DCI Saturday, April 5, 2025 - The final group of 78 Kenyans rescued from human trafficking syndicates in Myanmar arrived in Nairobi on Saturday, concluding a successful repatriation mission led by the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand. A group of 47 landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the morning, followed by 31 others who arrived at 12:30 PM aboard Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa. Principal Secretary for the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Njogu, received the second group upon arrival. The returnees were processed at the airport and are expected to record statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detailing how they were trafficked into Myanmar. Speaking to local media, some of the victims recounted horrifying experiences of torture, including beatings and electrocution, at the hands of their captors. They were forced to work in online fraud centers engaging in scams, identity theft, phishing, and cryptocurrency fraud. Victims were required to meet unrealistic monthly targets of up to $50,000 (Ksh6.5 million) and were subjected to long working hours, intimidation, and severe abuse for non-compliance. This mission follows a similar operation two weeks ago, which saw 48 Kenyans rescued at the Thailand-Myanmar border. The Government has since issued warnings to job-seekers, urging them to verify overseas opportunities through official channels. There are no jobs in Thailand, India, or Malaysia... youre likely to be a victim of trafficking. Run! And report them to us, PS Njogu warned in a post on X dated January 24. Saturday, April 5, 2025 - A concerned resident in Ugenya East, Siaya County, has lodged a complaint against a rogue contractor for doing a shoddy job. The contractor, who is a relative of Siaya Governor James Orengo, was given a contract to build a 10-kilometer road in the area. He has done a of the work since 2022, leaving the locals grappling with a poor road network. The last excavation was done last year in July. Farmers in the area are having a hard time transporting their crops from the farms after the contractor left the road in a mess. See the photos shared by one of the locals The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, April 5, 2025 - President William Ruto faced a hostile reception in Embu yesterday during his tour of the Mt. Kenya region. His address was repeatedly interrupted by chants of uongo (lies) from the crowd, making it difficult for him to communicate. Reports have since emerged that a section of the crowd had been mobilized and paid to cheer the President, a tactic reportedly used in some of his previous stops. However, Embu residents allegedly accepted the money but defiantly tore the placards with Rutos image. The County has increasingly become a stronghold of anti-Ruto sentiment, with many openly calling for his resignation. The backlash follows recent remarks by former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, who was recently dismissed from the Cabinet. Muturi, a native of Embu, has accused Ruto of corruption and incompetence, joining forces with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in opposing the President's leadership. See the post below. The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, April 5, 2025 - Robinson Juma Twanga, an official at the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is in the spotlight after it emerged that he has been preying on ladies seeking help after being mistreated by their employers, instead of helping them. One of the victims, identified as Selestine Kemoli, spoke to the New York Times and said that she fled to the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh, terrified and desperate after her employer abused her. She begged Twangas help, but instead of coming to her rescue, he started preying on her. He praised her beauty and demanded to sample her goodies if she wanted help. Multiple women who escaped from Saudi Arabia have accused Twanga of randy behaviours after exploiting them at their most vulnerable moments. Some lawyers in Nairobi have provided witness accounts of six women exposing Twanga for taking advantage of them. The victims hope they will get justice, but in the meantime, Twanga is still in office, probably preying on more distressed Kenyan ladies seeking help after being mistreated by their employers in Saudi Arabia. The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, April 5, 2025 - National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangulas daughter, Tamara, held a colourful pre-wedding ceremony at their rural home in Bungoma County, ahead of her much-anticipated wedding with her long-time boyfriend, Anthony Njoroge. The memorable ceremony was themed green, with the bridal and groom's team wearing African attire of the colour shade. Among the notable dignitaries that were present at the event was Environment CS Deborah Barasa. In celebrating the duo, the CS took to social media to wish the two lovebirds all the best in their future. Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord, the CS wrote on her X page. Wishing you a happy engagement and a lovely, bright future, she added. Tamara is the youngest daughter of Moses Wetangula. She studied at Monash University in Australia. According to her LinkedIn profile, Tamara is an engineer by profession and works as a trainer for H. Young Company Ltd. She joined the company in 2018 and has risen the ranks ever since. The Kenyan DAILY POST Saturday, April 5, 2025 - Controversial nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has become the subject of online ridicule after Nyandarua Senator John Methu publicly rebuked her on social media. Nyamu, a staunch supporter of President Ruto, has been campaigning for him across the Mt Kenya region amid rising opposition. She was recently caught on camera making offensive gestures aimed at leaders opposing the Presidents tour. In a scathing response, Senator Methu, known for his blunt remarks, took a jab at Nyamu, saying she might enhance her appearance but not her intellect. The remark sparked a social media frenzy, with many mocking the nominated Senator, who is known more for her drama than her work in the Senator. Surprisingly, Nyamu chose a more restrained tone in her reply, calling on Methu to embrace progressive politics and move away from what she termed outdated rhetoric. The clash highlights growing tension within Kenya Kwanza ranks as political temperatures rise in the region. See the post below. The Kenyan DAILY POST KILDARE native Ciaran Fitzgibbon have been appointed to the board of directors at Sensational Kids, the social enterprise and charity dedicated to providing affordable and accessible developmental assessments and therapies to children and adolescents with additional needs. The board has also been been joined by Limerick woman Kathryn Bermingham. Having managed the financial aspects of some of Irelands largest capital development projects including the Mater Hospital, Ciaran brings extensive expertise in financial management, strategic leadership, and organisational development to our social enterprise. A native of Kildare, Ciaran is a chartered accountant with a career spanning more than two decades. He has successfully held senior finance roles in multiple sectors, including FMCG, aviation, consultancy and non-profit. Currently serving as managing director of Vision Creative Studios, Ciaran is also the founder of Alabaster Consultancy, providing strategic financial advice to businesses. Previously, he was part of Brennans Bakeries finance team, contributing to its operational efficiency and financial stability. His leadership roles have extended to regional director and international commercial lead at Relevant Play, where he managed operations across EMEA and APAC regions. Ciarans experience as director and treasurer at Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland highlights his commitment to social causes, as well as managing and reporting on one of the states largest capital projects the Mater Hospital as the financial controller and deputy project manager. He was involved in the development of the Mater Campus Hospital where he was responsible for the full finance function of the above companies. Ciaran is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (FCA), with a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy and HRM from the National College of Ireland and certification in sustainability reporting from Chartered Accountants Ireland. I am acutely aware of the important role that Sensational Kids play in the lives of so many children and their families throughout the country, said Ciaran. Sensational Kids CEO Karen Leigh added: Kathryn and Ciarans expertise will be particularly valuable in helping us develop the new National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town which will cater for 15,000 children per year once it is open." Since its foundation in 2007, Sensational Kids has provided affordable and accessible developmental assessments and therapies to more than 10,000 children and adolescents with additional needs through its centres in Kildare, Cork, Mayo and Monaghan. With a staggering 110,000 children on public waiting lists for assessments, diagnosis, and development therapies, the demand for Sensational Kids services has never been more urgent. Timely intervention is crucial for children to reach their full potential in education and life. Middle school and high schoolers now have the opportunity to engage in advanced STEM research through summer courses, thanks to New York University's Center for K12 STEM Education's free programs. Every year, thousands of students enroll, with applications going upwards of almost 5,000 in 2024. There are close to a dozen classes offered within NYU's Tandon School of Engineering, which will look at such classes as artificial intelligence, protein engineering, and even digital media. For half the free classes, The 74 Million reported that preference should be given by the administration and faculty for kids from lower and underrepresented socioeconomic groups or, for that matter, children belonging to races from underrepresented cultures. The Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering, or ARISE program, is free for high school students and allows them to experience 10 weeks of tuition-free research alongside New York University professors and students in university labs. The projects have ranged from studying ancient African tools to understanding human behavior to analyzing the links between cerebral spinal fluid and depression as well as developing FloodNet NYC, a $7 million city-funded project designed to monitor water levels in New York City. The program gives students hands-on experience that extends far beyond typical classroom education. Other programs the center offers include Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities. This free course lets students apply their electronics and coding skills to solve urban challenges while learning how to market their ideas. Students even participate in Shark Tank-style presentations to pitch their projects to entrepreneurs. These programs teach practical skills and inspire students to create innovative solutions for real-world problems in their communities. How NYU Chose These Free Programs NYU works with local educators to design and evaluate these courses, keeping them relevant to current STEM trends. Teachers act as supervisors and curriculum developers, incorporating cutting-edge practices into lesson plans. This partnership keeps the center's programs connected to both academic research and real-world STEM applications. Essays, teacher recommendations, and interviews make the program find passionate students showing curiosity and interest in STEM. According to Ben Esner, director of the center, showing students in-depth opportunities in STEM helps them see science and math applied to real-life problems. Application deadlines vary, from February to May for most programs. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. TAP '>' ARROW ABOVE or 'NEXT' FOR NEXT PIC Saint Nicholas Church, Killamery, County Kilkenny The opportunity to acquire a de-consecrated former Church of Ireland building which is now in ruins, just off the Clonmel/Kilkenny Road (N76) at Killamery, was taken by an unknown buyer in January. The church, that went to market with a price tag of 25k, has now been listed as sold by the agents. Killamery is a tiny scenic village in Kilkenny which contains many historic treasures. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Saint Nicholas Church was built in 1815 in the grounds and graveyard where Saint Gobhan established a Monastery in AD 632. The shared graveyard contains a fine 9th Century sandstone Celtic High Cross. Saint Nicholas Church ceased to be used for public worship in 1903 and is a protected building. To the north of the Saint Nicholas Church property being offered for sale and contained within the shared boundary wall, is a small stream and beyond is the slightly elevated Roman Catholic cemetery where the High Cross is also located. This cemetery is an active one and the whole area has been very well maintained by local relatives. It is also visited by tourists interested in Irish history and the areas beautiful scenery. Any future purchaser of Saint Nicholas Church will be contractually obliged to grant right of way to all visitors to the graveyard and High Cross. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Hes a legend and an icon, a revolutionary and an immortal - and he's coming to Kilkenny. John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten changed the face of music and sparked a cultural revolution. The frontman and lyricist of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) caused a political earthquake and transformed music for good. In his new spoken word show, I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right, Lydon is touring the UK and Ireland. READ NEXT: Kilkenny designer making waves in the world of fashion As part of his tour, he will be making an appearance in The Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny City on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. He will talk about how he sees life, along with his unique and extraordinary career, and take audience questions during a pyrotechnic, one-off tour. Lydon will be sharing his thoughts with audiences. As the title suggests, he could be wrong, he could be right. Full ticket details available on watergatetheatre.com FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE China confirms identities of 8 volunteer soldiers killed in Korean War Xinhua) 12:02, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The identities of eight soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) who died in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) have been confirmed, according to a statement from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. Two of the martyrs were identified with clear evidence from seals. The identities of the additional six were confirmed through analysis of military history, forensic anthropological analysis, and analysis of personal belongings of the martyrs, the ministry said. All the eight martyrs died in a battle prior to the signing of the 1953 armistice agreement, which officially ended the war. In recent years, China has established a center dedicated to the search and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers, along with a DNA laboratory to enhance the national DNA database for the remains of martyrs and their families. To date, the remains of 981 CPV soldiers have been repatriated from the Republic of Korea over the past 11 consecutive years. Among these, the identities of 28 soldiers have been confirmed, and their relatives have been located. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) Dyanna Sawyer 'screamed' with excitement after finding the antique and sentimental belongings hidden behind a fireplace in her son's bedroom. Dyanna Sawyer was renovating her 110-year-old home in Hamilton, Victoria, when she uncovered a stash of personal belongings behind a fireplace. Source: Supplied A self-confessed treasure hunter has uncovered her greatest discovery yet while renovating a 110-year-old rural Aussie home. Dyanna Sawyer and her family moved into the property, built in 1915, in Hamilton, Victoria, roughly three months ago, after relocating from Western Australia. The consolation [for the move] was that we get to buy an old house and do it up, which weve always wanted to do, the mum of two told Yahoo News Australia this week, adding that although she was unable to view it in person before they put down an offer, she simply got a nice feeling about it. Eager to bring the historic home back to life, Sawyer said she got right into renovating and just a few days later unearthed a fabulous stash of old belongings that had fallen behind a fireplace in her sons bedroom. Honestly I was so excited! I yelled for my son to come and see and I jumped around the room squealing, she said. I love the idea of lost treasures and exploring old homes so to find these personal items was such a thrill. Homeowner discovers stash of lost items behind fireplace Sawyer told Yahoo she was in the process of stripping five different colours of paint off the wooden fireplace when she made the startling discovery. The mantle was damaged so I thought, Ill take it off, its easier to strip it and I'll just sand it back and fix it, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Between the mantle, there was a big 10mm gap between the fireplace and the wall, so I just looked down it, and I saw this metal object and I got a screwdriver and just sort of hooked it, and pulled it out. A note on the back of the photo appears to read 'with love, from Fred' and is dated 1902. Source: Supplied On closer inspection, the item appeared to be an old button hook for gloves or shoes. Moments later she found several hairs pins and a ribbon attached to a Hamilton Horticultural Society member card dated 1929. It just kept coming, but it wasn't until my husband got home because I was so excited, I had to ring him he put a torch down there, and thats when we found the shilling and the sixpence, Sawyer explained. As well as two ticket stubs, and a small mirror, the couple retrieved a 1914 shilling and a 1911 sixpence, which is considered to be a relatively rare coin with reportedly only 1 million minted. ADVERTISEMENT But for Sawyer, the most meaningful object pulled from the back of the fireplace was a partially worn photo of a man wearing a bowler hat. A faded note on the back suggests the image was given to a woman named Carrie or Cassie. With love, from Fred, it states alongside the date 06/06/02. I wonder how sad she was to lose those down the back of the fireplace, Sawyer said of the original owner. He probably went to war. Mum stunned by 'avalanche' of responses from locals Keen to learn more about the belongings, or reunite them with ancestors of the owner, the mum posted details about the sentimental items on a community Facebook group. However, she was not expecting the avalanche of responses that followed, with over 3,000 people commenting on the post. ADVERTISEMENT Its like the owners put a little of themselves into their home, one person said. This is their way of saying we were here and now you know us a little. Please frame the items and keep in the house where they are meant to stay. Dyanna tucked a photo of her own family behind the now sealed fireplace for the next renovators to find. Source: Supplied Most times these types of items slipped down behind the mantle pieces accidentally. Great job finding them and keeping them safe, someone else wrote. While no connections to the owner were revealed, Sawyer told Yahoo she found the communitys romantic response heartwarming, and she now plans on displaying the belongings in a frame in the entry of the home. She has also left her own treasure tucked behind the now-sealed mantle for the next renovators in 100 years to uncover a small photo of her smiling family. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal hangs on a fence at the agency's headquarters in Washington, DC, in 2014. The large crocodile was removed from the Proserpine River over fears that a 'selfish' human act would result in attacks. A 4.5-metre crocodile has been captured on the Proserpine River in Queensland. Source: Instagram/wildcroc_whitsundays A 4.5-metre predator lured to a boat ramp by "selfish" human behaviour has now been captured and removed from the area by Queensland authorities in a move that advocates say is "really sad". The huge croc that began targeting the Proserpine River Boat Ramp as a food source was captured on Saturday morning after fears that the dominant male's brazen behaviour could result in an attack on humans. The Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) confirmed the capture to Yahoo News on Sunday Morning. Former Proserpine River tour guide Mark Norman told Yahoo News that a trap was set on Friday, and the next morning, the croc was already captured. "The trap was set on Friday afternoon and the big croc sat a few metres and watched them the whole time," he told Yahoo. Despite knowing it was "something that had to happen with that particular animal" because the "problem that was just escalating," Norman said seeing the croc in the trap still left him feeling "really sad and teary". ADVERTISEMENT "It's not his fault at all, it's the fault of foolish people that can't seem to control themselves," he said. On Friday, Yahoo reported that over the past 18 months, illegal feeding of pig carcasses and fish scraps enticed the dominant male closer to human activity, sparking multiple warnings to the community about his brazen behaviour. He is reportedly unfazed by boats, and lingers above the surface close to the ramp. Feral pig carcasses were found tied to the boat ramp last year, prompting fines for illegal crocodile feeding to be sharply increased. Source: Supplied A few weeks ago, Norman photographed the crocodile with a beer can in its mouth after local idiots threw the cans at the crocs head. Hes been taunted and mucked around with a lot, this croc. And thats why he is the way he is now because weve just got idiots that do stupid things, Norman said on Friday. What will happen to the croc? While DETSI have not confirmed where the croc will end up, it's understood that the crocodile is healthy. Norman, who described the animal as an "icon crocodile", believes that it will be sent to a zoo or crocodile sanctuary for educational purposes. ADVERTISEMENT "It must go into a facility that has educational value and be displayed on an educational basis," he explained. "It wont be euthanised, the croc will be put into captivity." Though even if the crocodile's life is spared, Norman said it will be the same. "He wont have the same lifestyle in captivity," he said. The crocodile was spotted with a beer can in its mouth after "local idiots" threw the empty cans at the reptile. Source: Mark Norman Social media causing 'show off' behaviour with crocs Norman believes that since the emergence of social media, the situation has "gotten worse". "You've got a lot of people showing off on social media," he said, adding that video footage has "escalated the foolishness. It's just getting worse with people." Yahoo has reported on several instances of such behaviour, including an Instagram traveller who videoed herself feeding a "whole chook" to a famous crocodile. ADVERTISEMENT Fines for carrying out the act were significantly increased after another video revealed a crocodile that killed a father-of-three David Hogbin in Cooktown last year had been regularly fed, habituating it to wait at the bottom of a steep bank where the attack occurred. On-the-spot fines for feeding crocodiles surged from $645 to $2,580, and if the matter is taken to court it can now cost the offender $26,615. Feeding crocodiles makes them lose their fear of humans and associate them with food. The illegal practice can lead to large males waiting in ambush around an area they are regularly fed, creating a dangerous situation for unsuspecting tourists who don't know the area. People are responsible for their own safety in croc country, and were asking people to make sensible croc choices around the water. That means never deliberately feeding crocodiles or giving them easy access to food, a DESI spokesperson previously told Yahoo. Crocodiles have been around for millions of years and they can sort their own food. They have a highly developed sense of smell, allowing them to detect prey or animal carcasses on the land or in the water from vast distances. ADVERTISEMENT Crocodiles will quickly get accustomed to free food and will start approaching people and may start behaving aggressively. It urged anyone with information about the deliberate feeding of crocodiles anywhere in Queensland to call 1300 130 372 and report the information. Reports can be made anonymously. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Brandon Ford was cleaning the roof of his home when a tumble resulted in 28 fractures in his leg. Tradie Brandon Ford was up on the roof fixing a leak when he fell and broke his leg. Source: Supplied Dad-of-two Brandon Ford was up on the roof fixing a leak at his rental property when his wife Eleni pointed out that she didn't want to spend the next day in the emergency room and asked him to come down. Much like many working Aussies, the weekend serves as a rare opportunity to get a few jobs around the house ticked off so when tradie Brandon realised just how dirty the family's rooftop was, he decided to quickly give it a wash. However, recognising that roofs and water "don't mix", Brandon, from Brisbane, decided to call it a day after hearing his wife's wise words. But it was in that moment that the electrician's life changed forever as he came tumbling down off the roof resulting in some 28 fractures. The devastating injury took Brandon, 31, on a painful medical journey that saw him undergo 20 operations on his right leg over 18 months, which ultimately wasn't able to be saved and resulted in an amputation just four weeks ago. What's more, the terrible accident has cost the family over $150,000 in costs. ADVERTISEMENT Now, Brandon is bravely sharing his regret about that fateful day and an important warning to fellow Aussies to leave big jobs to the professionals. "Think twice, take a second, have a look," he told Yahoo News, adding, "its just not worth it sometimes. "Everyone just wants to get it done, and sometimes you just have to slow down and have a look because everyone thinks itll never happen to them, but it happened to me." After 18-months of medical procedures, an infection meant that his leg needed to be amputated after cleaning the roof of his home. Source: Supplied Dad's regret over front yard accident Replaying the traumatic incident in his mind, Brandon looks back with "regret". As a trained electrician running a successful business, he admits he always took safety very seriously and isn't sure why he didn't hold himself to the same standard that day. The dad had just finished a busy week at work and believes that he wasn't in his "ordinary mindset". "You're meant to be having a rest on the weekend, and when you're tired that's when accidents happen." ADVERTISEMENT "I regret not putting a harness on," he said of the incident in September, 2023. "If I'd just stopped once I fixed the roof and left the clean to someone else, things could be different. I made my decision to do it the way I did it, and I will live with it." The way Brandon fell was "really unlucky". The extent of the break meant that the dad developed compartment syndrome, which caused increased pressure along his leg. He required an external fixation on his leg to allow the swelling to come down before they attempted to fix it. The dad said the pain was unbelievable. Dad Brandon with his two little girls before (right) and after (left) the accident. Source: Supplied Surgeons put 38 screws and four plates into the leg, however the dad said it took "forever" to heal and during one surgery, he developed an infection. "If I had woken up 18 months ago without my leg, I wouldn't have been able to deal with it," he said. But after the long journey, when surgeons suggested it, he was at peace with losing his leg. ADVERTISEMENT "Everyone was determined to save the leg but it started to come at a cost," he said. After going through with the procedure, Brandon feels like he can finally move forward with his life. Accident costs family over $150,000 Now, with a long road to recovery ahead of him, Brandin is looking to the future. He hopes to eventually get back on his feet using a prosthetic leg, and is hoping he can resurrect his electrician's business, which has suffered in his absence. The family had hoped to buy a property of their own but medical costs have eaten up their savings. "We're easily out of pocket $150,000," he said. "Were struggling now, the money has run out." ADVERTISEMENT Despite that, he's able to see the silver lining. "The last 10 months have been great in the sense that I am home, with the kids and my wife. It's almost like it needed to happen to slow us down. "Looking back now, I wouldnt change it. I had to fall off the roof to be happy, I think," he said. Brandon's family have set up a GoFundMe to help him on his journey. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Roads and bridges would be destroyed, and the lives of over 126,000 people would be impacted. This satellite view of Mount Taranaki shows the farms and towns that surround it. Source: Axelspace Corporation New modelling suggests an eruption from a giant volcano could destroy roads and bridges and leave an entire community cut off just across the ditch from Australia. New Zealands Mount Taranaki (Taranaki Mounga) towers over 5,000 farms that are crucial in providing food to the nation, but they could all be isolated for weeks if the volcano were to blow. A satellite image shows the 2,518-metre-high peak on the west coast of the North Island surrounded by some of the properties that are home to around 126,000 people. If it were to blow, falling ash and fast-flowing volcanic material called lahar would cause significant damage to the local and national economies. The last major eruption from the North Island giant was in the mid-1600s, and the most recent volcanic activity occurred in the 1850s, creating a lava dome that eventually collapsed down its side. Over the last 130,000 years, there have been major eruptions every 500 years, and this timing has got experts considering how best to prepare for the next one. The first map illustrates population density around Mount Taranaki, while the second shows the path of roads and bridges. Source: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics Left: The map illustrates the locations of marae, petrol stations and veterinary clinics, while the map, right, indicates where farms are situated. Source: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics Modelling published in the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics predicts a major eruption would cause multiple hazards. Up to 40 per cent of roads and 45 per cent of bridges would likely be affected, and repairs would be expected to take weeks. ADVERTISEMENT The snow-capped mountain is situated inside a national park, and as the North Island's second-tallest peak, it's a major tourism drawcard. Because it's been so long since a major eruption occurred, there are lush forests filled with a wide array of bird life around its base. The mountain is important in Maori culture and was declared legally a person in February. Volcano study has implications for global food supply The studys co-author Dr Heather Craig from the University of Canterbury said the study has global implications because its common for farms to be located around volcanoes as theyre surrounded by fertile soil. Taranaki and its surrounds are popular with tourists, as the region has lush forests and wild black sand beaches. Source: Michael Dahlstrom Of particular concern to Taranaki would be the isolation of marae, cultural hubs managed by Maori communities, that provide support during disasters and have the capacity to house displaced people. The modelling suggests 12 of these important properties would be cut off. ADVERTISEMENT Many agricultural communities [are] highly exposed to volcanic impacts including road network disruption and isolation. Taranaki is an example of this, where farms, roads, marae, and communities are found on the volcanic plain surrounding the mounga, he said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. THE death has taken place in London of Rathdowney native John 'John Joe' Phelan. Johns earthly journey sadly ended on 17 February in Kingston Hospital following two long months of hospital treatment. It began more happily on Monday 29 March 1943 in Portlaoise hospital. He was the eldest child of Dan and Maureen and was named after both his grandfathers John Luby and Joseph Phelan. To his family he was affectionately known as John Joe, a big brother to Therese, Pat, Tom and Gerard. He grew up in Rathdowney, initially living with his parents in a single rented room in Brewside situated next to the town brewery and opposite the convent school. His mother was a talented seamstress and his father a labourer, then a farmer of cattle and sugar beet. Later, the family moved to the newly-built Daly Terrace, overlooking fields and the hurling field. He learnt to swim in the local reservoir and when not in school his time was spent toiling hard on his knees thinning beet on his fathers rented fields and running messages usually to get cigarettes or place a bet for his father. He often spoke fondly of his gentle grandfather, who he called 'Dam'. He often stayed with his grandparents, who lived in a traditional thatched cottage at Glosha. The crossroads were a point of locals gathering for dances, music and playing cards. He loved his childhood years, spending time there along with his sister Therese and playing hurling with cousins nearby. There were no mod-cons, TV or radio, although he did live next door to the Coliseum cinema in Rathdowney, which is now a community centre. In order to watch the films mainly American westerns he used to help sweep up in the cinema in return for a free seat beside the projectionist. This was the start of his lifelong passion for film and even more so the film scores. He always enjoyed the film Cinema Paradiso as it reminded him of his youth spent in the projection booth. Throughout his life he had a thirst for knowledge and this started early when, at the age of about three, he wandered into the convent school opposite his home and joined in the convent school classes long before being of school age. The love of learning and especially reading stayed with him. His faith was very important to him. As a 13-year-old, he left home and joined the De La Salle Brothers in Mallow, Co Cork and also spent time at Castletown, Berkshire and Manchester. He subsequently left in 1963 when he had just turned 20, prior to completing his teacher training, as he decided missionary work was not for him. So, 60 years ago, he left Ireland and headed off to London to finish his teacher training. He rented a room near St Mary's, Twickenham and worked in a brewery bottling beer and in a factory cutting cloth to help pay his way. Although he may not have had much in terms of material things, he was armed with a very strong sense of character, love of his family and a strong faith. In the intervening years, each of those qualities grew and deepened. He met Valerie, his wife of 57 years, at St Peter and Paul RC school, Mitcham in 1965. In 1968, they set up their home in Chessington and raised six children Sarah Jane, who died in infancy, Helen, Brendan, Rachel, Angela and Jonathan. The school holidays were spent travelling back to Ireland to see family, and the family have happy memories of days at the coast and summers spent in Rathdowney. Although he started as a primary school teacher, he made the transition to be a secondary teacher of maths, then computer studies. He embraced the IT world when it was in its infancy and bought his first computer in 1976, an Altair 8800, which had no screen or mouse, just LEDs on the front panel! He self-taught himself coding and was the go-to for tech support for family and friends due to his vast knowledge. He took voluntary early retirement in 1996 at the age of 53, after teaching for 26 years at Hollyfield School, Surbiton. This is when he got to do things he really enjoyed. He travelled to libraries near and far and borrowed books that he not only scanned to an image but he used OCR (optical character recognition) to convert it to text that he could edit and read. He was an early Kindle! He got to spend long periods back in Ireland, where he loved to visit all the extended family. Even in the last month's in hospital, he loved to hear all the news of the family. But for all his seriousness, he had a sense of fun, especially when his much-loved grandchildren arrived Romek, Morgan, Max, Keira and Felix. He suffered a stroke in 2017, which caused poor dexterity to his left side. Although this prevented him from returning to his beloved Ireland again, he learnt to adapt by typing on the computer with one hand. He even showed his grandchildren how to hurl, with a walking stick in one hand and a hurl in the other. John Joes life could be described in many ways as a very simple one. He was not materialistic, or vain, but a true gentleman, scholar and teacher, who was dedicated to his family with a lifelong faith. He enjoyed the company of his family but also the peace and quiet of his own thoughts, music in the background and the intimacy of a good book while having a puff on his pipe. He made his own way in life through hard work, resilience and determination. He will be remembered by his family as a great role model, a fantastic brother, husband, father and grandfather. Appropriately, his funeral Mass took place in St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Chessington on St Patrick's Day. He is survived by his wife Valerie, sons Brendan and Jonathan, daughters Helen, Rachel and Angela, sister Therese (Limerick), Pat (Kilkenny) and Tom (Rathdowney), grandchildren and extended family and friends. DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband got a new job, and as a way to get to know his new co-workers, we decided to host a holiday party at our house. We invited the people he works closest with, his immediate boss, and everyones spouses. It was about 10 people in all. I am not used to being a hostess, but put a great deal of effort, time and money into the food and decorations. We had turkey, ham and many sides and desserts. The spread was impressive and beautiful. When the guests arrived, it turned out they had all ridden with the boss and his wife in their large van instead of driving their own cars. About 15 minutes after their arrival, and before hardly any food had been served, the bosss wife got a phone call and said she and her husband needed to help a friend move some furniture -- right now! She then proceeded to round up all of my guests, load them into their van and drive away, leaving no one for the party. A fortune in food was left on my table. I remember standing there, looking at it and crying. I was so humiliated and angry. I honestly never want to host a gathering of any kind ever again. My question: Was there any way to have prevented this rude woman from stealing away all of my guests? GENTLE READER: Counter-questions: Did the boss and his wife drop the guests off before the emergency furniture move? Were they left on the street? Coerced into helping? Back to yours: Perhaps you could have told the other guests that you and your husband would help arrange transportation for them -- either taking them home yourselves or facilitating ride-shares or taxis. More importantly, Miss Manners hopes that with time, you will realize that this rudeness was extreme and rare, and that you will try your hand at entertaining again. It sounds as if you are good at it. She also hopes that your husbands new job is not similarly fraught with chaos -- or that his boss is sufficiently contrite that he gets something out of the dreadful experience. *** (Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.) Retrogrades Last Day A quirk of human nature: We tend to see other peoples actions as reflections of who they are while viewing our own as reactions to circumstance. The last day of the Mercury retrograde favors those who take full responsibility for their perspective. A water-sign trine gives extra luck for choosing the attitude that lifts as we leap over the obstacles in play. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Would you believe that your presence alone is enough to shift someones perspective for the better? Well, thats the case. Your attention has a way of making others feel valued, inspiring openness and connection. People feel seen around you. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Plan, build and take risks while the sun is high, in full knowledge that by evening, what remains will be what youve made of the hours. Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You are, in a sense, being held hostage by your own empathy -- captive to the needs, emotions and expectations of others. The challenge is learning where to draw the line so that compassion doesnt become a cage but a choice you make freely. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Historical emotions need release and expression or they risk lingering unresolved, influencing present actions in subtle and unwanted ways. By acknowledging and processing old feelings, you lighten your vibe and create space for growth, too. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Youll reconnect with a friend -- a bright spot proving that real connections hold steady, no matter the time apart. Your social life is evolving beautifully, drawing in those who give as much as they receive. The balance feels natural, overdue, right. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There are things people just cant do for one another. You cant dream, exercise or love for anyone else. If you could, life would be much simpler, but today, its about loving what only you can do for you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your future self isnt waiting for you at the end of a finish line. That person is walking with you every step of the way. Knowing that part of you is the person who has already arrived, feel free to borrow a little wisdom. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Feelings, like weather, move over the scene -- some linger like steady rain, and others flash by like a sudden gust of wind. Eventually, everything passes through, making way for new emotional landscapes. Trust that no state, joyful or stormy, is permanent. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Youll enter a place of potential where fresh opportunities for growth and development arise. This might be a physical space or educational environment, but it could just as likely be a mindset you cultivate with a little guidance. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Self-discipline is crucial for achievement, but it must be applied thoughtfully. Excessive restriction or asceticism can lead to self-defeat. You can reach your aspirations without overdenial or limitation and have a little fun in the process. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The juncture you come to today could not exactly be called a turning point, but you will definitely need to veer into a new version of yourself to overcome the challenges ahead. You dont need to ponder this one; just lean into the direction that feels most natural. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It may seem like youre in a unique kind of pickle, but youre actually in a rather common one -- the problem you face affects thousands of others. So, what you learn about this is not just for you but for everyone who might someday be helped by what you learn. TODAYS BIRTHDAY (April 6). You have the eye of the tiger this year. Once your minds eye lands on what you want, dont let it out of your view. Youre also remarkably patient, and when you pounce, the goal is yours. The competition never had a chance. More highlights: Wellness and fitness advances, a triumphant finish, a long-awaited yes and an event you throw thats the talk of the town. Scorpio and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 13, 28, 43, 20 and 6. CELEBRITY PROFILES: Paul Rudd recently praised Jenna Ortegas depth and coolness in the press junkets for the comedy horror film Death of a Unicorn, one of several new releases for the versatile movie star Rudd. Whether Rudd is playing a dad, a sensitive dreamboat, an idiot brother or an Ant-Man, the Aries actor, screenwriter and producer exemplifies the passionate fire of his sign with the trademark Aries qualities of spontaneity and youthfulness on tap. Holiday Mathis debut novel, How To Fail Epically in Hollywood, is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and ebook. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM A Laois writer has been making waves across the world with her highly successful crime novels. Best known for her Inisowen Mysteries series, Ballyfin native Andrea Carter has recently released her seventh novel, There Came A-Tapping, which features Laois locations. Ms Carters books have been published across the world, with buzz in the US surrounding the potential adaptation of her crime series. In 2019, her short story The Lamb was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. The Leinster Express / Laois Live caught up with Andrea to discuss her Laois roots, her creative process, and her writing journey. Pictured at her recent book reading in Portlaoise Library were Aoife Moore, Librarian, Author Andrea Carter and Host Claire O'Brien. Photo: Denis Byrne Originally born and raised in Ballyfin, Ms Carters parents were living in Zambia when they decided to move to Laois and renovate an old cottage. It was here that Ms Carter and her siblings were raised. We grew up in an old schoolhouse in Ballyfin, attached to Ballyfin College. It was an old Victorian cottage, my parents restored it and still call it home, Ms Carter said. My present book has a touch of a ghost story about it, set in a similar old cottage. I definitely drew inspiration from our home house; growing up, we were always very conscious of the families who had lived there before us. "The children that had slept in our bedrooms, the families that gathered in our kitchen. There is a lot of layering and history to an old house, she said. A story that I havent told often is that myself and my brother used to see children in the house, I would see a little girl and he would see a boy sitting on the end of his bed. We both saw these children, and we never discussed our sightings until we were adults, Ms Carter said. Author Andrea Carter and Host Claire O'Brien. Photo: Denis Byrne I told this story at a recent book signing in Portlaoise library; half the audience looked fascinated, the other half seemed terrified! she laughed. The writer first began writing for herself as a means to decompress after a long day of working in her own solicitors practice. She went on to join a writers group in Dublin, and published her first book in 2015. I will always remember a friend telling me to write the book you would want to read, she said. I started writing Death at Whitewater Church in 2005, I was running the solicitors practice and the writing was very cathartic. If I was worried, instead of panicking, I wrote fiction. I wrote this character who was me to begin with, adjacent to who I was, and those scenes never saw the light of day as they were too close to my work. I continued to write that character, and the setting reflected where I was living. One of my proudest moments was when Maeve Binchy asked me to sign a copy of my work, she laughed. Pictured: Author Andrea Carter I had a short story, a tiny 500 word piece of flash fiction selected for the Irish Times for an anthology, and Maeve Binchy was at the launch. It was the first piece of work I had ever had published, and Maeve had her own copy and asked every contributor to sign their own story. That will forever remain a sweet and precious memory to me, she said. Maeve knew what it meant to us when she asked us to sign it, it was so thoughtful and kind. She always supported emerging writers, and we will never forget it, she said. The author explained that inspiration for her writing is primarily drawn from locations, be it a peninsula with long, deserted beaches and towering cliffs, or mountains in the midlands shrouded in grey skies and soft heather. There Came A-Tapping has a darker atmosphere than Ms Carters previous books, painting a picture of moody landscapes, a mysterious disappearance, and an isolation that leaves the main characters life changed forever. The idea for this book came when I was waiting for my husband to come home from filming for a few days, Ms Carter said. He was away filming in the west, and I was waiting in our apartment in Dublin with our dog. He was late, and I was worried. He wasnt responding to my texts, and I started to write the scene as it was unfolding. Its the way I handled the fear, she explained. Pictured: Andrea Carter's latest title, 'There Came A-Tapping' A lot of women write to process fear, it's one of the reasons women are such excellent crime writers. We process our fears through fiction, and I wrote to take my mind off the fact I was worried about him. In my case, my partner did arrive home, but for my character, he didnt, she said. A couple suddenly arrive at the apartment, claiming to be the new tenants, and main character Allie finds herself homeless and moving to the mysterious Raven Cottage in the Slieve Bloom mountains. Things are not what they seem, Ms Carter said. The writer expressed her delight at returning to her Laois roots for her latest novel. I have always wanted to write a book set where I grew up, my father is a writer and his books are heavily influenced by Laois, she said. I was ringing my parents with the oddest questions while I was writing it- I remember asking my mother for a wildflower that blooms locally in January, and asking my father for historical research that he obtained from the Leinster Express parish notes from years ago, she laughed. Local places get a mention in this book, including Portlaoise library. I borrowed so many books from that library from a young age. Agatha Christie was a huge inspiration to my writing, Im still chasing the high of the twist at the end of Murder on the Orient Express, and it was from Portlaoise library that I borrowed it, she said. Set in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, and full of suspense, mystery and supernatural elements, this book will keep Laois readers on the edge of their seats. Attendees of the book launch and live reading in Portlaoise library were swept up into the latest gripping tale from the Ballyfin writer. There Came A-Tapping by Andrea Carter is available at all major bookshops. A Laois business has taken a unique approach to glamping, and is offering guests the chance to travel around Laois in an old fashioned horse and wagon. 'Making Tracks' in Ballybrophy allows guests to relax in comfort within one of their glamping pods, or live the nomadic life and 'make tracks' across Laois. The business is currently under construction, making accessibility adaptations for wheelchairs and installing toilet blocks. They are excited to announce their grand reopening on May 1. "We have five glamping pods, five Airbnb guest rooms, and we have five horse drawn wagons," explained business owner Ian Hyland. "We loan the guests the horse and the wagon, we give them what they need and show them the fields they can stay in on the different routes. We also offer a personal driver for the wagon if they prefer," he said. Pictured: Making Track's pony Puca with one of their five glamping wagons Mr Hyland discussed the company's dedication to maintaining sustainable practices, using solar panels and harvesting rainwater. "We do our best to have a minimal impact on the climate, and always prioritise being eco friendly," he said. "We hope to officially reopen on May 1, with all works complete. We are very excited and are getting ready for the summer season." The site's glamping pods include teepees and an old railway carriage, an homage to Ballybrophy train station located directly across from the site. Pictured: Making Tracks' wagons and unique glamping cabins "We had a lot of time to get the business up and running during the Covid-19 pandemic, and my family were a great support to me," he said. "The idea originally came- from someone asking me for a station to dock a horse up in Coolraine, and I bought the field. That's where the idea for the wagon trips started. It was a crazy idea at first, but my family have always been behind me." Mr Hyland explained that the glamping site tends to receive more foreign tourists than Irish 'stay-cationers'. "We're an hour away from everywhere in the country, we're very central, so we get a lot of American, German and Austrian tourists," he said. "We can either pick them up from the airport, or they get the train to Ballybrophy and they're right at our door. They love taking the wagon off on the routes and seeing the Laois countryside," he said. Owner Ian Hyland with Guinness, one of Making Track's five horses "They tend to go for the week and travel from station to station with one of our horses." The wagons include a 4-burner gas stove and sink, cooking utensils for five people, two 5 litre drinking water canisters, a cool bag and a lighter, along with lighting, towels, bedding and pillows. For one of their five horses that guests take out, Making Tracks provides water canisters, brushes and care items, along with plenty of treats. Making Tracks was recently awarded a whopping 250,000 under Failte Irelands Private and Community SME Scheme, which is part of the EU Just Transition Fund programme. A judge said a man who breached a safety order shortly after his wife discovered a used condom in their car was the prosecution's best witness. The man (49), who cannot be named for legal reasons, was accused of putting his wife in fear at their home in Laois. Garda Milincic said she was called to a house in Laois over a domestic incident on March 19 last. She said a woman had returned home from visiting her ill father in her native country and her husband was not home. She decided to bring her children for food and they went to the car. She found a used condom and residue of suspected cannabis in the car and tissues as well, said Garda Milincic. She said her husband was the only person with access to the car. Later that night she was putting a child to bed upstairs and heard her husband arrive home and asked her children about the car keys. She went downstairs and told him he wasnt getting the car keys, Garda Milincic explained. She said the man left the house but returned later and she heard stamping up the stairs before he came into the room and switched on a light with such force that the switch broke. He then started shouting at her and she was terrified. Anne Doyle BL said the alleged injured party made no allegation of violence. The woman then gave evidence of the night in question. She said she had to open all of the windows in the car to get rid of the smell. She recalled seeing the used condom which she said was a terrible experience for her. She recalled her husband returning and smashing the light switch. He was really furious in his face, she said. She said her heart was tight in her chest. She explained that she had a safety order. Ms Doyle asked the woman about the smell of marijuana in the car and the condom and tissue. The woman said she had been disappointed that he doesnt respect me and my children. She said the man had told her that he brought other women home and slept with them in their bed. Ms Doyle asked who owned the car and who it was registered to. The woman said they paid half and half for the car and it was registered in her name. Ms Doyle said she would have serious concerns about the evidence. She said the threshold of proof had not been met. She said there was a dispute as the woman was angry about what she had found. I am satisfied that there is a prima facia case, said Judge Andrew Cody. The man then gave evidence in relation to the incident. He denied ever having gone up the stairs on the night in question. He said he arrived home to find gardai in the house and he denied breaking the light switch. She wants to put me in trouble, he said. I did not shout at anybody, the man insisted. I am not a bad man officer. I am a good man. I am a good daddy, he said. Ms Doyle said the woman had been upset by the smell of marijuana and then she found the condom. My client is not on trial for adultery, Ms Doyle pointed out. Sgt Kirby said certainly not but he pointed out that he is on trial for putting the lady in fear. He said the womans evidence appeared very truthful. I would have grave concerns if the definition of putting someone in fear amounted to turning on the lights and asking for keys, said Ms Doyle. Judge Cody said the couple were living in a pressure cooker environment and in ordinary circumstances should be separated. Maybe that is a reflection of our rental market and our housing market, he remarked. He said on hearing evidence of both parties he believed the woman was truthful. He said she was entitled to feel disgusted by the mans behaviour. Judge Cody said he had been observing both parties in court. He was sniggering, shaking his head, pointing his finger, he said. He was the best witness for the prosecution given his demeanour, said Judge Cody as he found the man guilty. Sgt Kirby said the defendant had one previous conviction for breaching a safety order and was serving a four month suspended sentence. Ms Doyle said her client had a good work history but wasnt currently employed. She said he had suffered a back injury and was looking for work. She said the man had not caused any physical harm to the woman. In her victim impact statement, the woman said I just feel worthless. I feel not respected. She said the incident had affected her mentally and said one of her children had an emotional outbreak in school because he was overwhelmed at what had happened at home. Judge Cody noted it was a second breach of a safety order. Clearly he has no respect for his wife, he remarked. The judge sentenced him to three months in prison and fixed recognisance in case of appeal. He sent the defendant forward to a sitting of Portlaoise District Court on April 10 for a decision on the suspended sentence. Work on completing enhanced facilities for treating emergencies and children at Portlaoise hospital is on the home stretch with the removal of hoarding revealing the new multi-million euro wing to the Laois hospital. The HSE has confirmed that construction workers and tradespeople at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise have moved into the final phase of work on the project, part of which was first promised early in the Covid-19 pandemic. The HSE expects the wing, which has cost over 16 million, to be in operation sometime this summer. A statement was issued to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. "Works on the extension of the adult and paediatric department at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is continuing as expected. Contractors are currently working on the external levels and surfaces, and great progress has been made on the internal finishings, fixtures and fittings. MORE BELOW PICTURE Work is ongoing at the new two-storey unit. Pic: Leinster Express / Laois Live "The contractors are working to hand over the build to MRHP in quarter two 2025 and the hospital will then require a period of time on internal fit-out before official opening," said the HSE. The HSE has allocated 16.11 million to the development that has been built on a small plot that served as the former ED entrance. The project includes a ground-floor ED extension, including five new single treatment rooms, a resuscitation room, a family room and auxiliary facilities. The construction work has also involved the addition of first floor ED extension, including treatment facilities for five paediatric patients, a resuscitation room, a triage room and auxiliary facilities. Staff raised concerns about staffing the new wing at a protest outside the hospital in 2024 just before the General Election. The HSE said staff planning for the ED extension was "with management". Expansion of the ED was first confirmed during the Covid-19 pandemic when the HSE committed to a new respiratory assessment unit attached to the ED. The HSE said early 2021 that construction would be completed by September that year and operational by December. MORE BELOW PICTURE. The new wing as pictured from the rear. Pic: Leinster Express / Laois Live Former Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly visited Portlaoise hospital at the end of 2022 to officially confirm funding for the new additions. READ ALSO: New car park for Portlaoise hospital staff awaits Laois Council licence Work is also ongoing at the hospital beside the Department of Psychiatry. A new car park for staff has also been developed but the green light is needed from Laois County Council before a pedestrian crossing can be installed. The HSE says Portlaoise hospital provides acute-care hospital services including 24-hour ED and a range of inpatient and outpatient general medical, surgical, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric services. It serves Laois, Kildare, Carlow, Offaly and North Tipperary. Public pressure forced the HSE to abandon 2017 plans to downgrade the hospital. Substantial investment has taken place since. Irelands Minister for Finance has ruled out a wage subsidy scheme for sectors affected by US tariffs, saying it is not appropriate now. Paschal Donohoe said he is not aiming to bring forward a proposal that would introduce supports similar to those brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes as government ministers and businesses grapple with the 20% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. I dont believe an economy-wide wage subsidy scheme in the way we had during the Covid pandemic would be appropriate, he told RTE. I am hopeful that our efforts to engage with employers, in combined with the high level of employment that we already have here in Ireland, will offer a sufficient response back. But what we will do is we will evaluate what steps are necessary, but we need to avoid doing anything that has such a cost that it, in turn, could create other difficulties for us in the time ahead. We have to keep our economy safe. That means supporting and protecting jobs, and it means keeping our public finances safe. He said that the government will engage with businesses immediately impacted by the US tariff. He said it will be on a firm-by-firm basis. Earlier, a Fine Gael minister said that Tanaiste Simon Harris is to tell US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick about the importance of Irish trade to America during their meeting later this week. Patrick ODonovan, Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, said that Mr Harris will be advocating for bilateral relations between Ireland and the US. The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is expected to meet the US secretary of commerce on Wednesday. Mr Lutnick has been critical of Irelands tax arrangements, claiming it runs a trade surplus at Americas expense. Mr Harris held a late-night call with Mr Lutnick a number of weeks ago, which the Fine Gael minister described as a useful opportunity to exchange views. Speaking on RTEs The Week In Politics programme, Mr ODonovan, said the Tanaiste will be doing two things during his conversation with Mr Lutnick. He will obviously be articulating, as we all did in the United States during the St Patricks Day visit, the importance of bilateral relations and the importance of Irish trade to America, he said. The minister added that Irish companies employ tens of thousands of people across the United States. But the other thing you need to be doing is to be articulating a very simple message from the European Union, which is that this is a European Union competency, and we will negotiate on behalf of all the member states of the European Union. Mr ODonovan was critical of the characterisation of the US as an importing only nation by some in America. He said: American politicians and some American media outlets have characterised the United States as some sort of importing nation only, and it doesnt export anything, which, of course, couldnt be further from the truth. Theyre exporting to a block of 450 million people. We are not insignificant here. Thats the other thing that were being portrayed as, as some sort of insignificant group of countries, which, of course, were not. We are a very significant purchaser of global goods, and we have a number of free trade agreements with a number of different countries. Sinn Feins Claire Kerrane, who is the partys children and disability spokesperson, said the government needs to prepare for a worst-case scenario. She also backed calls from industry leaders for government supports to be put in place for workers and firms affected by US tariffs. The Roscommon-Galway TD said: We have to be very careful in terms of next step and what our next step is. I think more important than any of that, we have to do our proprietary work here to ensure that we are given supports, that supports are available, theyre on the table for businesses, that theyre ready to go tomorrow. We need that analysis, sector by sector, and we also need to ensure that we prepare for a worst-case scenario here in Ireland. She said a worst-case scenario would see the pharma and tech sector hit by tariffs. We need to work hand in hand with the North as an all-Ireland economy, because the bottom line is, we are dealing with a leader who does not make decisions based on facts and we saw that with the US trade document, she added. Labours enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson and TD for Wexford, George Lawlor, said there is funding available through the national Social Insurance Fund to back such a scheme. We need to ensure that the workforce feels that they have a future in the context of the companies that theyre working in, Mr Lawlor told RTE. If we abandon them, we go back, if we look at what happened in the recession and when the economy was bankrupt, if we had been able to hold on to some of our construction workers, for instance, we probably wouldnt have been in the position that we are. Congratulations are in order for Portlaoise school Scoil Chriost Ri, as it was named Irelands Sustainable Travel School of the Year at a ceremony in Dublin on Thursday, April 3. An Taisce Green-Schools presented the school with their award at the event honouring the winners of this years Green-Schools Big Travel Challenge in Haughton House, Dublin Zoo. Three other schools were also awarded on the day for their efforts promoting sustainable and active travel modes to school. Schools took on the Big Travel Challenge from February 4-14 during which they were asked to concentrate on one or more sustainable transport modes for two weeks to see if they could achieve real, lasting change in the travel behaviour of their staff and students. Scoil Chriost Ri excelled and truly embraced the challenge. Throughout, they saw a record number of students actively taking part in the challenge and managed to double their park and stride numbers, with almost half of the school walking or wheeling. They also organised a 'Galentines WOW' (Walk on Wednesday) Day, linking in their walking with friendships, positive relationships and forming healthy habits. READ MORE: WATCH: Laois TD Brian Stanley brings Mountmellick bypass issue to Dail Eireann Congratulating Scoil Chriost Ri and the other awarded schools on their achievements, Green-Schools Travel Programme Manager, Allison Phillips said, It was truly inspiring to see students from across the country taking on the challenge to love our health, love our planet by supporting active and sustainable travel to school through the Green-Schools Travels Big Travel Challenge. Your work is testament to the collaborative work of the students, teachers and whole school community, as well as our partnerships with Local Authorities, the National Transport Authority and Department of Transport. The top schools from each county were awarded, with a regional winner chosen from them. The Staffroom Challenge was back by popular demand as well, extending the competition to school teachers and staff to travel more sustainably and get creative in doing so. Other initiatives also included best carpool karaoke, most creative classroom workshops and best social media post. A 4 million allocation for the Grand Canal Greenway project has been welcomed by a Kildare county councillor. Fine Gael Cllr Brendan Wyse expressed his optimism for the project at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting, which was held on Friday, April 4 last. At the meeting, he motioned for Kildare County Council to provide "an updated detailed plan and timeline for the completion of the Grand Canal Greenway from Sallins through Robertstown, Allenwood, Killina and Ticknevin, to Edenderry, following the allocation of a 4m investment by the government". KCC REPLY In response to his motion, KCC presented a lengthy report to Cllr Wyse and the other local representatives: "[The] Grand Canal Greenway Ph2 - Sallins Tie-in will be issued for tender Late Q2, six-week tender return period with an intended construction start date in early Q4 2025. "Waterways Ireland to deliver a section of the Grand Canal Greenway from Clonkeen through Ticknevin to Lowtown." KCC continued: "This package is intended to proceed to construction in early to mid Q3 2025. "The above contracts 1 and 2 will be delivered through the allocated funding. "Contracts 3 and 4 (remainder of the works) will be issued for Tender from 2026 onward with more precise timelines at a later date depending on funding allocations and resources etc." THREE REQUIREMENTS KCC further said that the third and fourth contracts will require the completion of three main elements. These elements are: additional environmental reports at Shee bridge for Mid Q3, 2025; the Part 8 advertisement of the additional pedestrian bridges at Lowtown and adjacent to Healys Bridge / Bonynge Bridge to be advertised late Q2 2025; and the completion of a junction safety improvement at Ticknevin junction which will the completion of a Section 38 Safety Improvement process. Cllr Brendan Wyse. File photograph READ NEXT: Water supply in parts of Newbridge, Co Kildare 'at crisis point' Patrick Devaney, a writer from Virginia, County Cavan, with deep Leitrim and Roscommon roots, has spent years crafting engaging stories for young readers. Devaney is a former Math and English teacher in Naas Vocational School and later at Maynooth Post Primary. The married father of five, who has written poems about Kildare in the past, retired from teaching in 2002. Devaney has written numerous books for teenagers, blending adventure, friendship, and personal growth. His latest novel, The Orion Disc, is no exceptiona captivating tale of magic, resilience, and the power of standing up for oneself. The novel follows Mickser, a timid teenager who struggles with relentless school bullies. His life takes an unexpected turn when his grandfather gives him an ancient disc, a mystical artifact containing spells designed to subtly undermine troublemakers. As Mickser begins to harness its power, he embarks on a daring journey with his granddad to Hags Mountain to obtain the discs most powerful enchantmentthe Fire Spell. Its a mixture of magic and realism. When its dealing with the school situation, its very realistic, says Devaney, whose own childhood experiences and teaching background heavily influence his writing. I attended the Presentation Brothers Primary School in Carrick in 1947 or 1948, he recalls. At that time, John McGahern was attending the Brothers secondary school, and I saw him outside the school on a few occasions. His ties to Carrick-on-Shannon remain a significant part of his memories. I lived with the Heerins in their home on the Leitrim Road. I have happy memories of my year in Carrick, and Brother Bernard in the primary school was a wonderful teacher. Beyond the classroom, Devaneys time in Carrick was shaped by friendships and the towns sporting traditions. Two very good friends from Summerhill in Carrick were Conor and Carmel Rafter. Conor competed in the annual regatta, and Carmel was an excellent swimmer. During my stay in New York from 1958 to 1969, I met Conor on a number of occasions. These personal experiences subtly inform The Orion Disc, lending authenticity to Micksers journey. Alongside his newfound magical abilities, Mickser finds an ally in Yaku, a courageous African boy, and a growing connection with his classmate, Cynthie. While the novel is infused with fantasy, it also explores the universal challenges of adolescencenavigating friendships, overcoming fears, and finding self-confidence. Having written numerous books for teenagers, Devaney continues to inspire young readers with stories that reflect real-life struggles and triumphs. Now retired and living in Virginia, County Cavan, with his wife of 53 years, Cheryl, he remains dedicated to storytelling. The Orion Disc is available now on Kindle and is a must-read for anyone who enjoys adventure, personal growth, and the magic of self-belief. READ MORE David McSavage brings new stand-up show to Leitrim Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning to Irish tourists heading to Spain amid a spate of date rape drug incidents. In its official travel advice to Irish travellers, the Department says: "The Spanish authorities have warned of date rape drugs, including GBH and liquid ecstasy, being used. Dont inadvertently lower your alertness to these risks simply because you are on holiday." Irish people are being told to always report incidents of crime abroad. There are two main police forces in Spain: The Policia Nacional (National Police) and the Guardia Civil (Civil Guard). The Policia Nacional is the nationwide metropolitan police agency of Spain. It deals with criminal, judicial, terrorism and immigration matters. They can be contacted by dialling 091. The Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) operates mainly in rural areas. It has both military and civilian functions. They can be contacted by dialling 062. READ NEXT: 'Hotter next week' - Glorious Ireland weather update amid 22C sunshine forecast In most urban areas, there is also the Policia Local (dial 092), which is responsible for traffic inside the cities and minor crime. The Department advises: "If youre a victim of a crime while in Spain, report it to the local police immediately by calling the emergency services on 112 - responding operators all speak English. "Make sure you get a copy of the denuncia (police report) when you report the crime. For example, if youve had belongings stolen, youll need the police report for insurance purposes. If your passport is lost or stolen, keep the police report for your insurance claim, to apply for an emergency travel certificate and to apply for a replacement passport when you return to Ireland." Meanwhile, Irish holidaymakers have also been warned to watch out hidden dangers, including fraudsters pretending to be local police officers, as they head to Spain in their thousands for their summer holidays. The advice has been issued by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs to be "aware" especially in busy areas and at peak times like summer for criminals hiding in plain sight. The Department said: "Most of Spain has a moderate rate of crime. However, given the very high number of holidaymakers that visit Spain, additional security measures are rolled out in public areas at peak times, such as during the summer and at Christmas. "You should be aware that in areas such as airports, bus stations, railway stations, tourist areas and major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, there is a much higher risk of pickpocketing and muggings. We advise you to take basic precautions: "Dont carry your credit card, travel tickets, passport and money together in the same place, for example your luggage or bag. "Leave spare cash and valuables in a safe place "Dont carry your passport unless absolutely necessary, and consider carrying your Passport Card. Leave a copy of your passport (and travel and insurance documents) with family or friends at home "Avoid showing large sums of money in public and dont use ATMs after dark, especially if you are alone. Check no one has followed you after conducting your business "Keep a close eye on your personal belongings and hold on to them in public places such as cafes, train and bus stations, bars, restaurants, etc. "Avoid dark and unlit streets and stairways, arrange to be picked up or dropped off as close to your hotel or apartment entrance as possible." They also advise Irish tourists in Spain to "be vigilant about petty crime: many of the cases we encounter involve stolen passports and credit cards. "In metro stations, avoid boarding the train near the exit/entrance to the platform, as this is often where pickpockets position themselves. Thieves may work in teams and a person may attempt to distract you so that an accomplice can rob you more easily." They also warn people be "always be cautious when approached by anyone claiming to be a police officer, either in plain clothes or travelling in unmarked vehicles. "In all traffic matters, police officers will be in uniform. Unmarked vehicles will have a flashing electronic sign on the rear window, which reads Policia or Guardia Civil, and normally have blue flashing lights incorporated into the headlights. "In non-traffic matters, police officers may be in plain clothes. However, you have the right to ask a police officer to identify themselves. Also, a genuine police officer will not request that you hand over your bag or wallet. If they ask you for identification, show them photographic ID such as your passport, Passport Card or driver's licence. If in any doubt, you should converse through the car window and contact the Spanish authorities on 112 and ask them to confirm that the registration number of the vehicle corresponds to an official police vehicle." Theft from vehicles is common in Spain. "Remember to keep your doors locked, windows rolled up and valuables out of sight while driving," the Department advises. "Be aware of 'highway pirates' who target foreign-registered and rental cars. There have been reports of such activity in the vicinity of airports, in particular. Some will try to make you stop, claiming there is something wrong with your car or that you have damaged theirs. In some cases, they will even deliberately orchestrate a collision in order to get you to stop and exit your car, before stealing personal belongings from you. "If you decide to stop to check the condition of your/their vehicle, try to stop in an area with lights and people, such as a service station, and be extremely wary of anyone offering help." THERE was a guard of honour on an emotional day at Shannon firm Ei Electronics as its chief executive Mick Guinee stepped down after 42 years at the helm. Management and staff of the 1,100 strong workforce, who produce fire alarms, hosted a reception to pay tribute to the businessman for his vision, leadership and support over the last four decades. Addressing those gathered, Mr Guinee paid tribute to the generations who have played a role in the success of Ei over the years. READ MORE: Debut exhibition marks monumental moment for Limerick artist He particularly noted the support of fellow founders Jim Duignan and Dr Mike Byrne, who along with him secured the management buyout of the Ei Company from General Electric in 1988. It was this move which gave birth to Ei Electronics as we know it today. To mark his retirement, Mr Guinee was presented with a cast bronze replica of the letter he wrote to the Ei Company staff in 1988 formally advising them of the management buy out from General Electric. He stated at the time his confidence that together the team could build a successful indigenous Irish-owned company, trading on international markets. And this came to fruition, with Ei a global leader in its field with a turnover of 425m in 2024. One of the largest employers in the region, the firm has built a reputation for giving back to communities and people. This Tuesday, April 1 Mr Guinee formally handed over the reins to Leo Clancy, a former chief executive of Enterprise Ireland and head of technology with job creation agency, IDA Ireland. Mr Guinee will still remain actively involved in the strategic future and direction of the business in his role as chairman of the board of directors at Ei Electronics. JOURNALISM students from the University of Limerick have secured 12 nominations at the National Student Media Awards. The Limerick Voice, a student publication and award-winning multimedia news platform, has been shortlisted in several different categories including, Best Newspaper, Best Layout and Design and Website of the Year. The Magazine Eclectic, produced by second year journalism students, has also been nominated for Magazine of the Year. Limerick Voice newspaper and online editor Jack McKay and Magdalena Tanneberger have both been nominated for Editor of the Year. Sports reporter John ODonnell has been nominated for Sportswriter of the year along with Jack McKay and fourth year journalism student Leah Hogarty and Alison Reeves have been shortlisted for Podcast of the Year. Features Editor, Annemarie Roberts and multimedia reporters Emma McCarthy and Alan White were nominated in the category Journalism Relating to Health. Limerick Voice multimedia reporter Anna Powell has been shortlisted in three separate categories including, Journalist of the Year National Media, Radio Production of the Year in News and Current Affairs and for the Joe Drennan RSA Award, Journalism Relating to Road Safety an award named after UL journalism student Joe Drennan who died tragically in October 2023. The National Student Media Awards or the SMEDIAs as they are known, is the largest competition of its kind in Ireland, dedicated to recognising and celebrating the next generation of media talent. READ MORE: Mayors fear that University Hospital Limerick staff will leave for jobs in new Bon Secours Limerick Voice newspaper which has been named Newspaper of the Year on two separate occasions has again been shortlisted at this years SMEDIAS along with Limerick Voice website, which has been nominated for Website of the Year. The 25th edition of the National Student Media Awards takes place on Wednesday April 9 at the Mansion House in Dublin. Dr Kathryn Hayes, Course Director BA Journalism and Digital Communication, who oversees the multimedia project each year, said she is extremely proud to see so many nominations for students across the undergraduate programme; From second year right up to final year, our journalism students are already being recognised for the work they are producing, which is a wonderful validation for all of our students, particularly those who are preparing to enter the world of work in the coming weeks. A newspaper publication and digital news project like Limerick Voice is more than just an assignmentits a real-world newsroom experience that challenges final-year journalism students to think critically, report responsibly, and engage their audience with impactful storytelling and particularly the importance of campaign journalism, she added. Limerick Voice Web Editor and Deputy Features Editor Maggie Tannegberger, who has been nominated for Editor of the Year said, I am incredibly happy and honoured that both the Limerick Voice and my own work are being recognised. This past year has been a journey of growth for all of us, and Im grateful to have been part of such an amazing team. Of course, Id love for us to win, but more than anything, Im looking forward to attending the awards with the incredible people Ive worked alongside, no matter the result. Deputy Editor of this years Limerick Voice, Gary O Hanlon said the Limerick Voice team is honoured to have received so many nominations for this years SMEDIAS; The outstanding number of nominations reflects the unwavering hard work and passion put into this project by every member of the team. Were grateful to our facilitator Kathryn Hayes and to each Limerick Voice team that came before us. Weve had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of giants with this project he stated. Gardai have issued appeals to the public to help find three teenage girls missing from their homes in Dublin. The three separate appeals were all issued on Saturday as gardai expressed concern and asked the public to help find the three teens. The first appeal relates to a missing 16-year-old schoolgirl who vanished from her home in Dublin last weekend. Gardai said in a statement that they are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 16-year-old Makayla Brady who is reported missing from Malahide, Co Dublin since Sunday, March 30, 2025. "Makayla is described as being approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, with long, dark brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen, Makayla was wearing a black tracksuit and a black cap," gardai added. READ NEXT: 'Hotter next week' - Glorious Ireland weather update amid 22C sunshine forecast Anyone with information on Makaylas whereabouts is asked to contact Malahide Garda Station on 01 666 4600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. The second appeal from gardai was for 15-year-old Katie Stokes who was last seen in Tallaght, Dublin 24, on Thursday, April 3 2025, at approximately 1.30pm. Katie is described as being approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a slim build, blonde hair and brown eyes. When last seen, Katie was wearing a white peaked cap, black runners, a black tracksuit, and a black jacket. It is believed that Katie may have travelled to the Dublin City Centre area. Gardai and Katies family are concerned for her wellbeing. Anyone with information on Katies whereabouts is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. The final appeal relates to missing 16-year-old Shola Fanthorpe who was also reported missing from her home in Tallaght, Dublin 24 since. Shola was last seen in the Killinarden area of Tallaght, Dublin 24 area on Thursday, April 3, at approximately 12.50pm. Shola is described as being approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, with brown hair and a slim build. When last seen, Shola was wearing a navy jumper with light blue stripes on the sleeves, navy trousers, black Nike runners, and a cream Superdry coat. Shola is known to frequent the Rossfield and Brookfield areas of Tallaght. Gardai and Sholas family are concerned for her wellbeing. Anyone with information on Sholas whereabouts is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. The customs authorities have said that Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd delayed the provisional assessment of tax evasion worth $1.4 billion (about 11,526 crore) by not providing information promptly. The customs commissioner rejected the automaker's challenge to the tax notice, asserting that the delays were solely attributable to the company and not to any inaction on the part of the authorities", according to an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court--Mint has reviewed a copy. Skoda Auto approached the high court on 29 January, contesting the customs department's demand for duty at the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) rates on car components imported over the past 12 years. The department also issued a notice threatening to confiscate the imported goods. Responding to Mint's emailed query, the company said, We, at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd, acknowledge the ongoing proceedings and are actively pursuing all legal remedies available to us under the law. As this matter is currently under legal review, we cannot provide further comments at this moment." The company said it was fully cooperating with the authorities. Core dispute over classification of imported parts The core of the dispute, evident from the show-cause notices of September and November 2024, is the company's classification of parts and components imported for its Aurangabad factory between March 2012 and July 2024. The government argues these imports should have been classified as CKD kits unassembled motor vehicle parts as they were intended for car production. CKD classification applies when all vehicle components are imported in an unassembled state for local assembly. The tax departments affidavit, submitted following a direction from the high court, explained the reason behind the prolonged provisional assessment period of 12 years. Pending SVB probes The customs commissioner said the proceedings were protracted due to ongoing investigations by the Special Valuation Branch (SVB), which scrutinizes import transactions between related parties. Skoda's practice of importing goods and receiving services from related entities globally necessitated SVB involvement, according to the affidavit. The department said that as many as eight proceedings were pending, out of which investigation reports have been completed in three cases. Two more cases, namely Volkswagen Group Sales India Ltd. and Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. (both are group entities) were also pending, thus totaling to ten SVB cases." The customs authorities contended that they consistently sought necessary information, data and documents from Skoda Auto, but the company failed to provide them promptly. The department claimed the automaker did not raise any objection at any point to the assessments being provisional in nature. In fact, the communications sent by them from time to time recognize this aspect of provisionality, concede the fact that documents are incomplete from their end, schedule a target date within which it shall be provided, seek an extension of time for breaching the target dates and the undeniable truth remains that even today documents or data are yet to be provided," the affidavit said. The department also presented documentary evidence, including a Skoda email indicating an intention to finalize the pending assessments by June 2024, along with an action plan for obtaining data from foreign suppliers. Skoda's email indicated why the provisional assessments are pending and that Skoda would attempt to give a closure by June 2024. Skoda also gave an Action Plan which stated that it was in the process of obtaining the cost computation or collation of data from the foreign supplier and Skoda in most of the cases have not given the details even today," the affidavit underscored. DRI findings back customs case The affidavit also revealed an investigation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) that uncovered a significant number of agreements entered into by Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd, some of which were allegedly concealed by Skoda. It is important to submit that the DRI Bangalore Zonal Unit investigated Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd. (VWGSIPL) and unearthed as many as 107 agreements entered by it with Parent or subsidiary companies out of which 31 Agreements relate to the Petitioner's company whereas only 7 agreements were submitted to the SVB," the commissioner stated. The customs department also emphasized the continuity bond executed by Skoda, which covers multiple import shipments. The authorities pointed out that Skoda had renewed this bond even after the issuance of the show-cause notice in September 2024, signifying their acceptance of the provisional assessments. Post the initiation of show cause proceedings, petitioners have made willingly and through voluntary compliance two more continuity bonds totalling to 2,800 crores without an iota of objection that the respondents ought to have finalized the provisional assessments, and the petitioners are objecting to its continuity. This is a clear conduct of approbate and reprobate," the commissioner asserted. The department argued that Skoda had presented an incomplete picture to the court by withholding relevant correspondence and documents. It remains an undisputed fact that material information and documents critically required for completion of SVB proceedings are being furnished by the Petitioners only in tranches and it remains undisputed that still some more information and documents are yet to be furnished," the affidavit stated. The customs department urged the court to dismiss Skoda's writ petition and allow the adjudication process to proceed. The department also committed to appointing an adjudicator in the rank of commissioner for show-cause notices and simultaneously finalizing the provisional assessments within six to eight months. Union minister for commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal on April 5 launched a dedicated Startup India Desk a helpline number for emerging entrepreneurs in India, according to an official release from the ministry. Piyush Goyal made the announcement while speaking at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025. As per the release, the helpline will be set up through the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The helpline, a four-digit toll free number, will also be accessible in multiple regional languages, the statement added. What did Piyush Goyal say about Startup India Desk? Posting a video from his speech at the Startup Mahakumbh on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Piyush Goyal said it is a new helpline to assist startups. In the video, the minister can be heard encouraging startup founders saying: What I'm going to do now, is start a desk at Start-up India in my ministry, which will be a helpline for any startup from anywhere in the country. He added, If an official is troubling you, if you have any suggestions, if changes to the laws are needed, or you've developed something that requires the creation of new regulations if you're facing corruption or demands for bribes, call the helpline. If anyone (official) is giving you trouble from any department, centre, state, corporation or zilla parishad, and you are certain that you've followed the law, definitely complain using the helpline, the minister said. How to Access Startup India Desk Helpline? According to the official release by the Commerce and Industries ministry, A dedicated Startup India Desk will be set up in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to serve as a helpline for startups across India, accessible via a simple 4-digit toll-free number in regional languages. No further details are available as yet. The ministry will likely release the toll-free number and other details soon via official channels. Also Read | Zepto CEO defends Indian startups amid Piyush Goyal's criticism Fund of Funds Approved, Says Piyush Goyal Piyush Goyal also said the second Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) to provide early-stage financial support for new entrepreneurs who often face challenges in accessing traditional forms of capital. The FFS, with a corpus of 10,000 crore, has been approved and this year, and 2,000 crore will be disbursed to the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) as the first installment. A significant portion of the fund will be reserved for seed funding of small startups and to support deep-tech innovation startups, he added. The fund will foster development of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), quantum computing, robotics, precision manufacturing, biotech, and semiconductor design where long gestation periods and high capital requirement can become hurdles, as per the statement. Bengaluru: Healthtech startup Pristyn Care is in talks to raise a fraction of the money it has been trying to secure for about a year, making the latest negotiations crucial for the companys growth. Pristyn, founded as a startup dealing in minimally invasive surgeries, is in talks to secure $7-10 million for Beatxp, its fitness-tech business that sells massage guns and weighing scales. Negotiations are on with several investors including existing backer Peak XV Partners, according to two people in the know. The specifics of the deal are being worked out and a term sheet is expected to be signed in two weeks, one of them said. The deal has been in the works for some time now and is likely to be finalized in two weeks. The funding will be reflected in the books of Beatxp," this person said. If it goes through, the funding will help Beatxp extend its runway and scale to reasonable levels till such time a larger round comes in." Pristyn Cares growth depends on Beatxp," said an investor on condition of anonymity. After scaling down smartwatches, (Beatxps) sales have stagnated, which makes this funding round crucial." A spokesperson for Peak XV Partners declined to comment. Harsimarbir Singh, Pristyn Cares co-founder and chief executive, did not comment on the fundraising plans. The deal being negotiated is much smaller than what the Gurugram-based healthtech startup had initially set out to raise. In February last year, Mint reported that the firm was looking to raise $50-75 million at a valuation of about $400 million for Beatxp. In December, Mint reported that Pristyn Care was looking to raise as much as $100 million. Beatxps potential valuation in the latest fundraising discussions werent disclosed. More senior exits Pristyn Care is also dealing with a spate of senior-level exits, with Shaloo Varma, senior vice president of medical directorate, being the latest to depart. Varma has resigned and is currently serving notice, said the two people mentioned above, speaking on condition of anonymity. Varma, who served in the role for about 4.5 years, according to her LinkedIn profile, did not respond to Mints queries. We dont comment on conjecture about our team," Singh said. Most senior leadership has been here for 4+ years, and this is for a 5-year-old company, and we are very proud of it." In February, Mint reported that a host of senior executives had resigned from Pristyn Care, presenting a fresh challenge to the startup that has been scrambling to raise funds. Among those executives were senior vice president of finance Prabhat Agarwal, senior vice president of business and operations Tarun Bansal, senior vice president of human resources Srinivas P. Reddy, and marketing head Gagan Arora. Founded in 2018 by Singh, Vaibhav Kapoor, and Garima Sawhney, Pristyn Care core business involves operating a network of hospitals and clinics through partners. In 2021, Pristyn gained its unicorn tag when it raised $100 million in Series E funding from Tiger Global Management, Hummingbird Ventures, and others at a post-money valuation of $1.4 billion. Beatxps challenges Beatxp also has been undergoing a slew of changes, with the fitness-tech brand pulling the plug on its smartwatches after failing to see consistent demand. We have taken a differential approach to smartwatches," Mint quoted Singh in its February report. We have slowed that business down because even though we were the youngest and fastest in the market to grow in smartwatches, we believe there is less scope for innovation, IP and design in that market." Beatxp is also banking on two new categoriessportswear and shoesfor growth, which will be meant for premium audiences, Singh had added. Also read | Healthtechs latest buzzword is a relentless killer Beatxp, registered under the name GHV Medical Anchor Pvt. Ltd, saw its revenue jump to 254 crore in 2023-24, from 108 crore in the previous year, selling products such as massagers, weighing scales, and gym accessories. However, its losses widened to 173 crore from 37 crore, showed financial statements accessed from Tofler. Pristyn Care, registered under the name GHV Advanced Care Pvt. Ltd, reported an operating revenue of 600 crore in FY24, up from 452 crore in the previous year, according to filings with the ministry of corporate affairs accessed by business analytics platform Tofler. According to Singh, Pristyn Care had reduced its cash burn by 65%. GHV Advanced Cares cash balances stood at 12.8 crore in FY24, while its bank balance and other equivalents were at 9.4 crore. While trade receivables were at 105 crore, the companys financial assets had dropped to 341 crore from 570 crore in the year before. Beatxps (GHV Medical Anchor) cash and cash equivalents were at 55 lakh in FY24, and its total financial assets at 63.9 crore, per data accessed by Tofler. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has emerged as a key aide of US President Donald Trump in recent months, has advocated for a zero tariff situation between the United States and EU creating a free trade zone between the countries. Musk's comments come days after Donald Trump launched a tariff offensive on European Union. Here are five things you need to know about Elon Musk's free trade comment, what free trade means, and what its benefits are: 1. What did Elon Musk say? Elon Musk on Saturday said he hoped Europe and the United States would agree to join in a free-trade zone. Virtually addressing The League Congress in Italy, hosted by right-wing Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Musk said, I hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move, ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America. 2. Why is it relevant now? Elon Musk also batted for cross-Atlantic labour mobility, saying, "If they wish to work in Europe or wish to work in America, they should be allowed to do so, in my view. That has certainly been my advice to the president. The comments assume significance after President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on some of the United States largest trading partners. European Union imports were slapped with a 20 per cent duty, making it among the highest-charged territories. Musk's remarks in this scenario seems like a U-turn from Trump's views, who has reportedly told his inner circle about the Tesla CEO stepping aside from his role at DOGE. Also Read | India unlikely to retaliate against Trump tariffs, focus on bilateral trade deal 3. What is a free trade zone? As per the World Bank, free trade zones are small, fenced-in, duty-free areas, offering warehousing, storage, and distribution facilities for trade, transshipment, and re-export operations. They are called foreign trade zones in the United States. Elon Musk's zero tariff zone points to effectively ending all tariffs that the US and EU charge each other, thereby facilitating free flowing of products across the countries. 4. What are its benefits? As per US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), free trade zones have many advantages. For example, CBP duty and federal excise tax, if applicable, are paid when the merchandise is transferred from the zone for consumption. While inside the free trade zones, the merchandise is not subject to US tax or excise duty. Therefore, products can be exported from the zone free of duty and excise tax. India is the worlds largest recipient of remittances, with $119.5 billion received in 2023. India also has the largest stock of international migrants in the world, estimated by the United Nations at 18.5 million in 2024, followed by China at 11.7 million. But while India has been a big recipient of remittances for a couple of decades now, shifts are unfolding within. The share of advanced economies in Indias inward remittances has risen, surpassing the share of Gulf economies, reflecting a shift in migration pattern towards skilled Indian diaspora," Indias central bank said following arecent survey that tracked trends and patterns in remittances for 2023-24. As a share of gross domestic product (GDP), Indias remittances, at 3.4%, is similar to that of Mexico, but much lower than countries such as the Philippines (about 9% of GDP). For China, remittances are far less important, accounting for just 0.2% of its GDP. Remittances will continue to be important for the Indian economy, given key trends in the global population. Currently, India accounts for around 18.6% of the global working-age population (aged 20-65 years). According to the UN estimates, this is estimated to creep up to around 19% by 2040, by when the share of the working-age population in high-income and upper-middle-income countries is projected to fall by six percentage points. Thus, notwithstanding a backlash against foreign-born migrants in many high-income countries, the demand for migrants to fill crucial gaps in the workforce in those countries will only persist. High-income tilt In 2023-24, the US remained Indias largest source of remittances by country, accounting for 27.7%, up from 23.4% in 2020-21 and 23% in 2016-17, as per the Reserve Bank of India. The share of the UK and Singapore rose by 5.2 and 4.6 percentage points, respectively. Taken together, five high-income countriesthe US, the UK, Singapore, Canada, and Australiaaccounted for about 52% of Indias remittances in 2023-24, while hosting around 36% of all Indian migrants. In contrast, the set of six Gulf countries, the other major destination of migrants, account for 45% of the number of Indian migrants, but 38% of remittances. Thus, on average, migrants from high-income countries send more, reflecting their higher pay levels and the fact that migrants to these countries tend to be more skilled, working in white-collar jobs like software development. Jobs in the Gulf are more blue-collar in nature, in sectors like construction. Richer destinations Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu accounted for about half of the remittances received in 2023-24. However, Maharashtra saw its share fall sharply from 35.2% in 2020-21 to 20.5% in 2023-24, which may reflect the effects of anomalous economic conditions of covid. In 2016-17, the pre-covid period for which RBI has published data, Maharashtras share of remittances was 16.7%. Between 2016-17 and 2023-24, the state that has seen its share fall the most is Karnataka, from 15% to 7.7%. Maharashtra, Telangana and Punjab accounted for the largest number of Indian students migrating abroad for education and staying back for employment opportunities, which is reflected in the increasing share of these states in Indias inward remittances," RBI said in its report. Its worth noting that almost all the top recipient states for remittances are relatively more prosperous, with Uttar Pradesh being the only lower-income state in the top 10. Size bias The RBI survey shows that about 70% of remittances are to the tune of less than 50,000. High-value remittances (above 5 lakh) account for 28.6% of total remittances received, but only 1.4% of the total number of remittances. In other words, high-skilled migrants, earning high incomes, are the main remitters to India. However, to an extent, this may be an artifact of the way data is compiled. The survey covers data from banks, money transfer companies and cross-border remittance fintech companies. The average cost of sending $200 to India is around 4.9% or $10. While this is lower than the global average, it may be high for low-income workers, nudging them to cheaper and informal means of remittance transfers such as hawala. Such remittances may not be captured in the data compiled by RBI. As more countries raise protectionist barriers and scrutiny, remittance figures should be watched. www.howindialives.com is a database and search engine for public data New Delhi: India will refrain from taking retaliatory action against the US reciprocal tariffs or making sharp public responses against Washington, keeping trade diplomacy at the centre of its strategy, a senior government official said. As a global tariff war unfolds in response to US President Donald Trumps additional tariffs on more than 60 nations, India is taking a calm and measured approach, positioning itself as a balanced negotiator, the official said. We are focusing on dialogue, not confrontation. India is the only country offered the opportunity to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US. That itself is a signal of mutual respect," the official said, who spoke on condition of not being named. The US is Indias largest trading partner, and one of the few countries with which India had a trade surplus in 2023-24. Mint was the first to report on 3 April that New Delhi would not adopt a tit-for-tat approach and will push for a swift trade pact with the US. India faces an additional 26% average tariff on its exports to the US, which is lower than the levies imposed on several other Asian exporters. Cambodia faces the highest at 49%, followed by Vietnam (46%), Sri Lanka and Myanmar (44% each), and Thailand (36%). Chinas average tariff stands at 34%, while Indonesia faces 32%, Pakistan 29%, and Bangladesh 28%. As per the official, despite the shifting tariff landscape, Indian exports are expected to hold steady at current levels this financial year, with momentum expected to build in the next. If energy prices stay soft, we dont anticipate much demand destruction in the US," the official noted. Also read | Trump tariffs may force India to review Viksit Bharat playbook Diversifying Indias exports India is cautiously optimistic that global supply chain diversificationaccelerated by the tariff war and rising production costs in Chinawill open new doors for Indian exporters. India exports over 7,300 commodities to the US, including IT services, engineering and electronic goods, gems and jewellery, marine and agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, light crude oil, textiles, and metals like steel and aluminum. Domestic sectors such as gems and jewellery, marine products, semiconductors, furniture, and rubber are particularly vulnerable to Trumps reciprocal tariffs as these are heavily reliant on US demand. About 85% of Indias semiconductor exports are destined for the US. Indian officials are in dialogue with stakeholders in such sectors to identify alternative export markets, the government official said. Diversification is key. Where the US market tightens, we must be ready elsewhere." Also read | Trumps reciprocal tariffs: India braces for economic ripples That said, India is hoping for its ongoing negotiations with the US for a bilateral trade agreement to be concluded soon, and fairly. New Delhi initiated early talks with the US, gaining a first-mover advantage in what is likely to be a broad-based trade pact. Simultaneously, India is in negotiations with at least seven other countries for free trade agreements, adding layers of resilience to its trade architecture," the official said. The upcoming agreement is expected to cover multiple sectors, providing a cushion to Indian exporters amid renewed uncertainty in global supply chains. India hopes the BTA with the US will be fair, balanced, and mutually respectful." Also read | In charts: How exposed is India to Trump's reciprocal tariffs? Dumping threats and domestic opportunities India is also closely monitoring the risk of countries such as China and Vietnam dumping products in India at below-market prices as a fallout of the US trade war. We are alert and will not hesitate to take strong anti-dumping measures where necessary," the official said, reflecting a broader shift in Indias trade postureopen, but guarded. While high-tech exports like smartphones may face some pressure under the new tariff regime, the government expects Indias large and growing domestic market to cushion any hit to manufacturing. There may be a minor dip in outbound shipments, but overall production will remain unaffected," the official said. Export-dependent countries will bear the brunt of these tariffs if they come into effect. (But) India, with its strong domestic consumption, will likely remain a bright spot," said Viram Shah, founder and chief executive of Vested Finance. However, these tariffs increase the risk of a global recession if fully implemented." The world is going through major economic shifts, and the diamond industry is no exception," said Vipul Shah, past chairman of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. In any case, we will work togetheralongside other organizations and companiesto minimize the impact on the global diamond industry." Also read | Are Trumps tariff rates made up? Heres how they have been calculated A trade surplus Indias merchandise exports to the US have grown in recent years. Indian exports to the US increased to $78.3 billion in 2022-23 from $75.6 billion in the year prior. Although FY24 saw the exports drop slightly to $77.5 billion, primarily due to supply chain disruptions, the long-term trend remains positive. In FY24, bilateral trade between India and the US stood at a record $118.2 billion as against $128.8 billion in FY22. In FY24, India had a trade surplus of $36.8 billion with the USwith Indian exports to the US at $77.5 billion and American exports to India at $40.7 billion. The US is also the third-largest investor in India with cumulative foreign direct investment inflows of $65.2 billion from April 2000 to March 2024. Also read | Will lower tariffs lure back FPIs from other emerging markets? New Delhi: Women in India are steadily gaining ground across education, finance, enterprise and political participation, the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) said in a report published on Sunday. The 26th edition of MoSPIs Women and Men in India 2024 report noted that the Gender Parity Index (GPI) for enrolments at the primary and higher secondary was higher in FY24 than in FY23 and FY22, meaning more girls are being enrolled now. Also Read | Why ACL injuries are more common in women: The hidden hormonal factor At upper primary and elementary levels the enrolment numbers were more or less the same for boys and girls. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for women aged 15 and above improved significantly, rising from 49.8% in 2017-18 to 60.1% in 2023-2, the report said. In the financial sector, women own 39.2% of all bank accounts and contribute to 39.7% of total deposits, with their presence most prominent in rural areas, where they account for 42.2% of account holders. Female participation in the capital market is also growing, but overall numbers are small. Between March 2021 and November 2024, the number of DEMAT accounts surged from 33.26 million to 143.02 million. Of these. the number of women account holders rose from 6.67 million in 2021 to 27.71 million in 2024. Also Read | Abandon prejudices for women's participation in workforce to rise The MoSPI report indicated a rise in female-headed proprietary establishments across manufacturing, trade, and services over the past three years (2021-22 to 2023-24), reflecting growing economic independence. Political participation among women has strengthened as well, according to MoSPI. The number of male and female voters grew from 173.2 million in 1952 to 978 million in 2024, with an increasing share of females. In the 2024 general elections, female voter turnout (65.8%) surpassed male turnout, even as it dipped slightly from 67.2% in 2019. Female entrepreneurship is also on the rise. Jaya Bachchan was among the many Bollywood celebrities who attended Manoj Kumar's prayer meeting in Mumbai. A video from the event has surfaced online, featuring Jaya Bachchan's interaction with a woman. Jaya who is known for her less-than-friendly interactions with the paparazzi, was seen taken aback by the woman who approached her for a photo at the meet. Jaya Bachchan at Manoj Kumar's prayer meet In the video, a woman is seen startling Jaya with a pat on the back. As the veteran actor turns around, the woman extends her hand for a handshake. Jaya pulls her hand away, seemingly displeased. She also appears to decline clicking a photo with the woman, as a man nearby attempts to capture the moment on his phone. Toward the end, both the woman and the man fold their hands, most likely as a gesture of apology. The video from the event venue has made its way to social media. Internet reacts to Jaya Bachchan's video Reacting to the incident, many Reddit users supported Jaya and her reaction. One user posted the video and wrote in the caption: JayaBachchan got angry at a woman trying to meet her at Manoj Kumar's prayer meet. Reacting to it, someone commented, People trying to click pics in prayer meet should be kicked out. This time, Jaya is right. Who the hell ask for a photo in funeral people have lost their mind (sic), added another. Someone also said, How dumb is that woman! I can empathise with Jaya here. Meanwhile, commenting on the incident, someone on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, I blame that lady. She doesn't even know her how arrogant is that? The reaction wasn't unexpected. Really felt sad for the aunty asking for a photo from Mrs. Jaya Bachchan and had to say sorry at the end. Disgusting behaviour, one more slammed the MP for her behaviour. Shameful behaviour, commented yet another. Celebs at Manoj Kumar's prayer meet Besides Jaya, Manoj Kumar's prayer meet also saw attendance from Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Honey Irani, Anu Malik, Esha Deol, Prem Chopra, Aruna Irani, Rakesh Roshan, Pinkie Roshan and more. The prayer meet was organised by the late actor-filmmaker's family in his memory. New Delhi: India's premium whisky, including single malts, headed to the US may not be hit even as the liquor sector may feel the heat of the additional 26% reciprocal tariffs introduced by the US. An increase in tariffs does have an impact, but whether it will be significant or just a knee-jerk reaction will become clear only after the release of the detailed schedule in the next few days," said Vinod Giri, director general, Brewers Association of India (BAI). However, Giri said, the additional duties may not impact premium spirits such as single malts and other high-end categories as these products have a greater capacity to absorb tariff-related costs. The steep rise in duties could threaten the sectors overall momentum, particularly in the case of ethyl alcohol, said trade experts. The existing duty on the category was 3.3%. Indias presence in the global spirits landscape remains modest but the country has made notable gains in recent years, with rising consumer recognition of Indian single malt brands. Indias exports of alcohol and related spirits to the US rose from $7.09 million in FY23 to $10.5 million in FY24, registering a growth of 48%, according to commerce ministry data. India sold around 675,000 cases of single malt whisky in 2023, growing 16% over 2022, according to the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies. Domestic brands accounted for over half of this total. Of the 220,000 cases of single malts produced by Indian companies, about 100,000 cases were exported. Also read | Here are the sectoral winners and losers from Trump's reciprocal tariffs Resilient enough to absorb the heat The US alcoholic beverages market was valued at $543.13 billion in 2024, with projections indicating it could grow to $806.44 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.99% over the forecast period, according to GlobeNewswire. This makes the American market a key target for Indian exporters over the long term, despite current headwinds. While the volume remains modest, the new duty structure could discourage further growth, particularly for small and medium-sized distillers, experts said. However, large players in the premium segment seem unfazed. High-end Indian spirits, which have carved out a niche in mature markets such as the UK and Singapore, are not likely to feel the pinch. "Reciprocal taxes have shaken the whole worldits a knee-jerk reaction and capital markets are affected. However, when it comes to Radico Khaitans premium brands, which are seen as a lifestyle statement and chosen by those who prefer the finest, even a 30% hike is unlikely to have a serious impact," said Amar Sinha, chief operating officer at Radico Khaitan. If costs rise marginally, the segment is resilient enough to absorb the increase. We are not overly perturbed by these changes and will adjust ourselves accordingly." Sinha said this is a stage where companies are still trying to understand the ramifications of Trumps reciprocal tariff move. "It's (reciprocal tariff) a substantial increase but since Indian single malt sales in the US are relatively low, it will have minimal impact," said Paul P. John, chairman, John Distilleries Ltd. Also, tariffs have been increased for most countries producing single malts so overall selling price in the US will increase and I expect things to settle down in a few months." Also read | Amrut Distilleries introduces single-jaggery rum, expanding portfolio as Indias taste for premium spirits grows Awaiting clarity The overall scale of Indias alcoholic beverage exports remains limited in the US market, though there is an uptick in exploratory efforts. India exported alcoholic beverages worth around $270 million in 202324, but only a small portion was destined for the US. Within that, direct-to-consumer exports of single malt or blended whisky form an even smaller share, with most volumes currently going to markets like the UAE, Singapore, the Netherlands, and several African countries," said Nita Kapoor, co-founder of Delhi-based alcobev advisory Integrated Insights Consultancy. While still small, Indian single malts and blended whiskies are beginning to carve a niche in new markets, including the US, the UK, and the EU. The additional 26% tariff imposed by the US may slow this momentum, but since price hikes will affect global players across the board, Indian brands are likely to remain competitive," she said. Industry bodies, however, are concerned that prolonged tariff escalations could disrupt trade flows and affect long-term market access. At this point, there is no specific clarity on spirits. However, we believe reciprocal tariffs will have their ramifications and will create challenges and pain for both sides," said Sanjit Padhi, CEO of the International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI). Both governments should engage in bilateral talks and work collectively to create a level playing field to achieve equitable outcomes." India is the worlds third-largest consumer of alcohol, with spirits making up 65% of the market. The tariffs come when the domestic industry prepares to scale up exports with support from agencies such as the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the commerce ministry. While we await further clarity on the US tariff on spirituous beverages, we believe that India and the US should continue to engage in bilateral trade discussions to achieve a mutually beneficial and equitable outcome across all sectors," said Anant S. Iyer, director general, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC). Also read | Beer brewers, after two tepid years, raise a toast to a longer, meaner summer At MOAI in Hyderabads financial district, Gachibowli, a deep, white plate holds a grilled spatchcock chicken cured in shio koji (a Japanese condiment), and served on a bed of flowing tahini dotted with barberries. The idea of the restaurant, which opened on 28 March, is to offer an elevated dining experience, where the ingredient is the hero. For me, there has to be one prominent flavour and if necessary, two more things underlying it," explains consultant chef Mohib Farooqui, who has designed the signature menu with 28 items. A succession of dishes bear testimony to this approach. The focaccia with a black garlic glaze comes with a generous blob of whipped ricotta, chewy tomatoes, olive crumble and fresh basil. The chargrilled chickenBuffalo wings stuffed with prawn mousseis served with a toasted rice dipping sauce. The khichdi khatta and kheema 2.0 is served like an arancini with a tamarind gel. Specialising in French, Mediterranean and modern European cuisines, Farooqui, 42, is a consultant chef and the founder of Accentuate Food Lab, a tasting menus only restaurant, in Aurangabad. He wears multiple hats as a consultant, business owner and was a culinary trainer. As a culinary trainer, he has taught at Taj Group, Le Cordon Bleu Gurugram and was the Associate Director of Culinary at the Indian School of Hospitality. As a consultant, he has contributed to menu development at the Michelin-starred Inddee in Bangkok and Primitive in Jaipur. The signature menu at MOAI is his latest offering. Also read: How to add fizz to tender coconut water Farooqui was born and brought up in Saudi Arabia and moved to India in 1995 when he was 13. He says that from the age of six, he could cook different egg preparations like the Lebanese awarma, with preserved lamb and its fat. Or a scramble to go with the ful mudammas (an Egyptian fava beans stew) that the family would order. I was comfortable in the kitchen because my mother and elder sister had a love for cooking, and both had confidence in my abilities," Farooqui says. As a child, he dreamt of being a shawarma cook. In Jeddah, he recalls visiting a vegetable market near his home with his mother in the evenings. As soon as the Lebanese cook at the shawarma stall there saw me, he would begin preparing one and have it ready by the time my mother was done and we reached him. If the world comes to an end, I will be at peace with one good chicken shawarma and an opera gateau." View Full Image Black Garlic Glazed Foccacia Bread. (Photo by Assad Dadan; Styled by Ishita Patel) Farooquis family has roots in Hyderabad, however, on their return to India, they settled in Aurangabad to be closer to relatives and for the quieter, small city life. Farooqui wanted to study to be an architect but didnt have the aptitude for it. Instead, he cracked the entrance exam at the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad. Graduating in 2004, he worked at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai for a year, following which he enrolled for a two-year culinary programme at Le Cordon Bleu Sydney in 2005. While studying, he worked at La Grande Bouffe with celebrity TV Chef Colin Fassnidge. After graduating, Farooqui continued in Australia working with other fine dining establishments, notably Chez Rene:It was a suburban, classical French restaurant with a Swiss-German Chef Izzy who trained me in old school approaches, giving me a strong grounding," Farooqui says, adding he also worked at the 3-hatted (the Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat Awards) Brisbane restaurant Urbane. He then moved back to Aurangabad in 2010 to look after his mother. That's when the Taj Group approached me to become a trainer, which I did for the next five years, with them and others. I was happy, but felt the void of not meeting real-time guests," he shares. In 2014, I bought Relae: A Book of Ideas (by Christian F. Puglisi, the chef behind Rel), and became a fan of this Copenhagen restaurant. I then wrote to several restaurants in Denmark for an internship... I got a yes from everybody, but Relae was my first choice for its minimalist, technique-driven approach," he says, adding he was the only intern as old as the head chef. Farooqui completed his three-month internship at Relae in 2020. Covid hit and while stuck in Aurangabad, he contemplated opening something of his own. I enjoy doing a la carte menus with small portions infused with a strong storytelling component. Aurangabad is a two-tier industrial city with globe-trotting business folk; I was aware my market share would be tight. I wanted to do more than seven courses and a tasting menu was the way to go," he explains. He started Accentuate Food Lab in 2020, but it largely remained shut because of lockdowns, and reopened again in January 2021. It is an eight-seater initimate place, with nine and 13-course menus. At Accentuate, Farooqui's current menu is impressions of Indian food reimagined. Menu descriptions are minimal and the storytelling happens at the table. For example, the fish of the day is mentioned alongside the Mexican Guero pepper. The story goes that as a child Farooqui never liked mirchi ka salan paired with biryani. I preferred it chilled on a slice of white bread or with plain steamed rice. At Accentuate, the Guero is charred and stuffed with a salan made of the same pepper and dipped in a squid ink gel and served with fish cooked on coal," he explains. He is now keen on showcasing food cooked on charcoal and wood. Besides the fried chicken, the gajar halwa 2.0 at MOAI has grated carrots smoked on fire before they are used in the dessert. In the future, he hopes to open a restaurant with a salad bar that serves faham (coal-grilled Arabic-style chicken) with flatbread. I also wish to showcase my mothers Hyderabadi cuisine in a modern way and dive deeper into the food I grew up on." Ruth Dsouza Prabhu is a features journalist based in Bengaluru. Ban can ang nhap e thuc hien chuc nang nay! Writer, translator and cultural critic Shanta Gokhale, 85, has often returned to the complexities of gender, power and resistance in her writing in Marathi and English, portraying the tensions and nuances of women navigating patriarchal structures while seeking autonomy and agency. Gokhale says women have a long way to go yet" because all women still dont have basic human rights. We have the rights we have because militant women before us, aided by progressive men, have fought for them," she says. Gokhale, who recently received a lifetime achievement award at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) Festival 2025, talks to Lounge about the complexity of womens rage and the ways in which different generations navigate change and structural inequality. In your novels like Rita Welinkar (1995) youve portrayed women navigating complex emotions, including anger. How do you see the portrayal of womens rage evolving in literature over your career? For centuries, women accepted their secondary status in society as divinely ordained. If they raged against their lot, we have no way of knowing because they had been kept illiterate. They could not write what they felt. But our oral tradition carried some stories forward. Saint Tukarams second wife Jijai raged just as Socrates wife Xanthippe had raged. Both their husbands had neglected the household and failed to provide for their children. Both women were labelled harridans. Their rage was unjustifiable because their husbands were great men. When reformism came to India with the colonial presence, women were allowed to be educated. With education came pen and voice to tell the world how they felt. In Maharashtra, Tarabai Shinde, a feminist activist, published a pamphlet in 1882, Streepurush Tulana (Women and Men Compared), a well-constructed, strongly expressed, angry critique of caste and patriarchy, which she held to be responsible for depriving women of their rightful place in society. Rabindranath Tagores Streer Patra (1914) revolves around a beautiful young woman named Mrinal, married into an aristocratic joint family, who comes to understand through experiences in her marital home, how patriarchy works against women. She is powerless to act on her inner rage till she gets a chance to go on a pilgrimage. She uses this temporary separation from the family to think and writes the eponymous streer patra (a womans letter) to her husband declaring her intention not to return. The protagonist of my novel Rita Welinkar also learns through the experience of being exploited by her parents, and having her married lover refuse to honour her love, that even an economically independent woman like her is a victim of patriarchy. In none of these instances is the womans rage overtly expressed. It is channelled instead into constructive action. Their rage is not an emotional outburst that might at best offer momentary catharsis. It is based on an experiential understanding of the social structures that keep women bound. If not channelled towards social good, but permitted to be expressed in the rush of the moment, anger is dangerous and often leads to acts of injustice and disruption of the social fabric. In your non-fiction too, your interest has stayed on strong female characters. I refer to Playwright at the Centre: Marathi Drama from 1843 to the Present. How do you see the role of the stage in providing a safe space for expression for women? In our culture, the stage is not a safe place to push borders because theatre is a community art. Maharashtra is one of two states in India, the other being Bengal, where theatre is a well-established industry. All its stakeholders live off public patronage. To offend public sentiment is to commit suicide. Rage has therefore always been expressed by secondary women characters, never by the heroines. The earliest example of deflected rage is Ram Ganesh Gadkaris play Ekach Pyala (One Last Drink) about a promising lawyer who nearly destroys his family when he turns gradually into an alcoholic. Womens anger against drunk husbands who ruin families is expressed in the play by a lower caste woman, also married to a drunk, who rails against such husbands and advises the chaste brahmin wife of the lawyer not to worship him as her god, for he is nothing of the kind. Pop culture today seems to embrace female expression. Do you think this mirrors real change in the way Indian women express themselves? I dont have the right to answer this question since I have assiduously avoided social media and am not conversant with pop culture. As regards films, the finest expression of a womans rage I have seen on screen is in the 1937 Prabhat film Kunku, when the heroine, played by Shanta Apte, beats up her husbands nephew for trying to molest her. The film as a whole is an expression of rage against the practice of young women being married off to men old enough to be their fathers. The film was a hit both in the Marathi original and its Hindi version. However, 40 years on, in 1972, there were calls for banning Vijay Tendulkars Sakharam Binder because, among other things, the play showed a woman beating her husband with a slipper because he will not leave her alone even after she has left him for sexually abusing her within marriage. Typically, she comes from a class which was expected" to be uncultured". In the end, she is the one who is killed, and the chaste" woman lives. If we thought that womens rage would have gained greater legitimacy between Kunku and Sakharam Binder, we were proved wrong. Even today, womens rage is allowed to be expressed publicly and admired when the outburst is on behalf of the dominant political or religious ideologies authored by men in power. How has your own relationship with anger evolved over time and how has that influenced your writing about womens lives? I have always thought uncontrolled anger to be dangerous. Personally, I would rather live in peace and harmony with the world. What enrages me is to see truth blatantly distorted and injustice blatantly meted out. I find plays a more effective medium than fiction to express this rage. I wrote a play called Avinash in the mid-1980s about the turbulence caused in a family by a problem" son. I was not an angry woman. Thirty years down the line, I became one when I heard of the killings of innocents in Manipur. That gave birth to my play on Irom Sharmila. Soon after, the turn that politics had taken in India, prompted me to write a four-act tragedy Maili Chadar and four monologues on truth and justice. If I had been an activist, I would have marched. But I am a writer so I write. Just as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) begin talks of a possible alliance before the Tamil Nadu elections, a party leader has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making tall claims on Central welfare schemes on concrete houses and the piped water connections in the state. While AIADMK IT wing head Kovai Sathyan attacked PM Modi, he also targeted the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in the state alleging that crores of money has been swindling all the funds meant for welfare of Tamil Nadu citizens as all the beneficiaries have been fake. We welcome anyone who brings in welfare measures and benefits for the state as well as for the people, but what is surprising is the tall claims made by Prime Minister on the concrete houses and the piped water connections, Kovai Sathyan said, adding, Since DMK came to power, all the beneficiaries have been fake. All the central government-sponsored schemes; beneficiaries are not the real ones... Money worth crores and crores have been swindled... I'm not sure why the BJP is turning a blind eye towards it. The AIADMK leader also took to his social media handle on X where he said, The beneficiaries of central govt sponsored schemes like concrete houses, piped water connection are not the real ones since #DMK came to power 2021. Fake beneficiaries are named and crores were swindled. There is no point in #Modi taking credit for the same. @BJP4TamilNadu. Kovai Sathyan also urged PM Narendra Modi to address the long-standing Tamil Nadu fishermen issue during his ongoing visit to Sri Lanka, calling for a resolution that satisfies both nations. Speaking to ANI, Sathyan said that the Sri Lankan government has no moral authority to confiscate fishermen's assets and auction them. On her college farewell, a 20-year-old girl collapsed and died mid-speech in Maharashtra. The girl student, Varsha Kharat, was a final-year BSc student at RG Shinde College in Dharashiv district. She was delivering her farewell speech when she paused and collapsed on the floor. The video of the incident that reportedly occurred on April 5 is going viral on social media. In the viral clip, Varsha could be seen wearing a saree and delivering her farewell speech, standing before the podium. Varsha was sharing a light moment with her audience when she took a moment and collapsed. Also Read | MP groom suffers heart attack on horse during wedding procession, dies Watch the viral video here: Students ran towards the stage and rushed her to a nearby government hospital where Varsha was declared 'brought dead', according to media reports. Also Read | Viral Video: MP girl dies of heart attack while dancing at marriage function College authorities told TOI that Varsha was a bright student with big aspirations for her life and her family. She came from a humble backgroundher parents work on farms, and she had both an older sister and a younger brother. Varsha Kharat had a medical history According to a Times of India report, Varsha had a history of heart-related issues. Quoting her uncle Dhanaji Kharat, the report said, Varsha had undergone a bypass surgery years ago. She was on medication after the heart surgery. On Friday, she skipped her daily dose of pills in a rush to get to the college," her uncle told TOI. Cardiologists advise regular health check-ups In light of the frequently occurring cardiac arrest incidents in India, a senior cardiologist, Dr Pankaj Agarwal, told news agency PTI that in viral videos, the victim likely suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. Also Read | NCP (SP) leader Mahesh Kothe dies of heart attack after holy dip in Prayagraj "In such cases, the heart abruptly stops functioning, often due to undiagnosed coronary artery blockages," he explained. Many individuals mistake early symptoms for gas or muscle pain, and if they engage in strenuous activity like dancing, it can trigger a cardiac arrest. Senior farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who had been on indefinite hunger strike since 26 November 2024 seeking legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops, ended his strike on Sunday after 131 days, reported India Today. Dallewal announced his decision to call off the hunger strike at a farmers gathering during a Kisan Mahapanchayat held in Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib district. Also Read | Haryana Agri Minister Rana gives directions to officials to expedite plans to boost farmers income Addressing the assembly, Dallewal said, as India Today quoted, "You all have asked me to end the fast unto death. I am indebted to you for taking care of the agitation. I respect your sentiments. I accept your order. Speaking to media, Dallewal said, ...Several farmers and leaders of the morcha requested me to end the indefinite hunger strike... Today, agreeing to them, I have ended my indefinite hunger strike...The protest has not been taken back, it is still on... Govt urges Dallewal to end strike: His announcement followed appeals from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, who on Saturday urged Dallewal to end his fast. Chouhan wrote on X, The ongoing dialogue between the representatives of the Government of India and the representatives of farmers organisations regarding their demands is continuing. Farmer leader Shri Jagjit Singh Dallewal has now returned from hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery. We also request him to end his hunger strike and we will meet with the representatives of the farmers organisations for talks at 11 am on May 4 as per the already decided date. Also Read | Punjab: AAP faces heat over police action against protesting farmers Bittu also appealed to Dallewal, saying, Your health is more important, and your life is precious for the people of Punjab, as your leadership will always be needed for the struggle of farmers and farm labourers. About Jagjit Singh Dallewal: Jagjit Singh Dallewal is a senior farmer leader who represents a joint forum of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). He began his fast to press the central government to accept key demands, including the MSP law and other issues raised by protesting farmers. Also Read | Sugarcane Development Council trains 9 lakh UP farmers on latest techniques via Facebook live Despite the centre opened dialogue with farmer leaders in January and Dallewal started receiving medical care at the Khanauri protest site, he chose not to end his fast at that time. Later the government has said it will meet farmer representatives again on 4 May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted the nation on Ram Navami, wishing that the blessings of Prabhu Shri Ram always be with us. Ram Navami greetings to everyone! May the blessings of Prabhu Shri Ram always remain upon us and guide us in all our endeavours. Looking forward to being in Rameswaram later today!, said PM Modi in a post on X. May the blessings of Prabhu Shri Ram always remain upon us and guide us in all our endeavours. PM Modi will visit Ramanathswamy Temple in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of Ram Navami. On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the new Pamban Sea Bridge, which will establish a rail link between the mainland and Rameswaram Island. This new infrastructure is expected to enhance connectivity to the spiritual site, attracting devotees from across India and beyond throughout the year. The new Pamban Bridge will replace the old 1914-built bridge, which was closed in 2022 due to corrosion problems. The bridge spans over 2.5 km and was built by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at a cost of 535 crore. During the inauguration, the PM will remotely operate the bridge's vertical lift mechanism and officially launch the inaugural Rameswaram-Tambaram Express along with a Coast Guard ship, marking the debut of the New Pamban Bridge and its unique vertical lift span, the first of its kind in India. Following this, he will visit the world famous Rameswaram temple to offer prayers. Later, he will address a public gathering, officially dedicating the Pamban Bridge and host of National Highway Projects to the nation. The official events coincides with the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami today. Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad On the occasion of Ram Navami, 'Surya Tilak illuminated Ram Lallas forehead at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. 'Surya Tilak' took place at 12 noon when a beam of sunlight was precisely directed onto the forehead of the idol of Ram Lalla, making a celestial tilak. Numerous special rituals, comprising Shringar, Abhishek, Aarti, and Chappan Bhog were performed at the temple. President Droupadi Murmu shared the greetings of Ram Navami on Sunday and stated the significance of the occasion, highlighting that the festival shares the message of righteousness, justice, and duty-consciousness. She added that Lord Rama showcased the highest ideals of sacrifice, harmony, commitment, and valour for humankind. Security arrangements on Ram Navami in Ayodhya Authorities had increased security across different zones, with drone surveillance and zonal arrangements to oversee the large influx of pilgrims in Ayodhya. A large number of devotees are arriving on the occasion of Ram Navami. We have divided the areas into different zones. Drones are being used for crowd management and security purposes, ANI quoted (SSP) Rajkaran Nayyar, Senior Superintendent of Police, as saying. Also Read | Amitabh Bachchan to narrate Ram Katha on Ram Navami during Ayodhya event According to a HT report, the Ayodhya administration put traffic diversions into effect from April 4 till 12 am on April 7 to avoid entry of heavy vehicles, trucks, tractors, pickup trucks among other vehicles from travelling towards Ayodhya district. The Ayodhya Mela area has been structured into zones and sectors. Zonal magistrates, sector magistrates and gazetted officers of police have also been present there. Arrangements for 108 ambulances have also been made at nearly seven places, so that they can be availed in case of an emergency. The Ayodhya Municipal Corporation has placed a team of sanitation workers and regular cleaning in the morning, afternoon and evening. The UP government planned to lit more over two lakh diyas in Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram. Surya Tilak, as the key focus, led the Suns rays illuminating deitys forehead at 12 noon, marking Ram Lalla's birth, a PTI report had said. Divisional commissioner Gaurav Dayal had stated all preparations were finished for Ram Navami. Navami timings The Navami Tithi began on April 5 at 7:26 pm and ends on April 6 at 7:22 pm. Its Brahma Muhurat timing was from 4:34 am to 5:20 am, Pratah Sandhya from 4:57 am to 6:05 am and Abhijit Muhurat from 11:58 am to 12:49 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a sharp but veiled swipe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the ongoing Hindi imposition debate over the New Education Policy (NEP). Addressing a public gathering in Rameswaram after the launch of the India's first vertical lift sea bridge, the 'Pamban Bridge', PM Modi remarked that while MK Stalin and other Tamil Nadu leaders often champions the Tamil language and alleged Hindi imposition in political discourse, none of the letters he receives from Tamil leaders are actually signed in Tamil. Without naming anyone, PM Narendra Modi said he gets letters from leaders of Tamil Nadu and they do not sign in Tamil. The Government is constantly working to ensure that the Tamil language and Tamil heritage reach every corner of the world. Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu, none of them are signed in Tamil. If we are proud of Tamil, then I would request everyone to at least sign their name in Tamil, PM Modi said without naming any Tamil Nadu leader in his address. The prime minister said efforts were on to take Tamil language, heritage to all corners of the world. PM Modi's comments come as the Central and the Tamil Nadu governments are engaged in a war of words over alleged imposition of Hindi through the three-language policy in NEP. While the Centre has dismissed all imposition allegations, the Tamil Nadu leaders and other Opposition parties have continued to resist implementation of the education policy. Further, he batted for teaching medicine in Tamil medium in the state so that students from poor families are benefitted. PM Modi, referring to beneficiaries from the state in respect of several initiatives said despite increased allocation to Tamil Nadu, some cry over funds. In Sunday's tweet, Harsh Goenka mocked India for having a sabko pick karna hai car while the world forayed into driverless and flying cars. This came a day after the RPG Enterprises chairman backed Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in his criticism of the Indian startup ecosystem. In his tweet, Goenka shared a clip of a car overflowing with passengers as people clung to the door and sat on the vehicle's roof and bonnet, too. Harsh Goenka compared this loaded car to driverless Teslas in the US and China's attempt to fly cars and mocked it, saying that it was so full because the wedding card said with family. His tweet read: China: Building flying cars USA: Launching driverless Teslas India: Bhai, sabko pick karna hai shaadi mein with family likha tha! Also Read | Harsh Goenka shares inspiring tale of ex-IAF officer reuniting with daughter Check out Harsh Goenka's post here: Also Read | Harsh Goenka shares 12 simple tips for workplace kindness, check list here Here's how netizens reacted to Harsh Goenka's post: While some netizens laughed off Goenka's tweet with a simple India is not for beginners, others slammed him for comparing the Indian scenario with the US and China, considering the facilities available in those countries. Kudos to the driver, a user said Another user said, If any product is successful in India, then it will be anywhere in the world. " Force Motors should use this video for their advertisement.... Tyre must be CEAT, quipped another. CEAT is an RPG company. India is different. Should India fall in line with machines? asked a user. A user slammed, saying, Sir , With due respect. When Indian govt provides all the facilities like USA China does. We too will behave like that. So stop insulting your own people! Another user tagged Piyush Goyal and said, Sir, transportation itself is such a huge issue in India that we need 10000 startups in this sector. It's usual Indian mentality' to use briefcase as suitcase, scooty as scooter, scooter as car, car as truck, truck as train and Modi as Trump, a user quipped. Now thats how we do vehicle stress test realtime. Who needs laboratories, added another user. They were being directional Yesterday, Harsh Goenka also backed NR Narayana Murthy and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan's controversial 70-90 hour workweek concept while he agreed with Piyush Goyal's criticism of Indian startups. He said the business leaders were taking a directional approach rather than a literal one while he slammed the 10-minute delivery ecosystem in India. Popular travel vlogger Lexie Alford recently shared a troubling experience she had while leaving Nigeria. Posting on Instagram, Alford said an immigration officer made an unsettling remark, If it were up to me, I wouldnt let you leave my country. Id chain you up in my basement. The incident occurred in broad daylight, surrounded by other officers. Alford was alone while holding her passport. Also Read | Soni Razdan shares adorable throwback travel pics with little Alia; check it out I was too shocked to even respond. Its one of the creepiest things anyone has ever said to me and made worse by the fact that it came from someone in a position of power, she wrote. Despite the incident, Alford emphasised that her intention was not to discourage women from travelling. Instead, she urged others to stay aware, trust their instincts and continue exploring the world. I share this not to discourage women from travelling, but to be real about the uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe situations that can happen anywhere. Stay aware, trust your gut, and keep going. The world is still worth exploring, she wrote. Social media users commented on her post. Thats such an uncomfortable comment, wrote one user while another commented, I always wonder if men would say that shit in front of their mother. Another user wrote, Can you report it? I know that may not do anything but its worth having a record. Nigerian airport officers also gave me a hard time when leaving. Harassing and pretend they wouldnt let me leave the country because my yellow fever vaccine was about to expire in a few months, came from another. Another user wrote, That is really messed up! Nobody, under any circumstances including immigration officers, should be saying this to anyone. I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you! Who is Lexie Alford? The 26-year-old travel vlogger from California holds the Guinness World Record for visiting all 195 countries by the age of 21. In 2024, she became the first person to travel the world in an electric car. She covered 30,000 km across six continents in 200 days. She embraced cultural diversity and overcame challenges in even the most unpredictable destinations. A horrifying attack by a man with a meat cleaver in Brooklyn on Sunday morning left several people injured including three young girls before police shot the suspect, The New York Post reported. The chaos erupted around 10 a.m. on 84th Street in Bensonhurst, sending shockwaves through the neighborhood. The suspect, described as a man around 40 years old, slashed at least four people, including a woman and three girls aged between 8 and 16, before charging at responding NYPD officers and being shot multiple times, The Post reported citing sources. Eyewitnesses recount chaos I was watching through the window and the girl covered in blood came out, said a neighbor identified only as Maria by The Post. And then there was another girl. The two girls were just covered in blood. I was shaking. Im still shaking now. Maria said she had lived on the block for seven years and had only recently seen the victims move into the neighborhood. Police confrontation ends in gunfire When officers arrived on the scene following a 911 call, the suspect refused orders to drop his weapon. Instead, he allegedly lunged at the officers, prompting them to open fire, the news outlet reported. They brought out a guy on a stretcher, all bloody without a shirt, said neighbor Humbert Huerta. I dont know who it was, but they shot him twice. They took him out and put him in the ambulance. Probably 40 years old. Artist Sarah Boardman is defending herself after President Donald Trump blasted her official portrait of him, which was recently removed from the state Capitol. The painter behind the work, says the accusations are not only falsebut are now damaging her business. Trump: Purposefully distorted and truly the worst In a March 24 post on Truth Social, Trump took direct aim at the portrait: Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol... was purposefully distorted, he wrote. The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst, Trump added, claiming the artist must have lost her talent as she got older. Artist responds: "No purposeful distortion, political bias" In a statement released Saturday, Boardman denied any intention to distort Trumps image: I completed the portrait accurately, without purposeful distortion, political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied, she wrote. I fulfilled the task per my contract. She also emphasised that the Colorado Capitol advisory committee approved the reference photo, reviewed the work in progress, and signed off on the final product. Portrait removed after Trumps post The day after Trumps criticism, legislative leaders announced the portrait would be taken down. By the next morning, it was removed from the wall displaying past presidential portraits and placed in museum storage. Boardman: Criticism now hurting my business While Trump complained about the painting, Boardman wrote that she got overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback over the six years the portrait hung in the Capitoluntil Trump weighed in. President Trump is entitled to comment freely... but the additional allegations that I purposefully distorted the portrait... are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years, which now is in danger of not recovering, she said. Calls for a new portrait already underway Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, said the Trump portrait should be replaced with one that depicts his contemporary likeness. A new commissioning process has not yet begun. Boardman has also painted the official portraits of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama for the state Capitol. On Saturday, the US said it would revoke South Sudanese passport holders' visas over their failure to accept the return of its repatriated citizens amid fears in Africa that country could return to civil war. US Secretary of State Marco Rabio said South Sudan's transitional government should stop taking advantage of the United States. While taking the measures to increase immigration enforcement, comprising the repatriation of people considered to be in the US illegally, Trump administration admonished that countries that do not promptly take back their citizens will face consequences consisting of tariffs or visa sanctions. Its measures have been deploying thousands of active-duty troops and National Guardsmen to the US-Mexico border, conducting mass deportations of individuals with alleged gang affiliations. Its singling out of South Sudan follows numbers of Africans seeking to enter the US via its southern border, an alternative to risky routes into Europe. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on South Sudan South Sudan didn't comply the principle that every country must promptly accept the return of its citizens when requested by another nation, including the US, Marco Rabio, Secretary of State said, adding, ""Effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders. We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation." Meanwhile, African Union mediators reached South Sudan's capital Juba this week for discussions focussing on preventing a new civil war in the country after its first vice president Riek Machar was put under house arrest last week. South Sudan President Salva Kiir's government has blamed Machar, a longtime rival who headed rebel forces during a 2013-18 war that saw loss of lives hundreds of thousands, of seeking to stir up a new rebellion. Machar's detention comes after weeks of fighting in the northern Upper Nile state between the military and the White Army militia. Machar's forces were allied with the White Army during the civil war but refuse any current links. The 2013-18 war was set largely along ethnic lines, with fighters from the Dinka, the country's largest group, lining up behind Kiir, and those from the Nuer, the second-largest group, backing Machar. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday defended the inclusion of the remote Heard and McDonald Islands in President Donald Trumps sweeping new tariff plan, despite the islands having no human population or trade with the U.S. Trumps broad tariff sweep includes islands where only penguins live Last week, President Trump unveiled a sweeping tariff regime that includes a 10% baseline tariff on all countries and reciprocal duties aimed at reducing the US trade deficit with about 60 nations. But observers noticed that the White Houses public tariff list also included the Heard and McDonald Islandsa barren Australian territory in the southern Indian Ocean, best known for its penguin population and complete lack of inhabitants or exports. CBS grills Lutnick over Penguin tariffs During an interview with CBS News, Lutnick was asked point-blank why uninhabited islands with no trade activity are being targeted. Why are the Heard and McDonald Islands, which don't export to the United States and are quite literally inhabited by penguins, why do they face a 10% tariff? Did you use AI to generate this? asked the CBS anchor. Lutnick firmly denied the use of artificial intelligence in drafting the tariff list, responding: No. No, the idealook, the idea is that there are no countries left off. Leaving no loopholes for trade cheaters, says Lutnick Lutnick argued that leaving any territory off the list would open the door to trade manipulation by other countries, especially China. If you leave anything off the list, the countries that try to basically arbitrage America go through those countries to us, he said. He cited prior attempts by countries to circumvent US tariffs by rerouting exports through third countries. The President knows that, he's tired of it, and he's going to fix that, Lutnick added. CBS pressed the secretary on the plausibility of routing goods through desolate, icy islands in the sub-Antarctic. Through the Heard Islands? the anchor asked. But Lutnick held firm: These ridiculous loopholes. And now what he's trying to say is, I'm going to fix the trade deficit of the United States of America. It's a national security issue. Build America in America Lutnick ended with a broader message about self-reliance and economic patriotism. We need to make medicine. We need to make semiconductors. We need to make ships. We need to have steel and aluminum. Come on, we need the greatness of America to actually be built in America, he said. Hes tired of getting ripped off by the rest of the world. Also Read | Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro hits back at Elon Musk over tariff criticism Hundreds and thousands of protesters flooded the streets of American cities on Saturday, April 5, to demonstrate at the anti-Trump "Hands Off!" rally. These protests against Trump and his advisor Elon Musk unfolded in more than 1,200 locations spread across all 50 states across the country. Photos and videos showing swarms of protesters marching across the streets have stormed social media. This is said to be the "biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of the Republicans first weeks in office," the Associated Press reported. What are 'Hands Off!' anti-Trump protests about? Crowds marched and rallied in scores of American cities on April 5 as part of the 'Hands Off!' protest or anti-Trump protest. Several demonstrators brandished signs such as Hands off our democracy and Hands off our Social Security. They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security, said Archer Moran of Port St. Lucie, Florida. The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long, Moran said. And it's amazing how soon these protests are happening since hes taken office. These protesters are said to be angry about the way President Donald Trump is running the country. In Charlotte, North Carolina, protesters said they were supporting various causes, from Social Security and education to immigration and women's reproductive rights. Protesters voiced anger over the Trump administration's moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut funding for health programs, the AP reported. In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" waved a large flag with the message: "Get out of my uterus," a reference to Trump's anti-abortion policies. Also Read | Sean Penns Non-Profit Wins Withdrawal of Case at Trump NLRB Demonstrators dressed as characters from The Handmaid's Talegather on the National Mall for the nationwide Hands Off protest against US President Donald Trump and his advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Where are 'Hands Off' protests being held? Opponents of the Republican president's policies from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations. According to reports, protests were held in all the 50 states of the US. Also Read | Sean Penns Non-Profit Wins Withdrawal of Case at Trump NLRB Who organised Hands off protest? So-called 'Hands Off!' demonstrations were organised by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests. What did Trump say about the protests? While Trump has not reacted to the protests yet, the White House said in a statement that President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries." "Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors," the White House said. Waves of protest swept across the US on Saturday (April 6) as demonstrators gathered in over 1,200 citiesfrom New York to Alaskato rally against President Donald Trumps sweeping federal cutbacks and the growing influence of billionaire adviser Elon Musk. Under the banner Hands Off!, the marches brought together civil rights activists, labor unions, veterans, and families demanding the protection of Social Security, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ freedoms, and public healthcare. Here is a look at the scenes from coast to coast as thousands rallied under the banner Hands Off!, to defend rights, services, and democracy. A seemingly harmless mistake by Donald Trumps national security advisor Mike Waltz and his iPhone could have been the real reason why a journalist was added to a signal chat that disclosed US plans to strike Yemen. According to a report by The Guardian quoting three sources, Waltz mistakenly saved the number of The Atlantic Magazine editor Jeffrey Goldberg under someone else's name. The official had originally intended to add this person to the group chat named Houthi PC small group, the report revealed. An internal investigation by the White House highlighted this as one of the several missteps that went unnoticed until Waltz made the group in March. Donald Trump initially intended to fire Waltz, more due to the fact that he had Goldberg's number saved on his phone. Later, he decided against the move. I don't fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts, Trump said in an interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker. He also said that he had confidence in Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth, his Pentagon chief. Also Read | Pentagon to probe Signal Chat leak on Houthi attack iPhone real culprit? As per the sources quoted by The Guardian, the story unfolded when last October Goldberg decided to do an article on Donald trump, who was on his election campaign at the time. He had sent an email then-Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes, who the copy-pasted it as a text message to Waltz's phone. The message contained all contents of the email, including Jeffrey Goldberg's phone number. This is when the iPhone drama may have come in. In an extraordinary twist, Waltz that day may have inadvertently ended up saving Goldbergs number under Hughes name, thanks to a contact suggestion update, Guardian reported. As per one of the sources quoted by the media outlet, this update is a function where an iPhone algorithm adds an unknown number under the name of an existing contact if it detects that the both are related. Also Read | Jeffrey Goldberg mocks NSA Mike Waltzs excuse for Signal chat leak Signal chat leaks: The latest America's top national security officials last month discussed sensitive attack plans over the publicly available messaging app Signal and mistakenly added a journalist to the chain. The White House said the information shared through the publicly available Signal app with Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, was not classified. The Trump administration has since been embroiled in a controversy for adding the editor of The Atlantic magazine to a private thread describing an imminent bombing campaign in Yemen. Afterwards, The Atlantic published an article on the internal exchange, shocking the national security establishment and drawing widespread criticism. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House that the administration maintained confidence in National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who has faced criticism for apparently adding the journalist to the chat. Leavitt said that steps have been taken to prevent a repeat of the incident, saying that the case has been closed. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro accused Elon Musk of prioritising Teslas profits over national policy, following the tech billionaires criticism of the Trump administrations sweeping tariffs. Navarro downplayed any rift with Musk, but pointed out that the billionaires pushback on tariffs is self-serving, in an interview with Fox News. Elon when hes in his DOGE lane is great, but we understand whats going on here. Elon sells cars. Hes simply protecting his own interests, Navarro said. Navarro emphasised that although Teslas factories are located in the United States, including Texas, the companys supply chain is globally dependent. They get a lot of their content from China, Mexico, Japan and Taiwan and elsewhere, he added. Musk slams Navarros economic credentials The spat escalated after Musk posted sharp criticism on X, targeting Navarros academic background. A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains >>1 problem, Musk wrote in response to a user defending Navarros views. Musk urges zero tariffs with Europe Speaking via video at a conference hosted by Italys right-wing League party, Musk suggested that the US and Europe should work toward eliminating tariffs altogether. At the end of the day, I hope its agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone, he told League leader Matteo Salvini. If people wish to work in Europe or wish to work in North America, they should be allowed to do so in my view, Musk added. This has certainly been my advice to the president. DOGE role in question as Musks status nears end Musk remains an influential figure in the Trump administration through his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His appointment as a special government employee is set to expire at the end of next month. Also Read | Bernie Sanders blames Musk and Trump for US democracy crisis Backdrop: Trumps tariff blitz Trumps sweeping new tariffs, announced during last weeks Liberation Day event, mark the largest US trade restrictions. A baseline 10% tariff took effect Saturday, with country-specific tariffs set to roll out this Wednesday. Microsofts 50th anniversary celebrations in Washington on March 4 were disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters, including two employees (who have resigned now), who called out the tech giants alleged involvement in Israeli military operations. Shame on all of you Employee confronts Gates, Ballmer, and Nadella Indian-American software engineer Vaniya Agrawal confronted former and current Microsoft CEOs Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella during a panel. 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood, Agrawal shouted. She condemned Microsofts reported $133 million cloud and AI contract with Israels Ministry of Defense and accused the company of enabling genocide in Gaza. Resignation letter circulates internally Shortly after the protest, Agrawal sent a company-wide email announcing her resignation, effective April 11. In the email, accessed by The Verge, tech news website, she said, I cannot, in good conscience, be part of a company that participates in this violent injustice. She referenced reports that Microsoft Azure and AI technologies support Israels military operations and surveillance, adding that our labor powers this genocide. Calling Microsoft a digital weapons manufacturer, Agrawal accused the company of violating its own human rights commitments. Microsoft leadership must divest from Israel and stop selling lethal technology to power apartheid and genocide, she wrote. Employees final words: Free Palestine Agrawal closed her resignation letter with a call to action, encouraging colleagues to use their positions to challenge Microsofts policies: If you must continue to work at Microsoft, I urge you to use your position, power, and privilege to hold Microsoft accountable to its own values and mission. She ended her note simply: Farewell and Free Palestine. The first disruption came during a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who was discussing the company's AI assistant, Copilot. Ibtihal Aboussad, a Microsoft employee, stood up and accused Suleyman of being a "war profiteer." "Microsoft technologies are being used to commit acts of genocide," Aboussad declared, according to footage and eyewitnesses. Suleyman responded, Thank you for your protest, I hear you, before Aboussad was escorted out of the venue. he later claimed to have lost access to her work account following the protest, as per Reuters report. Microsoft does not comment on employees resignations Microsoft has not publicly responded to the employee resignations or the accusations raised during the anniversary event. While the company showcased its advancements in AI and productivity tools during the celebration, the protests forced a sharp shift in tone. Background: Escalating conflict and humanitarian crisis The latest phase of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began in October 2023 after a deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to over 250 hostages being taken. Israels military response has since killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health authorities. The Canadian Parliament went into lockdown on Saturday after a man barricaded himself inside, prompting authorities to urge the public to hide. The man gained unauthorized access to Parliament Hills East Block on Saturday afternoon and remained barricaded inside the building into the evening, Ottawa Police Ottawa Police and Parliamentary Protective Services arrived at the East Block of Parliament Hill on Wellington Street just before 3 p.m. However, alert was issued at 2.45 p.m asking people inside to seek shelter in the nearest room. Close and lock all doors and hide, as per a report by CTV News. Also Read | Canada Hindu temple vandalised; police launch manhunt to nab suspects Later, Ottawa Police posted on X, There is an ongoing police operation on Parliament Hill at the moment. Please avoid the area. There is no further information. Updates to follow. The situation is under control, but the lockdown will stay in place for now. Police are handling the incident as a "potential worst-case scenario" to keep the area safe. Police have cleared the area and evacuated everyone. Officers are on scene at Parliament Hill for a barricaded man in the area of East block. There is a large police presence in the area. East block has been evacuated. There are no known injuries and police continue to deal with an individual in this ongoing incident that began just before 3 p.m. Please avoid the area and follow the direction of officers. Road closures remain in place on Wellington St. from Bank Street to Sussex Drive, police said in the second post Stay Safe Ottawa Meanwhile, Canadian Senator Patrick Brazeau said on X, Stay Safe Ottawa along with a photo of the startling alert. Parliament is currently dissolved ahead of Canadas upcoming federal election. The East Block holds the offices of senators and their staff, according to a government web page. Parliament is currently dissolved because of the federal election. Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards marched across 40 cities on April 5 to protest soaring rents, unaffordable housing, and the lack of government action. Protesters say the housing market has become so distorted that even people with full-time jobs can't afford to rent or buy, especially in big cities like Madrid and Barcelona. How bad is the housing crunch? Average rents in Spain have nearly doubled in the past decadefrom 7.2 per square meter in 2014 to 13 in 2023. House prices have surged 44% in the same period, according to real estate website Idealista. Meanwhile, salaries have lagged far behind. For young people, its nearly impossible to live independently. Many end up sharing cramped apartments or staying with their parents well into adulthood. Whats fueling the crisis? Lack of public housing: Only 2% of Spains housing stock is public rental, compared to the OECD average of 7%. In contrast, countries like France (14%), the Netherlands (34%) and the UK (16%) have far more public housing options. Tourism boom: Spain welcomed a record 94 million tourists in 2024. Many landlords now prefer renting to tourists via platforms like Airbnb, where profits are higher than from long-term tenants. Foreign investment: Large investment firms and hedge funds have been buying up entire buildings, especially in major cities, and converting them into tourist rentals or short-term leases. Housing supply shortage: The country builds only about 120,000 new homes a yearfar less than the 500,000 homes the Bank of Spain says are needed. Construction levels are still well below pre-2008 levels. How are people affected? People like Mari Sanchez, a 26-year-old lawyer, say they spend up to 40% of their salary on rent just to share an apartment. Others, like 65-year-old Margarita Aizpuru, are being evicted as landlords shift toward more profitable tourist rentals. The squeeze is no longer limited to city centersits spreading everywhere. What has the government done? Spains centre-left government has introduced rent control mechanisms in select regions, like Barcelona, but experts say the measures havent made a significant difference. Activists and labor unions say more aggressive reforms are needed, such as: Demonstrators hold up signs during the nationwide "Hands Off" protest against US President Donald Trump and his advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, at the Colorado Capital in Denver, Colorado, on April 5, 2025. Protesters flooded the streets of several major US cities on Saturday to oppose the divisive policies of President Donald Trump, in the largest demonstrations since his return to the White, House. Opponents of the Republican president's policies -- from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties -- rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Los Angeles and Florida, among other locations. [Photo/Agencies] Xinhua) Protests erupted in dozens of cities across the United States on Saturday over the controversial policies unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration since January. Crowds of protesters took to the streets to oppose Trump over the economy, immigration and human rights. Organized by a coalition of more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions and veterans' associations, the coordinated move led to over 1,400 protests nationwide. Demonstrators gathered at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security Administration headquarters, city halls and public parks. The move under the banner of "Hands Off" featured a wide array of protest signs and slogans, such as "End Oligarchy," "Let Gaza Live," and "Save Social Security." "This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, (Elon) Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights -- enabled by Congress every step of the way," said a piece on handsoff2025.com, the official website of the campaign. Some elected officials joined the campaign as well. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she doesn't want her children and others to live in a world where threats and intimidation are the means of government and values such as diversity and peace are under attack. According to organizers, nearly 600,000 people have signed up for the "Hands off" movement. Since taking office, the Trump administration has faced heavy criticism for sweeping policy changes, including mass layoffs in federal agencies, deportation of immigrants, steep budget cuts and imposing tariffs on multiple countries. n a chilling escalation of rhetoric, Kayhan, a hardline Iranian newspaper widely seen as the mouthpiece of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, published a column on Saturday that openly advocated for the assassination of US President Donald Trump. "Hes way out of line! Any day now, in revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his and hell be drinking from the chalice of a cursed death, the column read in Persian, according to a report in Fox News. Kayhan attacks US policy The Kayhan article also launched a broader attack on Trumps legacy and US domestic stability: He makes threats and then backs down! The result? The situation in America gets worse by the day. Just yesterday, it was announced that his actions have caused $3 trillion in damage to the US economy, the editorial claimed. The article marks a new low in tensions between the Islamic Republic and the US President, who ordered the 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Trump threatens action over nuclear program The Kayhan article came just days after Trump, speaking about Irans nuclear program, warned: If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing. He also floated the possibility of reintroducing secondary tariffs, saying, Theres a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago. Iran rejects direct talks amid rising tensions Meanwhile, Iran has pushed back against the idea of face-to-face talks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed direct negotiations as meaningless, citing Washingtons threats and inconsistent messaging. It makes no sense to talk directly with a country that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter, Araghchi said in a statement. We remain committed to diplomacy but will be decisive and serious in defending our national interests and sovereignty. President Pezeshkian: Equal footing needed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offered a more tempered tone on Saturday, expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue with the United Statesif treated as an equal. If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening? Pezeshkian asked. We are ready to talk, but only on equal footing. Saudi Arabia visa ban: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has imposed new travel restrictions, suspending the issuance of certain visas to people of 14 countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, as per reports. However, the suspension does not impact pilgrims from India who are travelling to Saudi Arabia strictly for Hajj and have secured Hajj visas. Pilgrims holding valid Hajj permits or intending to procure one will be allowed to enter Mecca and Medine and participate in the pilgrimage as planned. The suspension specifically targets other visa categories to prevent unauthorised individuals from performing Hajj without proper registration and avoid overcrowding The ban comes amid efforts to control overcrowding due to the Hajj pilgrimage. According to multiple media reports, the ban will be in force until mid-June, when the Hajj pilgrimage is set to conclude. The restriction is basically a temporary suspension on the issuance of Umrah, business, and family visit visas for citizens of 14 countries, including India. This measure is in effect until mid-June 2025, aligning with the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage. Which Saudi Arabia visas have been suspended? Under the new guidelines, Umrah visas, business visit visas and family visit visas have been suspended. Livemint cound not independntly verify these reports and there has been no official comment from the Saudi foreign ministry so far.. The Saudi Arabia visa ban comes as a disappointment to pilgrims from countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, from where thousands of people take the holy pilgrimage. Why did Saudi Arabia ban visas? The authorities at Saudi Arabia said that the move has been made to stop people from from trying to perform Hajj without proper registration. Officials have alleged that citizens from other nations have been visiting Saudi Arabia with Umrah visas or visit visas and overstaying illegally to perform Hajj at holy Mecca. Also Read | US revokes visas of Mexican band members after cartel leaders face was projected at a concert Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has ordered authorities to ensure stricter visa regulation enforcements so that the country can conduct a smooth and secure Hajj pilgrimage. When will Saudi Arabia visa ban start? Reportedly, individuals from foreign countries will be issued visit visas or Umrah visas till April 13 as part of the new initiative. After that, no new visa will be issued to anyone from the 14 countries in the list Full list of countries facing Saudi Arabia visa ban Reports have identified a list of 13 nations that will face Saudi Arabia visa ban. One other country has not been clearly identified. The 13 identified countries are: 1. India 2. Pakistan 3. Bangladesh 4. Egypt 5. Indonesia 6. Iraq 7. Nigeria 8. Jordan 9. Algeria 10. Sudan 11. Ethiopia 12. Tunisia 13. Yemen Also Read | US announces visa bans after warning Israel over West Bank violence Notably, the decision comes after the tragedy during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage, where over 1,000 people were killed in the event. Many of these pilgrims were unauthorised. Overcrowding and extreme heat acted as the catalyst behind the tragedy. Saudi Arabia now believes that a visa ban to restrict illegal visitors will facilitate a smooth Hajj pilgrimage, devoid of such tragedies. China played it wrong", according to US President Donald Trump , referring to Beijings retaliatory 34% tariff on American imports in response to his extra levy of that rate as a reciprocal" barrier to Chinese goods. This marks a flare-up in economic warfare between the worlds top power and its chief challenger. It also makes many economists wonder if Chinas response was knee-jerk. Its reply to earlier tariff hikes was nuanced; it seemed aimed at reducing Chinese demand for stuff coming from US red states. This time too, it couldve finessed its hit-back to pack a punch at US producers with minimal recoil impact on its own economy. Does China plan to substitute all its US imports? Maybe it expects to defend its bilateral trade surplus and thwart Trumps latest tariff, whose rate is based on that gap as a ratio of its exports to America. Yet, the US-China trade balance cannot really be kept steady. But is it a prelude to a currency-value battle? Under Trump 1.0s salvos, Beijing got a weaker yuan to shield its export interests. Under Trump 2.0, complexity arises from his multiplicity of targets. Action in the currency theatre of war could heat up. India must stay alert. In the India-US Joint Statement of 13 February 2025, both sides set a target of $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. During the visit of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to New Delhi (26-29 March 2025), the two sides agreed to discuss a mutually beneficial, multi-sector bilateral trade agreement (BTA), with the goal of finalizing its first tranche by the fall of 2025. This announcement came amid some perplexity among Indian policymakers and trade experts, who were busy trying to decipher exactly what US President Donald Trump meant by the reciprocal tariffs" he had promised to levy. Most experts felt that since India had high tariffs compared to the US, product-specific tariffs in areas of American export interest, along with some kind of tariff equivalent of non-tariff measures imposed by India, may constitute reciprocal tariffs. If that were so, the USTRs National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE 2025), would have helped identify US pain points, some of which could be addressed through a BTA. The 2 April tariff announcements by Trump confused everyone because reciprocal tariffs appeared to cover US trade imbalances with other countries rather than their tariff and non-tariff measures. Free trade agreement (FTA) partners of the US, like Vietnam and Japan, faced a high reciprocal tariff on account of their positive trade balance with the US. Vietnam faced a reciprocal tariff of 46%, despite its comprehensive agreement with the US, and Japan with a limited trade deal faced 24%. None of Americas FTA partners has been spared. So, trade agreements, irrespective of their scope and coverage, do not guarantee trade certainty with the US. Compared to many other Asian countries, India did much better, faced with a reciprocal tariff rate of 26%, without any trade agreement. Therefore, will a trade deal with the US really help? The reason that the US targeted its FTA partners with high reciprocal tariffs is its trade imbalance with them. The USTR has come up with a unique formula to calculate reciprocal tariffs, which is tilted towards trade deficits rather than barriers to American exports. In this situation, even if a developing country like India or Vietnam goes for zero-for-zero import duties for American goods in their FTAs, it may not be able to address its trade gap with the US. How much domestic demand can be generated in a developing country for American products like apples, corn, motorcycles, automobiles, flowers, coffee, raisins, walnuts and alcoholic beverages? On the contrary, if we get zero duty, we can export a lot more products to the US. So, as in the case of Vietnam, our trade surplus with the US could enlarge after a BTA. Would that make India a target for higher reciprocal tariffs in the future? So far, things have been in our favour. This is primarily because our policymakers have taken the right decisions. With Americas growing hostility with China, US companies need a large market, which we offer. But we cannot be relaxed or happy with the 26% tariff announced on 2 April as new sector-specific tariffs may unfold on 9 April. In any case, will a tariff that is lower than our Asian competitors give us a competitive edge in the US market? There are many scenarios and possibilities. Let us consider four. Scenario 1: If our price competitiveness vis-a-vis competing countries increases on account of lower tariffs, then we can export more to the US, but that could worsen the latters negative trade balance with us. So, while we may have a short-term gain, in the future, an enlarged trade deficit with the US may engender the risk of higher tariffs imposed on our exports, while our competitors may face lower tariffs as their exports might decline, leading to better balanced trade with the US. Scenario 2: If both India and the US reduce tariffs to zero, the latters negative trade balance may remain, or even grow. But if we reduce tariffs for products that are considered sensitive by New Delhi, like dairy items or cotton, there may be a domestic backlash. In such cases, different lobby groups are likely to behave differently. For example, if our import duties on cotton from the US are zero, farmers may be unhappy, but our textile industry may be happy. Scenario 3: Companies may start changing their sourcing hubs and making use of trans-shipment hubs. For example, they may export goods through the UAE or Singapore, which face lower tariffs, rather than directly to the US market. So, there could be changes in the way products are routed. Scenario 4: Some of our competing countries may bring down tariffs to zero for US exports, as Vietnam is reportedly considering, while others, like China and Canada, may impose reciprocal tariffs. Some countries may quietly and smartly subsidize their exports and others may play with exchange rates to absorb the high tariff impact. Also Read: Andy Mukherjee: Trumps tariffs should push India to double down on reforms All these scenarios may work together and there could be more scenarios that we have not thought about. Therefore, we should not be in a rush to sign a BTA, but wait and watch as the situation unfolds. This is the right time for India to implement domestic reforms, including lower tariffs, to attract investment and improve industry competitiveness, especially of our micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Tariff reductions should be done to support Make in India in general and not to support any specific industry. We should closely monitor what competing countries are doing and how supply chains are changing, even as we diversify and de-risk our own supply chains and continue to smartly engage with the US to ensure some stability and predictability in our bilateral trade in an uncertain situation. The author is a professor, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). China's visa-free policies boost inbound tourism Xinhua) 12:06, April 06, 2025 ZHENGZHOU, April 4 (Xinhua) -- For Giacomo, a young Italian traveler, his first trip to China was a long-anticipated adventure. After weeks of planning, he finally touched down in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, stepping off a flight from London with one goal in mind -- heading straight to the Shaolin Temple, a Kung fu shrine. Like thousands of other foreign visitors, he found his journey was made easier by China's expanding visa-free travel policies, which are transforming the way international travelers experience the country. "The number of travelers from countries like the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Japan has grown significantly. In recent weeks, we've been hosting two to six tour groups daily from these countries, with over 100 foreign tour groups welcomed this year," said Zhang Yi, head of Zhengzhou's border inspection station. Since November 2023, China's visa-free transit policies have undergone continuous adjustment and optimization. The implementation of the country's latest 240-hour visa-free transit policy at the end of last year has boosted inbound tourism significantly. With streamlined procedures and extended permitted stay durations, international visitors are now able to experience more of China's rich culture and scenic attractions. In the first quarter of 2025, Zhengzhou Airport recorded more than 27,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips by foreign nationals, up 115 percent from last year. Of that total, approximately 40 percent of all inbound trips were made without visas, according to the border inspection station. Many visitors are drawn to cultural and historical sites such as Shaolin Temple, the Longmen Grottoes and Millennium City Park. Similarly, in Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong Province, a total of 1.57 million inbound and outbound trips by foreign nationals were recorded in the first quarter of 2025 across the city's ports, reflecting a 39.5 percent year-on-year increase. Of that total, over 320,000 travelers entered China visa-free -- a 112 percent increase. Arrivals from the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malaysia saw the highest growth figures, with respective year-on-year increases of 59.3 percent, 43.9 percent and 46.7 percent. "The visa-free policies make traveling to China much easier, and border clearance is now much faster," according to a German traveler who arrived in China at Shenzhen Bay Port. His opinion was echoed by a Belgian bride and her wedding party, who also entered China visa-free to celebrate a traditional Chinese wedding in Guangdong. "We didn't expect the process to be so quick and easy!" the groom's mother said. Comparable momentum has been reported in several other major Chinese cities. During the same period, over 601,000 foreign travelers entered China visa-free via Shanghai ports. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport in northeastern China's Liaoning Province saw more than 24,000 foreign nationals enter the country without visas or through the 240-hour transit visa exemption, reflecting a year-on-year increase of over 3,100 percent. With more international travelers coming to China, businesses are responding by enhancing their visitor services. Zhengzhou Airport has launched an international visitor payment center offering English-language support for mobile payments and foreign bank card transactions. And over 1,500 businesses across Henan Province -- including hotels, tourist sites and shopping centers -- now accept foreign credit cards. "With the expanded visa-free travel policies, travelers no longer need to rush their trips. They can now fully enjoy their experience in China," Zhang said. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) An aerial drone photo shows ships sailing in Qutang Gorge, one of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, in Fengjie County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Dec. 19, 2024. With a history of over 2,300 years, Fengjie, a county in Chongqing where the Kuimen gateway to the magnificent gorges of the Yangtze River is located, gained its reputation as the "city of poetry," as poets, military figures and politicians in history wrote extensively about the forbidding landscape of rapid currents and narrow waterways. In recent years, the county has made full use of its ecological, cultural and historical advantages, aiming to build itself into a world-class tourist destination. The cultural tourism industry has developed into one of the pillar industries in Fengjie County, which has effectively promoted the local green development. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) An aerial drone photo shows a view of Qutang Gorge, one of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, in Fengjie County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Feb. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A tourist takes photos at the ancient town of Baidi in Fengjie County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Feb. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) Tourists take a cruise ship to visit Qutang Gorge, one of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, in Fengjie County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Feb. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) An aerial drone photo shows ships sailing in Qutang Gorge, one of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, in Fengjie County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Dec. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) The task force spent nine days in areas like Livermore and Calhoun, Kentucky, which hit hard by severe thunderstorms during the first weekend of April 2025. Protesters gather outside the Minnesota State Capitol during the nationwide "Hands Off!" protest in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday. Pictured is an exterior view of the US Department of Homeland Security building in Washington, DC, in January 2023. Tributes are being paid this weekend to a young Irish woman who sadly passed away in Spain last weekend. Joanne Kelleher died unexpectedly in Spain on March 30 and is being mourned by her many family and friends in Cork and beyond. The young woman's RIP.ie death notice says she was the "dearly beloved daughter of Margaret and step daughter of John, much loved sister of Lorraine, Grace and Stephen, beloved granddaughter of Joe and the late Anne, loving aunt of Saoirse, Sean, Fiadh, Keela and the late twins Tadhg and Cadhla and niece of the late Catherine and John." She will be "sadly missed by her heartbroken mother, family, aunts Ann and Siobhan, brother-in-law Chris, cousins, relatives, neighbours and friends." Tributes have been flowing in for Joanne in the week since her tragic death. READ NEXT: Mick O'Dwyer left letter to be opened after his death as funeral told what he wrote One person wrote: "So so sad to hear of the death of Joanne. Our prayers and thoughts are with you Mags and John, and family. Such a beautiful and kind girl she was. Heartbreaking. Thinking of you of you at this very sad time." A childhood friend said: "Oh Margaret, my heart is broken for you and your children. Im so very sorry to hear the tragic news about Joanne. So many memories from out the front in Kilmore Heights as kids playing games over in the field, making houses, the ice cream man. Its absolutely devastating news, I cant believe it. May Joanne rest in eternal peace and may god look after you all in your darkest days." A third tribute read: "Sincere and heartfelt condolences on the passing of Joanne. No words can express our sadness. I am thinking of you all. May Joanne rest in Peace. Another person wrote: "We are heartbroken for your devastating loss. It is absolutely tragic that you have lost your beautiful Joanne. Our minds and hearts are very much with you at this awful time." Funeral details have not yet been released. Young people increasingly feel disconnected from politics, seeing institutions like parliaments as old-fashioned and wanting bold leadership, posing a challenge to democratic governments. Researchers from various disciplines during a multi-day conference at the University in Luxembourg in March compared results and surveys to offer insights into the problems of disaffected youth. More than a third (35%) of 18 to 24-year-old Luxembourgers wont or are unable to clearly position themselves in favour of democracy as the best form of government for the country, according to the 2024 Polindex, a survey commissioned by the Chamber of Deputies to assess political sentiment in the country. Similarly, young people in Germany dont know if the countrys parliament, the Bundestag, is in shape to face democratic challenges, according to a study, said Dominic Harion, a research scientist at the Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (Lucet). More than half of Luxembourgers and foreigners of all age groups feel distrust towards national politics, according to the 2024 Polindex. Trust in the government comes in fourth place in a list of political institutions, after the Court of Justice of the European Union, the army and the Chamber of Deputies, according to the survey. Luxembourg nationals and foreigners were very or quite satisfied with the functioning of Luxembourg democracy, but less with the EUs in the survey. We dont mistrust them but we think old structures are not in shape to face democratic challenges today, said Harion, about how youth perceive democratic institutions. The fourth European Youth Work Convention in Malta in May, under the theme Youth Work Xcelerate, will focus on the impact of youth work to equip the younger generation, promote inclusion and inspire active participation. It is important to open up our decision making at all levels to young people, said the Council of Europes Director for Democracy Matjaz Gruden, who spoke at the Luxembourg conference and will be present in Malta. Dominic Harion pictured during the March conference Photo credit: University of Luxembourg A rise of disinformation in Luxembourg Disinformation a problem tied to the mistrust in government and official institutions - has been on the rise in recent years, said Bee Secure coordinator Debora Plein at the Youth and Democracy in the Digital Age conference. The platform, launched by the government, to raise young peoples awareness around digital risks offers specific trainings for disinformation, deep fakes and AI. These include activities for children and adolescents, interactive tools, publications and campaigns. The service also offers a helpline to provide support. Their latest campaign, Monkey see, monkey do, is aimed at reminding young people to be mindful of deepfakes and disinformation. The campaign was created by Luxembourg AI company LetzAI. This box contains embedded content from YouTube that wants to read or write cookies. You did not give permission for this. Edit preferences Several websites have been put in place to fact-check information such as Disinfocheck by Edmo Belux, a platform that brings Belgium and Luxembourg fact-checkers, disinformation analysts, media literacy organisations, and academics together, or EUvsDisinfo, a project set up by the European Union. Fact-checking initiatives are implemented in school curriculums but tackling misleading information with todays youth is challenging because they dont use traditional media channels, researchers said We can teach youth some skills in fact-checking, disinformation checking, but we need to put this into action, said Dominic Harion. The EUs Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect last year, aims to make online platforms more responsible by suppressing disinformation as much as possible. Under the Code of Conduct on Disinformation, a framework part of the DSA, several stakeholders such as online platforms, search engines, and fact-checking organisations and more, agree to follow commitments and measures to fight disinformation. But as social media platforms like Meta and X abandon fact-checking, education is at the centre of teaching young people the skillset they need to combat misinformation and to hold democratic values. Its really important that we can accompany this, said Harion about the role of research and academia in the process of reaching young people in the real world. Out of the ivory tower Eight cross-party members of Luxembourg parliament in January sent a letter to Prime Minister Luc Frieden demanding action against disinformation and proposing an action plan with a citizen council. The MPs also called for a broader discussion on how to improve media education and strengthen fact checking and free press in the Grand Duchy. It will be important for scientists to listen to what people say outside of academia, Harion said, referring to the integration of citizens in the fight against disinformation. The university itself has several projects that contribute to bringing academic insights to society. For example, the University of Luxembourg Institute for Digital Ethics (Ulide) was launched in January to explore the societal and ethical challenges in the digital era. The centre is involved in several national projects, such as a white paper for the government about algorithms and public media. Ulide is also currently working on another white-paper for Bee Secure about the challenges and dangers of AI in the context of internet use by children and young people. LIVONIA, MICH. Madonna University presented awards to alumni and a community organization at its annual donor appreciation event, Deo Gratias, on Sunday, April 6, 2025. The Livonia-Westland Chamber of Commerce received the Outstanding Community Partner Award in recognition of its exceptional collaboration with Madonna University and vital role in supporting the University. Dan West, Chamber President, and Chamber staff members were present to accept the award. On behalf of the Chamber Board of Directors and the Chamber staff members, West expressed appreciation for the award, "We are grateful for the Outstanding Community Partner Award, and our years of working with the great people at Madonna University to make a difference in our business community." Three Madonna alumni were also recognized for their outstanding accomplishments The Emerging Leader Award went to Michelle Danou, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality & Tourism Management in 2015 and a Master of Social Work and a certificate in non-profit leadership in 2018. This award recognizes a graduate within the last 10 years who is making significant contributions to their career or field of study. While at Madonna, Danou received many honors, including the National Association of Social Workers Student of the Year. She began her social work career at the Monroe Community Mental Health Authority where she provided case management services to mentally ill and developmentally disabled individuals. Currently, she serves as a Michigan Long-Term Care Ombudsman working with and advocating for seniors in long-term care facilities. Danou also volunteers with various social service organizations in her community, such as Meals on Wheels, Trinity Health Livonia Hospital, and area food banks. Danou said she was grateful for the support of the social work faculty who helped guide her and for the spirit of Madonna University. This is a reminder to continue to contribute to my community and field of work and to uphold the values of the Felician Sisters. Remenson Tenor, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Leadership through Madonnas Haiti Educational Leadership program, in 2016, received the Outstanding Service Award. This award recognizes a graduate who has made outstanding contributions to the community and who embodies the Felician value of joyful service. Tenor serves as the chief operating officer (COO) of Meds and Foods for Kids, a nonprofit in Haiti dedicated to treating malnourished children and mothers, training farmers, and creating jobs. As COO, Tenor leads the production of lifesaving Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in the organizations factory and collaborates with global organizations like UNICEF to distribute the food to vulnerable populations in underserved areas. In 2024, the organization treated over 1 million malnourished children in Haiti. Tenor has also helped his organization to significantly expand farmer training programs to create sustainable livelihoods for Haitian farmers. In video remarks, Tenor voiced gratitude for his Madonna education. It is thanks to Madonna that I can be in the position I am in today. The values of the Felician Sisters were instilled in me and I will continue on my path to serve my people, my country and the global community. The Professional Excellence Award was presented to Christopher Nickin, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast & Cinema Arts in 2013 and a Master of Science in Business Leadership in 2022. The Award recognizes a graduate, professionally established for more than 10 years, who is making outstanding contributions to their profession and community, and bringing honor to the University. Nickin built a successful career in the film industry directing films, music videos, sporting events and television shows and earning multiple awards before bringing his wealth of experience back to Madonna. He currently serves as video production manager and teaches classes, including the Capstone Film class, which provides students the opportunity to work on a full-length feature film. Under Nickins mentorship, BCA students have achieved significant recognition and awards. Nickin volunteers with organizations including Institute on Human Trafficking Education, Urban Neighborhood Initiative, Focus Hope, and Arts & Scraps. He and his students have also volunteered video production services for other non-profits. Nickin reflected on his Madonna journey and the joy he derives from working with students. One of my favorite moments as an educator is when my students end up teaching me somethingbecause thats how learning works. It never stops. Were all students. Were all teachers. Madonnas Alumni Board solicited nominations for the Alumni Awards last fall. The Board received and reviewed nearly 50 nominations, said Lauren Nobles, president of the Alumni Board. We were thrilled to hear from so many of our alumni and were inspired by their achievements, said Nobles. The US State Department recently issued a Level 2 travel advisory, warning travelers to "exercise caution" due to crime and "possible shark attacks" in the Bahamas. Violent crimes, including armed robberies, burglaries and sexual assaults, can occur anywhere in the Bahamas, according to a State Department advisory, The Post reported. Massive Crocodile is spotted in golf tournament as players capture shocking footage However, most crimes occur in Nassau and Freeport, as well as on the islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama. They warn of robberies and gang attacks Travelers are advised to remain alert in the "Over the Hill" area of Nassau, south of Shirley Street, where gangs have killed residents, according to the statement. They should also be cautious in vacation rental properties, especially where there is no private security. The State Department recommends locking doors and windows and not opening the door unless travelers know who the person is. In addition to the warning about crime, the State Department warned travelers about the risks of sailing and visiting the beach. Navigation is poorly regulated and there have been injuries and deaths, the statement said. The boats may not be safe, as some operators are unlicensed and uninsured. Due to the risks, US government employees are prohibited from using jet skis rented from independent operators on the islands of New Providence and Paradise. Sexual assaults by operators of jet skis on the beaches in and around downtown Nassau have also been reported. "Be aware of your surroundings and stay alert in public restrooms," the State Department advises. Caution for shark attacks Sharks are another concern, with recent attacks causing serious injury and even death. In February, two American tourists were attacked by a shark at a popular resort in the Bahamas. The bathers were in Bimini Bay, part of the westernmost island of the Bahamas and about 80 kilometers from Miami, and were flown to New Providence, a separate island in the Bahamas, for further treatment. In December 2023, Lauren Erickson Van Wart, a 44-year-old newlywed from Massachusetts, died in a shark attack while paddleboarding less than a mile off the western end of New Providence Island. Just a month later, a shark bit the leg of a 10-year-old Maryland boy on January 15, 2024, while he was in a shark tank at a Paradise Island resort. The State Department, in a statement to Fox News Digital, indicated that the travel advisory for the Bahamas was at Level 2 prior to the March 31 update. Jonathan Scott arrives at the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Fans have been rallying around Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott in the wake of his posting of a photo of a burnt down home on Instagram late last month. On March 25, the HGTV regular shared a post with the photo, writing For anyone who was also affected by the fires in Los Angeles, head to my link in bio for five things you need to know about rebuilding. Scotts Instagram bio now includes a link to an 11-minute YouTube video with advice on how to rebuild in the wake of the Los Angeles fires. The fires are estimated to have killed at least 30 people in Southern California back in January, according to The New York Times. Scott did not specify whose home is pictured in the photo, but in the advice video, he says the fires impacted his family. Fans responded to the Instagram post by offering messages of support. Its time people help you " one wrote. A Fall River police officers employment is under review as a result of his arrest in a human trafficking sting operation in Boston, the Fall River Police Department announced Saturday. Officer Mitchell Walsh was already on extended leave from the police department due to unrelated personnel matters when he was arrested, the department said in a press release. Prior to this incident, the Department was preparing to initiate formal proceedings under the civil service disciplinary process. His employment status is now under further review in light of these serious new developments, the release reads. New Hampshire State Police arrested a Massachusetts man early Saturday morning after he was recorded driving 111 mph on I-93 in Manchester, state police announced. Around 3:45 a.m., a state trooper patrolling the highway noticed a black Cadillac XTS speeding and conducted a traffic stop, state police said. The driver was identified as 21-year-old Danvers, Massachusetts, resident Kevin Mwaura. After the trooper told Mwaura he was being arrested for reckless operation, Mwaura became noncompliant and attempted to resist the troopers attempts to arrest him, state police said. The trooper ultimately succeeded in arresting him and added a charge of resisting arrest. Mwaura also refused to cooperate during the booking process and declined bail, state police said. His arraignment is scheduled for Monday in Manchester District Court. As National Institutes of Health funding cuts loom over research institutions and the overarching outlook for the system of higher education falters under Trump administration actions, industry leaders are attempting to raise alarm and steady the sectors footing. Marty Meehan, president of the University of Massachusetts system, is on the ground trying to explain to all who will listen from Massachusetts Democrats, to out-of-state university leaders, to congressional Republicans how he believes cuts to federal higher ed funding jeopardize health research, the economy and education access. The UMass network of more than 70,000 students serves as the states third-largest employer and includes the flagship UMass Amherst campus, which is the largest public research university in New England. A former congressman, Meehan spent 14 years representing Massachusettss Fifth Congressional District as a Democrat before he left to become chancellor of his alma mater, UMass Lowell. In 2015, Meehan became the first former graduate of a UMass school to take over as president of the system. In a recent conversation with the News Service, Meehan discussed whats at stake for higher education during a historically uncertain time for the sector, how hes approaching conversations with Democrats and Republicans about those threats, and how politics have shifted since he served in Congress. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length. Q: The UMass systems reputation has evolved, over time, in large because of an emphasis on research. Some of your campuses have had to implement different tactics to address federal funding cuts that impact that research. How threatened to do you feel the UMass is by the Trump administrations action? Is it to the same extent that private universities have been targeted? A: It is a very uncertain time for all of higher education, whether youre private or public. Just take in February, when the NIH announced that they would cap indirect costs which, honestly, they shouldnt be called indirect costs, I call them facilities and administrative costs. But they were capped at 15% regardless of the previously-negotiated rates. And there are many instances, Ill give you an example. At UMass [Chan] Medical School, we built a $350 million research building that we borrowed $350 million to build, and it relies on facilities costs associated with the research. This change alone would result in a loss of more than $60 million to UMass, and not to mention the inability to sustain life-saving research thats taking place on all of our campuses, but specifically in this case, the medical school. UMass as an institution, we get nearly a billion dollars in federal funding. [Over $500] million of that is in research, but theres also another $425 million in federal student financial aid. Q: UMass is set to start an initiative in the fall giving free tuition for in-staters whose families make $75,000 or less. Does the federal landscape have the potential to impact that? A: It certainly would. Since Ive become president, I have guided a more than 79% increase in financial aid, so that were putting $422 million into financial aid. [An increase in the] MASSGrant Plus expansion program allowed us to do that. But it also assumes that the federal government would maintain what they do in Pell grants and what they do in student loans. And I cant believe that any Democrat, Republican, or anything else would not think student financial aid was critically important. I cant imagine that they would cut that. But the reason I have all this data out is because thats what Im saying to members of Congress. Thats what Im saying to other university presidents. I look at the number of students at UMass that are eligible for Pell Grants at UMass Boston, nearly 50% of the students are Pell-eligible. At UMass Dartmouth, its nearly 40%. UMass Lowell is 32%, and a quarter of the students at UMass Amherst are Pell-eligible. Students need this federal financial aid, they need the institutional aid that weve increased at UMass, and they need the state aid. We need to make sure that UMass is accessible for everyone in Massachusetts, and [thats] jeopardized right now. Were working hard at it, but its a distressing, difficult time. Q: How are you approaching these conversations with your chancellors, with students whose financial aid is at risk? Whats your strategy? A: Were communicating with the other chancellors on a daily basis. In addition to that, we had a meeting with all of our chancellors [and] with the Massachusetts congressional delegation. Im part of something called the National Association for Public & Land Grant Universities, and weve been in meetings with other university presidents from around the country. I have met and talked with many of the private institution leaders. We had a meeting with the governor a few weeks ago the president of MIT was there, Tufts, Boston University, all of the major hospitals. Were looking to assess what the damage is going to be and how this is going to play out. Weve seen a significant slowdown in grant awards from NIH and other federal agencies. This is something that is happening in real time today, yesterday. Theyre canceling grants so there are millions of dollars in lost revenue because of these grants. We get almost a billion dollars in aid from the federal government. And $64 million is from the National Science Foundation. We also get about $200 million from places like Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Defense, USDA. Were talking to other university presidents. Ive been talking to folks that I know in Washington, both Democrat and Republican and were trying to get our voices heard in terms of talking to leaders in Washington to try to get them to look at the impact, and to ask, what does this do to the competitiveness of the United States? What does this do to our role in research? When I was in Washington, the research dollars that universities across the country got generally had bipartisan support. Im hoping that we will eventually be heard and that the United States will take the position it has always taken, which is that research and inquiry is essential to the quality of health care, the quality of our economy. Im in constant contact with the congressional delegation. I talked to Senator Markey the other night at 7:30 at night, I was still talking to him. Q: You left Congress in 2007. How have politics changed since you served? A: [Theyve] changed a lot, and I havent been out of Congress that long. I think its more partisan than its ever been. I can tell you my own experience. When I got to Washington, I met most of the major Republicans in Washington at Ted Kennedys house, at receptions. Senator Kennedy would have people like Bob Dole at his house, hed have people like Orrin Hatch, John McCain there was a lot more dialogue across the aisle when I served in the Congress. When you are dialoguing, it requires compromise. The job of being a member of Congress, whether its the House or the Senate, is almost by definition compromising because to get a consensus it requires compromise. I think weve entered into an era where people seem unwilling to compromise, and I believe the job is, by definition, compromising. Otherwise, you could never get a bill passed and get it to the presidents desk. Q: Some Massachusetts Democrats have been calling on the states congressional delegation to speak up more. The congressional delegation says theyre doing everything they can. Having been in their shoes, what do you see as the path forward for the party? What do you think about the way congressional Democrats have been responding to GOP threats? A: Ive talked to most members of the Massachusetts delegation, and they are fighting. I talked to Senator Markey about his discussions with other Republican senators, and this is something that I think the delegation is working hard on. I mean, just last week the disruption of higher education is so significant that Moodys issued an advisory downgrading the outlook of the entire sector from from stable to negative. That outlook is applicable to universities in red states as well as in blue states. It could impact the bond ratings, not just to the University of Massachusetts, but to every university in the country, and that affects the bottom line in a dramatic way. Q: How do you get that point across to GOP leaders? A: As has been the customary way, I think its important for universities, no matter where theyre located, to talk to their congressional delegations about the importance of a research university, whether its private or public, to the economy. I look at this loss of federal funding that were talking about at UMass it doesnt just threaten the University of Massachusetts, it threatens to weaken Massachusettss global leadership in scientific research and discovery. Its not just jobs in higher education and health care that are at stake. Its jobs in many industries, the defense industry, climate tech. And I can tell you, from a UMass perspective, were the states public research university, and a big part of our mission is to support the states economy, to support its businesses. UMass is a $4.3 billion operation. Its the third-largest employer in the commonwealth with over 26,000 employees. There are 10,000 [UMass] employees whose salaries are at least partially supported by federal funding. So all of this is important to UMass, important to other universities in the state, and the states economy generally. The key here is for universities across the country to get the message out. Q: Do you think Massachusetts itself has the kind of Republican contacts it needs in Washington to influence policy the GOP might move forward on this front? A: Ive been talking to Republican members of the Congress, and Im going to be going to Washington in a couple of weeks and continue to talk to folks. I talked to a former Republican member of Congress yesterday about strategies for dealing with how higher education is impacted. And as I said, in addition to Massachusetts, these cuts across the board, these are cuts that would impact every state. Thats why its important for those of us who are leaders of colleges and universities of Massachusetts to reach out to our colleagues who come from states that have Republican senators and congressmen and make sure that theyre speaking up, just the way that we are. Q: Are those university leaders in red states speaking up to the extent necessary? A: I would say theyre doing it in a quiet kind of way, and hoping that getting the data and getting the information will result in ultimately making sure some of these policies dont go into effect. Its difficult to say. Its not like this is a set-in-stone strategy, it seems to me to be kind of a willy-nilly, every day theres something else happening. As always, constituents need to speak up. And in this kind of situation, those universities in red states play an important role in talking to their federal delegations about the importance of a research university in their home state. And Ive got to tell you, in my time in Congress, Senator Kennedy was wonderful at it. He would coordinate Republicans who represented places like the University of Kentucky, some of the great public research universities we have across the country. We need to do that here, and I know that members of our delegation are working to try to make that happen. Q: Campaign finance was a major issue for you when you were in Congress. What do you think of the landscape today regarding money in politics? A: Its interesting to me. When I was in Washington, I worked closely with John McCain and Russ Feingold and Chris Shays, and it took us seven years to pass meaningful bipartisan campaign finance reform. And in fact, the bill that we passed was challenged, and we went to the United States Supreme Court, and we won. The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the McCain-Feingold bill that we passed was constitutional. A key vote in that decision was a former Republican maverick from Arizona, member of the court, Sandra Day OConnor. She was appointed to the court by Ronald Reagan and she was a great justice. Her husband ended up getting ill, and she left the court early to take care of her husband, and by the time Citizens United [v. FEC] came before the court, the composition of the court had changed with Sandra Day OConnor leaving, and we lost the Citizens United case, which has resulted in more and more money put into politics. From my perspective, it has a pervasive, corrupting influence. But I mean, as you know, Wisconsin just showed that people can beat these forces when theyre organized and focused. But if youre talking about my own view, I think our campaign finance system is totally out of control and were a long ways away from fixing it. Q: How can you maintain that organization and focus whether thats between university leadership, between congressional leaders, or within a party to win elections when the system itself is a state of chaos? A: From my perspective, the biggest thing that we can do is focus on educating people as to the importance of research. We need to prepare for every scenario, no matter how unlikely that scenario would be. Were working with the national associations that we have as research universities, were trying to be nimble and react quickly, because thats whats required today. And to be honest with you, not getting too down about it, either, is important. Every day, all of us who work at UMass have to get up and fight the fight, and do everything we can to do best by our students, to do best by our research. We have clinical trials going on right now at the medical school for curing [ALS] and all kinds of diseases and cancer those things are really important. And at the end of the day, I think theyre important to the American people, too. There isnt a family that hasnt been impacted by Alzheimers, for example, or cancer. All of our families are affected, and the research to try to cure these diseases is critically important to this generation and future generations. Despite a cold April rain, thousands of people in area communities stood out on the streets Saturday joining hundreds of thousands of American citizens in calling on the Trump administration to keep its Hands Off! the very institutions that define what America is or was. Demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and election activists, The Associated Press reported. From the National Mall and Midtown Manhattan to Boston Common, thousands of protesters assailed President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musks actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. 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Trusted Source Old Medical School, Leeds Go to source Trusted Source The historic Old #Medical_School in #Leeds stands as a testament to medical education's rich past. Now, its legacy evolves as it transforms into a dynamic #HealthTech Innovation Hub, fostering future advancements. #education Historic Leeds Medical School Redevelopment to Spearhead Regional Health Innovation Advertisement Advertisement Old Medical School, Leeds - (https://scarboroughgroup.com/project/old-medical-school-leeds/) The historic) is set to become a world-class Health Tech Innovation Hub, a move that senior NHS leaders say will cement the citys status as a global leader in health research and innovation. The transformation is part of the widerSpeaking at a landmark event during the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival, Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, described the redevelopment as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive forward health innovation across Leeds and the wider region. Built in 1894, the Old Medical School will now be a cornerstone of the Innovation Village, helping shape the future of healthcare delivery, including informing the design of the forthcoming new hospital at Leeds General Infirmary.The 75,000 sq ft Grade II*-listed building will house cutting-edge facilities including wet and dry labs, office and incubator space, meeting and event rooms, and collaborative workspaces. It will host start-ups, established firms, clinicians, academics, and community organisations, all working together to translate scientific research into practical healthcare solutions. This hub builds on the momentum of the Trusts successful Innovation Pop-Up and will act as a catalyst for regional economic growth and improved patient care.Deb Hetherington, Director of Innovation Ecosystems at Scarborough Group International (SGI), the developer leading the transformation, underlined the continuing importance of physical innovation spaces. Scarborough Group absolutely understands that bricks and mortar are not the most important elementbut they are essential, she said. Were building a world-class environment for open innovationspaces where people come together around the water cooler, not hide behind walls.She emphasised the role of thea collaborative approach combining private sector, government, and academiaand praised Leeds for already having the foundational elements in place. This city is ready to deliver. Designed innovation spaces can be up to 25 per cent more productive than non-designed ones, she added, citing recent research by Catapult.Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, also attended the event and highlighted the project as a flagship initiative within the West Yorkshire Investment Zone. If growth is the exam question, then innovation is the answer, she said. We know health inequality across our region is starka child born in Ilkley could live ten years longer than one born in Dewsbury. This hub gives us the tools to change that.Mayor Brabin also pointed out that West Yorkshires health and life sciences ecosystem already includes over 300 firms focused on digital health , diagnostics, and medical devices, collectively generating around 3 billion annually.International interest in the hub was evident at the event, which welcomed innovative start-ups, healthcare leaders, and guests from Vanderbilt University and Nashville, Tennesseeunderscoring the regions growing trade relationships.MediShout, a member of the current Innovation Pop-Up, praised the collaborative opportunities the new hub will offer. This is a chance to work with forward-thinking partners and develop solutions to real-world healthcare challenges, said a company spokesperson. Baxter International echoed the sentiment, stating the hub would strengthen ties with clinicians and help shape practical solutions that support NHS transformation.The Innovation Village forms part of the 2 billion Leeds Innovation Arc and is supported by 160 million from the West Yorkshire Investment Zone. The first phasethe Old Medical School redevelopmentwill begin construction later this year, with the entire project expected to create 4,000 jobs and contribute 13 billion to the regional economy.Despite delays to the new hospitals timeline, which is now expected between 2033 and 2035, the Innovation Village will proceed. The Trust has already submitted a reserved matters planning application with the support of a design team led by Perkins&Will, SHL, and Lichfields planning consultancy.Leaders from Leeds City Council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust reaffirmed their collective commitment to ensuring that the city remains at the forefront of global healthcare innovation.Source-Medindia Dear Eric: My sister-in-law cannot seem to get my name right. I first married at age 20, in 1973 when you pretty much just took your husbands last name, and so I did. I went on to have a long teaching career, in which you pretty much just go by Mrs. Smith. My first husband died of cancer after 42 years of marriage. Four years later, I found love again and remarried. Honestly, having been known as Mrs. Smith for all those years as an educator, it had become my identity. I had that name over twice as long as my maiden name. So, I didnt change my name when I married. Ive been married to my new husband for almost five years now and have continued to sign my name on every card, every return address, every document, everything, as Mary Smith. My sister-in-law continues to address cards to me as Mary Jones. She has to know that is not my name, I include my Smith name on the return address of every card I send. I should also say that she and I probably have differing opinions on most things, including religion and politics. We never discuss either in family gatherings, keeping things superficial but congenial when we are together. Another birthday card arrived, addressed to Mary Jones. How wonderful she remembers my birthday. How annoying that she addresses it to someone that I am not. (It is, in fact, the name of my husbands aunt.) Do I continue to ignore what has become to me an irritant, or should I bring it up at some point? Name Games Dear Name Games: Bring! It! Up! (Imagine me chanting that like Im an audience member on a game show.) It might be an oversight; it might be an intentional slight but either way its not your name. Ive noticed you address me as Mary Jones, but I didnt take [husbands] name. Im glad youre so eager to welcome him to the family. But no need to update your address book. The love is the same, no matter the name. It may feel like youre breaking the unspoken rule about treating each others differences with congeniality, but this isnt an opinion. Its a fact. Your name is your name, and she can learn it. In fact, she already did, years ago. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com. 2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Comedian Katt Williams will bring his "Heaver on Earth Tour" to Grand Rapids in 2025. Photo CA. Cr. Clifton Prescod/Netflix 2024 GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Comedian and actor, Katt Williams, has announced a big tour with two Michigan shows on the schedule. Williams will bring his Heave on Earth Tour to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, April 12 and to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Saturday, November 8. Tickets for the Detroit show can be purchased here. Tickets for Grand Rapids will be available starting with a presale on Wednesday, April 9 at 10 a.m.. The general on sale will start Friday, April 11 at 10 a.m. Williams released his latest Netflix special, Woke Foke, last year. Other recent Netflix comedy specials include World War III, and Great America. When Woke Foke debuted live as part of Netflix Is A Joke Fest, it became the most-watched Netflix comedy special of 2024, with over 13 million views to date. SOUTH HAVEN, MI Firefighters battled a blaze that threatened neighboring businesses in South Havens north side on the evening of Saturday, April 5. Crews quickly controlled the fire that was reported about 8:30 p.m. in a rear storage room at North Side Memories convenience store, 112 Dyckman Ave., South Haven Area Emergency Services Authority Fire Chief Brandon Hinz said in a statement. Firefighters extinguished the blaze before it spread to a neighboring sporting goods store and an unoccupied upstairs apartment, Hinz said. The fire chief said North Side Memories worked late Saturday in an effort to reopen the business soon. The business opened Friday after renovations over the winter months. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Hinz said. North Side Memories is located about one block east of a South Haven public beach, along Lake Michigan. Michigan teen in serious condition after 2-vehicle crash Kaiti Sullivan | MLive.com CASCO TOWNSHIP, MI A two-vehicle collision Saturday, April 5, in Casco Township left a 17-year-old Richmond woman in serious condition, officials said. A St. Clair County Sheriffs Office report stated the teenager was driving a 2016 Jeep Cherokee east on Division Road at about 10:30 p.m., when she failed to yield to a 2009 Ford F-150, operated by a 32-year-old Lenox Township woman. The vehicles collided at the Gratiot Avenue intersection, where the Ford was moving south. The teenager was transported to McLaren Macomb hospital in Mount Clemens to be treated for serious life-threatening injuries, the sheriffs department report stated. The driver of the Ford F-150 as well as two passengers a 2-year-old girl and 39-year-old man were not injured, the report stated. Sheriffs department officials said alcohol, drugs and excessive speed are not believed to be factors in the crash. Casco Township is located about 40 miles northeast of Detroit. DETROIT, MI Detroit police are investigating after discovering three people dead and burned beyond recognition inside a car. Jacqueline Pritchett, the Detroit Police Department deputy chief, said firefighters responded to a vehicle fire at 5:50 a.m. Sunday, April 6, in a Detroit alleyway near Milford and 30th. Once the fire was extinguished, they observed three bodies in the vehicle, Pritchett said. The deputy chief said investigators continue to probe the origins of the fire and the causes of death for the three individuals found at the scene. Pritchett said investigators are asking the community for help in gathering information about the grim discovery. Individuals can provide tips via Crime Stoppers at (800) 773-2587 or online at detroitrewardstv.com. The Cookie Butter Dream chimney cake tower featuring a cookie butter-lined Biscoff-covered chimney cake, vanilla bean ice cream, caramel chocolate chip cheesecake bites and a Lotus Biscoff cookie with a caramel drizzle at House of Chimney Cakes, 216 S 4th Ave. in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI Temperatures wax and wane in early April, but as warmer weather wins, the time has come to whet your appetite with chilly sweet treats. Around Ann Arbor, the popular ice cream debate may pit Washtenaw Dairy against Blank Slate Creamery. Both establishments 602 S. Ashley St. and 300 W. Liberty St., respectively boast a variety of ice cream and other offerings and different welcoming vibes. Still, there are variety of other tasty spots for long-time residents, visitors and newcomers alike to delve into new traditions with the rebirth of spring. Here a few suggestions. A sprinkle-covered waffle bowl featuring scoops of Wolverine Tracks, left, and Cookies & Cream at Michigan Creamery, 302 S State St. in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Michigan Creamery This family-owned business originally began as an ice cream and sweet shop in Dexter in 2007 before relocating to Ann Arbor and taking over the former Stucchis Ice Cream a decade later. Located at 302 S. State St., its close to the University of Michigan and downtown Ann Arbor and sells a variety of Michigan-made ice cream, chocolates and ingredients. This includes over 30 flavors of hand-dipped flavors and two rotating flavors of custard with frozen yogurt, sorbet and ice cream cakes, as well as gourmet chocolates from Gaylord and coffee. For more, call 734-662-1700 or visit https://michigancreamery.com. U of Yumm flavored ice cream featuring brownie batter, peanut butter and cookie dough in a peanut waffle cone at Mickeys Dairy Twist, 703 W. Michigan Ave. in Saline. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Mickeys Dairy Twist This iconic Saline spot, 703 W. Michigan Ave., once closed in 2022 but returned under new ownership more than two years ago at a new location. Much of the shop is the same, though Mickeys offers hot foods like burgers and hot dogs in addition to traditional and new ice cream flavors. It opens at noon every day except Monday, closing at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. With hand-scooped and soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt, there are plenty of choices on its menu. Mickeys also serves flurries and sundaes. Its specialties include the upside-down banana split, peanut and fruit parfaits, hot fudge cream puff, brownie and turtle sundaes, a layered soft-serve or yogurt dessert called the tin roof, a superbowl with brownies, ice cream or yogurt, bananas and toppings, and the cookie dough monster. For more or to order, visit https://mickeystwist.com or call 734-470-6253. La Pina Loca This establishment, 3980 Platt Road Ste. C in Ann Arbor, specializes in Mexican treats, including churro sundaes, in addition to a variety of other fresh food. Open 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, classic menu items may be fresh seasonal sticks of fruit with other sweets, yogurt and dishes featuring mango, strawberry and other candies or fruits. Also, on its dessert menu are the frozen treat paletas, banana splits with strawberry, gansito splits with strawberry, pineapple and banana slices, and fresa forever sundaes with fresh strawberries and sweet cream. Orders are available for delivery or pickup. There is a delivery fee starting at $4.99 with a minimum of $15. For more, call 734-929-5487 or visit http://orderlapinaloca.com/index.php. Ice Cream Time Located at 1240 Ecorse Road, this Ypsilanti sweet spot has a large menu of soft serve, hand-dipped ice cream and more than 50 flurry combinations. Its recently boasted on social media about its hot fudge cakes, the variety of size available in soft serve cones, birthday cake ice cream, confetti cake and java chip flurries, popsicles, a caramel Frappuccino and an ice cream sandwich dubbed chocolate chippies. According to its social media, Ice Cream Time is open from noon to 9 p.m. daily. For more, visit its Facebook and Instagram at http://icecreamtime.ypsi. Sweeting Located inside Briarwood Mall, 1213 S. University Ave., this shop features hand-rolled ice cream and other desserts in addition to its variety of bubble teas and other foods. According to the Ann Arbor Sweeting website, its open daily from 1-7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Of its hand-rolled ice cream, available flavors include Cookie Monster or Oreo, matcha red bean, chocolicious, dream of Hawaii with pineapple, coffee graham cracker, banana with Nutella, mango, taro and plain vanilla. For more information, call 734-213-3300 or visit on social media. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. The former home of a Davison Mexican restaurant is set to be transformed into a new bar and grill, with construction plans officially approved to begin. Senor Luckys, located at 840 S. State Road in Davison, suddenly and permanently closed its doors on June 30 of last year. (MLive file photo) Roberto Acosta GENESEE COUNTY, MI Flint Community Schools has responded to reports that the district is at risk of losing millions in federal COVID-19 relief funding. Meanwhile, developers are another step closer to opening a new bar and grill at a former Mexican restaurant in Davison. Headlines from these stories and more from the Flint area this past week can be found below: Flint schools respond to misunderstandings about reports of potential COVID funding loss Flint Community Schools Superintendent Kevelin Jones issued a statement this past week to quell concerns stemming from a change in federal policy that is putting Michigan schools at risk of losing millions in COVID-19 relief funds. Some misunderstandings have suggested that Flint Community Schools is losing or being asked to return $15.6 million of unspent ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief) funds, Jones said in a statement. Jones reassured residents that the district is working with the Michigan Department of Education to ensure it is not impacted by the recent policy change. Read the full story here. Construction cleared for renovation of former Senor Luckys in Davison Renovations to the former Senor Luckys building in Davison are set to begin as developers prepare to transform the former Mexican restaurant into a bar and grill. Located off State Road, the building has sat vacant since it permanently closed last summer, but the new bar and grill could open as soon as August. Read the full story here. Man suing Flint Township police, sheriffs deputies alleges use of excessive force John Fleming recently filed a lawsuit seeking a minimum of $75,000 from Flint Township police officers for injuries and expenses incurred after accusing them and Genesee County Sheriffs Office deputies of assaulting him in 2022. Shortly after the incident, which occurred after Fleming was falsely accused of retail theft, community members in Flint called for action against the officers involved in the alleged assault. Read the full story here. Flint police chief says staffing picture is improving but higher wages still needed In an attempt to attract and retain department personnel, Flint police Chief Terence Green is asking the city to increase pay for officers as the department works to meet its current staffing goal. Green requested the increase during a Flint City Council hearing this past week as council members consider the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. All these programs and all these initiatives cant be done without personnel, Green said to council members. Read the full story here. Former state legislator Floyd Clack remembered for decency and dedication to Flint The city of Flint recently honored former local and state leader Floyd Clack, who died on Thursday, April 3. He was 84 years old. Flags at Flint City Hall will be flown at half-staff. Friends, family members, and colleagues reflected on the legacy of the former Flint City Council member, Genesee County commissioner, and state representative. My dad loved the people of Flint. He loved serving the people of Flint, Floyd Clacks son Michael Clack told MLive-The Flint Journal. He loved being an educator as well as a public servant. Read the full story here. Flint schools agree to lease old elementary school building to local non-profits Flint Community Schools is leasing one of its former elementary schools to two local non-profits as it looks to find new uses for vacant district buildings. Year after year, property value goes down and it creates a lot of problems, Flint Community Schools Board President Dr. Joyce Ellis-McNeal said. One of the organizations, Flint Soap Box Derby, provides children in the area with the opportunity to build soapbox cars of their own and eventually race them, while the other non-profit, El Ballet Folklorico Estudiantil, teaches children about Mexican culture through dance, music, and language. Read the full story here. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Portage officials: High school fire not believed to be suspicious Joel Bissell | MLive.com PORTAGE, MI Firefighters here battled an overnight fire that largely was contained to one room at Portage Central High School. Portage Department of Public Safety fire crews responded to the fire about 10:40 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Kalamazoo County school, 8135 S. Westnedge, a department statement read. There, firefighters discovered smoke emanating from the wood shop classroom. Fortunately, the buildings fire suppression system had effectively kept the fire contained to a specific area, minimizing further damage, the Portage Department of Public Safety statement read. Fire crews remained on the scene for more than two hours, ventilating the building and removing both smoke and water, officials said. Department officials said the fires origins remain under investigation but it is not believed to be suspicious at this time. It remains unclear if the damage will impact classes this week at the school. The school is located about 5 miles south of Kalamazoo. Santa Comes Early This Year! Turbine Delivering 'Bumblebee' 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' & 'Sing 2' to 3D Blu-ray on December 19th Palak Vij USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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I Accept A negligence case against Buffalo General Medical Center has turned on an unusual legal fight over patient privacy: Does a patient have the right to know what is in the medical records of his hospital roommate? In this case, an appellate court has said yes. The March 21 appellate decision reversed a ruling from a lower court judge who said the roommate has expectations of privacy that are sacrosanct and are inviolable. While the plaintiff has put his medical condition at issue, his roommate did not, said State Supreme Court Justice Emilio Colaiacovo. But the Appellate Division in Rochester ordered the roommatesmedical records turned over to a plaintiffs lawyer with his name and other identifying information redacted. The case began in 2022 with the lawsuit filed by an Amherst man, who battled a staph infection in his leg in 2020 at the hospital. Leon Martin III, 69, contracted a new infection during his hospital stay Covid-19. They put another patient in his room who had Covid, and then he got Covid, said attorney Brian P. Fitzgerald, who represents Martin in the lawsuit against Kaleida Health, which operates Buffalo General Medical Center. Covid in Western New York - 5 years later The Buffalo News takes a look at life in Western New York, five years after we first heard the terms "coronavirus" and "Covid-19." When Fitzgerald moved to get the roommates medical records, Kaleida sought a protective order to keep him from obtaining them. Kaleida cited the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as state law, which protect the confidentiality of patients medical information. There is no precedent that would allow for disclosure of a nonparty patients medical record just to help somebody elses case, attorney Mollie C. McGorry said during a Sept. 1, 2023, court proceeding before Colaiacovo. He has not waived his right to confidentiality, and Kaleida Health has a duty and obligation to this patient, and all of its patients, to protect its medical records. While it is Kaleida Healths policy not to comment on ongoing litigation, confidentiality of our patients medical records is something we take very seriously, as laid out by our counsel, said Kaleida spokeswoman Jacqueline A. Bett. Fitzgerald, who has extensive experience suing doctors and hospitals, said he has not handled a case like Martins before. I would say its unusual, Fitzgerald said. But Martin deserves to see the roommates records with personally identifying information removed to prove gross negligence by the hospital, Fitzgerald said. Because he had a staph infection in his leg, he was put in a room in isolation then so other patients didnt get a staph infection from him, Fitzgerald told The Buffalo News. But after several days being in that room in isolation, they put this other patient in his room who had Covid. What are they doing putting a Covid patient in his room? Martin recovered after a month at the hospital. He suffered mostly breathing problems, fever and headaches from the Covid infection, Fitzgerald said. HIPAA has a process to de-identify medical records, removing information like name, address, birthdate and Social Security number, he said. Things like that should all be removed, he said. So if you do that, youre not violating that patients confidential records. In a court filing, Kaleida replied that redacting the patients name does not render his entire medical record open to another patients lawsuit. Martin went to Buffalo Generals emergency room Sept. 24, 2020, with an infection in his lower leg. He was moved Sept. 26 to a hospital room and placed in isolation. On Sept. 29, another patient was put in the same room where Martin had been isolated. On Oct. 3, Martin was told by a nurse that an accident had occurred and that he was exposed to Covid-19, according to the lawsuit. The next day, Martin tested positive for the coronavirus. During the 2023 court proceeding, Colaiacovo asked Fitzgerald why he needed the roommates medical records. Because I think I have to prove that they knew before they put that patient in Leons room that he did have Covid, Fitzgerald replied. Fitzgerald told the judge he would be satisfied with only the roommates bloodwork. It will show when they collected his blood and when he tested positive, and then that would establish if that patient had Covid-19 before Sept. 29, Fitzgerald said. That would establish they had notice they were putting a Covid-19 patient in Mr. Martins room. At the hearing, the judge asked Kaleidas lawyer if she would stipulate Martin got Covid from somebody inside the hospital. I dont know that I can stipulate to that, because his positive test was, I think, 10 days after his admission, and it is possible he had contracted Covid from outside of the facility, she replied. How is that possible? the judge asked. I mean, they diagnosed him with Covid when he was in the hospital. Did he sneak out? McGorry replied Martin could have been exposed before his admission but tested positive afterward. Fitzgerald said he has obtained redacted patient records in other cases. But isnt it black letter law and pretty widely understood that I could not find any precedent that stands for the proposition that a plaintiff in this particular case is entitled to his roommates medical records? Colaiacovo asked. Colaiacovo denied the motion to release the medical records and granted Kaleidas request for a protective order, ruling Martin had not presented nearly enough to overcome the bedrock principle of privacy that envelops an unrelated partys medical records. But the appellate judges, in reversing his ruling, called the roommates records material and necessary to establish whether the hospital knew or should have known it was placing Martin in the same room as a person who had Covid-19. 'Must give clear guarantee': Tamil Nadu CM Stalin asks PM Modi for no change in Parliamentary seats following delimitation Yeeshu Yadav USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. 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I Accept Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says tariffs will affect people and not just stock markets MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech newsstay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Aabhas Sharma USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. 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I Accept Meta rolls out Llama 4 as race for AI dominance heats up Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Vikas SN USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Shaurya Shubham USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Arishaa Izaj USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Amhersts plan to pay $28,000 per month to lease a new building in Eggertsville for use as a youth center is the latest town project sparking coordinated pushback from a group of residents. Land rush rolls on in central Amherst as critics blast town property purchases The Amherst Town Board's decision to purchase 33 acres along Maple Road from a student housing developer is only the latest twist in the yearslong saga of vast swaths of land in central Amherst changing hands among the town and various private developers. These critics claim the planned youth and community center on Eggert Road is a waste of money that came together without public input. And they say the project will benefit a politically connected developer, Ellicott Development, and a private theater company, OConnell & Company, at the expense of taxpayers. Its one more fight over town spending and town-led development in Amherst, where the proposed reuses of the old Westwood Country Club, former gun club and other properties have stirred debate. Its also an election year in Amherst, with control of the Democrat-led Town Board at stake, and some opponents of the youth center project are Republican candidates for office or their allies. Im all for a youth center. I think its a great idea. I just think that we need to be doing it a different way because of our financial position, Dan Gagliardo, the GOP-endorsed candidate for town supervisor, said in an interview. Supervisor Brian Kulpa has defended the development and argued the building that previously hosted services for neighborhood children, at 4110 Bailey Ave., isnt well suited or located for the purpose. The town considered numerous options before coming to the conclusion that the new facility, constructed by an affiliate of Ellicott Development Co., made the most sense for town after-school and summer camp programs, he said. In this circumstance, we get a purpose-built building for those activities. Its located next to ECO Park with direct access to the park and playground, Kulpa said at the Dec. 16 Town Board meeting. Theater takes over The debate started soon after the Town Board on Dec. 16 voted to approve a lease agreement with the 1097 Group, a limited liability company tied to Ellicott Development, for a building to be constructed at 1350 Eggert Road. The contract caught the attention of some Amherst residents who are persistent critics of town government spending, such as Bill Blake and Andrea Morgante. They and others dug into the town lease at 1350 Eggert and questioned why the town cant operate a program for children and teenagers at 4110 Bailey Ave. Thats the former Calvary Lutheran Church, at Bailey and Oxford avenues near Windermere Boulevard School, that the town agreed to purchase in 2006 for use as a youth and community center. The cost to buy and renovate the building exceeded $1.8 million, according to a Buffalo News report from the period. It opened in 2009 with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo operating the facility. By 2022, however, the Boys & Girls Clubs had stopped using 4110 Bailey and OConnell & Company had taken it over as a theater space. I remember what the town went through to get it, all the work they put into it, all the changes they made to it, Ray Herman, a former Republican candidate for Town Board, said Dec. 16. And its a damn shame if the only thing thats there right now is OConnell & Company and the town isnt even using it. The company pays the town $1 annually in rent but is responsible for numerous other costs, such as insurance, utilities, snow removal from the parking lot and other maintenance, said Joey Bucheker, the companys managing director. Bucheker said the building is an ideal location for OConnell & Company, which hosts half a dozen productions there annually along with summer theater camps and other educational programming, but there wouldnt be room to share the venue with another organization. I think people think its bigger than what it is, Bucheker said in an interview. Shari McDonough, the CEO of the area Boys & Girls Clubs, didnt respond to a message seeking comment on why the group left the building. Eggert site eyed Kulpa said Amherst had searched for years for a better location for a youth center to serve the Eggertsville neighborhood. He said the town considered numerous options, including the structure at 3826 Main St. that People Inc. later sold to Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. The property at 1350 Eggert was appealing, Kulpa said, because the site is near ECO Park, where the town recently upgraded the playground, though getting to the park requires a walk down a set of stone steps that need replacing. Ellicott Development, controlled by the Paladino family, had previously converted a former school building at 1350 Eggert into 27 apartments and commercial space. The developer later proposed constructing additional apartments on the rear of the property. By 2023, a revised apartment plan from Ellicott had run into fierce opposition from neighbors on Crosby Boulevard that, ultimately, derailed the project but opened up an opportunity for the town. We were still looking for appropriate space in that area, Kulpa said Feb. 3. We did approach Ellicott knowing that there was a site available. It was not Ellicott asking for a bailout. He said grants can and will pay for much of the towns costs, which will amount to $330,000 per year for the first five years of the lease and $340,000 per year for the final five years for the proposed 7,700-square-foot center, with a purchase option at the end. Kulpa also said user fees will cover some of the towns expenses in providing after-school and summer camp programs at the new facility. Backroom deal Critics have complained about the cost of the lease and objected to what they consider a lack of transparency on the part of town officials. Several said they hadnt been given specifics on why 4110 Bailey can no longer be used as a youth center. They asked why the town and the Amherst Central School District couldnt jointly host youth programming and wondered why Amherst gave 4110 Bailey over to OConnell & Company, at such a favorable lease rate, instead of reviving that facility as a youth center. Others said the contract was a generous bailout to Ellicott Development, a company whose principals are regular donors to political campaigns, after its apartment plans fell through. Shawn Lavin wants to be the next Amherst supervisor. GOP says he is Kulpa 2.0 If elected, Amherst Deputy Supervisor Shawn Lavin said the town needs to address different priorities, such as updating its aging sewer system, summer youth programs and services provided to seniors. The town of Amherst cannot continue to accumulate debt for unnecessary projects like this in order to enable a connected developer to achieve his revenue objectives, Geri Dicosmo, a resident and frequent critic of Town Board policies, said Feb. 3. The vocal critics of the youth center deal include Gagliardo and Dennis Hoban, rival Republican candidates for supervisor, and Mary Dormer and John Trabert, GOP-backed Town Board candidates. This backroom deal with Ellicott will be used as an example of political chicanery and misuse of residents tax dollars during the upcoming election, Matt Plunkett of Northill Drive said Feb. 3. Yeeshu Yadav USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Netanyahu says will seek relief from tariffs in meeting with Trump 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept No excuse for this: Taliban faces internal dissent over girls' education ban as top official flees Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Chhabi Kala USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Over 100 chemical weapons sites believed to remain in Syria after Assads fall Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept How U.S. influencer IShowSpeed's live-stream episodes cast light on real China 12:07, April 06, 2025 By Cao Pengyuan, Ren Ke and Wang Hao ( Xinhua BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- "This is what China looks like! This is China right here!" popular U.S. influencer IShowSpeed marveled as he live-streamed at Shanghai's Bund area, with a skyline featuring the landmark Oriental Pearl Tower and modern skyscrapers right in front of him. From there, the 20-year-old content creator, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr. and whose zesty and contagious shows have won over 38 million subscribers on the social media platform YouTube, embarked on his first tour in China since the end of last month. Despite a language barrier and fast-paced schedule, IShowSpeed treated his fans worldwide with a feast of uninterrupted live-streaming sessions while traveling along China's streets and alleys, experiencing China's history and culture, savoring China's cuisine and snacks, and interacting with China's enthusiastic fans and local people from various walks of life. Unlike the bleak and even grim pictures often painted by some Western media, IShowSpeed's unedited and unscripted shows reveal a China that is perky, diverse, hospitable and prosperous. In east China's metropolitan city of Shanghai, he joined in the colorful park activities of local residents, watched traditional lion-dancing and kung fu, and witnessed first-hand China's burgeoning electric car scene. In China's capital city of Beijing, he visited the Great Wall and the Palace Museum and performed his signature back-flip stunt, which drew cheers from a welcoming crowd at the two iconic spots of China. In particular, he experienced the country's high-speed bullet train. During the ride, he hailed the ubiquitous 5G signal and internet access, as he live-streamed smoothly despite being in a tunnel section of the railway line. Millions of fans flocked to his channel and watched his shows from China. "I admire China's technology and internet, and Chinese fans were very respectful," said a YouTube comment -- which garnered more than 900 likes. In central China's Henan Province, he traveled to the Shaolin Temple to pursue his kung fu dream. There, a kung fu mentor Master Liang warmly received him, taught him martial arts, and also shared with him a life philosophy inspired by years of painstaking training -- "It's pain, but it's life. It's pain, but it's Shaolin. It's pain, but it's Kung Fu. It's pain, but it's you." -- which struck a chord with many viewers. In Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, IShowSpeed immersed himself in a variety of unique cultural elements that this city has to offer, including the likes of Sichuan Opera, Sichuan-style hotpot, traditional acupuncture and tea-house performances. "China has a beautiful culture! I would very much like to visit!" said a netizen from the United States in the comment section. During his live-stream show in Chongqing, also located in southwest China, IShowSpeed presented a panoramic view of the megacity known for its futuristic vibes. He watched the magic sight of light rail trains passing through a building in Chongqing's iconic station, viewed the jaw-dropping architecture of this mountainous city, and captured its spectacular nightlife. Against the backdrop of Chongqing's cyberpunk canvas featuring beautifully lit skyscrapers and bridges at night, IShowSpeed said: "I've never been to a country where they have stuff like this. Chongqing is beautiful." "China is an underrated tour spot. I don't know why people overlooked China," he stated, with this remark echoed by many members of his audience who have lived in the bubble of Western anti-China propaganda. "Is China so advanced now? This breaks my 30-year-old understanding of China. I have been deceived by the so-called mainstream media for so many years, and I want to go to China to see," read a comment. "After watching this video, I realized how foolish my previous views on China were. I've decided to plan my trip this year to China. I feel that if I don't go to China, I'll regret it for the rest of my life," said another. So far, IShowSpeed's five live-stream episodes in China's Shanghai, Beijing, Henan, Chengdu and Chongqing have generated a total of 35.16 million views on YouTube, with many video clips going viral among both Chinese and global netizens. Just a few months after the ground-breaking exchanges between Western "TikTok refugees" and Chinese netizens on the social media platform Red Note, this live-streaming tour by IShowSpeed serves as another inspiring example of people-to-people amity between China and the world. One YouTube comment, which was liked over 2,700 times, thus wrote -- "The U.S. has spent billions on anti-China propaganda, only to be undone by Red Note and IShowSpeed stream." IShowSpeed's tour is also a prominent example of China's inbound travel boom following the country's visa-free policies, which led to an influx of foreign tourists and businesspeople into China, making "China Travel" trendy on social media platforms. Earlier this week, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) also responded to such exchanges. "The one-shot live-streaming by foreign influencers presents China as it is in a panoramic view -- one that has not been edited or put in any filter." "This again spurs growing enthusiasm for China. This shows that cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries enjoy profound support from the people, and such bonds cannot and will not be severed," said a MFA spokesperson. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) News / National by Staff reported A Harare woman has been granted a protection order against her brother after she accused him of assaulting and verbally abusing her over a dispute at their parents' home.Jacqueline Fofo approached the Harare Civil Court seeking legal protection from her brother, Steward Zhuwaki, whom she accused of repeated abuse and threats. The altercation erupted after Zhuwaki discovered his sister with a boyfriend at their parents' residence.Fofo told the court that Zhuwaki physically assaulted her, leaving her injured. She recounted that she was unable to defend herself as her brother was much stronger than her. The incident, which occurred in front of her boyfriend, left her deeply embarrassed."He assaults me, and I could not fight him back because he is powerful," she stated in court. "He is threatening to chase me out of the house, which is not his."In addition to physical violence, Fofo claimed that Zhuwaki verbally abused her, calling her derogatory names in the presence of her boyfriend."Zhuwaki calls me a prostitute and a useless woman. He used many obscene words," she testified, emphasizing that she wanted the court to order him to leave her alone.Zhuwaki, in his defense, did not deny the allegations but insisted that his actions were an attempt to discipline his sister."I only want my sister to be responsible and not to misbehave," he argued, justifying his intervention after finding her with a man in the house.After hearing both parties, Presiding Magistrate Ms. Meenal Narotam ruled in favor of Fofo, granting her a protection order. The court ordered Zhuwaki to refrain from any further verbal or physical abuse towards his sister, ensuring her safety and well-being. Russian missile strike kills one, injures three in Kyiv, says Ukraine Manjiri Patil USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump administration retracts erroneous email ordering Ukrainians to leave: 'No action will be taken' Chhabi Kala USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trumps cyber shake-up sparks alarm as US dismantles key defences amid rising threats from China and Russia Deblina Halder USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump signals tariffs are here to stay as global markets reel and allies seek exemptions Chhabi Kala USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept US business leaders at a loss to counter Trump's tariffs in fear of retaliation & profound uncertainty Deblina Halder USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept News / National by Staff reported Zimbabwe's tourism sector continues to be a key driver of economic growth, with the country recording approximately 1.5 million arrivals in the first quarter of the year. Of these, 70 percent were returning residents from the diaspora, underscoring the strong ties between Zimbabwe and its citizens living abroad.Speaking at the First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa's provincial Traditional Cookout Competition at Masvingo Polytechnic, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Babra Rwodzi emphasized the sector's vital role in the economy. She noted that tourism contributes over 12 percent to the national gross domestic product and has seen remarkable growth in international arrivals.Rwodzi credited the First Lady for Zimbabwe's resurgence as a premier tourist destination. She highlighted that the Traditional Cookout Competition, which is now an annual event, has been instrumental in promoting gastronomy tourism. Since the United Nations Regional Forum on Gastronomy for Africa was held in Victoria Falls last year, Zimbabwe has witnessed an increase in international tourist arrivals. The UN Tourism endorsement has strengthened the country's reputation, and plans are underway for Air Zimbabwe to introduce traditional meals on its flights as part of efforts to market Zimbabwean cuisine globally.This year's cookout competition took a more inclusive approach, allowing participation from people with disabilities and encouraging men to showcase their culinary skills. Minister Rwodzi praised this initiative, saying it aligns with President Mnangagwa's vision of leaving no one and no place behind. Participants were urged to use their newly acquired skills to provide catering services at hospitals, funerals, and weddings.Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira echoed Rwodzi's sentiments, stating that the competition provided a platform to celebrate the province's diverse culinary traditions. He commended the First Lady for pioneering the initiative, which has significantly contributed to the growth of Zimbabwe's gastronomy industry by creating employment opportunities and boosting household incomes.The cookout competitions have also revived interest in traditional grains, promoting healthier eating habits while preserving the country's cultural heritage. Since their inception in 2019, these events have been implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry in collaboration with provincial authorities and other government ministries.At this year's provincial competition, Courage Chirambadare from Masvingo District won in the people with disabilities category, while Masvingo Polytechnic's Dorcas Chikondere took first place in the students' category. Julius Musangeya from Clevers Hotel emerged victorious in the professional chefs' category. The national finals are set for May 25, where top culinary talents from across the country will compete. Yu Bo, a content creator on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, speaks to his camera as he records a cooking session during an interview with Reuters at his apartment in Beijing, China Feb. 26, 2025. REUTERS Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. News / National by Staff reported Zanu-PF has ramped up its campaign efforts in Glen View South as the party prepares for a decisive by-election on April 12. With all structures mobilized, teams have been deployed for roadshows and door-to-door campaigns to secure victory for the party's candidate.Speaking at a Community Engagement Meeting in Glen View, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe emphasized that service delivery remains a top priority under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration. He assured residents that the government is committed to improving living standards through various developmental programs, including road rehabilitation and access to clean water.Garwe announced that all long-term residents in council-owned houses would soon receive title deeds, allowing them to own their homes outright. He instructed residents to stop paying rent immediately, stating that past payments were sufficient to justify ownership. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve waste management, with Geo Pomona currently collecting refuse across Harare to maintain cleanliness.President Mnangagwa's initiatives, such as the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and the Presidential Borehole Scheme, were praised for their direct impact on communities. Garwe also warned municipal police against harassing vendors and housing cooperatives, promising that a new market and a furniture wholesale hub would be constructed in Glen View's Area 8.In a show of party unity, Garwe criticized former Zanu-PF Central Committee member Blessed Runesu Geza for his alleged disrespect towards President Mnangagwa and urged party members to remain loyal and avoid division.Special Advisor on Investments to the President, Dr. Paul Tungwarara, revealed that US$200,000 had been disbursed under the Presidential Revolving Fund to support local entrepreneurs in Glen View. He emphasized that the loans were accessible to all residents, providing financial assistance to both startup businesses and existing enterprises.Meanwhile, National Political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha officiated the handover of solar-powered boreholes and electricity systems in Glen View. As part of the Presidential Borehole Scheme, the initiative aims to alleviate water shortages and improve residents' quality of life. Machacha reiterated that such projects align with Zimbabwe's Vision 2030 goal of achieving a prosperous upper-middle-income economy.Zanu-PF's candidate, Tsitsi Tranquillity Tawomhera, expressed confidence in securing victory, attributing her optimism to the government's extensive developmental programs. She stated that Zanu-PF's actions, rather than force, would win the people's trust and votes."We are not going to rule by force. We are going to rule by winning the hearts of the people through our actions. Look at what Zanu-PF under the New Dispensation is doing," Tawomhera said.She is set to contest against four other candidates, including independents Tungamirai Madzokere, Tonderai Chakaredza, and George Makwangwaidze, as well as Perpetua Mukanda of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). Tawomhera expressed confidence that voters would correct their 2023 election choices by supporting Zanu-PF in the upcoming by-election.Residents have welcomed the government's interventions, with Glen View resident Mrs. Noreen Pedro expressing her gratitude. She pledged her support for President Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, citing improved electricity reliability and the provision of clean water as key reasons for her decision."I pledge my full support to the President. I want to say to him, fear not, we are behind you. We thank you for giving us reliable electricity. We will no longer experience power cuts," Pedro said.With just days remaining before the by-election, Zanu-PF is pushing to consolidate support in Glen View South, hoping to secure yet another electoral victory. California Capitol Building View Photo California voters told lawmakers last fall that they wanted doctors to get paid more to see low-income patients. But officials for the Newsom administration blew past a federal deadline to make that happen through Medi-Cal Monday, effectively leaving millions of dollars unclaimed. The unclaimed money is tied to Proposition 35, a ballot measure passed by 68% of voters in November. The measure committed money from a special tax on health insurance plans to increase payments to doctors and health care facilities that treat low-income patients in Medi-Cal, the states Medicaid program. But first the state had to submit papers to the federal government for approval. That deadline was March 31. Missing the deadline means that, for the first quarter of the year, doctors will not get the rate increases promised by the ballot measure. It also means that California will lose federal matching dollars intended to boost the Medi-Cal program during that time period. The Department of Health Care Services, the agency that oversees Medi-Cal and the implementation of Prop. 35 did not respond by publication deadline to questions from CalMatters about why the state missed the funding deadline. In recent legislative hearings, Health Care Services Director Michelle Baass stated that Californias federal application was delayed by unfilled appointments on the advisory committee established by the ballot measure to oversee spending. Enough of those appointments were filled for the committee to legally meet, but there is still one outstanding appointment. Gov. Gavin Newsoms office refused to respond to questions about why the appointment has not been made. The committee is set to meet for the first time April 14. During a February hearing, another official for the health care services department said the agency never believed it would be feasible for the state to meet the March deadline. The slow implementation is frustrating lawmakers and clinicians alike who say rate hikes are long overdue and necessary to increase access for Medi-Cal recipients. Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a Democrat from Morro Bay, said in a recent hearing that Prop. 35 was widely popular and she had supported it with the hope that rate increases would begin quickly. Lawmakers have aggressively expanded Medi-Cal benefits and eligibility in the past 10 years. Today, one in three Californians get health care through the state program. But doctors say the amount they get paid to see Medi-Cal patients hasnt increased in two decades. Addis said during the hearing that 94% of Californians now have health care coverage, but so many folks cant access providers. And what people in rural areas will point to is that providers just simply cannot afford to practice in rural areas because the reimbursement is so low. In a separate legislative hearing, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson noted that even with the unfilled position, the advisory committee has a quorum and could have met to discuss Prop. 35 implementation. This was something the voters were very, very clear aboutI dont think the residents would like for us to delay, said Weber Pierson, a Democrat and obstetrician from San Diego. It is extremely unfortunate that we will not be able to meet that first deadline and that we are just leaving funds on the table. Medi-Cal shortfall as costs increase The missed deadline comes at a time when California is confronting other Medi-Cal challenges. The state is bracing for potential federal funding cuts that are tied to budget agreements moving through Congress. And, the state program faces its own shortfall. Newsom and the Department of Health Care Services are under increased scrutiny for requesting a $6 billion state loan to carry out Medi-Cal operations through the end of the year. State Republican lawmakers were quick to pin the blame on Newsoms expansion of Medi-Cal access to all income-eligible immigrants who dont have permanent legal status. The administration defended the expansion and pointed to other cost drivers such as increasing pharmacy costs and growing senior enrollment, but acknowledged that about half of the money from the deficit is from the immigrant expansion. Newsom also blamed the Medi-Cal deficit partially on Prop. 35 in an interview with reporters earlier this month. Prop. 35 placed a lot of cost burdens as it relates to rates and so all those things have to be factored in. The voters chose that path with Prop 35, and we were clear, had strong opinions about it. The cost of (Prop. 35) would increase the cost of Medicaid and thats happening, Newsom said. Health care industry backed Prop. 35 Prior to the election, Newsom stopped short of opposing the measure but said Prop. 35s passage would limit the Legislatures ability to address future state budget deficits because it committed the money to a specific use. Prop. 35 was backed by nearly the entire health care industry, including doctors, hospitals, clinics and ambulance companies. Those groups supported the measure in part because Newsom and past governors had previously reneged on promises to increase Medi-Cal payments and instead used the health care tax money to support general government expenses. The proposition allocates $2 billion annually for 2025 and 2026 to the state general fund while reserving roughly another $2 billion for rate increases and other investments providers want. Stuart Thompson, a lobbyist for the California Medical Association, which supported the measure, advocated at a March legislative hearing for the Prop. 35 committee to meet as soon as possible. Thompson noted that some payment increases that were approved separately by the Legislature in 2023 have still not been implemented and that the state needs to work to keep the ballot measure on track. We really want to get our bang for the buck and make sure that the way that Prop 35 is implemented really enhances the care for the most needed here in California, Thompson said. ___ CalMatters reporter Alexei Koseff contributed to this story. ___ This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press. By KRISTEN HWANG/CalMatters CalMatters Harare President Emmerson Mnangagwas grip on power is facing an unexpected challenge as calls for his impeachment gain traction, despite Zanu PFs commanding two-thirds majority in Parliament. Political analysts are warning that the 82-year-old leader is not immune to removal, as the battle to succeed him intensifies within the ruling party. The impeachment threat was ignited by expelled Zanu PF central committee member Blessed Geza, a war veteran and former MP, who announced his intention to initiate impeachment proceedings against Mnangagwa. Geza, who has been a vocal critic of Mnangagwa, accusing him of corruption and incompetence, claims the president is suffering from serious dementia, rendering him unfit to govern. Geza threw the cat among the pigeons last week when he announced that he was pushing for the Zanu PF leaders impeachment. He claimed that the president was suffering from serious dementia, which made it impossible for him to run the country effectively. A draft impeachment motion has been circulating on social media, reportedly driven by a Zanu PF faction opposed to Mnangagwas loyalists efforts to extend his rule beyond 2028. The move underscores the deep divisions within Zanu PF regarding the succession issue. The process to impeach Mnangagwa would kick-start when Parliament resumes sitting, probably this week. Section 97 of Zimbabwes constitution outlines the grounds for removing a president or vice president, including serious misconduct, failure to obey, uphold or defend the constitution, wilful violation of the constitution or inability to perform the functions of the office because of mental incapacity. Once an impeachment motion has been tabled, the speaker of the National Assembly and president of the Senate are obliged to make necessary arrangements for the joint sitting of the two houses. Senior lawyer Method Ndlovu in an opinion penned for ZimLive said: What is required is half of the parliamentarians when the National Assembly and Senate is taken as one to vote for the impeachment of the president to be removed. The precedent of removing a sitting president through impeachment was set in November 2017, when Robert Mugabe was forced to resign amidst a military intervention. Zanu PF MPs joined forces with the then-opposition MDC Alliance to initiate impeachment proceedings against Mugabe, ultimately leading to his downfall. Maxwell Saungweme, a Harare-based political analyst, said Mugabes forced resignation showed that it was possible to remove a sitting president through impeachment. People did not expect that even Mugabes loyalists would defect against him, so I think anything is possible, Saungweme said I think what normally happens in Zanu PF is people are very afraid of either the intelligence or that they are being spied on and so forth, but if, depending on how they have done their mobilisation, maybe it may see the light of day, but its not easy. However, analysts are divided on the likelihood of Gezas impeachment bid succeeding. Vivid Gwede, another Harare-based political analyst, said the decimation of the opposition could work in Mangagwas favour if the impeachment motion is pursued. An impeachment would require more than a charge sheet, but the ability to influence MPs, Gwede said. Without a strong opposition and with most of the ruling party MPs at the mercy of Mnangagwa, this would be difficult. Constitutional lawyer Musa Kika said Zanu PF could count on self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu to defeat the impeachment motion. Because as it stands, Zanu PF has two thirds in the lower house, they dont have two thirds in the Senate, but if you count Tshabangu and others, they can easily vote for Zanu PF, Kika said. So for anyone who wants to remove Mnangagwa to achieve an impeachment, you must go and convince all those parliamentarians because you need at least half to vote to investigate the impeachment and then secondly you need two thirds to vote to actually impeach. Pardon Taodzera, a Harare-based political analyst, suggested that National Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda would frustrate the impeachment process because he was a Mnangagwa loyalist. President Mnangagwa wont lose sleep over any impeachment threats because the speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, is a staunch ally,Taodzera said. Mudendas control over parliamentary procedures ensures that any move against Mnangagwa would be effectively stifled. Mudenda was believed to be a staunch Mugabe disciple in 2017 but he led the impeachment process. The majority of ministers and MPs that were regarded as loyal to the Zanu PF leader at the time turned against him overnight. The infighting in Zanu PF has intensified in recent months, particularly after Mnangagwas loyalists began pushing for constitutional amendments to extend his rule to 2030. This campaign has been met with resistance from within the party, further exacerbating factional tensions. Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa claimed recently that the 2030 campaign was the presidents brain child to block Vice President Constantino Chiwenga from ascending to the presidency. Chiwenga has never publicly supported the 2030 campaign. It is understood that some in Zanu PF are now pushing for his removal from office. Mnangagwa has on more than four occasions declared in public that he would retire when his second and final term ends. Ahead of the 2023 elections Mnangagwa said he aware of an internal plot to impeach him soon after the polls. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Mutare The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) is demanding a full and transparent investigation into the death of Alfred Dzodzo, a Zimbabwean man allegedly shot dead at the Sino Africa Huijin Mine in Premier Estate, Old Mutare. Dzodzo was reportedly killed on Wednesday night by a security guard who allegedly fired directly at his face without warning, after accusing him of attempting to steal gold. In a statement released on Thursday, CNRG condemned the killing and highlighted what it described as the companys blatant disregard for human life. We also call for a thorough investigation into the killing of Alfred Dzodzo, with those responsible held accountable under the Zimbabwean law, reads part of the statement. The organisation is also calling for a comprehensive audit of Sino Africa Huijins financial activities, with particular focus on allegations of gold smuggling and organised crime. Additionally, an audit should be carried out on Sino Africa Huijins financial activities, particularly its alleged involvement in gold smuggling and organized crime, their statement reads. Following Dzodzos death, CNRG has urged the Zimbabwean government to shut down the mine, expel the Chinese operatorswho are understood to be working without a valid licenceand grant mining rights to local artisanal miners. They argue these miners deserve to benefit from the natural resources in their communities. In light of this, CNRG calls on the government to permanently shut down Sino Africa Huijin and open the site to Zimbabwean artisanal miners under the auspices of Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe. This will ensure Zimbabwean nationals can benefit from their natural resources whilst also ensure government generate revenues, part of the statement reads. The Sino Africa Huijin mine has been operating illegally since its licence expired in 2023, a situation that CNRG claims has continued with the full knowledge of the government, including the Environmental Management Agency (EMA). This was reportedly confirmed to Parliament two years ago. Sino Africa Huijin is no stranger to controversy. In January this year, Taurai Dozva died mysteriously while on night duty at the mine. The Chinese offered his family US$2,000 as compensation a plaster on a gaping wound. In November 2023, CNRG implored Parliament to shut down the mine due to environmental crimes and exploitative labour practices. The company also reportedly smuggles unprocessed gold out of the country, robbing Zimbabwe of crucial revenue, a financial haemorrhage bleeding the nation dry. Reports of killings and abusive labour practices by Chinese nationals at Zimbabwean mining sites are rampant, a grim tapestry woven with threads of exploitation. The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Society (ZELA) and other labour rights activists have condemned these killings. A violent confrontation at Bijou Farm in Gweru on January 21 further illustrates the tension. A worker demanding unpaid wages clashed with supervisors, igniting outrage on social media and strengthening calls for action against exploitative Chinese investors. The incident involved Kholwani Dube, an excavator operator employed by Ming Chang Sino-Africa Mining Investments. Beyond its appalling human rights and safety record, Sino Africa Huijin is accused of siphoning gold from Zimbabwe. Workers allege that much of the gold they mine goes undeclared, disappearing into the pockets of the Chinese owners. The CNRGs demands reflect growing concerns over the treatment of Zimbabwean workers by Chinese-run mining operations. Critics accuse authorities of turning a blind eye to labour violations and illegal activities, fostering a climate of impunity. The death of Alfred Dzodzo has reignited this debate, prompting renewed calls for government intervention and greater accountability within the mining sector. A Bindura man is behind bars after being convicted of attempting to murder his mother-in-law, while in Beitbridge, a festive gathering descended into violence, leaving one man fighting for his life after a vicious knife attack. Brian Mawadza (49) of Chihuri compound in Bindura, has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to kill his mother-in-law, Mercy Mupfuudza (59). Bindura regional magistrate Sandra Mapindu handed down the sentence on Friday, sending a strong message that such violent acts will not be tolerated. The magistrate conditionally suspended one year on condition of good behaviour. Prosecutor Edward Katsvairo presented the details of the case, telling the court that on January 1, Mawadza went to his mother-in-laws residence demanding to know the whereabouts of his wife, who had left their home without informing him. Mupfuudza told Mawadza that her daughter had not come to her place of residence. He became violent and assaulted his mother in-law with a wooden log on the head and she collapsed. The brutal attack left Mupfuudza unconscious after being struck on the head. She was quickly assisted by neighbours and rushed to Bindura Hospital, where she received medical treatment for her injuries. In court, Mawadza was found guilty of attempting to kill Mupfuudza through his violent actions. The magistrate expressed the gravity of the assault and noted that such behaviour would not be tolerated. Mupfuudza is currently recovering from her injuries, while Mawadza now faces the consequences of his actions. The case serves as a stark reminder that violent behaviour, particularly within family settings, has severe legal repercussions. Beitbridge Brawl Turns Bloody Meanwhile, in Madaulo under Chief Matibe, a festive gathering turned into a scene of bloodshed when two men allegedly launched a vicious knife attack during the early hours of 31 March 2025 leaving one man hospitalised and fighting for his life. According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Walter Mbedzi (20) and Bildard Sibanda (26) now face attempted murder charges after the violent altercation erupted at what was supposed to be a celebration. The chaos began when Mbedzi allegedly assaulted Edwin Moyo, the younger brother of the complainant William Moyo (33). Things quickly spiralled into a full-blown fistfight involving other revellers. But fists turned to blades, with Mbedzi accused of stabbing William in the chest, and Sibanda allegedly slashing his right arm. The victim suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Beitbridge District Hospital. He was briefly discharged, only to be readmitted the next day due to complications. The matter has been remanded to 10 April 2025, while William remains in hospital, and tensions in the community simmer. The NPAZ warned the public about the dangers of violence at social gatherings: Disputes must be resolved peacefully. Carrying weapons to public events puts lives at risk, reads the official statement. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare A Wedza man who impersonated a police officer to abduct and rape a young woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Marondera Magistrates Court. Meanwhile, in Harare, five Zimbabweans based in South Africa have each been handed 10-year jail terms for their involvement in a foiled kidnapping plot stemming from a fraudulent gas tanker deal. The Wedza predator, whose name has been withheld to protect the victim, pounced on his 20-year-old victim on 26 December 2024. The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) reports that the incident occurred after the victims uncles car ran out of fuel near Wedza. Seizing his opportunity, the 23-year-old fiend falsely arrested her for loitering. He then dragged her to Nyamidzi shops where he robbed her at knife-point before forcing her into his red Honda Fit and driving her to his home for a vile assault. In a daring midnight escape, the traumatised victim fled half-naked after the rapist left to pick up a friend in Maonedzo village. She stumbled to a nearby mine, where a quick-thinking miner gave her clothes and alerted her family. Wedza Police swiftly arrested the brute, while medical tests at Mt. St. Marys Hospital sealed his fate. Dodgy Gas Deal Leads to Kidnapping Plot In a separate case, five Zimbabweans based in South Africa have been sentenced to 10 years each after a gas tanker deal spiralled into a foiled kidnapping plot. On 4 April 2025, according to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Moses Monde (37), Malvin Manzinde (45), Malvin Tatenda Nyamuranga (33), Nobert Muponda (45), and Joshua Mapuranga (41)were convicted by the Harare Magistrates Court for conspiring to kidnap and assault a complainant who trusted them with a jaw-dropping US$800 000 investment. The five posed as legitimate businessmen with ties to a Turkish supplier, promising to secure seven Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tankers and build a gas plant in Harare. But once the money changed hands, the so-called entrepreneurs pulled a vanishing act, leaving their client high and dry. Suspicions peaked when the complainant contacted the Turkish company and was told only US$132,000 had been received. Smelling a scam, the complainant pestered the crewwho, instead of owning up, plotted to snatch and silence him. Their first ploy? Lure him to South Africa. When that flopped, they jetted into Harare on 4 March, armed to the teeth, to stake out his house. Luckily, their target was nowhere to be found, and they fled back to SA empty-handed. But the tables turned when the savvy complainant played their game, luring them back into Zimbabwe. Cops pounced, and the elaborate web of lies was finally untangled. Now, the gang will be spending a decade behind bars, proving what the NPAZs bulletins always boldly declare. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares There are reports that DOGE is going global as the tech industry and other oligarchs the world over use their politicians to reframe austerity and privatization through the lens of innovation. Countries like Germany, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India either already have their iteration of DOGE or are looking at creating it. Musk, the worlds richest man and libertarian government contractor weirdo at the center of DOGE has also cultivated close ties with governments in Hungary, Italy, Israel, and is inserting himself along with the US government into the politics of South Africa, Brazil, and other nations. The conservative-DOGE-tech alliance might put up the appearance of opposition to the grating virtue signaling of the liberal Davos cabal, but theyre two sides of the same coin. Samuel Huntington, who came up with the label Davos man, argues that members of this global elite have little need for national loyalty, view national boundaries as obstacles that thankfully are vanishing, and see national governments as residues from the past whose only useful function is to facilitate the elites global operations. As the dust settles on Trumps Liberation Day tariffs, there are arguments that this plan has little to do with boosting American manufacturing and more with extorting better deals for US-based oligarchs in the neoliberal trade model, hurting China, and shock therapy on a civilizational scale. The administration is reportedly already in negotiations with countries like India, Israel, and Vietnam over deals. Maybe nowhere are the administrations intentions more clear than in the fact that hours before the announced tariffs Trump and Musk gutted the program that aids American manufacturers. Well see where Liberation Day leads, but if DOGE marks the next stage of global neoliberalism (according to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the future belongs to authoritarian capitalism), it shouldnt come as a surprise that the world is embracing DOGE much the same way it did when US President Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher legitimized neoliberalism nearly a half century ago. As DOGE helps reconcile US elites, can it also lead the march towards what Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says is a future belonging to authoritarian capitalism across the world? Exploitative Success Stories Any regular reader of this site will need no reminder of how decades of neoliberalism has shredded the American social fabric. We can list almost infinite economic statistics, but maybe nowhere is it more evident in Americans increasing belief that they dont belong, that they have no community, and there are no values holding the country together. Thats unsurprising when anything and everything is justified in pursuit of the almighty dollar and learn to code and/or move is the credo of the party that used to at least feign representation of the working class. On the bright side, a lack of community is easily exploitable. And all the social harm goes hand in hand with obscene benefits for the wealthiest. That is the great selling point among the global elite as theyre called who do seem to have a strong sense of community. Part of the ineffectiveness in countering them is the identity politics that has infected the politics at the same time of neoliberalisms explosion. Consider the following article I came across recently: Split Apart: How Unchecked Capitalism and Integration Divided the ADOS Community. Its from Lineage First Magazine and is co-written by AI, but it describes how the civil rights era opened doors to advancement but that predatory capitalism fostered the exploitation of the marginalized while enriching a few. Essentially, a small percentage of African Americans were allowed to enjoy the riches of American capitalism while the rest continue to toil in poverty, and the US called it a success and a day. This isnt too dissimilar to the success story Vice President JD Vance peddles about his rise from poor white Appalachia. In many ways these American rags to riches stories are reminiscent of US imperial strategy as DOGE goes global. Europe is a fine example with its overreliance on the US and seemingly limitless number of compradores in leadership positions. They all seem to know that even if they lay waste to Europe, they can follow in the path of former World Economic Forum Young Leader, British Prime Minister, and war criminal Tony Blair. After he left government he began operating a dizzying, and often overlapping, web of charities, firms, and foundations that have catapulted him to the status of one of Britains wealthiest people . He travels around giving interviews warning against the dangers of populism and free public services a task that is no doubt more difficult with Jeffrey Epsteins Lolita Express no longer offering him free rides. There are plenty of other examples of EU officials following in Blairs footsteps. Former EU Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton quickly became an advisor at Bank of America, getting a waiver to bypass a rule that requires a two-year waiting period before starting lobbying jobs. David Cameron recently joined Jeb Bushs private equity firm. Zelensky and company in Ukraine are maybe the best case study, however. Here is Dmitri Kovalevich writing at Al Mayadeen: The Ukrainian political elite has always been famous for its skills in mimicry. Many started out as Soviet functionaries, then became pro-Russian politicians. Today, most are flirting with far-right Ukrainian nationalism and neo-Nazism. More than coincidentally, Zelensky is a mimic and comedian by profession. The dictionary definition explains that a comedian is someone who entertains audiences using many techniques, one of which is mimicry and impression. Ukrainian publicist Serhiy Datsyuk says the Ukrainian elite has done nothing but plunder the countrys people and resources for the past 30 years, and Ukrainians are beginning to recognize this across the board. He writes, It is very difficult to destroy half of the countrys population in 30 years, but we managed. This shows that we Ukrainians dont need Ukraine, and therefore no one else needs it, either. Our elite has robbed the country of resources and infrastructure and did not give a damn about the people. In his opinion, it is pointless to save Ukraine under Western tutelage because the country is in freefall and there is nothing left to save in such a format. The creation of external enemies, that is, the Russians, has been just another excuse for the authorities to relieve themselves of responsibility. In January, a statement by Vitaliy Portnikov, a well-known Ukrainian journalist and a columnist of the US-funded Radio Liberty, emphasized the class division of society which has only intensified during the war. His words resonated widely in Ukrainian society. According to him, the very essence of a Western-inspired democratic society is that the poor should perish while the rich should prosper. Despite her disastrous time in office, German Foreign Minister and coincidentally another former WEF Young Leader like Blair, Annalena Baerbock still provided one of the finest summaries when she explained why she doesnt listen to Germans concerns over job losses or freezing. Her real concern is Ukraine by which she means those looking to profit off the slaughter. With elites like this, whats to prevent the duplication of Ukraine elsewhere? Professor Sergey Karaganov, honorary chairman of Russias Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and academic supervisor at the School of International Economics and Foreign Affairs Higher School of Economics in Moscow writes the following: Sending Ukrainian cannon fodder to slaughter, they are preparing a new oneEastern Europeans from a number of Balkan states, Romania and Poland. They have begun to deploy mobile bases, where contingents of potential landsknechts are trained. They will try to continue the war not only to the last Ukrainian, but soon to the last Eastern European Why might the Russians want a deal even though theyre winning in Ukraine? The prospect of many more years fighting to subdue Eastern Europe (again) could be one reason. There are potentially others. Dystopian Multipolarity Russia is not fighting for much of a different vision of societal organization, nor is China. As Michael Hudson has explained time and again, the true battle being waged is between financial oligarchy on behalf of the Davos crowd and a mixed public-private economy in places like Russia, China, and elsewhere in the global south. In simple terms, they are what the US was before the neoliberal revolution, but Hudson also recently commented on The Duran on how neoliberalism is whats taught at Chinese universities and is conquering the world. Do Russia and China simply want to build up their countries using mixed economies like the US did in order to settle into a seat equal to Washington at the global neoliberal table? Fiorella Isabel, Vanessa Beeley, and others are contemplating how a Russia-US detente will herald a new carving up and exploitation of West Asia while cementing some of Greater Israels designs on the region. China, by most accounts, is in the lead in the race to replace human labor. And both countries purchase and use Israeli surveillance and population control tech. As Antony Loewenstein documents in his book The Palestine Laboratory, companies like Any Vision developed a system for mass surveillance of Palestinians, and now operates in over 40 countries, including Russia, China, and the US. To be fair, China and Russia are more willing to play by international rules, are agreement-capable, and currently fear tearing their social fabric apart all statements that cannot be made about the US. China isnt afraid to cut oligarchs down to size, although for what reasons isnt exactly always clear. In Russia, Putin recently announced healthcare for the homeless. The US appeals to greed and has no concern for any potential destabilization that impoverishing country will create. But while the opposition to American hegemony and win-win deals championed by Moscow and Beijing are welcome, they are often for the elites of countries and not necessarily workers or for the environment. Both China and Russia are seeing rising levels of economic inequality. So what is the fighting with Russia and confrontation with China really about? VP Vance provided a neat summary recently when he explained how he (and his tech overlords) want other countries trapped at the bottom of the value chain. While talks with Russia currently appear to be taking the long train to nowhere, we can see what the US is after: mineral deals, infrastructure, a deal to weasel its way into a reopening of the Nord Stream pipelines. In other words, US plutocrats are after rent-seeking opportunities. Its similar with China, although a taller order as it involves keeping China down, but the U.S.-China Phase One trade agreement during Trumps first term helps show us. From Foreign Policy: At the time, [Trump] lauded the historic agreement as righting the wrongs of the past. He was proud of securing Chinas commitment to purchase at least $200 billion worth of U.S. goods and services over a two-year period. The agreement went even further, obligating China to strengthen its intellectual property regime, curtail technology transfer requirements, lift barriers to U.S. agriculture exports, and refrain from currency manipulation. China lived up to most of these commitments but fell short on its purchasing obligations. Now Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US is engaging in economic warfare against China to lure Beijing to the negotiating table. Negotiate over what exactly? This could include demanding more in terms of intellectual property protection, agriculture, and technology transfer while adding new areas of focus, such as cloud computing. Lessons could be drawn from the first go-around regarding purchasing commitments: making targets more realistic, conducting more regular progress monitoring, and realigning products of interest with what the U.S. private sector is ready to sell. U.S. negotiators should try to curb Chinas use of subsidies and financial assistance and address the factors leading to excess production, such as limited domestic demand. But they shouldnt be surprised if these efforts dont gain traction. Washington might also consider an accommodation aimed at limiting U.S. imports of unfairly traded Chinese products. Rather than imposing unilateral high tariffs, this could be accomplished by setting quantitative limits on select Chinese exports, like batteries an agreement with Beijing must also consider its growing investments in third-country markets, particularly in the automotive and electronics sectors. Strengthened anti-circumvention measures, stricter rules of origin, greater operations transparency, and even export bans on specific Chinese companies would concretely address U.S. concerns about these investments. Thats, umm, a lot, and would basically assure that the US gets to pump the brakes on Chinas rise, which Beijing isnt likely to accept, and so Chinas ambitions are beyond what US plutocrats can stomach. And Putin mostly remains a villain because he put an end to Western-directed shock therapy in Russia. If we take a step back from the great game, however, we see that whether deals are ultimately worked out or the conflicts continue, the spoils are increasingly pieces of a pandemic-ravaged, labor-decimated, climate-collapsed world. Altering that trajectory requires more than a changing of the guard. Conor here: Im picking up an overarching theme here from Team Trump. By Kevin Hardy, who covers business, labor and rural issues for Stateline from the Midwest. Cross posted from Minnesota Reformer. Anna Pesek saw a federal program supporting local food purchases as much more than a boost to her Iowa pork and poultry farm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture grant program that allowed schools and food banks to buy fresh products from small farms helped her forge new business relationships. It allowed her to spend more with local feed mills and butchers, and was starting to build a stronger supply chain of local foods. But now that the Trump administration has yanked the funding, she worries that rural economic boost might end too. With the razor-thin margins on both sides, those partnerships are just really hard, if not impossible, to sustain, she said. The co-owner of Over the Moon Farm, Pesek said her operation was never entirely reliant on the local food programs; it represented about 10% of her business. While she knew the federal money wouldnt last forever, she was planning on the funding lasting through 2028 but then the Trump administration last month nixed more than $1 billion for local food programs. The federally funded Local Food Purchase Assistance and the Local Food for Schools programs, both begun during the pandemic, focused on small, local farms in aims of building stronger domestic food supply chains. Grants allowed schools and food banks to buy meat, dairy and produce from small farms including many healthy products that are often too expensive for those institutions. USDAs local food programs specifically aided some of the nations most disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, including newcomers, small farmers and those who have faced racial discrimination. The local food programs were initially funded by 2021s American Rescue Plan Act but were later expanded by the Biden administration. The Trump administration, though, has cut the funding that went to thousands of small farms, saying that its instead prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact. Pesek noted that the federal government has subsidized commodity agriculture like corn and soybeans for more than a century. Its not a novel idea, right? This is how the relationship between the federal government and farmers has looked, she said. And so all this program did was allocate some of the funds to go to different kinds of farmers versus just commodity farmers. Just after cutting the local food programs, USDA announced it was expediting $10 billion in direct payments to commodity farmers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, which helps farmers offset high input prices and low sale prices for crops. The White House is reportedly considering billions more in farm subsidies as President Donald Trump escalates global trade wars. Andy Ollove, food access program director at Fresh Approach, a California nonprofit that works on building a healthier and more resilient food system, said the governments long-standing farm subsidies flow to some of the nations biggest operators. Conversely, the local food programs benefited small farmers and communities directly. The economic multiplier to this program just seems way more impactful than the traditional subsidy model of the USDA that the administration is continuing to invest in, he said. Its just a giveaway. Fresh Approach has helped administer the food bank program in California. While implementation delays mean farmers wont lose access to the program as quickly as in other states, he expects elimination of the program to put small farmers out of business across the country. Some states have launched their own local food programs, but nothing on the scale of the federal investment. Thats left advocates for small farmers, local foods and food banks pushing for reinstatement of the federal program or getting it included in the next round of farm bill negotiations, when Congress outlines a five- or six-year spending plan for the nations food policy and agriculture sector. Ollove expects philanthropists will fund parts of Californias program after federal money is depleted. But it wont have the same reach. I do feel confident that these types of programs will continue in California sporadically and piecemeal, he said. But not in the way that were administering it, in a way that I think is changing a lot of things and improving the food system. A Mixed Response from the States The noncompetitive USDA local food grants allowed many new farmers to break into markets. And the aid for food hubs, which link small producers to larger markets, helped farmers distribute products to schools and food banks. In Wisconsin, for example, more than half of the nearly 300 farmers who benefited from the food bank program were early career farmers, according to state officials. In Illinois, the state prioritized funds toward socially disadvantaged farmers, such as those who have faced racial or ethnic prejudice. Attacking this program was really an attack on Illinois most vulnerable, whether its a socially disadvantaged farmer or the food recipient, said Kristi Jones, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Her department administered the federal food bank program, which helped beginning farmers get their businesses off the ground. A lot of these farmers, theyre living their dreams, she said. They are living their goals because of this program. Illinois had been planning on nearly $15 million from the next round of funding for the food bank program. Jones said farmers already had begun planning and spending on seeds and equipment. You just dont put something on the ground and have the product the next day, she said. So that uncertainty was incredibly challenging for farmers who already deal with enough uncertainty. Democratic leaders have bashed the Trump administrations decision: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, for example, called it a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed. But conservative leaders in other states have downplayed the cuts. In Texas, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller characterized USDAs decision as a reassessment. He said the state was not dependent on the federal funds and would continue its Farm to School and Farm to Food Bank programs, which encourage the local purchase of Texas agricultural products. Theres always room for refinement, and we may see a revised version of the policy down the road that is even better for agriculture producers, he said in a statement last month. Texas funds programs to help distribute excess food to schools, food banks and charities. But it does not have a grant program like USDAs to help those organizations purchase local food, said Marshall Webb, spokesperson for the state agriculture department. Iowas agriculture department recently started its own local food program. The Choose Iowa program has made about $300,000 available to support local food purchases though the state lost out on about $11.3 million because of the federal cuts. Don McDowell, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, said the agency would continue to ask lawmakers to expand funding for the Choose Iowa program. Programs designed to forge relationships between Iowa farmers, food hubs, food banks and schools are important to our farmers and communities, he said. Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Heley Lehman said his organization, which represents family farmers and ranchers, would like to see the state step in to fill the void. But we dont anticipate that thats going to be an easy thing for the state of Iowa to do, he said. So not only is it local farmers that are feeling like theyve had the rug pulled out from underneath them, but the state of Iowa has, too. Creating a New Food System In Southern California, Dickinson Family Farms has worked to gather produce from dozens of small farms across the region, allowing even the smallest operators without distribution capabilities to sell to local food banks. Andrew Dickinson, who owns the farm with his father, said the federal local food program also helped reduce food waste. Farmers were able to get fair market prices for vegetables with cosmetic damage or fruits deemed too small or large for grocery store shelves. Dickinson said the federal program has provided a reliable marketplace for small operators that otherwise depend on more inconsistent sales streams like farmers markets. It will create a vacuum, he said. About 60 miles east of Los Angeles, sixth-generation farmer Anna Knight said the federal funds were much more than a handout to farmers. To her, they were about creating a new kind of food system. She said supporting local producers creates more supply chain resilience something many people didnt appreciate until the pandemic. We dont want to go back to that world, she said. When we invest in our local food system, were really investing on onshoring our food production system, on making new food systems local and increasing their resiliency in moments of crisis. Old Grove Orange, her California farm, has been supplying citrus to some local school systems for years. But she said the federal funds were the single biggest changemaker for pushing schools to buy local for the first time. To her, thats key in promoting lifelong healthy eating: Local produce like her freshly picked oranges pack more of a nutritional punch and just taste better than produce that takes weeks to ship from abroad. When you are giving a child a delicious piece of fruit, you are really cultivating their palate for life, she said. You are setting this expectation of what a fruit is supposed to taste like, and you are sparking this love for fruits and vegetables for the rest of their life. Knight said the nation doesnt have to choose between big and small farms. But small farms are vanishing all around her. This is a ticking bomb, she said. The clock is running out if we dont really find a way to help make these small, medium-sized farms sustainable. News / National by Staff reporter The City of Bulawayo has launched a major initiative to restore Central and Centenary Parks, two of the city's most iconic recreational spaces, following years of neglect that left the once-vibrant parks in a state of disrepair. The move comes with the appointment of a dedicated committee tasked with overseeing the redevelopment and management of the two parks.Central and Centenary Parks, which lie between the city's Suburbs area and the Central Business District, were historically cherished green spaces where residents would gather for leisure, weddings, and study groups. Separated by the Bulawayo-Gwanda Road, the parks once featured lush lawns, shady trees, and the well-known Centenary Park fountain - a popular backdrop for wedding photos and family outings. Over time, however, the parks lost their charm, succumbing to overgrowth, poor maintenance, and reduced activity.In response to public concern and a growing demand to restore the city's recreational spaces, Bulawayo City Council has formed a seven-member committee to manage the rehabilitation project. According to a recent council report, the committee will be chaired by Mr Jonathan Jere, with Mr Shepherd Ndlovu serving as his deputy. Mr Emmanuel Sibanda has been appointed secretary, assisted by Ms Laura Nyathi as vice secretary. Mr Nkosana Mazibisa will serve as treasurer, while Mr Martin Msere and Mrs Thobekile Moyo complete the team as members.The committee is expected to drive the redevelopment efforts by engaging various stakeholders and partners, including corporate sponsors and community organisations. Council noted that as far back as November 2014, 18 organisations had expressed interest in partnering with the local authority to restore the parks. The newly formed committee will now work to revive those conversations and secure resources to support the revitalisation programme.As part of its mandate, the committee will raise funds, assist in landscaping and tree planting, and ensure the approved redevelopment plans are implemented effectively. It will also be responsible for promoting the parks as safe and beautiful public spaces for relaxation and social interaction. Importantly, the committee will operate independently of council structures to avoid red tape and bureaucratic delays that may slow down the project.Council has pledged to provide support through its Department of Parks and Recreational Services, which will supply tools, equipment, and plant materials needed for the parks' makeover. The committee will hold quarterly meetings to monitor progress and coordinate with city officials.The community has welcomed the initiative with cautious optimism. Mrs Elina Mhlanga, a resident of Tshabalala suburb, said Centenary Park once stood as a proud symbol of Bulawayo's beauty and cultural heritage."Centenary Park used to be the pride of the city in its heyday before council abandoned it. It was a place where we would go for photos and family time. Now it's almost forgotten. We hope council will follow through and restore it so we can enjoy it once again," she said.For years, Central and Centenary Parks provided much-needed open space for Bulawayo's residents, from students at nearby institutions such as Bulawayo Polytechnic and NUST, to families looking for peaceful places to unwind. With the new redevelopment effort now underway, the city hopes to breathe new life into these landmarks and restore their place at the heart of Bulawayo's social and cultural life. Chief Justice Roberts faces scrutiny over ties to anti-Trump legal strategist Norm Eisen Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is facing scrutiny for his close personal relationship with Norm Eisen, a Democratic legal strategist and former Obama administration official involved in prosecuting President Donald Trump and his allies. The controversy arose after Eisen revealed that Roberts stayed at his 150-room estate in the Czech Republic for a week, raising concerns about potential judicial conflicts of interest. The revelation has sparked criticism, particularly from conservative circles and legal watchdogs, with some arguing for Roberts' recusal from Trump-related cases and others demanding his resignation. Eisen is known for his role in implementing "color revolution" strategies and has been a key figure in the impeachment proceedings against Trump, drafting articles of impeachment and serving as special counsel in the Ukraine impeachment. The relationship between Roberts and Eisen has raised significant questions about judicial integrity and public trust, with critics arguing that it undermines the perception of judicial neutrality and erodes public confidence in the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is under intense scrutiny following revelations that he maintained a close personal relationship with Norm Eisen, a prominent Democratic legal strategist and former Obama administration official who has been instrumental in efforts to prosecute President Donald Trump and his allies. The controversy erupted after Eisen publicly acknowledged that Roberts spent a week at his 150-room estate in the Czech Republic, raising concerns about potential judicial conflicts of interest. A week in the Czech Republic: The revelation In a recent interview with Pantsuit Politics LLC, Norm Eisen, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic and is known for his role in the impeachment efforts against Trump, confirmed the close relationship. "I know the chief justice well. He stayed when I was ambassador, stayed under my roof, came and spent a week with us. We worked on American and European rule of law issues together," Eisen stated. The revelation has sparked a firestorm of criticism, particularly from conservative circles and legal watchdogs. Critics argue that Roberts' personal ties to Eisen, a figure deeply involved in legal strategies against Trump, create a "blatant, in-your-face conflict of interest." Political commentator The Researcher tweeted, "John should resign or recuse himself from all of the lawsuit cases that Norm and his partners have filed that are working their way to the SC." Norm Eisen: The legal architect Norm Eisen's background is steeped in legal and political activism. He is widely recognized for his role in implementing "color revolution" strategies, which involve coordinated legal, media and political pressure to challenge the legitimacy of sitting governments. Eisen's involvement in the Transition Integrity Project, which conducted war games predicting a contested election scenario unfavorable to Trump, further underscores his influence in shaping the legal landscape against the former president. Eisen's efforts have been multifaceted. He has been a key figure in the impeachment proceedings against Trump, drafted articles of impeachment and served as special counsel in the Ukraine impeachment. His work has often been described as part of a broader "lawfare" strategy, using legal means to achieve political ends. Judicial integrity and public trust The relationship between Roberts and Eisen has raised significant questions about judicial integrity and public trust. Chief Justice Roberts has previously been linked to a small group of federal judges with deep ties to cases targeting Trump, including U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, Beryl Howell and Amit Mehta, as well as Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Roberts appointed Boasberg to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) in 2014, a role that later involved authorizing surveillance related to the Trump campaign and administration. Roberts' public rebuke of Trump after the president called for the impeachment of several federal judges involved in politically charged prosecutions has further fueled suspicions of bias. Critics argue that Roberts' comments, combined with the Eisen revelations, erode the perception of judicial neutrality. Calls for recusal and resignation The mounting pressure on Chief Justice Roberts to address the implications of his relationship with Eisen has led to calls for his recusal from all Trump-related cases. Some, like The Researcher, have gone further, demanding Roberts' resignation. Mike Benz, a former State Department official and cyber security researcher, has amplified these calls, questioning the nature of the work Roberts and Eisen conducted during their week together in the Czech Republic. "Norm Eisen and John Roberts worked on American and European rule of law issues," Benz said, "but what exactly did they work on? These so-called 'rule of law' initiatives often mask power grabs over courts and legal systems." Conclusion The revelation of Chief Justice John G. Roberts' close ties to Norm Eisen has ignited a fierce debate about judicial integrity and the potential for bias in politically charged cases. As the nation's highest-ranking judge, Roberts' silence on the implications of this relationship is no longer tenable. The public's growing concern over the integrity of the Supreme Court underscores the critical need for transparency and impartiality in the judicial system. Whether Roberts will recuse himself or face further scrutiny remains to be seen, but the current controversy has undoubtedly shaken the foundations of public trust in the highest court in the land. Sources include: YourNews.com Revolver.news TrendingPoliticsNews.com Florida Senate passes bill banning geoengineering and weather modification and Governor DeSantis has indicated it will become law Florida Senate passes SB-56, dubbed the "chemtrails bill," by a vote of 28-9. The bill prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals into the atmosphere for weather or climate modification. It requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to set up a reporting system for suspected geoengineering activities. Governor Ron DeSantis supports the bill but criticizes the House version for being watered down. If passed, Florida would become the second state to ban geoengineering, following Tennessee. In a significant move that has sparked both praise and controversy, the Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 56 (SB-56) on Thursday, prohibiting geoengineering and weather modification activities within the state. The bill, often referred to as the "chemtrails bill," passed with a strong majority vote of 28-9, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over atmospheric interventions. The bill's provisions and public concerns SB-56 explicitly bans the "injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight." This prohibition comes in response to widespread public concerns about the potential health and environmental impacts of geoengineering practices. Bill sponsor Senator Ileana Garcia emphasized the importance of the legislation, noting that her constituents have repeatedly expressed concerns about "condensation trails, aka chemtrails." She stated, "Theres a lot of skepticism. I have a problem with people spraying perfume around me sometimes, dont you have a problem with people spraying things into the atmosphere that really have no type of empirical data, that you just dont know who they are or what theyre doing?" The bill also mandates that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) establish a system for residents to report suspected geoengineering activities. The FDEP will be responsible for investigating these claims, ensuring that any unauthorized atmospheric interventions are addressed promptly. This will ultimately lead to paranoid claims about jet contrails, sparking multiple investigations that come up empty. Desantis supports a ban on chemtrails Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo voiced his support for the bill, highlighting the potential health risks associated with geoengineering. "Big thanks to Senator Garcia for leading efforts to reduce geoengineering and weather modification activities in our Florida skies," Ladapo posted on X. "These planes release aluminum, sulfates, and other compounds with unknown and harmful effects on human health. We have to keep fighting to clean up the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat." However, Governor Ron DeSantis, while supportive of the bill, expressed frustration with the House version, which he described as "gutted." The House version of the bill does not outright ban weather modification but requires a license for such activities, with less severe penalties. DeSantis stated, "The Florida House of Representatives has gutted Sen. Garcias legislation, and they would actually codify the practice of geoengineering and weather modification." Broader implications and national trends If SB-56 is passed by the Florida House and signed into law, Florida will join Tennessee as the second state to ban geoengineering. Tennessee's law, which went into effect on July 1, 2024, sets a precedent that other states are now following. Over two dozen states, including Kentucky, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and South Dakota, have introduced similar legislation in 2024 and 2025, indicating a growing national movement against atmospheric interventions. California-based attorney Nicole Shanahan applauded the bill, emphasizing the need to expose the entities funding geoengineering projects. "Banning geoengineering at the state level is a good start, but real change happens when we expose the bad actors who have been funding these projects and are heavily invested in preventing an end to this at the federal level," Shanahan wrote on X. The debate over geoengineering is not new. For decades, concerns have been raised about the potential unintended consequences of large-scale atmospheric interventions. Critics argue that these practices, often funded by powerful entities like the World Economic Forum and individuals like Bill Gates, could exacerbate environmental problems rather than solve them. RFK Jr., in an interview last year, warned that these projects are often driven by a desire for more social control. "They aggravate the problem then sell us the solution," he explained, adding, "The solution they want is more social controls." As Florida stands on the brink of becoming the second state to ban geoengineering, the implications are far-reaching. The bill not only addresses immediate public health and environmental concerns but also sends a strong message about the need for transparency and accountability in scientific and technological interventions. The question remains: Will other states follow suit, and how will this movement impact the broader conversation on climate change and environmental stewardship? Sources include: AMGreatness.com FLSenate.gov WFLA.com Putin launches largest military call-up since 2011 amid escalating tensions President Vladimir Putin has initiated Russia's largest conscription since 2011, drafting 160,000 young men and women (ages 1830) to expand its military to 2.39 million personnel. The move signals Russias long-term military commitment amid the Ukraine conflict, despite claims that conscripts wont be sent to Ukraine. France and Britain are considering deploying troops to Ukraine to secure a peace deal, though the proposal lacks unanimous EU support. France announced a 2 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including tanks and air defenses. Russia links conscription increases to NATOs expansion (including Sweden/Finland) and "growing threats." Meanwhile, Ukrainian infrastructure attacks (e.g., 45,000 left without power in Kherson) fuel calls for sustained sanctions. The conflict risks a broader NATO-Russia confrontation. U.S. involvement in peace talks faces hurdles due to Russias aggression and Europes fragmented response. The outcome could reshape global security and alliances. In a move that has sent shockwaves through Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin has initiated the largest military call-up since 2011, conscripting 160,000 young men and women into the Russian military. This significant increase in troop strength comes as tensions continue to escalate in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with France and Britain mulling plans to deploy troops to the region to secure a peace deal. The call-up, which takes place between April and July, is part of a broader strategy to expand Russia's military to almost 2.39 million personnel, including 1.5 million active servicemen, over the next three years. Russia's military expansion and strategic intentions The spring call-up, which is 10,000 higher than the same period in 2024, is a clear indication of Russia's commitment to maintaining a strong military presence in the region. Vice Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, a Russian military official, stated that the new conscripts would not be sent to fight in Ukraine. However, this claim is met with skepticism, given reports of conscripts being killed in border regions and the early deployment of conscripts to Ukraine during the initial stages of the conflict. The expansion of the draft age from 27 to 30 has also increased the pool of eligible conscripts, a move that underscores Russia's determination to bolster its military ranks. The Kremlin has linked this expansion to "growing threats" from both the war in Ukraine and the "ongoing expansion of NATO," which has recently welcomed Finland and Sweden as new members. European response and diplomatic efforts In response to Russia's military buildup, France and Britain are considering deploying troops to Ukraine to help secure a peace deal. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer have emphasized the importance of a European-led force to deter further Russian aggression. However, the proposal has not gained unanimous support among European nations, with some expressing concerns about the potential for a broader conflict. Macron stated, "These reassurance forces are a French-British proposal. It is desired by Ukraine and noted by several member states that have expressed their willingness to join. It is not unanimous. That is known. Besides, we do not need unanimity to achieve it." The French and British military officials are working with Ukraine to determine the deployment locations and the number of troops needed to make the force credible. The summit of leaders from nearly 30 countries, including NATO and EU chiefs, highlighted the ongoing diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire. However, the talks have been complicated by Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and its refusal to fully comply with recent agreements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of "playing games and playing for time" while also calling for the continuation of economic sanctions to pressure Moscow into negotiations. Ukraine's military and humanitarian situation Despite diplomatic efforts, the conflict in Ukraine remains intense. Russian drone attacks and shelling continue to cause casualties and disrupt essential services. Ukrainian officials reported that a recent Russian attack on a power facility in Kherson left 45,000 people without electricity. Zelensky emphasized that these attacks are evidence that the U.S. and Europe should not ease sanctions on Russia. Ukraine's allies in Europe are also strengthening Kyiv's military capabilities. French President Macron announced a new defense aid package worth 2 billion euros, which includes light tanks, air defense systems and anti-tank missiles. This aid is intended to bolster Ukraine's defenses and provide it with the means to continue fighting until a lasting peace is achieved. Global implications and future outlook The situation in Ukraine is not just a regional conflict but a global issue with far-reaching implications. The potential for a broader conflict involving NATO and Russia remains a significant concern. U.S. President Donald Trump has been actively involved in brokering peace agreements, but the lack of a unified European response and Russia's aggressive military buildup complicate these efforts. As the conflict continues, the international community is closely watching the actions of all parties involved. The deployment of European troops, the expansion of Russia's military, and the ongoing diplomatic negotiations will shape the future of the region and potentially the world. The stakes are high, and the outcome of these developments will have lasting consequences for global security and stability. In conclusion, Putin's largest military call-up since 2011 is a clear signal of Russia's intent to maintain a strong military presence in the region. The response from Europe, particularly France and Britain, highlights the complex geopolitical landscape and the challenges of achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. As the situation evolves, the world will be watching closely to see how these developments unfold and what they mean for the future of international relations. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com PBS.org BBC.com The Trump effect: RECORD LOW in illegal border crossings signals a new era of border security March 2025 saw a record-low 7,181 illegal border apprehensions a dramatic drop from previous highs (e.g., 211,181 in 2022) attributed to President Donald Trump's policies. The administration's strict immigration measures, including military deployments and agreements with Mexico, have drastically reduced crossings, with daily arrests in some areas falling from more than 1,200 to just 30 to 40. Policies include deploying U.S. troops, coordinating with Mexican forces, increasing federal law enforcement (e.g., IRS agents) and implementing mass deportations to deter illegal entry. The administration emphasizes prosecution and deportation for illegal crossings, with CBP reporting the lowest monthly arrests on record (7,180) and declaring, "the border is closed." Shelters near the border have shut down due to dwindling migrant numbers, highlighting the effectiveness of Trumps hard-line approach, dubbed a "new era of border security." In a remarkable turn of events, the U.S. has witnessed an unprecedented decline in illegal border crossings, with March 2025 marking the lowest number of apprehensions ever recorded at the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the steadfast leadership of President Donald Trump, the U.S. Border Patrol reported a mere 7,181 encounters with migrants attempting to enter the country unlawfully. This dramatic decrease stands in stark contrast to the figures from the previous administration, where illegal crossings soared to 137,473 in March 2024. A total of 163,672 illegal crossings were recorded in 2023 and a staggering 211,181 in 2022. The term "Trump Effect" has been coined to describe this significant reduction in illegal border crossings. This phenomenon is attributed to the comprehensive and robust policies implemented by the second Trump administration, which have proven to be highly effective in deterring unlawful entries. The Los Angeles Times highlighted the dramatic shift along the California-Mexico border, where daily arrests have plummeted from over 1,200 during peak migration periods in April to a mere 30 to 40 instances per day. (Related: ICE detentions soar to highest level since 2019 as Trump administration tightens immigration policies.) Trump's commitment to securing the border has been evident since his inauguration in January. He has deployed members of the U.S. military to the southern border and forged an agreement with Mexico. This agreement with Mexico City has resulted in the deployment of thousands of Mexican National Guard soldiers to the Mexican side of the border. This increased military presence, coupled with a surge in federal law enforcement including agents from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) criminal division has created a formidable deterrent against illegal crossings. The Trump administration's mass deportation initiative, spearheaded by White House border czar Tom Homan, has further discouraged potential illegal immigrants from attempting the perilous journey through Central America. The prospect of immediate deportation serves as a powerful deterrent, as many now view the risksphysical, financial, and legalas too great to justify the attempt. "Trump effect" yields positive development: The border is closed The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that the number of migrants caught illegally crossing the border in March fell to the lowest level ever recorded, with approximately 7,180 arrests. This figure is a significant drop from the monthly average of 155,000 over the past four years. Pete Flores, acting CBP commissioner, emphasized the renewed empowerment of Border Patrol agents. "The message is clear: The border is closed to illegal crossings, and for those still willing to test our resolve, know this you will be prosecuted," he stated. Trump's decisive actions, including the deployment of military troops and the implementation of a sweeping asylum ban, have collectively contributed to the reduction in crossings. His administration's hard-line approach to illegal immigration was a cornerstone of his campaign. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the efforts, stating: "Thanks to President Trump's leadership, Border Patrol agents are now back to doing the jobs they signed up for: securing the border, rather than serving as travel agents for illegal aliens." Even the LA Times could not help but notice, recently publishing an article noting that shelters that once served migrants have completely closed. The record low in illegal border crossings is a significant achievement for the Trump administration and a testament to the power of strong, decisive leadership. Check out BorderSecurity.news for more similar stories. Watch this Fox News report about President Donald Trump "delivering" on immigration. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Homan defends Trump admin's immigration stance that has yielded 40,000 ARRESTS since January. Trump Administration ramps up ICE arrests, setting daily quotas to combat illegal immigration and crime. Trump to issue sweeping executive orders on immigration, energy, and federal reform on Inauguration Day. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com FoxNews.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com Top German general admits that CONSCRIPTION is absolutely necessary to combat Russia German Gen. Carsten Breuer warns that conscription is necessary to recruit 100,000 additional soldiers, citing an imminent threat from Russia. Breuer emphasizes deterrence against Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating preparedness depends on "how much time Putin gives us," with conscription needed as soon as possible. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius supports expanding Germany's military, admitting the 2011 suspension of conscription was a "mistake," while opposition parties also endorse reinstatement. The government is considering models, including mandatory service for all 18-year-olds, marking a sharp reversal from post-Cold War demilitarization. Critics argue Germany's militarization risks broader conflict, as leaders prioritize military buildup over diplomatic solutions, despite calls for de-escalation. Germany's top military leader has issued a stark warning: The country must prepare for war with Russia, and conscription may be the only way to ensure its survival. Gen. Carsten Breuer, the country's chief of defense, recently stressed the need for a compulsory military service model to recruit an additional 100,000 soldiers. He framed the call for conscription as an urgent necessity in the face of an imminent Russian threat, and his statements leave little room for interpretation. "Absolutely," the general told BBC Radio 4 in a recent interview. "We won't get this additional 100,000 soldiers without having one or the other, a model of conscription." "We are threatened by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and we have to do whatever is needed to deter. By building up a strong defense line, then you deter best." When asked about how much time and money was needed to achieve this goal, Breuer told the outlet that it was "more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared." Emphasizing the need to reinstate conscription at the soonest, the general added: "The sooner we are prepared, the better it is." Breuer's remarks expose a disturbing reality: Berlin is actively preparing for conflict rather than pursuing peace. This also comes as diplomatic efforts between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have underscored the possibility of de-escalation. Back to the draft: Germany's dangerous gamble The general's comments align with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' aggressive push to expand Germany's armed forces. Pistorius, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has already proposed increasing troop numbers by 50,000 for a total of 230,000. He has also openly admitted that suspending mandatory conscription in 2011 was a "mistake." In May 2024, the National Pulse reported that the German government is considering three potential conscription models as per leaked documents. One of the conscription schemes include mandatory service for all 18-year-olds a drastic shift from Germany's post-Cold War demilitarization. (Related: German government approves new plans for war, including food rationing and compulsory conscription.) What makes this push for conscription even more alarming is its timing. While European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron flirt with the idea of sending North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops to Ukraine, Germany is taking concrete steps toward militarization. Instead of pursuing dialogue, Berlin appears fixated on escalation. The political backing for conscription is equally troubling. The opposition Christian Democratic Union, despite having abolished mandatory service under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, now supports its reinstatement. Meanwhile, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz also from the SPD has refused to rule out a smaller-scale draft, leaving the door open for further militarization. Funding remains unresolved, but Pistorius has already lobbied for relaxed debt rules to finance the expansion a move that could spark internal strife. Germany's rush toward conscription is a dangerous gamble. By reviving compulsory service, the government is signaling that it expects war, not peace. While Breuer claims this is about deterrence, the reality is that militarization breeds escalation. Rather than heeding the lessons of diplomacy, Germany is choosing a path that risks dragging Europe into a broader conflict. The world should take notice: Berlin is preparing for battle, and the consequences could be catastrophic. Watch Eric Wormsley of Goshen Prepping warning about a potential military draft in this clip. This video is from the Alex Hammer channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Germany mulls CONSCRIPTION for all 18-year-olds. German magazine calls for MANDATORY CONSCRIPTION to protect country's "diversity." Germany could soon roll out MANDATORY military recruitment screenings of 18-year-olds to boost troop numbers. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com 1 Breitbart.com TheNationalPulse.com 2 Brighteon.com Hidden toll: Federal secrecy shields wind industrys eagle deaths to protect land-hungry turbines that yield minimal power The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) maintains a secretive database on eagle and bird fatalities caused by wind turbines, with public access heavily restricted. This lack of transparency shields the wind industry from scrutiny and conceals the true impact on avian populations. Federal permits allow wind operators to legally kill a specific number of eagles annually, but there is no public disclosure of these allowances, no master list of permitted facilities and no transparency on how these limits are determined. The FWS acknowledges that wind companies are only required to detect 35% of actual eagle fatalities, suggesting that reported deaths could be significantly lower than the real toll. This "detection rate" loophole, combined with the absence of independent verification, raises concerns about the accuracy of mortality data. Wind farms contribute only a small fraction of U.S. electricity (5.55% in 2016) while causing the deaths of over 573,000 birds annually. Expanding wind power to meet the 2030 target could quadruple the number of turbines, exacerbating habitat destruction and avian mortality. Critics advocate for greater transparency and accountability in the wind energy sector. Some propose alternative designs, like bladeless turbines, and highlight the need for better siting practices to minimize environmental impact. The article emphasizes the importance of balancing renewable energy goals with wildlife conservation. For years, the federal government has quietly tracked a grim consequence of Americas push for wind energy: the slaughter of thousands of eagles and other protected birds by spinning turbine blades. Yet despite meticulous record-keeping by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), these mortality figures remain shrouded in secrecya deliberate shield, critics argue, to protect the wind industry from public backlash. Meanwhile, sprawling wind farms continue to consume vast tracts of land while contributing only a sliver of the nations electricity. The question remains: Why are regulators hiding the true cost of "green" energy? The secret database: Where eagle deaths disappear Every wind facility in the U.S. is required to report eagle and bird fatalities to the FWS through the Injury and Mortality Reporting System (IMR). Yet this database operates as a one-way street: While companies submit data, the publicand even watchdog groupsare barred from accessing it. When the Albany County Conservancy (ACC) in Wyoming filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for eagle mortality data from four wind projects, the FWS released just 22% of the records256 pages out of 1,156. The rest were deemed confidential. "The wind-kill data is simply secret," wrote energy analyst David Wojick, who first exposed the issue. Even more alarming, federal permits allow wind operators to legally kill a set number of eagles annuallywith no public disclosure of these allowances. There is no master list of permitted facilities, no regional breakdowns and no transparency on how these limits are calculated. The math of concealment: Why reported deaths are likely triple Buried in FWS permit language is a startling admission: Wind companies are only required to detect 35% of actual eagle fatalities. As Wojick notes, this means if a facility reports 30 dead eagles, the real toll could be 90 or more. The "detection rate" loophole accounts for scavengers removing carcasses and search limitations. Yet no independent verification exists. "They know the report numbers are way low. Its built in," Wojick warns. With 52,000 turbines already operating nationwideand ambitions to expand wind power to 20% of U.S. electricity by 2030the scale of unrecorded deaths could be catastrophic for avian populations. Winds dirty secret: Massive land use, minimal energy While turbines kill over 573,000 birds annually (per a 2013 Wildlife Society Bulletin study), they generate just 5.55% of U.S. electricity (2016 data). To meet the 2030 target, turbine numbers would need to quadruple, exacerbating habitat destruction. Each turbine requires: 3+ acres of cleared land (often on ridgelines). 212-foot towers with 116-foot blades (creating a 1.5-acre kill zone per turbine). Roads and infrastructure fragmenting ecosystems. "Wind energy is not green if its killing hundreds of thousands of birds," said the late Dr. Michael Hutchins, former National Coordinator of the American Bird Conservancys Bird Smart Wind Energy Campaign. A path forward? Hawaiis model and bladeless designs Some states have taken action. Hawaii declared Kauai off-limits to wind development due to endangered species. Meanwhile, innovators like Vortex Bladeless (Spain) propose tower-based turbines that eliminate spinning bladesthough rigorous, long-term studies are lacking. Al Cecere, founder of the American Eagle Foundation, warns: "We cannot allow 20 years of Bald Eagle recovery to be undone by poorly sited turbines." With Great Lakes wind projects advancingdespite FWS warnings of "extremely high avian use"the stakes have never been higher. Conclusion: Transparency or collusion? The federal governments secrecy around wind-related eagle deaths raises urgent questions. Is this a cover-up to protect a favored industry? Or merely bureaucratic opacity? Either way, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Acta cornerstone of wildlife conservationis being undermined by backroom permitting. As turbines spread, so too must public pressure for accountability. The true cost of wind energy isnt just measured in acres or kilowattsbut in the vanishing silhouettes of eagles that once ruled Americas skies. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com Heartland.org CFact.org Eagles.org Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoes Medical Freedom Act Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoed S1023, which sought to ban nearly all medical mandates (including vaccine requirements) in businesses, schools and government agencies, arguing it could hinder disease control efforts. Little warned the bill would prevent schools from sending home contagious students, risking public health. He emphasized Idaho's existing medical freedom laws and opposed additional government restrictions on parents' ability to protect children. The bill, backed by Republican lawmakers, had passed both chambers but faced a veto. Medical freedom activists, including the Idaho Freedom Foundation, accused Little of siding with "Big Medical" interests and urged legislators to override his veto. Critics, like Leslie Manookian (Health Freedom Defense Fund), claimed Little vetoed the bill to retain emergency powers, citing his pandemic policies (business closures, mask mandates) and alleged he refused to engage with bill sponsors in good faith. Advocacy groups are pressuring Idaho's legislature to overturn the veto, framing the issue as a fight against "medical tyranny" and government overreach in personal health decisions. Gov. Brad Little has vetoed a bill that would have banned nearly all medical mandates in Idaho, arguing the legislation could undermine efforts to control contagious diseases in schools and other public settings. The Idaho Medical Freedom Act, which passed the Republican-led legislature in February, sought to prohibit businesses, government agencies and educational institutions from requiring medical interventions, such as vaccinations for employment, admission to venues or school attendance, to protect the public against government overreach in personal health decisions. S1023, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Foreman and Rep. Robert Beiswenger, cleared the Idaho Senate 19-14 in February and passed the House 47-23 in March. (Related: Florida takes a stand: DeSantis proposes permanent ban on mRNA vaccine mandates.) But Little, also a Republican, vetoed the bill on March 29, one hour before the deadline. In his veto letter, he warned that the bill would have restricted schools from sending home sick students with highly contagious illnesses, potentially putting others at risk. He cited concerns about unintended consequences, noting that parents "do not need government imposing more limitations on keeping children safe and healthy from contagious illnesses at school." "We are proud that Idaho already boasts the freest laws in the country when it comes to personal medical decisions, and we need to keep it that way," Little wrote. "Parents already have enough to worry about while raising their children. They do not need government imposing more limitations on keeping children safe and healthy from contagious illnesses at school." Idaho medical freedom activists urge legislators to override veto against S1023 In response to the veto, medical freedom advocates have mobilized to pressure state legislators to override it. Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) and Idaho Freedom Action (IFA) President Ronald M. Nate condemned Little for capitulating to "Big Medical special interests." "We at the IFF and IFA know Idaho should be a beacon for freedom in all parts of our lives, including and especially medical freedom. It's clear our governor does not share our state's values, only the values of the highest bidder. It's time for the Legislature to stand up against medical tyranny and do what's right for the people of Idaho: OVERRIDE LITTLE'S VETO!!" Nate said. Meanwhile, Health Freedom Defense Fund Founder Leslie Manookian published an open letter to state senators, accusing Little of vetoing the bill to retain emergency powers. She recounted an incident in 2020 when she allegedly witnessed Little and colleagues removing masks for a private fundraiser after posing masked for a photo op. Manookian claimed Little's pandemic policies led to business closures, arrests of worshipers, job losses and a spike in teen suicides. She also revealed that Little refused to meet with bill sponsors before vetoing the legislation, suggesting bad faith. "If he was acting in good faith, he would have communicated with the bill's sponsors to discuss his concerns," she said. "There can be only one explanation for this behavior: he wants to preserve his power to do it all over again." Head over to HealthFreedom.news for more similar stories. Watch this Fox News report about President Trump reinstating soldiers discharged for refusing the COVID-19 injection through his Jan. 25 executive order. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: St. Louis schools ordered to pay $180,000 in landmark vaccine mandate lawsuit. Vaccine mandate adverse effect: Army falls 25% short of 2022 recruitment goal. Vaccine mandate for public employees still in effect in NYC, unvaccinated municipal workers continue to get fired. Vaccine mandates were predicated on "hope" rather than science, admits Deborah Birx. Vaccine mandates, military vaccine injuries continue to threaten national security by killing our soldiers. Sources include: TheDefender.org MSN.com Brighteon.com Media eviscerated for claiming jailing Marine Le Pen is good for democracy (Article republished from Modernity.news) Yes, really. Apparently banning a front running candidate from running for office for five years and handing her a prison sentence is good for democracy. It was a good day for French democracy but the far-right may still win the 2027 presidential election, writes Cole Stanglerhttps://t.co/vlexFV9Ltg TIME (@TIME) April 1, 2025 As we highlighted yesterday, this is happening all over Europe in what many are describing as a coordinated globalist effort to prevent more nationalist candidates from being elected. Le Pen will serve two of the four year prison sentence qunder house arrest with an ankle bracelet monitor. Why 2 years of house arrest? Is there a risk she might steal a car? The only plausible explanation is that it is to prevent her campaigning for whoever is the RN's candidate in the next elections. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry (@pegobry_en) March 31, 2025 Democracy does not include imprisoning the likely winner, you drooling fucking morons. JWF (@JammieWF) April 1, 2025 Democracy now means putting your political opponents in jail worldwide. JaknTea (@JaknTea) April 1, 2025 Removing candidates from running is totally a good day for democracy. Harry Flashman (@KamalaGrapple) April 1, 2025 How is it good for democracy to imprison popular opposition? pushfade (@pushfader) April 1, 2025 Putting your political opponents in jail before an election is *not* repeat *not* a "good day for democracy". Its quite the opposite, actually. Its A Dry Heat (@Its_a_dryheat) April 1, 2025 Le Pen may still yet find a way to run given that the Paris Court of Appeal said it will look to decide whether to uphold or scrap the ban on her from elections by next year. The Paris Court of Appeal confirms having received today three appeals filed against the decision rendered on March 31, 2025, by the Paris judicial court in the case of the parliamentary assistants of the National Front. It will examine this file within a time frame which should allow a decision to be rendered in the summer of 2026, the court said, according to Le Figaro. In response, Le Pen said it was very good news, but that she intends to challenge the ruling in any way possible, including Frances Constitutional Council and the European Court of Human Rights. I will use all possible avenues of appeal. I wont let it happen, she told Le Parisien. She has further contended that the courts decision to impose a ban on her pursuing office while her appeal is ongoing undermines the rule of law, asserting that individuals in the appeal process are generally granted the presumption of innocence, and thus, implementing the ban at this stage disregards established legal norms. Current polling suggests that Le Pen is almost certain to win if she runs in 2027. Read more at: Modernity.news Mark Zuckerbergs Meta allegedly trained AI on millions of stolen books from shadow libraries Meta allegedly trained its AI model, Llama 3, using millions of pirated books from shadow libraries like LibGen and Anna's Archive without compensating authors or publishers. Court documents show Meta executives prioritized books over web data, with one email stating, "Books are actually more important than web data." Works by prominent Australian writers, including Sophie Cunningham, Hannah Kent and Tim Winton, were found in LibGen's database, allegedly used by Meta for AI development. Writers expressed anger over unauthorized use, with Cunningham calling it exploitative and Kent describing it as "plundering" her work. Both are exploring legal measures. Critics argue Meta's actions highlight unethical AI training practices, exploiting copyrighted material despite its $164B revenue, raising concerns about fair compensation for creators. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing new allegations that his company deliberately used millions of pirated books from notorious shadow libraries, including LibGen and Anna's Archive, to train its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model, Llama 3, without compensating authors or publishers. (Related: Ireland fines Meta $102M for lapse in PASSWORD SECURITY.) According to court documents, Meta executives openly discussed their need for high-quality literary content, with one damning email stating, "Books are actually more important than web data." Rather than licensing material legally, the company allegedly turned to piracy sites hosting vast troves of stolen works, including academic papers and novels. On March 20, U.S. magazine The Atlantic published a tool allowing the public to search LibGen's database for the first time. The investigation identified works by prominent Australian authors including Charlotte Wood, Alexis Wright, Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Sophie Cunningham among the materials allegedly used by Meta to develop its AI systems. LibGen, a digital repository with over 7.5 million pirated books and 81 million research papers, was reportedly a key source for the data scraping of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The same was true for Anna's Archive, another infamous hub for copyrighted material. All this, despite Meta's 2024 staggering revenues exceeding to $164 billion and profits approaching to $62 billion. With such vast resources at its disposal, the company undoubtedly could compensate creators, publishers and researchers fairly. Yet, Meta allegedly opted to exploit their content for AI training without permission. Australian authors outraged as Meta uses their work to train AI without consent Some of Australia's most celebrated authors are furious after discovering that Meta has used their copyrighted works to develop its AI platform without their consent. Prominent author Sophie Cunningham, whose latest novel, "This Devastating Fever" (2022) was found in LibGen's database, expressed her anger in an interview with ABC Arts. "I'm really angry about it," Cunningham said. "The average writer earns about $18,000 a year on their writing. It's one thing to be underpaid. It's another thing to find that work is being used by a company that you don't trust." Cunningham is now considering legal action and has asked her publishers to issue cease and desist notices to Meta on her behalf. Bestselling author Hannah Kent was equally shocked to find all three of her novels in LibGen. "I felt completely gutted," Kent said. "It feels a little like my body of work has been plundered." "As a writer, what I would like, at the very least, is for someone to seek permission," Kent, whose memoir, "Always Home, Always Homesick," to come out this April, said. "This is what happens when someone wants to reproduce my work in any other way even if it is for fair use." Moreover, Kent fears the implications this could have for the tech industry. "The fact that we have Meta not only training AI and trying to claim that under fair use but also using a shadow library of pirated material indicates the lack of ethical consideration that is being put into training AI. It opens the door to others also feeling like this is an acceptable way to treat intellectual copyright and creatives who already are expected to [contribute] so much for free or without due recompense." Visit MetaTyranny.com for similar stories. Watch this video of Google and Big Pharma being exposed through a Meta-AI analysis. This video is from the Haixus channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Meta CEO Zuckerberg admits Biden administration's censorship demands were ILLEGAL, but Meta failed to fight back. Zuckerberg's META-FAKEBOOK censors anyone opposed to Israel's mass-murdering of Palestinians Now Meta faces LAWSUIT over bias and discrimination. Meta employees, contractors fired for HIJACKING user accounts. Zuckerberg's Meta: A double game on China and censorship. Zuckerberg admits Biden admin pressured Meta to CENSOR content. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com ABC.Net.au Brighteon.com News / National by Staff reporter Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has come out guns blazing against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's so-called "2030 agenda," describing it as a corrupt and self-serving scheme designed to protect stolen wealth and promote looters into senior government positions.In a strongly worded statement posted on his official social media platforms, Biti denounced the controversial political project, which critics say is a thinly veiled attempt to secure a third term for Mnangagwa beyond the constitutional two-term limit."We are totally opposed to the third term agenda and its cousin Agenda 2030. We make no apology for this," Biti wrote. "We firmly believe that this is an agenda spurned by corruption and the need to protect lucre loot and ill-begotten sachets."Biti's remarks follow similar concerns raised by vocal war veteran Blessed "Bombshell" Geza, who claimed the 2030 agenda is being orchestrated by a tight-knit group of politically connected elites. According to Geza, the driving forces behind the campaign include Mnangagwa's close ally Kuda Tagwirei, controversial businessmen Wicknell Chivayo, Obey Chimuka and Scott Sakupwanya, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, Finance Secretary George Guvamatanga, and former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya.Geza further alleged that Mnangagwa is quietly positioning Tagwirei to succeed him, sidelining Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in the process. He pointed to recent developments within the ruling Zanu-PF party, where Tagwirei's name was reportedly put forward by Harare province for a seat in the party's influential Central Committee a move seen by some as his formal entry into party politics.Biti was unrelenting in his criticism of the network of individuals allegedly benefitting from state capture and accused them of looting national resources for personal gain."We therefore stand firmly against cartels, bandits, charlatans and brigands, who have been looting Zimbabwe for decades. We object to dangerous attempts to elevate some of these looters into the country's corridors of power," he said."We are not members of Zanu-PF. We refuse to be drawn in by their endless toxic factions and power struggles."Tagwirei, a prominent businessman with vast interests in fuel, mining, and agriculture, has faced sustained criticism for allegedly using his proximity to Mnangagwa to secure lucrative government contracts and amass significant influence over economic policy. His growing political footprint has alarmed both ruling party insiders and opposition voices who see his rise as emblematic of deepening cronyism within the state.While Mnangagwa has not publicly declared intentions to extend his tenure beyond 2028, talk of a third term has gained traction in ruling party circles in recent months, sparking fears of a constitutional amendment to enable the move.The government has yet to officially respond to Biti's remarks or the allegations raised by Geza. Trump administration SUSPENDS federal grants to Princeton University amid antisemitism probe The Trump administration froze dozens of research grants to Princeton University, citing ongoing antisemitism investigations. Agencies like the DOE, NASA and DOD halted funding without detailed explanations. Princeton joins Columbia, UPenn and Harvard in facing federal suspensions tied to antisemitism probes. The DOE previously warned 60 universities to address anti-Jewish bias or face consequences. A complaint by Campus Reform's editor cited a pro-Palestinian protest at Princeton where chants like Intifada were heard, alleging antisemitism. The university denies tolerating discrimination. Princeton, which received $456M in federal grants last year, faces significant financial strain. Columbia recently complied with federal demands to restore $400M in funding, while Harvard undergoes an audit of $8.7B in grants. Princeton's President Christopher Eisgruber pledged cooperation but vowed to defend academic freedom, earlier comparing the administrations tactics to the 1950s Red Scare. The government is using Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to pressure universities on discrimination policies. The Trump administration has suspended dozens of federal research grants to Princeton University in New Jersey, escalating its crackdown on Ivy League institutions under investigation for alleged antisemitism. Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber confirmed the freeze, revealing that agencies including the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Defense halted funding for multiple research projects. While the administration has not provided detailed reasoning, the move aligns with a broader federal campaign targeting elite universities over campus discrimination complaints. Princeton now joins Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University in facing federal funding suspensions tied to antisemitism investigations. Eisgruber pledged cooperation with government inquiries but vowed to defend academic freedom. "We are committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism," he wrote in a campus-wide email sent Tuesday, April 1. "Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this university." The suspensions follow a March warning from the Department of Education to 60 universities, threatening enforcement actions if they failed to address alleged anti-Jewish bias. Princeton had already been under federal investigation since April 2024. The probe was initiated after Zachary Marschall, editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, filed a complaint citing a pro-Palestinian protest at Princeton where chants such as "Intifada" were heard. Marschall accused the university of ignoring what he called antisemitic rhetoric. From protests to punishment: The high-stakes battle over campus speech The second Trump administration's aggressive stance reflects President Donald Trump's repeated vows to combat campus antisemitism, which he has linked to pro-Palestinian activism. Federal officials have characterized some student demonstrators as "pro-Hamas," while activists insist their protests target Israeli military actions, not Jewish people. The administration has also deported foreign students tied to protests and intensified scrutiny of Middle East studies programs. Princeton, with a $34 billion endowment, received $456 million in federal grants last year making the suspensions a significant financial blow. The Anti-Defamation League previously gave the university an "F" grade for its handling of antisemitism. Meanwhile, Columbia recently agreed to federal demands including revising disciplinary policies and its Middle East curriculum to restore $400 million in frozen funds. Over in Massachusetts, Harvard now faces an audit of $8.7 billion in grants by a federal antisemitism task force. (Related: Columbia University yields to Trump administration's demands to restore $400M in federal funding.) Eisgruber, a vocal critic of the administration's tactics, previously condemned the Columbia sanctions as a "radical threat to scholarly excellence" in an essay published last month in The Atlantic magazine. He likened the current climate to the Red Scare of the 1950s, warning of eroding academic freedoms. The administration is leveraging Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars federal funding to institutions that enable discrimination based on religion or national origin. While Princeton has not been formally accused of violating the law, the suspensions signal a hardline approach that could reshape campus speech policies nationwide. Head over to EducationSystem.news for more similar stories. Watch this clip about colleges facing backlash and potentially losing funding over allegations of antisemitism on campus. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: University of Michigan shuts down DEI office amid federal funding cuts. Emory University suspends PhD-MD student after Gaza protest interview. Trump administration pauses $175 million in federal funding to UPenn over transgender athlete policies. Sources include: YourNews.com AOL.com Patch.com Brighteon.com U.S.-China trade war escalates amid fentanyl crisis and rising geopolitical tensions The U.S. and China have imposed retaliatory tariffs, with the U.S. targeting Chinese goods (citing the fentanyl crisis) and China taxing U.S. coal, natural gas and agricultural equipment. China is accused of supplying fentanyl precursors fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic (200+ daily deaths). Beijing denies responsibility, framing it as America's "own problem" and allegedly viewing it as retribution for historical Western "humiliation" like the Opium Wars. Former professor Yuan Hongbing claims Xi has directed officials to deny China's role in the opioid crisis, linking fentanyl production to historical grievances. Fentanyl deaths in the U.S. have surged 23-fold since 2013. Analysts say tensions now reflect deeper ideological and geopolitical conflict. China's economic rise (BRI, rare earth dominance) aims to challenge Western-led global order, with Xi leveraging historical resentment over the "century of humiliation." Relations have deteriorated under Biden and Trump, with high-level communication stalled. Experts warn the stand-off framed as a historical reckoning by China shows no signs of resolution, escalating into a broader struggle for global influence. Tensions between the United States and China have reached a boiling point as both nations impose retaliatory tariffs, with Beijing adopting increasingly confrontational rhetoric. In early March, China's Foreign Ministry declared on social media that it was prepared to fight "any type of war" with the U.S., including a trade war. President Donald Trump responded by imposing a 20 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, citing the fentanyl crisis as a national emergency. Meanwhile, China retaliated with new tariffs on U.S. coal, natural gas and agricultural equipment. Behind the economic battle lies a deeper conflict: China's alleged role in fueling America's opioid epidemic a crisis now claiming over 200 lives daily and Beijing's historical grievances against the West. (Related: China is worsening America's fentanyl crisis, and Trump is threatening to slap more tariffs until Beijing ends it.) The U.S. fentanyl epidemic has become a flashpoint in bilateral relations. China remains the primary source of fentanyl precursors, which are shipped to Mexico before being smuggled into the U.S. Beijing, however, has dismissed the crisis as America's "own problem" and accused Washington of "blackmail." According to Yuan Hongbing, a former Peking University law professor now in exile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has internally directed officials to deny any connection between China and the opioid crises in the U.S. and Europe. "Xi has consistently maintained that China legally produces chemical precursors and bears no responsibility if they are converted into illicit drugs," Yuan told the Epoch Times. He alleges that Xi views fentanyl as a form of retribution for the Wests historical "humiliation" of China, referencing the 19th-century Opium Wars, which forced China into unequal treaties. "This directive has led to a dramatic increase in fentanyl precursor production," Yuan said. Fentanyl overdoses now kill more Americans aged 18 to 45 than any other cause, with deaths surging 23-fold since 2013. While recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows a 20 percent decline in opioid-related fatalities in 2024, the crisis remains a top voter concern one that experts say is reshaping U.S.- China relations. From trade war to strategic rivalry The tariff escalations mark the latest chapter in a years-long economic standoff, but analysts warn the conflict has evolved beyond trade. "The U.S. and China have fundamentally turned against each other," said China expert Alexander Liao. He describes the current dynamic as "little noise but fierce action," contrasting it with the more diplomatic disputes between the U.S. and Europe. During the Biden administration, relations entered an "ice age," with high-level communications freezing for nearly a year. Now, with Trump's latest tariffs and China's aggressive response, the confrontation has intensified. Liao notes that China's economic rise its GDP now rivals the U.S. in purchasing power has emboldened Xi to pursue a more assertive foreign policy, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since taking power in 2013, Xi has leveraged China's economic growth to expand its global influence. Yuan argues that the BRI, a $1 trillion infrastructure project, is a vehicle for exporting communist authoritarianism while securing critical resources like rare earth minerals. "Xi's goal is to overturn the Western-led order," Yuan said. This ambition is rooted in historical resentment. The Opium Wars (18391860) forced China to cede territory and open its ports to foreign powers a period Beijing considers as a "century of humiliation." Xi's rhetoric often invokes this narrative, framing China's rise as a corrective to past injustices. The U.S.-China trade war is no longer just about tariffs; it reflects a deepening ideological and geopolitical rift. With fentanyl deaths fueling American outrage and Xi's regime framing the conflict as a historical reckoning, diplomatic resolution appears distant. As Liao observes, "The politics play differently between enemies and friends." For now, both nations seem locked in a high-stakes confrontation where economic measures and drug policy are just the opening salvos in a broader struggle for global influence. Watch the video below that talks about Trump's use of tariffs to stop the flow of fentanyl. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Former Congresswoman exposes CCP's deep infiltration of California through universities, ports, and fentanyl. Trump stands firm on tariffs: Mexico, Canada, and China face new trade measures over fentanyl crisis. China prepares to resume trade talks with Trump amid tariff pressures. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. 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Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Never leave people, especially children, or pets inside a parked vehicle. Check the vehicle before locking to make sure no one is left behind. Humidex values reaching 40 are expected. A heat event is expected Saturday to Sunday. What: Daytime highs of 31 to 33 degrees Celsius and a humidex of 40. Overnight lows of 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, providing little relief from the heat. When: Saturday to Sunday, coming to an end Sunday night. ### For more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/extreme-heat/how-protect-yourself.html https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/extreme-heat/who-is-at-risk.html Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on X using #ONStorm. News / National by Staff reporter The streets of Bulawayo have become a theatre of escalating gun violence, with a recent spate of chilling incidents raising alarm over public safety and law enforcement's growing vulnerability. The brutal murder of Sergeant Abel Masava on March 28 has come to symbolise a disturbing trend threatening to engulf Zimbabwe's second-largest city.Sergeant Masava and Constable Magaya were attending to a domestic violence case in Sizinda when they noticed five suspicious men clad in black, carrying sacks under the cover of darkness. Acting on instinct, Masava approached the group to question them a decision that tragically ended in his death. He was shot in the head at point-blank range and pronounced dead on arrival at United Bulawayo Hospitals.The cold-blooded execution shocked even seasoned law enforcement officers. But just days later, Yeki Ncube, a member of the Nketa 8 Neighbourhood Watch Committee, narrowly escaped a similar fate. While questioning three men carrying suspicious bags, one of them drew a firearm and fired at him. Miraculously, Ncube survived as the suspects melted into the night a grim reminder that not even community crime fighters are safe.These incidents, occurring within days and in neighbouring suburbs, have thrust gun violence into the centre of public discourse in Bulawayo. Once viewed as an issue more common in South African cities like Johannesburg, gun crime is now entrenched in the City of Kings.The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) recently confirmed the grim reality. According to their third-quarter 2024 crime report, Bulawayo has the highest crime rate in the country, nearly double the national average. The city recorded a staggering 2,506.1 crimes per 100,000 people, far above the national average of 1,370.6.Of the 205,925 cases recorded nationwide during that period, 84,001 were crimes against public safety and state security, followed by 48,566 property crimes and 40,078 cases involving physical harm. A concerning 89% of those charged were men, pointing to a troubling gender trend in violent criminality.Fuel service stations have become particular hotspots. Last week, two petrol stations were hit within 48 hours. At Trek Garage in Gwabalanda, armed robbers tied up staff before escaping with over US$15,000 and R800. Shortly after, Amakhosi Service Station was raided by three men brandishing pistols, leaving workers traumatised.Police have urged business owners to revise their operational procedures. "We urge petrol attendants not to keep large sums of money on themselves or their premises but to deposit their monies in the safes under lock and key," said Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele.But perhaps more disturbing are incidents where violence appears driven by sadism, not just theft. On March 31, a couple in Mbuyazwe was ambushed on a rural road near Nyamandlovu. The man was pistol-whipped, stabbed, and robbed of phones and US$1,000, while his girlfriend was sexually assaulted a horrifying escalation in brutality.While law enforcement continues to respond aggressively, success has come at a steep cost. Only weeks ago, Constable Cassandra Hove lost her life in what was reportedly a case of friendly fire. And as the city mourned her, more officers found themselves in the crosshairs.Yet the police are also scoring major victories. In a dramatic shootout near the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls tollgate, officers gunned down six robbers who had earlier raided a general dealership in Insuza. Two more suspects were shot and killed last week during a high-stakes encounter in Tshabalala, with three others arrested.President Emmerson Mnangagwa's 2022 declaration of war on armed robbers appears to have sharpened police response, but the question remains: will it be enough?With Bulawayo's once-tranquil suburbs now echoing with the sound of gunfire, the city's residents are left to wonder how long it will take to reclaim their peace and whether the violence has already left an irreversible scar. Due to scheduled maintenance from Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 10 PM to Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 2 AM, there may be interruptions for our News Gazette Digital subscribers. During this time frame, please click on any News Gazette website content without logging into your News Gazette Digital subscription account. Thank you for your patience during this scheduled maintenance. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Tata Capital IPO: Opening Data, Price, GMP, Everything You Need To Know Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 10:49 IST Though the IPO launch date has not been announced yet, Tata Capital needs to be listed on bourses by September 2025 as per NBFC-UL rules. The draft papers for the $2-billion Tata Capital IPO have been filed through a confidential pre-filing route. Tata Capital IPO: Tata Group financial services firm Tata Capital has filed draft papers with markets regulator Sebi to launch its initial public offering. The draft papers for the $2-billion IPO have been filed through a confidential pre-filing route. At this size, the company is expected to be valued around $11 billion, according to a PTI report citing sources. Recommended Stories In a stock exchange filing, Tata Capital said, The company has filed the Pre-filed Draft Red Herring Prospectus dated April 4, 2025, under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018, with Sebi, BSE, and NSE in connection with its Initial Public Offering of equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each." The IPO will consist of a fresh issue of equity shares, along with an offer for sale (OFS) by certain shareholders. Tata Capital IPO: When Will It Be Launched? Though the IPO launch date has not been announced yet, Tata Capital needs to be listed on bourses by September 2025 as per NBFC-UL rules. As per the RBI mandate, upper-layer NBFCs are required to list on the stock exchange within three years of being designated as such. Tata Capital was categorised as an upper-layer NBFC in September 2022. Tata Capital IPO: Price & GMP So far, only draft papers have been filed with the Sebi. The details around its price will be announced closer to the launch date. Its GMP will also be known later as the launch date approaches. Tata Capital IPO: More Details According to a disclosure made to stock exchanges last month, the proposed IPO will include 2.3 crore equity shares through a fresh issue and OFS by existing shareholders. Last month, sources told PTI that Tata Capitals IPO size could be $2 billion (over Rs 17,000 crore) valuing the company around $11 billion. Tata Capital, identified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an upper-layer non-banking finance company (NBFC), has already secured boards approval to proceed with the initial share sale. Notably, Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Capital, owns a 92.83 per cent stake in the company. If successful, this IPO will be the largest initial share sales in the countrys financial sector. It will also mark the Tata Groups second public market debut in recent years, following the listing of Tata Technologies in November 2023. This move is part of the companys efforts to comply with the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) listing requirements. As per the RBI mandate, upper-layer NBFCs are required to list on the stock exchange within three years of being designated as such. Tata Capital was categorised as an upper-layer NBFC in September 2022. Tata Capitals decision to opt for the confidential pre-filing route is part of a growing trend among Indian companies. This route allows companies to withhold public disclosure of details under the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) until later stages. Last month, edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah also opted for the confidential filing route. In 2024, food delivery giant Swiggy and supermart major Vishal Mega Mart floated their IPOs after making confidential filings. Earlier, online hotel aggregator OYO had taken the confidential filing route in 2023 but eventually did not proceed with its IPO. Tata Play, formerly known as Tata Sky, was the first company in India to utilise this option for an IPO in December 2022, and secured Sebis observation letter in April 2023. Although it later withdrew from the public issue. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Markets experts believe that the confidential pre-filing route provides flexibility and reduces pressure on companies to go public. Unlike the traditional route, where IPOs must be launched within 12 months of Sebis approval, the pre-filing route allows companies to float an IPO within 18 months from Sebis final comments. This route also offers the flexibility to adjust the primary issue size by up to 50 per cent until the updated DRHP stage, they added. About the Author Mohammad Haris Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More First Published: April 06, 2025, 10:49 IST News / National by Staff reporter Unconfirmed reports claim that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa launched a blistering attack on prominent economist and former presidential adviser Eddie Cross following his explosive claims that the First Family is "deeply corrupt" and that the President's sons are involved in "criminal activities."Cross, a former opposition MP with the MDC, made the remarks on Monday in the wake of a national anti-government stayaway. In a subsequent effort to contain the fallout, Cross met with Mnangagwa at State House in Harare on Tuesday to apologise.Sources close to the matter described the meeting as stormy, with an outraged Mnangagwa furiously demanding that Cross provide concrete evidence of the alleged corruption. "Cross was either very brave or very foolish, or both, to say what he said," a ZANU PF minister told a local internet news outlet.According to insiders, Cross - under intense pressure from top officials and Mnangagwa's allies - sought the meeting to defuse tensions. But the discussion quickly turned into a heated confrontation, with the President cornering Cross over the damaging allegations.Unable to provide documentation to support his claims, Cross apologised to Mnangagwa, admitting that implicating the First Family directly had been a misstep. However, he stood by his broader claims about widespread corruption within the government.The situation escalated further on Wednesday when Cross encountered First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa at a State House reception. Witnesses said the First Lady unleashed a "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" outburst, furiously demanding proof that her sons were involved in corruption."She wanted to kill me; she was fierce. She was mad at me as hell. It was bad. You know a mother fighting for her children. It was like that," Cross later said.Those who witnessed the incident described it as a wave of verbal assault, with Auxillia hurling a torrent of insults and demanding retractions. The sheer intensity of her response reportedly left Cross shaken.Realising the situation was spiralling, Cross backed down and again apologised for his comments about the First Family. Still, he did not completely withdraw his stance."I apologised for the allegations I made against the First Family, but I didn't retract my general statements that there is vast corruption in government," Cross told the internet news outlet. "It is in the interest of the President and the people to deal with corruption - that's the main point I was making."Despite being rattled, Cross said he continues to hear stories from across the country implicating the President's family in corruption, though he admits he does not possess hard evidence.Mnangagwa has since demanded a detailed report from Cross on corruption within government. "The President then demanded a report on corruption, which I'm now working on," Cross said.The dramatic fallout underscores the deep sensitivities surrounding corruption allegations within Zimbabwe's ruling elite and highlights the increasing pressure on the Mnangagwa administration to address governance concerns amid growing public dissatisfaction. Is Your Landlord Refusing To Return Rental Deposit? Here's What You Can Do Published By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 13:10 IST In India, landlords are typically required to return the security deposit at the end of a lease term, provided there are no damages beyond regular wear and tear. If a landlord refuses to refund the security deposit without a valid reason, tenants have legal options to recover their money. Authored By Amit Agarwal: Renting a home comes with its share of responsibilities and legalities, one of the most important being the security deposit. In India, landlords are typically required to return the security deposit at the end of a lease term, provided there are no damages beyond regular wear and tear. However, many tenants face difficulties when landlords refuse to return the deposit without a valid reason. Recommended Stories Understand Your Rental Agreement Before moving into a rental property, ensure you have a well-drafted rental agreement. The agreement should clearly state: The amount of security deposit paid The mode of payment Conditions under which deductions can be made The timeline and process for refunding the deposit When vacating the property, insist that the landlord provides a signed document stating the amount of deposit being returned. This will serve as a critical piece of evidence if a dispute arises. Legal Framework Governing Security Deposits in India Security deposit regulations in India vary from state to state, governed by the respective Rent Control Acts. In most states, landlords can collect a deposit equivalent to two or three months rent. At the end of the lease, this deposit must be returned unless there are justifiable deductions for damages or unpaid rent. If a landlord refuses to refund the security deposit without a valid reason, tenants have legal options to recover their money: Indian Contract Act, 1872: If a landlord breaches the rental agreements terms regarding deposit return, tenants can file a case under this Act for breach of contract. Consumer Protection Act, 2019: Tenants can file a consumer complaint if the landlord unethically retains the deposit. Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881: If a landlord issues a cheque for the refund and it bounces, the tenant can file a complaint under Section 138 of this Act. State-specific Rent Control Acts: Many states have their own Rent Control Acts that regulate landlord-tenant relationships. Steps to Recover Your Security Deposit Before taking legal action, tenants should try to resolve the matter amicably. They can send a polite reminder via email or text message, requesting the refund along with a breakdown of any deductions. If the landlord remains unresponsive or unjustly withholds the deposit, the next step is to send a formal legal notice. A lawyer can draft and send this notice on your behalf, demanding the return of the deposit within a specified timeframe. This often pushes landlords to settle the matter out of court. If the legal notice does not yield results, tenants can file a civil suit for deposit recovery. The following documents are essential for building a strong case: a copy of the rental agreement, proof of security deposit payment, any written communication with the landlord regarding the deposit refund, and photographic evidence of the propertys condition at the time of moving in and out. While civil court cases can take time, a well-documented claim often results in a favourable judgment. Additional Precautionary Measures for Tenants To avoid deposit-related disputes in the future, tenants should: Document the property condition: Before moving in, take pictures of the house and prepare a checklist of any existing damages. Share this with the landlord to prevent future disagreements. Get everything in writing: Ensure all financial transactions, including the deposit payment and rent receipts, are documented. Do not treat the deposit as last months rent: Many tenants mistakenly assume they can adjust their last months rent against the deposit, but this can backfire legally. Be aware of notice periods: Tenants should follow the lease agreements notice period requirements before vacating to avoid disputes. What If the Landlord Still Refuses? If the landlord continues to withhold your deposit despite all legal efforts, consider: Approaching a local tenant association: Some cities have tenant unions that can offer assistance. Seeking dispute resolution forums: Certain consumer forums and online legal platforms can help expedite the resolution process. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Therefore, recovering a security deposit from an uncooperative landlord can be frustrating, but knowing your rights and taking the right legal steps can help. Always maintain proper documentation, follow legal procedures, and seek professional legal advice if needed. (The author is CEO & co-founder of NoBroker) About the Author Business Desk A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More First Published: April 06, 2025, 13:10 IST AP Inter Results 2025: BIEAP 1st, 2nd Year Scorecards Expected Soon, Where To Check? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 17:54 IST AP Inter Results 2025: As per the marking scheme set by the board, students need to score at least 35 per cent in both theory and practical examinations to clear the exam Looking at past year trends, the results could be declared anytime by this month. (Representative image/File) The Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) is expected to release the Manabadi AP intermediate first-year and second-year results 2025 anytime soon. After the results are announced, students who took the inter first and second-year exams can access and download their results by inputting the admit card number and birthdate on the official websites resultsbie.ap.gov.in and bieap.gov.in. Last year, the AP intermediate second-year examination took place from March 2 to March 20, and the first-year exam from March 1 to 19. The results were released on April 12, 2024. Recommended Stories This year, the first-year exams were held between March 1 to 19, and the second-year exams took place March 3 to 20. Looking at past year trends, the results could be declared anytime by this month. As per the marking scheme set by the board, students need to score at least 35 per cent in both theory and practical examinations to clear the exam. Students who fail to secure the minimum passing marks will have to appear for the supplementary exam to clear the board exam. The theory paper consists of 100 marks for subjects like English, History, Civics, Commerce, Economics, and Sociology plus other optional language subjects. However, Mathematics and Geography are of 75 marks and Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology theory papers are of 60 marks each. AP Inter 1st, 2nd Year Results 2025: How to Check Online? Step 1: Students are required to go to the official website of the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh at bieap.gov.in. Step 2: Click on the tab that reads, AP IPE results 2025 at the top of the websites homepage. Step 3: Then, click on 1st-year or 2nd-year results and candidates will be redirected to a login window. Step 4: Enter the hall ticket number and date of birth in the login window. Step 5: Post this, tap on get the result and the AP Inter mark sheet will be displayed on the screen. Step 6: Save a copy of the same and print a hard copy for future reference. AP Inter 1st, 2nd Year Results 2025: How To Check via SMS? Step 1: Open the SMS body and type APGEN2 or APGEN1 (space) roll number Step 2: Send to 5626 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Step 3: You will receive your BIEAP inter result as a reply to the message. About the Author Sukanya Nandy Sukanya Nandy is a sub-editor at News18.com. She has been writing and reporting for the education and careers section of the website since 2021. She completed her graduation in English followed PG in Journalism... Read More Sukanya Nandy is a sub-editor at News18.com. She has been writing and reporting for the education and careers section of the website since 2021. She completed her graduation in English followed PG in Journalism... Read More First Published: April 06, 2025, 17:51 IST Amit Shah Arrives In J&K In A First Since New Govt Formation Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 21:16 IST On Monday, Shah is scheduled to visit the BSF Border Outpost Vinay in Kathua to evaluate the situation on the ground. Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Credits: PTI file) Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached here Sunday evening to commence his three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, his first after the formation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government in the Union Territory in October last year. Shah was received at the technical airport by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and some senior BJP leaders, officials said, adding the home minister will visit a forward post along the India-Pakistan border and review the security situation and development initiatives during his tour. Recommended Stories He is scheduled to visit the BJP headquarters at Trikuta Nagar Sunday night to attend a meeting of party MLAs and other office bearers. The visit of Shah to the BJP headquarters coincided with the partys foundation day which was celebrated by BJP activists and leaders at the headquarters with great fervour earlier during the day. Police and security forces have been put on high alert in view of Shahs visit, the officials said. VIDEO | Union Home Minister Amit Shah (@AmitShah) arrives at BJP Headquarters in Jammu.(Full video available on PTI Videos https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/qaCkr9mjG7 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 6, 2025 On Monday, Shah will visit the BSF Border Outpost Vinay in Kathua and assess the ground situation there. Later in the day, he will meet the family members of the martyrs of the Jammu and Kashmir Police at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu and also present appointment letters to some of them selected on compassionate grounds. On April 8, Shah will first take stock of various development programmes in the UT at a meeting to be held at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. Subsequently, he will attend another meeting at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar where the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir will be reviewed, the officials said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Earlier in the day, J&K BJP president Sat Sharma hoisted the party flag at the party headquarters in presence of senior party leaders including MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta, and Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma. Senior party leaders also hoisted party flags at all organizational district headquarters, BJP offices, and at the rooftops of the houses of the BJP activists across Jammu and Kashmir to mark the partys 46th foundation day, a party spokesperson said. Location : Jammu and Kashmir, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 21:16 IST Delhi Woman Dies In Horrific Roller Coaster Tragedy Just Months Before Wedding; FIR Filed Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 10:10 IST The deceased, identified as Priyanka, fell off from a ride at the amusement park on Thursday evening, police said in a statement. Priyanka fell off from a ride at the amusement park on Thursday | Image/X A 24-year-old woman tragically lost her life after falling from a roller coaster ride at an amusement park in southwest Delhis Kapashera area, said police on Saturday. The victim, identified as Priyanka, visited the water park in Kapashera with her fiance on Thursday when a ride malfunction led to her fatal fall, the police said in a statement. Recommended Stories They added that there were several injury marks on the victims body, including an ENT bleed, a lacerated wound on the right leg, a puncture wound on the left leg and multiple abrasions on the right forearm and left knee. She was rushed to Manipal Hospital by her fiance Nikhil where the doctors declared her dead, a senior police officer said. An MLC (medico-legal case) intimation regarding the incident was received at Kapashera Police Station following which an investigating officer visited the hospital and collected the medical report. "Visible injuries on the body included an ENT bleed, a lacerated wound on the right leg, puncture wound on the left leg and multiple abrasions on the right forearm and left knee," the officer said. Nikhil told the police in his statement that he and Priyanka got engaged in February and had gone to Fun and Food Village and boarded a roller coaster ride around 6:15 pm on Thursday. Priyanka allegedly fell off during the ride after some stand broke, he said. Based on the complaint and preliminary findings, an FIR has been registered under sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals or machinery) and 106 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder by negligence) of the BNS, an officer said. The post-mortem examination of the deceased has been conducted and the body has been handed over to the family members, he added. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events and responsibility for the incident, police said. Priyanka, a resident of Chanakyapuri, worked as a manager in a telecom company in Sector 3, Noida, they said. Besides her parents, she is survived by a brother and a sister. Priyankas brother Mohit told the police that his sister was engaged to Nikhil from Najafgarh in February and was scheduled to get married in February next year. On Thursday afternoon, Nikhil called Priyanka and invited her to visit the water park. They arrived at the Kapashera water park around 1 pm where they boarded the roller coaster for a ride. Mohit accused the water park authorities of not maintaining proper safety standards. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all No immediate response was received from the amusement park. (With agency inputs) Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 09:26 IST Divine Coincidence: PM Modi Gets Ram Setu Darshan Mid-Air As Surya Tilak Unfolds In Ayodhya | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 13:36 IST PM Modi called it a "divine coincidence" as the sighting of Ram Setu took place around the same time when the Surya Tilak ceremony was underway in Ayodhya's Ram Temple. PM Modi caught a mid-air glimpse of the historic Ram Setu on the occasion of Ram Navami | Image/PMO Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his return journey from a landmark three-day state visit to Sri Lanka on Sunday, shared a spiritually significant mid-air moment as he caught a glimpse of the historic Ram Setu on the occasion of Ram Navami. PM Modi called it a divine coincidence" as the sighting of Ram Setu took place around the same time when the Surya Tilak ceremony was underway in Ayodhyas Ram Temple. Recommended Stories On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both," wrote PM Modi in an X post while sharing a video capturing the celestial view of the Ram Setu from the aircraft. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us. May His blessings always remain upon us," he said. On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for pic.twitter.com/W9lK1UgpmA Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2025 PM Modi embarked on his first landmark visit to the island nation in his third term on Friday. During his three-day visit, both countries signed seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in the defence, energy, digital infrastructure, health and trade sectors. PM Modi Launches New Pamban Bridge On his arrival to Rameshwaram from Sri Lanka on Sunday, PM Modi inaugurated the New Pamban Bridge- the countrys first vertical-lift sea bridge- in Tamil Nadu. He also flagged off a Coast Guard ship which passed under the bridge. #WATCH | Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates New Pamban Bridge Indias first vertical lift sea bridge and flags off Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) new train service, on the occasion of #RamNavami2025(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/4nbYJ69Jtr ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 The Ministry of Railways highlights the newly constructed 2.07-kilometre bridge over the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu as a symbol of Indias advanced engineering and forward-thinking infrastructure planning. Situated in Ramanathapuram district, the bridge links Rameswaram Island to Mandapam on the mainland. Developed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry, the project cost exceeds 700 crore. A key feature is its 72.5-metre navigational span, which can be vertically lifted up to 17 metres to enable safe passage for ships. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Designed to accommodate two railway lines, the bridge currently operates a single track and is approved for train speeds up to 80 kmph, ensuring capacity for increased traffic and heavier loads in the future. About the Author Ronit Singh Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Location : Tamil Nadu, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 13:36 IST Video Of Employees Forced To 'Crawl, Lick Coins' Sparks Outrage In Kerala; Police Call It Deceptive Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 09:11 IST Some employees revealed that the company's management would subject staff members who failed to meet targets to humiliating punishments. Representative Image A private marketing firm in Kerala has faced allegations of mistreating its underperforming employees, with reports of humiliating practices. These include forcing staff to crawl on their knees and pick up coins from the floor with their mouths. The companys treatment of its employees has sparked concerns about workplace abuse and dignity. The state Labour Department has ordered a probe into the alleged inhuman workplace harassment after local television channels aired the disturbing visuals. Recommended Stories A video clip claiming to show inhuman punishment for not meeting a target at a private firm went viral. According to the police, this was a deceptive video. Police said a former manager at the firm had a personal grudge against the owner. The manager allegedly deceived new trainees into participating in a humiliating exercise, recording them without their consent. The video, which was filmed about four months ago, has now been made public. The manager in question has since left the firm. The video claim was that these people were made to walk like dogs for not meeting targets. Police have recorded the statements of the victims in the video. They have claimed that this was doing of the former manager. State Labour Minister V Sivankutty ordered an inquiry into the undated incident and instructed the district labour officer to submit an immediate report on the incident. Sivankutty termed the visuals shocking and disturbing" and said they cannot be accepted at any cost in a state like Kerala. I have ordered a probe into the incident and instructed the district Labour officer to submit a report in connection with the incident after carrying out a probe," he told the media. Meanwhile, the police said that the incident allegedly took place in connection with a private marketing firm functioning in Kaloor and the crime allegedly occurred at nearby Perumbavoor. They also informed that they havent received any complaints on the matter, and the owner had denied the allegations. No case has been registered so far, and an investigation is underway," an officer said. The State Human Rights Commission also registered a case into the incident based on a complaint filed by High Court lawyer Kulathoor Jaisingh. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Kerala State Youth Commission has taken suo motu action in the alleged workplace harassment case, registering a case and seeking a report from the District Police Chief. In a statement, Commission Chairman M Shajar said legal action should be taken against such practices that are unacceptable in a civilised and democratic society. As a civilised society, we should collectively respond against such anti-social trends," he said. Location : Kerala, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 07:16 IST Kerala Lottery Results LIVE: Akshaya AK-696 Winners For April 6, 2025 Soon; First Prize Rs 70 Lakh! Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 10:34 IST Kerala Lottery Result Guessing Numbers: Check the Live Updates and full list of winning numbers for Akshaya AK-696 lucky draw for Sunday, April 6, 2025 here from 3 pm. Kerala Lottery Akshaya AK-696 Results: The first prize winner of Akshaya AK-696 will get Rs 70 lakh. (Image: Shutterstock) KERALA LOTTERY AKSHAYA AK-696 RESULT ON SUNDAY, 6.4.2025, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department is set to announce the much-awaited Akshaya AK-696 lottery results on Sunday, April 6. The draw will take place at 3 PM at Gorky Bhavan, near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram, under the supervision of independent judges to ensure fairness. Participants stand a chance to win exciting cash prizes, with the grand jackpot of 70 lakh, a second prize of 5 lakh, and a third prize of 1 lakh. Stay tuned and check the list below to see if luck is on your side today! KERALA LOTTERY AKSHAYA AK-696 GUESSING NUMBERS Recommended Stories 3520 3502 3250 3205 3052 3025 5320 5302 5230 5203 5032 5023 2350 2305 2530 2503 2035 2053 0352 0325 0532 0523 0235 0253 AKSHAYA AK-696 LOTTERY: PRIZE STRUCTURE 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakh 2nd Prize: Rs 5 Lakh 3rd Prize: Rs 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs 5,000 5th Prize: Rs 2,000 6th Prize: Rs 1,000 7th Prize: Rs 500 8th Prize: Rs 100 Consolation Prize: Rs 8,000 AKSHAYA AK-696 LOTTERY: WINNING NUMBERS WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKH IS: To be updated WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKH IS: To be updated WINNING NUMBER FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 LAKH ARE: To be updated WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: To be updated WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: To be updated WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: To be updated WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: To be updated WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: To be updated WINNING NUMBERS FOR THE 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: To be updated HOW TO CHECK KERALA AKSHAYA AK- 696 LOTTERY RESULTS? Visit the official Kerala Lottery website to view the Akshaya AK-696 results. Confirm the winning numbers at the Kerala Government Gazette office. Reach out to the Kerala Lottery Department for verified and authentic information. How to Claim the Prize Money? Verify your ticket number against the official Kerala Government Gazette to confirm the results. If your ticket is listed, you could be eligible for a prize. Prize winners must visit the Kerala Lottery Office in Thiruvananthapuram within 30 days to claim their reward. To collect the winnings, submit the original ticket along with a valid ID for verification. Documents Required to Claim Prize Money Submit a signed photocopy of both sides of your winning lottery ticket. Provide recent passport-sized photographs certified by a Gazette officer. Include a self-attested copy of your PAN card for identity verification. Complete the official prize claim form, attach a revenue stamp, and submit it. Present a valid government-issued ID, such as Aadhaar, PAN card, voter ID, or ration card, for authentication. HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH A FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS? Visit the official Kerala Lottery Department websites: keralalotteries.info or keralalotteryresult.net. Navigate to the AKSHAYA AK-696 results section and select it. The full list of winning numbers will be displayed on your screen. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Find the download option to save the results. Click the link to open and download the results in PDF format. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 09:00 IST On Camera: College Student Dies After Collapsing During Farewell Speech In Maharashtra Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 18:00 IST While the cause of her death is yet to be ascertained, according to media reports, the deceased had a history of heart-related issues. Varsha Kharat, a final-year BSc student at RG Shinde College (Credits: Screengrab of video shared on X) A 20-year-old college student collapsed and died in the middle of her farewell speech at a college in Maharashtras Dharashiv district. The student has been identified as Varsha Kharat, a final-year BSc student at RG Shinde College. A video of the incident that reportedly took place on April 5, is going viral online. The small clip shows the girl wearing a saree, standing before the podium, delivering her speech. She can be seen speaking and sharing a light moment with her audience moments before she collapses. Recommended Stories Students run towards the stage as she falls to the ground. She was rushed to a nearby government hospital in Paranda, where she was declared brought dead by the doctors, as per media reports. According to a Times Of India report citing Varshas uncle, the deceased had a history of heart-related issues and had undergone a bypass surgery nearly seven years ago. 20 year old Varsha Kharat died suddenly during a college function in Dharashiv district of Maharashtra. Right on the stage. pic.twitter.com/ZAsQt2Vm7m The Family Gyan (@thefamilygyan) April 6, 2025 She was on medication after the heart surgery. On Friday, she skipped her daily dose of pills in a rush to get to the college," Dhanaji Kharat, who is a Zilla parishad school teacher, was quoted as saying by TOI. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all College authorities told TOI that Varsha was a bright student with big aspirations for her life and her family. She came from a humble backgroundher parents work on farms, and she had both an older sister and a younger brother. While the cause of her death is still unknown, it is being speculated that she may have experienced a sudden heart attack while delivering her speech. Location : Maharashtra, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 18:00 IST President Murmu To Use Pakistans Airspace To Reach Portugal For April 7-8 State Visit | Exclusive From Intel Sources Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 13:57 IST Earlier, Pakistan had denied permission to PM Narendra Modi in 2019 during his Germany visit just after the abrogation of Article 370, but gave permission for his 2021 US visit This is the first Presidential visit from India to Portugal in 27 years. (PTI File) President Droupadi Murmu will use the Pakistani airspace to reach Portugal for her state visit on April 7-8, said top intelligence sources. She will then proceed to Slovakia for her two-day state visit. This is the first Presidential visit from India to Portugal in 27 years. Recommended Stories Earlier during Murmus visit to Algeria in 2024, her flights avoided the Pakistani airspace, using the alternative routes over Oman and Iran Pakistan had denied Indian presidential flights during periods of bilateral tension, such as in 2019 for President Ram Nath Kovinds travel to Iceland. Earlier, Pakistan had denied permission to PM Narendra Modi in 2019 during his Germany visit just after the abrogation of Article 370, but gave permission for his 2021 US visit. MURMUs VISIT Murmu will visit Portugal from April 7-8 at the invitation of President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The visit is taking place after a gap of 27 years, and comes as India and Portugal are celebrating 50 years of re-establishment of diplomatic relations. The last state visit took place in 1998 when then President K. R. Narayanan visited Portugal, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Murmu will meet and hold delegation level talks with Sousa. She will also meet the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luis Montenegro, and the President of the National Assembly (Parliament), Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco. India and Portugal share historic and friendly bilateral ties which have evolved over the years into a modern, multifaceted, and dynamic partnership, characterised by robust growth and expansion across several areas of cooperation. The visit will provide further impetus and renewed momentum to Indias growing relations with Portugal. At the invitation of the President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini, Murmu will also visit the Slovak Republic from April 9-10. This will be the first visit by the President of India to Slovakia in 29 years. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Murmu will hold bilateral meetings with Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. Murmu will also meet the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Richard Rasi. The Presidents state visit reflects the importance India attaches to its bilateral relations with Slovakia. It will provide an opportunity to further strengthen and broaden our bilateral ties. At both places, President Murmu will interact with members of Indian community. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: April 06, 2025, 13:42 IST 'Some Just Keep Crying': PM Modi Jabs DMK, Says Tamil Nadu Got 3X Funds Under NDA Rule Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 15:36 IST PM Modi said that over the past decade, the central government has allocated three times more funding to Tamil Nadu compared to the period before 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi | Image/X Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a veiled swipe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, saying some have a habit of crying" while noting that central funding to the state has tripled since 2014. The remarks came as PM Modi addressed a public gathering after inaugurating the New Pamban Bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. He also laid the foundation stone of other road infrastructure projects in the state. Recommended Stories The infrastructure of Tamil Nadu is a top priority for the government. In the past decade, the states rail budget has increased more than sevenfold. Despite this significant growth, some people continue to complain without justification," PM Modi remarked. PM Modi further said that Tamil Nadu holds a crucial place in Indias journey toward becoming a developed nation, adding that the countrys overall progress will accelerate as the states full potential is unlocked. In the last decade, the central government has allocated three times more funding to Tamil Nadu compared to the period before 2014," he said. #WATCH | Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu: PM Narendra Modi says The infrastructure of Tamil Nadu is a top priority for the government. In the past decade, the states rail budget has increased more than sevenfold. Despite this significant growth, some people continue to complain without pic.twitter.com/Aefjj8bj6b ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 PM Modi noted that prior to 2014, Tamil Nadu received an annual allocation of just Rs 900 crore, but this year, the states rail budget has surpassed Rs 6,000 crore. He also noted that the central government is modernising 77 railway stations across Tamil Nadu, including the one in Rameswaram. It came after DMK accused the Centre of not releasing sufficient funds to the state despite the governments prudent management of its finances". PM Modi Launches New Pamban Bridge On his arrival to Rameshwaram from Sri Lanka on Sunday, PM Modi inaugurated the New Pamban Bridge- the countrys first vertical-lift sea bridge- in Tamil Nadu. He also flagged off Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) new train service. #WATCH | Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates New Pamban Bridge Indias first vertical lift sea bridge and flags off Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) new train service, on the occasion of #RamNavami2025(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/4nbYJ69Jtr ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 The new train service will improve connectivity from Rameswaram to Chennai and other parts of the country. This will benefit both trade and tourism in Tamil Nadu. New jobs and opportunities will also be created for the youth," the Prime Minister said. The Ministry of Railways highlights the newly constructed 2.07-kilometre bridge over the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu as a symbol of Indias advanced engineering and forward-thinking infrastructure planning. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Situated in Ramanathapuram district, the bridge links Rameswaram Island to Mandapam on the mainland. Developed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry, the project cost exceeds 700 crore. About the Author Ronit Singh Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Location : Tamil Nadu, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 15:10 IST UP University Exam Question Links RSS With Terror Outfits, Paper Setter Banned From Duties As Row Erupts Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 08:02 IST At the centre of the controversy was Seema Pawar, a political science professor from the affiliated Meerut College, who prepared the exam paper. ABVP members submitted a memorandum to the registrar of the Meerut college | Image/X A massive row erupted at a Uttar Pradesh government-run college, affiliated with the Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), after an exam question allegedly linked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with terror organisations. At the centre of the controversy was Seema Pawar, a political science professor from the affiliated Meerut College, who prepared the exam paper. As the row erupted, she was barred from all university examination and evaluation duties. Recommended Stories The controversy stems from a political science exam held on April 2, 2025, for second-semester students, where the question paper reportedly linked the RSS to the rise of religion- and caste-based politics and listed it alongside groups like the Naxalites and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, triggering strong reactions. The decision to impose a lifetime ban" on Professor Panwar of Meerut College came hours after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) the students wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), staged a massive protest at the university campus, reported news agency PTI. They accused Panwar of defaming the RSS and staged a protest at CCSU, demanding action. They also submitted a memorandum to the registrar, calling for strict disciplinary steps. Universitys Registrar Responds After an internal inquiry, the university identified Panwar as the paper setter. The universitys registrar, Dhirendra Kumar Verma, confirmed the decision, saying: She has been debarred from all examination and evaluation work in the university for life." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Verma stated that the professor had submitted a written apology to the university, clarifying that she did not intend to hurt anyones sentiments. The university further stated that a probe is underway due to the gravity of the issue and assured that firm measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. About the Author Ronit Singh Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Location : Uttar Pradesh, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 08:02 IST Happy Ram Navami 2025: Best Wishes, Images, Quotes, Greetings And WhatsApp Status Messages To Share On Sri Rama Navami Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 07:28 IST Ram Navami Wishes Images Quotes 2025: Ram Navami, celebrating Lord Ram's birth, falls on April 6 this year. It marks the end of Chaitra Navratri. Here are wishes and messages to share with loved ones on this auspicious day. Happy Ram Navami 2025: Images, Wishes, Quotes, Messages and WhatsApp Greetings to Share. (Image: Shutterstock) Ram Navami Wishes Images Quotes 2025: Ram Navami, one of the most significant festivals of India, is celebrated with great zest and fervour by the devotees of Lord Ram. As per the Hindu mythology, the festival celebrates the birth of Lord Ram. It falls on Shukla Paksha Navami, which is observed on the ninth day of the Chaitra month. Ram Navami marks the end of the Chaitra Navratri. This year, the festival will be celebrated on April 6. To help you wish your loved ones on this auspicious festival, here are some wishes, messages and greetings to share with them on the last day of Chaitra Navratri. Take a look: Recommended Stories Ram Navami 2025 Wishes And Quotes Happy Ram Navami to you and your family. May the Lord bless you with goodness and prosperity. Wishing you a Ram Navami full of blessings, peace, and wealth. May Lord Ram guide you on the right path. I wish you and your family a joyful Ram Navami full of devotion, love and harmony. Happy Ram Navami. May the divine grace of Lord Ram be with you today and always. On this auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, may your heart be filled with devotion and your home be blessed with joy. May Lord Rams blessings fill your life with happiness, prosperity, and great success. Happy Ram Navami! This Ram Navami, I wish you joy, harmony and prosperity. Also Read: Happy Ram Navami 2025: Top 50+ Wishes, Quotes, Images, WhatsApp Status Messages to Share Ram Navami Messages And Greetings Happy Ram Navami! May all of your wishes come true and you prosper in all of your future endeavours. On this Ram Navami, let us recall Lord Ramas teachings on dharma, compassion, and righteousness. May Lord Ramas life teach us to be virtuous and to live with honesty. Happy Ram Navami. Heres wishing that Lord Ram brings peace, joy and success into your life and brightens it with his divine blessings. Let the spirit of Ram Navami remind you of the power of positivity and hope. On this auspicious day of Rama Navami, may your heart be filled with devotion and your home with joy. Jai Shri Ram! Lets celebrate the birth of Lord Ram with prayers, bhajans and fasting. Jai Shree Ram! Ram Navami WhatsApp And Facebook Status top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all May the presence of Lord Ram fill your heart and soul with love, serenity, and devotion. Happy Ram Navami! May Lord Rams divine energy uplift your soul and bring you closer to your goals and dreams. Happy Ram Navami! Let us acknowledge Lord Ramas teachings and attempt to follow the path of righteousness. Happy Ram Navami! Jai Shree Ram! Let us celebrate the auspicious day of Ram Navami with open arms and hearts full of devotion. I wish Lord Rams blessings be with you always, guiding you through lifes journey. May Ram Navami bring us closer together and strengthen our ties as a family. On this Ram Navami, I wish that Lord Ram takes all your fear and worry away. Jai Shree Ram. Happy Ram Navami 2025. About the Author Nibandh Vinod Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te... Read More Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te... Read More fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Ayodhya, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 06:40 IST Laila Khan Furniturewalla Believes Her Dad, Feroz Khan Would Have Liked a Few Pieces In This Collection Written By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 09:02 IST Laila Khan Furniturewalla reflects on her relationship with art and dedicating Untamed Heart to her parents Sundri and Feroz Khan. Artist Laila Khan Furniturewallas solo exhibition is on till April 6 at Snowball Studios and from 16th to 22nd April at Gallery Art & Soul in Worli Mumbai They say, Art is where the heart is. And Laila Khan Furniturewallas solo art exhibition titled Untamed Heart was a reflection of her artistic journey on canvas. Lailas art mirrors the kind soul she is and her art tells a million tales with every brush stroke. A master of the medium, Laila sculpted Untamed Heart into a soiree of emotions that captures the beauty of nature through abstract forms finding solace in the power of spirituality. Meeting Laila in her happy space and understanding how much she loves her art, makes Untamed Heart a reflection of the kind and intuitive creative soul she is. Recommended Stories In a candid conversation with Laila, she reflects on her relationship with art, dedicating Untamed Heart to her parents Sundri and Feroz Khan and sharing the essence of Ganesha through her paintings. FOLLOWING HER HEART While most believe she was on a hiatus, Laila was on a spiritual quest understanding what it meant to be ready and explore art once again. Once an artist, always an artist. Lailas solo exhibition preview which was hosted on April 4 and attended by the family and friends from the film and art fraternity including Kajol, Sanjay Khan, Fardeen Khan, Sundri Khan, Zayed Khan, Esha Deol, Raveena Tandon, Alaya F, Abhishek Kapoor and Bhagyashree among others, is proof that your talent will always pave the path for you and will be celebrated with you. For Laila art is a relationship and a very deep one. Though she hadnt painted full time for a long time, she expressed that she and her heart was yearning to paint. My entire being was yearning to paint. The thought of having this show was always there, but I couldnt do it unless a big part of me felt I was ready. For this show, I wanted to do this show back in October 2024, but I felt I wasnt ready. But then somehow April 2025 felt right. I think its the universe that sort of conspires and tells you that it is time," expressed Laila. Laila wanted her art and expression to be very unfiltered, raw and not be dictated by what the market wants. In a day and age, where at times artists follow what the market dictates what sells and what doesnt, Laila feels the onus is on her to be even greater since she wanted her heart to speak in its purest form. HOMAGE TO HER CREATORS Laila looked straight out of a painting in a multi-coloured kaftan-style dress at her preview show in Mumbai. As costume designer-fashion designer Sundri and legendary Bollywood star Feroz Khans daughter, Laila is proud of her lineage. Untamed Heart is dedicated to her parents. Im very proud of my parents because they are self-made people and they were not born in the lap of luxury. They made their lives through their art and talent. My father [Feroz Khan] was a renowned name and was also ahead of his time. He was very critical of work and he wouldnt hang a painting of mine in the house, if he didnt like it. He would say no this doesnt work for me. That would encourage me to push harder. My father I think might have liked a few pieces in this collection," shares Laila. While Feroz expressed tough love, Sundris generosity gave Laia the confidence she needed. My mother was generous. I was painting right from school and one day she told me youre going to be an artist. She instilled a sense of confidence in me which is very important for children because sometimes they lack that you know. I am very thankful to her," adds Laila. Someday we would love to see the mother-daughter collaborate and share their respective creativity as one to the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snowball Studios (@snowball.studios) SCULPTING A VISION I love the three dimensional aspect and I love sculpting on canvas," shares Laila, when asked about using sand to sculpt her vision on canvas. Inspired by nature, you see her face lights up when she speaks about the medium she incorporates in her creations. Taking us down memory lane and reminiscing about her first solo show at the Visual Arts Gallery India Habitat Centre, New Delhi in 2001, Laila mentions that she worked with sand to depict how human beings are fleeting compared to the structures we build. While the structures live to tell a story, humans who built them are long gone. That was the first time she incorporated sand and then it was in 2025 that the medium found its way back into her vision. I think when I worked with sand way back in 1998-99 and showcased it in 2001, I was one of the few artists who worked with different mediums. It was all quite conventional back then. However, this was my calling and I just followed my heart," adds Laila. Apart from sand, Laila has explored expressive mediums such as metal and gold leaf that has made a prominent presence in the Untamed Heart collection. With 32 paintings telling a story, Laila shares how its the first time she gave each painting a title. I would never title my works because I wanted the reaction to the work to be very subjective. I didnt want to put the viewer in a direction but this time I think my intention in the work was very clear hence I titled it," shares Laila. While all her artworks in this collection are exceptional, there are a couple of works that simply stand out. They are The Silent Wave, Hello From The Other Side, Wish You Were Here, Gauri and Deva. COLOUR ME A STORY This show has many firsts and we just love to see Laila explore it with so much passion. So for the first time, because my colours, youll see it on my website from 1996 till 2020, were mostly golds, ambers, and sienna. However, in the last few years I have used a burst of colours, which I never, ever thought I could or I would include. And its come out in my Ganesh series, because for me, Im depicting India in terms of colour," adds Laila. You also see Laila play around with the gold leaf adding opulence to each masterpiece. I use gold because gold is connected with religious paintings, and its connected with spirituality. Gold is very auspicious. Whether its European art or in Baroque, a lot of gold is included. Even in churches, theres a lot of gold. So thats a form of reverence. Thats why my paintings have a lot of gold in them. And Ive always been very fascinated by Tanjore art, stained glass paintings in Europe. So that has translated into my work in terms of colour," shares Laila. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Laila lives by the motto work is worship and her relationship with her art showcases the beautiful bond she shares with it. Art has to stand the test of time like some of my work. If I see it after 10 years and if I still like it then I think there was something that was achieved in that work. But they now have a life of their own; theyre out of me. I built half the bridge and the other half is now the viewers," expresses Laila. Laila Khan Furniturewallas solo exhibition Untamed Heart is on till April 6 at Snowball Studios and from 16th to 22nd April at Gallery Art & Soul in Worli Mumbai. Do not miss it! About the Author Akshata Shetty Completing almost two decades in journalism, Akshata Shetty's journey from print to online journalism is a celebration of fashion, art and music. Akshatas fashion stories are about the people who celebrate the... Read More Completing almost two decades in journalism, Akshata Shetty's journey from print to online journalism is a celebration of fashion, art and music. Akshatas fashion stories are about the people who celebrate the... Read More fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: April 06, 2025, 09:02 IST Anupam Kher Fought When Robert De Niro Wanted Him Out From Silver Linings Playbook Scene: 'Bradley Cooper...' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 07:38 IST Sikandar Kher shared life lessons from his stepfather Anupam Kher, highlighting perseverance. Anupam stood up to Robert De Niro on Silver Linings Playbook. Anupam Kher acted with Robert De Niro on Silver Linings Playbook. Actor Sikandar Kher shared the life lessons hes learned from his stepfather, Anupam Kher. He said Anupam taught him the importance of perseverance. Sikandar also remembered a story where Anupam stood up for himself against Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper when he heard he might be removed from a scene in The Silver Linings Playbook, starring Jennifer Lawrence and directed by David O. Russell. Recalling it, Sikandar said on the Qisse with Kopal podcast, A man who is already drenched isnt afraid of the rain; thats something I learned from him. His tenacity When he got to know that he had been replaced in Saaransh without being informed, and he had to leave Mumbai because he didnt have any money. But before leaving, he decided to give Mahesh Bhatt a piece of his mind, and he did it so hard that he got the part." Recommended Stories Sikandar said that Robert De Niro, his fathers favorite actor, worked with Anupam Kher on Silver Linings Playbook. During a rehearsal, De Niro thought Anupam shouldnt be in the scene. He felt that his character wouldnt let my dads character in the house because he didnt like him. He thought, let me just give them a piece of my mind. And he went and gave the director a piece of his mind in front of the whole set; theres Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Chris Tucker, Robert De Niro He explained to them why he should be in the scene. Director looks at De Niro and asks, Bob? And De Niro said okay. My father is a nobody there, hes from India. He couldve lost that part. But he went there and just did it, and held on to his self-respect. Thats the stuff I need to learn," Sikandar recalled. Recently, Sikandar has made a comeback to films with supporting roles in Monica O My Darling and Monkey Man. He also appeared in the series Aarya and Citadel: Honey Bunny. About the Author Shreyanka Mazumdar Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More First Published: April 06, 2025, 07:37 IST Burqa City Director Reacts To Similarity With Laapataa Ladies: 'Surprised By How It Matches My Film' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 09:06 IST French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq accuses Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies of plagiarizing his 2019 short Burqa City. Writer Biplab Goswami refutes, providing documents to prove originality. Burqa City Director Reacts To Similarity With Laapataa Ladies. French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq, who made the 2019 Arabic short Burqa City, is calling out Laapataa Ladies for looking a little too familiar. Hes saying Kiran Raos much-praised film shares more than just a vibe with his short. According to him, there are way too many similarities to ignore. Things really blew up when a viral video started making the rounds on social media, putting scenes from Burqa City and Laapataa Ladies side by side. Many started questioning if Laapataa Ladies had crossed the line into plagiarism. Bracq reacted to the controversy by telling India Today, First of all, even before watching the film, I was surprised by how closely the pitch matched that of my short film. Then I watched the film, and I was both surprised and shocked to see that, although the story had been adapted to Indian culture, many aspects of my short were clearly present. Notably and this is by no means an exhaustive list the kind, loving, naive husband who loses his wife, contrasted with the other husband who is violent and despicable. The scene with the police officer is also striking: a corrupt, violent, and intimidating policeman surrounded by two sidekicks. Of course, theres the moment with the photo of the veiled woman." Recommended Stories He added, The scene where the kind husband searches for his wife in various shops is particularly revealing he shows the shopkeepers a photo of his veiled wife, just like in the short film, and then the shopkeepers wife comes out wearing a burqa, almost like a nod to Burqa City. Theres also the similarity in the plot twist at the end, where we learn that the woman deliberately chose to run away from her abusive husband a key narrative element in Burqa City." The French filmmaker concluded with, And more broadly, the film carries a similar message about womens emancipation and feminism." Meanwhile, Laapataa Ladies writer Biplab Goswami had recently issued a statement, responding to plagiarism accusations against the film. Refuting the claims, he also provided relevant documents to prove the originality of the story, characters and dialogues of Laapataa Ladies. He defended his work, and mentioned that the films detailed synopsis was registered with the Screenwriters Association in 2014, and that the feature-length script Two Brides was registered in 2018. In his statement, Laapataa Ladies writer Biplab Goswami wrote, The screenplay for Laapataa Ladies was developed extensively over many years. I first registered the films detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title Two Brides, with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014. Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. This is where the story takes off. I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the brides face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment." He further added, On June 30, 2018, I registered the feature-length script Two Brides with the SWA. This script won the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition in 2018. Again, in this screenplay, I had the scene of the policeman amused by the photograph of the veiled bride." Biplab stated that the concepts of veils and disguises resulting in mistaken identities is a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by writers such as William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas and Rabindranath Tagore, among many others. Laapataa Ladies uses this mistaken identity form with entirely original and unique characters, setting, narrative journey, and social impact. The story, the dialogues, the characters, and the scenes all stem from years of research and honest reflection. I was deeply invested in understanding the nuances of gender discrimination and inequality, rural power dynamics, and male chauvinism across both Indian and global contexts. Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue," he wrote. He conlcuded, These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team." Biplab Goswami shared the certificate of registration by the Screenwriters Association, along with the post. Laapataa Ladies was released theatrically on March 1, 2024. Kiran Raos directorial features Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, and Ravi Kishan in the lead roles. First Published: April 06, 2025, 09:06 IST Jacqueline Fernandezs Mother, Kim Fernandez, Passes Away After Suffering Stroke Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 11:44 IST Jacqueline Fernandez is mourning the loss of her mother, Kim Fernandez, who passed away after a stroke. The funeral will be private, attended by close friends and family. Jacqueline Fernandezs Mother, Kim Fernandez, Passes Away Jacqueline Fernandez is mourning the heartbreaking loss of her mother, Kim Fernandez, who passed away after being hospitalised due to a stroke. Kim, who had largely stayed away from the public eye, was known to be a strong and supportive presence in Jacquelines life. Despite medical efforts, she tragically could not be saved. Jacqueline, who was extremely close to her mother, has yet to release an official statement. The funeral and last rites are expected to be held privately, with close friends and family in attendance. Recommended Stories On March 24, Jacqueline Fernandezs mother, Kim, was hospitalised and admitted to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of Lilavati Hospital. Upon receiving the news, Jacqueline immediately flew back home to be by her mothers side. Kim was admitted to the ICU after a heart stroke. The actress was often seen arriving at the Lilavati Hospital to be beside her mother. A source close to Jacqueline Fernandez had earlier revealed that she was scheduled to perform at the IPL ceremony on March 26 in Guwahati, featuring the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. However, she opted out to remain by her mothers side during her recovery in the ICU. The source told HT, Jacquelines mother is still in the ICU recovering. As the family awaits further updates from the doctors, Jacqueline has chosen to be by her mothers side and, unfortunately, will be missing performing at the IPL ceremony." Jacquelines Kick co-star, Salman Khan, was also seen at the hospital, visiting her mother to offer his support. Back in 2022 as well, Kim had suffered a stroke and was admitted to a hospital in Bahrain for treatment. Jacquelines mom resides in Manama, Bahrain, and comes from a multicultural background, with Malaysian and Canadian heritage. Her maternal grandfather was Canadian, while her great-grandparents hailed from Goa, India. First Published: April 06, 2025, 11:44 IST Matthew McConaughey Returns In The Rivals of Amziah King After Hiatus, Says 'Didn't Want To Take A Break' Published By : Bang Showbiz Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 14:59 IST Matthew McConaughey returns to film in 'The Rivals of Amziah King' after a break since 2021, drawn to the Western's musicality. He performs six original songs in the film. The 55-year-old actor last had a main role in a film in 2021. Matthew McConaughey didnt mean to take a break" from film before he was cast in The Rivals of Amziah King. The 55-year-old actor last had a main role in a film in 2021 but after a short hiatus, he is back starring in the Western and noted that it was the musicality" of the story that persuaded him to sign on. He told Collider, I didnt feel like I needed a break. I just ended up taking a break, did other things, wrote a book. I really enjoyed that. Another version of storytelling with less filters. I did a few other things there along the way, and then this came along. Original voice, original place, time, space, the language, the poetry, the musicality of it, the innocence of it, the humour of it, the wild, anarchic humor of it. A father figure and a mentor and a wild a**, Amziah King, who gives misfits belonging is what he does. Recommended Stories I love that at the heart of the story, its a love story between her and I at the base of it. And then this is all the band. Amziah has taken folks in along the way. If it doesnt make sense, well, it oughta. If it aint true, s***, say it quick. It will be. [Laughs] Its a story I want to be part of, and its a story that Im excited to be out there right now. So, when I read it, I knew the people. I knew the places. Ive been around them. Theyre on the outskirts of places even Ive lived. A lot of the world will look at this and go, Who are those people? What planet is that that theyre living on?" Then tonight, at South by Southwest specifically, I think most everyone in that crowd will go, I do know those people." The Dazed and Confused star performs six original songs as part of the new film which follows his character as he reunites with his foster daughter before tragedy occurs and found a certain poetry" in his new role. He said: I just found that theres poetry in that guy, in that voice. The life, the way he moves, everythings musical. The way he hears. This film is very musical, and its arguably a musical. Six tunes in it that we sing and perform. Its literally kind of a musical and just the musicality of the relationships and the dialogue I was just attracted to. I heard the meter in my own mind very quickly. I wanted to be a part of it." About the Author Shreyanka Mazumdar Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More Location : Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) First Published: April 06, 2025, 14:59 IST Rashmika Mandanna Celebrated Her Birthday With Vijay Deverakonda In Oman? Heres Why Fans Think So Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 18:13 IST Vijay Deverakondas latest set of pictures has left fans convinced that he joined his rumoured ladylove Rashmika Mandannas birthday celebration in Oman! Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna are rumoured to be dating Rashmika Mandanna recently dropped pictures from her 29th birthday celebration in Oman, and the photos went absolutely viral. Now, just a day later, her rumoured boyfriend and actor Vijay Deverakonda also shared a few photos in which he is seen posing at the beach. The background in both Rashmika and Vijays photos look strikingly similar- the white sand, blue umbrellas, and palm trees- suggesting that they might be at the same spot! Eagle-eyed fans pointed out the similarities, and they are convinced that the rumoured couple celebrated the actress 29th birthday together in Oman. The latest pictures shared by Vijay Deverakonda on Sunday show him wearing a beige shirt and matching loose pants, walking on the beach, with crystal clear blue water in the backdrop. The next picture shows him enjoying a horse ride by the beach. Meanwhile, the third photo shows the Liger actor sitting on the lounger at the beach, looking up at the sky. The background of this photo features large blue parasols, palm trees, loungers and a beautiful sunset. Riding horses and living Barefeet :))," he captioned the photos. Fans quickly noticed the similar backgrounds in both Rashmika and Vijays photos, suggesting they may have celebrated her birthday together in Oman. Recommended Stories View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vijay Deverakonda (@thedeverakonda) Both Rashmika and Vijays pictures seemed to be shot in the exact same location, thus leading fans to believe that they are enjoying their vacation together. Rashmika birthday celebrations," commented one fan, while another one wrote, Just convey birthday wishes from my side to the girl beside you." A third netizen commented, My hero dating rashmika oh my God chhupane se bhi nahi chup Raha yaar." Another fan wrote, Went with rashmika I know," while another one pointed out, When you will add Rashmika photos @thedeverakonda ?" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) Just yesterday, Rashmika also posted photos from the same beach in Oman, and wrote, Some beach..some sands..some sunsets..some flowers and a lot of smiles with all your love and wishes Thaaaaaaankyou my loveeeessss! You are the bestttestttt!! Ill show you guys todays dear diary tomorrow okie. Love ya! Good night!" Vijay Deverakonda And Rashmika Mandanna Relationship Rumours Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna have been rumoured to be dating ever since they shared screen space in the 2018 blockbuster Geetha Govindam and the 2019 romantic drama Dear Comrade. Over the years, speculation has only grown stronger as Rashmika has frequently shared glimpses from Vijays home and been spotted spending time with his family. Their social media posts have also hinted at shared vacations, further fuelling relationship rumours. However, neither Rashmika nor Vijay has ever publicly confessed to being in a relationship with each other. Rashmika Mandanna was recently seen in Salman Khan starrer Sikandar, which released in theatres on 30th March, 2025. She has Kuberaa, Thama, The Girlfriend and several other movies in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Vijay Deverakonda is currently busy shooting for his upcoming action thriller film titled Kingdom. Directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, the action thriller film is eyeing a grand release on May 30. Besides Kingdom, Vijay Deverakonda will also be seen in director Ravi Kiran Kalas next anticipated project, tentatively titled VD13. First Published: April 06, 2025, 18:06 IST Opinion | PM Modi Steers India's Naval Focus Towards African Shores Written By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 13:33 IST 'Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement' (AIKEYME) exercise, which started on April 5, off the coast of Tanzania, is a potent symbol of this deepening commitment, a necessary step in a complex and increasingly contested maritime domain Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. (PTI File) The geopolitical chessboard is shifting, and India, with a sense of urgency, is pivoting its strategic gaze firmly towards Africa. It is a hard-nosed recognition that the maritime security landscape, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), demands proactive engagement with key African partners. The Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) exercise, which started on April 5, off the coast of Tanzania, is a potent symbol of this deepening commitment, a necessary step in a complex and increasingly contested maritime domain. AIKEYME 2025 Recommended Stories AIKEYME 2025 represents a landmark moment in India-Africa defence relations. Co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Force, this exercise marks Indias first major multilateral naval engagement specifically focused on the African continent. It brings together ten nations, including heavyweights like South Africa, key littoral states like Kenya and Mozambique, and strategically vital island nations such as Mauritius and Seychelles. This initiative is significant. India intends for AIKEYME to become a biennial fixture, eventually expanding to encompass West African nations, signalling a long-term, region-wide security vision that acknowledges Africas rising global influence. The exercise is designed for practical impact. The agenda, split into harbour and sea phases, tackles real-world threats head-on, encompassing command post exercises, anti-piracy discussions, intensive training on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations the sharp end of maritime law enforcement alongside practical sea drills involving search and rescue, small arms firing, and helicopter operations. The aim is to foster trust and create seamless operational coordination between the participating navies, which is crucial for tackling shared maritime challenges effectively. AIKEYME, alongside parallel initiatives like the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar deployment which sees an Indian vessel with mixed international crew conducting joint EEZ surveillance fits squarely into Indias declared strategy. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, explicitly links these efforts to the Prime Ministers SAGAR vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region), framing them as concrete steps to consolidate Indias role as a preferred security partner and first responder within the IOR. SECURING WATERS, COUNTERING RIVALS Why this intensified focus now? The answer lies in a confluence of pressing strategic realities that leave India little choice but to act decisively. Indias economic lifeblood flows across the oceans; approximately 85% of its crude oil and 55% of its natural gas arrive via vulnerable sea lines of communication (SLOCs), threading through critical chokepoints often plagued by instability. Securing these maritime energy routes isnt optional. It is fundamental to Indias ambition of reaching a $5 trillion economy and beyond, a vulnerability starkly highlighted by the International Energy Agencys forecasts of burgeoning energy demand. Looming large over this calculus is the expanding footprint of China across the Indian Ocean and into Africa. Beijings Belt and Road Initiative has translated into significant economic leverage and, critically, strategic port access in nations like Pakistan (Gwadar), Sri Lanka (Hambantota), Bangladesh (Chittagong), and a military base in Djibouti moves widely interpreted in New Delhi as serving dual geoeconomic and geostrategic aims, potentially aimed at containing Indias regional influence. India perceives the presence of Chinese warships and submarines at these ports as a direct challenge. Therefore, Indias enhanced maritime engagement with African nations, including AIKEYME and the formation of coastal surveillance networks in places like Seychelles and Mauritius, serves as a necessary balancing act, offering African partners an alternative security framework built on shared interests rather than dependency. Beyond great power competition, the maritime domain faces persistent, insidious threats that directly impact regional stability and Indias security. Piracy, though diminished from its peak off the Somali coast, remains a stubborn menace, particularly in the Gulf of Aden and, increasingly, the Gulf of Guinea an area plagued by piracy and other threats to international trade where the Indian Navy ship INS Sumedha conducted joint exercises with Nigeria in 2023. The recent redirection of international naval forces towards the Red Sea due to Houthi threats has, worryingly, thinned patrols elsewhere, potentially creating space for piracys resurgence. Compounding this is the twin menace of maritime smuggling, particularly narcotics trafficking, which often funds terrorist and anti-national activities, demanding robust intelligence-led operations and close inter-agency cooperation, as exemplified by operations like Crimson Barracuda under the Combined Maritime Forces umbrella. DEFENCE COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING AIKEYME doesnt exist in a vacuum; it builds upon a steadily growing foundation of India-Africa defence cooperation, moving well beyond transactional relationships. India and Nigeria, for instance, share a defence relationship rooted in a 2007 Memorandum of Understanding, recently bolstered by counterterrorism talks and Nigerias significant $1 billion defence investment supported by Indias military-industrial complex. Similarly, the Third India-Tanzania Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in late 2024 focused explicitly on enhancing naval operations, hydrographic cooperation, and exploring defence industry partnerships. It reflects the upgrade of their relationship to a Strategic Partnership with a five-year defence roadmap. These are long-term commitments. Enhanced cooperation is deepening ties across the continent. Central to Indias approach is capacity building empowering African nations to manage their maritime security effectively. It involves providing training slots for African personnel in Indian military institutions, as noted during the Tanzania JDCC meeting, and technical support. Indias support for regional Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through initiatives like establishing radar networks in Mauritius and Seychelles is crucial, enhancing monitoring capabilities. Furthermore, India is actively sharing technology, such as providing Fast Interceptor Crafts to Mozambique, and expertise, demonstrated by the Tanzanian delegations visit to Indias National Institute of Hydrography. This commitment is underscored by the recent decision to post new defence attaches to key African nations like Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, and Djibouti, ensuring dedicated military diplomacy channels. Theres also a pragmatic economic dimension underpinning this security engagement. India, now the worlds 23rd largest arms supplier, sees Africa as a significant potential market for its burgeoning defence industry, exporting systems like surface-to-air missiles and light weapons. Strengthening security ties opens avenues for defence trade and joint ventures. It creates a potential win-win scenario, bolstering regional security while simultaneously driving industrial growth and job creation in India and partner African nations, institutionalised through platforms like the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD). CHALLENGES AND THE ROAD AHEAD Of course, navigating this complex engagement isnt without hurdles. India faces capacity constraints; the Ministry of External Affairs, despite budget increases, remains relatively understaffed compared to the scale of its global ambitions, sometimes struggling to allocate sufficient resources and high-level attention consistently across regions, including Africa. Significant delays in hosting the India-Africa Forum Summit (last held in 2015), partly due to logistical issues like Ebola and COVID-19, has created a perception in some quarters that Africa might not be a top priority for New Delhi. A perception it must actively counter through sustained engagement. Overcoming these internal limitations is crucial. India needs to match its strategic aspirations with adequate resources. Despite these challenges, the strategic logic driving Indias African focus is undeniable and irreversible. Indias leadership must fully embrace a maritime-centric security perspective, recognising that protecting SLOCs and vital chokepoints is as critical as defending territorial borders. Enhancing Indias naval strength, modernising the fleet, and formulating a comprehensive maritime strategy are prerequisites to maintaining competitiveness and ensuring India remains a preeminent force in safeguarding its energy supply lines and regional stability. Developing strategic access points like Chabahar in Iran, Duqm in Oman, Sittwe in Myanmar, Sabang in Indonesia, and facilities on Mauritius Agalega Island are all pieces of this larger strategic puzzle, designed to secure transport lines and mitigate rival influence. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Ultimately, Indias expanding footprint in Africa is a testament to its commitment to a multipolar world order based on mutual respect and shared prosperity, underpinned by its vision of SAGAR Security and Growth for All in the Region. Initiatives like AIKEYME and IOS Sagar are not merely about countering China or tackling piracy; they are fundamental building blocks for a more secure, stable, and collaborative Indian Ocean Region. By deepening naval cooperation, enhancing capacity building, and sustaining diplomatic engagement, India is ready to solidify its role as an indispensable security partner for Africa, ensuring this partnership becomes a defining pillar of its global strategy for years to come. The course is set. Indias maritime destiny is intimately linked with Africas. About the Author Sohil Sinha Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects. Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects. First Published: April 06, 2025, 13:31 IST 'Insulted PM Modi': BJP Slams Tamil Nadu CM Stalin For Skipping Rameswaram Event Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 23:21 IST Stalin was in Ooty and said he informed PM Modi about his inability to attend the latter's inauguration of the new Pamban bridge. BJP state president K Annamalai dubbed this as 'drama'. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI File Image) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, giving a miss to Prime Minister Narendra Modis official engagements in the state on Sunday, came in for sharp criticism from the BJP, which charged him with insulting the PM and demanded an apology. BJP state president K Annamalai dubbed as drama, Stalin highlighting the Parliamentary delimitation exercise. Recommended Stories Stalin was in the hill town of Udhagamandalam (Ooty) on Sunday to inaugurate a government hospital and said he had informed the PM about his inability to attend the latters programme in Rameswaram. At Rameswaram, Modi inaugurated the new Pamban Bridge, besides launching other initiatives worth over Rs 8,000 crore. At Udhagamandalam, Stalin said, We have sought an appointment to present the memorandum on the delimitation Since I am taking part in this government function I have conveyed to the PM about my inability to take part in his meeting and deputed our Ministers Thangam Thennarasu and Raja Kannappan. Through this meeting and through you, I hereby seek the Prime Minister to allay the fears of delimitation," Stalin said earlier in the day. Responding, Annamalai said it was a matter of regret that Stalin was not present at the PMs event. The reason given by him (CM) is not acceptable. He knows about PMs arrival, as the discussions were happening for long. The Prime Minister did not go to New Delhi directly from Sri Lanka but came here to dedicate projects. That being the case, it is the primary duty of the CM to welcome the PM," Annamalai told reporters here. He accused Stalin of doing politics. He went to Ooty since it is hot in Rameswaram and he cant bear the heat," he mockingly said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The BJP strongly condemns" the CM skipping the event. The CM has failed to do his duty, should have given the due respect to the PM. The chief minister has insulted the Prime Minister, who came for the sake of the people of Tamil Nadu. He should apologise to the people of Tamil Nadu. He is doing politics by speaking about delimitation," the BJP leader charged. Location : Madurai, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 23:21 IST Birmingham Thief, Caught On Camera Pickpocketing Tourists With Funky Moves, Jailed Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 08:00 IST While confusing victims with his unusual dance, Anis Bardich secretly stole their wallets, bank cards and mobile phones from innocent tourists' or locals pockets. Anis Bardich targeted four people in Birmingham between July and August 2024. (Photo Credit: You Tube) A thief in Birmingham, who used strange dance moves to distract and pickpocket his victims, was caught on CCTV and arrested by the police recently. The thief, identified as Anis Bardich, used his bizarre dancing to confuse and divert peoples attention while stealing from them. Using facial recognition technology, West Midlands Police tracked him after he targeted four people in the city centre between July and August last year. While confusing them with his unusual dance, Bardich secretly stole their wallets, bank cards and mobile phones from innocent tourists or locals pockets. His unique stealing method left authorities shocked, but thanks to the quick investigation, he is now behind bars. Bardich also used the stolen bank cards to buy things for himself in shops. These purchases helped the police track his location. Thanks to Operation Taurus and the use of facial recognition, the authorities caught him red-handed. He was found guilty of four thefts and four frauds. Now, he will spend at least two years in jail. Along with the prison time, the court has also ordered him to pay 2240 (approximately Rs 2 Lakh) to the people he stole from in Birmingham. Recommended Stories In an official statement, the West Midlands Police shared, Our dedicated pickpocketing officers from Operation Taurus trawled through CCTV after recognising a pattern in the series of thefts. Using facial recognition technology, the team were able to identify Bardich as the offender. He was convicted of four counts of theft and four counts of fraud by false representation and at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Thursday 27 March, was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison. He was also ordered to pay 2,240 in compensation to the people he stole from." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all PC Amy OConnor, from Operation Taurus, adds, As you can see from the video clip, pickpockets adopt various tricks and tactics to steal peoples property. I would encourage everyone to be on the lookout for these techniques so that they can keep their belongings safe." Another police spokesperson said that stealing from someones pocket can negatively affect the targeted person. Thats why the police always try their best to catch such thieves and recover the stolen items. About the Author Buzz Staff A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on whats creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on whats creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos , and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: April 06, 2025, 08:00 IST Hands Off Protests In US: Thousands Take To Streets Across 50 States Against Trump, Musks Policies Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 07:38 IST Thousands of protesters gathered on the streets across all states in the US and demonstrated against the policies of Trump and Musk on Saturday. Hands Off protests in the US (AP Image) Thousands of protesters took to the streets across all 50 states of the US on Saturday against President Donald Trumps administration and its policies. The agitation was named Hands Off protests. This was the largest protest since Trump took office on January 20 this year for his second term with demonstrations held at over 1,200 locations in the country. Recommended Stories Over 150 groups, including LGBTQ+ advocates, civil rights organisations, labour unions, election activists, and veterans, participated in the protests. What Is Hands Off Protest In USA? The Hands Off protests are a chain of demonstrations held against Trumps policies, such as mass deportations of illegal immigrants, federal layoffs, and other moves. #WATCH | Washington DC | Large number of protesters hold demonstrations against the Trump administrations policies and executive orders. pic.twitter.com/pGFalhxhnu ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 Protesters say that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are using things that arent rightfully theirs, and theyre calling on the world to take action. Some of the things they said they are fighting against include shrinking government services, cutting healthcare programmes, and limiting rights for transgender people. The demonstrators were also against the treatment of immigrants in the US and their mass deportations. Protests Across The USA In Seattle, protesters held signs with messages like Fight the oligarchy" and showed anger over the governments actions to fire federal workers and take away protections from vulnerable groups. Elon Musk, President Trumps advisor and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has faced criticism throughout his nearly 3-month tenure in the administration that he has been prioritising corporate interests over those of the Americans. In Atlanta, placards reading Impeach Trump, Deport Musk" were also put up by the protesters. In Boston, the protesters held placards reading Hands off our democracy" and Hands off our Social Security" and protested against cuts to Social Security. Mayor Michelle Wu said that she did not want her children to grow up in a world where divisive tactics by the government became the new norm. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The White House responded to the protests and said that President Trump is committed to protecting Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. It also claimed that the stance of the Democratic Party on such programmes was causing serious money problems. Saturdays protest was another in a series of rallies held across the country against Trump and Musk since Trump came back to the White House. But this one was different it was the first major protest of its size since the Womens March in 2017 and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. About the Author Ashesh Mallick Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: April 06, 2025, 07:06 IST Marine Le Pen Alleges 'Witch Hunt' After French Poll Ban, Vows Not To Give Up Published By : AFP Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 21:29 IST The far right sought to mount a show of force after Le Pen, 56, was found guilty Monday of embezzling European Parliament funds and handed an immediate ban on holding public office. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen addressing a rally. (AFP) Frances far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday vowed not to give up after she was found guilty of embezzlement and banned from taking part in elections, slamming her conviction as a political decision". The bombshell judgement, which could crush Le Pens dream of winning the French presidency in 2027, has stunned the countrys political establishment. Recommended Stories I wont give up," Le Pen told members of her National Rally party and supporters, who packed the Place Vauban, with the glittering golden dome of the Hotel National des Invalides, one of the French capitals best-known landmarks, in the background. She denounced a witch hunt" against her party as supporters waved French flags and chanted Marine! Marine!" Jordan Bardella, Le Pens top lieutenant and head of the National Rally party, told the rally that the court ruling was aimed at eliminating her from the presidential race". Bardella, 29, stressed the party did not want to discredit all judges" but Le Pens conviction was a direct attack on democracy and a wound to millions of patriotic French people". The far right sought to mount a show of force after Le Pen, 56, was found guilty Monday of embezzling European Parliament funds and given a partly suspended jail term and an immediate ban on holding public office. Her supporters branded the ruling politically motivated, but President Emmanuel Macron insisted the French judiciary is independent". The judges who convicted Le Pen have received threats. US President Donald Trump called the sentence a witch hunt" by European leftists using lawfare to silence free speech, and censor their political opponent". Left-Wing Parties Stage Counter Rallys Some leftwing forces and the centrist camp staged counter gatherings on Sunday against the far right. At a meeting of Macrons Renaissance party in the northern working-class Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, former prime minister Gabriel Attal accused the far right of attacking our judges, attacking our institutions". You steal, you pay," Attal said in a speech later in the day. He also denounced unprecedented interference" in Frances affairs, pointing to support for Le Pen from the likes of Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The meeting in Saint-Denis was attended by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and former premier Edouard Philippe, who also hopes to run in the 2027 presidential elections. Some left-wingers including members of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party staged a counter rally at the Place de la Republique. According to a police source, around 3,000 people attended. LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard said the far right had shown its true colours after years of efforts to become mainstream. The far right is a dangerous party, dangerous for democracy and dangerous for the rule of law," he said. The far right is on the rise in France. Polls indicate Le Pen, 56, would top the first round of the two-round presidential vote if she ran. Le Pen Compares Herself To Alexei Navalny On Sunday, ahead of the rally, Le Pen urged her supporters to take inspiration from Americas iconic advocate of nonviolence in the fight for equal rights for black Americans. We will follow the example of Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights," she told members of Italys hard-right League party, who were meeting in Florence, via video-link. It is the civil rights of the French people that are being called into question today," she added. Le Pen has also compared herself to Alexei Navalny, Russias late opposition leader who died in an Arctic prison in 2024 after being jailed under President Vladimir Putin. Le Pen has worked to turn the party into an electable force and rid it of the legacy of her father, its co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died in January and was frequently accused of racism. The latest survey by pollster Elabe for broadcaster BFMTV, released on Saturday, showed her with up to 36 percent of the vote. But now Le Pen risks seeing years of progress undone, observers say. Analysts say Le Pen will be forced to play the victim card to retain the support of her voters. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The RN is the largest single party in parliament and could complicate life for Bayrou, who does not have a majority in the lower house. The Paris Court of Appeal said it would examine Le Pens case within a timeframe that could potentially allow her to contest the polls if her conviction is overturned or her sentence changed. About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Location : Paris, France First Published: April 06, 2025, 21:29 IST 'Pikachu' Joins 'Hands Off' Protests In Washington After Confronting Riot Police In Turkey | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 15:01 IST Thousands of protesters hit the streets across the United States on Saturday to demonstrate against Donald Trump and Elon Musk's policies. Hands Off protests in USA (Photo: X/ @FordFischer) The Hands Off protests in the United States on Saturday saw several speeches and posters against President Donald Trump and his aid Elon Musk, however, a unique figure stood out while marching on the streets of Washington Pikachu. A protester dressed in a bright yellow costume with reddish cheeks and pointy ears came on the streets, reminding people of the Pokemon character Pikachu. Recommended Stories The same was last seen days ago in Turkey, where someone in a similar costume was running from riot police during unrest over the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu. Videos of the protesters in the US went viral on social media. GIANT PIKACHU spotted at anti-Trump protest in Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/iUcyiQpLTF Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) April 5, 2025 Hands Off Protests In USA Saturday marked the largest day of protests since President Trumps return to office, as more than 1,200 coordinated Hands Off!" rallies happened across all 50 states. From Anchorage to Miami, and from Seattle to Los Angeles, protesters filled the streets to stand against what they believe is a government trying to tear down the basic structure of how America is run. Several posters such as Hands off our democracy" and Hands off our Social Security," came up during the protests. The protesters were demonstrating against the sweeping layoffs of federal workers, the shutdown of Social Security offices, cuts to health programs, the deportation of immigrants, and the loss of protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. What Are The Hands Off" Protests? The Hands Off protests are a series of nationwide demonstrations opposing President Trumps policies. Protesters pushed back against mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, widespread federal layoffs, and deep cuts to public services. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Participants say Trump along with his adviser Elon Musk is taking control of institutions and systems that dont rightfully belong to them. Theyre urging the global community to speak out. Among the main concerns raised by protesters are the shrinking of government services, cuts to healthcare programmes, and the rollback of rights for transgender people. Many also voiced strong opposition to how immigrants are being treated in the US, especially the mass deportations. About the Author Ashesh Mallick Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: April 06, 2025, 14:03 IST PM Modi, Sri Lankan President Jointly Launch India-Backed Maho-Anuradhapura Railway Line, Flag Off Train Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 14:33 IST PM Modi, who was on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, arrived in Anuradhapura to jointly launch Maho-Anuradhapura railway line with Sri Lankan President. PM Modi in Sri Lanka (Photo: X/ Narendra Modi) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake jointly launched the signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway line a project supported by the government of India. They also launched the railway track of the Maho-Omanthai railway line and flagged off a train at Anuradhapura Railway Station. Recommended Stories #WATCH | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: PM Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake jointly launch the signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway linea project supported by the Indian governmentThey also jointly flagged off a train at Anuradhapura pic.twitter.com/sNsoGmtU1F ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 In Anuradhapura, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and I inaugurated the upgraded section of the existing Mahawa-Omanthe railway line. The project to establish an improved signalling and telecommunications system for the Mahawa-Anuradhapura section was also launched. India is proud to support Lanka in various aspects of its journey towards development," PM Modi tweeted. PM Modi, who was on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, reached Anuradhapura earlier today. In Anuradhapura with my friend, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake," PM Modi tweeted. In Anuradhapura with my friend, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.@anuradisanayake pic.twitter.com/Nz2wTizVuO Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2025 He also visited Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Anuradhapura along with the Sri Lankan President. Along with President Dissanayake, I paid homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura. It was a moment that reminded me of the deep honor of spending time at one of the most revered sites for Buddhists. This sacred place stands as a living symbol of peace, wisdom, and spiritual continuity. I pray that the teachings of the Buddha will always guide us on the right path," PM Modi tweeted after the visit. #WATCH | PM Narendra Modi, accompanied by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.(Source DD News) pic.twitter.com/M1X7zT0xs7 ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 As a special gesture during PM Modis visit, Sri Lanka released 14 Indian fishermen who were earlier arrested. Thanking Sri Lanka for the hospitality, the Prime Minister said that the visit will add momentum to the bilateral relations. Deeply grateful to President Dissanayake, the people and Government of Sri Lanka for the warmth extended during my visit. Be it in Colombo or Anuradhapura, this visit has reaffirmed the deep cultural, spiritual and civilisational ties between our two nations. It will surely add momentum to our bilateral relations," he tweeted. The Sri Lankan President responded to PM Modis tweet, stating that the two nations will advance the partnership in the coming years. Your visit reflects the enduring friendship between our nations. From Colombo to Anuradhapura, we celebrate the deep-rooted cultural and spiritual bonds that unite us. Farewell, my friend until we meet again. We look forward to advancing our partnership in the years ahead," he tweeted. It was an honour to welcome you to Sri Lanka.Your visit reflects the enduring friendship between our nations. From Colombo to Anuradhapura, we celebrate the deep-rooted cultural and spiritual bonds that unite us. Farewell, my friend until we meet again. We look forward to https://t.co/b3YaNMzqJg Anura Kumara Dissanayake (@anuradisanayake) April 6, 2025 Earlier on Saturday, PM Modi laid a wreath at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, near Colombo. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Prime Minister lauded the brave soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force who laid down their lives in service of peace and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. He also held a meeting with the leaders of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Colombo and said that they have acted as a living bridge" between the two countries for over 2 centuries. About the Author Ashesh Mallick Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Location : Sri Lanka First Published: April 06, 2025, 10:50 IST Pope Francis Makes First Public Appearance After Leaving Hospital, Greets Crowds At Vatican Published By : Reuters Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 17:13 IST Francis, 88, had been out of public view since March 23, when he had given a short greeting before leaving Rome's Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of treatment. Pope Francis appears for the first time since his return to the Vatican. (Reuters) Pope Francis made his first public appearance since being discharged from the hospital two weeks ago after treatment for double pneumonia, entering St. Peters Square at the Vatican in a wheelchair on Sunday to greet crowds. Francis, 88, had been out of public view since March 23, when he had given a short greeting before leaving Romes Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of treatment in the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy. Recommended Stories The pope, in a previously unannounced move, came out to the square shortly before noon (1000 GMT) at the end of the celebration of a Mass for the Catholic Churchs Jubilee year. Coming in front of the main altar for the service in bright sunshine, Francis waved to the crowds, before speaking briefly. Happy Sunday to everyone," the pope said, speaking in a frail voice while receiving oxygen via a small hose under his nose. Thank you so much." The pope smiled broadly as he greeted crowds. His voice, though weak, sounded stronger than it had during the March 23 appearance, when he struggled to speak. Francis usually offers a weekly noon-time prayer in St. Peters Square on Sundays. But he has not been able to do this since February 9, before going to hospital. He was admitted to hospital on February 14 for a bout of bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia, an especially serious condition for him as he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. Francis came so close to death at one point during his 38-day stay in hospital that his doctors considered ending treatment so he could die in peace, the head of his medical team said last month. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Sundays Mass was part of a special celebration in honour of healthcare workers and those who are sick. In a written message released by the Vatican shortly after noon, Francis said he had felt Gods closeness during his time in hospital. I ask the Lord that this touch of his love might reach all those who suffer and encourage those who are taking care of them," said the text. About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Location : Vatican City First Published: April 06, 2025, 17:13 IST UK PM Starmer To Declare End Of Globalisation Era As Trump Tariffs Shake Markets: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 12:00 IST Trump's reciprocal tariffs went live on April 2, shaking markets across the globe. UK PM Starmer will address the nation and speak about the issue, according to a report. President Donald Trump with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Reuters Image) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is all set to declare an end of the era of globalisation following US President Donald Trumps hardline reciprocal tariffs and America First measures, according to a report. Starmer will address the nation on Monday and declare that globalisation, which started after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, has led to disappointment to voters as Trumps 10% baseline" tariffs that hit the United Kingdom on April 2, pushed the global markets into shadows of uncertainty, The Times reported. Recommended Stories Starmer is also expected to acknowledge Trumps economic nationalism", according to the report. The Times cited a senior UK official and reported that the Starmer government does not agree with Trumps latest measures, however, they also admit that this is the beginning of a new era, in which several are in support of Trumps methods. On April 2, Trump declared the Liberation Day and rolled out discounted reciprocal tariffs" on countries that impose higher duties on the US imports, and added a baseline of 10% on all nations. To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors and everyone else who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, Terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers," Trump had said. LIBERATION DAY RECIPROCAL TARIFFS pic.twitter.com/ODckbUWKvO The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 2, 2025 Globalisation Does Not Work: British PM Starmer said that globalisation does not work for a lot of working people". We dont believe trade wars are the answer. This is a chance to show that theres a different path," the report quoted the British PM as saying. As Trump works to lower trade barriers, Starmer has reportedly said that this will lead to increased global competition, and in response, the countries will be forced to improve their own productivity and boost local production through economic reforms. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Last month, HSBC chief Sir Mark Tucker made a similar statement on globalisation, stating that it may have now run its course". Tucker had predicted that rising global tensions and Trumps hardline trade policies could lead to the world dividing into smaller regional blocs with stronger internal trade ties, according to The Financial Times. About the Author Ashesh Mallick Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Location : London, United Kingdom (UK) First Published: April 06, 2025, 11:35 IST US-Russia Contacts May Continue Next Week Amid 'Positive Dynamic', Says Putin's Envoy Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 17:44 IST Putin's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev recently flew to Washington for talks with the Trump administration, after which he said he saw a "positive dynamic" in the US-Russia ties. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE) Russian President Vladimir Putins investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev said contacts between the United States and Russia may continue next week amid an upswing in relations between the two rival countries under the Donald Trump administration. Dmitriev recently flew to Washington for a round of talks with officials from the Trump administration, after which he said he saw a positive dynamic" in the relationship between Washington and Moscow. Recommended Stories Dmitriev, who is the head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, is the most senior Russian official to arrive in Washington since Russia launched its military offensive in Ukraine three years ago. However, he said there were undoubtedly still a large number of enemies of Russia in the American government", TASS News Agency reported. So there is now a fragile hope that dialogue has been restored," he said, while citing a need to counteract information attacks". Dmitriev has played a key role in the rapprochement between Russia and the United States, taking part in the first round of talks with US President Donald Trumps officials in Saudi Arabia in February. After the talks in Washington, Dmitriev said close cooperation in rare metals production and the Arctic were among the topics discussed. He said work was proceeding on restoring direct air links between Russia and the United States. We see absolutely clearly that the presidents administration is intent on solving questions, unlike President (Joe) Biden. They conduct themselves with great respect, ask a lot of questions, find compromises," he said. Trump, who has promised to bring a quick end to the three-year-old war, upended US policy by strengthening relations with Russia and publicly criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had enjoyed strong Western support. Trump has for weeks said he believes Putin is committed to peace, although the White House has reportedly grown wary of Putins intentions in recent days. Trump has also expressed frustration after Russia rejected a US proposal in March for a full 30-day ceasefire after Ukraine said it would agree. The warring sides then agreed to a limited pause in attacks on each others energy infrastructure, which both accuse the other of violating. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The contacts between Trump and Putin have spooked European leaders who fear the United States could be turning its back on Europe in the hope of striking a peace deal with Russia as part of some broader grand bargain encompassing oil prices, the Middle East and competition with China. (with inputs from agencies) About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Location : Moscow, Russia First Published: April 06, 2025, 17:44 IST 'We Are Waiting': Zelenskyy Says No Response From US After Russia Rejected Ceasefire Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 06, 2025, 21:04 IST Russia rejected a US proposal in March for a full 30-day ceasefire after Ukraine said it would agree. Moscow continues its offensive against Ukraine, killing two in an overnight aerial strike. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (IMAGE: AFP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the United States had issued no response after Russia rejected its proposal for an unconditional truce, which Ukraine agreed to. Ukraine has agreed to Americas proposal, to a full, unconditional ceasefire. Putin refuses. We are waiting for the United States to respond so far there has been no response," Zelenskyy said in his evening address. Recommended Stories Russia rejected a US proposal in March for a full 30-day ceasefire after Ukraine said it would agree. The warring sides then agreed to a limited pause in attacks on each others energy infrastructure, which both accuse the other of violating. Meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive against Ukraine, killing two people and wounding at least seven in a massive missile and drone attack on the country. Russia also claimed the capture of a village in Ukraines Sumy region in a rare cross-border advance. Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with 23 cruise and ballistic missiles and 109 drones, the Ukrainian air force said, causing damage to six regions. The air force said it shot down 13 of the missiles and 40 drones while 54 others caused no damage. Zelenskyy warned that the number of Russian air attacks is increasing", which he said proved that the pressure on Russia is still insufficient". On the other hand, Russia accused Ukraine of continuing to carry out attacks on Russian energy infrastructure despite a US-brokered moratorium on strikes against energy facilities. Staying silent about the fact that it is Russia killing children with ballistic missiles is wrong and dangerous. It only emboldens the scum in Moscow to continue the war and keep ignoring diplomacy. Weakness has never ended a war," Zelenskyy said on X. On Friday, a missile attack on Zelenskyys home city of Kryvyi Rig killed 18 people, including 9 children, on Friday. Zelenskyy slammed the US embassy for what he called a weak" statement that did not blame Russia for the strike. In an emotional statement, Zelenskyy accused the US embassy of avoiding referring to Russia as the aggressor. Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people and such a weak reaction," he wrote. US President Donald Trump is pushing the two sides to agree to a partial ceasefire, but his administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both, although relations between Washington and Moscow are seemingly thawing. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy earlier hailed tangible progress" after meeting British and French military chiefs in Kyiv on Friday to discuss a plan by London and Paris to send a reassurance" force to Ukraine if and when a deal on ending the conflict is reached. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all (with agency inputs) About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Location : Kyiv, Ukraine First Published: April 06, 2025, 21:00 IST Zimbabwe To Suspend All Tariffs On US Goods To Maintain 'Positive Relationship' With Trump Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 07, 2025, 00:02 IST Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced the suspension of tariffs on US goods after Trump imposed 18% tariffs on the country. The trade between the two countries was $111.6 million in 2024. Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa. (Reuters/File Image) Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced the suspension of tariffs on all US imports as a goodwill gesture towards President Donald Trump and to build a positive relationship" with the current American government. The move came after Trump imposed 18% tariffs on Zimbabwean goods coming to the US. In the spirit of constructing a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with the United States of America, under the leadership of President Trump, I will direct the Zimbabwean government to implement a suspension of all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States," Mnangagwa said on X. Recommended Stories The Zimbabwean President said reciprocal tariffs hold merit as a tool for safeguarding domestic employment and industrial sectors, but his government will not maintain an adversarial relationship with any country. The principle of reciprocal tariffs, as a tool for safeguarding domestic employment and industrial sectors, holds merit. However, the Republic of Zimbabwe maintains a policy of fostering amicable relations with all nations, and cultivating adversarial relationships with none.In President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) April 5, 2025 This measure is intended to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market, while simultaneously promoting the growth of Zimbabwean exports destined for the United States. This action underscores our commitment to a framework of equitable trade and enhanced bilateral cooperation," he added. Relations between the US and Zimbabwe had been strained over the decades since former ruler Robert Mugabes regime in the early 2000s. Zimbabwe had blamed the US sanctions for a disastrous economic crisis and moved closer to China and the UAE. The total goods trade between the two countries amounted to only $111.6 million in 2024, according to US government data. Zimbabwes limited exports to the US consisted mainly of tobacco and sugar. Tendai Mbanje, a Zimbabwean political analyst at the Johannesburg-based African Centre for Governance, told AFP that the suspension of tariffs will not yield substantial economic benefits for Zimbabwe but only the United States. Prominent Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chinono said the announcement was a knee-jerk reaction", suggesting it could be an effort by Mnangagwa to appease Trump" and get the sanctions removed. Trump has announced sweeping tariffs on several countries, ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from dozens of countries and economic regions. The European Union will face a 20% tariff, while China is subject to 34% reciprocal tariff and India 26% among others. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all More than 50 countries have sought talks with President Donald Trump in a scramble to ease punishing tariffs on exports to the United States, the White House said Sunday, as trade partners braced for further fallout. (with agency inputs) About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international... Read More Location : Zimbabwe First Published: April 07, 2025, 00:02 IST A man named Sean Williams is currently serving a long prison sentence in Tennessee for the production of child pornography, but the 53-year-old's legal troubles might increase in a big way. "The number of allegations against Williams may make him one of the most prolific serial rapists in American history," writes Ronan Farrow in a lengthy account at the New Yorker . Authorities found multiple videos of Williams allegedly assaulting drugged women, not to mention a handwritten list of names beneath the underlined word, "Raped." Farrow's story, however, isn't just about how the longtime businessman in Johnson City had this dark side. It's more about how he was able to get away with his alleged behavior for years, even decades, even though police had received scores of complaints about him being a predator. One key figure in the story is Kat Dahl, a federal prosecutor in the region who ended up getting abruptly fired for what Farrow suggests are bogus reasons. Dahl alleges that police in Johnson City resisted her efforts to go after Williams on multiple sexual assault allegations brought by local women, including one who plunged five stories from a window in Williams' apartment. And Williams himself talks to Farrow and says he was able to skate free for so long because he paid off police officers and higher-ups. They deny it. Williams is expected to face more sexual assault charges in the near future, and Dahl (now in Atlanta) insists she's not done looking into alleged corruption. "Way back in 2021, I told some of the victims I was going to try and find them answers and find them accountability for what happened. I still intend to keep that promise." (Read the full, sprawling story.) President Trump has promised a return to coal , but one Pennsylvania town isn't having it. What was once the state's largest operating coal plant in Homer City, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, was partially imploded last month to make way for a huge AI data-center campus to be powered by natural gas from the adjacent Marcellus shale basin, the Wall Street Journal reports. It could become the country's largest gas-fired power plant, generating up to 4.5 gigawatts of powernearly enough to power Manhattan, or more than 3 million average US households. It's "one of the most ambitious projects to emerge amid a boom in power demand from data centers that run AI operations," per Bloomberg . The Homer City Energy Campus, stretching more than 3,200 acres, will be able to supply power to thousands of local homes, Homer City Redevelopment (HCR) and builder Kiewit Power Constructors Co. said Wednesday, per Quartz. But it will be "designed to meet the growing artificial intelligence ... and high-performance computing ... needs of the innovative technology companies shaping America's digital future," according to a release. The coal-fired Homer City Generating Station closed in 2023 after 54 years in operation due to "the combination of higher coal prices and cheap power prices," per the Journal. Redevelopment planning then began as the plant "had the infrastructure and the ability to generate a lot of power," says Andrew Shannahan, a partner at investment firm Knighthead Capital Management, HCR's majority owner. Site preparation and the infrastructure to supply power to the data centers and grid will cost more than $10 billion, per the Journal. The data centers will cost "billions more," per Quartz. Cooling towers and three of four stacks at the former generating station were imploded March 22. The fourth stack is expected to come down soon. Construction on the gas-fired power plant could then begin later this year. Officials expect to start generating power in late 2027. S. Korea's acting president expected to designate snap presidential election date next week Xinhua) 12:13, April 06, 2025 SEOUL, April 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is serving as acting president following former President Yoon Suk-yeol's ouster from office, was expected to designate the date of a snap presidential election next week, Yonhap news agency said Friday. Han spoke by phone with chief of the National Election Commission (NEC) to discuss ways to hold the snap election after Yoon was removed from office with the constitutional court's ruling to uphold Yoon's impeachment motion by the National Assembly. A possibility ran high for the acting president to decide the snap election date at the next cabinet meeting scheduled for April 8, according to Yonhap. By law, the acting president is required to designate the date in 10 days and hold a snap election in 60 days after a president's ouster. In this case, the deadline for the designation and the snap election falls on April 14 and June 3, respectively. Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the opposition-led National Assembly hours later. The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the parliament on Dec. 14 and he was indicted on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) The Justice Department told an appeals court Saturday that a judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious El Salvador prisonand it suspended a government lawyer who admitted in court that the deportation was an error, per the AP. Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judge's 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs. The government's attorneys asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a Friday ruling by US District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to "facilitate and effectuate" Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return to the US by late Monday night. During a court hearing Friday at a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni conceded to Xinis that Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the US or sent to El Salvador. Reuveni could not tell the judge upon what authority he was arrested in Maryland. "I'm also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions," he said. There was no announcement of Pope Francis' arrival in St. Peter's Square in Rome on Sunday near the end of a Mass for health care workers and their patients. But the roar of applause and cheers from the crowd made what was happening clear, the New York Times reports: the pope's first public appearance since he checked out of a hospital two weeks ago. "I see the pope!'' some of the pilgrims said as a large video screen showed him being taken to the altar, per the AP . Cardinal Rino Fisichella had told the crowd, before he began reading the homily written by Francis, that the pope was watching the Mass on television. Instead, his nurse pushed the pope, 88, in his wheelchair through the gathering, which included doctors and nurses from around the world attending the weekend's Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers. When they reached a microphone at the altar, the pope said: "Happy Sunday to everyone. Thank you very much," per ABC News. "What a wonderful surprisethe pope still has health problems but he wanted to give a gift to the faithful," said Lamberto Rosa, who volunteers at Vatican events. "He has a fighting spirit and wants to be present." Francis' voice sounded stronger than it did on March 23, when he left the hospital, per the AP. He wore nasal tubes that deliver supplemental oxygen, which the Vatican says is being gradually reduced. His homily said he has "much in common with you at this time of my life, dear brothers and sisters who are sick: the experience of illness, of weakness, of having to depend on others in so many things, and of needing their support." Francis said it's "not easy" for him or other patients. That's also true for health care workers, he said, adding that they "must be supported and respected." One nurse, per the Times, said the pope's appearance "was a grand gesturehe showed his suffering." TDT | Manama Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com MP Dr. Hisham Al-Asheeri has expressed his support for the recently implemented ban on fishing for sea bream, and grouper during the months of April and May, aimed at preserving Bahrains marine resources and ensuring the sustainability of fish stocks. The ban is part of ongoing efforts to regulate fishing operations and protect the local marine environment. Dr. Al-Asheeri commended the environmental decisions designed to safeguard the sea and protect the reproductive cycles of marine species, noting that these efforts enjoy widespread support from all stakeholders, including fishermen. Direct economic impact However, he emphasised the importance of addressing the direct economic impact on the fishermen whose livelihoods are disrupted during the ban. In order to effectively implement such environmental measures, it is crucial to accompany them with clear plans to support those affected. Fishermen, whose primary source of income is suspended, should receive fair and comprehensive financial compensation during this period of enforced downtime, Dr. AlAsheeri stated. Highlighting the national responsibility towards protecting both the environment and the livelihoods of Bahraini citizens, Dr. Al-Asheeri called for financial assistance to ensure the stability of fishermen and their families during the ban. Cost-of-living allowance He also underscored the need to restore the cost-ofliving allowance for fishermen, which has become a vital source of support for those whose income is heavily impacted by seasonal shifts in the fishing industry. Dr. Al-Asheeri further urged the government to suspend administrative fees for fishermen during the fishing ban, advocating that they should not be burdened with additional financial strains while their work is temporarily halted. He emphasised the urgent need to reinstate Tamkeens support for the sector, recognising it as an essential development tool that empowers Bahraini fishermen and enhances the sectors overall capabilities. SpaceXs Starship upper stages, capable of one-hour cargo flights between continents, could revolutionize global logistics by drastically reducing delivery times compared to the 12-24 hours typical of traditional air cargo. However, to fully capitalize on this speed, bureaucratic and procedural delayssuch as customs clearance, security checks, and documentationmust be minimized. By implementing expedited pre-approval processes and know-your-customer (KYC) systems, logistics providers like FedEx and UPS could integrate these ultra-fast flights into their existing networks, potentially enabling next-day delivery for intercontinental shipments at scale. Below, Ill outline how this could work, including examples of processes to streamline operations and how one-hour flights could mesh with regional sorting systems. Expedited and Pre-Approval Processes to Avoid Bureaucratic Delays To ensure that one-hour flight times translate into meaningful delivery improvements, logistics systems must address the procedural bottlenecks that often delay cargo. Here are examples of expedited and pre-approval processes that could enable rapid delivery: Know-Your-Customer (KYC) Systems By verifying the identities and compliance histories of senders and receivers in advance, logistics providers could pre-clear shipments from trusted parties. For instance, a company with a consistent record of compliant shipments could be designated a trusted shipper, allowing its cargo to bypass many standard checks. This mirrors programs like the U.S. Customs Services CTPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism), which expedites clearance for verified businesses. Pre-Cleared Cargo Programs Similar to TSA PreCheck for air travelers, a system could allow pre-approved cargo to move through customs and security with minimal scrutiny. For example, high-volume shippers could submit shipment details (e.g., contents, origin, destination) ahead of time, receiving pre-approval that reduces processing to mere minutes upon arrival. Blockchain-Based Verification A decentralized ledger could securely track and verify cargo details in real time, accessible to customs authorities worldwide. This would eliminate manual paperwork delays. For instance, a shipment from Los Angeles to Paris could have its blockchain record checked instantly upon landing, confirming its pre-approved status and allowing immediate sorting. These systems would ensure that the one-hour flight advantage isnt eroded by hoursor daysof ground delays, making rapid global delivery feasible. Integrating One-Hour Flights with Regional Next-Day Delivery To transform one-hour intercontinental flights into next-day delivery, Starship operations must integrate seamlessly with the regional sorting and distribution networks of companies like FedEx and UPS. Heres how this could work at scale Strategic Hub Network With 20-40 Starship launch and landing sites globallycovering regions like central USA, West USA, East USA, Europe, and AsiaStarship could create a network of high-speed cargo routes. For example, flights could connect Los Angeles to a European hub (e.g., Frankfurt), central USA (e.g., Chicago) to Asia (e.g., Shanghai), and Asia to Europe. Ten daily flights per route would provide frequent, reliable service. High-Efficiency Sorting Centers Each Starship landing site would need advanced sorting facilities to process cargo quickly. Drawing from FedExs Memphis superhub, which handles 3.3 million packages daily with automated systems, these centers could use robotics and conveyor systems to sort Starships large payloads (potentially 100+ tons) within hours. For instance, cargo arriving in Frankfurt could be sorted and dispatched to local delivery networks across Europe by morning. Seamless Handoff to Local Networks After sorting, cargo would transfer to existing regional delivery systems (e.g., FedEx Ground or UPSs local fleets) for final delivery. A package flown from Chicago to Shanghai in one hour could be sorted overnight and delivered locally the next day, shaving 12-24 hours off current air cargo timelines. This hub-and-spoke model leverages Starship for ultra-fast long-haul transport while relying on established ground networks for the last mile, enabling next-day intercontinental delivery. Scaling to 10 Daily Flights Across 20-40 Launch Areas Operating 10 daily flights between 20-40 Starship sites is ambitious but feasible with the right infrastructure and technology. Reusability and Turnaround Starships design emphasizes rapid reusability, much like SpaceXs Falcon 9, which has achieved same-day reflight. With streamlined refueling and maintenance, 10 flights per day per route could support a continuous flow of cargo between continents. Infrastructure Requirements Each launch area would need Mechazilla launch towers and sorting facilities. There also could be large drones for shuttling ultra-urgent packages. Robo-trucking (Semi trucks with self driving) could increase the safe driving speeds to 120 mph (200 kph). There would need to be highways where it would be autonomous driving only to enable higher speeds like a robo-Autobahn. A West USA site in California could handle flights to Asia and Europe, with automated systems processing incoming and outgoing cargo to maintain high throughput. Time Savings: Current air cargo from the USA to Europe takes 12-24 hours, including flight time (8-10 hours) and processing. A one-hour Starship flight, paired with pre-approval and efficient sorting, could reduce this to 3-5 hours total (1 hour flight + 2-4 hours processing and local delivery), enabling next-day service even for distant regions. China has streamlined border and customs processes for high-speed rail passengers and cargo in Hong Kong and other places, ensuring that the speed efficiency of high-speed rail is not compromised by processing delays At scale, this network could handle thousands of tons of cargo daily, transforming global logistics. Starship flights may initially cost more than traditional air cargo, limiting use to high-value or time-sensitive goods (e.g., medical supplies, electronics). As reusability scales and costs drop, broader adoption could follow. Space launches are tightly regulated, requiring new frameworks for frequent cargo flights. International agreements on customs and security for sub-orbital transported goods would also be needed. Rocket launches have a higher carbon footprint than airplanes, though SpaceXs reusable technology and potential sustainable fuels could mitigate this over time. Starships large payload capacity demands advanced automation to sort cargo quickly, requiring significant upfront investment. Fuel Costs SpaceX aims to lower the cost of methane (CH) and liquid oxygen (LOX) for future Starship flights through a combination of innovative production methods, cost-saving strategies, and operational efficiencies. Additionally, producing these propellants onsite is not only feasible but a key part of their approach 1. Onsite Propellant Production SpaceX can produce both CH and LOX directly at or near their launch sites, eliminating the substantial costs associated with transporting large quantities of cryogenic liquids. By setting up production facilities onsite, they avoid the logistics expenses of tanker trucks or other transport methods, which would otherwise be significant given the thousands of tons of propellant required per launch. Liquid Oxygen (LOX): LOX is produced by separating oxygen from the atmosphere and liquefying it, a process that can be powered onsite. Methane (CH): Methane can be synthesized using the Sabatier reaction (CO + 4H CH + 2HO), which combines carbon dioxide (CO) and hydrogen (H). This reaction is already part of SpaceXs plans for Mars, where it will use local CO, and can be adapted for Earth-based production. 2. Utilizing Renewable Energy To reduce the energy costs of producing propellants, SpaceX can leverage renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. By building solar farms or wind turbines near their launch sitessuch as in Texas or Florida, where conditions may be favorablethey can generate electricity at a lower cost than traditional grid prices. If electricity costs of $0.02$0.03 per kWh can be reached with renewables, the energy-intensive processes like electrolysis (for hydrogen) and liquefaction (for CH and LOX) become significantly cheaper, lowering the overall propellant production cost. Technological Advancements SpaceX is likely to refine the efficiency of key processes over time: Improving electrolysis to reduce the energy required (currently 5060 kWh per kg of H). Enhancing the Sabatier reactions yield or operating conditions. Optimizing liquefaction energy needs (approximately 0.50.6 kWh per kg for both CH and LOX). These advancements will incrementally decrease production costs as the technology matures. Can They Produce It Onsite? Yes, SpaceX can and likely will produce CH and LOX onsite. The combination of electrolysis for oxygen and hydrogen, the Sabatier reaction for methane, and onsite liquefaction facilities makes this entirely practical. This approach not only reduces costs but also aligns with their Mars colonization goals, where onsite propellant production using local resources is essential. The same technologies can be adapted for Earth, leveraging abundant atmospheric oxygen and accessible CO. Cost Reduction in PracticeIATA has jet fuel price tracking. Conclusion One-hour cargo flights via SpaceXs Starship could integrate with FedEx and UPS networks to enable next-day intercontinental delivery by leveraging expedited pre-approval processes (e.g., KYC, blockchain) and advanced sorting at strategic hubs. With 10 daily flights across 20-40 global launch areas, this system could shave 12-24 hours off current delivery times, revolutionizing logistics for high-speed, high-value shipments. While challenges like cost, regulation, and infrastructure remain, the potential to transform global trade is possible. The University of Virginia has implemented a series of measures to cut costs and reduce its multibillion-dollar budget in the face of a rapidly evolving federal landscape. In an email sent to the university community of 3,000 full-time faculty last week, UVa President Jim Ryan, COO Jennifer Davis, interim Provost Brie Gertler and interim Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Dr. Mitch Rosner announced the states flagship public university would be limiting and reviewing all new hires, capital projects, pay raises and bonuses going forward. All promotions have been suspended along with unessential travel and other expenses. These changes will take effect immediately, the administrators wrote, but how they will be carried out and their potential impact has yet to be determined. The University is proactively responding to significant fiscal uncertainty, driven by potential cuts to federal spending and other economic headwinds, by asking schools and units to limit discretionary spending, university spokeswoman Bethanie Glover told The Daily Progress in an email. UVA is taking additional measures, such as hiring reviews and identifying which construction and renovation projects may be postponed if necessary, to conserve resources in a moment of uncertainty. When pressed about what construction and which hires will be delayed, Glover failed to provide any additional detail. We dont have exact details on these points to share right now, since these measures are still in an early stage, she said. We will continue to update the University community with any important developments. Currently, UVa has 1,026 available positions listed on its careers website. However, under the new guidelines, hiring for all faculty and staff is now subject to additional review. New searches and offers from searches already underway must be approved by a dean or vice president before moving forward, according to the administrations email. In some cases, searches may be postponed and/or start dates may be delayed. The announcement comes less than a month after UVas governing Board of Visitors voted to abolish the schools Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office. The move complied with a White House executive order calling for cuts to DEI programs at schools as well as a U.S. Department of Education letter doing the same. UVa is far from the only university in the country to enact such measures in recent weeks. Duke University, Harvard University, the universities of Pennsylvania and Washington and dozens of others have instituted hiring freezes and halted discretionary spending as the Trump administration continues to cut federal aid to higher education and research. Both the National Institute of Health and U.S. Department of Education have become targets of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, an unofficial agency led by billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk which is tasked with cutting wasteful spending. One of President Donald Trumps executive orders placed a cap on the amount of grant money from the NIH that covers indirect research costs a move that experts predict will cost colleges upwards of $4 billion. Trumps order on March 20 eliminating the U.S. Education Department could affect federal student loan applications, Pell Grants as well as the Office for Civil Rights. We are in a period of significant fiscal uncertainty, with potential deep cuts to federal spending on grants and contracts and other core programs. In addition, the future of the U.S. and global economies is unclear, and there are some headwinds within Virginia given the cuts to the federal workforce, UVa administrators wrote in their email. While our budgetary sources are diverse, instability in several critical areas at once creates a substantial challenge for us, they added. In 2023, the university received nearly $200 million from the NIH, the majority of which went to the UVa School of Medicine. With a $14 billion endowment, the current total operating budget for UVa is $5.8 billion, a figure that encompasses the academic division, UVas College at Wise and the UVa Health System. As the budgets are still being developed for the 2026 fiscal year, individual schools within the university are being called on to consider how to achieve budget reductions and adapt to reduced revenue scenarios. The UVa administration is hopeful that the budget cuts and reviews will allow the university to ride out the countrys shifting economic currents and maintain our long-term financial health while continuing to advance our mission. Changes at both the federal and state level are affecting more than just operating budgets and capital projects. UVa has assembled a group of faculty and staff with a variety of expertise to stay abreast of these developments, assess their potential impact on Grounds and advise administration accordingly. We have navigated challenging issues together in the past, and we are confident that with careful management we will weather this storm as we have weathered others before it and recover with strength, said the UVa administrators. North Bergen children ages infant to 9 years old can attend the townships annual Easter event on April 16 with an appearance by the Easter Bunny. The township is holding two events on the same day to accommodate residents. The first event will be at 4 p.m. at the North Bergen Recreation & Library located at 1231 Kennedy Blvd. The second event is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the North Bergen Recreation Center at 6300 Meadowview Ave. Pre-registration is required to attend either event. Residents can register their children from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the uptown Recreation Center or from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the downtown Recreation Center & Library. Proof of residency in the form of a recent utility bill and the childs birth certificate must be provided at registration. The Easter events are open to North Bergen residents only. For more information, residents can call 201-861-9601 or 201-875-9130, ext. 101. * * * Submit Hudson County community news to hudson@njadvancemedia.com. Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff. Two men who were convicted in the 2022 killing of a 15-year-old boy at a South Jersey trailer park were sentenced by a Cumberland County judge on Friday to decades behind bars. Deshawn Bowen, 25, of Bridgeton was sentenced to a 60 year prison term. He will be eligible for parole after serving 51 years. Rohdane Watson, 20, of Vineland, was sentenced to a 50 year prison term and will be eligible for parole after serving 42 year and six months, the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office said. By Mark Crawford For more than six years, lawyers for the Catholic Diocese of Camden quietly moved to squash the New Jersey attorney generals ability to produce a detailed accounting of the sexual abuse of children committed by members of the clergy, and the institutions efforts to conceal, harbor, and protect known sexual offenders often putting additional children in harms way. The Diocese successfully petitioned a lower court judge to seal the proceedings, so the public would not learn of their efforts, while New Jerseys bishops publicly stated they would cooperate with the states investigation. The Camden Diocese lawyers argued that the internal operations of the Catholic Church from long ago are not public affairs or conditions, are not imminent and pertinent. Furthermore, we also learned last month, they persuaded the judge that the state had no authority to issue a presentment against a private religious entity. As a survivor of clergy abuse by a priest, whom a Newark Catholic bishop already knew was a child abuser when my abuser was promoted to serve as the personal secretary of then-Archbishop Theodore McCarrick the former defrocked cardinal now disgraced and credibly accused of adult and child molestation I am outraged by such an argument. The thought that they believe this is simply a matter of the churchs internal operations is appalling. Additionally, the cardinal of the Archdiocese of Newark and bishops of Metuchen, Paterson, and Trenton said they were not party to this action, yet they too were well aware of the Camden bishops efforts to stop the Grand Jury and said nothing, while victims cried out for an accounting. It is crystal clear; the other New Jersey bishops are complicit in their silence. The New Jersey Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on April 28-29. It must overturn the lower courts ruling to show how deceitful the diocese has been. Certainly, religious entities perform much good in our communities, but when their leaders fail to take action to stop or even prevent criminal actions, such as the sexual predation of children, they too must be held to account. This is a matter of extreme importance relevant to the safety of the general public. Lets take, for example, Osama Bin Laden. Had he lived and operated a religious nonprofit here in New Jersey as his followers set out to commit the atrocities of 9/11, would the state not have a right or obligation to investigate or present such evidence to the public? What about Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, the leader of a mosque in Jersey City, whose followers detonated a truck bomb in the garage of the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993? He was investigated, charged, and sentenced to life in prison many years after that event. Had he died years earlier, should the state have been precluded from investigating those actions? Or the actions of his followers who actually followed through with the bombing? These criminals were still secretly living and working among us; was that not a threat to the public? It is long past time to set the record straight. Those who perpetrated the abuse of our children and the institutional leaders who often knew about the acts of abuse these men perpetrated against children and unsuspecting adults must be revealed. These leaders chose to protect the institution over the safety of the public. It is a fact that not every child victim was a member of the Catholic Church, but all are obviously members of the public community. The actions of the Camden Diocese to continue to shield offenders and prevent the public from knowing what they have done or failed to do to protect children from sexual offenders is of great importance to the public. No institution is above the law, nor can their own rules and regulations be allowed to circumvent public interests. The state need not be complicit in the Dioceses efforts to remain hidden, keeping knowledge of sexual predators and the actions of those bishops which kept the public at risk. I pray the New Jersey Supreme Court will have the wisdom of Solomon and overturn the lower courts ruling, allowing a detailed accounting of intentional efforts by an institution to deceive the public while children remain at risk of sexual abuse. If the court upholds the lower courts rulings, I urge people to contact their New Jersey lawmakers to either amend the laws that prevent such actions or to codify the attorney generals right to investigate and report detailed findings on the sexual molestation of children by the church. Mark Crawford, a survivor, is N.J. Stated director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assemblymember and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature websites Legislative Roster. Local journalism needs your support. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter. By Yarrow Willman-Cole A growing number of Americans are worried about their health and economic security as Republicans slash funding for federal agencies, workforce and essential programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and more that people rely on. At the state level, as New Jersey begins this years budget deliberation, one way our legislators can ensure economic security and access to care for New Jersey workers is to expand accessibility to job protected family leave. M-I-C, see you real soon. K-E-Y, why? Because this Marc Jacobs Kids capsule lands at Disney Store soon, and we like it. M-O-U-S-E. Starting at 11 a.m. ET on April 7, youll be able to shop the Disneys Mickey Mouse x Marc Jacobs collection for Disney kids (kind of sad, right? I was hoping thered be a Mickey Mouse iteration of The Tote Bag lined up for Disney moms). Disneys Mickey Mouse x Marc Jacobs Collection Shop when the collection drops at 11 a.m. ET on April 7 Buy Now According to The Hollywood Reporter, the edit for kiddos sizes 2 to 14 which some luxury boutiques already have online is comprised of sweaters, hoodies, sweatpants, button-down shirts, shorts, swimsuits, swim trunks, sneakers, and hats. And as for the vibe? Its bold and iconic, just like its two muses, Jacobs and Mickey. Pieces feature cartoon strip graphics and colorways in Mickeys signature black, white and red colors, plus a splash of Minnie-approved pink, all with a playfully modern, vintage pop art-inspired aesthetic. Well have to hold out until launch day to see if there will be any Disney Store exclusives (fingers crossed there might be a few!), but from what weve seen show up on sites like Mytheresa and Farfetch, there is truly something for every mouseketeer. I know Ill be ordering several of these new releases come tomorrow, because were going to Disney World in Orlando in mid-August. I cannot wait to see my boys (ages 8 and 2.5 years old - will be 3 by our trip) twinning in their comic strip Mickey shorts and my 5.5 year-old daughter rocking her white rhinestone Mickey cotton tee with denim shorts and Chuck Taylors. 10 Mickey Mouse x Marc Jacobs things I have my eyes on for our family trip to Disney Mickey Mouse Peace Sign Baseball Cap for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $80 Mickey Mouse Peace Sign T-Shirt for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $80 Mickey and Minnie Mouse T-Shirt for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $86 Marc Jacobs Kids x Disney Swimsuit in White for $91 Marc Jacobs Kids x Disney Zip-Up Hoodie, starting from $101 Mickey and Minnie Mouse Shorts for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $109 Mickey and Minnie Mouse T-Shirt Dress for Girls by Marc Jacobs for $124 Mickey and Minnie Mouse Woven Shirt for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $130 Mickey and Minnie Mouse Pullover Sweatshirt for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $144 Mickey Mouse Peace Sign Sneakers for Kids by Marc Jacobs for $210 Shop the collection when it launches online at Disney Store on April 7. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. One of New Jerseys wealthiest towns is considering an ordinance that would fine homeless people for sleeping outdoors. In a 5-1 vote, the Summit council introduced an ordinance this week that would fine homeless people up to $2,000 for camping outdoors. That includes sleeping or storing personal belongings in public places such as streets, sidewalks, parks and parking lots. Violators could also face up to 90 days in jail, according to meeting documents. A public hearing for the adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for April 22. Though the proposal was not yet open for public comment at Tuesdays meeting, several statewide housing advocates showed up in protest. Councilwoman Claire Toth, the only member to vote against it, called the proposed measure a step backward. Summit was recently recognized at a National Alliance to End Homelessness conference in Los Angeles for its homelessness task force, Toth said. The city established the task force last year and has since housed, employed and provided rehabilitation services to 20 of the 25 people identified as chronically homeless, according to officials. After two years of significant progress on reducing homelessness in Summit, Toth said, this moves us in the wrong direction. Councilman Jamel Boyer said the proposal would prevent the citys homeless issues from getting worse. We are balancing compassion with accountability and upholding law and justice, Boyer said. Its not about criminalizing homelessness. We want to prevent it. At least two other New Jersey towns have proposed similar ordinances this year, only to abandon them after facing criticism. Community backlash prompted the Paterson council to withdraw an ordinance in January that would have made it a crime for homeless people to sleep in any public space, imposing fines or jail time for violators. In February, Morristown also scrapped a similar proposal three days after it was introduced. New Jerseys homeless population grew to over 12,000 in 2024, with children making up more than one-fifth of the total, according to an annual point-in-time count by Monarch Housing Associates. The count recorded 1,026 homeless people in Union County, a 73% increase from the previous year. Ten of those individuals were in Summit. Housing advocates attribute this rise to a housing crisis marked by a lack of affordable apartments and rising rent prices. Summit has one of the highest household incomes in New Jersey, with an average of $176,702, according to 2024 U.S. Census data. It is the fifth wealthiest city in Union County. The Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey, a statewide association of over 250 non-profit housing and community organizations, publicly opposed the Union County citys proposal. HCDNNJ strongly condemns any efforts to implement policies that punish the most vulnerable people in our communities simply because they cant afford the rent, the organization said in a statement. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nyah Marshall may be reached at nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. The Get Down Your weekly go-to show for all things happening in New Orleans. The Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center fired 34 probationary employees in February as part of a wave of Trump-directed reductions. Then, last month, it rehired them in order to comply with court orders. None of the employees appear to have been direct clinical staff, and the Richmond VA hospital continues to show job openings for doctors and nurses. Most of the laid-off workers were support staff involved in the day-to-day running of the hospital. The layoffs included six salaried staff in the hospitals supply chain department, six analysts in the hospitals health informatics department, a data scientist and assorted laborers and support staff. The Department of Veterans Affairs released the records in response to a public records request seeking details about the February layoffs. The VA redacted the names of the terminated employees, with an agency official saying that privacy concerns outweighed public interest in the layoffs. Previously, the hospital would not say how many employees had been laid off. Three of the employees had been with the VA for several years but were laid off because they had changed jobs internally within the past year. At least one employee wasnt able to be reached in order to be rehired, the records show. The rehiring effort was made in accordance with two judicial orders from federal courts, which said that the agencies improperly fired their employees. The orders came as a result of two lawsuits, one filed by unions that represent government workers and another filed by a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general. Jeff Clements, a spokesman for the Richmond VA Medical Center, said the VA was complying with the two orders and said the VA could not comment further due to pending litigation. The court battles arose in response to sweeping layoffs made at the direction of President Donald Trump, who has made downsizing the federal government a priority since taking office in January. Veterans Affairs, which runs VA hospitals, laid off an estimated 20,000 workers since Trump took office. In March, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said the agency would try to layoff a total of 80,000 workers. In total, the two cuts would amount to a 15% workforce reduction from an agency that staffed around 470,000 employees at the beginning of the Trump administration. Collins has said the cuts would be thorough and thoughtful. Clements previously said the layoffs would have no negative effect on veteran health care, benefits or other services and will allow the VA to focus more effectively on its core mission of serving veterans, families, caregivers and survivors. The initial layoffs affected probationary workers, who have fewer protections. Typically, probationary workers have only been in their new position for a period of up to two years. In a Maryland court case, an Obama-appointed judge ruled that federal agencies had to reinstate probationary federal workers in 18 agencies, including Veterans Affairs. In explaining that decision, U.S. Judge James K. Bredar said that the government had lied when it said it had fired employees for poor performance. On the record before the Court, this isnt true. There were no individualized assessments of employees. They were all just fired, Bredar wrote in his ruling on March 13. Bredar followed that with a more permanent injunction against laying off employees on Tuesday night. That lawsuit was brought by 20 attorneys general from mostly Democratic states. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares did not join in the suit. Bredars order on Tuesday night explicitly names the states where VA employees cant be laid off a list which does not include Virginia. Its not clear if the order means that Virginia VA employees may be less protected under the ruling because Miyares was not party to the suit. Clements said the agency is also complying with a similar ruling out of a federal court in Northern California. The suit was brought by federal unions who sued the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and members of Trumps Cabinet. In that case, Clinton-appointed Judge William Alsup also described the firings for poor performance as a lie. It is a sad, sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well thats a lie, said Alsup during the hearing, according to CBS News. Alsup said that federal law allows for mass layoffs but requires that the agencies follow the law when doing so. That includes giving employees advance notice. The words that I give you today should not be taken that some wild-and-crazy judge in San Francisco said that an administration cannot engage in a reduction in force, Alsup said, according to Politico. It can be done, if its done in accordance with the law. Both cases are ongoing, and may yet be resolved on appeal at higher courts, including regional appeals courts and even the U.S. Supreme Court. Many employees who work for the VA are also veterans. The hospital is part of the Central Virginia Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Virginias regional network with five locations throughout the commonwealth. The 399-bed Richmond hospital served around 62,000 veterans in 2018. At that time, the health system had 3,451 employees, according to statistics on the VAs website. Two historic St. Charles Avenue mansions would be connected by a new building, where most of the hotel would be located. WASHINGTON At a recent town hall in New Orleans, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter was asked why Democrats were doing so little to block the flood of President Donald Trumps executive orders. Carter replied that with Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of Congress and controlling the White House, Democratic lawmakers could do little except talk loudly and go to court. The courts have been the Democrats' most effective tactic. Individual federal district judges have temporarily delayed orders to fire federal workers, ban transgender rights and freeze congressionally approved federal funding, among other issues. Six emergency applications have reached the U.S. Supreme Court in battles including the revocation of birthright citizenship and the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants. North Devon Hospice has credited the incredible support of the public as it has raised enough money to secure two new cuddle beds for the hospice. The Cuddle Appeal, which launched in February, raised an astonishing 84,837, far exceeding its initial target of 30,000. The new cuddle beds will be used in the hospices Bedded Unit, allowing patients to stay close to their loved ones during their final days. These specialist beds enable families to share precious moments together, offering comfort and intimacy during an incredibly difficult time. Sarah Thomas, a hospice patient who was part of the appeal, described herself as overwhelmed when she saw the communitys reaction. I shared my own experience of using the hospices existing cuddle bed when I stayed on the Bedded Unit earlier this year because it made such a difference to me and my daughter, said Sarah. Im happy to do anything I can to help the hospice, after the love and care they have shown me, so it was lovely to see the total keep going up and up! I had no idea that people would be so generous Im overwhelmed but in a good way! Now, other families at the hospice will be able to experience that same closeness, with proper cuddles in a proper big bed. Numerous local groups, schools, and businesses came together to support the appeal, raising significant funds through a variety of events. Among these were Caen Community Primary Schools playground fundraiser, Mocean Samba Bands doorbell collection, and Avo-Craft Cafes colouring competition, each raising substantial amounts towards the total. The hospice Retail Team also got involved, with the Braunton hospice charity shop hosting a raffle and the Furniture Shop in Barnstaple organising a Yard Sale, further boosting the appeals fundraising efforts. Were so grateful to the whole community, who have really pulled together to raise such a staggering amount in aid of the Cuddle Appeal, said Lizzie Hanks, Head of Fundraising at North Devon Hospice. To have exceeded our target by almost three times the amount is just mind-blowing and shows how much the cause resonated with people across North Devon who understand the need for everyone to be able to enjoy a cuddle with someone they love when it matters most. On behalf of every patient and family that we are privileged to care for at North Devon Hospice, thank you we are so touched by your generosity. Angela and her family donated to the appeal in memory of Angelas husband Leonard, who sadly passed away earlier this year. When we saw the Cuddle Appeal, I knew we had to encourage donations in Leonards memory, said Angela. Family was what Leonard was all about; to know weve helped other families to share precious cuddles as he loved to do would have made him smile. The funds raised will allow the hospice to take delivery of two new cuddle beds, meaning more patients will be able to snuggle up, sleep, or relax with their loved ones while staying on the Bedded Unit. North Devon Hospice explained that terminal illness takes away so many things that are often taken for granted, so for the hospice, the ability to keep families together on a cuddle bed is truly invaluable. The funds raised will also allow the hospice to fund a community nurse for a whole year, ensuring that hundreds of patients across North Devon can receive care in the comfort of their own homes. The hospice added: Because, ultimately, the bed they most want to be in, is their own. To find out more about the Cuddle Appeal and the work of North Devon Hospice, visit www.northdevonhospice.org.uk A newly surfaced recording of Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is drawing sharp criticism from Democrats and federal employee unions, who say her remarks downplaying the impact of recent federal layoffs show a disregard for the thousands of Virginians many of them veterans who have lost their jobs under President Donald Trumps administrations workforce cuts. In the clip, released last week by the progressive media outlet Meidas Touch, Earle-Sears is heard downplaying concerns from federal workers about job losses tied to Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which has already axed more than 6,000 veterans and is on track to cut at least 80,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees nationwide, according to the Associated Press. In the recording, which appears to be from a March 13 gathering, Earle-Sears addresses the recent federal layoffs tied to DOGE. Now Im hearing about DOGE and all of that, she begins, before quickly shifting to a broader defense of Virginias job market. She insists that we dont want folks to lose their jobs, but points to what she says are over 250,000 jobs that weve created since weve been in office as evidence of economic strength. Earle-Sears then pivots to suggest that job loss is a common experience, asking the crowd, How many here have ever lost a job? When some respond affirmatively, she continues: Oh, you mean its not unusual? It happens to everybody all the time? OK. She concludes by criticizing the media coverage surrounding the layoffs, saying, The media is making it out to be this huge, huge thing. And I dont understand why. The reaction from union officials and political opponents was swift. She was caught on tape saying she doesnt know why this is a huge deal, said Christine Surrette, national vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, District 4 and a former VA employee. Ive had to console employees who were laid off, who dont know how theyll make rent. Some have taken their own lives. Sears isnt on the side of Virginians, Surette said on a Zoom call set up by the Democratic Party of Virginia Thursday. Earle-Sears, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran herself, is currently leading the pack in the Republican gubernatorial primary and has leaned heavily into her alignment with Gov. Glenn Youngkin and, despite disavowing him more than two years ago, Trump. The layoffs, which have significantly affected Virginias large population of veteran federal employees, are part of a broader federal workforce reduction effort launched under Trumps second-term agenda of fiscal reset. A spokeswoman for Earle-Sears campaign declined to comment, but pointed to a video the lieutenant governor posted on X in February, where she expressed empathy for federal workers facing layoffs. I have been in your shoes and I totally understand what it is to not know how the next paycheck is coming, Earle-Sears says in the video. I know it from being an employee, and I also know it from being a small business owner, and so I want to say this to you that we see you. At the same time, she reaffirms her support for Trumps efforts to cut federal spending even if it results in job losses. Our government, without question, owes us answers to how the money is being spent, she says. We work very hard for those dollars in order for the government to tax us, and so the government must be accountable to us and tell us how it is spending our hard-earned dollars. Earle-Sears adds that its also important to ensure support is available for those who lose their jobs and want to pursue new opportunities. It is also a given that we want to make sure that you have the money that you need to find a job or if you want to start a new career or even to go into business and how to do that, she says. Earle-Sears goes on to promote Youngkins plan to connect laid-off federal employees with new job opportunities in Virginia. But her critics say the damage is done. Shes talking about someones life being turned upside down, said Monique Samuels, president of AFGE Local 1992, which represents Defense Logistics Agency workers in Richmond. Losing a job in any situation is devastating. With thousands of Virginians facing layoffs, there will be a larger economic impact that will hurt every Virginian, but Sears doesnt care. The layoffs have already disrupted essential services at facilities such as the Hampton VA Medical Center, where 12 employees initially lost their jobs although one later was allowed to return, and a soon-to-open clinic in Chesapeake, where local lawmakers are already raising concerns about staffing levels. We were struggling before, said Sheila Elliott, president of AFGE Local 2328. Were already seeing appointments being rescheduled because doctors and nurses cant do their jobs because they dont have the tools that they need to get that job done. Yesterday, we received 50 messages; people are worried about whats happening next. Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor, also weighed in. Virginias federal employees are real people with real bills to pay, she said in a statement. Now is not the time for the lieutenant governor to put blind ideology and allegiance to a political party ahead of the livelihoods of our neighbors and the strength of Virginias economy. Virginia is home to the Pentagon, multiple military bases and one of the highest veteran populations nationwide. Many of those veterans transition into federal civilian roles after their service jobs that have become increasingly precarious as DOGE enacts mass terminations in the name of efficiency. I understand firsthand the importance of ensuring that our VAs are fully staffed and prepared to care for and support the men and women who have served our country. And right now, thats all at risk, said Ottis Johnson, AFGE District 14 vice president and a veteran himself. As VA and employees are facing layoffs, our veterans earned their benefits, and they deserve better than threats to their care. But it is not just veterans who are at risk because of these attacks on federal jobs. Virginias economy depends on federal jobs. People are going to feel this in every corner of the commonwealth. Less than a week after the leaked remarks were recorded, Earle-Sears appeared alongside Youngkin at a March 19 event in Richmond where both officials defended the job cuts as part of a larger plan for national economic health. Today, we know we have a federal government that is facing huge fiscal issues with $37 trillion in debt, with $2 trillion being added every year, Youngkin said. What that requires is real action quickly. Earle-Sears echoed the message, calling Virginia resilient and citing CNBCs ranking of the commonwealth as the top state for business in 2024. Both touted the states Virginia Has Jobs platform, which they say lists more than 250,000 available positions for displaced workers. But union leaders say those promises dont match reality. These workers cant just walk into another job next week, said Surrette. Many are specialized professionals. Some are still waiting on severance. And in the meantime, veterans are waiting on appointments, prescriptions and essential services. Surrette added that the disruption goes far beyond temporary economic turbulence, but that it strikes at the heart of the values many federal employees hold. These are people who dedicated their lives to serving others, she said, many of them twice, first in uniform and then in federal agencies. They deserve more than lip service. They deserve respect, support, and stability. Editor's note If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. This story was originally published in the Virginia Mercury. SCHERERVILLE Scores of families from across Northwest Indiana gathered Saturday morning for the third iteration of an Easter egg hunt designed for children with autism, for whom traditional egg hunts can be overwhelming and overstimulating. Logan's Love a nonprofit founded by Nicole Reveliotis, whose 10-year-old son, Logan Ruiz, died in a train accident in August 2022 hosted the sensory Easter egg hunt at Redar Park in Schererville for the third consecutive year. "I believe that he is here with all of us each time," Reveliotis said. "I see him in all the beautiful sounds coming from the children and all the mesmerizing smiles on their faces." Logan was completely nonverbal and experienced elopement, a side effect of autism causing children to wander away from caregivers or secure locations. "We are here honoring a little boy who touched so many hearts with no words," Reveliotis said to the crowd of excited families eager to start the egg hunt. Redar Park has special significance to Reveliotis. "Logan loved this park, and he loved to swing on these very swings," she said, gesturing toward a set of six swings in the northwest corner of the park. "Having our events here is just right, because he loved this park... It means a lot to have it here." Riveliotis said the event gives her a chance to say her son's name and spread his love and kindness with the community. She saw Logan in every young child with autism at Saturday's hunt, she said. "It rips my heart open each time I do this. It's hard. It rips the bandage open. It crushes my heart each and every time, but it also makes me feel wonderful because I was always proud of him and proud of his autism, and I think it's something to share and be proud of." Kids had the opportunity Saturday morning to hunt for eggs at their own pace. There was no air horn or cannon blast to signify the start such noises can be damaging to kids and adults with autism. The plastic eggs were empty but could be exchanged for "sensory swag bags" that included sensory toys and snacks recommended by several area special needs teachers. Eric Melnyczenko brought his 11-year-old daughter, Kyla, to Saturday's egg hunt. "Inclusivity is huge, and I feel like our community here, especially (the) Lake Central (School Corporation), we're really stepping up and embracing," Melnyczenko said. "It's very important, not just for people with disabilities, but for everybody else to say, 'We're all part of the same community.' We all want to do the same things. It just looks different." The beaming smile on Kyla's face said more about the fun she was having than any words ever could. About a year ago, Christina Vlamakis started volunteering her time to help Logan's Love. As fate would have it, her 3-year-old son, Nicolas, was diagnosed with autism in December. "It was brought in full center to me," Vlamakis said. "I'm where I'm supposed to be." Vlamakis said it was an "emotional roller coaster" going to doctor's appointments and grappling with the diagnosis. But once Nikolas was diagnosed, she said she actually felt relieved. "Then at least I knew how to help the baby," Vlamakis said. She called Logan's Love the group "that has truly made the biggest difference in my life." Logan's Love also acquired two bounce houses and a commercial-grade bubble machine Logan loved bubbles, Reveliotis said. On Saturday, the soapy spheres filled the air and landed softly all over the grassy park. "I wanted bubbles everywhere," she said. "I think we're gonna get a couple more of those (machines next year)." Revelioitis plans to make autism awareness outreach her life's work, she said. While overjoyed by Saturday's turnout, she said she knows it's just the beginning of what her organization can do to destigmatize autism. "I will forever do this for Logan," Reveliotis said. "This means everything to me. My son means everything to me." Jerry Davich Metro columnist Follow Jerry Davich Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Heather Armour stood on her front porch as the phone rang Friday afternoon. The caller said he is a representative from NIPSCOs claims department, asking her for receipts to prove her food loss since last Sundays storm ripped through her Valparaiso neighborhood. Armour was skeptical about the callers identity and intention, wondering if the call was a scam. Her home on Sheffield Drive, near Valparaiso High School, had been without power for almost five full days. She had received more than 15 online updates from NIPSCO with estimated restoration times for her home. She felt frustrated. Dismissed. Ignored. They were all false updates, Armour told me from her porch. Why would they do that? Where is the responsibility? Armour, whos married with a 5-year-old child and a special needs sister, stayed one night at a local hotel as NIPSCO scrambled to restore power to homes on her block among thousands of other residents. (Watch a video at NWI.com.) Going on 96 hours now, she said Thursday night as generators hummed in the background. That day, most residents still without power were expecting restoration, finally, due to NIPSCO updates. By that night, they were still in the dark, literally and figuratively. I'm mentally drained from this, said Terah Garcia, who lives near Thomas Jefferson Middle School. I just wanted to come home to lights and heat, yet still nothing. Friday, the utility company said the storms collectively damaged or broke more than 180 electricity poles, causing hundreds of downed wires and broken cross arms, prompting more than 1,300 individual repairs. Of the 45,000 electric customer outages across NIPSCOs service area from last Sunday, roughly 60% of affected customers were restored by the next morning. All available resources continue to work as safely and quickly as possible to make the necessary repairs and restore service to the approximately 190 customers who remain impacted from this weeks severe storms, a company official told me Friday afternoon. Garcia was one of those customers. Its complete garbage, she said. I have lived here all 44 years of my life and never experienced this once from NIPSCO, which makes me think all the rumors surrounding this situation are true. Shes referring to rumors about the company cutting corners, slowing response times, and not offering overtime pay to linemen by not declaring Sundays weather event a major storm. As a NIPSCO lineman told me, They are refusing to declare major storm, making it mandatory for all linemen to work 16 hours, which is double-time during such an event. We then get paid eight hours of straight time for rest. NIPSCO responded: For this event, all available crews were called out and line workers were offered overtime throughout the entire restoration period beginning Sunday, March 30. Overtime was in fact offered each day, and no line workers were denied the opportunity for overtime, including extending their scheduled shift on overtime, the company said. Our line workers have the discretion to accept overtime offerings, and we appreciate those who accepted overtime to support restoration efforts. In addition, approximately 60 contractor crew resources were utilized during the response, a NIPSCO official said. I witnessed this firsthand in my neighborhood, located just a block or two from serious damage. Contractors trucks have been driving up and down my street alongside NIPSCO vehicles and utility trucks with company names I dont recognize. A veteran NIPSCO lineman, who first contacted me last month about staffing shortages, said Friday, This is by far the worst handled storm in NIPSCO history. Weve had storms with 100,000 people out of power that took less time to restore. We arent being utilized like we have always been in the past. Other workers in the industry have reached out to point blame at NIPSCO upper management and even linemen in the field. Its not only the companys fault, one source said. Regardless, customers such as Garcia and Armour felt increasingly desperate this past week. The loud humming of generators is not a new sound for me, but its one that stirs up memories I dont care to remember, said Armour, a 40-year-old disabled military veteran. Am I back in Iraq? Nope, Im still in this first world hell. Friday morning, she sat on her front porch watching for utility trucks to return to her street. Later that day, her homes power was finally restored. Someone should be held accountable for the delays, the misinformation, and canned generic messages from a huge monopoly corporation. Its absolutely unacceptable, Armour said. Garcia hoped, yet again, to return home from work that night to a house filled with humming appliances, flashing clocks and welcoming lights. But still nothing at 6:57 p.m., she told me. I am usually more eloquent with my thoughts but all I have right now is (expletive), (expletive), (expletive). She felt fortunate to have a portable generator, unlike many residents who cant afford one. But going on six nights without power costs around $35 a day in fuel, she said. I would not be complaining if this area experienced a catastrophic event and our utility company was doing everything in their power to make it right, but they are not. NIPSCO said two primary factors contributed to some estimated restoration times being adjusted as the companys response progressed: During the ongoing field assessment process, an elevated number of damages were discovered in Valparaiso; and Wednesdays storms caused additional damage and outages for customers primarily in the east region of its service area. All available resources have been working around the clock since Sunday, a spokeswoman told me Friday evening. Just before midnight, Garcias home finally had power. As for the man who called Armour from NIPSCOs claims department, the company told me it was a potential scam. If a customer is unsure about a phone call, email, program offer or person claiming to be affiliated with NIPSCO, call its customer care team at 800-464-7726. A woman appeared in court accused of deception involving bank transfers totalling 100,000. Catherine OBrien (47) of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Waterford appeared before a sitting of Portlaoise District Court. She is accused of deception in relation to the transfer of 80,000 at the Bank of Ireland, Portlaoise on September 2, 2018, 10,000 from the same bank on October 25, 2018 and 10,000 on October 26, 2018. Solicitor Raymond Kavanagh argued that there was a jurisdictional issue in relation to her appearance at Portlaoise District Court. He said she was arrested in Waterford on March 11 and released on bail. She should have been released on bail to the next sitting in the district court area or within 30 days, he argued. He said his client was in the courthouse but not in the courtroom. Judge Andrew Cody asked that she be brought into the courtroom. I will bring her in under protest, said Mr Kavanagh. Judge Cody said there was no evidence of deliberate or conscious violation of the defendants constitutional rights and he was satisfied that the court had jurisdiction. Garda Sgt JJ Kirby said the DPP had given directions and he requested five weeks to compile a book of evidence in the case. Judge Cody adjourned the case to Portlaoise District Court on May 5 for service of a book of evidence. When Belent Mathew left Mamangalam, his quaint little town in Keralas Ernakulam district nearly three decades ago, he had little idea that he would one day be contesting federal elections in another country in a different continent. The 51-year-old legal consultant, who is running from Scarborough CentreDon Valley East for the Conservative Party, is the only Malayali candidate in the Canadian federal election slated for April 28. Mathew is up against the incumbent Liberal MP Salma Zahid, a Pakistani Canadian. If elected, Mathew would become the only member of the Malayali immigrant community to enter the Canadian Parliament. So far, only one person with Malayali roots has made it to ParliamentJoe Daniel, who won from Don Valley East as a Conservative in 2011. Though Joe was born and raised in Tanzania, his family hails from Pathanamthitta. ADVERTISEMENT The second son of retired HMT employee Mathew Chittamkott and Elsy Mathew, Belent Mathew graduated with a BSc in Mathematics from St Alberts College, Ernakulam. He arrived in Canada in 2008 after spending 10 years working in Kuwait. An active presence in student politics during his college days, Mathew was always considered a peoples person. After years in Human Resources Management in Kuwait and Canada, he set up a legal consultancy firm with his wife Teena a decade ago. Belent has always been keen on public service. Hes been an active presence in many Malayali forums in Canada like the Durham Malayalee Association, Toronto Malayalee Samajam and the Canadian Cochin Club. During the Covid pandemic, they did a lot of work serving the community, his younger brother Trudy Mathew, who is a businessman in Ernakulam, told Onmanorama. ADVERTISEMENT Belent Mathews association with the Conservative Party began when Andrew Scheer succeeded Stephen J Harper as party leader. During Erin OTooles leadership, he emerged as a prominent campaign figure. Now, under Pierre Poilievre, he has become a key Malayali candidate in the partys lineup. The recently merged constituencyhome to 1,11,377 peoplehas a South Asian population of 19.48%. Though the seat has remained a Liberal stronghold for the past three terms, Mathew and his party are hoping to capitalise on anti-incumbency in this snap election. However, factors such as high US-imposed tariffs on Canada and the entry of Mark Carneythe new Liberal leader and vocal critic of US President Donald Trumpcould pose challenges for the Conservatives. Canada conducts federal elections every four years to choose Members of Parliament (MPs) for the House of Commons. The country is divided into 338 electoral districts or ridings, and the candidate with the most votes in each riding wins. The party that secures the most seats typically forms the government. The main federal parties include the Liberal Party, Conservative Party, New Democratic Party (NDP), Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party. The latest JFK file release has reignited the relentless search for the mastermind behind his assassination. But what if the competing theories blaming Allen Dulles, James Angleton, Lyndon Johnson, the mafia, Cuban exiles, Mossad, or the CIA were all carefully crafted cover stories? What if the true motive for JFK's murder was buried beneath layers of deception, scripted to maintain a false narrative for decades? Or even centuries? To uncover the deeper truth, we must look beyond Cold War politics and into the occult foundations of empire itself. Dr. John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I' s astrologer and conjurer, used theurgic magic, mathematics, and the occult to establish the British Empire through Mystic Imperialism. The ritual sacrifice of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963, the anniversary of the Masonic Day of Revenge, did not just mark the death of a president, but the end of empire itself. The cycle had come full circle: exactly 380 years earlier, on November 22, 1583, the beheading of the last Fitzgerald Earl of Desmond had inaugurated the British Empire. Was JFK' s assassination the final act in a ritual drama centuries in the making? Is it possible that JFK willingly took part in this drama through his rendezvous with death? Fitzgerald Coat of Arms, the Dukes of Leinster (Image by Author Tech King465) Details DMCA Join us as we unravel the deeper motives for the JFK assassination that weaves a story written long before the 20th-century machinations of geopolitics surrounding the assassination of JFK existed. RSVP for the free ZOOM event April 16, 2025, 3:00 pm 4:30 pm EST HERE *To get up to speed review RT 39. Backstage at the Creation of a New Beginning HERE *How Paul and Liz discovered JFK's Warrior of Peace mission can be read HERE. *Get a free PDF copy of Alanna Hartzok's "The Earth Belongs to Everyone" HERE. R.A. "Kris" Millegan, publisher, host Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould, authors, journalists Adam Finnegan, moderator Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould are authors of Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story, published by City Lights (2009), Crossing Zero The AfPak War at the Turning Point of American Empire, published by City Lights (2011). Their novel The Voice, was published in 2001. Their memoir, The Valediction Three Nights of Desmond Book 1 was published by TrineDay (2021) and The Valediction Resurrection Book 2 was published by TrineDay (2022). For more information visit invisiblehistory, grailwerk and valediction.net By Medea Benjamin and David Swanson, April 4, 2025 We are passionate supporters of all but one of the items on the Hands Off agenda for the April 5 rallies. We couldn't agree more that the corrupt U.S. government should stop destroying, privatizing, firing, and giving away the post office, schools, land, Social Security, healthcare, environmental protections, and all sorts of essential public services. But we are deeply disturbed to see NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) on the list of items that we are rallying to protect. Many people believe that NATO is a peace-loving, defensive alliance, but the opposite is true. During the past 30 years, NATO has fomented a vast arc of violence stretching from Libya to Afghanistan, leaving villages bombed, infrastructure destroyed, and countless dead. Originally formed in opposition to the Soviet Union, NATO not only failed to disband with the fall of the Soviet Union, but it increased from 16 members in 1991 to 32 members today. Despite promises not to expand eastward, it ploughed ahead against the advice of senior, experienced U.S. diplomats who warned that this would inflame tensions with Russia. While Russia bears full responsibility for invading Ukraine, in violation of the UN Charter, we cannot deny the disastrous role played by NATO in provoking and then prolonging the war in Ukraine. Two years ago, then NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that insisting on NATO membership for Ukraine had brought on the Ukraine war. "[Putin] went to war to prevent NATO, more NATO, close to his borders," he said. The inclusion of NATO in the Hands Off list contradicts the basic Hands Off agenda. Right now, at the bidding of President Trump, NATO is openly and aggressively pressuring its member nations to move money from healthcare, retirement funds, and clean energy to weapons and militarism. Watch a video of the Secretary General of NATO publicly telling the European Union to move money from healthcare and retirement to war. It should be clear which side of the Hands Off agenda NATO is on. NATO is a destabilizing, law-breaking force for militarization and war provocation. Its existence makes wars, including nuclear wars, more likely. Its hostility toward the few significant militaries in the world that are not among its members fuels arms races and conflicts. The commitment of NATO members to join each others' wars and NATO's pursuit of enemies far from the North Atlantic risk global destruction. We would be happy to expand the Hands Off demands to international issues, such as Hands Off Palestine or Yemen or Greenland or Panama or Canada. But we do object to including a destructive institution like NATO, an institution that systematically and grossly violates the commitment to settle disputes peacefully contained in the UN Charter. If we are truly committed to human needs and the environment, as well as peace, diplomacy, and the UN Charter, then we should eliminate NATO from the Hands Off agenda. We should go beyond that. We should recognize that while many government agencies are being unfairly cut and need to be defended, one enormous agency that makes up over half of federal discretionary spending is being drastically increased and needs to be cut. That is the Pentagon. The U.S. government spends more on war and war preparation than on all other discretionary items combined. Of 230 other countries, the U.S. spends more on militarism than 227 of them combined. Russia and China spend a combined 21% of what the U.S. and its allies spend on war. Of 230 other countries, the U.S. exports more weaponry than 228 of them combined. The U.S. spends more on war per capita than any other nation, except Israel. This is not normal or acceptable, or compatible with funding human and environmental needs. NATO has taught people to measure military spending as a percentage of a nation's economy, as if war were a public service to be maximized. Trump has recently switched from demanding 2% of economies for war to 3%, and then almost immediately to 5%. There's no logical limit. Companies that profit from war, like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, will always push for more military spending. So will NATO. While NATO allies consider Russia their most immediate and direct threat, their long-term adversary is China. The constant search for enemies leads to a vicious cycle of arms races. But there is a different path: the pursuit of disarmament negotiations, the rule of law and global cooperation. If we pursued that path, we could move massive amounts of money away from weapons to invest in addressing the non-optional dangers of climate, disease, and poverty. The rational and moral international piece of the Hands Off agenda should be to eliminate both NATO and the voracious militarism that threaten the future of life on this planet. Medea Benjamin and David Swanson are coauthors of the book NATO: What You Need to Know. ## A Pacific Office Automation fleet vehicle. A new lawsuit, filed in Washington County Circuit Court, makes clear that the Beaverton company fired its CEO, Doug Pitassi, in the immediate wake of The Oregonian/OregonLives extensive reporting on hush money payouts to former employees who said Pitassi sexually harassed and assaulted them. Mike Rogoway/The Oregonian Last week, the former top executive at Pacific Office Automation went on the offensive against the company, alleging in a lawsuit that it withheld millions in bonuses and exploited his sexuality to bury him professionally. The lawsuit, filed in Washington County Circuit Court, made clear that the Beaverton company fired its CEO, Doug Pitassi, in the immediate wake of The Oregonian/OregonLives extensive reporting on hush money payouts to former employees who said Pitassi sexually harassed and assaulted them. A Coeur dAlene surgeon accused of hiding cameras in his office bathroom to record employees and children will serve up to 40 years in prison, an Idaho judge ruled. Dr. Spencer David Greendyke, 69, an orthopedic surgeon, will be eligible for parole in 25 years, the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorneys Office said in an April 4 news release. An employee discovered a hidden camera in Greendykes office in March 2024, prosecutors said. When she pulled out a memory card, she found videos taken in an office bathroom, including video of her vagina, officials said. The employee contacted police because children of workers also used the bathroom, prosecutors said. Detectives found evidence that Greendyke had taken more than 800 videos with secret cameras in his home and office over the past 15 to 20 years, prosecutors said. Because of the statute of limitations, he could only be charged in incidents going back to 2019, prosecutors said. Greendyke was sentenced by a district judge Friday, April 4, on charges of video voyeurism, prosecutors said. He also must register as a sex offender once released from prison. Dr. Greendykes actions here are deplorable, his attorney, Luke Crawford, said, according to the Coeur dAlene Press. Theres no doubt about that. The defense recommended that Greendyke be sentenced to 15 years and requested that he be put in a prison treatment program before the court ruled whether he would serve his full sentence or be released on probation, the outlet reported. McClatchy News reached out to Crawford for comment on April 6 but did not immediately receive a response. Coeur dAlene is about a 35-mile drive east from Spokane, Washington. Long wait times, a shrinking pool of primary care providers and physician burnout are making it harder for Portland area residents to access basic, preventive health care. Primary care doctors play a critical role in identifying health issues early and coordinating ongoing care. But a recent poll commissioned by The Oregonian/OregonLive found that over half of the 600 tri-county area voters surveyed said scheduling appointments with primary care doctors has become more difficult compared to three years ago. Experts say limited access to primary care services can delay diagnoses, raise medical costs, and push more patients into emergency rooms, where treatment is more expensive and contributes to hospital overcrowding. Portland design reporter Damon Johnstun will cover the 63rd edition of Salone del Mobile, the prestigious furnishing and design show, April 8-13 at Fiera Milano Rho in Milan, Italy. The trends and products that debuted during Milan Design Week last year are now in showrooms. Here is a look at what Johnstun calls How Living Divani, Baxter and Carpanese Home are shaping the future of furniture design. Portlands design community may be familiar with prominent Italian furniture brands like B&B Italia or Cappellini. However, a trio of under-the-radar brands Living Divani, Baxter and Carpanese Home are quietly redefining luxury furniture with their unique blends of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary innovation. Not only are these companies producing cutting-edge designs, but theyre also nurturing the next generation of design talent, giving Portlanders exciting options to explore. Founded in 1969 by Renata Pozzoli and Luigi Bestetti, Living Divani has risen to global prominence under the creative direction of Piero Lissoni, who has been at the helm since 1988. Known for its minimalist design language and impeccable craftsmanship, Living Divani produces furniture that is both refined and functional. Carola Bestetti, the daughter of the founders, has been instrumental in guiding the brands international growth and developing relationships with emerging designers. Her vision has led Living Divani to collaborate with a wide range of talent, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of contemporary design while staying true to its minimalist roots. Among these rising stars is Leonardo Talarico, who brings an elegant simplicity to Living Divanis collection. His Segno umbrella stand is a striking example of his minimalist approach. Designed with a single, continuous form, the umbrella stand features a sleek, sculptural quality that is both functional and artistic, an embodiment of Living Divanis ethos. Additionally, Giacomo Moor has contributed his mastery of woodcraft with the Half Square shelving unit, which balances geometric precision with artisanal craftsmanship. Moors designs blend practical functionality with an appreciation for materials, particularly wood, to create timeless, modern pieces. Francesca Lanzavecchia, another talented designer associated with Living Divani, brings an ergonomic and playful touch with her Pebble stool. Inspired by the organic forms of natural pebbles, the stool combines a soft, rounded aesthetic with functional comfort, perfect for both home and public spaces. Founded in 1990, Baxter is best known for its luxurious use of leather, elevating the material into a medium for artistic expression. The brand collaborates with renowned designers to create pieces that are as much about texture and material as they are about form. Each Baxter product is a labor of love, finished with meticulous hand-crafted techniques that give it a rich, tactile quality. One of the key talents driving Baxters innovation is Federico Peri, whose Blend cabinet system for the brand has become a standout piece. The Blend system combines wood, glass and leather in a modular design, showcasing Peris ability to mix traditional craftsmanship with contemporary functionality. This system allows for flexible configurations while maintaining an elegant, cohesive aesthetic, a signature of Baxters unique approach to furniture design. Also making waves for Baxter are Draga & Aurel, a design duo known for their avant-garde use of materials and bold design statements such as the Barret armchair and the Juno coffee table made of concrete with daring, sculptural forms. The Arles mirror, another iconic piece, features mixed metal surface and a refined patina, reflecting the duos talent for creating striking, artistic pieces. Baxters commitment to high-quality craftsmanship, particularly with leather, is complemented by its dedication to sustainability. The companys eco-conscious leather tanning and production methods ensure that their pieces are as environmentally responsible as they are visually stunning. Founded in 1990 by the Bellani family, Carpanese Home initially made its mark by producing classical Italian furniture, with a commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and luxurious materials. Over the years, the company has grown into a symbol of refined elegance, blending tradition with innovation. Today, the family-run company continues to be an integral part of the Italian luxury furniture landscape, offering high-end pieces that reflect their dedication to quality. A hallmark of Carpanese Home is its use of premium materials, including fabrics by Ermenegildo Zegna, a name synonymous with luxury textiles. These top-tier materials are carefully chosen to reflect the brands emphasis on sophistication and craftsmanship. Whether its rich, hand-finished woods, marble or Zegnas iconic textiles, each piece from Carpanese Home speaks to a legacy of luxury. Recently, the appointment of Federico Peri as creative director has breathed new life into Carpanese Home. Known for his architectural approach to design, Peri has revitalized the brand by steering it toward a more contemporary aesthetic while preserving its roots in Italian craftsmanship. His focus is not on individual product design, but rather on reimagining the brands creative direction. Under his leadership, Carpanese Home has embraced sleeker forms, innovative materials and a renewed sense of elegance that appeals to a modern audience. Despite their unique identities, Living Divani, Baxter and Carpanese Home share some key values. All three brands emphasize nurturing emerging designers, giving young talent like Talarico, Moor and Lanzavecchia a platform to showcase their innovative designs. These brands are committed to supporting a new generation of designers who push boundaries while maintaining an appreciation for traditional craftsmanship. Sustainability is another central tenet of each brand. Baxter leads with its eco-conscious leather tanning and sourcing practices, while Living Divani prioritizes durability and quality to ensure that its furniture stands the test of time. Carpanese Home, under Peris direction, emphasizes responsible production practices, ensuring that their luxurious pieces are both beautiful and sustainable. As Portlands design community continues to grow, brands like Living Divani, Baxter and Carpanese Home offer exciting new options for those looking to bring Italian craftsmanship into their spaces. Whether its Living Divanis refined minimalism, Baxters bold artistry or Carpanese Homes renewed elegance, these brands represent the cutting-edge of Italian design. Their commitment to nurturing emerging talent and prioritizing sustainability makes them stand out in the crowded field of luxury furniture. For those in Portland who value high-quality craftsmanship, innovative design and ethical production, these brands offer furniture that transcends trends. Where to shop these Italian brands in Portland: Living Divani is available at Inform Interiors, showcasing minimalist luxury. Baxter is available at Design Within Reach and Hive Modern, offering bold, artistic leather creations. Carpanese Home is available for custom orders through Hive Modern, featuring modern elegance. Damon Johnstun @damonjohnstun Thousands of people participated in Portland's branch of the nationwide Hands Off protest against Trump's policies. Allison Barr/The Oregonian As the front of the marching crowd neared the middle of the Morrison Bridge around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, a woman in a pink safety vest turned and addressed the protesters. Everybody look to your left! she shouted through a bullhorn. See how long this march is? Officials with Washington Countys public sewer agency enjoyed five-star hotel stays, first-class airfare and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of meals over the years, paid for directly or indirectly by Washington County sewer customers. Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com Nearly three weeks after a news investigation uncovered the extravagant ways leaders of Washington Countys public sewer agency have been spending ratepayer funds, the elected commissioners who govern the agency appear poised to finally say, Whoops. Washington Countys commissioners convening in their roles as board members of the agency, which is an independent sewer district are scheduled to take up a resolution Tuesday calling for an audit of Clean Water Services travel and meal expenditures and adoption of new spending policies. Although it misses some key elements, the resolution targets some of the practices revealed by The Oregonian/OregonLives Jamie Goldberg that allowed Clean Water Services officials to directly or indirectly spend ratepayer dollars on five-star hotel rooms in Hawaii, first-class airfare and tens of thousands of dollars a year on meals. Among other things, it would revise or create more detailed travel guidelines; prohibit executive team members from getting reimbursed for local meals and pull purchasing cards from those executives. It would also review the agencys decision to create a captive insurance subsidiary in Hawaii, which prompted the yearly trips for multiple officials. It also calls for the agencys executive director to work with the board on a plan to restore the trust of our community (customers), local government partners, employees and the Board of Directors. Thats a vast improvement from the silence or, worse, dismissive response that commissioners showed following the publication of Goldbergs stories. But the current proposal doesnt address big holes that still need to be filled. Here are a few more issues that commissioners should be prepared to discuss on Tuesday. First up, fulfilling outstanding public records requests and removing roadblocks. The excessive spending that Goldberg found, including $91,000 on three trips to Hawaii and a food tab of $11,000 per month in its 2024 fiscal year reflect what she was able to confirm through public records that the agency was willing to release over months of her persistent requests. Clean Water Services and its subsidiary, however, still have not fulfilled requests for information on four other trips to Hawaii and additional expenditures. The board should direct its sewer agency and subsidiary to release those documents immediately and without punitive price tags like the nearly $4,000 the agency initially sought for Goldberg to review some food spending. It also should drop assertions that Clean Water Insurance Co., the subsidiary the agency created in Hawaii as a way to park and invest excess ratepayer premiums to cover catastrophic insurance costs, is not subject to Oregon public records law. The subsidiary has no employees and lists a mailing address of a giant insurance services firm. Yet it reported administrative costs of more than $315,000 in its 2024 fiscal year, over and above $940,000 in insurance expenses. Second, the board should ask the elected county auditor to oversee the independent audit that the board wants to commission and handle its public release. The current proposal calls for the county attorney who would have an interest in limiting embarrassing information getting out to handle the contracting. If the board is truly committed to an independent review, it should hand that responsibility over to the independently elected official whom voters chose to oversee audits. The board should also consider seeking a long-term fix through an amendment to the county charter that gives the auditor greater authority to review independent special districts. Third, the board should review the leadership of its exceedingly well-paid chief executive officer, Diane Taniguchi-Dennis, and decide whether they can defend her management, compensation level and handling of the agency to Washington County residents. Does she embody the values of accountability, transparency and financial stewardship that board members themselves should prioritize? They are her supervisor and should take full responsibility for whether she remains and in what capacity. Fourth, the board is calling for a review of whether siting the subsidiary in Hawaii is appropriate. Even if the review recommends continuing in Hawaii, the board should restrict travel to no more than the one person required by Hawaii state law to meet its annual visit requirement unless extenuating circumstances merit sending more. And finally, the board needs to explain to the public where its been these past few years in terms of overseeing the agency. Customers of Clean Water Services have no choice but to go through the public agency for sewer service and pay their rates, which went up 4% last year and another 4% the year before. But as Goldberg noted in a recent story, one commissioner indicated her lack of motivation to review documents from Clean Water Services one of the most fundamental parts of governance and oversight. If the commissioner, who could not be identified from the voice recording, or any of her fellow commissioners feels the work of providing oversight for the sewer agency is too much, they should step down. Unfortunately, the lack of scrutiny that board members have shown to date is obvious. If they want to rebuild trust with the community, they should start by acknowledging their own failures and commit to not repeating such a lapse again. -The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: When he was first added to the chat, Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg wondered if he was being spoofed or hoaxed. AP Just a few short weeks ago, it would have seemed ludicrous to write an ethics column advising journalists what to consider should they be added to a high-level government chat group discussing secret war plans. But then the improbable happened. The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was included in a group chat on Signal where top White House military advisers and other officials discussed pending plans to bomb Yemen. Ethics expert Kelly McBride wrote a thorough column for the Poynter Institute, exploring the myriad ethical issues such an experience raises. One question she considered: Was Goldberg under any obligation to flag his attendance for others in the sensitive chat? While journalists should not actively deceive or lie in pursuit of the truth, they are not obligated to inform powerful people of their mistakes, particularly when those mistakes offer a window into matters of public importance, McBride wrote. Although journalists are not licensed the way doctors and lawyers are, and hard-and-fast rules about our conduct would run into First Amendment problems, we take seriously the ethical questions that come up in reporting on matters of significant concern. Here are a few examples, where the stakes, of course, are much lower than with secret war plans: A reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive phones in to attend an open meeting held by a public agency. Agency officials later complain that he did not identify himself as a reporter when he dialed in. During the pandemic, reporters and others relied on virtual attendance to cover many events. But no one, whether journalist or member of the public, is required to identify themselves when they show up to watch a City Council or school board meeting. They simply arrive and sit in the audience. Attending telephonically or virtually strikes me as the equivalent, and journalists are not obligated to identify themselves in order to listen in. In another instance I recall, a local CEO requested a meeting with me to talk about The Oregonian/OregonLives coverage of his business. Early in the conversation, it became clear he thought the discussion was off the record, even though nothing had been agreed to along those lines. In that case, I stopped the conversation to clarify the matter, but journalists are under no ethical obligation to do so. Just because someone makes an assumption does not obligate a reporter to comply retroactively. The more familiar someone is in dealing with the media, the less likely the journalist would be to give them a break. Remember the short-lived stint of Anthony Scaramucci, who called a reporter for The New Yorker and profanely criticized his new White House colleagues? That resulted in embarrassing news coverage, and he was gone as communications director after just 11 days. Its unclear whether he intended his remarks to be off the record but, if so, no agreement was made. At times, reporters come into information in entirely innocent ways but the release of the information was inadvertent. I wrote about one high profile case last month, involving Nike, but we also have received public records where the redaction of information was poorly done. In earlier times, when redactions were made with a black Sharpie pen on paper, you might be able to hold the document up to the light and read what it originally said. Thats fair game, in my view. Its not our job to keep information from the public but rather to seek information that benefits the public. During the pandemic, we were inadvertently sent an Excel file that was meant to contain the number of state employees who had submitted proof of mandated vaccines, had received a religious or medical exemption or had not yet said. Instead, the state official sent a spreadsheet including the names of thousands of state workers and their vaccination status. We didnt delete or return the file but reported on it. As I said at the time, I believe our primary obligation is not to shield the state agency from its mistake, but to inform the public of newsworthy facts we learn and verify. And, sometimes, the circumstances are not newsworthy but simply amusing. Once, an attorney returned my call for comment from inside an elevator after a dinner banquet. He left a voice mail for me but neglected to hang up. Even with his phone in a pocket, presumably, I could hear his critique of a judges keynote speech at the dinner. And, no, inquiring legal minds, I have no memory of who the judge or the lawyer was but he didnt think much of the speech, or the judge. The comments were not newsworthy, so they went no further. In The Atlantics case, Goldberg revealed the snafu that landed him in the group chat. And I am certain there were many internal newsroom conversations about whether to publish the texts, a move that raised additional ethical questions. According to The Associated Press, The Atlantic contacted the White House before releasing the texts to try to understand any additional context and ensure that publishing the full texts would not cause harm. That comports with another consideration raised by McBride: If you decide to publish, how can you minimize harm? In a highly unusual situation, I think the journalists successfully navigated the ethical concerns. Note to readers: The creator of the comic Phoebe and Her Unicorn has retired the strip. Tank McNamara replaces it. Reach me at tbottomly@oregonian.com. OHSU's real estate at the site of the Oregon National Primate Research Center is worth about a quarter of a billion dollars, the author writes. OHSU should close down the center and use the proceeds to improve the health care it provides. Mark Graves This is one of two op-eds published today on the question of whether to close OHSUs National Primate Research Center. To read the op-ed by OHSUs chief research officer and the research center director, click here. Neal D. Barnard For The Oregonian/OregonLive Barnard, M.D., is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC. The Oregon National Primate Research Center is a 1962 relic. When it started, there was no Internet, there were no CT scanners and technology was limited. Breeding monkeys and causing diseases in them seemed to some like a good idea at the time. The primate research center has been spending millions doing it ever since, killing 900 of its more than 5,000 animals each year. Meanwhile, the centers owner, Oregon Health & Science University, is struggling, cutting 500 jobs last year alone. Patients wait for hours for emergency care. Some have even been transferred out of state. The obvious answer has arisen: The monkey labs Beaverton real estate is worth nearly a quarter-billion dollars, and the laboratory itself has become a liability as operating costs mount while federal research dollars dry up. Why not close it and use those resources to hire doctors and nurses and improve patient care? Science has certainly moved on since 1962. Today, diabetes research uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy and other technologies to look inside the human body, with findings that directly apply to human patients. In 2015, NIH the National Institutes of Health stopped chimpanzee experiments altogether, and Harvard shuttered its primate laboratory the same year. But Oregon kept breeding monkeys, which turned out to be a serious mistake. Incompetence and neglect led to 21 animal-welfare violations at the research center and 35 at OHSU as a whole since 2014, including sending animals to their deaths in the scalding cage washer and letting forgotten animals die of thirst. Still, experimenters maintain a pretense that, despite these failures, their crude technology may someday solve health problems. Their argument is something like, the telegraph worked so well in the Civil War, we should still use it. So what exactly are they doing? In 2025, research center experimenters gave THC (marijuanas active ingredient) to pregnant monkeys, then killed and dissected their babies to show that drug use harms a fetus. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already reports that marijuana can harm a developing baby. In a 2024 report, experimenters had exposed monkeys to heavy alcohol consumption for 599 days, then killed them to show that alcohol affects bone integrity. Human studies have already shown that heavy alcohol use affects bone density. In 2023, experimenters fed male monkeys THC, then restrained them in special chairs and electroejaculated them to show that THC affects sperm counts. But physicians already advise fertility patients to avoid marijuana. The experimenters have called for more in all these areas, and they expect you to pay for them. Yes, your taxes are used to electroejaculate monkeys on drugs. Sometimes, experiments have been mischaracterized. Although OHSU talks about HIV experiments on monkeys, monkeys cannot be infected with HIV; the experimenters used the simian strain of the virus. In human cell cultures, however, HIV can be studied directly. OHSU also listed the polio vaccine in its defense of animal experiments. But the polio vaccine was developed ten years before ONPRC opened. The primate lab is stuck with a 60-year-old model and is inventing reasons to continue. OHSU disingenuously claims it will cost $100 million to close the center. The truth is, an orderly closure will save millions that can be put to better use. OHSU is not fair to its workers either. During the current negotiations over a possible OHSU merger with Legacy Health Systems, OHSU refused to give nurses job security beyond the first 12 months post-merger. More job cuts are likely coming as federal funding reductions take effect. OHSU needs to listen to its patients and to the public: 85% of Americans want animal experiments phased out according to a survey my organization commissioned, and more than 9,000 Oregonians have petitioned to close the primate center. No one wants cruelty, old fashioned science or false promises, and everyone wants and deserves a solid investment in good medical care. Gov. Tina Kotek listened to the public and did the right thing, calling for OHSU to begin a humane and respectful closure process. At Harvard, a 24-month closure plan completed certain research projects, provided staff retraining and made orderly transfers of the surviving monkeys to sanctuaries, zoos and other facilities. Harvard became stronger in the process. OHSUs primate research center should do the same. And, yes, 1962 was also the year that Neil Sedaka recorded Breaking up is hard to do. Sometimes it is. But its time now. Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: A bipartisan group of legislators is behind a proposal to make the citizen initiative process more difficult. Senate Joint Resolution 30 would ask voters to amend the Oregon Constitution to increase by at least 25% the number of signatures needed for a statewide initiative to qualify for the ballot. In addition, one-sixth of the total number of signatures must be from residents in each of the six congressional districts. House Joint Resolution 11 is the same. Under this proposal, voters in any congressional district would have veto power over any statewide initiative effort, simply by not signing the petition. It would also greatly increase the cost of gathering signatures, limiting the initiative process to the wealthy and special interests. These changes would essentially shut down initiatives. It is already hard enough to qualify measures for the ballot. The number of initiatives has collapsed since 2000 due to onerous and hypertechnical requirements that elected officials have added over the years requiring anachronistic signature-gathering processes even as the rest of the world has moved online. These changes are unnecessary. Oregon has higher signature requirements per capita than most other states with initiative processes. And Oregonians already have equal power in deciding whether an initiative becomes law by voting for or against it on the ballot. If legislators think thats not sufficient, then we should change how Oregon elects its statewide officers and require candidates to win in every congressional district. Please contact your legislators and urge them to vote no on SJR 30 and HJR 11. Dan Meek, Portland Meek is legal representative of the Oregon Progressive Party. To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Maryland on Friday. AP A federal judge is for the second time ordering the Trump administration to return a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador, blasting the U.S. government in a ruling Sunday that noted a now-suspended Justice Department lawyer admitted he didnt know why the man was being held. The order from U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis reaffirms a ruling she gave days earlier, shooting down arguments that the government cant facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia because he is no longer in U.S. custody. As defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere, Xinis wrote. Having confessed grievous error, the defendants now argue that this Court lacks the power to hear this case, and they lack the power to order Abrego Garcias return. The Justice Department has asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to pause Xinis ruling. Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judges 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs. Abrego Garcia had a permit from DHS to legally work in the U.S. and that he was a sheet metal apprentice pursuing a journeyman license, his attorney said. His wife is a U.S. citizen. The White House has described Abrego Garcias deportation as an administrative error but has also cast him an MS-13 gang member. Attorneys for Abrego Garcia said there is no evidence he was in MS-13. In her order Sunday, Xinis referenced earlier comments from now-suspended Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni in which Reuveni said: We concede he should not have been removed to El Salvador and that he responded I dont know when asked why Abrego Garcia was being held. The Justice Department placed Reuveni on leave after he made the comments. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in an interview on Fox News Sunday, likened Reuvenis comments to a defense attorney walking in, conceding something in a criminal matter. That would never happen in this country, she said. So hes on administrative leave now and well see what happens. Stacey Young, a former Justice Department lawyer and founder of Justice Connection, a network of department alumni that works to support employees, released a statement that defended Reuveni and said he has zealously represented the United States in some of the most high-stakes and controversial immigration cases under the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. Justice Department attorneys are being put in an impossible position: Obey the president, or uphold their ethical duty to the court and the Constitution, Young said. We should all be grateful to DOJ lawyers who choose principle over politics and the rule of law over partisan loyalty. Editors note: As president, Carter Strickland served as a SGA representative on the OU Publications Board, which oversees OU Dailys topline matters by establishing, implementing and monitoring editorial, fiscal, production and personnel policies. The Publications Board does not have any say in publishing matters and news coverage. OU Student Government Association President Carter Strickland resigned from his position Friday afternoon. In a phone call with OU Daily on Saturday, Strickland said he made the decision to resign because it would be in the best interests of the student government and the university. NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... It was not an easy decision by any means, and a lot of thought and a lot of counsel and a lot of advice (went) into this, Strickland said. This is not necessarily what I wanted to do, but I thought it would be best for the student government and for the OU students to return to work. According to Strickland, Vice President Avery Dunlap has become acting president and will serve as the 60th SGA president. I have all the faith and confidence in Avery to continue the great work that we signed up to do, and I know she'll be a great leader, Strickland said. In a text message to the Daily on Saturday, Dunlap wrote she will begin the transition process by meeting with members of the executive office of the president on Sunday and SGAs faculty adviser Monday. Dunlap wrote she will address the Undergraduate Student Congress at its Tuesday evening meeting. I am looking forward to serving our student body as President of SGA! Dunlap wrote. Dunlap will recommend a vice presidential candidate to the Undergraduate Student Congress, which will vote on the recommendation. If passed in Congress, the recommendation will be seen in the Graduate Student Senate. Strickland said he is grateful for the support he received throughout his presidency and expressed his love for the OU community. I love this university. That should never be questioned, Strickland said. I want what's best for this university, and I've always acted in what I believe to be (the) best interest for OU and the students. Being president was one of the great honors of my life. Strickland said despite his resignation, he plans to continue to serve the university. Going forward, I will continue to serve OU and work for OU and support OU. Sooner born, Sooner bred, and when I die, I'll be Sooner dead, Strickland said. What senior year has in store for me, I'm not sure. I will still be here as a full-time student, so I'm not going (anywhere). Background NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Strickland, a political science junior, won the SGA presidential election on Oct. 30 alongside Dunlap, obtaining 91.06% of the vote. Strickland and Dunlap ran an unopposed campaign, the first time for SGA candidates since 2014. Strickland and Dunlap were inaugurated on Jan. 13. As of Friday, Strickland served as president for just over three months. Prior to his resignation, Strickland was set to face a trial at the Graduate Student Senate which would have been presided by the chief justice. On March 26, the Undergraduate Student Congress impeached Strickland on five charges. Strickland is the first SGA president to be impeached in university history. The five charges were brought against Strickland in a resolution known as the Resolution for the Impeachment of the SGA President. The bill, authored by Vice Chair Aaron Gilson-Bond, was co-sponsored by Chief of Staff Ellie Wolthuis, Congress Secretary Chloe Harris, five committee chairs and various other members of Congress. The five charges were: Created a hostile workplace environment while serving as SGA president. Failed to act in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act and the SGA Code Annotated while serving as SGA president. Went against the Chief Justices advisement in electing members to search committees while serving as SGA president. Neglected his duties to the Legislative Branches while serving as SGA president. Hindered the duties and responsibilities of the chief of staff. The Oklahoma Open Meetings Act is a state law that requires all meetings of public bodies state, local boards and commissions must be open to the public, and the public must be given advance public notice of such meetings, including information on the time, place and purpose of the meeting. All SGA meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act, per the SGA Code Annotated, and agendas and notices for special meetings must be posted at least 24 hours before a meeting. The SGA Code Annotated is the governing laws of OUs SGA and outlines rules, regulations and functions for each branch of the government, elections, finances and more. This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele. For more than 25 years, Camp Crimson has helped transition incoming students into life at OU. To ensure all students could attend no matter their financial circumstances a camp scholarship fund was created. If it werent for the scholarship, I wouldnt have attended Camp Crimson, said Ruby Beas, a pre-med radiology freshman and camp leader. It changed my world. I was able to meet great people Im still friends with today. As part of New Student Programs, Camp Crimson is a five-day orientation where students discover resources, complete mandatory training, learn about OU and forge lasting connections with peers. For many new students, stepping onto campus for the first time can be overwhelming, making friendships and a sense of belonging especially important. Camp Crimson is not just a camp. Its the best way to start your OU journey surrounded with people just like you, said Arjun Raju, a pre-med psychology junior and camp leader. It made campus feel more like home even before classes started. I met some of my closest friends. How to support Camp Crimson NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM For this years OU Giving Day on April 8, a contribution to the Camp Crimson scholarship fund will be one of the many impactful ways to help students thrive. The entire OU family faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni may participate in challenges and donate in the annual 24-hour fundraising event that supports students, departments, programs and impactful research across the three OU campuses. Gifts start at $10 and benefit the department selected by the donor. Students who begin their OU experience through Camp Crimson are more likely to feel connected and thrive on campus. Theres a wide demographic of students who, if they dont receive financial support, wont do Camp Crimson. They wont be plugged in or know people on their first day of school, said Katharine Hart, modern dance sophomore and camp guide. I know for me, having a scholarship made me feel secure within a loving community. For more information about OU Camp Crimson, visit ou.edu/orientation/freshmen-students/camp-crimson. To donate to the Camp Crimson scholarship fund this OU Giving Day, visit givesooner.org and search Student Affairs Development Fund. Owing to our travel schedule, we missed both of the daytime sessions of General Conference today, and well miss this evenings session. I regret that. I feel bad about missing any part of Conference. Since my mission and apart from the four pre-internet years that we spent living in Egypt I think that all of the conference sessions that Ive missed could be counted on one hand, with several fingers left over unused. As we were taking off from Salt Lake City International Airport this morning, though, it was a glorious day for the opening sessions of General Conference. Clear and sunny, with rugged snowcapped mountains rising into the blue sky above the valley. Spectacularly beautiful for our international and other guests. Ive already been able to read news of todays conference proceedings, about the releases and about the callings of new General Authorities and general officers. Ill shortly look through the Deseret News talk summaries; I was struck to see that Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke so strongly about abortion. Fortunately, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, it wont be very long before Ive caught up on all of the Saturday conference sessions. And, not long beyond that, Ill be able to read all of the talks. Which reminds me of my late friend Ann Madsen (my friend Truman Madsens widow), and of something that I posted in remembrance of her when she passed away back in 2022: Once, many years ago, I was over in the old Joseph Smith Building on the BYU campus for some sort of meeting. When that meeting finished, I was trying to decide whether I should walk back to my office in another building, since I had yet another (unrelated) meeting in the Joseph Smith Building less than an hour thereafter. Suddenly, I ran into Ann in the hallway. She was a bit surprised to see me in her building. She was off to teach a class, and she offered to let me sit in her office while I waited for the next meeting to start. That was good, as I had work with me that I could do while biding my time. I sat down at her desk, in her chair, as she had invited me to do. From that vantage point, I noticed something that nobody else in the office would be able to see: Taped to one of her filing cabinets so that she could easily see and read it, she had a typed-out list of all of the speakers at the most recent installment of the General Conference of the Church. And, next to each name, she had a specific resolution of something that she personally intended to do in response to that speakers remarks. I was both inspired and a little shamed by what I saw. Plainly, she was very serious about General Conference in a way that rather put me in the shadow. Since that time, Ive made sporadic and not very impressive efforts to follow her example. My results have been mixed, but I still remember the standard that she set for me. Happily, I have a copy of the conference talks from last Octobers General Conference with me on this trip. On Friday night, my wife and I took in a Broadway at the Eccles performance of Life of Pi at the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City. I have to admit that I wasnt especially looking forward to the play. Ive never read the book and I scarcely remembered the film except that it involved an Indian guy and a Bengal tiger stranded in a small boat at sea and that I didnt particularly care for the movie. However, I have to say that I really enjoyed the theatrical performance. The staging, for one thing, was extraordinarily clever and effective. Speaking of movies, though, I briefly recounted a little story the other day about going up to the Salt Lake Valley with my friend Lou Midgley many years ago to Holladay, I think, although that may be wrong in order to catch the Sunday evening showing of an anti-Mormon film at an evangelical church. My Malevolent Stalker and his small group of disciples have managed, as they do with almost everything that I say or do, to discern in that account deep evidence of my chronic arrogance, viciousness, and depravity. (Feel free, if you havent already done so already, to read my short account: Youll be stunned at my sheer, unconcealed wickedness. Be sure to keep your smelling salts nearby.) Amusingly, the Stalker finds it revealing that we chose to go to a Protestant church to see the film. That, he says, betrays our sordid and aggressively combative intent. (People who actually know me wont be surprised to hear that I really, really, really dislike and always try to avoid unpleasant in-person confrontations. But of course, in this case, the person in question is the Peterson of Myth rather than the Peterson of History.) Rather than traveling to that evangelical Church, the Stalker suggests, we should have rented the movie on video (although I have no reason to believe that it was or has ever been available at, say, Blockbuster or Hollywood Video) or streamed it on Netflix (which, so far as Im aware, didnt even exist at that time many years ago). The Stalker is determined, though. Ill give him that. Hes been at this, continuously and anonymously, for something like fifteen or twenty years. Incidentally, at the end of the performance of Life of Pi, the lead actor (Taha Mandviwala) made an appeal, as is often done after such events, for donations to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Afterwards, members of the company stood in the lobby and by the exits with red buckets, QR codes, etc., soliciting the generosity of the departing audience. I dont blog here about my hypothetical gifts to charity, and its an article of faith for the good folks at the Peterson Obsession Board that Im a callous, hateful, mercenary homophobic bigot, so I suppose that theres no real point in trying to pretend that we made a contribution. That would be unthinkable. In fact, there can be no doubt whatever that my head almost exploded when we were asked to feel charitable toward . . . such people. (Its impossible that my anonymous critics could be wrong.) Posted while waiting for a delayed flight in the Orlando, Florida, airport Jon Bon Jovi performs at the fifth annual Love Rocks NYC concert to benefit God's Love We Deliver at the Beacon Theatre on Thursday, June 3, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi has a new soup kitchen in Toms River, New Jersey that he set up to feed the homeless. That might sound noble to some, but according to multiple reports Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick is not happy about it. According to Shore News Network, Rodrick is accusing county officials of turning the township into a hub for homeless services. The site said that Rodrick claims the kitchen endangers public safety and burdens local resources. Shore News Network said Rodrick claimed it would make Toms River the ultimate summer tourism destination for homeless across the region, including New York, Philadelphia, and North Jersey. The site said that JBJ Soul Kitchen, operated by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, recently open a pop-up spot inside the Ocean County Library in downtown Toms River. It has a unique method of operation. The site reported that folks who cant pay for their meal, can pay-it-forward and volunteer time in exchange for food. Jon Bon Jovi already operates a JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River, and we appreciate him for it, but why is he now working with county officials to bring homeless from all over the state to our downtown area? Rodrick said per Shore News Network. Why cant he feed them at his main restaurant just a few miles away? Does he not want them there? Or better yet, take them all to his Middletown mansion and drop them off there? The site said Rodrick showed data that showed 58 calls for police service and 51 EMS calls to the area between Jan. 1 and March 1 of this year. I dont recommend families come to the Toms River Library until this is sorted out, its not safe, Rodrick said per the site. We are getting calls from the police, not only here, but at the warming shelter operated by the county, the mall, and throughout town. Shore News Network said that Rodrick has threated legal action to block the proposed expansion of homeless services in the township. The (Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation) and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions, the foundation said in a statement. We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows. Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing. We invite anyone to the BEAT center in Toms River or to the JBJ soul Kitchen Pop Up to see what we are doing to end homeless and hunger in our community. The site said Bon Jovi said he plans to run the pop-up kitchen until May. We are taking care of our own homeless people, Rodrick said. We dont need to be taking care of the entire states homeless population, and we wont. Our residents dont want this here either. Some of these branches might have closed already. (Getty Images) Getty Images Several major banks plan on closing dozens of branches across the United States this year. This includes branches in Pennsylvania. In fact, some might have shut down operations already. According to Newsweek, over 320 bank branches shuttered their doors over the course of 13 weeks. These branches were part of popular banks include TD Bank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, Newsweek adds. In fact, The Mirror U.S. reports how Bank of America and Wells Fargo along with Chase closed about 145 in just five weeks. TD Bank, too, has closed multiple branches and plans on closing more by this summer. WTMJ adds that other banks such as U.S. Bank are among these financial institution casualties. Clients banking preferences and behaviors are changing, including a rapid migration toward digital and mobile banking platforms, and a desire for greater simplicity, read a statement from U.S. bank to the station. As we evolve along with our clients, we are evaluating our physical footprint, and in some instances, consolidating branch locations in select markets. Although we are closing some branches, we continue to open and enhance others, as well as rapidly enhancing our digital capabilities. Below are the major bank branches in Pennsylvania that have been proposed for closure and which might have already closed as listed by Newsweek: Citizens Bank 1201 Knapp Road, North Wales 116 W. Township Line Road, Havertown 176 W. Street Road, Feasterville-Trevose Fulton Bank 122 Eagle Point, Bellefonte 599 West Market St., Hellam 611 Shrewsbury Commons Avenue, Shrewsbury 200 South Poplar St., Berwick 866 North U.S. Route 15, Dillsburg 1732 E. Third St., Williamsport 835 North Fourth St., Sunbury PNC Bank 345 Court St., Corapolis Bon Aire Shopping Center, Route 8, Butler 801 Bishop St., Bellefonte 230 S. Broad St., Philadelphia TD Bank 8600 Germantown Pike, Philadelphia 101 Lancaster Ave., Frazer West Trenton Ave. & Carlisle Ave., Morrisville Wells Fargo 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, Matamoras Centre Square, 1 N. Main St., Red Lion 1700 Market St., Philadelphia Further information regarding bank closures remains pending as of the publishing of this report. No, it's not a scam, actually! (Getty Images) Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries all across the United States recently noticed they received a a little something extra in their bank accounts. These surprise payments totaled thousands of dollars in some cases. And no, it wasnt a scam. NBC 5 Chicago reports how these payments are the result of the Social Security Fairness Act, which was signed into law by former President Joe Biden on Jan. 5. Moneywise adds that, on average this payments amount to about $6,710. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Social Security Fairness Act eliminated two previous rules the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) that reduced benefits for certain retirees. The release explains how these two previous rules specifically reduced or eliminated the benefits of people who received a pension based on work that wasnt covered by Social Security, also known as a non-covered pension as they didnt pay Social Security taxes. While these one-time benefits should have mostly gone out by the end of last month, many people will also start getting higher monthly benefits starting this month. This change will impact teachers, firefighters, and police officers, among other types of employees, the SSA states. Social Securitys aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trumps priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible, said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, via the release. The agencys original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation. The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible. For more information, please click here. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP Karoline Leavitt has been in the news plenty since taking over as the White House Press Secretary under President Donald Trump, but one thing she hasnt often talked about is her marriage. That changed during a recent interview with Megyn Kelly. Turns out, there is a large age gap in her marriage. Leavitt is 27 and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, is 59. I mean its a very atypical love story, but hes incredible, Leavitt told Kelly. Hes the father of my child and hes the best dad I could ever ask for, she added. And he is so supportive, especially during a very chaotic period of life. I say, I walked into your life and its been a circus ever since, but God bless him because hes fully on board. Leavitt said she met Riccio while she was running for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022. A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband, she said. I was speaking. We met and we were acquainted as friends, and then we fell in love. PEOPLE reported that the couple got engaged during the Christmas holiday in 2023, and their son, Nicholas Robert Riccio, was born on July 10, 2024. Riccio was reportedly homeless at one point, but developed a real estate empire and currently has an estimated net worth of $6 million. Aiken, SC (29801) Today A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Myrtle Beach, SC (29577) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low near 75F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low near 75F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. China encourages additional holidays for students to unleash consumption vitality Xinhua) 12:23, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- On a recent spring night, nearly a thousand drones took flight simultaneously at a college in southwest China's Sichuan Province, lighting up the sky with messages like "set aside studies and work" and "savor our nation's beauty" in announcing an upcoming seven-day break. "It was definitely a surprise when I first learned about the additional break. Most of us choose to travel with friends," said a student at Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Civil Aviation. Such spring breaks are now popular among Chinese schools and universities, as it provides more opportunities for students to connect with nature and engage in hands-on learning, while also unleashing great consumption vitality for the country. Traditionally, besides public holidays, students in China have only had breaks in summer and winter. Now, however, many higher education institutions, such as Renmin University of China in Beijing, allow students to enjoy extra breaks. Notably, additional breaks are becoming increasingly common for younger Chinese students as well. In March, Chinese authorities issued an action plan, encouraging regions with suitable conditions to implement spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools based on local realities, with such breaks forming part of efforts to stimulate tourism-related consumption. To date, the plan has received positive responses from over a thousand schools in at least 12 provincial regions. In Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, a total of 310 students from Yuyan Middle School recently enjoyed an additional five-day holiday, going on a journey to explore history and science at sites like the Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Zhuhai Aerospace Land. "While others are stuck in classrooms, we're out enjoying ourselves," a student said excitedly. According to the school, the break was a pilot program for seventh-grade students only, but it may be expanded to include other non-graduating grades next semester. The implementation of this plan has enjoyed broad public support. A 2024 online survey showed that 71.3 percent of respondents backed the idea of spring breaks for primary, secondary and college students. Many parents are particularly supportive of the new policy. The mother of an elementary school student in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, said she plans her work schedule ahead of time each year, arranging leave during her child's spring break for family trips. During last year's spring break, they traveled to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, while this year they will visit the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, experiencing its beauty by boat. Such arrangements are common among primary and secondary school parents in Hangzhou. As a result, the city's major transport hubs experience a surge in travelers around the spring and autumn breaks. On April 28, 2024, the first day of Hangzhou's spring break last year, the city's international airport reported 904 scheduled flights, with an estimated 140,000 passengers -- an over 10 percent increase from the previous week. Among the outbound travelers, families with children were a major group. In China's tourism market, family travel is rapidly emerging as a strong consumption force. According to Trip.com, China's leading online travel platform, family travel accounted for 28 percent of all travelers in 2023, with total travel bookings by this group surging 186 percent year on year. As the first Chinese city to introduce spring and autumn holidays for students, Hangzhou has been refining the system over the past two decades. "Overall, public feedback has been positive, with parents responding favorably," said Tu Xiaodan, an official in charge of basic education at Hangzhou's education bureau. These additional holidays help reduce academic pressure on students while enabling families to travel during off-peak periods. "This improves holiday quality and strengthens parent-child bonds," Tu said, adding that in recent years, many officials from other regions have come to learn about the implementation of spring and autumn breaks in Hangzhou. Cities and schools exploring such seasonal breaks should plan them carefully -- taking economy, climate and other factors into consideration, emphasized Luo Caijun, principal of Hangzhou Maiyuqiao Elementary School. "Adopting different vacation periods is essential in fulfilling the purpose of establishing the additional breaks," he said. This off-peak travel approach effectively addresses the "tidal effect" in holiday economies, unlocks family spending power, and ensures more sustainable tourism market growth throughout the year. Additionally, this institutional reform transcends mere adjustments to vacation schedules, as it represents an evolution in educational philosophy and an optimization of public policy frameworks in China. "Education is not just about classrooms and books. It can happen in museums, libraries and in nature, too. Seasonal breaks are a vital upgrade to China's education model," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. The inclusion of these breaks in the action plan chapter on protecting rest and vacation rights, alongside measures like strictly enforcing paid annual leave and prohibiting illegal extension of working hours, sends a strong signal of emphasizing the protection of leisure rights, he added. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-06 01:16:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 664 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 5, 2025 / Rosen Law Firm PAWHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) between February 3, 2022 and February 3, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 14, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased Merck securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Merck class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34975 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 14, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants provided investors with material information concerning Merck's expected revenue of $11 billion from sales of Gardasil by 2030. Defendants' statements included, among other things, confidence in Merck's purported ability to utilize successful consumer activation and education efforts on the benefits of Gardasil in order to drive demand and capitalize on eligible populations for vaccination, resulting in confidently optimistic reports and forecasts of Gardasil's growth in China. Defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Gardasil's demand in China; notably, that Merck lacked visibility into demand for Gardasil in China among eligible and otherwise targeted populations, resulting in the inflated inventory of its distributor, Zhifei. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Merck class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34975 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.---Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: Rosen Law Firm PA PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-06 17:02:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 640 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 6, 2025 / WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Edison International (NYSE: EIX) between February 25, 2021 and February 6, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 21, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.SO WHAT: If you purchased Edison securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Edison class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=33590or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 21, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.WHY ROSEN LAW:We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Edison's claim that Southern California Edison Company ("SCE") used its Public Safety Power Shutoffs ("PSPS") program to "proactively de-energize power lines to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires during extreme weather events", was false; (2) this resulted in heightened fire risk in California and heightened legal exposure to Edison; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about Edison's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Edison class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=33590call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.---Contact Information:Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-06 17:15:51 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 460 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 TOKYO, Mar 21, 2025 - (ACN Newswire) - TRENDE Inc., a leading renewable energy solutions provider in Japan, has announced the successful completion of a JPY 1.07 billion (approximately USD 7.2 million) funding round through third-party allocation. The investment round welcomes four strategic partners as new shareholders: Tokyo Century Corporation, National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH), Zen-Noh Energy Corporation, and Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation.This capital infusion will accelerate TRENDE's growth initiatives, including the expansion of its flagship solar and battery leasing service Teraris, and further development of its innovative peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading platform.Masashi Nishio, CEO of TRENDE Inc., commented: We are thrilled to welcome these esteemed companies as strategic investors and partners. Their expertise and resources will significantly enhance our ability to deliver innovative renewable energy solutions at scale. Together, we aim to accelerate Japan's transition toward a decentralized, low-carbon future. Strategic Collaboration Highlights:Tokyo Century Corporation: TRENDE will collaborate closely with Tokyo Century in finance and asset management to scale its renewable energy leasing services, enabling more residential customers to adopt solar power and battery storage systems with zero upfront costs.ZEN-NOH & Zen-Noh Energy Corporation: As part of ZEN-NOH's Smart Agri Community Project, TRENDE is partnering with Zen-Noh Energy through its retail electricity brand JA Denki to pilot P2P electricity trading in Gunma Prefecture. Leveraging blockchain technology, this initiative promotes local production and consumption of renewable energy within agricultural communities. Plans are underway to expand this model nationwide, providing sustainable energy solutions specifically tailored for farmers and rural communities.Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation: TRENDE has collaborated with Toshiba on the Digital Implementation Acceleration Project in Ehime Prefecture, integrating Toshiba's advanced Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology with TRENDE's P2P electricity trading platform. This partnership aims to demonstrate effective local renewable energy utilization strategies, contributing towards regional decarbonization goals. Moving forward, both companies will jointly promote this innovative model across municipalities throughout Japan.About TRENDE Inc.TRENDE Inc. provides customer-centric renewable energy solutions in Japan through its solar and battery leasing service Teraris ( https://teraris.jp/) and innovative peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading platform. With a mission to accelerate renewable energy adoption and redefine Japan's energy ecosystem, TRENDE is backed by prominent investors including Itochu Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). For more information, visit https://trende.jp/ Investor InformationCompany Name, Headquarters, Representative, Established, WebsiteTokyo Century Corporation, Tokyo, Koichi Baba, July 1, 1969, www.tokyocentury.co.jp National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH)Tokyo, Yoshifumi Kuwata, March 30, 1972, https://www.zennoh.or.jp Zen-Noh Energy Corporation, Tokyo, Masayuki Wada, Dec 7, 1979, https://zennoh-energy.co.jp/ Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation, Kawasaki, Taro ShimadaJuly 1, 2017, https://www.global.toshiba/jp/company/infrastructure.html Media Contact:TRENDE Inc.Public RelationsEmail: pr@ trende.jp PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-06 04:47:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 463 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 5, 2025 / If you suffered a loss on your Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) investment and want to learn about a potential recovery under the federal securities laws, follow the link below for more information:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or call (212) 363-7500 to speak to our team of experienced shareholder advocates.THE LAWSUIT: This lawsuit is on behalf of all shareholders that purchased stock pursuant and/or traceable to Ventures registration statement for the initial public offering held on or about January 24, 2025.CASE DETAILS: According to the complaint, Venture completed its initial public offering on January 27, 2025, selling 70 million shares at $24.00 per share. On February 5, 2025, TotalEnergies, an energy company that was a target customer of Venture, rejected opportunities to become a long-term customer of Venture, citing lack of trust. In particular, TotalEnergies CEO, stated that he was approached by Venture to see if the company would be interested in a long-term supply contract for liquefied natural gas from the Calcasieu Pass terminal in Louisiana, but he rejected the offer because of what they are doing. Venture is currently facing legal challenges from existing large clients, such as BP and Shell, due to delays in supply contracts as Venture commissions its projects. Given the fact that defendants ability to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the world and to continue development of Ventures five natural gas liquefication and export projects depends on customer contracts, defendants failure to account for and address these issues caused statements in Ventures registration statement to be false and/or materially misleading at the time of the initial public offering.WHAT'S NEXT? If you suffered a loss in Venture stock during the relevant time frame even if you still hold your shares - go to https://zlk.com/pslra-1/venture-global-inc-lawsuit-submission-form?prid=141197&wire=1 to learn about your rights to seek a recovery. There is no cost or obligation to participate.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Joseph E. Levi, Esq. Ed Korsinsky, Esq. 33 Whitehall Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.comTel: (212) 363-7500 Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Former president Olusegun Obasanjo was among the many prominent personalities who graced the 2025 Lisabi Festival. The Egba people hold the Lisabi festival to celebrate Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, a fearless liberator who led the Egba people in their rebellion against the oppressive rule of the Oyo Empire in the 18th century. His legacy continues to unite Egba sons and daughters worldwide. This years celebration, themed Egbaliganza 2025, was a bold cultural statement rich with style, sophistication, and economic ambition. It was a merger of cultural pride with modern flair. The grand finale, dazzled with glamorous fashion displays featuring traditional Ofi, Adire, and Afrocentric attires, saw the Egba people come out in style and ease, showcasing their fashion depth and consciousness. The former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, was not lagging but leading the pack, dressed in flowing lemon and orange adire, a lemon green fila designed to drop beyond the shoulder, and a brown fur-like shawl as a cape. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Governor Dapo Abiodun, former Governors Olusegun Osoba, Ibikunle Amosun, and Minister of Communications and Innovation Bosun Tijani were among the top Abeokuta indigenes who graced the Lisabi Festival on Saturday. Traditional attire and high fashion, adorned by sons and daughters of Egbaland, were on display. Egbaliganza is designed to stimulate the Egba fashion and textile market, currently estimated at $1 billion, Lai Labode, Osi Apagun of Egbaland and visioner of Egbaliganza said in a statement. According to him, Egbaliganza is not just a showcase of Egba fashion; it is a movement to reignite the creative economy of the Egba people and present it to the world. READ ALSO: Kwara hosts 10 states for Afon Annual Fishing Festival It is a strategic initiative to revive and globalise the adire and indigenous fabric industry through structured training, enterprise support, and international collaboration. Undoubtedly, the Egba people are very intentional about the above statement, as pictures and videos from the festival are rich in culture and style, presenting a vast representation of the peoples adire and fashion style and statement. More Pictures: Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The fitness culture, which has rapidly gained popularity in Nigeria, is now raising concerns. While fitness centres have traditionally been spaces for enthusiasts to improve their physical health and well-being, there is a growing worry that they are turning into hotspots for romantic encounters. In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, some gym-goers said that the fitness culture had evolved into something more complex than just a space for physical exercise. Folarin Adekoya, a gym-goer in the Ikeja area of the state, said that some enthusiasts seem more focused on socialising and taking photographs for social media than engaging in actual workouts. Some women are seen wearing revealing and provocative gym outfits, which leads to question the motivations behind their choice of clothing. But its not just the clothing thats causing a stir. Some gym-goers use these spaces to hook up with romantic partners. Ive seen women wearing gym outfits that are quite revealing; it can be distracting, especially when trying to focus on your workout, Mr Adekoya said. Also, Jason Onwuka, a regular gym-goer in the Festac area of the state, shared his perspectives on the evolving balance between staying fit, distractions, and the growing influence of social media. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I prefer going to the gym to work out because Im more motivated there, but I have seen people meeting up there, and its clear theyre not there to work out. Theyll spend hours talking and laughing together, and its just not what the gym is meant for. As society becomes increasingly individualised, people seek new ways to connect with others. The gym has become a space where people can meet new friends, find romantic partners, and feel a sense of community, he said. Mr Onwuka noted that while the gym had become increasingly popular, with more social interactions, it was up to individuals to focus on their goals. Whatever it is you do, there will always be distractions. If you go to the gym with a clear goal to train and focus on your workout, its up to you whether you allow distractions to affect you. He also observed that the professional women who came to the gym were more focused on their workouts and did not dress provocatively. They wear comfortable leggings or tights that are easy to work out in, he said. Teddy As remarks Recently, a former Big Brother Naija star, Teddy A, weighed in on the issue of indecent dressing at the gym. In a video posted on his social media page, Teddy A expressed displeasure over the trend, stressing the importance of covering sensitive body parts during workouts. Im not trying to be insensitive, but we dont want them to start banning girls from the gym because of indecent dressing, he said. Teddy As comments sparked a heated debate on social media. Some argued that gyms should enforce stricter dress codes, while others saw it as an overreaction. A manager at a popular fitness centre in the Ajah area of the state pleaded anonymity and told NAN that they have had to implement rules about appropriate clothing and behaviour in the gym. We want to create a welcoming and respectful environment for all our members. However, despite the managements efforts, the trend shows no signs of slowing down. People are using the gym to meet new people and have fun, and as long as theyre not disrupting someone elses workout, I dont see the harm, he said. NAN Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese nationals and halting the entry of new arrivals from the African country. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced on Saturday that the move is in response to South Sudans refusal to take back its citizens expelled from the US. Since President Trumps return to the White House, the US government has embarked on controversial immigration, including the deportation of individuals considered to be in the country unlawfully. Many countries and rights groups have faulted the deportation moves, including of persons who have no criminal record or are publicly critical of US policies. The US had also warned that nations refusing to promptly accept their deported citizens could face penalties, such as visa restrictions or trade tariffs. This policy was nearly enforced on Mexico when its government initially refused to allow a US flight deporting migrants to land. Mr Rubio, in a post on X, disclosed that South Sudan is also refusing to take back citizens who have been identified as illegal migrants in the US. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It is time for South Sudans transitional government to stop taking advantage of the United States, Mr Rubio said. South Sudan has failed to respect the principle that every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the US, seeks to remove them, Mr Rubio said in a statement. Effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders. We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation, he added. While the number of South Sudanese set to be deported is unknown, it is likely to include nationals who had been granted temporary protected status (TPS) by the Biden administration. The designation will expire on 3 May. READ ALSO: Nigerian listeners react to Trumps VOA Hausa closure TPS is a programme that allows people from war-torn countries like South Sudan or those experiencing environmental disasters or other extraordinary conditions to stay in the US temporarily. About 133 South Sudanese live in the US with TPS, with an additional 140 eligible to apply, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Bolanle Austen-Peters is the founder and CEO of Terra Kulture, an iconic arts and cultural centre in Lagos. In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Austen-Peters shares her remarkable journey from law to the creative arts, highlighting the power of female leadership, the importance of action, and her vision for inspiring the next generation. PT: Can you tell us about your professional journey and how you became a CEO? Mrs Austen-Peters: My professional journey has been one of self-discovery. I started as a lawyer, working in various organisations, including the United Nations. Like many, I didnt begin with a clear vision of what I wanted to do. Often, we are guided by our parents, career counsellors, or the structure of our education. Only a tiny minority know precisely what their path is from the start. After spending years in the legal field, I found myself restless. While my work was meaningful, I realised that fulfilment for me wasnt just about financial successit was about joy and passion. I wanted to wake up every day excited about what I was creating, not just earning a paycheck. That desire led me to build a world where I could thrivea space filled with music, literature, and the arts. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This vision became Terra Kulture, a place where different forms of artistic expression could come together, where people could engage in meaningful conversations, and where Nigerian culture could be celebrated and preserved. PT: In your opinion, how do women leaders inspire and empower others around them, especially other women? Mrs Austen-Peters: Women leaders inspire and empower others by leading with action, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose. For me, leadership is not just about personal successits about creating opportunities for others, especially women, to rise. When women see other women breaking barriers, it reinforces the idea that they, too, can achieve greatness. Through Terra Kulture, BAP Productions, and Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), I have always prioritised mentorship, training, and creating spaces where women can thrive. In an industry that is largely male-dominated, I have made it a point to ensure that women are not just present but actively shaping the narrativewhether in film, theatre, or business. I believe in showing, not just telling. By consistently pushing boundaries and excelling in my work, I hope to inspire women to be bold, take risks, and claim their space in any field they choose. Empowerment also comes from sharing knowledge and creating opportunities. Thats why TAFTA is so importantit provides thousands of young Nigerians, many of them women, with the skills they need to build sustainable careers in the creative industry. When women are given the tools to succeed, they not only uplift themselves but also their communities. PT: What do you think is unique about women in leadership roles compared to men? Mrs Austen-Peters: Women bring something unique to leadershipour ability to lead with both strength and empathy. Ive found that women tend to approach leadership in a more inclusive and collaborative way. We listen, nurture talent, and create spaces where people feel valued. That doesnt mean we arent firm or strategic, but we often lead with a strong sense of emotional intelligence, which can make a huge difference in how teams function and businesses grow. I think women, in particular, understand the importance of building sustainable systems, whether in business, the arts, or even in our homes. We are natural problem solvers, and we bring that mindset into the boardroom, film, theatre into everything we do. PT: What challenges did you face as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome them? Mrs Austen-Peters: Nigeria, like many parts of the world, is still largely male-dominated when it comes to leadership and decision-making. People often assume that as a woman, you dont have the grit, the business acumen, or the resilience to build something sustainable. When I started Terra Kulture, many doubted whether running a profitable cultural and arts centre in Nigeria, was possible. The idea of making theatre commercially viable seemed unrealistic to some, but I refused to let those doubts define me. I stayed focused on my vision, worked tirelessly, and ensured that my work spoke for itself. When I decided to step into filmmaking, many questioned whether I had the experience or the ability to succeed in such a tough industry. But I was determined to tell our stories on a grand scale, and I knew that if I wanted to see change, I had to create it myself. I must say, though, in Nigerian filmmaking, women are making strides. Many production houses are female-owned, and the top five directors are women! I overcame these challenges by being relentless. I refused to be intimidated, and I learned that as a woman, you have to demand your place at the table. You have to be firm, assertive, and willing to push back when necessary. I also surrounded myself with a strong network of like-minded individualsboth men and womenwho believed in my vision. Most importantly, I didnt allow gender to define my capabilities. I focused on excellence, discipline, and results. And in the end, success is the best response to doubt. Today, I can proudly say that Terra Kulture and BAP Productions have paved the way for many others, proving that women can lead in film, theatre, and the creative industry at large. PT: Can you share one of the most rewarding moments in your career that solidified your passion for leadership? Mrs Austen-Peters: One of the most rewarding moments in my career that solidified my passion for leadership was bringing Fela and the Kalakuta Queens to life. It wasnt just a production; it became a movement. Seeing the overwhelming responsethe sold-out shows, the standing ovations, and the energy of the audiencewas extraordinary. Taking Fela beyond Nigeria, performing in South Africa and Dubai, and witnessing how the story resonated across different cultures reinforced my belief in the power of African storytelling. It was also from how well we did Fela that the Kuti family trusted me to take on the monumental task of telling the story of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. That level of trust, knowing they believed in my ability to do justice to such an iconic legacy, was a defining moment. It proved that with vision, resilience, and good leadership, anything is possible. PT: What advice would you give to young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders in their fields? Mrs Austen-Peters: My advice to young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders is simplebe fearless, be disciplined, and be relentless in your pursuit of success. The road will not always be smooth, but challenges are part of the journey. You have to believe in yourself even when others dont, and you must be willing to work harder than everyone else in the room. Discipline is key. Many people have talent, but what separates true leaders is consistency and perseverance. Time management, self-accountability, and a strong work ethic will set you apart. There will be distractions, societal pressures, and moments of doubt, but if you stay focused on your vision, you will find your path. Most importantly, dont wait for permission to take up space. As women, we are sometimes expected to shrink ourselves, to be less vocal, to play it safe. But leadership requires boldness. Speak up, take risks, and believe in yourself. PT: How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with other aspects of your personal life? Mrs Austen-Peters: Balancing the demands of being a CEO with my personal life is all about mindset and discipline. I believe time is our most valuable resource, and how we choose to use it makes all the difference. There are so many hours in a day, and I could spend them doing nothing, or I could spend them building something meaningful. For me, its always been about making every moment count. I hold myself accountable because I know that success doesnt come from wishful thinkingit comes from action. I structure my day carefully, prioritising what truly matters. I also make time for my friend. People sometimes sleep too much or waste hours on distractions, but I try to stay intentional. That said, I also recognise the importance of balance. While its crucial to stay focused and driven, you dont want to burn out. You have to take time to reset, to relax, and to breathe. Ive learned that stepping back for a moment can actually make you more productive in the long run. Whether its enjoying music, reading, or simply being with loved ones, those moments of rest are just as important as the moments of work. PT: This years theme for International Womens Day is Accelerate Action. What does this theme mean to you and how does it reflect your leadership approach? Mrs Austen-Peters: Accelerate Action is a theme that deeply resonates with me because I have always believed that talk is cheapwhat truly matters is execution. In every aspect of my career, whether in law, theatre, film, or education, I have been driven by the need to do. Ideas are great, but without action, they remain just thoseideas. For me, it is about taking bold steps, pushing boundaries, and making things happen, even when the odds are stacked against you. Take TAFTA for example, it was born out of a desire to accelerate opportunities for young creatives by equipping them with real, tangible skills. It wasnt enough to say, We need more young people in the creative industrywe had to take action to make it possible. As women, we dont have the luxury of waiting for the perfect moment or for permission. If we want change, we must be the ones to drive it. Accelerate Action is a call to stop overthinking and start doing. It means not being afraid to take risks, make mistakes, and to keep pushing forward. This interview was conducted in partnership with Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), a Nigerian non-profit organisation committed to advancing and empowering women in leadership. Mrs Austen-Peters is also a member of WIMBIZ. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print An officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and 17 others were confirmed dead in an accident at Gbaga on the IkoroduSagamu Road, on Saturday. Florence Okpe, FRSC spokesperson in Ogun, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Abeokuta. She said the accident occurred around 4:00 p.m. and involved seven vehicles. The vehicles included a Toyota Hiace bus (AGL 752 YC), a Daf truck (T14007L), and a Honda car (HT680). Also involved were an unregistered Daf truck, a pickup (STF10204), and two motorcycles (AGG 448 Q, PKA 214 WS). Mrs Okpe said the crash resulted from a wrongful overtaking attempt by the bus driver, who collided with the Daf truck. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later During the rescue operation, the unregistered Daf truck suffered brake failure and rammed into an FRSC official, killing him instantly. The truck also hit a parked pickup, the Honda car, and both motorcycles, causing further damage. Mrs Okpe stated that 22 people were involved in the crash; 18 died and four others were injured. The injured were taken to Dasochris Hospital, Gbaga. The dead were deposited at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun. Sector Commander Akinwunmi Fasakin expressed sorrow over the recklessness leading to Saturdays crashes. He urged motorists to obey road signs and maintain speed limits to prevent such avoidable tragedies. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Thousands of people marched against US President Donald Trump and his policies, on Saturday, in major cities in the US. PREMIUM TIMES reports that protests were also held against the American president outside the US, in cities such as London, Paris and Berlin. pro-democracy groups to demand a halt to Mr Trumps agenda including cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The Hands Off protests in the US were held across the countrys 50 states and were organised byto demand a halt to Mr Trumps agenda including cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Some protesters in Boston told the BBC that they were motivated by immigration raids on US university students that have led to arrests and deportation proceedings. Law student Katie Smith told BBC News that she was motivated by Turkish international student Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest near Boston-area Tufts University by masked US agents was caught on camera last month, the BBC reported. Protest organisers said they have three demands, CNN reported. They want an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities. In London, protesters chanted, Hands off Canada, Hands off Greenland and Hands off Ukraine, in response to Mr Trumps proposals to annex Canada and Greenland and essentially get Ukraine to surrender to Russia. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In Washington DC, Democratic lawmakers addressed protesters, telling the crowd that the Trump administration had been taken over by billionaires. Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost denounced the billionaire takeover of our government, the BBC reported. When you steal from the people, expect the people to rise up. At the ballot box and in the streets, Mr Frost said. The protests were the first such mass protest against the US president since he assumed office in January for his second term. PREMIUM TIMES reports that many of his policies have disrupted not just the US but also the global order. The American leader has withdrawn from or cut funding for global institutions like WHO, UNICEF, and the Paris Climate Accord. He has also decimated USAID and ended many of the US aid agencys programmes in developing countries like Nigeria. Protest organisers described Saturdays protest as a success attended by millions of people in several countries. What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures, and our democracy are under attack, said Rahna Epting, Executive Director, MoveOn. This peaceful movement is powered by everyday peoplenurses, teachers, students, parentswho are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Listeners of the popular Voice Of America (VOA) Hausa radio service in Northern Nigeria and other neighbouring countries have turned to other stations for their news updates after the radio station stopped transmitting. The station was affected by a recent executive order by US President Donald Trump. Mr Trump announced an executive order on 15 March, to effectively dismantle the US Agency for Global Media, which supervises VOA. Following the order, the head of VOA said all of its 1,300 journalists and staff had been put on administrative leave. The VOA, through its various language stations worldwide, provides news and commentary to hundreds of millions of people. In Nigeria, the VOA Hausa service is one of the popular international radio stations in northern Nigeria, alongside the BBC Hausa Service. However, many listeners who had grown accustomed to VOA Hausas daily news programmes have turned to other local and international stations. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The station operated from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily until recently when it stopped transmitting. Hussaini Lawal, a frequent listener, told PREMIUM TIMES that On that faithful day, I think, three weeks ago, I tuned in to the VOA at 6 a.m., and there was nothing happening. It had never happened before, so I waited for other stations. Later in the day, I heard about the Trump order stopping funding for the organisation. Mr Lawal said he has since moved on to other stations. Zainab Mohammed, a retired school teacher in Kaduna, also commented on the American presidents decision to cut off funding for the VOA and its possible impact. Although it is his country, this is a call for us to build our own radio landscape. We shouldnt be worried about other countries services. I will miss it, but it is okay. We have our own that are good now, we will listen to them. My only worry is the staff of the station. Where would they go? Musa Ayuba, a 72-year-old resident of Funtua, Katsina State, said he has been a devoted listener of VOA for over 35 years. Now I dont hear from them again. I have always enjoyed their stories. And you know they can get our elites to speak to them even if our local stations cant get them. Mr Ayuba said he believes Nigeria now has local radio stations that can compete with the VOA. We are not going to really miss them now, he said. Tukur Zubar, a regular VOA Hausa listener in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, expressed disappointment over VOAs sudden shutdown but believes local media can fill the void. We have good news outlets like Premium Times Hausa, Freedom Radio, Vision Radio and many other local stations that are giving us good and reliable Hausa news, he said. For the staff that will be going, it is bad. But for our own local station and growth, it is that time we should triumph, he said. VOAs Digital print Apart from its radio station, the VOA Hausa also reaches a large audience, particularly younger people, via its website. A check by PREMIUM TIMES on the VOA Hausa website, which had regular updates, revealed that updates stopped on 15 March. Other digital posts, including short news trailers, news highlights and online radio podcasts, were last updated on 3 March. VOA Hausa journalists speak Journalists at the VOA Hausa expressed their disappointment with the situation to Daily Trust. One journalist, Jubrin, said, There are places we used to go where they would address us as CIA agents during Nigerias military era. So now who will have the last laugh? he asked, unsure how he would be able to provide for his family. Another affected journalist, Alhassan Bala, said the VOA will be remembered for its solutions-based journalism, such as the story of a young inventor in Kaduna who used drones to monitor crop diseases. Background Established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA expanded during the Cold War between Russia and the Soviet Union. Established and funded by the US government, many considered it a propaganda tool. Others, however, commended the station for its journalism and diversity. VOA Hausa The VOA Hausa Service was established on 21 January 1979. Hausa is primarily a West African language spoken by close to 60 million Africans in the region. VOA Hausas research estimates a weekly audience of 16.9 million for its programmes. In addition to its news reports and interviews, the Hausa service had a weekly 20-radio feature for its audience. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A soldier has been arrested by the police for alleged armed robbery and attempted murder after severing a limb of a Minna-based businessman, Abdulrahman Salihu. Sadiq Sani, a Nigerian Army private, reportedly attacked Mr Salihu on Eid-el-Fitr day at the businessmans clothing shop. Eyewitnesses said the soldier approached the shop to purchase a set of shirts and requested the shop owners bank account details to transfer the money. When the trader reportedly refused to release the items until the payment was confirmed, the suspect allegedly brought out a knife and stabbed Mr Salihu multiple times, severing one of his arms before fleeing the scene. Efforts by neighbours to apprehend the suspect immediately after the attack were unsuccessful. However, police operatives from the Central Divisional Command in Minna tracked him to his residence in the Limawa area of the city. A police source who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists said the soldier resisted arrest and engaged officers in a physical struggle before being subdued. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Preliminary investigations revealed that Mr Sani is a known figure in the local criminal networks in Minna, with past allegations linking him to violent robberies and phone snatching. A security source told PREMIUM TIMES that the soldier had previously been implicated in incidents that led to multiple fatalities. The army has since taken over the investigation, with US Ibrahim, a captain with the Military Police 313 Artillery Brigade, Minna, leading the probe. Mr Ibrahim said the suspect would be transferred to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary procedures. We are taking him to the Defence Headquarters to formally arraign him for a court martial. After dismissal, he will be handed over to the police for prosecution in a civil court, Mr Ibrahim said. The victim, Mr Salihu, is currently receiving treatment at a specialist hospital in Minna. His condition was described as critical but stable. When contacted, the Niger State Police Command promised to issue an official statement after the military concludes its internal disciplinary process. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has denied allegations that he has approved the Eastern Security Networks (ESN) involvement in the fight against herders invading farmlands in the state. ESN is the armed militant wing of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). In a statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Okeoma, Mr Otti described the allegation as false, malicious and misleading. For the record, the government of Abia State, under the leadership of Dr Alex Otti, could not have contemplated embracing the services of non-state actors to fight criminals and insecurity of any kind in any part of the state. The state governments confidence in our various security agencies led to the establishment of the states joint security taskforce codenamed Operation Crush, the statement reads in part. The joint taskforce has recorded tremendous success in the entire state and has kept the state safe and secure, in spite of skeletal cases of armed robbery and kidnapping, which the government is working assiduously to completely eliminate. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Otti said those behind the allegation were only playing dirty politics by inciting fear and violence against the state. He vowed that those pushing the speculation would face severe consequences whenever they were caught. The government hereby enjoins Abia residents to ignore the false statement and see it as another move by desperate enemies of the state to present it in a bad light for their selfish agenda, the statement added. IPOB, a group seeking the secession of the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions. But the separatist group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ecobank Nigeria Limited, the local subsidiary of Lome-based Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, has initiated a legal action against Barbican Capital Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Flour Mills. The lender in a court paper dated 3 April 2025 sought an order of interim injunction from the Federal High Court Lagos, restraining Barbican and seven others from taking any steps to amortize, dematerialize, compromise, sell, transfer or deal with the 6,314,116,229 collective aggregate shares of Barbican in FBN Holdings (now First HoldCo) pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice. Honeywell Flour Mills, Siloam Global Services Limited, Otudeko Obafemi Adedamola (managing director of Honeywell Group Limited), Oyeleye Foluke, FBN Holdings Plc, Corporate Affairs Commission and the Nigerian Exchange are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th defendants respectively in the suit. Ecobank Nigeria also sought an order preventing the defendants from attempting to turn into cash or any negotiable instrument Honeywells dematerialised shares, pledged to the plaintiff in relation to the credit facility granted to the company to purchase the disputed shares. Dispute Ecobank Nigeria granted Honeywell Flour Mills and Siloam Global Services a number of credit facilities including a loan of N2.5 billion and another in the sum of N2.3 billion on 20 April 2010 and 14 December 2011 respectively, according to court papers seen by PREMIUM TIMES. Following the alleged failure of the two loan beneficiaries to complete the repayment of the loan as and when due, the duo together with their sister company Anchorage Leisures Limited approached Federal High Court Lagos to file a lawsuit contending that they were no longer indebted to Ecobank Nigeria. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Honeywell Flour Mills and Siloam Global Services claimed they had paid N3.5 billion out of a concession sum of N5.5 billion. After eight years of legal warfare between the parties, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2023 dismissed the appeal by the companies in which they had claimed they were no longer indebted to Ecobank Nigeria. The debtor must pay all the debts that have accrued under the loan contract, the Supreme Court ruled. Going by the affidavit sworn in support of a motion on notice by Jafaru Kupa, a finance officer at Ecobank Nigeria, the debt of the appellants (Honeywell Flour Mills, Siloam Global Services and Anchorage Leisures) to the bank had soared past N16 billion as of 23 January 2023. Ecobank Nigeria then requested immediate settlement of the debt in accordance with the ruling of the court. In response, the three companies launched another lawsuit against Ecobank Nigeria at the Lagos court, claiming that the Supreme Court judgment did not mention the specific amount due to the bank. Prior to the commencement of the above-referenced judgment of the Supreme Court and suits in 2023, the 2nd defendant rather than await the decision of the Supreme Court divested a 71.69% stake (a majority stake) in its domain to one Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC on 29th April 2022 in a bid to overreach and frustrate all efforts of the plaintiff to recover its mammoth indebtedness, the affidavit noted. In a further bid and a further brazen gait to annihilate the plaintiffs legal rights, the alter egos of the 2nd and 3rd defendant some of whom are represented by the 4th and 5th defendants sometime on 9th March 2023 (after the judgment of the Supreme Court) incorporated the first defendant herein with the 7th defendant, it added. The court document further noted that Ecobank Nigeria was not aware of the purpose of incorporating Barbican until it became news that Barbican was a special purpose vehicle incorporated by its prime movers for the sole purpose of procuring a majority stake in FBN Holdings. It also asserted that Barbicans share acquisition in FBN Holdings was done by using the proceeds of the disposal of the 71.69 per cent stake in Honeywell Flour and the shares pledged by Siloam Global Services to Ecobank Nigeria as security for the credit facilities. I know of a fact that it is not in doubt that the debtor companies including the 2nd and 3rd defendants are indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of N20,890,183,433.00 (Twenty billion, eight hundred and ninety million, one hundred and eighty three thousand, four hundred and thirty three naira only), being their undisputed outstanding indebtedness to the plaintiff as at 20th March, 2025), Mr Gupa said in the affidavit. Ecobank Nigerias prayers Ecobank Nigeria is seeking a declaration from the Lagos court that by virtue of the Supreme Court judgment, the funds used by Barbican, Honeywell Flour Mills, Ms Oyeleye and Mr Otudeko in purchasing the FBN Holdings shares sequel to the said judgment are the property of the plaintiff. It is also seeking an order of the court directing FBN Holdings and the Nigerian Exchange to rectify FBN Holdings register of shareholders to reflect Ecobank Nigeria as the substantive shareholders of the shares purchased in FBN Holdings by Barbican. Ecobank Nigeria has asked the court to direct Honeywell Flour Mills to transfer to the lender the accumulated monetary value of the 618 million shares held by Siloam Global Services in Honeywell Flour Mills, which it pledged to Ecobank Nigeria as collateral for the facilities granted to the company. Ecobank Nigeria is also requesting a perpetual order mandating FBN Holdings to recognise the former as the sole beneficiary of all the shares held directly or indirectly on behalf of Barbican and accordingly transfer the funds realised from the sale to Ecobank Nigeria in the cumulative sum of N20.9 billion. The amount represents the outstanding indebtedness owed to Ecobank Nigeria in tandem with the judgment of the Supreme Court as at the 25th day of March 2025 and the interest thereon till the date of the final judgment in the suit. Justice D.I Dipeolu, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter to 15 April for hearing the motion on notice. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, has denied claims that he pleaded with ex-Adamawa Senator, Elisha Abbo, on behalf of a judge over the court ruling that nullified Mr Abbos election. Mr Nnamani, who led the senate from 2005 to 2007, described the claim as a blatant lie, adding that he is already considering legal action over the statement. The former senate president denied the claim in a statement on Saturday. Mr Nnamanis comment was in reaction to Mr Abbos allegation during an interview with Arise Television last Wednesday. The former Adamawa North senator said Mr Nnamani visited him after the appellate court judgment and pleaded on behalf of a judge, suggesting there had been a miscarriage of justice in the ruling that led to his removal from the Senate. He did not name the judge. He also accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of orchestrating his removal from the Senate as political retaliation for his refusal to support his senate presidency bid in 2023. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Akpabio has since denied the allegation, describing it as a desperate attempt to spread misinformation and shift blame for his removal. Mr Abbo was removed from the Senate by the Court of Appeal in October 2023 after a three-member panel led by C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, a judge, found that the 25 February, 2023 senatorial election in Adamawa Central Senatorial District was marred by non-compliance with the Electoral Act. After deducting the invalid votes, the court ruled that Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the election with a majority of lawful votes. The court, therefore, set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Mr Abbo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the certificate to Mr Yohanna. Similar judicial interventions led to the removal of other senators, including former Minority Leader Simon Mwadkwon (PDP), who was replaced by Pam Dachungyang (ADP), and former Kogi Central Senator Abubakar Ohere (APC), who was replaced by Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan (PDP). Fabricating events that never happened Reacting to Mr Abbos allegations, Mr Nnamani who represented Enugu East Senatorial District from 2003 to 2007, insisted that he has no links to the case and accused Mr Abbo of fabricating events to support his narrative. In the Arise News interview, Senator Abbo stated that his case was judicially mismanaged, and he was a victim of miscarriage of justice. My greatest surprise was to hear him state that Senator Ken Nnamani visited him to plead with him on behalf of a judge for the miscarriage of justice. This statement is a blatant lie. I do not know how Senator Abbo can boldly fabricate an event that never happened to buttress his allegation of judicial miscarriage against him, he said. The former senate president specifically stated that he has never visited Mr Abbo in his residence, nor does he know where the former senator lives. For the avoidance of doubt, I have never visited Senator Elisha Abbo at his house or anywhere. Up to this moment, I do not know where he lives. I have never discussed with him about his case, or any case pending or decided by any court of law in Nigeria. The only time I met with him was when he visited me in my house. It was more of a social visit by him. At this meeting we never discussed his case or any case. I recall that when the matter of his political career came up, I advised him to avoid controversies as a young politician. I know that this is a season of political drama. But I do not expect that someone of the rank of a former Senator could create such a falsehood to embellish a story, unmindful of the harm he causes to other people. While I contemplate private legal action for Senator Abbos libelous statements, I want the public to completely disregard his falsehood. Determined to defend integrity Mr Nnamani emphasised his commitment to integrity and excellence throughout his public service career. He expressed disappointment that a former senator would fabricate such claims to bolster a narrative. I never visited Senator Abbo in his house or anywhere. I never discussed with him any matter pending before a court or decided by a court in Nigeria. I never pleaded with him on behalf of any Judge or Justice for any miscarriage of justice. The statements Senator Abbo made regarding me and his case are all fabrications. I believe I have had a sterling and distinguished public service career. I am determined to maintain my integrity and commitment to excellence till the end of my life. It is too late to be entangled with such frivolities and manipulations in Senator Abbos false narratives. Please totally disregard Senator Abbos falsehoods. They are pathetic lies, Mr Nnamani said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army has announced that it is collaborating with the police to probe an explosion at a community in Mushin, Lagos. PREMIUM TIMES reported the double explosions on Thursday are believed to have been caused by grenades. One person died in the explosions and many others were injured. On Saturday, the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army said it is collaborating with the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team to investigate the explosion. The Divisions spokesperson, Olabisi Ayeni, confirmed that the explosion happened at a metal scrap yard in Mushin. He said it resulted in one fatality and injuries to two individuals. He said the Divisions Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) Squadron has been tasked to work with the police to uncover the explosions source. The team will also assess the surrounding area to guarantee ongoing safety and prevent further incidents in the vicinity. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Residents have been urged to stay calm and not panic, as authorities work to secure the environment. Mr Ayeni, a lieutenant colonel, expressed the Divisions condolences to the deceaseds family and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The explosion PREMIUM TIMES reported that the explosions occurred at about five hours interval. A witness, Jegede Taiwo, said the first explosion occurred around noon, killing a scavenger who was trying to break a metal that looked like a rocket. One person also sustained an injury at the time. They must have brought the rocket from somewhere, he said, explaining that the blast severed the head of the deceased. The second blast occurred around 5:00 p.m., Shehu Idris, a resident, said, adding that the incident razed a house close to the scavenging site. Mr Idris said more people were injured during the second blast. He estimated the number of injured victims at eight. He added that the injured victims have been taken to a hospital in the area. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print ELKO From Wells, from Carlin, and even as far as Ely, about 100 people cheered, waved signs and demonstrated their support for the national Hands Off movement. Protesting outside the Social Security office on Silver Street on Saturday, they demanded the federal government stay away from their benefits. Ranging from toddlers to a 91-year-old woman, participants held signs along the road, with the group receiving numerous honks and thumbs up in support from passing motorists, and just one shout of eff you from a pickup driver. The Elko protest was one of over 1,200 staged across the country involving millions of people across all 50 states. Dubbed Hands Off, thousands of people turned out in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Chicago, as well as small towns such as Elko. There were even Hands Off protests in major cities in Europe. Kim Marshall of Elko, carrying a sign that said No Kings, said she was protesting because This is America and we want our democracy to function and we dont want it to be ruled by billionaires and oligarchs. Each time a car or truck drove by the crowd and honked their horns, those on the protest line cheered and waved their placards. When an ambulance drove by, its lights flashed and the driver bleeped the siren, drawing raves and waves from the crowd. It was clear these protesters were not the only Elko County residents who wanted to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs. Lumi Moore, 22, of Spring Creek, said she was out protesting for family and for herself, as well. We have family members on Social Security, so Im partly doing it for them, she said. But theres also a lot that Trump and Musk are doing against myself and my community, especially the LGBTQ community. Thats why I have a Pride flag on my sign here. She said she hoped the protest would get peoples attention. I hope it gets awareness that there are people in this community who arent in support of what the current administration is doing, Moore said. I think a lot of people in this community feel very isolated, so I think its cool that something is happening, bringing people together. Meghan, 39, another protester, said she wants the federal government to protect social services, so the state wont have to pick them up. Im here to support federal services that are being cut, Meghan said. Im here, too, because I have concerns about reductions in force, specifically our federal workforce. And Im here to support social services like Medicaid. Fifty-three percent of Nevada births in 2024 were covered by Medicaid. And Im concerned federal cuts that wed incur at the state level we wouldnt be able to cover it in the state of Nevada. Jan Boyer from Spring Creek is concerned about her Social Security, as well as the freedoms Americans have fought to enjoy, which she sees as being threatened. Were exercising our First Amendment [rights], she said. Were assembling peacefully and speaking peacefully. Many of us are seniors or have seniors in our family and we have a right to the money we have in our Social Security. And a right to privacy. So thats why were here today gathering from all over the county. Elaine Swanson of Wells said she was protesting because shes on Social Security, and I want to keep it. Cindy Moschetti, also from Wells, said she, too, wants to keep her Social Security. But I dont appreciate having a king ruling our country. Herb Stoll said hes concerned the current administration is trying to privatize Social Security, which would leave it vulnerable to price fluctuations such as the severe drops the stock markets experienced on Thursday and Friday after President Trump announced his latest volley of tariffs around the world. I feel that one day theyre going to say, Well the market went down this month and, uh, youre only going to get half your Social Security check or none at all, he said. Roger Finn of Elko said he was at the protest to get peoples attention. I think people have to wake up, Finn said. Theres a lot going on. This is just scratching the surface. Heather Trujio, along with her husband, mother Sandra Bailey, 91, and daughter, Ella, traveled from Carlin to participate. Her mother relies on Social Security, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid. She needs it to continue living, she said of her mother. Of course, Social Security is part of my husbands and my retirement plan. We would like to keep that part of our plan intact and we feel like maybe our representatives are not hearing us, how much this means to us and we hope that someone stands up for us. She said she was pleased with the turnout of like minded people and defended freedom of speech in the community. Freedom of speech was what our country was built on and I think it should continue to be a part of it. The honks, waves and thumbs up continued, even as some people arrived and others finally headed home. Amnesty International on Saturday condemned the unlawful arrest and detention of Haruna Muhammed for criticising the Borno State Government on social media. The police arrested 19-year-old Mohammed on 2 April, following his viral social media post condemning the deplorable condition of public schools in Borno State. In a series of tweets posted on its X timeline on Saturday, Amnesty International called on the Borno State Government and the police to release the teenager, also known as Abale Borno, unconditionally with immediate effect. Amnesty International is calling on the Borno State government to put an end to its harsh crackdown on free speech. Punishing citizens for critical social media posts is oppressive and has no place in a democratic society, parts of the statement stated. The organisation said that the Borno State Government, in connivance with the police, acted in clear and utter disregard for the rule of law by arresting the young critic. It hinted that the state government, through the police, is planning to charge the teenager with defaming, degrading the personality of the governor and ridiculing the personality of Borno State Governor Babangida Zulum. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Free expression is not a crime and the government of Borno State must end their misuse of the criminal justice system and manipulation of the police to suppress dissent and silence critics, it added. The spokesperson for the police in Borno State, Nahum Daso, did not anwer or return our repoters phone calls, nor did he reply a text message sent to him seeking his comments for this report. Rights under attack The case underscores growing concerns about the relentless clampdown on free speech and other fundamental human and civil rights in Nigeria. The use of police and other security forces by government officials and influential figures to arrest, detain, intimidate, and harass critics and dissenting voices for trivial reasons remains deeply troubling. These attacks have targeted journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and ordinary citizens alikeduring protests, on social media, and beyond. Many have faced harassment, prosecution, and intimidation for expressing dissent or making remarks about the government or influential individuals. The police have notably exploited the Cybercrimes Act of 2024 to arrest and prosecute critics, further stifling free expression. The unchecked culture of impunity among security forces has been a significant concern during President Bola Tinubus administration, despite his professed commitment to democratic values. Recently, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operatives invaded the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) headquarters, attacking staff members and journalists after the company disconnected power to the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Ikeja, Lagos State. Similarly, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) alleged that soldiers of the Nigerian Army attacked its substation in Badagry, Lagos State, over a power outage. Nigeria has long been categorised as a partly free country on the Freedom House ranking, which assesses political rights and civil liberties, offering a global benchmark for democratic freedoms and human rights. The nation recorded its highest score of 47 out of 100 in 2015. However, its performance has since fluctuated between 43 and 46, settling at 44 in the most recent 2024 ranking. This reflects ongoing challenges in safeguarding political rights and civil liberties. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Two members of the UK parliament, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, were denied entry to Israel and deported on Saturday. Ms Yang, the MP representing Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP representing Sheffield Central, flew to Israel from Luton Airport on Saturday, alongside two aides. However, they were denied entry by the Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel after a period of detention and interrogation. The Israeli immigration ministry, in a statement, said the government found that both MPs intended to spread hateful rhetoric against Israel and its population. The ministry said they were suspected of plans to document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred. Israel also claimed it had not verified the arrival of an official visit. But the UK Foreign Office affirmed that the group was part of a parliamentary delegation. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Reacting to this, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised Israeli authorities for denying the two Labour MPs entry to the country and detaining them. The actions of the Israeli government, he said, were unacceptable and highly concerning. It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities, Mr Lammy said. I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. The UK governments focus remains on securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza. Israel has been engulfed in a war with Gaza since Hamas militants and those of other Palestinian groups attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, leading to the death of about 1,200 people. A ceasefire deal had halted the fighting but ended on 1 March. Talks had begun to extend the deal when an attack by Israel in late March suspended negotiations. The health ministry in Gaza, which Hamas governs, reported that 1,249 people have been killed since Israel resumed heavy airstrikes last month. This brings the total number of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza to about 50,609 since the 2023 attack. Majority of the victims are women and children. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Former Governor of Oyo State, Omololu Olunloyo, is dead. News of Mr Olunloyos demise was confirmed in a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday morning by Oladapo Ogunwusi, on behalf of the deceaseds family. Mr Olunloyo, who was governor of Oyo State between 1 October 1 and 31 December 1983 on the platform of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN), died a few days to his 90th birthday. With a heavy heart but gratitude to the Almighty, we announce the passing into glory of Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo, former governor of Oyo State, a mathematician and engineer, and renowned technocrat, the statement said. The Balogun of Oyo and Otun Bobasewa of Ife, Olunloyo was the first Rector, Ibadan Polytechnic and first Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic, among other notable appointments. His long record of service to the nation and humanity is a source of pride to his family and associates. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Olunloyo family will appreciate the understanding of the press and the public as it commences efforts to give him a befitting burial. About Omololu Olunloyo Born 14 April, 1935 in Ibadan, Oyo State, Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo, was a mathematician and politician. His father, Horatio Olunloyo, was a Christian, while his mother, Bintu Tejumola Abebi Olunloyo, who passed away in October 2013 at 102, was a Muslim, Mr Olunloyos Wikipedia entry said. Mr Olunloyos father passed away in December 1948 when his son, Victor Omololu, was just 13 years old. He pursued higher education, earning a Ph.D. from St. Andrews University in 1961. His thesis, Numerical Determination of the Solutions of Eigenvalue Problems of the SturmLiouville Type, showcased his expertise in mathematics. He also published several papers on number theory and applied mathematics. Mr Olunloyos career in government began in 1962 when he was appointed Commissioner for Economic Development for the Western Region at just 27 years old, serving under Moses Majekodunmi. He was re-appointed when Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo became military governor of Western State. His other notable positions include: Commissioner for Community Development Commissioner for Education (twice) Commissioner for Special Duties Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Chairman of the Western Nigerian Development Corporation. Notably, he played a significant role in crowning two prominent Nigerian monarchs: the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, and the Soun of Ogbomosho, King Oyewunmi. READ ALSO: Nigeria Immigration Service arrests 40 illegal immigrants in Oyo State In 1983, Mr Olunloyo ran for governorship of Oyo State on the platform of National Party of Nigeria (NPN), defeating incumbent Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). His term, however, was short-lived, ending three months later when General Muhammadu Buhari took power and dismissed the elected government on December 31, 1983. Mr Olunloyo remained active in politics, joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He held various positions within the PDP, including chairman of the partys planning and strategy committee for Ibadanland and chairman of the PDP Media and Publicity Committee for Oyo State. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has lifted the suspension of Olukorede Kesha, the federal controller of works in Lagos, sanctioned over the controversial closure of the Independence/Mekwen Bridge. On 1 April, Mrs Kesha announced the temporary shutdown of the bridge for essential maintenance and rehabilitation works, saying it would remain closed until the end of May. The closure, however, triggered hours-long gridlock across key parts of Lagos Island, including Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and Lekki, leaving motorists and commuters stranded for hours. The resulting backlash on social media and public spaces prompted Mr Umahi to order the immediate reopening of the bridge. In an interview with Arise TV on Sunday, Mr Umahi said he was deeply disturbed by the decision to close the bridge without adequate communication with his office. The process should have been reported to the permanent secretary in writing and via WhatsApp because it was an emergency situation, he said. Of course, while reporting to the permanent secretary, she should have copied me as the minister. That was not done. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Umahi confirmed that Mrs Kesha was placed on temporary suspension for failing to follow the appropriate chain of command. However, he acknowledged that her decision to close the bridge was justified. We saw that there was a very big crack. If that bridge was not closed at the time it was closed, it would have led to multiple traffic accidents. And that would not have been good; lives would have been lost. When we looked at it, we agreed with her that there was a need to close that bridge, Mr Umahi said. He said after reviewing the situation, the ministry concluded that while Mrs Kesha erred in her communication, her actions were based on professional judgement. We agreed there was a need to close the bridge. The only mistake was that she should have escalated the closure at the time she did, Mr Umahi said. She has now resumed work after being pardoned for what we consider an honest mistake. Widespread disruption The closure of the bridge caused widespread disruptions across Lagos Island. Commuters on 2 April endured severe traffic as motorists scrambled to find alternative routes. The Federal Ministry of Works had announced that the closure was part of ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and ensure road safety. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) provided alternative routes for affected motorists via its official channels. These included diversions from Ahmadu Bello Way through Ozumba Mbadiwe, Akin Adesola, Falomo, and Alfred Rewane Road toward the Third Mainland Bridge and other key corridors. Yet many Lagosians took to social media to vent their frustration. In response, LASTMA said it had taken note of the complaints and assured residents that its officers were on the ground to manage traffic flow and minimise disruption. We appreciate your patience and understanding as the government works to improve infrastructure, the agency posted on X (formerly Twitter). Background PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the Lagos State Government introduced a two-month traffic diversion plan to facilitate the emergency repairs. The rehabilitation, scheduled from 19 March to 26 May, affects the inbound Marina/CMS section of the Independence/Mekwen Bridge. In a statement, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, explained that the section from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) through Bonny Camp Bridge to Independence Bridge would be closed to vehicular movement throughout the period. Similarly, the service lane at Bonny Camp Underpass (inbound Independence Bridge) will not be accessible, Mr Osiyemi said. However, the service lane from Ahmadu Bello Way to Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue remains open. Traffic advisory To ease congestion, the government outlined alternative routes: To Victoria Island: Use Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, turn onto Akin Adesola Street, proceed to Falomo Roundabout, and continue through Awolowo Road and Ring Road. To the Third Mainland Bridge: Follow Ahmadu Bello Way to Bonny Camp, then Ozumba Mbadiwe, Akin Adesola, and Alfred Rewane Road to Osborne and Ring Road. To Marina/CMS: Divert from Ahmadu Bello Way to Ozumba Mbadiwe, take Akin Adesola to Falomo, and connect to Obafemi Awolowo Road and JK Randle Road. Mr Osiyemi urged motorists to be patient and assured that LASTMA officials would continue to manage traffic effectively throughout the repair period. The Federal Ministry of Works is handling the repairs through the Office of the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has dismissed a human rights case brought against the Nigerian government, citing insufficient evidence to support claims of sexual violence, denial of reproductive rights, and lack of access to justice. In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, the judgement marked: ECW/CCJ/APP/48/23 was delivered in Abuja on Friday by a three-member panel of justices comprising Ricardo Goncalves (Presiding and Rapporteur), Sengu Koroma, and Gberi-Be Ouattara. The case was filed by Dorothy Bebe, a Nigerian citizen from Benue State, who alleged multiple violations of her fundamental rights following a sexual assault she suffered as a minor in Abuja. She claimed the perpetrator, identified only as Emmanuel, raped and impregnated her. She further alleged that she was unable to access safe abortion services due to Nigerias restrictive abortion laws, which criminalise abortion except when the mothers life is at risk. According to Sections 228230 of Nigerias Criminal Code and Sections 232236 of the Penal Code, abortion is a criminal offence, with limited exceptions. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Nigeria ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2005, a treaty that guarantees access to safe abortion in cases of rape, incest, or health risks. However, the country has yet to domesticate the protocol through national legislation, making access to legal abortion nearly impossible in most cases. Ms Bebe also stated that her attempts to seek justice were thwarted by law enforcement, who subjected her to victim-blaming and failed to investigate her complaint. She claimed the absence of legal, medical, and psychological support worsened her suffering, exposing her to long-term stigma and economic hardship. Her allegations reflect a broader national trend. A 2021 United Nations Women Report stated that nearly 7 out of 10 women (68 per cent) in Nigeria have experienced some form of violence against women in their lifetime. Ms Bebes experience mirrors the reality faced by many survivors of sexual violence in Nigeria, who struggle with limited access to legal redress and reproductive healthcare. According to the Guttmacher Institute, an estimated 1.25 million abortions occur annually in Nigeria, the vast majority of them unsafe due to the countrys restrictive laws. Ruling In its judgement, the ECOWAS Court rejected Nigerias objection to the hearing of the suit, but dismissed the suit on merit. It rejected Nigerias preliminary objection, affirming its jurisdiction to hear the matter since it involved alleged violations of human rights. The court also ruled the application admissible, noting that the applicant was clearly identified as the victim and that there was no parallel case pending before another international tribunal. However, on the substance of the case, the Court ruled that Ms Bebe failed to provide concrete evidence to support her claims. While acknowledging that Nigerias legal framework on abortion contradicts Article 14(2)(c) of the Maputo Protocol, the judges held that the applicant did not demonstrate that the State directly denied her access to abortion or medical services. The court referenced prior rulingsincluding SERAP v. Nigeria and Peter David v. Nigeriaemphasising that general allegations are not sufficient to establish state liability. The burden of proof, the court said, requires specific, credible evidence of state action or inaction amounting to a rights violation. The court also noted that despite the ECOWAS Courts broad human rights mandate, it has dismissed several past cases against Nigeria for similar lack of evidentiary support. Since 2005, the ECOWAS Court has handled over 150 human rights-related cases, with Nigeria being the respondent in a significant number. The court stated that the alleged violation of the applicants right to health under Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights was not substantiated. It explained that the alleged violation of the right to the protection of the family, rights of women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities under Article 18 of the African Charter, Article 14(2)(c) of the Maputo Protocol, and Articles 4, 16, and 27 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, was also not established. The case was, therefore, dismissed. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested multiple suspects, including two brothers and a UK-based student, for drug trafficking at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and across several Nigerian states. The large-scale operation included seizing huge quantities of cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, and other illicit substances. In a statement on Sunday on X, the agencys spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, identified the two brothers among the suspects as John Abugu, 43, and Kenneth Abugu, 31. Mr Babafemi said they were apprehended on Thursday while they were trying to board a flight to India. The two brothers were arrested at the Lagos airport on Thursday, 3 April, following proactive processing of credible intelligence. They claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched by NDLEA officers, whitish powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine were discovered on the walls of the bags, he stated. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later UK-based student nabbed with cannabis The NDLEA also said it arrested a Ghanaian-British national, Parker Osei, at the same airport for drug trafficking. Mr Osei, 20, who claimed to be a computer science student at the University of East London, was found with 36 parcels of louda potent strain of cannabisweighing 19.4 kilogrammes, packed in a large suitcase. He was arrested on Thursday during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand. Upon interrogation, the suspect stated that he left London for Bangkok a week earlier and picked up the drug consignment for delivery in Nigeria, Mr Babafemi said. Arrests in Kogi, Abia, Anambra, Yobe, FCT and Cross River Elsewhere across the country, NDLEA operatives made several arrests and drug seizures. In Kogi, a 33-year-old woman, Ngozi Ogili, was intercepted on 31 March along the Okene-Lokoja highway while transporting 3 kilograms of methamphetamine from Lagos to Abuja. A follow-up operation at her delivery point in the Apo Mechanic area of Abuja led to the seizure of quantities of loud and coloradoboth synthetic cannabis strains. In Abia, 21-year-old David Chinemerem was arrested in Aba with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine, while a 75-year-old man, Nnanna Felix, was caught with 1.6 kilogrammes of skunk during a raid in Umunteke Asa, Ukwa West Local Government Area. Further operations in Anambra state led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday in Idemili LGA and the seizure of 195,000 pills of tramadol. At Osogbo Motor Park, another suspect, Ugochukwu Ojalanonye, was arrested with 4.2 kilograms of codeine syrup and 5.4 kilograms of pentazocine. In Yobe, NDLEA operatives seized 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tablets of tramadol from Abdullahi Adamu along the PotiskumDamaturu road on 5 April. In the Federal Capital Territory, a raid on Wuse Market on 3 April led to the arrest of 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu with 25 kilograms of skunk and 90.4 grams of methamphetamine. On 4 April, a joint operation with the Nigerian Army in Esuk-Odot community, Odukpani LGA of Cross River State, led to the arrest of two women64-year-old Faith Effiong Etim and 40-year-old Victoria Asuquo Etim. The agency said 250,000 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed across more than 100 hectares of farmland during the raid. WADA sensitisation campaigns continue nationwide The agency also reported ongoing public awareness efforts under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. These include sensitisation lectures to students and staff of Cave City Secondary School in Ogidi, Anambra State; residents of Daniyau village in Batagarawa LGA, Katsina; and members of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Sangere and Kwanan Waya, Yola, Adamawa State, Mr Babafemi noted. NDLEA chairperson, Buba Marwa, commended the operatives for their commitment to ridding the country of illicit drugs through strategic intelligence and enforcement operations. PREMIUM TIMES reported how NDLEA has continued to arrest and prosecute drug offenders in Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has instructed security agents to fish out the gunmen who ambushed and killed two Chinese miners and a police officer and bring them to justice. The directive is in a statement signed by Mr Ottis Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, and shared with reporters in Umuahia on Sunday. Some gunmen ambushed Chinese miners on Friday evening at a mining site in Uturu, Abia, killing two miners and a police guard. Mr Otti expressed anger over the unprovoked attack on innocent individuals and condemned the actions of the perpetrators in the strongest terms. The governor assured that his administration would support security agents in their efforts to ensure the killers were brought to justice. Mr Otti emphasised that beyond fostering an enabling environment for economic activities, his government prioritised the protection of lives and property through support for security agencies. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He regretted that the attack appeared to be an act of terrorism, calling for strong condemnation from all people of good conscience. Mr Ekeoma added that Governor Otti pledged to strengthen security cooperation with neighbouring states to build a more effective security architecture. This cooperation aims to prevent criminals from crossing state borders into Abia to commit crimes, as seen in this incident. Governor Otti also sent condolences to the Nigerian Police, the Chinese Embassy, and the families of the victims, praying for the eternal repose of their souls. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has directed heads of public tertiary institutions to publish key institutional data on their official websites. Mr Alausa mandated all the institutions to publish in full a breakdown of their annual budgetary allocation on personnel cost, overhead costs and capital expenditures as well as their research grant revenue, including from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). The minister also asked the institutions to provide their current total student population, categorised into undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The ministrys spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, said the directive was part of the governments move to entrench transparency, accountability, and good governance in the institutions. The Ministry emphasises that this information must be presented in a clear, accessible, and user-friendly format for public visibility. Websites should be structured in a way that allows the public, including parents, students, and stakeholders, to easily locate and understand these data points, the statement said. All federal institutions are expected to comply fully with this directive and ensure that their websites are completely updated no later than 31 May 2025. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This data should be separated into two distinct sources: grants obtained from domestic bodies such as local industries, government agencies, or foundations; and those received from international sources, including foreign institutions, multilateral organisations, and development partners, the statement said. The statement added that the figure must be updated quarterly to ensure currency and transparency. It added that the education ministry will conduct periodic reviews of institutional websites and take appropriate administrative actions against non-compliant institutions. These reviews will be used to gauge compliance and drive policy decisions that promote transparency, the statement added. Financial secrecy A recent report by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership revealed that financial secrecy in Nigerian universities affects their ability to access global research funding. The report, which surveyed 64 Nigerian universities, noted that none of the institutions made their financial records publicly available. The report added that the majority of federal universities surveyed also ignored formal requests for financial information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The report described the prevalence of financial secrecy among the institutions as a fundamental governance weakness that systematically excludes these institutions from the global research funding ecosystem and diminishes their international credibility. It noted that the culture of secrecy reinforces external perceptions that Nigerian universities are high-risk partners that are unprepared to manage international grants or major research funding. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has rejected claims by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that the planned nationwide protest by the Take It Back movement on Monday is aimed at undermining the National Police Day celebration. In a post on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, Mr Sowore criticised the statement issued by the police, describing it as an attempt to divert attention from the controversies surrounding the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. It is the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of ILLEGAL Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, that should reconsider their program, he wrote. No amount of such initiatives can save Egbetokun from the controversy surrounding his illegal, unjust, and scandalous appointment by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He further called on Mr Egbetokun to retire from the police force upon completing 35 years in service, just as others before him have done. According to him, the country needs a reformed police institution. Nigeria needs a new police force, not one headed by a spent force IGP utilising diversionary tactics to shift public attention from his shortcomings and scandals, he said. Regardless, tomorrows protest must go on across Nigeria. Nothing can stop the movement of the people! Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The 7 April protest is the latest in the series of demonstrations Mr Sowores group has led or joined forces with others to organise. Mr Sowore and his group played crucial roles in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernnace protest as well as the subsequent 1 October 2024 protest organised to campaign against corruption, bad governance, insecurity and poor management of the countrys economy. Police raise concerns over protest timing Earlier, the police had raised concerns about the timing and motive behind the planned protest. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the police said it had learned of the protest being organised by the Take It Back movement across several states, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The police noted that the protest was scheduled to take place on the same day the Federal Government has designated as National Police Day to honour the service and dedication of police personnel. Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said while the police recognised the constitutional right of citizens to peaceful assembly, the planned protest raises questions about its intent, especially given the significance of the day. The Nigeria Police Force is deeply concerned about the motive behind such a protest scheduled on the same day the contributions of the Nigeria Police Force to national security are to be celebrated, Mr Adejobi stated. Such a glamorous event will bring together dignitaries from all spheres of life, both locally and internationally, including foreign Inspectors-General of Police and diplomats. The spokesperson described the protest as ill-timed and mischievous, alleging that it may be a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the police and the country. He added that, in line with global best practices, the government had designated 7 April as National Police Day to celebrate the achievements of the force. The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is however questionable and perceived to be a deliberate attempt and unpatriotic act, he said. ALSO READ: Court grants Sowore N10 million bail in cybercrime case over abusing IGP Egbetokun Mr Adejobi advised the organisers to reconsider their plans and pursue their demands through dialogue with the appropriate government institutions. Background on the movement and its leader The Take It Back movement is a pro-democracy and advocacy group founded by Mr Sowore in 2018. The group has consistently campaigned against corruption, abuse of power, and police brutality. It gained national attention during the #RevolutionNow protests, which called for sweeping reforms in governance and the security sector. Mr Sowore, who contested Nigerias 2019 and 2023 presidential elections on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), has been a vocal critic of successive administrations. He has faced multiple arrests and legal battles over his role in organising protests, particularly those seen as challenging state authority. His supporters argue that his activism gives voice to Nigerias disenfranchised citizens, while critics, including security agencies, often accuse him of inciting unrest. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Sorry, I digress. Gradually, the Nigerian presidency is putting finishing touches to the sculpture of a village liar, Ibidun, that it has been busy carving. Or writing itself into the pathetic biblical story of an early Christian community in Jerusalem, which witnessed a lying couple by the name, Ananias and Sapphira. Ibidun was the proverbial woman who, determined to make deception an art, walked close to a popular masquerader at the marketplace. Amidst the din of wild dances and celebration, Ibidun saluted the masquerader thus: it has been quite a while! In a masquerade cult shrouded in secrecy, in which the identity of the masquerader is hidden from everyone, male or female, except initiates, how did Ibidun know the personality shrouded behind the ago (costume)? To capture Ibiduns costly deception, my people say, Eke Ibidun tii ki eegun ku atijo. While the president junkets, off-the-cuff, to Paris like a chronic diabetic to the restroom, his Tantolohun dogs (Ref my piece, Obasanjo and Tinubus Tantolohun dogs, 24 November, 2024) spin an embarrassingly deceptive refrain that he is going on a working visit. As this deception roulette is fast taking the toga of Ibiduns lie, I have a cryptic projection for this uncritical lie: When the going goes, the come will end up coming. It is a literal lift from the Yoruba warning, bi alo ba lo, abo nbo wa bo. It warns of impending repercussions for the Ibiduns. At a time when their home is burning, with more than 52 people reported dead in the recent Plateau State crisis, the president and his vice are trapped in the comfort of foreign lands. I am back. Whether sponsored, contrived, deliberate or real, the discourses surrounding Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan since that space-induced altercation in the parliament broke out, would make you think you were in pre-colonial Nigeria. And Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, an incarnate of infamous 1930 sexual mascot, Segilola. Saheed Aderintos 2015 book, When sex threatened the state: Illicit sexuality, nationalism, and politics in colonial Nigeria (1900-1958) did justice to Segilola. According to him, one of the most detailed sexual narratives of that time could be found in the sexual memoir of Segilola, a Lagos prostitute. Written in Yoruba, its title was, Itan Igbesi Aiye Emi Segilola Eleyinju Ege, Elegberun Oko Laiye. When translated into English, the book title reads, The Life History of Me Segilola Endowed With Fascinating Eyes, the Sweetheart of a Thousand And One Men. Advertised in the July 5, 1930 edition of the bi-lingual newspaper, Akede Eko (The Lagos Herald), the book, which British anthropologist, Karin Barber, called the first Yoruba novel, sold out during the period of its 30-chapter serialization in the newspaper. It became such a literary hot cake to gobble that it caused peer jealousy and rivalry between The Lagos Herald and the dominant newspaper of the time, The Nigerian Daily Times. Born in September 1882, Segilola was a lady of noble parentage, sole survivor of her parents six children, who chose to commercialize her body for mens sensual feast. From the time she lost her virginity to a herbalist whom she ran to for procurement of sex charm, Segilola courted men across generations. One of her lovers promised her pocket money of 10 pounds and another, between 1910s and 1920s, spent 30 pounds on her in three months. Knowingly or unknowingly, the adversaries of Akpoti-Uduaghan have attempted to cast her in the mould of Segilola. Her traducers sexualize her travails, belittle her courage and audacity, as well as her resistance to male chauvinism and the tyranny of her tormentors. Akpoti-Uduaghan, like Segilola, is however an eleyinju ege, in possession of a ravishing beauty. Her travails began as politics of space allocation on the floor of the Nigerian senate. Gradually, it transformed into sexual politics, reminding one of French historian, Michel Foucaults discourse on sexuality. Foucault had submitted that there is a link between sex and relations of power. Today, the spat between this senator representing Kogi Central and president of the senate, Godswill Akpabio, has effectively polarised Nigerians along divides: gender, politics, etc. Akpoti-Uduaghan is a prostitute. She appears on the floor of the Senate in transparent dresses. Senate is not a clubhouse. She has had four husbands and four children, so go the narratives. Even a newspaper, daily used as validation of federal power, did what it called an expose on the senator. With the title, The Natasha we knew, it lent assistance to Natashas adversaries in ill-sexualising her, and positioning her as a Segilola incarnate. This it did by excavating what it called her sexual past. The aim was to profile Natasha as a woman who has seen more mens nakedness than an Ijaw fisherman can ever see shrimps. Or, as Cleopatra (70-30BC), Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Cleopatra deployed her charm and bewitching beauty to seduce Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, succeeded in having children for both. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later On the social media, Akpoti-Uduaghan has further been profiled as possessing a feral ferociousness. Even Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe attempted to add a salacious dimension to the mix: But the beauty of Distinguished Senator Natasha is a problem to her theres no doubt about that when shes passing, theres no way a man will not look at that woman, he said on a national television interview. Contrariwise, Natasha is better suited for casting in the mould of Mekatilili wa Menza. Mekatilili was Kenyas 19th century amazon, a precursor of Dedan Kimathis Mau Mau uprising heroism against British colonial imperialism. Mekatilili, like Natasha, suffered tar-brushes and profiling of the male gender and from even women of similar biology. As her Giriama people resisted British tyranny, Mekatilili was profiled as one of those who forced her people into blood oath administration, especially at the rituals held in July and August, 1913 at Kaya Fungo. History however today recorded Mekatilili as a feminist symbol of resistance, a strong woman from a marginalized ethnicity who challenged oppressive norms of a male-dominated society. In the Giriama resistance to colonial policies which led to the uprising of 1913, Mekatilili played a significant role. The crossroads where Mekatilili and Akpoti-Uduaghans path would seem to have met actually happened at a public baraza (meeting) in Kenya. Mekatilili confronted Arthur Champion, British colonial administrator, swearing never to allow him enlist Giriama youth to work in plantations. Deploying an anecdote to depict the battle ahead, Mekatilili dared Champion to take away the chick from Mother Hen and see Mother Hens ferocious resistance. Since the last one month or so when the initial spatial politics on the floor of the Nigerian senate began, Akpoti-Uduaghan has shown her traducers that they had taken away the chick from Mother Hen. You may not know the orthodoxies which she has thus far challenged, the battles she has resisted and the graphs she has redrawn in the socio-politics of Nigeria. The first graph she re-plotted is one which hitherto assumed that, every beautiful woman is a Segilola prostitute, a chattel and sex symbol. With the multiple battles Natasha has fought in the last one month; the strings national and international she has pulled and the upturn of the narratives she has made by internationalizing her battles, Natasha has shown that she possesses more brain than scores of her male colleagues who mark time in the Nigerian parliament. More instructively, she must have shown her constituents who thought her femininity was a drawback that she is a battleaxe stronger than many men. In their book, How Democracies Die (2018), two Harvard University professors of government, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, outlined how we wrongly assumed that democracies die in the hands of men with guns. Democracies, they posited, erode slowly, in barely visible steps. It gets broken in a less dramatic but equally destructive way in the hands of leaders who subvert the process, by so doing dismantling it quickly. Hitler did same with the Reichstag fire. This was a false flag arson attack on the German parliament which became pivotal in the establishment of Nazi Germany. Many government efforts to subvert democracy are legal in the sense that they are approved by the legislature or accepted by the courts, the Harvard scholars say. Thus, if all that is said about Akpabio and his imperious power are true, working with a solid cabal built round him called Senate Leaders, unless that authoritarian boulder is dismantled, Nigeria be on the way to Venezuela under Hugo Chavez. What Natasha did was to expose the power-mongering inclination of the cabal, its lick-spittling tendencies and emptiness. If you can pull Akpabio to an inner sacristy and ask him what legislative hill he has thus far found most exerting to surmount, he would reveal it is the Natasha turmoil. Before now, if Akpabio was one who mistook the Ibadan Kudeti River for a mere erosion, now, he must have learnt that Kudeti is a raging river which sweeps off its captives in moments of rage. The major orthodoxy that Natasha has thus far succeeded in upturning is that, Akpabio is likely never going to take any person for granted again, regardless of their gender. When Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti, a head teacher of a local school in Abeokuta, confronted the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Samuel Ladapo Ademola, while fighting the oppressive colonial tax regime, she saw the battle, like Mekatilili, as a feminist symbol of resistance. She thus rose above her marginalized gender to challenge oppressive norms of a male-dominated society. More tellingly, Ransom-Kuti saw the fight against the colonial rule structure as a fight between two gender weapons the penis and the vagina. Said she: Idowu, (Alake) you have used your penis as a mark of authority against us for far too long a time; posturing that you were our husband. Today, however, the table has turned and we are poised to reverse the equation by deploying our vagina as a weapon of conquest to play the role of husband on you O you former men conquerors, the head of the vagina has sought vengeance. On 3 January, 1949, the Alake was forced to abdicate the throne. That speech was in part a feminist resistance epistemology. In Ransom-Kutis confrontation of an existing status-quo, howbeit unknowingly initially, you can see same picture, though minute, in the battle Natasha waged against Akpabio. She waged same war against the cabal in the senate and the clowns of Kogi State who blithely and brainlessly bungled the process of her recall. The battles are united by a fight for the supremacy of the genitalia, the penises and an apparently irrepressible female organ. Very seldom is heroism an intended act. Indeed, most heroes transmute from disdain to the dais. Madam Efunroye Tinubu is as an example. In the beginning, she was just an economically influential woman in Lagos during the reigns of three kings, Adele, Dosunmu and Akitoye. However, by virtue of her grips on Lagos economy, Tinubu veered into the stronghold of political power, even assisting kings to gain power. She had a vast trade network of slaves, palm oil, firearms, cotton, tobacco, salt and coconut oil which extended to European merchants. After her exile to Abeokuta, she still helped Egba in the war against Dahomey, supplying them munitions. Even when the British signed the 1852 treaty with Oba Akioye for the abolishment of Atlantic Slave Trade, Tinubu was still covertly trading in her over 360 slaves, which today casts a pall on her heroism. She even attempted to assassinate the British Consul, Benjamin Campbell. It was same with Iyalode Efunsetan Aniwura. She was economically influential in the Ibadan of the 19th centuries, becoming one of its most wealthy women ever. This she did through trading in tobacco, munitions and slaves, as well as manufacturing of a local cosmetic product called Kijipa, exported to America. Aniwura also had multiple marriages which however produced no child, except one she lost at birth. Historians believe that a gang-up by the male powers-that-be of the time, led by Aare Latoosa, who deposed her on 1 May, 1874 of her Iyalode title, over politically motivated allegations, also authored her assassination same year, through two of her slaves. To her male adversaries, Efunsetans rout was victory of the male gender over a woman who towered above her male counterpart. Today, as Mekatilili dared Arthur Champion to take away the chick from Mother Hen and see her ferocious resistance, Natasha is reproducing that trope. Apart from Akpabio, other accomplices of the fight to rout Natasha are feeling the wild push-back of Mother Hen. A petition against Akpabio and Senator Neda Imasuen is pending at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to have both disbarred. Yahaya Bello and his sidekick, Ahmed Ododo, have met their waterloo in the ferociousness of Mother Hen, as she flew into Kogi in a helicopter. There is the tendency for you not to like Natashas ultra-boldness and self-assuredness in a patriarchal society like ours, where women are expected to be reticent and timid as a cat; her beauty may even bring up to you the shadow of Segilola, but you cannot dismiss her unexampled heroine courage and against-method daring of evil men. I have come to submit myself to the wisdom in one of legendary Yoruba musician, Ayinla Omowuras songs, which says, it is not every leaf that the herbalist must pluck, neither should a wine-tapper climb every palm tree. Some leaves are poisonous, while venomous vipers reside on top of some palm trees. Does Akpabio now know this? Festus Adedayo is an Ibadan-based journalist. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The offroad rally organized by the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation (AAF) came to a close today after kicking off earlier this morning, Trend reports. The rally followed the BakuKhiziShamakhi route, starting from in front of the Heydar Aliyev Center. Featuring rough and challenging terrain, the event was packed with adrenaline and excitement, leaving participants and spectators with lasting impressions. In addition to organizing various motorsport events, the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation continues to promote the off-road scene, regularly supporting rallies and competitions for off-road vehicles. The goal of the rally was to help grow interest in motorsports across the country and to engage car enthusiasts in the regions. Alongside AAF members, the rally drew in off-road fans from across the country including several well-known public figures. For insisting on calling attention to this kind of criminal acccessorisation of judges, Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory who is also a member of Nigerias Body of Benchers (BoB), invited the grandees of the BoB who visited him in his office at the end of last month to dispense with basic niceties of process and punish me Such cravenness from the leadership of the self-described body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession in Nigeria, bodes ill for judicial credibility and independence. As he settled in to deliver the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on 2 April, presiding judge, Wilfred Kpochi, felt obliged to get one ritual out of the way. Glancing left and right, he asked each of his two colleagues on the three-person tribunal to confirm that the judgment he was about to deliver was unanimous. Justice Kpochi only proceeded after each, one to his left and the other to his right, nodded their affirmation. The judge had good reason for this preliminary ritual. About 48 hours before it was due, a leaked document purporting to be the judgment of the tribunal went into circulation. Ahead of the judgment day, both leading parties in the electoral contest, which had inexorably mutated into a judicial one the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) felt compelled to issue duelling statements denouncing the leak and blaming the other for it. The APC claimed that the PDP leaked a fake judgment, knowing they would lose, while the PDP accused the APC of using the leaked fake document to gauge public reaction. The leaked document suggested that the tribunal would deliver a split verdict, with one of the three judges dissenting from the majority of two who were supposed to decide against the petition of the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. When, therefore, the presiding judge asked his colleagues to affirm that the judgment was unanimous, he sought to telegraph that tales of the leak of their judgment were unfounded or, in any case, had mis-described the decision of the tribunal. Instead of a split decision suggested by the leak, this was a unanimous court. This was far from the first time that the decision of an election petition tribunal in Nigeria would be foreshadowed by suggestions or allegations of a leak ahead of its delivery. At the onset of presidentialism in Nigeria in 1979, the contest between Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) ended up before the presidential election tribunal. On 20 August 1979, Obafemi Awolowo filed his petition against the declaration of Shehu Shagari as the winner of the election. The following day, military ruler, General Olusegun Obasanjo, invited Atanda Fatayi Williams to the Dodan Barracks (as the seat of government then in Lagos was called) and offered him the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Fatayi Williams first task was to adjudicate Chief Awolowos petition. The military had committed to handing over power on 1 October, a mere 40 days later. General Obasanjo, who was overseeing arrangements for a high profile handover to an elected successor, was anxious to know that the Supreme Court would not torpedo his plans. It was credibly suspected that he received the necessary assurances from his hand-picked CJN well ahead of the judgment. At the valedictory session of the 9th Senate in June 2023, Adamu Bulkachuwa, the senator for Bauchi North, confirmed suspicions of unconscionably intimate dalliances between judges and politicians when he appreciated his colleagues whom (sic) have come to me and sought for my help when my wife was the President of the Court of Appeal. Senator Bulkachuwa did not forget to thank his wife whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office In March 2008, Action Congress (AC), the party then led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, vigorously alleged that the outcome of the presidential election petition challenging the announcement of Umaru Musa YarAdua of the PDP as the winner of the 2007 presidential election, had leaked. Lai Mohammed, the spokesperson of the party at the time, denounced the leak, proclaiming that the judgment would not stand the test of time. 15 years later, as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal issued a 48-hour notice of the delivery of its judgment on 4 September 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of the APC, whose announcement on 1 March as the winner of the presidential election was under challenge, departed for New Delhi, India, to attend the G-20 Summit. He arrived India on 5 September, the day before the judgment, guaranteeing that he was going to be outside the country when the tribunal delivered its judgment. Many people believed that Tinubu traveled to India with the confidence of a man who had been assured ahead of schedule of the outcome that the tribunal would announce the day after he landed in India. Whether these allegations were true in any specific case is a subject for another day. Far from diminishing over the years, however, credible suspicions of breach of the deliberative confidentiality of judicial decision-making in election disputes and political cases in Nigeria have grown. They enjoy high credulity with the public, an indication of a deep-seated deficit of credibility that now clearly afflicts the business of what judges do in political and electoral disputes in Nigeria. At the valedictory session of the 9th Senate in June 2023, Adamu Bulkachuwa, the senator for Bauchi North, confirmed suspicions of unconscionably intimate dalliances between judges and politicians when he appreciated his colleagues whom (sic) have come to me and sought for my help when my wife was the President of the Court of Appeal. Senator Bulkachuwa did not forget to thank his wife whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office. She has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues. His wife, Zainab, was president of the Court of Appeal from 2014 to 2020. For insisting on calling attention to this kind of criminal acccessorisation of judges, Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory who is also a member of Nigerias Body of Benchers (BoB), invited the grandees of the BoB who visited him in his office at the end of last month to dispense with basic niceties of process and punish me. His 36 minute-long harangue to the old men and women of the BoB, who were his guests, was occasionally punctuated with enthusiastic applause belying the average age of the group, as well as the kind of undisguised ridicule which they had to endure for both themselves and the institutions of the judicial process in Nigeria. Such cravenness from the leadership of the self-described body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession in Nigeria, bodes ill for judicial credibility and independence. 30 years ago, in 1995, Joe authored a defining study of the customary court system in the 17 states of southern Nigeria under the title, The Fading Lights of Justice. As an advocate, Joseph Otteh did his utmost to ensure that those lights were kept aflame. That title could only have come from a man who was well ahead of his time and had the acuity to see the future. The Heavens will be enriched by the acquisition of this incredible angel. As Mr Wike was busy advertising his undisguised contempt for them and telling the leaders of Nigerias legal profession that they were no better than deodorised sex workers with an inflated price-tag, an advocate who had spent his life campaigning against that tendency took a characteristically unpretentious leave. Raised in Agbor, Delta State, by a father who was a high school teacher from Imo State, Joseph Otteh was one of the first two colleagues whom I engaged in the legal directorate of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Lagos in 1991. He brought tremendous integrity, intellect, and industry to the role, and had remarkable reserves of empathy. In 1999, Joe founded the group Access to Justice to work towards rebuilding the institutional credibility of the Nigerian legal and justice system, restoring public faith in its institutions. He approached that task with both courage and single-mindedness, doing a lot of good along the way. Joe epitomised the lawyer as a gentleman and professional of civic virtue. On 28 March, he succumbed reportedly to complications from diabetes, leaving behind an aged mother, wife and three children. 30 years ago, in 1995, Joe authored a defining study of the customary court system in the 17 states of southern Nigeria under the title, The Fading Lights of Justice. As an advocate, Joseph Otteh did his utmost to ensure that those lights were kept aflame. That title could only have come from a man who was well ahead of his time and had the acuity to see the future. The Heavens will be enriched by the acquisition of this incredible angel. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through [email protected]. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Lacopo Foti, has expressed his countrys readiness to support the Kaduna State Governments investment drive, by encouraging Italian companies to invest in the State. Mr Foti made the pledge when he paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna on Saturday. He expressed Italys willingness to collaborate with the state government. We have come to introduce ourselves, learn about the governments plans, and see if there are investments that you want the Italian embassy to facilitate. If there are private investments you desire in Kaduna, especially in machinery or manufacturing, or if you have plans for the next few years, let us know. If youre interested in agricultural machinery companies like tractor plants, we can contact them, he said. The Ambassador further encouraged the state government to approach our embassy and we will link you up. We are ready to collaborate in manufacturing, technology, etc. The ambassador said he was optimistic that after the visit, concrete steps would be taken towards collaborations in agriculture, education, and training. He stated, We await proposals from Kaduna State regarding their interests, which well take to the Italian Government. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Foti expressed the belief that Italian investors would find Kadunas climate a bit better than Abujas. He said he was delighted with the peoples friendly disposition, adding that this is my first time in Kaduna, and I hope to return next month. We have Italians living here; this visit is an opportunity to meet them and see how we can help them and the State Government, the diplomat further stated. In her response, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Balarabe, acknowledged the long history of cordial relationship between Italy and Nigeria and expressed interest in establishing strong economic relations. She highlighted Kaduna States advantages in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism, energy, technology, and human capital development, stressing that the state is the largest producer of maize, tomatoes, and ginger in Nigeria. We have advantages in agriculture, mining, tourism, and human capital. Italy excels in manufacturing, technology, education, and renewable energy. I hope we can establish collaboration in these areas, she said. The Deputy Governor directed the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA) to prepare a proposal for the Italian embassy while expressing hope that the Ambassadors visit would signpost the kick off of substantial conversations between our state and Italy. Mrs Balarabe said that the State Government looks forward to engaging with the Ambassador further, hoping that this wont be your last visit to Kaduna. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kaduna State Government is collaborating with Jobberman and other private sector organisations on skills acquisition and job creation for the youth. The State Commissioner of Business Innovation and Technology, Mrs Patience Fakai, who made this known at the 2025 edition of the Jobberman Career Fair that was organised at the weekend in Kaduna, added that the challenge of youth unemployment is not new. She however argued that it is imperative to think critically on developing integrated youth employment strategies that addresses job creation and helps youth transition into reputable and decent work roles. Mrs Fakai told the participants that the Career Fair reflects a powerful partnership between government, the private sector, and educational institutions aimed at empowering our youth and supporting our economic ambitions. She recalled that the maiden edition of the Career Fair which was held on the 23rd of November, 2023, recorded a significant milestone. That edition recorded a total of 1,496 unemployed youth with 71 representatives of employers of labour in attendance while over 300 job placements have been secured to date and still counting. The Commissioner noted that this years edition of Jobberman Kaduna Career Fair 2025 is themed Meet Connect Get Hired, just as she expressed optimism that the programme would succeed in addressing the challenges of youth unemployment. According to her, the success of the programme hinges on employers of labour, career placement organisations, and training providers, remaining committed to the implementation strategies. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mrs Fakai reminded employers that they are the backbone of economic growth, adding that their willingness to invest in talents will empower not just for those they hire, but the entirety of the state. The Commissioner told the job seekers that the Fair provides an opportunity to showcase your skills, your creativity, and your passion. It is a moment to engage, learn, and grow. Remember that each interaction here is a step toward realizing your potential and securing your future. Your careers do not only serve your personal growth but are integral to the progress of our beloved state, she added. She also commended Jobberman for orchestrating such a vital initiative, connecting thousands of hopefuls with their potential careers and contributing to bridging the employment gap in Nigeria. Mrs Fakai said that Governor Uba Sanis effort to make Kaduna State the skills hub of the nation is one of the ways of tackling youth unemployment. She added that the state government has embarked on the construction of three world-class vocational and technology skills acquisition cities. She said that the three senatorial zones would have a centre each. youth unemployment requires a holistic and collaborative approach. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the violent attack that claimed 52 lives in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The group also called on the federal government to declare a state of security emergency in the area. In a statement on Sunday signed by its publicity secretary, Muhammad Baba, the ACF urged the government to initiate means to protect vulnerable communities in Plateau and other banditry-prone communities PREMIUM TIMES reported that terrorists invaded six villages Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, and Tadai in Bokkos LGA, killing and razing houses, including foodstuffs. Those killed in the raids include five minors who were burnt to ashes, according to the chairperson of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Farmasum Fuddang. Although the Plateau Police Command is yet to issue an official statement on the attack, the state government said some suspects had been arrested by security agents deployed to the area. The ACF said it deeply mourned the dead and unequivocally condemned the attacks. The forum also extended its sympathy and condolence to the affected communities, the government and the people of Plateau State. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Read below the full statement from the ACF The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is ineffably saddened at the disheartening and frightening attacks by terror gangs on defenceless communities in Plateau State, on 28th March, 2025, and which resulted on the tragic deaths of scores of people including children, adding to dismal statistics of deaths, injuries and property damage arising consequent to rampaging terror activities of bandits on communities over the last few years. ACF deeply mourns the dead and unequivocally condemns the attacks. The Forum particularly extends sympathy and condolence to the affected communities, the Government and people of Plateau State. The Forum identifies with the deep pains of families of the victims, prays to God to grant the deceased eternal rest, for surviving victims to be fortified with strength to bear the losses and for quick return to full health for all who suffered injuries. To the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), constitutionally responsible for the protection of lives and properties of citizens, ACF wishes to draw attention, for the umpteenth time, to the deterioration in the state of security in Arewa communities and elsewhere in Nigeria. ACF reiterates its long-standing stance that every new such experiences is one too many. Clearly, the people are in great pains, with their situation compounded by existential economic challenges. The killing spree on the Plateau must be stopped immediately and peace must return to the State. Going forward, ACF calls on the FGN to:(i) declare a state of security emergency on vulnerable and banditry-prone communities and to initiate effective early-warning and early-response strategies that incorporate the participation of community members; (ii) intensify efforts in actionable intelligence gathering, processing and deployment by relevant all security agencies so as to establish the immediate and remote causes of the latest skirmishes. investigate, identify, arrest and prosecute perpetrators and enablers of the attacks; (iii) fully compensate families for the lives lost and extend relief to those injured; (iv) FGN and Plateau State Government to empower community leaders, elders, clergy, traditional leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to embark on community dialogue for conflict resolution, reconciliation and cooperation. All must intensify conflict resolution efforts; (v) citizens should avail the security agencies with credible information on the activities of insurgents and criminals; and (vi) members of the National Assembly to do more to hold the FGN and the National Security Agencies to account and to demand concrete evidence of a firm resolve to exterminate the current terror on citizens.While, reiterating unalloyed support for the FGN, the Plateau State Government and all National Security Agencies in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria, ACF calls on all to up the ante in the fight against threats to the wellbeing of all Nigerian citizens. Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba National Publicity Secretary 5th April, 2025 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, have restated their commitment to appeal the 2 April decision of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal judgement upheld the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), in the election held on 21 September 2024 conducted by INEC. Mr Ighodalo was the candidate of the PDP in the election. The PDP Chairman in Edo, Tony Aziegbemi, and Special Adviser on Media to Mr Ighodalo, Anthony Ehilebo, stated this on Sunday in Abuja after receiving the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the tribunal judgement. Mr Aziegbemi rejected the judgement, describing it as a miscarriage of justice that ignored overwhelming facts, twisted the law, and rewarded impunity. According to him, having received and studied the certified true copy of the judgement, the petitioners say they are now even more convinced that the tribunal turned the law on its head to protect a rigged process. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The tribunal abandoned its constitutional duty to deliver justice and instead constituted itself into a fourth respondent, inventing technicalities to sidestep the clear evidence of electoral malpractice placed before it. We have studied the CTC of the judgement. This judgment, with due respect to the judges involved, is a travesty. We are not deterred. We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal with the facts, the law, and the will of the Edo people firmly on our side, Mr Aziegbemi said. Also speaking, Mr Ehilebo said the public did not grasp the gravity of what happened in the governorship poll. He alleged that INEC failed to fill forms essential for guaranteeing the integrity of the elections, a responsibility the Supreme Court has said is a strict liability issue. According to him, that is what the tribunal has now endorsed. We are duty-bound to challenge this travesty at the appellate court, he said. A PDP chieftain, Goodluck Osaretin, said despite the tribunals ruling, the party maintained that the mandate of the people remains with Asue Ighodalo. He said Governor Monday Okpebholo extended an olive branch to Mr Ighodalo, calling on him to join hands in unity and to work together for the progress of Edo State. The PDP remains unmoved. The issue of an olive branch is premature. We are talking about retrieving a stolen mandate. Asue is coming, Osaretin said. He said no tribunal could stop the will of the people. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Enugu State have refuted reports that operatives arrested a legal practitioner, Frank Agbowo, over his allegations of extortion against police personnel in Nsukka, a local government area in the state. Mr Agbowo, on Thursday, uploaded a video clip to his Facebook page in which he claimed some police operatives posted to the Nsukka Area of the state were extorting residents and motorists. Giving an instance of the alleged extortion, he said he knew someone called Ikechukwu whom some operatives allegedly extorted N1 million from in the area at night. Mr Agbowo claimed the operatives tortured and threatened to kill Ikechukwu if he failed to give them the money. The lawyer appealed to the police authorities to identify and punish the officers. On Sunday, some residents of Nsukka said police operatives from the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) arrested the legal practitioner over his comments. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Clinton Ogbonna, the national president of the Nsukka Youths General Assembly, told PREMIUM TIMES that the police arrested Mr Agbowo on Sunday morning. Mr Ogbonna said the youth body demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the lawyer. The youth leader contended that extortion of residents by police operatives has become common in Nsukka in recent times, adding that some personnel also extorted him in March. He said Mr Agbowos detention is a direct result of his courageous efforts to expose the unethical conduct of some rogue police officers in Nsukka. His arrest is a blatant attempt to silence him and stifle his advocacy for accountability and justice. We urge the authorities to ensure that his rights are protected and safeguarded throughout this process, he said. Police speak When contacted on Sunday afternoon, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Agbowo was not arrested. Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said the lawyer was only invited to provide evidence of his allegations of extortion against police operatives. We didnt arrest him. We only want him to come and explain certain things to us. He did a video, so we need to know what (the allegations) are all about, he said. We just want to get clarification so that it will help us manage the allegations he has raised and know who to deal with and who not to deal with. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has announced his running mate for his reelection in 2027 despite not completing half of his first term four-year mandate. Mr Eno, at a Town Hall meeting in Oron Federal Constituency of the state on Saturday, told the people that if given the mandate, his current deputy, Akon Eyakenyi, would remain his deputy for the 2027 election. Mrs Eyakenyi, a former senator who represented Akwa Ibom South District, hails from the area. Mr Eno described Mrs Eyakenyi as a very good deputy. He said, Given the opportunity to run for office (in 2027) by my people, she will still be my deputy governor. The crowd applauded Mr Enos remark. Very supportive, very cooperative deputy governor. A mother, (and) a sister. We thank you so much, Ma, the governor said to Mrs Eyakenyi. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Second term, Town Hall meeting Mr Eno was sworn into office as governor on 29 May 2023 and is yet to mark the first half of his four-year first term. The governor said late last year that he would begin a tour of the 10 federal constituencies in the state in the first quarter of this year, an avenue he said would allow the people to make inputs into next years budget of the state. The event, which began in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency last month, was turned into a second-term endorsement rally for the governor by the areas political leaders. Political leaders in the area, particularly those from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, endorsed the governor for a second term in office at the event. The State Executive Committee of the PDP had earlier endorsed the governor for a second term. ALSO READ: Akwa Ibom govt revives hope for Ibom Deep Seaport project On Saturday, the chairpersons of the five local government areasOron, Mbo, Okobo, Udung Uko, and Urue Offong Orukothat make up the federal constituency pledged to support the governor for a second term in Oron Federal Constituency. So you remain our governor from 2023 to 2031 and beyond, the Chairperson of Urue Offong Oruko Local Government Area, Uno Uno, said on behalf of his colleagues. At the event, a former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, led political leaders of the area to present a booklet containing the demands of the people of the area to the governor. In his remark, Mr Eno assured the people that the demands would be integrated into the states budget for the following year but added that the budget may not accommodate all their demands. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has ruled out any plans to contest for a Senate seat after his tenure ends. He made the declaration on Saturday during a reception held in his honour by the Anambra Development Unions Association, Aba branch. Mr Otti dismissed speculations of a senatorial ambition, describing the rumours as baseless and misleading. When I finish my eight years here, I will retire. I am not going to Abuja, Mr Otti said, urging critics to stop spreading falsehoods. He stressed the need to give room for younger leaders, citing the evolving political landscape and rising youth participation. We are no longer that young. Society is changing, and the young ones are rising. Its time we give them the opportunity, he added. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The governor also announced plans to revisit the 2011 disengagement of 154 state workers, mostly teachers, from the civil service. He said the states head of service would be directed to urgently review the matter for possible redress. Mr Otti hinted that those under 65 might be reengaged on contract, especially given the teacher shortage across the state. He criticised the workers dismissal on the basis of state of origin, calling it unjust and illegal. For those outside the age bracket, well find fair compensation mechanisms, the governor assured. He reaffirmed his administrations commitment to justice, inclusivity, and correcting the wrongs of previous governments. In separate remarks, lawmaker Stephen Ucheonye and Obiora Nwakpadolo praised Mr Ottis leadership and developmental strides. They said the governors performance inspired the decision to hold the reception in his honour. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, condoled with the government and people of Oyo State over the death of Victor Olunloyo, a former governor of old Oyo State. Mr Tinubu extended sympathy to the Olunloyo family and all who knew and respected the late elder statesman and scholar. The presidents condolence message was contained in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, his spokesperson. Olunloyo, renowned for his mathematical prowess, obtained a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Number Theory from St. Andrews University in Scotland at 25. In 1962, at just 27, he became a commissioner in the old Western Region. He served multiple times as commissioner in the Western State, which succeeded the Western Region. He further extolled the deceaseds leadership qualities as the founding rector of The Polytechnic Ibadan and Kwara State Polytechnic. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The President emphasised Mr Olunloyos academic and professional journey and his belief in education as a transformative tool for national development. Dr Olunloyo will be celebrated in academic circles for his brilliance and foundational contributions to applied mathematics and number theory. As an educator, he profoundly influenced future leaders and fortified educational institutions, Tinubu said. Reflecting on Mr Olunloyos tenure as governor of the old Oyo State, Mr Tinubu remarked: Although his time in office was brief, his tenure was marked by exceptional vision and leadership. The abrupt end to his administration due to military intervention did not deter him from continuing to serve the nation. The president lauded the late governor over his unwavering commitment to Nigerias unity, progress, and intellectual advancement, emphasising that his contributions would remain enduring milestones in Nigerias history. May the Almighty God grant him eternal rest and bring solace to all who mourn this distinguished statesman, the President concluded. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) is nearing the end of its investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against Vice-Chancellor Abayomi Fasina. A nine-person panel, set up by the universitys Governing Council, is expected to release its findings soon, a reliable insider told PREMIUM TIMES. The controversy began when a female staff member, Folashade Adebayo, accused Mr Fasina, a professor, of sexual harassment in a leaked audio tape. A subsequent petition by Mrs Adebayo claimed that the refusal of the Vice-Chancellor to renew her tenure as acting director of works of FUOYE was an act of witch-hunt because she refused her boss sexual advances. Mr Fasina denied the allegations. The FUOYE Governing Council then constituted a panel to investigate the claims. The Nigeria Police Special Fraud Unit had previously investigated the allegations, concluding that the promotion of Mrs Adebayo was normal, but the backdating of her promotion was the responsibility of the universitys Governing Council. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The allegation of sexual harassment as detailed in the petition is a ruse, the police report said. Appreciating a person or personal opinion does not constitute a criminal offence or sexual harassment. The upcoming report is expected to resolve the controversy, which has sparked debate among students, stakeholders, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). However, some civil rights groups are pushing for Mr Fasinas suspension even when he has not been found guilty, fueling speculation about the real motive for the allegation against the vice chancellor. Wherever the pendulum of justice falls in the investigation, what is up for determination is to ascertain whether the Vice-Chancellor indeed committed an act of sexual harassment against a subordinate or if the petitioner was merely crying wolf where there is none. In the circumstance, the ball is in the court of the Governing Council of FUOYE as the public waits for the long-awaited verdict. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The opening ceremony of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union took place in Tashkent, the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Speaker of Azerbaijans Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova attended the event, Trend reports. During the ceremony, Speaker of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva, IPU President Tulia Ackson, and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong welcomed the participants and shared their views on the relevance of the issues included on the Assemblys agenda. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova is scheduled to address the Assembly. She is also holding meetings on the sidelines of the gathering with speakers of Parliament from several countries. MANAMA, Bahrain, April 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohamed Al Kayed, a pioneer in Bahrain's hospitality sector, has announced his return to Sevens Holding as Chief Operating Officer and Board Member following a successful tenure as Deputy CEO at Gulf Hotels Group. Renowned for his substantial contributions to the industry, Al Kayed continues to shape Bahrain's tourism landscape at Sevens Holding, under the leadership of HE Shaikh Khalifa bin Rashid Al Khalifa, the company's Chairman and CEO. Mohamed Al Kayed Returns to Sevens Holding as COO and Board Member During his time at Gulf Hotel Group, he facilitated major hotel franchise agreements with Marriott International and Accor, and a strategic partnership with Solutions Leisure Group, alongside the launch of several successful F&B outlets. In addition to making history as the first Bahraini recipient of Business Elite's 40 Under 40 award, Al Kayed has played a pivotal role in bringing world-class F&B brands to Bahrain, transforming the local dining scene. Recognising a growing consumer demand for immersive dining experiences, he has championed concepts that go beyond exceptional cuisine, focusing on atmosphere, personalisation, and storytelling. His efforts have also helped position Bahrain as a culinary hub, appealing to both locals and international visitors. The rising interest in global flavours and authentic local cuisine has created a dynamic and diverse dining landscape, enriching the country's hospitality sector. Al Kayed holds a Bachelor's degree in Managerial Accounting from NYIT, has completed a Hospitality Leadership program at Cornell University, and holds a PMI-PBA certification in Business Analysis from the Project Management Institute. Founded in April 2011, Sevens Holding is dedicated to serving various segments of Bahrain's private sector, driving innovation, creativity, and efficiency. Its hospitality division aims to be a key contributor to Bahrain's tourism industry, with a strong commitment to service excellence and quality. The company operates a diverse portfolio of renowned brands, including Royal Saray Resort, Scalini, Opa, Bushido by Buddha Bar, Stage, and Black Tap. Additionally, it has recently launched Royal Saray Royal Mansions, The Royal Spa, Al Massarah Pool Club, and Mood Rooftop Franchise. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2658679/Sevens_Holding_1.jpg SOURCE Sevens Holding Pasqua Wines celebrates its centenary at Vinitaly 2025 with a landmark exhibition and prestigious industry recognition, cementing its century-long legacy of innovation in Italian winemaking. VERONA, Italy, April 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At the opening ceremony of the 57th edition of Vinitaly, Veronafiere S.p.A. President Federico Bricolo presented Umberto Pasqua and Pasqua Wines with the Vinitaly International Award in the Italy category. The award recognises the winery's 100-year commitment to quality, innovation, and the balance between tradition and creativity. Established in 1996, the accolade honours individuals and companies that have shaped the global wine industry - a testament to Pasqua Wines' role in redefining Veronese winemaking. Pasqua USA President Alessandro Pasqua and CEO Riccardo Pasqua "We are deeply honoured to receive this award in our centenary year," said Umberto and Riccardo Pasqua, President and CEO of Pasqua Wines. "For a century, we've expressed the Valpolicella terroir with a unique vision. This recognition reaffirms our mission as ambassadors of Italian wine." The accolade follows Pasqua's 2023 "Innovator of the Year" title from Wine Enthusiast, which was the first Italian winery to have achieved the distinction. To mark the milestone, Pasqua Wines unveils 'Ode to the Future,' a free public exhibition at Giardino Giusti (April 59), exploring the connection between winemaking and artistic expression. "Art and wine share a language of creativity," said CEO Riccardo Pasqua. "In challenging times, they inspire optimism - just as our wines have for 100 years." The showcase features: A Rizzoli-published book tracing Pasqua Wine's history through iconic wines. tracing history through iconic wines. An Infinity Room with an immersive digital experience. with an immersive digital experience. A site-specific installation by Foll.ia studio , reinterpreting five legendary labels with works by contemporary artists: Famiglia Pasqua Enzo Ragazzini Mai Dire Mai Giuseppe Ragazzini 11 Minutes Michael Mapes Hey French You Could Have Made This but You Didn't Sofia Crespo Terre di Cariano by Cecilia Beretta Gaia Alari by , reinterpreting five legendary labels with works by contemporary artists: Pasqua Wines further animates Vinitaly with 'Sips of Art', a series of collaborations with Verona's cultural institutions: Book Tasting (April 56, 45 PM): Authors Simone Tempia and Paola Barbato discuss literature and wine at Achille Forti Gallery . (April 56, 45 PM): Authors and discuss literature and wine at . Guided Tours : Complimentary visits to the Modern Art Gallery (April 56). : Complimentary visits to the Modern Art Gallery (April 56). 'The Lesson of the Canary' ( April 5 , 69 PM): Artist Enrico Mitrovich transforms four historic boutiques with installations. "Our wines will be at the centre of Vinitaly through a series of exclusive and public events," said CEO Riccardo Pasqua. "Giardino Giusti will be our home during the event, hosting commissioned works that celebrate our centenary. In challenging times, art helps us look beyond the present, fostering creativity and optimism." Press Assets For more images and press material, download HERE . 'Ode to the Future' Public Opening Hours: April 5 : 10 a.m. 9 p.m. : April 6 : 10 a.m. 2 p.m. : April 7 : 10 a.m. 6 p.m. : April 8 : 10 a.m. 9 p.m. : April 9 : 10 a.m. 9 p.m. Registration is recommended via Pasqua.it in the First 100 Years section. Notes to Editors ENRICO MITROVICH An expert in new media, Enrico Mitrovich is involved in net art, photography, installations, and painting. His work has been featured in the Net Art guide of the E-Business Innovation Center in Stuttgart (2001), a monographic issue on video games in The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine (1997), and volumes on video games by Marco Bittanti. He participated in Aperto Torino and the Net Art collective exhibition at the Cafenzo Gallery in Seoul. Among his solo exhibitions, he has showcased his work at ABC Gallery in Milan, the Municipal Theatre in Lonigo, the Astra Theatre, and the Cheiros Gallery in Vicenza. His group exhibitions include showcases at Palazzo della Gran Guardia in Verona, Loft Gallery in Valdagno, the City of Padua Gallery in Padua, Tino Ghelfi Gallery, and the Asolo Film Festival, where he exhibited alongside Giovanni Sarani. Mitrovich has created numerous installations in collaboration with writer Vitaliano Trevisan in theatres, bookshops, and film festivals, including the artistic project Ruins: A State of Fact. Since 2003, he has maintained his studio at Officina Arte Contemporanea in Vicenza. He currently resides in Vicenza. THE ODE TO THE FUTURE ARTISTS Gaia Alari is a visual artist and animator. After studying medicine, she fully dedicated herself to art in 2016. She began animating her charcoal drawings, developing a distinctive technique that immediately set her work apart. She has collaborated with various art galleries worldwide, including Colector Gallery (Mexico and USA). Since 2020, she has focused on experimental frame-by-frame animation. Her work has been selected for numerous artistic and editorial projects, including music videosmost notably her painted animations for Coldplay and Alessia Cara. She also collaborates with The New York Times Magazine and is currently completing the short film What Comes at Night. Her works have been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, the MASC Foundation, and international art festivals. Her work explores the interaction of ephemeral shapes and figures with space and time, represented on paper using charcoal and pastels. FILIPPO BOLOGNA, born in 1978, is an Italian writer, screenwriter, and director. His debut novel Come ho perso la guerra (Fandango, 2009) was a finalist for the prestigious Premio Strega. He won the 2009 Premio Fiesole Narrativa Under 40 and the Premio Bagutta Opera Prima. He has written the screenplays for several films, including Perfect Strangers, which earned him a David di Donatello award in 2016. Sofia Crespo is a visual artist with a deep passion for technology and biology. Her artistic research explores how organic life uses artificial self-simulation mechanisms for its evolution, suggesting that technology is not a separate entity but a natural product of the organic life that created it. Sofia examines the similarities between AI-generated imagery and human creativity, as well as how humans cognitively perceive artistic expression. Her work questions the potential of AI in artistic applications and its relationship to our concept of creativity. She is currently part of the artist duo Entangled Others. Foll.ia is a design and creative production studio focused on spatial experiences, handling complex projects where technology is often a central but unseen element, with emotion as the goal. Driven by the belief that play, and research are essential for exploration, Foll.ia applies the narrative language of spectacle to designing spaces as dynamic, evolving entities. At the core of its creations is the audiencenot as passive spectators but as active participantsengaging in a continuous dialogue between individual perception and collective interaction. Michael Mapes is an American collage artist. Born in 1962, he lives and works in New York. After earning a BFA in Design and an MFA in Studio Art, he developed a distinctive style of deconstructing and reassembling original images into intricate mosaics made up of hundreds of fragments. His work is inspired by entomology and forensic science, integrating prints with personal details and physical objects such as jewelry, fabric scraps, X-rays, fingerprints, and hair samplescreating what he calls "biographical DNA." This process transforms the portrait into a unique interpretation of individual elements while maintaining the integrity of the original subject. His work has been exhibited and collected internationally, with solo exhibitions in cities like The Hague, Hong Kong, and New York. Enzo Ragazzini was born in Rome in 1934. He began his career in the late 1950s exploring visual perception and optical phenomena, becoming a pioneer of optical art. In 1963, he created photographic images for Gae Aulenti and Carlo Aymonino for the Milan Triennale, and in 1965, he exhibited a solo show on optical art at the Einaudi Bookstore in Rome. From 1965 to 1975, he lived in London, where he participated in a 1969 exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts alongside Don McCullin and Tony Ray-Jones and illustrated The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. In 1972, he exhibited at the Venice Biennale in the British Pavilion. After returning to Italy in 1975, he collaborated with Civilta delle Macchine, the Touring Club Italiano, and companies such as Olivetti, Iveco, IRI, and Ansaldo. His works have been showcased in prestigious institutions like Modern Art Oxford, MACRO in Rome, and the International Center of Photography in New York. Giuseppe Ragazzini is an Italian visual artist born in London in 1978 to a Dutch mother and an Italian father. His work spans painting, animated painting, and video scenography, exploring the intersection between analog and digital worlds. He developed an original technique of live painting metamorphosis, performed live during concerts and theatrical productions. His video installations have accompanied performances in major Italian and international theaters. In September 2014, he curated the video scenography for La Dolce Vita: The Music of Italian Cinema, the opening concert of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra's 2014-2015 season at Lincoln Center. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Italy and abroad, using various media to explore the theme of metamorphosis. Giuseppe is also the artist behind the Pasqua House of the Unconventional manifesto, presented in 2022. PASQUA VIGNETI E CANTINE, founded in 1925, is a historic Veronese wine company owned by the Pasqua family and celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025. The company is internationally recognized as a producer and ambassador of prestigious wines from Italy's Veneto region. With a century of winemaking expertise, Pasqua looks to the future with a renewed stylistic vision that blends tradition and innovation. Today, President Umberto Pasqua leads the company alongside his sons: Riccardo Pasqua, CEO, and Alessandro Pasqua, President of Pasqua USA. With the introduction of the Pasqua House of the Unconventional manifesto, today the company aims to be a laboratory of innovation and dialogue, where quality and creativity take center stage. SOURCE Pasqua Wines If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Cairo, April 6 : Egypt rejects Israeli attempts to undermine the unity of Palestinian territories by separating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said. Abdelatty made the remarks during a meeting on Saturday in Cairo with a visiting delegation from the Palestinian Fatah movement, which was led by Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Fatah Central Committee, according to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement. The discussions focused on recent developments amid the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, which the ministry statement described as a "dangerous Israeli escalation," Xinhua news agency reported. The foreign minister outlined Egypt's efforts to restore a ceasefire and resume humanitarian aid flows into the besieged Gaza Strip, emphasising Cairo's support for the Palestinian Authority (PA). Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's "complete rejection" of ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank, condemning what he termed Israel's "aggressive policy" and use of force in disregard of international humanitarian law. He also stressed Egypt's opposition to any displacement of Palestinians from their land and mentioned an Arab-Islamic plan for Gaza's reconstruction. Egypt continues to push for strengthened Palestinian unity under the PA, Abdelatty said, aiming for a permanent solution based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. For its part, the Fatah delegation briefed Abdelatty on the efforts made by the movement to achieve internal Palestinian reconciliation, a step it viewed as vital toward establishing an independent Palestinian state, according to Palestinian official news agency WAFA. The delegation also thanked Egypt for its coordinated efforts with all parties concerned to restore the Gaza ceasefire and end the suffering of the Palestinian people, WAFA reported. Egypt, alongside Qatar and the US, has been mediating between Israel and Palestinian factions. At least 1,309 Palestinians were killed and 3,184 others injured since Israel resumed strikes on March 18 across the Gaza Strip, local health authorities reported Saturday. New Delhi, April 6 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his heartfelt wishes to the people of the state on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, emphasising that Lord Ram is the formula of India's "Unity in Diversity." New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his heartfelt wishes to the people of the state on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, emphasising that Lord Ram is the formula of Indiaas "Unity in Diversity." In a post shared on the social media platform X, CM Yogi described Ram as "the ideal of humanity, the best form of religion, our adorable dignity Purushottam Lord Shri Ram." He further added, "Ram is in the faith, dignity and philosophy of India. Ram is the formula of India's 'Unity in Diversity.' May the grace of Lord Rama, the centre of faith of the people, rest upon the universe. I pray that everyone will be well. This holy festival of Shri Ram Navami is an opportunity to resolve to translate the teachings and ideals of the dignified Purushottam Lord Shri Ram into our personality. Hail to the merciful Lord Shri Ram!" The celebration of Ram Navami is one of the most significant events, particularly in the holy city of Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram. In light of the grand celebrations, authorities have made comprehensive arrangements to ensure the safety and convenience of pilgrims. Ayodhya has been divided into different zones and sectors to manage the influx of devotees, with strict security measures in place. IG Ayodhya range, Praveen Kumar, revealed that heavy vehicles would be diverted via the Purvanchal Expressway to prevent any inconvenience for the pilgrims. Additionally, paramilitary forces, along with PAC and civil police, will be deployed to maintain law and order. NDRF, SDRF, and water police teams have also been placed on high alert around the Saryu River. In order to ensure the smooth functioning of temple visits, special passes for the Ram Temple will be cancelled during peak hours, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Priority will be given to regular pilgrims during these hours. Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal reassured the public that all preparations have been completed, with the administration fully geared up to ensure a hassle-free experience for the pilgrims coming to Ayodhya for the Ram Navami festivities. New Delhi, April 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended his heartfelt greetings to the nation on the occasion of Ram Navami, emphasising that the holy festival of Lord Shri Ram's birth would bring new consciousness and energy to the country. Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi wrote, "Many best wishes to all countrymen on Ram Navami. May this holy occasion of the birth anniversary of Lord Shri Ram bring new consciousness and new enthusiasm in your life, which will constantly provide new energy to the resolve of a strong, prosperous and capable India. Jai Shri Ram!" PM Modi also announced his plans for the day, sharing his visit to Tamil Nadu, saying, "Looking forward to being in Rameswaram later today!" As part of his Ram Navami celebrations, the Prime Minister is set to inaugurate the new Pamban Rail Bridge in Rameswaram, which will enhance connectivity between the mainland and the island, benefiting local communities and boosting regional development. Earlier, PM Modi shared on X, "Tomorrow, 6th April, on the very auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, I look forward to being among my sisters and brothers of Tamil Nadu. The new Pamban Rail Bridge will be inaugurated. I will pray at the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple." This marks the Prime Minister's special visit to the holy city, where he will also lay the foundation stone and inaugurate development projects worth Rs 8,300 crore in Tamil Nadu. Following his diplomatic trip to Sri Lanka and participation in the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand, PM Modi will spend Ram Navami in Tamil Nadu focusing on enhancing both India's spiritual and infrastructural development. The inauguration of the Pamban Rail Bridge is expected to significantly boost connectivity and economic development in the region. Addis Ababa, April 6 : As Africa faces an "unprecedented surge" in public health emergencies, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called on African countries to strengthen domestic financing mechanisms to address emerging and existing public health challenges. The Africa CDC made the call in two latest reports -- Africa CDC Annual Report 2024 and Africa's Health Financing in a New Era Report, both released Thursday. Highlighting the agency's strides in promoting disease control and health security across Africa, the two reports list challenges that risk reversing the continent's decades of progress in public health, Xinhua news agency reproted. Data from the African Union's specialised healthcare agency show that the continent, over the past 24 months, has witnessed an "unprecedented surge in public health emergencies," rising by about 41 per cent -- from 152 disease outbreaks in 2022 to 213 in 2024. It said the surge in disease outbreaks has placed "immense pressure on already fragile health systems, exposing deep-seated vulnerabilities and severely weakening the continent's capacity for timely and effective response." Africa's health sector is facing a financing crisis, driven by a sharp decline of 70 per cent in official development assistance from 2021 to 2025, the Africa CDC said. It noted that the situation is further worsened by the continent's heavy external dependency with over 90 per cent of vaccines, medicines and diagnostics being externally sourced, leaving countries vulnerable to global supply chain shocks. "Without decisive action, Africa CDC projects the continent could reverse two decades of health progress, face two to four million additional preventable deaths annually. A total of 39 million more Africans could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to intertwined health and economic shocks," the Africa CDC said in its health financing report. Underscoring its commitment to addressing the continent's public health challenges, the Africa CDC, in its annual report, outlined achievements across six strategic priority areas. These priorities include strengthening integrated health systems, promoting local manufacturing of health products, enhancing early warning and surveillance systems, fortifying national public health institutes, improving laboratory systems and networks, as well as ensuring robust emergency preparedness and response to health threats. The report highlighted the Africa CDC's "instrumental role" in supporting national responses to several major public health emergencies in 2024, including in addressing the mpox outbreak that affected over 20 African countries and the Marburg virus disease in Rwanda, while also supporting 15 African countries dealing with cholera outbreaks. New York, April 6 : US President Donald Trump's administration is sending a senior State Department official to Pakistan to "underscore" counterterrorism cooperation while looking at promoting economic ties. New York, April 6 (IANS) US President Donald Trump's administration is sending a senior State Department official to Pakistan to "underscore" counterterrorism cooperation while looking at promoting economic ties. The State Department said on Saturday that Eric Meyer, the senior official of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, will lead an interagency delegation on a three-day visit to Islamabad. It said Meyer will "engage with senior officials to underscore the vital importance of our continued collaboration on counterterrorism". Meyer "will meet with senior Pakistani officials to expand opportunities for American businesses in Pakistan and promote the deepening of economic ties between our two countries", it said. The media note highlighted the delegation's intent to "advance US interests in the critical minerals sector at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum". The top US regional position, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, is vacant, and Trump's nominee Paul Kapur is awaiting Senate approval. Former President Joe Biden had virtually ostracised the military-backed governments of Pakistan and had not invited any of its prime ministers to Washington or visited that country. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made overtures to Trump by capturing ISIS-Khorhasan leader Mohammad Sharifullah, the mastermind of the suicide bombing that killed 13 US military personnel near the Kabul Airport during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2023 and handing him over to the US. In his address to Congress last month, Trump thanked Pakistan "for helping to arrest this monster". Sharifullah's capture and extradition was Pakistan's attempt to show it could if it wanted to cooperate with the US on counterterrorism. With that out of the way, the Trump administration which has fewer ideological compunctions and takes a transactional approach, is now viewing Pakistan's business potential as seen in the Meyer delegation's agenda. Islamabad has launched a campaign to promote its mineral resources, drawing the attention of Washington, which is looking for strategic minerals. The Mineral Forum that Meyer will be attending says on its website that its mission is to "establish Pakistan as a key force in the global mining economy, leveraging its vast mineral wealth to drive ... global supply chain resilience". Pakistan's media has been touting the availability of copper, chromite (from which chromium is derived) and, even, lithium needed for large batteries. US trade with Pakistan was only $7.3 billion in 2024, with the US running a deficit of about $3 billion. Trump announced last week that he is imposing a 29 per cent reciprocal tariff on Pakistan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. During her current working visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana, Trend reports. The Speakers voiced the shared satisfaction with the successful development of the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel. Particular emphasis was placed on the broad ongoing co-operation in the economic, trade and energy sectors. The exceptional role of high-level visits and meetings in advancing the bilateral ties was also highlighted. It was remarked during the conversation that the ties between the legislative bodies contribute to the development of the relations of the two countries. They emphasised that mutual visits and constructive dialogue help further deepen the co-operation. Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova spoke about Azerbaijans deeply rooted traditions of tolerance and multiculturalism. She said that the representatives of various communities, including the Jewish community, live in an atmosphere of peace, tranquillity and mutual understanding. There are traditional, historically established friendly relations between Azerbaijanis and Jews. It was also said that the Azerbaijani diaspora in Israel and our compatriots of Jewish origin living in the country make a significant contribution to the development of the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel. The Speaker of the Israeli Knesset thanked the Government of Azerbaijan for preserving and promoting the values of peace and coexistence. He expressed his satisfaction with the current relations between Israel and Azerbaijan. They also exchanged views upon other matters of joint interest. Jammu, April 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir starting Sunday, during which he will tour a forward post along the India-Pakistan border and review the overall security situation in the union territory. Officials said that the union home minister will reach here this evening. He is scheduled to review security, meet BJP MLAs and visit the international border. He will also meet the families of martyred policemen and take stock of developmental projects in the UT. HM Shah is expected to arrive here around 6 p.m. Dr Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for State (PMO), will also arrive in Jammu later in the day to join the home minister during his 3-day visit. His meeting with the BJP MLAs is scheduled for around 8 p.m. at the party headquarters in the Trikuta Nagar area of the city. He will visit the Vinay border outpost of the BSF on the international border in the Kathua district on the morning of April 7. Families of policemen martyred while fighting the terrorists in Kathua will meet the home minister at the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon. The Union Home Minister will give appointment letters to some of the members of the martyrsa families at the Raj Bhawan. He will leave for Srinagar late afternoon on April 7. He is scheduled to take stock of developmental projects at 11 a.m. at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on April 8. This will be followed by a security review meeting at 1 p.m. again at the Raj Bhawan. He will review the security situation in J&K with special reference to the Jammu region, where infiltration attempts and movement of terrorists in the upper reaches of Kathua, Udhampur and other districts have taken place. Officials said the home ministeras focus will be on zero infiltration and the elimination of terrorists from the mountains and forests of the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. Union home secretary Govind Mohan, home ministry officials dealing with J&K, heads of Intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces will join the security review meeting in Srinagar. HM Shah will return to New Delhi in the afternoon on April 8. Chennai, April 6 : The coastal town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district has been placed under heavy police security as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive here on Sunday for a series of official engagements, including the inauguration of the iconic Pamban Bridge. A robust security arrangement has been put in place with the deployment of 2,700 police personnel. The security detail includes the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the South Zone, two Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), 12 Superintendents of Police (SPs), 13 Additional SPs, and 35 Deputy SPs. One of the key highlights of the Prime Minister's visit is the inauguration of India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge at Pamban. The 2.08-kilometre-long bridge, constructed for Rs 550 crore, boasts 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift section capable of rising to 17 metres. Designed with provisions for dual rail tracks to meet future demands, the bridge is an indigenous engineering feat. A standout feature of the new Pamban Bridge is its vertical lift span, weighing 660 metric tons. This structure can be elevated vertically to allow the passage of ships beneath -- an innovation developed entirely using Indian technology. The bridge is expected to significantly boost connectivity to Rameswaram, a revered pilgrimage destination, enhancing travel convenience for thousands of pilgrims and tourists. During his visit, PM Modi will also flag off a new train service between Rameswaram and Tambaram in Chennai, further enhancing regional connectivity. Preparations for the Prime Minister's visit have been underway for weeks. On March 22, a high-level team led by Additional General Manager Kaushal Kishore conducted an extensive inspection of key sites in Rameswaram and Pamban. The team, which included Madurai Divisional Railway Manager Sharad Srivastava and other senior officials, reviewed critical infrastructure and logistical arrangements at locations such as the Ramanathaswamy temple premises, Mandapam camp helipad, Kunthukal, Mandapam railway station, and the Pamban road bridge. Following the inspections, a high-level review meeting involving top railway officials, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence personnel was held to ensure a smooth and secure inauguration event. The Indian Railways, in a statement released on April 5, said: "Bridging the past, lifting the new, Pamban stands tall with a breathtaking view. This Ram Navami, witness the unveiling of India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge." The statement added that the bridge connects Rameswaram to the mainland and symbolises Indian engineering excellence on the global stage. Prime Minister Modi is also expected to visit the historic Ramanathaswamy Temple around 12.45 p.m. In addition, he will lay the foundation stones for a range of infrastructure projects worth Rs 8,300 crore. These include major highway developments such as the four-laning of the 28-km Walajapet-Ranipet section of NH 40, dedication of the 29-km four-laned Villupuram-Puducherry stretch of NH 332, the 57-km Poondiyankuppam-Sattanathapuram section of NH 32 and the 48-km Cholapuram-Thanjavur section of NH 36. These road projects are expected to significantly improve access to pilgrimage centers and tourist destinations while benefiting local farmers by facilitating easier transportation of agricultural produce and enhancing market reach for small-scale industries. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has in his second term, made reforms in federal governance a key component of his MAGA drive. He has established a new department- the Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE)- under his closest confidant Elon Musk and given him a free hand in downsising the various wings of the federal government. The President is validating decisions of Musk by issuing Executive Orders on a running basis. DOGE has evidently discovered systemic corruption on a large scale and found legitimate grounds for enforcing cost-effectiveness. Efficiency, by definition, is a measure of output per unit of resource- money and manpower in this case- and it is enhanced if the number of employees doing a job is reduced to the optimal minimum and likewise, if procedures are pruned to ensure that a task was completed in the minimal number of operational steps. India has had a history of Administrative Reforms Commissions (ARCs) producing voluminous reports that only added to the size of bureaucracy and left behind no lasting impressions. It is interesting to note that Prime Minister Modias call for aminimum government maximum governancea for India is what seemingly was being implemented by DOGE in America. However, it is the large-scale lay-offs ordered at one go and the quick-fix style of working of the new department under Elon Musk, that has created a stir leading to many orders being challenged in the District Courts. The Trump Administration was not deterred by any of this- it seemed to be confident about pushing the judicial process through the Court of Appeals and even the Supreme Court. Education and Health are the two basic concerns of the national government in a democratic dispensation for they laid the foundation for producing the right kind of electorate - apart from meeting the obligation of awelfarisma that had to be discharged by a democratic state. These two wings of the government are interestingly, the first among the segments targeted by DOGE for downsising through lay-offs. Trump signed an executive order dismantling the Department of Education on March 20 but even before that on March 12 nearly 50 per cent of the departmentas workforce had been laid off. Trump said he wanted to areturn education back to the statesa, derided the department as awasteful and polluted by liberal ideologya and in a strong comment declared that athe experiment of controlling American education through federal programmes and dollars has failed our children, our teachers and our familiesa. Federal actions have already been initiated against Ivy League schools, Columbia and Harvard, over alleged harassment of Jewish students. The Trump Administration has suspended several dozen federally funded research grants to Princeton University as part of its investigation into campus anti-Semitic activity. Unsurprisingly, Civil Rights groups saw all of this as a policy going against principles of equality and equability and warned of the return of civil rights violations in schools. Established in 1979 the Department of Education oversees funding for public schools, monitors student loans and runs programmes that help low-income group students. Trump has accused the department of aindoctrinating young people with racial and political materiala. He thought it was not the business of Education to handle loans and assigned this function to the Treasury. Trump has also curtailed USAID funding because of his basic aversion to civil society groups promoting left-liberalism in the name of human rights. Robert F Kennedy Jr, Secretary Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced major changes at HHS bringing down the divisions from 28 to 15 through internal mergers, indicating that mass layoffs were in the offing to reduce the full-time HHS workforce of 82,000 by about 25 per cent -saving 1.8 billion a year -and contended that the department awill do more with lessa. Kennedy went on record to say that in one instance adefiant bureaucratsa impeded his officeas effort to access the closely guarded database that might reveal the adangers of certain drugsa. It is clear that one reform the Trump Administration is pressing for is to break the stranglehold of bureaucracy that tended to become an aautonomous power centrea itself in a democratic dispensation by invoking rules and procedures. This can be regarded as a valid reform if the efficient delivery of public services was being aimed at a striking example of this was the discovery by DOGE that 3.2 million individuals aged 120 years were still on social security record. One new division called the aAdministration of a Healthy Americaa has been created to replace five former divisions including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Administration for Community Living that dealt with older people and people with disabilities- these were redistributed to other divisions. It seems for the first time Secretaries of various departments have been tasked directly by DOGE to carry out an in-depth examination of the ways and means of making federal governance cost-effective and consequently more efficient. National media is another area of the scan by the Trump Administration- a major decision taken by it is to dismantle the Voice of America (VOA)- the government-funded international news service whose 1200 employees were put on paid leave. Trump has been against VOA for its alleged bias against conservative Americans and has not taken kindly to VOA praising Chinaas effort to control the COVID-19 virus. A district judge, meanwhile, in response to a suit filed on March 21, restrained the US Agency for Global Media(USAGM) which oversees VOA from shutting down its broadcast. The judge took the view that USAGM cannot usurp Congressas power of the purse and its legislative supremacy. Notices of termination were meanwhile sent by the Trump Administration also to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty whose President Stephen Capus said that this decision is aa massive gift to Americaas enemiesa. President Trumpas executive order for significant pruning of government agencies covered the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness. Significantly these measures are projected as steps for areducing bureaucracya and government expenditure and the heads of the named agencies have been asked to report to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget what part of the expenditure was statutorily required to be granted. All this suggests that a comprehensively thought-out plan of reducing the size of the federal government was in play in which ideological intolerance of the advocacy of aliberalisma considered not in alignment with America First, was discernible. The consequences of some of the precipitating moves of President Trump like declaring a anational emergencya for turning out all illegal immigrants from the US that allowed the use of the Army to block the southern border and induction of Homeland Security for hounding out such individuals, the large scale lay-offs ordered by DOGE to make the governance cost-effective and aggressive adoption of aAmerica Firsta in foreign policy, trade and tariff as also in the matter of preference to Americans in jobs, are showing up. H1B visas that attracted bright students to America have become uncertain, denial of citizenship by birth has impeded the prospect of long-term settlement in the US of individuals who were willing to give their best there and the perceived discrimination in the policy towards outsiders, have all produced a certain degree of uncertainty and unpredictability in that country. Sweeping changes in the federal research policy and funding have reportedly led to many US-based scientists contemplating shifting to Europe or Canada. Post-doctoral and PhD students are also likely to decline in number for the same reason. It can be said, however, that unbridled freedom to run down a democratic regime through anarrative buildinga or to take to the path of narcotics trade or human trafficking as a freedom of avocation, had to be put under a centralised check. Trump's domestic and international policies have been implemented simultaneously, but it is important to consider whether, if given time to develop, they would restore stability for legitimate immigrants. In great enthusiasm for implementing coordinated decisions quickly, the team of top Trump advisors apparently slipped up on the security front while using the encrypted Signal platform for a group chat relating to the plans of missile and drone launches against Houthis of Yemen. Houthis had been attacking the ships carrying Western aid for Israel through the Red Sea. The Editor of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, who is virulently opposed to Trump got access to the chat in advance of the discussion on the plans to attack Houthis. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz owned responsibility for the leak -said to have been caused by a technical glitch -and President Trump responded by saying that a lesson had been learnt and that the Administration would move away from the messaging platform. aWar plans with timelinesa can not be discussed online- nothing is more important than this to warrant top advisors finding time to meet across the table in a confidential environment and comply with the aneed to knowa principle. Speedy decision-making may require sacrifice of convenience but it can never be at the cost of security. No policy maker is above briefing for security orientation and the norms of this would ideally be set by the Director of National Intelligence in the US context. India has done well to approach the Trump Administration with an understanding of the latteras security and economic concerns and work for maintaining strategic friendship between the two democracies. Trump has a certain potential for handling the worldas trouble spots in a manner that checks escalation and gives a push towards resolution. In opposing aIslamic terrorisma and countering an aggressive China, India and the US remain on the same side of the fence regarding and trade & tariffs as well as immigration, Indiaas response of reason might help to sort out the issues and keep Indo-US relations smooth. In the final analysis India as a major power having a say in the global issues of peace and economic development has the locus standi to sustain bilateral relationship with the Trump Presidency in a spirit of upholding the national interests of both the countries. (The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau) New Delhi, April 6 : On the occasion of the 45th Sthapna Diwas of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior party leaders extended heartfelt wishes to lakhs of workers and paid rich tributes to the founding fathers of the party. Marking the day as one of commitment, they reaffirmed their dedication to the goal of building a 'Viksit Bharat' under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP was established on April 6, 1980, during a workers' convention at the Kotla Ground in New Delhi, where Atal Bihari Vajpayee was elected the party's first president. However, its ideological and organisational roots can be traced back to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, founded by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951. The Jana Sangh emerged in opposition to the dominance of the Indian National Congress and was formed in collaboration with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), widely regarded as its political arm. Union Minister Amit Shah posted on X, "Hearty congratulations to all the workers on the 45th Sthapna Diwas of the world's largest political organisation, Bharatiya Janata Party. On this occasion, I salute all those great men who sowed the seeds of patriotism in the foundation of the BJP and created a banyan tree of crores of patriots. Under the leadership of PM Modi, BJP will continue to work towards building a developed and best India in every field." BJP National President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda also paid tribute to the founding members and senior leaders of the organisation, acknowledging their sacrifices and unwavering dedication. "Today, on the 'Sthapna Diwas' of the Bharatiya Janata Party, I pay my heartfelt tributes to all the founding fathers and senior leaders of the organisation, who nurtured the creation and expansion of the party with their blood and sweat and remained constantly engaged with it with all their heart and soul," he said Nadda further stated, "On this occasion, I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the workers, brothers and sisters across the country who have strengthened the organisation at the booth level and made BJP the biggest political party in the world." He credited the Modi government for its unwavering commitment to the vision of a Viskit Bharat, along with "realising the resolution of Antyodaya." "Today, on this auspicious day, I appeal to millions of my BJP workers to be determined to establish 'Maa Bharti' at the pinnacle of glory and make their valuable contribution to the progress of every section of the society," the BJP chief added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the party's inclusive ethos and its growing influence. "On the foundation day of BJP, I congratulate and extend my heartfelt best wishes to all BJP workers. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has become the pivot of Indian politics today. BJP is a party that takes along all sections of society and is dedicated to the development and welfare of all. Whether it is the central government or its state governments, this is fully reflected in the functioning of all," he posted. "BJP is the only party in India today that is working as a representative of the aspirations of the poor, Dalits, deprived and exploited sections of the society. BJP is the only party that knows how to coordinate between national aspirations as well as regional aspirations. Today, under the leadership of Modiji, the BJP is working with the resolve of a developed India, and the people of the country also have full faith that this resolve will certainly be fulfilled in 2047," he added. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar extended his greetings and stated, "Heartiest greetings to all the workers of Bharatiya Janata Party on its 45th Sthapana Diwas. With the spirit of Nation First, we are committed to building a developed and prosperous India." Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the BJP's nationalist spirit and mass connection. "Connected with the soil of India, representing the great men of India and the soul of India, dedicated to service, good governance and welfare of the poor with the spirit of 'Rashtra Sarvopari' (Nation above all), hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the dedicated, nationalistic, people-oriented workers on the Sthapana Diwas of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the largest political party in the world!" he wrote on X. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also joined the celebrations. "Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the workers on the Sthapna Diwas of Bharatiya Janata Party, the world's largest political organisation dedicated day and night in the service of nation-building and Maa Bharati, dedicated to integral humanism, cultural nationalism and upliftment of the poor," he added. He further noted, "Under the able leadership of PM Modi, every worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party is working with determination to establish India on the world stage as a strong, prosperous and powerful nation by discharging the Panchnishtha principles." Though formally launched in 1980, the BJP's ideological foundation is deeply rooted in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. According to the party's official website, the post-independence era saw growing discomfort among nationalist citizens, especially after the demise of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. With what the party, on its website, describes as "Nehru's authoritarianism" gaining ground in the Congress, concerns arose over policies like minority appeasement, the license-permit-quota system, national security issues, and what was perceived as weak stances on Kashmir and other international matters. "Frustrated by 'Nehruism' and India's silence on the atrocities being committed on Hindu minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee resigned from the Nehru cabinet," reads the BJP website. It further notes, "As a result, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh was established on October 21, 1951, in Delhi's Raghomal Arya Kanya High School under the chairmanship of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee." Anuradhapura, April 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday received a ceremonial Guard of Honour from the Sri Lankan Air Force upon his arrival at the historic city of Anuradhapura, where he, along with Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, will inaugurate major India-assisted infrastructure projects. The two leaders jointly inaugurated the upgraded railway track of the Maho-Omanthai line and the newly constructed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway segment. Both projects have been developed with Indian assistance, further deepening the robust infrastructure partnership between the two nations. Upon his arrival, PM Modi was warmly received by President Dissanayake. Sharing a moment from the visit on X, the Prime Minister posted, "In Anuradhapura with my friend, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake." Both leaders will also visit the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple, which holds immense spiritual and civilizational significance for India and Sri Lanka. The temple is home to a Bodhi tree believed to have been grown from a sapling brought from India by Theri Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka. Highlighting the importance of the visit on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "On April 6, President Dissanayake and the Prime Minister will travel together to the historic city of Anuradhapura. They will pay their respects at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple, which holds a special significance in the India-Sri Lanka Civilizational Partnership. The sapling brought by Theri Sanghamitta from India was planted in the precincts of this temple." "During the visit to Anuradhapura, the two leaders will also inaugurate two India-assisted projects. The Prime Minister will then leave for home later on April 6," he added. Ahead of the inauguration ceremony at Anuradhapura Railway Station, local residents gathered in large numbers to welcome the Indian Prime Minister. Expressing joy, a local told IANS, "I am very happy. We all are really happy. We are proud that the Indian Prime Minister is here. We hope our city grows like this." Speaking to IANS, another resident said, "We thank PM Modi for coming here for the inauguration. This railway was very important for us." The upgraded railway projects have been executed by IRCON International Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. Speaking to IANS, IRCON CMD Hari Mohan Gupta said, "Today, is a very fortunate day that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of Sri Lanka together are dedicating to the nation an upgraded railway project spanning 128 kilometres." On Saturday, PM Modi and President Dissanayake held comprehensive discussions aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations. Prime Minister Modi was also conferred the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan, one of the country's highest civilian honours, underscoring the enduring friendship and deep-rooted historical ties between India and Sri Lanka. The day also saw the signing and exchange of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across multiple sectors, with both leaders jointly unveiling key India-supported initiatives. Anuradhapura, April 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, visited the Jaya Shri Mahabodhi Temple in Anuradhapura to seek blessings. The chief priest of the temple tied a 'Raksha Sutra' (protective thread) on Prime Minister Modi's hand as he sought blessings at the temple. This temple holds immense spiritual and civilisational significance for India and Sri Lanka. The temple is home to a Bodhi tree believed to have been grown from a sapling brought from India by Theri Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka. Highlighting the importance of the visit on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "On April 6, President Dissanayake and the Prime Minister will travel together to the historic city of Anuradhapura. They will pay their respects at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple, which holds a special significance in the India-Sri Lanka Civilisational Partnership. The sapling brought by Theri Sanghamitta from India was planted in the precincts of this temple." PM Modi arrived in the historic city of Anuradhapura earlier in the day, where he received a Guard of Honour from the Sri Lankan Air Force. Upon his arrival in the historic city, PM Modi was warmly received by President Dissanayake. Sharing a moment from the visit on X, the Prime Minister posted, "In Anuradhapura with my friend, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake." The two leaders will also jointly inaugurate the upgraded railway track of the Maho-Omanthai line and the newly constructed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway segment. Both projects have been developed with Indian assistance, further deepening the robust infrastructure partnership between the two nations. The upgraded railway projects have been executed by IRCON International Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. On Saturday, PM Modi and President Dissanayake held comprehensive discussions aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations. Prime Minister Modi was also conferred the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan, one of the country's highest civilian honours, underscoring the enduring friendship and deep-rooted historical ties between India and Sri Lanka. The day also saw the signing and exchange of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across multiple sectors, with both leaders jointly unveiling key India-supported initiatives. Mumbai, April 6 : Actress and politician Smriti Irani is set to return to the iconic television show 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. As the excitement for the actress returning to the show swirls, he husband has issued a big statement on the Waqf Bill and the New Education Policy. On Sunday, Zubin took to his Instagram and shared a set of two pictures across the timeline. The first picture seems to be a fresh click. It shows the couple posing for the camera. The second picture is clicked by Zubin, and captures Smriti in her kitchen. Zubin, who rarely uses social media, also penned a long note in the caption lauding his wife's "silent courage" and her determination to shape the "foundations of change". He wrote, "In all my years of watching Smriti navigate the turbulent waters of Indian politics, I've rarely taken to social media to speak about her work. But this weekend, something shifted-not as somebody who has walked beside her through the years, but as a citizen of this country who belongs to a true minority who has witnessed something extraordinary". He called the passing of the Waqf Bill a bold and necessary decision that was long overdue. He further mentioned, "It wasn't just a legislative victory, it was a moment of quiet courage, led by someone who has always worked behind the scenes, never chasing headlines, only justice. And what so few still realize is that the foundation of the National Education Policy-its vision, its first draft, its very backbone-was also laid by her when she was HRD Minister. I watched you, Smriti, not just as a minister, but as a relentless, unyielding force shaping two of the most pivotal policies in modern India. The countless nights you spent reading, drafting, re-drafting, and standing your ground-never for personal glory, always for the people-remain etched in my mind. Your work wasn't performance. It was purpose. Smriti has never chased credit. She has stood unwavering in service of the party and the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision-often without applause, often without acknowledgment.Destiny perhaps hasn't yet handed her the administrative credit many believe she deserves. But behind the curtain, she has been the quiet architect of transformation-brick by brick, policy by policy". Zubin shared that his wife's contributions have been relentless, remarkable, and deeply rooted in conviction, not ambition. "While others sought the spotlight, she chose the grind, and in doing so, she has shaped the very foundations of change. Today, I want to honour that silence. That grit. That unwavering loyalty to a greater cause. Thank you, Smriti not just as someone who knows you intimately, but as a citizen who has watched you carry the weight of transformation without complaint, without compromise. Yours has never been a pursuit of power, but of purpose. What you've given to this nation is not just politics, it is legacy, carved with passion, sacrifice, and integrity, and I hope one day the world sees what I've quietly witnessed all along", he added. Colombo, April 6 : In a significant gesture underscoring growing bilateral goodwill, Sri Lanka on Sunday released 14 Indian fishermen, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the island nation. The release followed detailed discussions between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake earlier on Saturday, during which the long-standing issue of fishermen's arrests was taken up. The Prime Minister, during his remarks at a joint press briefing, said, "We discussed the fishermen's issues. We agreed that we should move forward in this matter with a humane approach. We stressed the immediate release of the fishermen and the return of their boats." The arrest of Indian fishermen, primarily from Tamil Nadu, by Sri Lankan authorities for alleged poaching in Sri Lankan waters has been a recurring point of tension. Since the beginning of 2025, 119 Indian fishermen and 16 fishing boats have reportedly been apprehended by Sri Lankan forces, raising concerns among coastal communities and prompting repeated appeals for intervention. Addressing a press conference following the talks, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "We have been informed that the Sri Lankan authorities have taken a decision to release 11 fishermen imminently, and perhaps a few more in the coming days." "This was a subject that was discussed in considerable detail between the two sides. As the Prime Minister said himself during his remarks, there was an emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides," Misri added. The release of 14 Indian fishermen comes amid a series of key diplomatic and developmental engagements during PM Modi's visit, which included the joint inauguration of India-backed railway projects such as the upgraded Maho-Omanthai railway track and the newly constructed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura segment. In a historic gesture, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan award -- one of the island nation's highest civilian honours. The accolade recognises not only India's steadfast support to Sri Lanka but also PM Modi's commitment to deepening bilateral relations. On Saturday, the two leaders also witnessed the signing and exchange of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across sectors, including infrastructure, energy, and development cooperation. On Saturday evening, President Dissanayake hosted a State Banquet at the President's House in honour of Prime Minister Modi. Extending a warm welcome, the Sri Lankan President said the visit would further expand avenues of cooperation and deepen the friendship between the peoples of the two countries. "We are known for our hospitality and extend a warm welcome to all visitors. In particular, I recall that our friends from across the Palk Strait are received with the utmost warmth and affection," President Dissanayake said. "We hope to see the citizens of your nation visiting this wonderful island continually, where they will meet warm-hearted communities," he further said. "We eagerly anticipate your return, ready to welcome you back with open arms. We sincerely convey our heartfelt wishes for the good health of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and for continued progress and prosperity of Indian citizens, as well as for the strengthening cooperation and friendship between our two nations," the Sri Lankan President added. Imphal, April 6 : The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided Rs 217 crore as financial support in the last fiscal year (2024-25) for relief and rehabilitation measures for those people displaced due to the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3, 2023, officials said here on Sunday. More than 50,000 men, women, and children have been staying in around 250 relief camps in many districts after they were displaced from their homes and villages soon after the ethnic violence broke out 23 months ago. Several thousand prefabricated houses were constructed across various districts of Manipur for the violence-hit families who are currently living in relief camps. A senior official of the Manipur Finance Department said in the recently ended financial year (2024-25) massive support was received from the Central government in different sectors. He said that in March (2025), Rs 1,926 crore of Central assistance was received in the form of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) and other Central schemes. This is the highest ever receipt of such assistance in a month. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had recently assured support for Manipur under SASCI. A total of Rs 1,437 crore was received under SASCI in the last financial year, which is the highest receipt ever in a financial year. Sixty per cent of the support, amounting to Rs 869 crore, was received in March alone. The SASCI funding also included a special funding of Rs 320 crore for clearing liabilities of ongoing and recently completed works of PWD. The official said that in the fiscal year 2024-25, Rs 169 crore was received as funding for Rural Housing under PMAY-Grameen. About Rs 520 crore was received for School Education, Rs 305 crore for Health and Rs 458 crore from the Ministry of Women and Child Development. For the first time, an additional (fifth) instalment under the National Health Mission, beyond the usual four instalments, was received. As Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February 13, Union Finance Minister on March 10 presented in the Lok Sabha the state budget for 2025-26, proposing an expenditure of Rs 35,104 crore, up from the revised estimates of Rs 32,657 crore in the current financial year (2024-25). Jammu, April 6 : A soldier was killed on Sunday in an accidental fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. Officials said the soldier, identified as 27-year-old Vijay Kumar of Rajasthan, was found dead on duty this morning. "He was immediately shifted to the hospital where doctors said he was dead on arrival. Police have registered a case in this incident to ascertain the actual cause of death. Preliminary investigation indicates the soldier died of accidental fire from his own service rifle," the officials said. It must be recalled that the Army and the security forces are maintaining high vigil in the districts of Jammu division, including Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Udhampur and Ramban after movements of terrorists were reported from these areas. On March 23, five terrorists were seen in the Sanyal village of the Kathua district. The police team immediately engaged the terrorists in an encounter in which two terrorists were killed and four local policemen were martyred. Joint forces later engaged the remaining three terrorists in Safiyan Jakhole village in an encounter. Joint forces later extended the area of the 'seek & destroy' operation to higher reaches of the Kathua and Rajouri districts. A brief exchange of gunfire took place on Friday between the security forces and the terrorists in the Billawar area of the Kathua district. The upper reaches of the Kathua district border with Kishtwar, and other parts of the Jammu division have witnessed increased security activity following the targeted attacks by Pakistan-backed terrorists. To ensure that the terrorists are not able to carry out hit-and-run attacks, Para commandos of the Army and the CRPF troopers have been deployed in the higher reaches of these districts and deep inside the forested areas. The presence of foreign mercenaries in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Kathua districts have prompted the joint forces to revise their strategy. The revised strategy includes targeting terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers, who, according to Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, form part of the Pakistan-backed terror ecosystem. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has issued an appeal to the international community following another mine explosion that seriously injured four civilians, including children, Trend reports. As a result of another mine explosion that occurred today, four Azerbaijani citizens, including small children, were seriously injured. Since the beginning of the 2020 war, 392 people have been killed or injured as a result of mine contamination left by Armenia, the ministry said in a statement. The Foreign Ministry called on the international community to recognize the urgency of mine action, to support Azerbaijans ongoing demining efforts, and to hold Armenia accountable for what it described as deliberate and large-scale mining. We call on the international community to recognize the urgency of mine action, to support Azerbaijans efforts in this direction and to hold Armenia accountable for its deliberate and large-scale mine threat, which endangers the lives of civilians and hinders the post-war reconstruction process, the ministry emphasized. Bhopal, April 6 : Police have arrested three individuals in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur in connection with an assault on clergy members within the premises of the Ranjhi police station of the city. Due to the nature of the charges -- classified as ordinary assault -- the trio was granted bail directly from the police station. "Due to legal protocols, police have chosen not to disclose the identities of the accused," a senior police official told IANS, adding, "They were charged under sections 351, 115, and 296 of the BNS Act and subsequently arrested." The matter also resonated in the Lok Sabha and the Kerala State Assembly, with Congress members staging a walkout on April 3, prompting the police to register an official complaint. However, Satish Sahu, the City Superintendent of Police, Ranjhi, had told IANS that the FIR had already been registered against unidentified individuals, relying on video evidence to track them down. As the investigation progressed, tensions escalated when activists from Hindu outfits staged a road blockade on Saturday, halting traffic on the Jabalpur-Dindori route for nearly half an hour, according to reports and police sources. The assault on clergy members at Ranjhi police station on March 31 set off a chain of events. Protesters claimed innocence for those named in the FIR, arguing that the actual culprits remain unidentified. Despite their objections, the police proceeded with the investigation, further fuelling unrest. During the blockade, police teams from Ghampaur, Khamaria, and Ranjhi stations arrived at the scene to manage the situation, the sources said. Officials assured the protesters that the investigation was being conducted impartially to restore calm. Although police officials refrained from providing detailed information about the case, sources revealed that the incident dates back to March 31, when members of certain Hindu organisations intercepted two buses carrying Christian pilgrims from Mandla. The passengers, primarily members of the tribal community, were on a religious journey. In contrast, Hindu outfit members alleged that the trip's purpose was to facilitate conversions. Tempers flared as they brought the buses to Ranjhi police station, where violence erupted against clergies who had arrived at the scene. The chaos was recorded on video, which later surfaced on various social platforms and microblogging sites. Outraged by the incident, members of the Christian community staged a demonstration on April 1 outside the Superintendent of Police's office, voicing their anger and submitting a memorandum. According to CSP Satish Kumar Sahu, police identified three suspects from the viral video, including a woman. New Delhi, April 6 : EaseMyTrip co-founder and CEO Rikant Pittie has strongly supported Union Minister Piyush Goyal's recent remarks on the need for genuine innovation in India's startup ecosystem. Speaking at the Start-up Mahakumbh earlier this week, Goyal had urged entrepreneurs to move beyond chasing valuations and instead focus on creating real-world impact through deep technology and sustainable solutions. Echoing this vision, Pittie took to LinkedIn to highlight EaseMyTrip's own journey -- from being a bootstrapped startup to becoming one of India's leading travel tech platforms. He said the company has always believed in sustainable growth and long-term innovation, values that align with Goyal's call to action. "Minister Piyush Goyal's visionary leadership has long inspired us to think big, innovate relentlessly, and pursue sustainable growth," Pittie wrote. He has highlighted the importance of moving beyond quick fixes in favour of deep tech, sustainability, and long-term innovation in India's startup ecosystem. "At EaseMyTrip.com, we fully embrace this vision," his LinkedIn post reads. As part of its commitment to green mobility, Pittie revealed the company's ambitious plan to launch over 4,000 electric buses by 2028. With an initial investment of Rs 200 crore, the initiative aims to boost self-reliance in India's mobility sector and reduce dependence on foreign technology. "This isn't just about manufacturing buses, it's about transforming how we travel while creating a sustainable ecosystem that drives economic growth and empowers local talent," Pittie explained. Pittie also stressed that EaseMyTrip's growth reflects the power of homegrown innovation. He said the company has expanded globally while staying true to its roots. "Inspired by Minister Piyush Goyal's roadmap and driven by our unwavering commitment to excellence, we continue to push boundaries and set new benchmarks," he wrote. "Together, we are paving the way for a future that is electric, sustainable, and unmistakably Indian. The future is bright, and we are just getting started," he added. Mumbai, April 6 : In a heartbreaking update, actress Jacqueline Fernandez's mother, Kim Fernandez passed away on Sunday after suffering a stroke. Previously, a few media outlets published that Jacqueline's mother had left for a heavenly abode, however, the reports turned out to be false. Now, IANS has exclusively confirmed the unfortunate update that Kim Fernandez is indeed no more. For the unversed, Kim Fernandez was admitted to the ICU on March 24 after suffering a stroke. After learning about her mother's health, Jacqueline reportedly rushed home to be with her ailing mother. Kim Fernandez, who lived in Manama, Bahrain had faced such a health scare back in 2022 as well, after which she was hospitalized in Bahrain. Jacqueline and her father, Elroy Fernandez visited her mother, Kim Fernandez at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital after she was admitted following the stroke. A video of Jacqueline at the hospital was doing rounds on social media. The clip featured her rushing into the hospital to check in on her mother. She was spotted wearing a white salwar kameez while her face was covered with a mask. Her father was also visible in the videos that circulated on social media. In addition to this, Jacquelineas 'Kick' co-star, Salman Khan, was spotted by the shutterbugs at the hospital as he visited her mother. If the reports are to be believed, Jacqueline was roped in to perform at IPL 2025, however, she decided to withdraw from the event to be with her mother. According to the reports, Jacqueline was supposed to perform at the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders in Guwahati on March 26. But as luck would have it, she had to opt out to be with her loved ones during these difficult times. Kolkata, April 6 : Ignoring the denial of permission by the authorities, the activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), on Sunday, celebrated Ram Navami within the campus of Jadavpur University (JU), which is considered a stronghold of student wings affiliated to the Left forces. The authorities on Saturday said that since the university is currently running in a headless state, following the removal of the erstwhile acting vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose last month, they are not in a position to grant permission to celebrate Ram Navami within the campus. The Governor, also the chancellor of all state universities, including JU, removed Gupta from the chair, while exercising his powers. Besides denying permission to celebrate Ram Navami within the campus, the university authorities also passed a resolution on the matter. However, on Saturday only, the ABVP activists said that despite the denial of permission they were determined to celebrate Ram Navami within the campus. Accordingly, an idol of Lord Ram was brought to the campus in the night. According to the Kolkata district secretary of ABVP, Debanjan Pal, if Iftar can be celebrated within the JU campus, there should not be any problem in celebrating Ram Navami there. "The denial of permission by the university authorities was a one-sided decision. However, we were determined to go ahead with our scheduled programme despite the denial of permission, which we are doing. JU is not outside West Bengal. Barring some students affiliated with the ultra-Left forces, most students are participating in the celebration spontaneously," said Pal. Meanwhile, a 24-hour "peace room" was opened at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Sunday to get ground-level information on the situations prevailing over the Ram Navami processions in different pockets of the state. The common people have also been informed about a special helpline number and an email attached to the said "peace room" through which any information of tension over the processions can be reported immediately. A separate team has been created whose members will be in the peace room around the clock and monitor the situation on a real-time basis. Hyderabad, April 6 : Religious fervour marked the celestial wedding of Lord Ram with his consort Sita at Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam town of Telangana on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday. Thousands of devotees participated in the annual mega religious event, held amid tight security arrangements. Devotees from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh took part in the celestial wedding (Sitarama Kalyanam). Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his wife Geetha offered apattu vastralua (silk clothes) and amutyala talambralua (pearl necklaces) to the deities on behalf of the state government. Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and Chief Secretary Shanti Kumar also made offerings to the deities. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Chairman V.V.R. Naidu made the offering on behalf of TTD. The celebrations were held in a grand way in the traditional manner with the famous temple being decked up for the special occasion. A group of priests performed elaborate rituals to mark the celestial celebrations. Priests performed rituals associated with Sitarama Kalyanam. Thousands of devotees watched the annual event at Mithila Mandapam. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Minister P. Srinivas Reddy, public representatives and District Collectors of Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts participated in the annual event. Earlier, some rituals were performed in the main temple, and later, the deities were brought to the temple in a procession. The endowments department put up tents for devotees to protect them from the scorching sun. The temple authorities prepared two lakh packets of aprasadama for distribution among devotees. More than 2,000 policemen were deployed as part of the security arrangements at the temple. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Governor Jishnu Dev Varma extended their greetings to people on the occasion of Ram Navami. The Chief Minister prayed that the blessings and compassion of the Lord be upon all the people on the occasion of the divine marriage of Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy. New Delhi, April 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described Lord Ram as a "uniting force" and sought his blessings as he had 'darshan' of the sacred Ram Setu from the skies on his return journey from Sri Lanka. PM Modi termed it as a "divine coincidence" as the moment coincided with the 'Surya Tilak' ceremony being held at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on the occasion of Ram Navami. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both." "Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us. May His blessings always remain upon us," he added. As the holy city of Ayodhya marked Ram Navami, a spiritual moment unfolded in the Ram Temple when a ray of sunlight fell directly on the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol, a phenomenon revered as 'Surya Tilak'. The temple was beautifully adorned with lights and flowers as scores of devotees gathered for the celebrations. Over two lakh diyas will be lit in the evening. Drones sprayed sacred Saryu water on the crowd, adding to the grandeur of the festivities. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate several key developmental projects in Rameswaram, including India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge at Pamban. This state-of-the-art infrastructure project is a significant engineering achievement aimed at enhancing connectivity to the pilgrim town of Rameswaram. The 2.08-kilometre-long bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 550 crore, features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift section capable of rising 17 metres to allow ships to pass underneath. This 660-metric-ton lift span is a marvel of indigenous Indian technology, designed with provisions to support dual rail tracks for future expansion. A high-level review meeting was conducted involving senior railway officials, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence units to ensure seamless arrangements for the high-profile inauguration. Highlighting the bridge's cultural and technological significance, Indian Railways stated on April 5, "Bridging the past, lifting the new, Pamban stands tall with a breathtaking view. This Ram Navami, witness the unveiling of India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge." The new bridge is expected to significantly boost travel convenience for thousands of pilgrims and tourists visiting Rameswaram, a sacred destination deeply tied to the Ramayana tradition. Prime Minister Modi is also expected to visit the historic Ramanathaswamy Temple around 12.45 p.m. on Monday. The visit holds symbolic importance as it connects the infrastructural push with the cultural and spiritual fabric of the region. New Delhi, April 6 : Eternal Limited, the company formerly known as Zomato, has announced that Rinshul Chandra, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of its food ordering and delivery business, has resigned. Chandra, a key part of the companyas senior leadership, submitted his resignation on April 5 and will officially step down from his role on April 7. In a filing to the stock exchanges, the company said that Chandra is leaving to explore new opportunities and passions that match his personal and professional goals. "It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey over the past seven years, and I am truly grateful for the trust, support, and opportunities Iave received during my time here. I wish our world-class teams at Eternal the very best," he wrote. Chandra had joined the company in 2018 as Assistant Vice President of Product. Over the years, he held several important roles, including Vice President and Head of Business, before becoming the Chief Operating Officer of the food delivery division. However, Eternal Limited has not yet announced who will take over his responsibilities. This development comes at a time when the company is facing internal changes. Recently, Zomato was in the news for laying off around 600 customer support staff members within a year of hiring them, as per media reports. The company has also seen multiple high-level exits over the past year. Hemal Jain, the Global Head of Finance and CFO of Hyperpure, resigned. Co-founder and Chief People Officer Akriti Chopra also stepped down. In October last year, Independent Director Gunjan Soni resigned from her position. Zomato recently rebranded itself as Eternal, which now includes four major business units -- Zomato, Blinkit, District, and Hyperpure -- as part of its new structure. Informing shareholders, the companyas Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deepinder Goyal clarified that the name change would apply only to the company and not to the Zomato brand or its app. Chennai, April 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, inaugurated the New Pamban Railway Bridge at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district, marking a significant milestone in India's infrastructure development. The Prime Minister operated the vertical lift span of the bridge using a remote device, allowing a Coast Guard ship to pass beneath. The newly inaugurated structure is the country's first vertical lift railway sea bridge, showcasing a major leap in indigenous engineering. PM Modi also flagged off a new train service between Rameswaram and Tambaram in Chennai, further enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating smoother travel for commuters and pilgrims. Although Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was absent from the function due to prior engagements in the Nilgiris, the event saw the presence of several prominent leaders and officials. These included Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, state Minister Thangam Thennarasu, and BJP leaders K. Annamalai, Sudhakar Reddy, H. Raja, and Nainar Nagenthiran, along with Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon. Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister shared a spiritual moment from his journey, saying: "On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us. May His blessings always remain upon us." The 2.08-kilometre-long bridge, built for Rs 550 crore, features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift section capable of rising to 17 metres. Designed with provisions for dual rail tracks, the bridge is equipped to meet future transportation demands. The most striking aspect of the bridge is its vertical lift span, weighing 660 metric tons. This lift system was developed entirely with Indian technology and allows large vessels to pass beneath without interrupting rail operations. This engineering feat is expected to transform connectivity to Rameswaram, a major pilgrimage destination, making travel more convenient for thousands of devotees and tourists each year. Preparations for the Prime Minister's visit had been in full swing for weeks, including a thorough inspection of key sites in Rameswaram and Pamban. Critical infrastructure and logistics were reviewed at important locations, such as the Ramanathaswamy Temple premises, the Mandapam camp helipad, Kunthukal, the Mandapam railway station, and the Pamban road bridge. A comprehensive security review involving top officials from the railways, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies was also conducted to ensure the smooth execution of the inauguration. In a statement issued on April 5, Indian Railways said, "Bridging the past, lifting the new, Pamban stands tall with a breathtaking view. This Ram Navami, witness the unveiling of India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge." The bridge not only connects Rameswaram to the mainland but also stands as a shining example of Indian innovation and excellence on the global stage. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Quetta, April 6 : Pakistan's Balochistan National Party (BNP), continues to hold a protest on Sunday for the 10th consecutive day despite the warnings by the Balcoh government to limit its demonstration to Quetta's Shahwani Stadium. The government threatened that strict legal action would be taken against any law violations if the party marched into the provincial capital's red zone, local media reported. The protest, spearheaded by the BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal, has vowed to reach Quetta from the Lakpass area of Mastung on April 6 as the deadline for the acceptance of its demands, including the release of Mahrang Baloch, ended on Saturday midnight. The party has been protesting against the enforced disappearances of political workers in Balochistan and the illegal detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, for the last 10 days, Pakistan's leading daily, The Express Tribune, reported. Addressing a press conference on Saturday in Quetta, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind stated that the provincial government held a dialogue and proposed that BNP-M will be allowed till the Shawani Stadium on Sariab Road. However, the party did not agree and wanted to hold the demonstration in the Red Zone, and the government refused to accept that and warned of strict action if the city's Red Zone was breached. Meanwhile, BNP-M accused the government of unleashing aggressive tactics, adding that security forces have surrounded their leader, Mengal, and the people present at the sit-in protest. "We are currently stationed at Lakpass, completely encircled by security forces. A major operation against us is imminent. I call upon all districts to immediately shut down all national highways in protest. Let the world witness this injustice," Mengal posted on X. "We remain peaceful but resolute. Whatever unfolds today -- the consequences, the blood, the fallout -- will rest solely on the shoulders of the government and the local administration," he added. The sit-in protest of BNP-M continued in the Lakpass area on the outskirts of Mastung, as earlier three rounds of negotiations between the BNP-M leadership and the provincial government ended without success. The party refused to call off the protest until the release of Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders. Bhubaneswar, April 6 : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday extended greetings on the 46th foundation day of the ruling BJP, saying that the party has turned into a movement across the country. He urged the party workers to come together and work towards further strengthening the pledge to build a 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Viksit Odisha'. "Heartfelt wishes and greetings to all on the occasion of the Foundation Day of Bharatiya Janata Party, the largest political party in the world. The BJP has turned into a movement across the country with the dedicated efforts of all the members of the Party, from workers to leaders," the Chief Minister wrote on X. "Let us work in unison, remembering the unparalleled contributions by all the workers for the party as well as the strong determination and sacrifices of great men. Let us further strengthen our pledge to make a Viksit Bharat and Viksit Odisha," he added. Meanwhile, the 46th foundation day of the BJP was celebrated on Sunday at the state party office. BJP state unit President Manmohan Samal hoisted the flag. The Chief Minister and Odisha BJP in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar were also present. "Today marks the 46th foundation day of the BJP, and it coincides with the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. There is great enthusiasm among our karyakartas. Over the years, the party has gone through many struggles, and today, we are in power under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the third time, just as we were once led by the great Atal Bihari Vajpayee," said state unit President Manmohan Samal. Samal added that the party is blessed that the people of India have given it the mandate to serve them for the third time in the country and first time in Odisha. The state BJP president asserted that the BJP now represents every section of the society. "From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Dibrugarh to Gujarat, the party organisation has spread across the nation. We stand committed to the hopes and aspirations of the people. In Odisha too, the people have placed their trust in us. We are fully committed to building a Viksit Odisha and contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat. We will work tirelessly to fulfill this dream," said Samal. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. On 6 April, during her working visit to Uzbekistan, Milli Majlis Speaker Sagiba Gafarova addressed the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on "Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice" held in Tashkent, Trend reports. The Speaker of the Milli Mejlis voiced her congratulations on the occasion of the landmark event, it being the 150th Anniversary Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and thanked the Government and Senate of Uzbekistan for the high-class organisation and holding of this historic event in brotherly Uzbekistan. The theme for this General Debate is a pressing matter of the day. Unfortunately, conflicts and geopolitical tensions around the world, economic inequalities, environmental and other challenges seriously impede social development. Recent assessments show that we are severely off track to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with only seventeen per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets being on track. Having underscored that the issue of social development is relevant to all of our parliaments. Indeed, as people are at the center of social development, it is a parliament, an elected representative of people, which bears a direct relation to it, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova pointed out. Given that the Second World Summit for Social Development will take place in November this year, the General Debate is a good opportunity for sharing our experiences, good practices and delivering our position, said the Speaker of the Milli Majlis. The evident and feasible answers to this question can be the following: to implement SDGs through comprehensive approach without giving preference to economic pillar over others; to strengthen welfare state, its protective role through adoption and amendment of relative legislation, further intensifying government policies on social development; and no to view social development only as national issue and strengthen collective international efforts and actions. In her address, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis also shared the experiences and achievements of Azerbaijan. The general framework of social development is defined by our Constitution, Article 16 of which provides that the State of Azerbaijan takes care of improvement of well-being of all people and each citizen, their social protection and proper standard of living. Accordingly , our parliament has adopted essential laws that cover various aspects of social development. Making amendments to existing laws according to changing demands has also been one of the main focus points, as the legislation is a constantly evolving process. The approach of our government implies that strong economic foundation allows for better implementation of social policy. As stated by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency, Mr.Ilham Aliyev, Our policy is centered around the people of Azerbaijan and the principles of social justice have always been important to us. The Noteworthy achievement of this policy include significant reduction of the level of unemployment and poverty to five point five percent. The four social reform packages adopted in the last five years covered forty percent of population, with the minimum wage being increased two point seven times, the salary fund two point six, social benefits and pension payments five times. For the past 30 years, social inclusion of refugees and internally displaced persons has been one of the priority issues for our country. As the result of Armenias occupation of Azerbaijans twenty percent territories for thirty years, one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs. More than two hundred and fifty thousand of them were expelled from their native lands in Armenia. 9 cities and hundreds of villages, historical, cultural and religious sites, and the whole infrastructure in the occupied territories were totally destructed. Despite the severe social and economic burden of the occupation, our government took all necessary measures to meet the needs of refugees and IDPs. After liberating territories from occupation in 2020, our government has been very active in rebuilding these territories, clearing them from mines, restoring economic activity, implementing green energy projects. To date, about ten thousand former IDPs have returned back to their homes. And by the end of 2026, this number is going reach one hundred and forty (140) thousand. So, it is another indication of our integrated approach to sustainable development centered around people. Concluding her speech, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova also emphasised that social development cannot be regarded only as a national issue. The Copenhagen Declaration recognizes critical importance of collective commitments and efforts of international community. In this sense, by delivering three hundred and thirty million US dollars of humanitarian, financial and technical aid to more than 140 countries in the last 5 years, Azerbaijan has clearly demonstrated its commitment to collective efforts in supporting social development. New Delhi, April 6 : The Indian Navy came as a saviour for an injured Pakistani crew member in the Arabian Sea. The Navy's mission deployed stealth frigate INS Trikand, operating in the Central Arabian Sea, provided the urgent critical medical assistance to the Pakistani crew. The naval medical team performed a surgical procedure here to save the injured person. The Paklistani crew was a part of a fishing vessel operating approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Oman coast. The crew suffered severe injury involving multiple fractures and blood loss. The Indian Navy informed on Sunday that INS Trikand, on the morning of April 4, intercepted a distress call from an Iranian dhow, Al Omeedi. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that a crew member of the dhow had sustained severe injuries to his fingers while working on the engine. He was in critical condition and had been transferred to another dhow named 'Fishing Vessel Abdul Rehman Hanzia', which was en route to Iran. Indian Navyas Trikand immediately altered its course to provide medical assistance to the injured crew member. The Navy officials said the crew of Fishing Vessel Abdul Rehman Hanzia consisted of 11 Pakistani (nine Baloch and two Sindhi) and five Iranian personnel. According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the injured individual, a Pakistani (Baloch) national, had suffered multiple fractures and severe hand injuries, resulting in heavy blood loss. The Medical Officer of INS Trikand, along with a team comprising MARCOS (Marine Commandos) and the Ship's Boarding Team, boarded the FV to administer aid. After providing local anesthesia, the Ship's Medical Team performed suturing and splinting on the injured fingers. The surgical procedure, which lasted for over three hours, was successfully completed, and bleeding was controlled in time, thereby preventing potential permanent loss of the injured fingers due to gangrene, officials added. The MoD said that additionally, medical supplies, including antibiotics, were provided to the FV to ensure the crew's well-being until they reached Iran. The entire crew expressed their deep gratitude to the Indian Navy for the timely assistance in saving their crewmate's life. New Delhi, April 6 : McCain India, the maker of frozen snacks like French fries and aloo tikki, reported a sharp 29 per cent decline in its net profit for the financial year 2023-24 (FY24), hit by rising costs and higher spending on advertising and management fees. As per the companyas filings with the Registrar of Companies, net profit fell to Rs 89 crore in FY24 from Rs 126 crore in the previous year, even though the company recorded a modest growth in revenue. The drop in profits comes amid a steep 63 per cent increase in advertising expenditure, which rose to Rs 88 crore. Management fees and other operational costs also saw an upward trend, impacting the companyas margins. Overall expenses climbed to Rs 1,125 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,020 crore in FY23. Material procurement remained the largest cost component for McCain India, rising to Rs 493 crore and accounting for nearly 44 per cent of total spending. Employee costs also went up by 19 per cent, while additional expenses on fuel, freight, storage, and contract labour added to the pressure on the bottom line. Despite these challenges, the company managed to grow its revenue by 3 per cent. Revenue from operations increased to Rs 1,214 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,172 crore in FY23. Including income from interest on deposits and other sources, total revenue stood at Rs 1,245 crore, up from Rs 1,189 crore in the previous financial year. McCain, which entered the Indian market in 1998, has become a major player in the frozen snacks segment. It sells its products through retail outlets, restaurants, and quick-commerce platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto. However, the company is facing increasing competition and evolving consumer preferences, particularly with the growing shift towards healthy eating. According to reports, while the love for fried snacks in India remains strong, McCainas long-term success may depend on expanding its reach into smaller towns and improving its cold chain logistics infrastructure. Even with a return on capital employed (ROCE) of 15.28 per cent and an EBITDA margin of 4.58 per cent, the sharp fall in profit signals a need for McCain to better manage rising costs, as per reports. Mumbai, April 6 : Bollywood seldom gets the perfect combination of drop dead good looks and superb acting in its male actors. The industry got it right with Harshvardhan Rane, who is currently zipping around the town in his new custom-made muscular bobber bike. The actor has built his life from scratch and learnt skills on the go after he left his home in Gwalior in pursuit of something meaningful, and something different. He worked at a call center to polish his English, and worked as a delivery partner as well for a courier company among many other things. So, when you see him catching the pulse of his character every time in each film, and delivering a taut performance, it's because he has been through some life altering experiences, and learnt from the book of life, which offers something new with each paragraph, and has curveballs as bookmarks. Harshvardhan recently spoke with IANS, and shared how leaving home early is the best thing that could've happened to him, straight from a neutral setting to first gear transmission to scale the rough terrain of life. The actor told IANS, "I'm studying psychology honors, I'm in my second year. It is one of the very important aspects that when you take an individual out of the family set-up and place them in the real world, the whole environment changes. You may be a Raja Beta or Bekar Beta in your home but when you step into the world, you get a reality check. The person, who leaves his house, gets feedback from the world, and then they mould their life around those feedbacks and the experience". Harshvardhan then revved up his thoughts, and shared that the rules of the home don't apply in the real world. He then went full-throttle, with pistons in the combustion chamber of his thoughts going metal. He further mentioned, "Since I ran away from home, I had to become my own parent. I had to write some rules and regulations every day to teach myself that I will follow this path. I will always keep this thing in my mind. Today, those things are with me, those thoughts are always with me". He continued, "I believe that every person, who leaves the protected environment of their homes, and has to spend nights and days tirelessly to make ends meet, to calculate the ratios of income to expense, that's very beautiful. For example, they become sharper in their approach to life, they learn how to save money, they learn how to say no or yes, or to articulate better". The actor pressed the clutch in and downshifted for engine braking as the track of conversation neared its end. He listed the downsides to the idea of leaving home early. He said, "And there are many shortcomings in me. I'm not able to party a lot, I am not able to be social a lot. So, these are some downsides. It's not that all good things happen to you. You become a little introverted too. You stay in yourself a little more. Which is not a very good thing. So, I would say that I want to strike a balance. It's not that I am saying that I will stay like this. I definitely want to try". "Having said that, I have been very lucky in my journey as I met very nice people. I would say I met angels. Many people fed me. I still chill with them. Many people took care of me. Someone gave me clothes.I can never forget those people. I have a list of 18-20 people. So, I respect them and love them", he added as he brought the conversation to a halt, promising another thrilling ride for the next time. London, April 6 : UK's ruling Labour Party announced that it had suspended its Member of Parliament Dan Norris after being arrested on suspicion of rape, child sex offences, child abduction and misconduct in a public office, according to local media reports. Norris is currently the Mayor of the West of England as well as an MP. The suspension means Norris, the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, is also understood to have had the party whip suspended, meaning he is not able to sit as a Labour MP in the House of Commons. "Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing," said a party spokesman confirming his arrest on Saturday night. Avon and Somerset Police said it was investigating a series of allegations against a man in his sixties. It stated that "most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s," adding that it was also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s. "In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl," said Avon and Somerset Police in a statement. "Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s but we're also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s. An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage," the statement added. "The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs." "A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office," it reads. "He's been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue. This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we'd respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered," the statement further said. According to earlier media reports, such an issue in the parliamentary Labour Party has blighted Prime Minister Keir Starmer's first months in office, with one MP already stepping down after being sentenced for assault. Ottawa, April 6 : Canadian police on Sunday arrested a man who had barricaded himself inside the Parliament building after gaining 'unauthorised access' to the building's East Block. This prompted an hours-long lockdown in the part of downtown Ottawa, resulting in a significant police intervention after a major security breach, according to media reports. "The barricaded man call at East Block has ended without incident. One man is in custody. The Ottawa police criminal investigation is ongoing, and an update will be provided in the morning. We thank the public for its cooperation," Ottawa police posted on X. The East Block houses the offices of senators and their staff, but there was little activity on the Hill because the Parliament is not in session due to the upcoming April 28 federal election. The incident led to a significant police response involving agents from the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS), the Ottawa Police Service OPS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who locked down the building and the adjoining area. According to local media reports, as the suspect burst into the office building, PPS issued a rare alert ordering senators and their staff to "seek shelter in the nearest room. Close and lock all doors and hide." Then the same order was sent to the Canadian Prime Minister's Office and Privy Council Office in the building across the street, ordering any parliamentarians and staff there to do the same, the country's leading newspaper, National Post, reported. People were evacuated from the building, and police shut down a significant stretch of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, blocking traffic and pedestrians. Addressing reporters on Saturday, Inspector Mark Bouwmeester stated that the parliamentary police force reported to the Ottawa Police Service that an unknown man had gained unauthorised access to East Block, which is primarily used for senators' offices and committee rooms. "This has prompted a significant police response in the area involving both the Parliamentary Protective Service and specialised units of the Ottawa Police Service," Bouwmeester said. The inspector refused to comment on whether the man was armed. He added that the incident was isolated to an area of the complex, with no members of the public affected. Asked about the man's motivations, Bouwmeester said that issue was part of the investigation and not something he could comment on The inspector acknowledged the massive police presence, with scores of vehicles from the Ottawa police and the Parliamentary Protective Service. He said the priority of the police is to resolve the situation peacefully. "It's a fairly large police operation at this time. We're treating this as a serious, suspicious incident," the inspector had stated. Chennai, April 6 : Senior CPI-M leader and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been selected as the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) during the party's 24th Congress, currently underway in Madurai. Chennai, April 6 (IANS) Senior CPI-M leader and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been selected as the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) during the partyas 24th Congress, currently underway in Madurai. With the Politburo approving the recommendation for Babyas elevation, he becomes the second leader from Kerala to hold the position, after the legendary EMS Namboodiripad. Though former General Secretary Prakash Karat also hails from Kerala, he represented the partyas New Delhi unit when he assumed the role. EMS had earlier served as the acting General Secretary of the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1953a"54 and 1955a"56, and later as the General Secretary of the CPI in 1962a"63. He went on to lead the CPI(M) as General Secretary from 1978 to 1991. The Central Committee of the CPI-M, which has 84 members (with one post currently vacant), officially ratified Babyas appointment. The announcement was made during the concluding days of the party congress. M.A. Baby, who turned 72 on April 5, is the most senior CPI-M leader from Kerala after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, his selection did not come without resistance. Sources said that five members of the party Politburo opposed his elevation. These included West Bengal leaders Surya Kanta Mishra, Nilotpal Basu, Mohammed Salim, and Ramchandra Dome, along with Ashok Dhawale from Maharashtra. Despite the internal dissent, Prakash Karat reportedly backed only M.A. Baby for the role of General Secretary. In a significant move, the party also relaxed the age limit rule, capped at 75, to allow senior leaders P.K. Sreemathy and Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami to continue serving in the Central Committee. A similar extension was granted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to be in the party politburo, who is currently 79 years old. The newly elected Politburo includes Mariam Dhawale, Jitendra Chaudhury, Amra Ram, Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar, Srideep Bhattacharya, U. Vasuki, and K. Balakrishnan. With Vasuki and Balakrishnanas inclusion, Tamil Nadu now has two representatives in the Politburo. Several outgoing Politburo members - Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar - have been appointed as special invitees. Notably, journalist-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has also been inducted into the Central Committee as a special invitee. Meanwhile, in a closely watched development, senior Maharashtra leader D.L. Karad, who is also the state president of the CITU, contested for a seat in the Central Committee. He secured only 31 votes. Talking to the media, Karad said he contested at the behest of colleagues who wanted a democratic contest, and emphasised that the outcome was not of major concern to him. --IANS aal/dan Ahmedabad, April 6 : Often considered the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) strongest bastion, Gujarat has played a crucial role in shaping the party's national identity. From a state where Congress once dominated unchallenged to becoming a saffron stronghold, the political transformation of the state is a story of strategic maneuvering, strong leadership, and a deep connect with the electorate. Ahmedabad, April 6 (IANS) Often considered the Bharatiya Janata Partyas (BJP) strongest bastion, Gujarat has played a crucial role in shaping the partyas national identity. From a state where Congress once dominated unchallenged to becoming a saffron stronghold, the political transformation of the state is a story of strategic maneuvering, strong leadership, and a deep connect with the electorate. The roots of the BJP in Gujarat trace back to the Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS), the precursor to the BJP, founded by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951. The Jan Sangh had a limited presence in Gujarat initially, struggling to make electoral inroads against the well-established Congress party. In the 1967 Gujarat Assembly elections, the Jan Sangh secured only three seats, highlighting its political infancy in the state. However, the post-Emergency era (1977) gave rise to the Janata Party, a coalition of opposition forces, including the Jan Sangh. The Janata Party formed a government in Gujarat under Babubhai Patel, but internal conflicts led to its collapse in 1980. When the Jan Sangh faction rebranded itself as the BJP that same year, its presence in Gujarat remained marginal. The 1990s were a transformative period for the BJP in Gujarat. Keshubhai Patel, a prominent RSS leader, played a key role in mobilizing support for the party, particularly among the dominant Patidar community. In the 1995 Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP secured a decisive victory, winning 121 out of 182 seats, marking its first full-fledged government in the state. However, internal power struggles led to Patelas removal, and Shankersinh Vaghelaas defection weakened the party momentarily. It was in 1998 that the BJP regained its momentum, with Keshubhai Patel returning as the Chief Minister. The party had found a strong ideological foothold, aligning itself with the principles of Hindutva and economic liberalization. As Patel had stated after the BJPas first major victory, "Yeh sirf shuruat hai, Gujarat ke logon ne ek naye yug ki neev rakhi hai (This is just the beginning; the people of Gujarat have laid the foundation of a new era)". Perhaps the most defining chapter in Gujaratas BJP story began in 2001, when Narendra Modi replaced Keshubhai Patel as the Chief Minister. Under Modias leadership, the party strengthened its dominance with a mix of Hindutva ideology, aggressive development policies, and a well-oiled election machinery. The 2002 Gujarat riots were a controversial and defining moment in CM Modias tenure. While the violence led to criticism nationally and internationally, within Gujarat, Modias image as a strong leader who prioritised law and order resonated with the electorate. In the 2002 Assembly elections, the BJP secured a landslide victory, winning 127 seats. As Modi put it in his 2007 campaign, "Vikas hi Gujarat ki pehchaan hai. Yeh chunav sirf ek party ka nahi, ek soch ka hai jo Gujarat ko naye unchayi tak le jaayega (Development is Gujaratas identity. This election is not just about a party but about a vision that will take Gujarat to new heights)". Modi's tenure saw rapid infrastructural growth, the development of Gujarat as an industrial hub, and the promotion of initiatives like the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. His appeal among the middle class and business community strengthened the BJPas voter base. The party continued its winning streak under CM Modi, securing victories in the 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections. When Narendra Modi moved to the national stage in 2014, Anandiben Patel and later, Vijay Rupani carried forward the BJP legacy in Gujarat. Rupani echoed the partyas ideology when he stated, "BJP sirf ek party nahi, ek vichardhara hai jo Gujarat ko naye yug me le ja rahi hai (BJP is not just a party; it is an ideology that is taking Gujarat into a new era)." Electoral data underscores the BJPas dominance. In the 1990 Assembly Elections, the BJP won 67 seats in coalition with the Janata Dal. By 1995, it had secured 121 seats, forming its first independent government. The partyas control remained firm in subsequent elections, including a landslide 127-seat win in 2002, 117 seats in 2007, and 115 seats in 2012. Even after Modias departure to national politics, the BJP retained power, winning 99 seats in 2017 and increasing its tally to 156 in the 2022 elections, marking its strongest-ever performance. The factors behind the BJPas consistent success in Gujarat include a well-organised cadre, strong ideological messaging, and a governance model centered around economic growth, infrastructure, and urbanisation. The party effectively leveraged caste dynamics, particularly winning over the Patidar, OBC, and urban middle-class votes. Additionally, the BJPas ability to consolidate Hindu votes and project itself as a party of stability helped it counter Congress and regional challengers. As Gujarat continues to be a political stronghold for the BJP, the partyas success in the state remains a case study in political strategy and mass mobilisation. Whether this dominance will continue unchallenged or face new political shifts remains a key question for the future of Gujaratas political landscape. Dhaka, April 6 : Hundreds of dismissed members of Bangladesh Rifles on Sunday staged a protest in Dhaka demanding reinstatement to their jobs and compensation. The members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), now known as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) gathered near the main gate of the BGB headquarters in Pilkhana. Most of the protesters lost their jobs following the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 74 people, local media reported. In response to the demonstration, a large number of police personnel were deployed to the area, along with members of the army and BGB. "They are stationed on the footpath across from the BGB gate, near the lake. We are trying to start a dialogue with them," an official said. The country's leading newspaper Prothom Alo reported that, on 25 February 2009, several hundred Bangladesh Rifles men rose in an armed revolt at the Darbar Hall of the force's Pilkhana headquarters during the three-day "BDR Week". They killed 74 people, including 57 army officers. The mutiny finally ended the following day with the surrender of firearms, ammunition and grenades through a negotiation between the then government and the BDR rebels. Some 152 people were sentenced to death and 423 others to different jail terms in the country's largest-ever killing case. Among the convicts, 262 mutineers were sentenced to different jail terms ranging from three months to 19 years. On the other hand, 5,926 BDR personnel were sentenced to different jail terms ranging from four months to seven years in the 57 mutiny cases. Last month, addressing a commemoration ceremony in Dhaka on the Pilkhana killings, Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, urged all to refrain from disrupting the trial of the Pilkhana killings. He emphasised that the incident was committed entirely by members of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR). Reports suggest that in recent months, the dismissed BDR members and their families have staged protests, placing several demands, including annulment of the verdict of the former Sheikh Hasina government's alleged cases against them and release of the BDR personnel detained. Kohima, April 6 : An all-party delegation led by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio would soon meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the decades-old Naga political issue and concerns about the border fencing and Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border, a minister said here on Sunday. A senior Nagaland minister said that in the last Assembly session (March 3 to 8), the Chief Minister had suggested that an all-party delegation would meet the Union Home Minister to apprise him about the contentious Naga Political issues, which always dominate politics in the state. "Chief Minister has already sought a suitable time from Home Minister regarding the all-party delegation meeting with him in New Delhi," the minister said, refusing to be named. He said that besides the Naga political issue, FMR and border fencing along the India-Myanmar border are the other vital issues to be discussed with the Union Home Minister. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last year announced that the FMR, which allows people residing along the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other's territory without a visa, would be scrapped soon. Instead, the MHA decided to replace the FMR to adopt a new scheme to issue a pass to the border residents of both India and Myanmar living within 10 km on either side of the frontier to regulate cross-border movements. The Nagaland Assembly on March 7 unanimously decided that an all-party delegation would meet the Union Home Minister to explain to him the "sentiment and resentment of the Naga people" against the MHA's decision to cancel the FMR between India and Myanmar. Participating in the discussion on the issue, the Chief Minister had told the house that the border movement restriction would affect the long-standing historical, ethnic, social, cultural, traditional and economic ties of Nagas living on both sides of the India-Myanmar border. The delegation would apprise the Home Minister about the concerns and unanimity of the house, which adopted unanimous resolutions passed on March 1, 2024, and the state cabinet decisions of February 8, 2024, and January 6, 2025. The Nagaland and Mizoram governments and a large number of political parties and civil societies in the two northeastern states have been opposing both border fencing and the FMR. Four northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram -- share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar. The MHA had earlier decided to erect fencing on the entire porous border, known for the smuggling of arms, ammunition, narcotics and various other contrabands, at a cost of Rs 31,000 crore. Meanwhile, officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the top leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) held a meeting in Dimapur on February 21 and decided to hold fresh formal talks between the government and the dominant Naga group soon. According to a Nagaland government official, the MHA's advisor, North East, A.K. Mishra, during his visit to Nagaland in February, held a meeting with NSCN-IM's General Secretary and chief negotiator Thuingaleng Muivah and discussed various aspects of the Naga political issue. "Both sides decided to hold formal talks at the earliest to take forward the long-pending Naga political issue," the official had said on condition of anonymity. Mishra also held a meeting with the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) in Dimapur. The NNPGs, an alliance of seven other Naga groups, have been in talks with the Centre and signed an "Agreed Position" in 2017. Mumbai, April 6 : Actress Jacqueline Fernandez's mother, Kim Fernandez left for a heavenly abode on Sunday. The 'Kick' actress performed her mother's last rites, along with her father, Elroy Fernandez. Jacqueline's 'Fateh' co-star Sonu Sood was also seen offering his condolences to the grieving family. A video is doing rounds on social media where Jacqueline's father is seen exiting the crematorium after saying his final goodbye. He was visibly teary-eyed as attempted to keep his composure. Kim Fernandez was admitted to the ICU on March 24 after suffering a stroke. Jacqueline reportedly rushed home to be with her ailing mother after learning about her health. Kim Fernandez lived in Manama, Bahrain faced a similar health scare back in 2022, after which she was hospitalized in Bahrain. Jacqueline and her father were spotted outside the Lilavati Hospital after Kim Fernandez was admitted following the stroke. Jacquelineas 'Kick' co-star, Salman Khan, was also clicked by the shutterbugs at the hospital as he visited her mother. Going by the reports, Jacqueline was roped in to perform at IPL 2025, however, she decided to withdraw from the event to be with her mother. The reports claimed that Jacqueline was supposed to perform at the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders in Guwahati on March 26, but she opted out to be with her ailing mother. Jacqueline was believed to be very close to her mother and credited her for being her emotional anchor and support system. The two shared a strong bond, and Jacqueline has been vocal about the influence her mother had on her life and career. Kim Fernandez met her husband in Bahrain back in the 1980s when she was working as an air hostess. The couple later got married and welcomed four children. Jacqueline is the youngest with one elder sister and two elder brothers. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova thoroughly informed her audience about Azerbaijan's achievements in the field of social policy in her speech at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) "Parliamentary Activities for Social Development and Justice" held in Toshkent, Trend reports. As Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said, the approach of our government implies that a strong economic foundation allows for better implementation of social policy. As stated by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency, Mr Ilham Aliyev, Our policy is centered around the people of Azerbaijan and the principles of social justice have always been important to us. The noteworthy achievement of this policy include significant reduction of the level of unemployment and poverty to 5.5 percent. The four social reform packages adopted in the last five years covered forty percent of population, with the minimum wage being increased two point seven times, the salary fund two point six, social benefits and pension payments five times. Our Government has harmonised national development strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals by today. The document "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development" identified the creation of a dynamic and inclusive society based on social justice as one of the five national development priorities. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis also noted that the general framework of social development is defined by our Constitution. In line with this approach, our Parliament has adopted a number of fundamental laws covering various spheres of social development. Amending the existing legislation is also constantly in the centre of attention given that lawmaking is a dynamic and continuously evolving process New Delhi, April 6 : Former MP and BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has filed a police complaint over alleged use of unauthorised loudspeakers at 72 mosques in Mankhurd Govandi suburb in eastern Mumbai, an official said on Sunday. The BJP leader filed the complaint on Saturday during a visit to the area under the Shivajinagar Police Station, Govandi, and cited an RTI reply which showed that 72 mosques were using loudspeakers without police permission. He said: "I have lodged a complaint at the police station. Unauthorised loudspeakers have been installed on 72 mosques in Govandi, which are without police approval. I have demanded immediate action from the officials on this." For the last several months, Somaiya, a former Lok Sabha MP, has been raising the issue and running a campaign against illegal loudspeakers on mosques in various Mumbai neighbourhoods. He argues that loud noise emanating from the religious premises is not only a violation of the law, but also a problem for residents in nearby areas. In a post on social media platform X, Somaiya shared a copy of the RTI reply in which the police confirmed the presence of illegal loudspeakers in Shivajinagar Police Station area and colonies nearby. "Loudspeakers are used illegally by 72 mosques in Shivajinagar Police Station area. Police permission has not been given to any of these 72 masjids to use loudspeakers," he said. The RTI application had sought information on the number of mosques in Deonar, Shivajinagar, Tilaknagar police station area using loud loudspeakers. It also asked as to how many mosques had the police station allowed to use loudspeakers between January 1, 2024 and February 17, 2025. The police reply, signed by officers Bapurao Deshmukh, Mahesh Patil, Deepak Mahadik and Vikrant Shide, said: "No permission has been given from Shivajinagar Police Station to install loudspeakers on mosques during the specified period in the application." The police reply also clarified that no complaint had been received during the specified period in the application regarding the presence of loudspeakers on 72 mosques in Shivajinagar police station area and unauthorised loud loudspeakers being played. The BJP leader has also been vocal about the presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Maharashtra. He claims to have studied the problem from Akola to Latur and has shared his concerns at several public forums. Recently, he claimed before media that intruders had obtained birth certificates in India using fake Aadhaar cards, fake documents and false affidavits. Somaiya's demand for action against illegal use of loudspeakers comes close to a similar action taken by Uttar Pradesh police in Sambhal where FIRs were filed against mosque imams for exceeding permitted noise levels. Later, as part of enforcement of an Allahabad High Court direction on noise pollution control, the authorities removed loudspeakers from the Shahi Jama Masjid, and other mosques in Sambhal. Chandigarh, April 6 : Vowing to fight again to resume "morcha" for farmers' rights, at right time, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 70, on Sunday announced to end his 132-day-long fast onto death, but said he would continue leading the protest over the demands of the farmers, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Chandigarh, April 6 (IANS) Vowing to fight again to resume "morcha" for farmers' rights, at right time, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 70, on Sunday announced to end his 132-day-long fast onto death, but said he would continue leading the protest over the demands of the farmers, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Dallewal was, however, categorically clear in saying that the struggle to realise the legal right of minimum support price on crops as per C2+50 per cent would continue and for that "all need to come prepared, and for it, if needed be, they would again start the sit-in protest at appropriate time." The announcement to end the fast that started on November 26 last year was made by the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) at a Kisan Mahapanchayat organised by the BKU (Sidhupur) in Sirhind town in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, where activists of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) gathered in strength to rally support the ongoing protests. Without mincing words, Dallewal, who reached the venue in a wheel-chair, said, "Even as I wanted to continue with the fast till all the 12 demands are met but as more and more demands were pouring in asking me to visit various states to mobilise farmers for national-level struggle for bigger issues concerning farming, going by those appeals and aiming to reach out farmers from across the country, I decided to accept those appeals". The demand for the MSP "will be achieved through a long struggle, and not in a day," and it was imperative to provide economic independence to farmers, he said, adding, "Thousands have called me bapu (father). So, I have to work hard for my future generations." The development to end the fast came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to Dallewal to end his hunger strike. "The series of discussions between representatives of the Government of India and farmer organisations regarding their demands is ongoing. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has now returned from the hospital, and we wish him a speedy and complete recovery. At the same time, we request him to end his fast, as we will meet with the representatives of farmer organisations for discussions on the pre-scheduled date of May 4 at 11 a.m.," Chouhan wrote on X. Joining his colleague, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu also appealed to Dallewal to end the hunger strike. The last round of the talks, the third one, by the Central government with protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab, was held on March 19 here with Union Minister Chouhan, who reiterated the government's commitment to the welfare of farmers. Chouhan had told the media that talks were held in a constructive manner and they will go on. The farmer leaders reiterated their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops. The government and the farmers had a constructive and cordial discussion lasting more than three hours, during which various legal, economic and other dimensions of the farmers' demands were explored and highlighted, a statement had said. Chouhan was joined by his Cabinet colleagues Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal, while Punjab was represented by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Farmer leaders, including Dallewal, were present. Based on discussions in the last meeting, the government has decided to conduct stakeholder consultations with farmer organisations across the country, as well as with governments of states and union territories, and other stakeholders, including traders, exporters and the food processing industry. It has been decided to continue the talks in a positive spirit, after the stakeholder consultations. However, the Union Ministers had assured the farmers that the government would continue to pay a patient ear to the concerns of farmers and other stakeholders and that it would act in the interest of farmers. "The interest of farmers is paramount," the ministers had assured the farmers. They appealed to the farmer community to adopt the path of dialogue and talks rather than of protest, noting that solutions will emerge only from dialogue and discussion. Soon after the conclusion of the third round of talks, farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Dallewal, were detained and kept at different locations. Simultaneously, farmers who had been staging a sit-in protest for over a year and had raised temporary structures on two crucial borders linking Punjab with Haryana were forcibly evicted. Justifying the government action, Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Cheema had said the step was necessitated for the economic growth of the state. "It is important that we fight against unemployment too," he said. New Delhi, April 6 : Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh stressed upon the need for technology-led interventions to address the prevailing national green fodder deficit, currently estimated at 11 per cent, an official said on Sunday. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, said that while only 8.5 million hectares are presently under cultivated fodder, the country possesses approximately 11.5 million hectares of grasslands and nearly 100 million hectares of wastelands that can be harnessed efficiently. He called for the efficient utilisation of these underused resources is essential for achieving fodder self-reliance and improving livestock productivity. The Minister visited the ICARa"Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI) in Jhansi on Saturday to assess the ongoing research efforts and field-level innovations aimed at enhancing fodder availability and sustainable grassland management. Accompanied by Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Alka Upadhyaya, and Animal Husbandry Commissioner Abhijit Mitra, the Union Minister interacted with scientists and reviewed a comprehensive exhibition showcasing the latest fodder technologies and best practices being promoted by the institute. He emphasised the importance of perennial grasses that are tolerant to abiotic stress, highlighting their potential to rejuvenate degraded lands, contribute to ecological balance, and provide sustainable green fodder throughout the year. Reiterating the governmentas commitment to building a resilient livestock sector, Rajiv Ranjan Singh stated that science, innovation, and cooperative governance would be the cornerstones of advancing fodder security and achieving Atmanirbhar Krishi and Pashupalan. Secretary Alka Upadhyaya underlined the significance of state-level convergence to support the wider adoption of location-specific fodder technologies. She highlighted the scope for integrating fodder cultivation in fallow spaces within coconut orchards in Kerala as a promising example of such convergence. To further promote this model, she informed that a joint meeting will be held in Kerala on April 8 2025, bringing together representatives of the state government, KVKs, and IGFRI scientists. Hyderabad, April 6 : Rich tributes were paid to the seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan on his 139th birth anniversary on Sunday. Nizam's family members, historians, heritage enthusiasts and citizens from various walks of life paid floral tributes at his grave near Judi Masjid in King Kothi Palace. Nizam's grandson Nawab Mir Najaf Ali Khan and historian P. Anuradha Reddy were among those who paid tributes. They recalled Nizam's contributions to society, governance, and humanity and stated that despite attempts made by some to distort Nizam's legacy, history remained unchanged. They demanded that the Telangana government celebrate Nizam's birth anniversary in recognition of his role in shaping modern Hyderabad, include a lesson in school curriculum highlighting his contributions and preserve and restore historic structures built during his reign, prioritising the immediate repair of Osmania General Hospital. They called Nizam a visionary and a benevolent leader who reigned for 37 years from 1911 to 1948, transforming Hyderabad into a modern state. His governance was marked by progressive policies, secular values, and a commitment to the welfare of his people, irrespective of caste or religion, they said. Nizam prioritised education, healthcare, and urban planning, laying the foundation for the city's modernisation. His secular policies fostered communal harmony, and his patronage extended to scholars, institutions, and places of worship across all faiths, they said. They pointed out that Nizam transformed healthcare by playing a pivotal role in establishing world-class medical institutions, including Osmania General Hospital, Unani Hospital, Fever Hospital, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and Niloufer Hospital etc. Introduction of urban development during Nizam's reign led to a town planning system and modern sanitation infrastructure. His rule also saw the development of modes of communication like the telephone system, postal services, and Deccan Radio. Nizam extended financial support to Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Sikh religious as well as educational institutions without discrimination. He also funded the compilation and publication of the Mahabharata and donated generously to Banaras Hindu University, Shantiniketan, and other academic institutions. Recognising his leadership, the Indian Government appointed Nizam VII as Rajpramukh (Governor) in 1948, a position he held until 1956 before voluntarily resigning. He donated five tons of gold to India's National Defence Fund upon Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's request. "He was a compassionate ruler who lived simply but worked tirelessly to build a modern, inclusive city. In Hyderabad, the contributions of Nizam VII are visible as far as one's eyes can see. It is deeply hurtful that his legacy has not been given due recognition by successive governments," said Najaf Ali Khan. On the birth anniversary of Nizam, Deccan Archive and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Hyderabad organised a heritage walk at the King Kothi precinct to honour his legacy and explore the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the area. The walk was also aimed at exploring architectural marvels built during the Nizam's reign. New Delhi, April 6 : There are over 1.76 lakh active Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in India (As of April 5), providing comprehensive primary health care, the government said on Sunday, adding that over 76 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created to date. Ahead of the 'World Health Day 2025' on Monday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said it has made substantial strides in improving India's public health outcomes through various key initiatives and programmes, and the National Health Mission (NHM) has played a central role in this progress. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is a unified digital health ecosystem to securely connect patients, healthcare providers, and systems through an interoperable digital infrastructure. There are over 5.95 lakh verified healthcare professionals registered under the ABDM scheme, with over 3.86 lakh verified health facilities. Under ABDM, more than 52 crores health records are linked. U-WIN is a digital platform that streamlines and tracks immunisation for pregnant women and children (016 years), enabling flexible, anytime-anywhere vaccine access under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). "As of 15th December 2024, 7.90 crore beneficiaries have been registered, 1.32 crore vaccination sessions have been held, and 29.22 crore administered vaccine doses have been recorded on U-WIN," informed the ministry. eSanjeevani, India's National Telemedicine Service, bridges gaps in healthcare access by providing free, equitable, and remote medical consultations, emerging as the world's largest telemedicine platform for primary care. "As of April 6, 2025, e-Sanjeevani has served over 36 crore patients through teleconsultations since its launch in 2020, making healthcare accessible remotely with 232,291 providers onboarded to date," according to the ministry. Moreover, MMR (Maternal Mortality Ratio) in India dropped from 130 (2014-16) to 97 (2018-20) per 1,00,000 live births a decline of 33 points. Over the last 30 years (19902020), MMR declined by 83 per cent in India while global MMR reduced by 42 per cent in the same period. IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) has dropped from 39 (2014) to 28 (2020) per 1,000 live births. NMR (Neonatal Mortality Rate) has educed from 26 (2014) to 20 (2020) per 1,000 live births. U5MR (Under-5 Mortality Rate) has also declined from 45 (2014) to 32 (2020) per 1,000 live births, said the ministry. In the meantime, the WHO World Malaria Report 2024 highlighted India's major strides in malaria elimination, with a 69 per cent drop in cases and 68 per cent reduction in deaths between 2017 and 2023. Contributing just 0.8 per cent of global cases in 2023, India's exit from WHO's High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024 marks a significant public health achievement. The government has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024, a feat recognised by the WHO. According to WHO's Global TB Report, India has made strong progress in tuberculosis control. Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), TB incidence fell by 17.7 per cent, from 237 to 195 cases per lakh population between 2015 and 2023. TB-related deaths also declined from 28 to 22 per lakh. Notably, missing TB cases dropped by 83 per cent, from 15 lakh in 2015 to 2.5 lakh in 2023. The World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, highlights pressing global health issues and mobilises action to improve public health outcomes. IANS na/ Sambhal, April 6 : Satyavrat Police Outpost, built near the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated on Sunday, aimed at maintaining law and order in the area. During this, many people from the Muslim community welcomed the Superintendent of Police and District Magistrate of Sambhal by garlanding them. The Police Outpost has been named after the ancient name of Sambhal. In the Puranas, Sambhal is known as Satyavrat. A picture depicting the Mahabharata is engraved at the entrance of the Police Outpost, and Lord Krishna is seen preaching the Gita to Arjun. IANS spoke to some of the local youths from the Muslim community and took their reactions regarding the new Police Outpost set up near the mosque. Muslim youth Zia told IANS, "We have welcomed SP and DM sahab because Satyavrat Chowki has been built, which made us very happy. It was very important to have a Chowki here. People from the Muslim community also helped a lot in getting the Chowki built. 25 people from the Muslim community welcomed SP and DM sahab. We will get a lot of benefit from the construction of the Police Outpost, all disputes will be resolved now." Mohammad Mohsin also expressed happiness over the construction of the Police Outpost. He said that it was very important to build Satyavrat Chowki. "We were happy about this and we welcome it. The people from the administration are doing good work for us, so we are cooperating with the administration," he added. Another local, Mohammad Sameer, said, "Satyavrat Police Outpost has been inaugurated for our safety. We are always in support of the administration and will continue to do so in future also. This is a matter of great happiness." It is worth mentioning that Sambhal is one of the sensitive districts of Uttar Pradesh. Recently, violence broke out during the Jama Masjid survey, after which security is normally increased in the district during special religious events and festivals. Amaravati, April 6 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday congratulated the people of the state over registering the second-highest growth rate in the country during 2024-25. The Chief Minister took to 'X' to claim that Andhra Pradesh is rising. "As per the latest data from the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Government of India, our state has registered the 2nd highest growth rate in the country for 202425, with 8.21 per cent growth. In less than a year of forming the government, our policies have moved Andhra Pradesh from a state of distress to a state of growth and renewed confidence," he posted. "This progress has been driven by a broad-based revival across agriculture, manufacturing, and services, alongside significant investments in IT, electronics, automobiles, and renewable energy. I congratulate my people of Andhra Pradesh for this collective achievement. Let us continue to build a brighter future together," he added. According to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, Andhra Pradesh clocked an impressive 8.21 per cent growth rate, second to Tamil Nadu, which leads with 9.69 per cent. This growth is particularly evident in the manufacturing, services, and agriculture sectors. The state government claims to be fostering a business-friendly environment through streamlined procedures, transparent regulations, and investor-centric policies. The state has also been recognised as a top performer in implementing the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP). The government said that the Chandrababu Naidu-led government is working towards the mission to make Andhra Pradesh the number one state in India. Since taking oath as Chief Minister for the fourth time in June 2024, he has been making bold decisions and effectively addressing key issues, helping the state recover from the setbacks caused by the previous government. The government noted that the reforms implemented by the coalition government under Chandrababu Naidu's leadership are claimed to be yielding positive outcomes. In an effort to attract more industries, the state government has launched three new industrial policies aimed at boosting investment, creating employment opportunities, and driving sustainable development. The government said that the Rs 8 lakh crore in investments and the creation of five lakh job opportunities in the last 10 months stand as solid proof of the ongoing development in the state. According to the government, the state is well on track to sustain its growth momentum and emerge as a leading engine of economic progress for the nation. New Delhi, April 6 : A 75-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga (IDY) will be launched in Odisha with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga on Monday hosting the grand Yoga Mahotsav 2025. The event, coinciding with World Health Day on April 7, will feature a grand Common Yoga Protocol demonstration from 6.30 a.m. to 8 a.m. at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, an official said on Sunday. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav and Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha Pravati Parida would also attend the event. Joint Secretary of Ayush, Monalisa Dash shared insights about the benefits of practicing the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP), which will be a highlight of the 75-day Countdown to the IDY. CYP is the foundation of International Day of Yoga, and it is available in 22 different languages. Last year, the Braille edition of the CYP was launched, promoting inclusivity. More than 24 crore people have directly participated in IDY so far. "Every year, the number of participants increases, and new records are being made. This year too, we are expecting to set a new milestone in participation," said Dash. The 75-day countdown is an important event in the observance of IDY every year. The Ministry hopes to kindle a "Mass Movement for Health and Wellbeing" through Yoga in the 75-day run-up to IDY-2025. The 50th and 25th-day milestones will be commemorated, said a statement. The Ministry of Ayush, as the Central coordinating body for IDY, has been instrumental in transforming the celebration into a global movement. Over the past decade, it has launched numerous initiatives and collaborations to further amplify the reach and impact of Yoga worldwide. Jammu, April 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived here on Sunday to begin his three-day-long packed schedule visit to J&K. Lt Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha and MoS (PMO), Jitendra Singh received the Union Home Minister at Jammu airport. The Home Minister drove straight to the Raj Bhawan in Jammu and is scheduled to visit the BJP headquarters in the Trikuta Nagar area of the city, where he will meet the party MLAs. On Monday, Amit Shah will visit the aVinaya border outpost of the BSF on the International Border (IB) in Kathua district and review the overall security situation in the area. After visiting the border, the Union Home Minister will meet the families of martyred policemen at the Raj Bhawan in Jammu on Monday. Four policemen were martyred while fighting terrorists in Kathua district on March 23. The Union Home Minister will give appointment letters to some of the members of the martyrsa families at the Raj Bhawan. He will leave for Srinagar late afternoon on April 7, where he is scheduled to take stock of developmental projects at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on April 8. Amit Shah will visit the family of Dy SP Humayun Bhat, who was martyred while fighting the terrorists in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district on September 13, 2023. He will also chair a security review meeting at 1 p.m. at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar. He will review the security situation in J&K with special reference to the Jammu region, where infiltration attempts and movement of terrorists in the upper reaches of Kathua, Udhampur and other districts have taken place. Officials said the Home Ministeras focus will be on zero infiltration and the elimination of terrorists from the mountains and forests of the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. He will also take stock of the various developmental projects in J&K and review the developmental scenario with the L-G, the Chief Minister and senior officials of the government. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Home Ministry officials dealing with J&K, heads of Intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces will join the security review meeting in Srinagar. The Home Minister will return to New Delhi in the afternoon on April 8. New Delhi, April 6 : The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Sunday hosted a spiritual and cultural event titled "Bhagwan Mahavir Gatha" to mark the auspicious occasion of the 2,624th birth anniversary and the 2,550th Nirvan Mahotsav of Lord Mahavir. New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Sunday hosted a spiritual and cultural event titled "Bhagwan Mahavir Gatha" to mark the auspicious occasion of the 2,624th birth anniversary and the 2,550th Nirvan Mahotsav of Lord Mahavir. Presiding over the event, Speaker Vijender Gupta highlighted that the life and teachings of Lord Mahavir continue to serve as a beacon of light for all humanity. In his address, Gupta stated that events like "Mahavir Gatha" serve as a powerful medium to pass on our cultural and spiritual heritage to the younger generation. He said, "The message of Lord Mahavir is not just religious, but forms the foundation of human and social development. By adopting his principles, we can move towards a more peaceful and harmonious society." He also announced plans for organising more public events on the Assembly premises. Gupta, was honoured with the 'Karmyogi Samman' award. He was presented with a ceremonial tilak, a garland, and a commendation plaque. The representative of the Jain Society praised Gupta, stating: "He strengthens the ideals of harmony, justice, and non-violence, and his dedication to serving the nation is inspiring." During the event, Vijender Gupta, also conferred the status of a state guest upon Muni Maharaj. Bhagwan Mahavir Nirvana Mahotsav Samiti and Sakal Jain Samaj Delhi organised the grand celebration. A special Vatsalya Bhoj (community meal) was also arranged following the event. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht and members of the Jain community participated in this spiritual and cultural gathering, said a statement. On April 3, the Speaker announced plans to reduce the Assembly's carbon footprint by switching to 100 per cent solar energy. He announced a target of 100 days to augment the Assembly's solar power generation capacity from 200 KW to 600 KW. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6.The ongoing mine terrorism by Armenia continues to claim innocent lives and cause injuries, Trend reports. "Today, mine explosions occurred in Jabrayil and Aghdam, seriously injuring four Azerbaijani citizens, including children. This tragedy once again highlights that the mine threat in the region remains, and the lives of civilians are under constant threat," the statement from the Azerbaijani Ombudsman said. Since 2020, 392 people have been killed or injured as a result of mine explosions and unexploded ordnance left behind by Armenia. "This issue not only causes physical harm but also brings profound psychological and social consequences. Mines planted in Azerbaijani territories during the occupation represent a significant threat to achieving lasting peace in the region. International cooperation and assistance are vital to addressing this threat," the Ombudsman emphasized. S. Aliyeva stressed the need to address the humanitarian crisis in the mine-contaminated areas and hold Armenia accountable under international law. "The deliberate planting of mines leads to severe human rights violations and hinders the restoration of peace and security in the region. As Ombudsperson, I call on the international community to recognize the urgency of mine action, support Azerbaijans demining efforts, and hold Armenia accountable for its deliberate and large-scale laying of mines," the statement concluded. Bhubaneswar, April 6 : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday left for a two-day visit to Delhi, where he will hold significant discussions aimed at propelling Odisha towards greater industrial advancement and economic growth. As per a statement issued by the state government, during this two-day event, CM Majhi will address various stakeholders and industry leaders, sharing the vision for Odisha's future and emphasising the reforms and initiatives taken by the state government to create an enabling environment for investments. "The state will sign some key MoUs that will not only strengthen the current industrial ecosystem but will also attract significant investments that will create jobs and spur economic development in our state," the statement said. MoUs will be signed with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Petronet LNG, and Indian Strategic Petrochemical Reserves Ltd, among others. "These collaborations underscore the state's commitment to making Odisha a leading hub for petrochemicals and chemicals and serve to position the state as a key player in the nation's strategy for sustainable growth. With the agenda to attract diverse industrial investments to the state, the CM will visit the facility of the HCL Tech campus in Noida, which symbolises the strides Odisha needs to take towards integrating technology and innovation into the industrial framework," the government stated in the statement. He will also be engaged in one-on-one meetings with influential industry captains from diverse sectors, where he will discuss potential partnerships that can further enhance Odisha's industrial landscape. "This visit is not merely an event, it represents a critical leap into a future filled with possibilities for Odisha. The efforts to build a robust industrial ecosystem in Odisha are driven by the vision of 'Purvodaya', the resurgence of Eastern India, and the state is determined to seize this opportunity," it said. The official sources also claimed that CM Majhi is likely to return from the national capital on April 9. New Delhi, April 6 : Aam Aadmi Party legislator Anil Jha on Sunday accused the BJP of adopting double standards on Rohingya infiltrators and claimed that 10 children from families of illegal infiltrators were given admission to a government school in east Delhi. The BJP dismissed it as a lie and asked Jha to apologise. Responding to Jhaas claim that BJPas Karawal Nagar MLA facilitated the admission of 10 Rohingya children, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that it is unfortunate that Jha, at the behest of his leader Arvind Kejriwal, was trying to mislead the people. He said Jha is making false and misleading political statements about the admission of 10 Rohingya children to a Delhi government school under the orders of the Supreme Court in January and February 2025 during the tenure of the previous AAP government. The BJP Spokesperson clarified that the statement by AAP spokesperson about the local BJP MLA assisting in the admission of 10 Rohingya children in a school in the Karawal Nagar Assembly constituency is false and misleading. Kapoor challenged MLA Jha, a legislator from Kirari, to present any letter from the BJP MLA regarding the admission of Rohingya students to the school. He explained that the BJP government came to power on February 20, and the order for the admission of the children was issued by the Supreme Court in response to a petition filed by Communist thinker and lawyer Ashok Agarwal in December 2024. The Delhi government at that time did not oppose this petition in court because it aligned with the political agenda of AAP convener Kejriwal. The Delhi BJP Spokesperson also stated that Jha should immediately apologise to the BJP MLA from Karawal Nagar for making false accusations and explain why the Kejriwal government did not oppose the admission of Rohingya children in Court in December 2024. Chennai, April 6 : BJP leader and former Governor of Puducherry and Telangana, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, said on Sunday that the people of Tamil Nadu would eventually ignore Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who she claimed had shown disrespect by not welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the state. Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport after returning from the inauguration of the new Pamban railway bridge in Rameswaram, Tamilisai said, "The Prime Minister has returned to Tamil Nadu after taking concrete steps to resolve the long-standing issue of Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka. He has made every effort to ensure that such problems do not recur." She criticised the Chief Minister for not being present to welcome the Prime Minister, stating, "Instead of receiving the Prime Minister, who is working for the welfare of Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister chose to go to Ooty to take rest. Was that necessary at a time like this?" Tamilisai accused the Chief Minister of deliberately avoiding the Prime Minister's visit. "His absence was intentional and sends a wrong message to the people of the state," she said. Highlighting the Prime Minister's commitment to the state, she added, "PM Modi has announced development projects worth Rs 8,000 crore for Tamil Nadu. Yet, the Chief Minister failed to acknowledge his efforts." Tamilisai also noted that the Prime Minister has encouraged Tamil Nadu's political leaders to use the Tamil language while signing documents, emphasising his respect for Tamil culture. "People of Tamil Nadu can no longer be misled by emotional language politics," she added. Drawing parallels with Telangana, where she earlier served as Governor, Tamilisai recalled, "When the Prime Minister brought major development projects to Telangana, then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao chose to boycott him. The people responded by rejecting him in the elections." She concluded by saying, "The same will happen in Tamil Nadu. People will reject a Chief Minister who disrespects the Prime Minister, especially one who has continuously supported Tamil interests." New Delhi, April 6 : Keeping the US reciprocal tariffs and its future impact on Indian businesses in mind, Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, is likely to meet exporters this week. According to industry sources, the meeting is likely to take place on Wednesday -- to be attended by ministry officials and representatives of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and export promotion councils (EPCs), among other industry stakeholders. Exporters, especially MSMEs, are seeking some fiscal incentives to navigate the upcoming impact on their trade after the US administration announced 27 per cent reciprocal tariffs on the Indian products. The Commerce Ministry is also in active talks with Indian pharmaceutical exporters amid growing concerns over possible US tariffs on the sector, which was exempted in the first tranche of reciprocal tariffs by US President Donald Trump. While marginal tariffs may not cause much disruption, steep duties could hurt the profit margins of Indian drugmakers. India exported $8 billion of pharma products to the US in fiscal 2024, its largest export destination, and supplies 40 per cent of generics consumed in the US. Indiaas exports to the US are on a declining trend since FY23 with the share in total exports around 17-18 per cent. The top 15 items exported to the US accounted for 63 per cent of total exports, according to an SBI Research report. The impact on the Indian economy will be more from overall slowdown in global growth and heightened global financial volatility due to the worldwide hike in tariffs, it added. At the same time, the tariffs levied on India are the lowest among its Asian peers, compared to 34 per cent on China, 36 per cent on Thailand, 32 per cent on Indonesia, and 46 per cent on Vietnam. This is expected to give India a comparative advantage over these countries and result in an increase in exports in some sectors over the long term, the SBI report stated. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has said that owing to Indiaas price competitiveness and supportive government policies, it expects GDP to see only a marginal 0.1 per cent impact amid the recently announced US reciprocal tariffs. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, April 6 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has said that the fight to save 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli forest is not yet over and condemned plans to shift Hyderabad Central University to the proposed 'Fourth City'. He issued a heartfelt open letter to students, environmental enthusiasts and people of Telangana condemning the Congress-led Telangana government's alleged defamation campaign and intimidation tactics against Hyderabad Central University (HCU) students. KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, criticised the government for belittling a genuine environmental movement by spreading false narratives, including plans to relocate the university and the proposal to build an "Eco Park" in its place. He called these attempts a "deliberate conspiracy" to divert public attention and suppress a righteous struggle. "Movements born out of selflessness always succeed," KTR wrote, expressing gratitude to HCU students, environmental activists, public figures, media, and the larger community for standing up for nature. Acknowledging the students' remarkable resistance to save the ecologically rich land -- home to hundreds of species -- KTR stated that such youth-led activism sets an example for the entire nation. He emphasized that the area must be permanently protected and pledged that the fight will not stop until the government completely withdraws from the auction and destruction of the forest land. KTR further exposed the state government's alleged backdoor plans to transfer HCU to a so-called "Fourth City" and criticised the CM's office and Congress leaders for acting like real estate agents instead of public servants. "The Hyderabad Central University campus has stood for over 50 years as a beacon of environmental harmony and academic excellencefar more than any artificial Eco Park. Dismantling it in the name of development is a betrayal of our future," he said. Citing the Supreme Court's intervention in stopping earlier environmental violations, KTR reminded that while one phase of the struggle has succeeded, the battle is not over. He urged the people of Telangana, especially students and environmental enthusiasts, to continue united and peaceful resistance. KTR reaffirmed BRS's commitment to safeguarding the full 400 acres without jeopardizing the university's existence and called upon the government to immediately declare a halt to all auction-related processes. "Until then, this fight will go on. Together, we will protect Kanche Gachibowli for our future generations," KTR concluded. New Delhi, April 6 : The world-renowned BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi celebrated Ram Navami and Swaminarayan Jayanti with immense devotion and grandeur, marking a landmark moment for cultural and spiritual harmony in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A statement mentioned that devotees from across the region gathered at the temple to participate in a series of devotional and cultural events. According to Pujya Brahmavihari Swami, the head priest of the temple, a full day of celebrations was organized, beginning with Ram Bhajans from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by the Shri Ram Janmotsav Aarti at 12 noon. "The celebrations witnessed a massive turnout of devotees and visitors, united in devotion to Lord Ram and Bhagwan Swaminarayan. This spiritual gathering served as a beacon of peace, unity, and eternal Hindu values, echoing across borders," the statement read. One of the highlights of the event was a special cultural presentation by the BAPS on a stage designed to resemble the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Through music, drama, and storytelling, the young artists brought to life the divine and inspiring life of Lord Ram*, captivating the audience. The BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi continues to stand as a symbol of interfaith harmony, devotion, and global Hindu pride. Rama Navami is a Hindu festival which celebrates the birth of Lord Ram -- one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism. Lord Ram is also known as the seventh 'avatar' of Vishnu. Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of the 'Shukla Paksha' of the lunar cycle of 'Chaitra' (Marcha"April) which is the last month in the Hindu calendar. Ram Navami is also a part of the Chaitra Navaratri festival. Kolkata, April 6 : Ram Navami celebrations had been peaceful so far in West Bengal, with Trinamool Congress leaders in their own initiatives having organised processions on the auspicious occasion besides the ones already announced by the state BJP leaders as well as organisations like Anjani Putra Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), among others. With the apprehension of tension over the Ram Navami celebrations, almost the entire state, especially 10 identified sensitive zones and routes of the scheduled processions, were wrapped under blanket security cover and camera surveillance throughout the day. The centre of attraction was the foundation stone laying ceremony of Ram Temple, modelled after the iconic Ayodhya Ram Mandir, at Nandigram in East Midnapore district, from where the elected legislator is the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. The Leader of the Opposition, at the same time, participated in a Ram Navami celebration at Bhawanipur in South Kolkata, where the elected representative is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Other senior BJP leaders, namely state party president and the Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar and the former national vice president of the party Dilip Ghosh, had also participated in a number of processions taken out on the auspicious occasion. Both Majumdar and Ghosh accused the state government of creating unnecessary panic among people by making so many elaborate security arrangements as well as imposing so many restrictions on the Ram Navami processions. Both the leaders claimed that such security arrangements and restrictions are made only when the question is any Hindu religious festival. "When people are being killed throughout the state because of the police, the police do not feel the necessity to track weapons. But the same police became too inquisitive in tracking weapons at spontaneous Ram Navami celebrations, said Ghosh. The Trinamool Congress leaders who participated in similar Ram Navami processions include the party's state general secretary Kunal Ghosh and party Lok Sabha members Shatabi Roy and Asit Kumar Mal, among others. In almost all the rallies in which the Trinamool Congress leaders participated, there was the presence of party supporters hailing from a religious minority community. Political observers feel that this overwhelming participation of ruling party leaders in Ram Navami processions is an attempt to send a message to people that the Trinamool Congress is not against Ram Navami celebrations. "There is a famous saying that 'if you cannot beat them, join them.' Considering the euphoria among people this year over the Ram Navami celebration in West Bengal, the ruling party leaders too thought it wise to join the celebration, especially amid the crucial state Assembly elections next year," said a city-based political analyst. New Delhi, April 6 : Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a prominent farmer leader and the president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), ended his indefinite hunger strike on Sunday after 131 days. He began hunger strike on November 26, 2024. The aim was to push for a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops and raise awareness about various issues pertaining to farmers. While Dallewal has now called off his fast, he said that the farmers' protest will continue. Dallewal, who hails from a farming family in Dallewala village, Faridkot, had initiated his fast as part of the broader farmer movement that gained national attention in 2020. He completed his post-graduation at Punjabi University before dedicating his life to agricultural and farmer issues. His hunger strike was marked by appeals from several political figures, including Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu. On Saturday, the Union Minister posted on X a message urging Dallewal to end his fast, as talks between the Central government and farmers' organisations were ongoing. The post read: "The ongoing dialogue between the representatives of the Government of India and the representatives of farmers' organisations regarding their demands is continuing. Farmer leader Shri Jagjit Singh Dallewal has now returned from hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery. We also request him to end his hunger strike and we will meet with the representatives of the farmers' organisations for talks at 11 a.m. on May 4 as per the already decided date." Despite the end of his fast, Dallewal remained firm in his stance that the movement will persist. In a statement, he clarified that his fast may have ended, but the fight for farmer rights, including the MSP guarantee, would not cease until demands were met. Dallewal's journey has been marked by significant shifts within the farmer movement. His faction of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) broke away from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) after Balbir Singh Rajewal formed the Samyukta Samaj Morcha to contest the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. Dallewal's leadership was key in forming a new non-political version of the SKM in July 2022, uniting over 150 farmer unions under this banner. Since February 13, 2025, farmer leaders associated with Dallewal's faction, along with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have continued to agitate at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana. These protests emerged after the Delhi Chalo march was halted by security forces, underscoring the ongoing unrest among farmers in the region. Dallewal's activism traces back to his support for Anna Hazare, the veteran social activist. In 2018, Dallewal joined Hazare's hunger strike in Delhi, which focused on issues such as the immediate implementation of the Lokpal Act, solutions to agrarian distress, and electoral reforms. As Dallewal takes a step back from his hunger strike, his call for a legal guarantee on MSP and greater support for farmers remains at the forefront of his struggle. New Delhi, April 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government increased the share of taxes given to states from 32 per cent to 42 per cent after 2015, which naturally led to more funds for states like Tamil Nadu, clarified Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) National Information & Technology Department on his X handle. He responded to a post on his X handle of former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram who questioned PM Modi-led government for claiming that Tamil Nadu received more funding but it does not reflect in state's GDP (gross domestic production). "Tamil Nadu has received significantly more funding for railway projects during the BJP's tenure (20142024) than it did under the Congress-led UPA's decade of apathy (20042014). His counter? A smug lecture on GDP and absolute numbers, as though that somehow absolves his party of its poor governance record," Malviya wrote in his post. Malviya clarified that PM Modi-led government, following the 14th Finance Commission's recommendations, raised the states' share of central taxes from 32 per cent to 42 per cent after 2015. This naturally resulted in a significant increase in funds allocated to states like Tamil Nadu. He further challenged Chidambaram's reliance on absolute figures, emphasising that standard economic metrics, such as the Debt-to-GDP ratio, provide a more accurate assessment of financial policies. "Why does the Congress party obsessively tout debt and other macroeconomic indicators in absolute termsas though basic economic literacy is optional? Any first-year economics student knows that the Debt-to-GDP ratio is the standard for assessing a country's debt burden. Is this sheer hypocrisy, or simply proof that your party struggles with the fundamentals of fiscal policy?" he asked. Citing an analogy, Chidambaram pressed his point. He compared the rise in funding to growing older each year -- it doesn't necessarily mean one becomes proportionally taller or stronger. He argued that while the numbers for railway projects between 2014 and 2024 might appear larger than those from 2004 to 2014, they don't necessarily represent a greater share of GDP or government expenditure. Malviya countered by questioning the Congress party's approach to economic analysis, suggesting that even a first-year economics student would recognise the importance of the Debt-to-GDP ratio. He accused the party of either hypocrisy or a fundamental lack of understanding of fiscal policy. Malviya also criticised the Congress' grasp of economics, likening it to the strategic missteps of its unofficial leader, whose decisions often lead to chaos. "Perhaps the Congress party's collective economic IQ mirrors that of its de facto leadera man whose strategic "brilliance" is better known for turning everything he touches into a fiasco. The same ignorance applies to the Finance Commissionsomething students are taught in high school and college. It is a constitutional body, independent by design, responsible for determining the tax-sharing formula between the Centre and the States," Malviya pooh-poohed Chidambaram's logic. He highlighted the role on his post that the Finance Commission, an independent constitutional body tasked with determining the tax-sharing formula between the Centre and the States. Malviya reiterated that PM Modi government's implementation of the 14th Finance Commission's recommendations had significantly increased the devolution of funds to states. He urged Chidambaram to abandon selective assertions, acknowledge these basic facts, and refrain from spreading misinformation. "It was the Modi government that accepted the 14th Finance Commission's recommendation to raise the share of states in central taxes from 32% to 42%. Naturally, devolution to the states increased substantially from 2015 onward. So the question remainswhy doesn't Mr. Chidambaram stop being economical in his assertions, grasp these "simple" facts, instead of spreading misinformation?" Malviya asked. Chennai, April 6 : The 24th Party Congress Communist Party of India (Marxist) concluded in Madurai on Sunday, marking a significant leadership transition. Senior party leader and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been appointed as the new General Secretary of the CPI-M, becoming the second leader from the Kerala unit to hold the party's top organisational post after E.M.S. Namboodiripad. The announcement was made following the approval of Baby's name by the CPI-M Central Committee which comprises 84 members, with one position currently vacant. Veteran leaders Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat have stepped down from the Politburo after crossing the party's upper age limit of 75. Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar also exited the Politburo on the same grounds. However, all three leadersPrakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkarhave been included in the Central Committee as special invitees, continuing their association with the party's key decision-making processes. M.A. Baby, who turned 72 on April 5, is the most senior CPI-M leader from Kerala after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. His political journey began with the Kerala Students Federation (KSF), the predecessor of the Students Federation of India (SFI). He later served as the national president of the SFI and held leadership roles in the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). Baby was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1998 and later represented the Kundara constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for two terms (20062016). He also served as the state's Education Minister from 2006 to 2011. He has been a Politburo member since 2012. His elevation to General Secretary marks a rare moment in the CPI-M's history, with only E.M.S. Namboodiripad previously holding the post from Kerala. EMS first served as acting General Secretary of the undivided CPI in the early 1950s and later became General Secretary of CPI-M from 1978 to 1991. Sources within the party revealed that Baby's appointment was not unanimous. Five members of the 16-member Politburo -- Surya Kanta Mishra, Nilotpal Basu, Mohammed Salim, Ramchandra Dome (all from West Bengal), and Ashok Dhawale (Maharashtra) -- reportedly opposed the decision. However, former General Secretary Prakash Karat recommended only Baby for the post, which was eventually ratified by the Central Committee. Notably, the party has relaxed its age limit rule to allow P.K. Sreemathy and Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami to continue in the Central Committee. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who has turned 79, was also given a special extension to continue in the committee. The newly formed Politburo includes fresh faces such as Mariam Dhawale, Jitendra Chaudhury, Amra Ram, Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar, Srideep Bhattacharya, U. Vasuki, and K. Balakrishnan. With the inclusion of Vasuki and Balakrishnan, host state Tamil Nadu now has two representatives in the CPI-M Politburo. In an interesting development, journalist-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has been appointed as a special invitee to the Central Committee. Meanwhile, senior leader from Maharashtra and state CITU president, Dr. D.L. Karad, contested for a position in the Central Committee but received only 31 votes. Speaking to the media, Dr. Karad said he contested at the behest of colleagues from Maharashtra and emphasized that the result was "immaterial" as the process was democratic. The 24th Party Congress marked a critical juncture for the CPI(M) as it navigates generational change while grappling with ideological and strategic challenges ahead. Chinese community in Uganda honors fallen contributors to national stadium project Xinhua) 12:29, April 06, 2025 Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Uganda and Chinese enterprises and institutions attend a memorial ceremony to honor four Chinese experts who lost their lives 29 years ago while working on a Chinese aid project in the East African country, in front of a memorial stone at the northeastern corner of Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, April 4, 2025. (Photo by Ronald Ssekandi/Xinhua) KAMPALA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community in Uganda on Friday held a memorial ceremony to honor four Chinese experts who lost their lives 29 years ago while working on a Chinese aid project in the East African country. Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Uganda and Chinese enterprises and institutions gathered at a memorial stone engraved with the names of the four experts. The stone stands at the northeastern corner of Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, the Ugandan capital. In 1996, the four Chinese experts -- Hu Yexing, Kong Huiping, Bao Jinping, and Wang Guorui -- died in a tragic traffic accident while working on the China-aided national stadium project. Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Uganda Fan Xuecheng led the tribute, which included cleaning the tomb and laying flowers in memory of the fallen experts. He underscored the enduring significance of their contributions to China-Uganda relations. "With their expertise and tireless efforts, they laid the foundation for the early days of pragmatic and friendly cooperation between China and Uganda. Their heroic deeds are forever engraved in the history of China-Africa friendship, and their internationalist spirit continues to inspire future generations, urging us to forge ahead with perseverance," he said. Uganda was among the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. Since the 1960s, successive Chinese expert teams, medical missions, and engineering groups have worked across Uganda, contributing to the country's economic and social development. Li Jincheng, president of the China Chamber of Commerce in Uganda, paid tribute to the dedication of the four fallen experts and the legacy of their work, stating that the construction of the stadium stands as a symbol of enduring friendship between our two nations. "As we mourn and express our deepest condolences, we must also carry forward the legacy of our predecessors. We must learn from their boundless love, selfless dedication, hard work, and perseverance," Li said. The event coincided with China's Qingming Festival, a traditional occasion for paying tribute to the deceased and remembering ancestors. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The European Centre of Azerbaijan, operating in Germany, issued a statement in connection with April 4 - International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Trend reports. In a statement addressed to the world community, influential international organizations and media structures, it is emphasized that mines, in addition to posing a threat to human life, are one of the main factors hindering the socio-economic development of territories, the return of internally displaced persons to their homes and sustainable peace. It is noted that this problem creates major obstacles, especially for countries that have just emerged from conflict. The statement also said that after the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, a large-scale mine problem arose in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, and our lands were contaminated with about 1.5 million mines and unexploded ordnance. It is noted that hundreds of people, most of them civilians, have been killed or seriously injured due to mines, which not only pose a direct threat but also hinder agricultural, construction and infrastructure projects, slowing down the process of rebuilding the region. Azerbaijan has mobilized all its capabilities in this area and has strengthened the activities of ANAMA, which systematically carries out demining operations. In addition, the statement noted that Armenia's refusal to provide minefield maps has made the process extremely difficult and has resulted in new losses. It was also emphasized that only 25 percent of some mine maps submitted by Armenia reflect the actual territories. This is a serious violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Geneva Conventions. As a result of Armenia's irresponsible and inhumane behavior, human casualties in the region are increasing and the recovery process is slowing down. The appeal reflects the demands to international organizations and the international community to apply mechanisms of influence so that Armenia provides minefield maps in a complete and accurate form, to support demining activities, to strengthen cooperation in the direction of rehabilitation and social integration of mine victims, as well as to take legal and political steps against parties violating international law. New Delhi, April 6 : Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Minister for Environment, Forest and Wildlife in Delhi, on Sunday highlighted the efforts being initiated by the BJP government to curb air pollution in the national capital. In a post on social media platform X, Delhi minister Sirsa wrote, "Following the Viksit Delhi Sankalp of PM Narendra Modi Ji we are working to bring life back into Delhi. Watch our on-ground dust mitigation efforts because clean air isn't a luxury, it's a right." Days before, a CAG report recommended that the Delhi Government should immediately address the issue of shortage of 2,250 public transport buses and complement it with last-mile connectivity options to arrest the deteriorating air quality in the national Capital due to vehicular emissions. The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, tabled by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the Assembly, said the Government should do route rationalisation as a priority to use the existing fleet optimally. Suggesting route rationalisation to use the existing bus fleet optimally, the CAG report said that the skills of the existing repair and maintenance staff need to be matched to the operational buses by training them and applying their services suitably for proper upkeep and maintenance of the vehicles. The CAG report said that because of a shortage of public transport buses, 238 out of 657 notified bus routes were completely unserved. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses had altogether stopped providing NCR connectivity. Further, the number of Gramin-Sewa Vehicles for last-mile connectivity has also remained the same since May 2011, said the report of the central government auditor. Expressing concern over inadequate checking of polluting vehicles entering Delhi's border, the CAG said there were 128 entry points from where vehicles enter the UT. "Out of these, 80 per cent of the commercial vehicles enter Delhi from 13 entry points," it said. The audit, however, observed that enforcement teams were being deployed at only seven entry points in the national Capital. "Besides shortage of staff, the enforcement teams did not have vehicle-mounted PUC equipment to check visibly polluting vehicles," the report said. Earlier, Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of intentionally worsening Delhi's air pollution to harm the image of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed that since the BJP assumed power in Delhi, significant progress has been made in reducing pollution levels. In a video message posted on X, Sirsa remarked, "Since the BJP took charge in Delhi, we have been consistently working to reduce pollution, and we have been successful. Air quality is improving every year, with many days being cleaner. We have broken records over the last three years, something that is clearly not sitting well with the Aam Aadmi Party." He further accused the AAP of resorting to extreme tactics to disrupt the city's air quality. "It saddens me to say this, but the AAP has sunk so low that they are now gathering trash inside parks and setting it on fire. I have shared a video of this incident. This is being done with the sole intention of making the air polluted and defaming the BJP," Sirsa added. Confiz, a Microsoft Solutions Partner, has earned FastTrack Partner status. This recognition showcases its expertise in accelerating global enterprise cloud adoption and digital transformation, with a strong focus on the Saudi region. It grants Confiz direct access to Microsoft engineers, best practices, and architectural guidance, enabling faster, more efficient migrations and AI-driven solutions. With over 250 certified consultants and Microsoft MVPs, Confiz leverages FastTrack's comprehensive framework to enhance operational efficiency, reduce deployment risks, and deliver continuous optimization for its clients. This achievement strengthens Confiz's Microsoft ecosystem expertise, ensuring seamless adoption, scaling, and maximization of cloud investments. BELLEVUE, Wash., April 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Confiz, a trusted Microsoft Solutions Partner, has been recognized as a Microsoft FastTrack Partner, reaffirming its commitment to accelerating enterprise cloud adoption and digital transformation for its clients worldwide. As a leading provider of Microsoft BizApps solutions, this deep collaboration with Microsoft, achieved by expanding into the Saudi region, enables Confiz to deliver expert consulting and cutting-edge cloud solutions, empowering businesses to modernize, migrate, and embrace AI-driven transformation. What FastTrack Status Means for Confiz Clients? Earning Microsoft FastTrack Partner status is a testament to Confiz's expertise in delivering successful cloud deployments. This accreditation grants direct access to Microsoft engineers, best practices, and architectural guidance, ensuring faster, more efficient migrations for our customers in the Saudi region. With FastTrack Program support, Confiz clients gain access to: Microsoft Engineering Expertise: Direct collaboration with Microsoft engineers for technical troubleshooting and optimized solution architecture. Proven Implementation Strategies: Microsoft-recommended methodologies to accelerate cloud adoption and reduce deployment risks. Comprehensive Migration and Adoption Support: Access to tools, training, and change management resources at no additional cost. Continuous Optimization and Innovation: Ongoing product roadmap insights, ensuring businesses stay ahead in their digital transformation journey. A Strategic Milestone for Confiz "Being recognized as a FastTrack Portfolio Partner within our second year of expanding into the Saudi market is a huge achievement. It reflects our commitment to excellence, as our Centers of Excellence collaborate closely with FastTrack to bring proactive architectural and product guidance to all our Dynamics 365 projects," said Hashim Ali Zulfiqar, Managing Director EMEA, Confiz. Ahsan Fayyaz, Senior VP of Professional Services at Confiz, added, "FastTrack for Dynamics 365 has been instrumental in accelerating our customers' digital transformation journeys, offering expert guidance, best practices, and direct access to Microsoft's engineering and SME teams. By integrating Success by Design principles and expert-led implementation support, we ensure seamless adoption and successful outcomes, empowering our customers to achieve their business goals confidently." Ahmad Youness, Director of Business Growth at Confiz EMEA, emphasized, "Achieving FastTrack Partner status is a significant milestone for us. It enhances our ability to deliver accelerated cloud migrations, optimized deployments, and long-term value for our clients." As a FastTrack Partner, Confiz continues strengthening its Microsoft ecosystem expertise, enabling businesses to seamlessly adopt, scale, and maximize the value of their Microsoft cloud investments. About Confiz Confiz is a global technology solutions and consulting company that empowers forward-thinking enterprises, including Fortune 100 companies, to strengthen and transform their digital core. Our expertise spans Dynamics 365 ERP & CRM, Managed Cloud Services, Bespoke Software Development, Data & Enterprise AI, and Microsoft Power Platform services. With 18+ years of experience and a team of 700+ experts, we are recognized for our commitment to innovation, industry expertise, and a global outlook. Operating across the NA, EU, GCC, ANZ, and APAC and backed by 7 Development Centers globally, we drive business growth through cutting-edge solutions, enabling our clients worldwide to build a better future - today and tomorrow. Media Contact Umair Khan, Confiz, 1 (425) 365 0857, [email protected], https://confiz.com/ SOURCE Confiz Like him or not, you probably agree President Trump is off to a fast start. From his selection and appointment of new and unexpected cabinet members to a succession of actions reshaping government, this administration is more than just a continuation of the first. The number and substance of Trumps executive orders have surprised even his critics, who acknowledge that while a few are nothing-burgers, most are very substantive. Trump has signed more executive orders at this point in his term than any other presidentmore than three times the number signed by Joe Biden. This suggests a great deal of preparation before Trumps return to the White House. A team of lawyers and policy experts developed a plan for a successful second administration long before Trump was re-elected. They prepared personnel rosters for key appointments, crafted policy manuals aligned to the presidents philosophy, and drafted preliminary executive orders to kickstart his policy agenda. Chris Liddell, an expert on presidential transitions and former deputy chief of staff to the president, was involved in this effort. In his book, Year Zero: The Five-Year Presidency (University of Virginia Press, 2024), Liddell argues that thorough year zero planning can improve the chances of achieving positive results. The book is a guide for presidential success that encourages aspiring leaders to measure the drapes months (if not a full year) before taking office. Because beyond the drama, historic moments, and constant media attention, a presidents legacy is made by delivering results to the American people, not merely rhetoric. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of my conversation with Chris Liddell. How did you come to write this book? Ive worked in the private sector for most of my career, but I had a chance to work on both the incoming and outgoing transitions for President Trump. Years before, I worked on the Romney transition planning. I like institutional transformations, and so I wrote a manual, if you like, about the steps to set up the U.S. government. Compare a private sector transition with a government transition. There are some obvious differences with the private sector, but any transition happens in three phases: planning; transition; and post-transition (early phase). The length of those phases differs depending on whether its a parliamentary or presidential system, but the basic concepts are the same. To get off to a fast startand you should, because those are your best daysyou want to manage the transition to that new staff as effectively as possible. Explain that early phase of the new administration. Typically, we think of the first 100 days, or just over three months, as being enough to get something done and be impactful. That timeframe was conceived in the FDR administration. Another metric is the first 200 days, which gets you through to the August recess. I talk about 200 days as being a more important metric for the new administration. In contrast, an incoming CEO spends his first 100 days talking to people and listening rather than acting and implementing their plan. The early phase seems more challenging and unpredictable for the president than for a new CEO in the private sector. Can you draw a contrast? In the private sector, theres a clear sense of what you are trying to achieve. The most successful CEOs have a strong mission or vision in mind. In the presidents case, its typically the same but the institutional structure you establish will determine whether you achieve this. The White House can be a mess of multiplier forcepeople come together for a brief period of time, with different personalities and different objectives. The president needs a White House with a clear vision. Consider James Baker, for example. He is often considered the best chief of staff, though he wasnt originally part of Reagans team. That worked well but I think the core of the presidents team needs to have been part of the year zero team, where they would have ironed out the kinks before its time to govern. You dont want a group of newcomers working out their dynamics on-the-job in the first 100 days. You describe the three aspects of power in a presidential administration: institutional power; situational power; and personal power. The last aspecta presidents charisma, influence, and activity levelmakes sense. Can you tell me more about the other two? Institutional power is learning the levers inside the White House. Situational power is what Congress you have and how do you work with them. First-time presidents enter office and have a very good general understanding of the office but theres nothing like being there and knowing how executive orders are formed and so forth. The first-time president is occupied learning how to achieve his goals ... This is where President Trumps non-consecutive second term seems unique. Describe Trumps unique position, if you can. In a typical second term, youve already figured out the office, so the big challenge is re-invigorating your platform and trying to recreate the energy and dynamism of your first term. Many second-term presidents struggle with that. Theyve just come off an electoral campaign and now they have to govern, which is exhausting. Also, the second term is often more conservative by nature. There can be a sense that the second term is about consolidating the first, which I think of taking you backward rather than forward. I argue you need to have a forward motion in the second term. Though the second-term president may understand the office very well, theyre possibly lacking the energy and ambition of the first term. But Trump 2.0 is different. He had such a fast start because he came in with the knowledge of a second term but the energy of a first term. Thats on display right now. Trump has a whole set of new programs. It feels a bit like a first term for him. Most traditional second terms are planned for during the presidents fourth year. Perhaps youre dealing with a bad mid-term and youve been dealing with a combative Congress, and so youre running a campaign while running the country. If you have a period away like he did, you can reflect on what you want to achieve without the pressure to govern. It can be an advantage because youve been able to think deeply about policies and people, without having to deal with the issues of governing. When this is over, what do you want to have achieved for yourself, your family, and the country? I thought of that question looking at one of your graphics, which first considers the candidates intended legacy before developing his campaign promises, policy goals, and yearly agenda. Yes, any organization should start with the end in mind ... It reminds me of Stephen Coveys phrase begin with the end in mind, and what we called "back-planning" in the military. In the presidency, its particularly so because crises will come along. External forces are strong. You wont get the Congress you want. Youll have personality conflicts on your team. Youll deal with foreign nations that dont behave as you want them to. So, you need a laser-like focus on what you want to achieve. Any organization should maintain that focus. What will your legacy be? What will you be known for? Thats how progress is madedriving toward those goals every day. JFK called the media bastards. Reagan called them sharks. Ive written about the force and consistency of Trumps communications during the second term, and how he bypasses traditional media. You argue that communications are important but results win the day. Tell me more. Yes, I think its important in the modern world to have a continuous connection to the public. But you can overdo that. Results will get you the best mid-term and re-election outcomes. The first year should focus on results rather than communication. You cannot disappear. You cannot not communicate to people, but when they come again to vote in the mid-term or the second term, theyll remember what you did for them and not just what you told them. Signing executive orders is not action but what leads to action. The signing starts the processits what happens as a result of that. Presidents can spend a lot more time communicating if they have the machinery around them. Communication is clearly important but a fast start means delivering results or setting the preconditions to those results. You want your communication machine to be ready when you need the most important thing: getting people to vote for you. This is similar to a public company. They need to communicate to customers, the company, the media some are better at it than others. But the overall success of the company is what they did. You really drill down on this point of results You get results because someone wakes up every day and pushes the ball forward one foot. Then wakes up the next day and does it again, overcoming the inertia and counterforces that try to push it back a foot. Its a relentless focus on achieving things, legislatively or otherwise. The president must be able to rely on these people by autopilot. He will see a relatively small number of people on a day-to-day basis, and so he has to rely on them to be able to do the things he wants done when hes not looking. I describe that notion as goal alignment. The president has 4000 appointees. Hes there for a relatively short amount of time. In each case, he only needs them to do a relatively small number of things. Most agencies or arms of the government cannot do 20 things in 4 years, but they can do 3 or 4 things really well. Your staffs competence speaks for itself. Loyalty means loyalty to the cause and a general commitment to working with others. Theyre all inextricably linked. Speak to the aspiring leader out there, someone preparing for political office or a leadership role in government. How should someone prepare for higher office? I did quite a lot of research before I went into government services. I read a lot about government. I wasnt particularly shocked but that doesnt mean it wasnt different. In the private sector your goals are a lot simpler. Your objectives are somewhat simpler. Your role description is somewhat simple. Government is way less binary, way grayer, there are a lot more people involved, and a lot more time must be spent federating decisions. Its a more complicated environment. I came to really appreciate how difficult it is to get meaningful change in government. History is a really good teacher. Read around the topic as much as you can. Depending on the role, read about people who have done that role in the past. Do your basic preliminary work by reading biographies and reading about the job. Read about the context of the role. Talk to people who have done it before, and in the presidential case there is so much resource to digest. Begin preparing, I think, six-to-twelve months in advance. If you read my book and some others you can probably take the first six months off the preparation. John J. Waters is a lawyer. He served as a deputy assistant secretary of Homeland Security from 2020-21. Follow him at @JohnJWaters1 on X. Disney released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming AI-themed, sci-fi epic, Tron: Ares, on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT "The Teaser Trailer for Tron: Ares. This October, worlds will collide. Only in theaters 10.10.25," the film's Oscar-winning star Jared Leto posted on social media Saturday. The 90-second preview -- featuring Leto as the embodiment of a computer program which escapes into the real world -- got more than 500,000 views in its first hour on YouTube. The movie follows 1982's Tron and 2010's Tron: Legacy. Jeff Bridges starred in both. Joaquin Ronning directed the latest installment, which co-stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Gillian Anderson. Bridges' voice can be heard in the trailer released Saturday. The University of Georgia's Relay For Life is hosting "Rock the Ribbon," a benefit concert scheduled for April 17, at 7 p.m. at Paloma Park in Athens. This event aims to unite the community in the fight against cancer through an evening of live music and collective support. The Red & Black serves the Athens and University of Georgia communities with reliable, independent news, while training the future of the free press. Your donation keeps our newsroom strong and supports the work behind every story. Support Our Newsroom Indian origin Hindus living in Europe and US are mulling opening overseas chapters of Prayagraj-based 'Ram Naam Bank' in their countries. On the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, the idea of opening a Ram Naam Bank was discussed among the devotees in Sweden. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ram Naam Bank Nityanand Sharma, an IT Solution Architect, who works for a global furniture retailer in Sweden's Almhult and manages the affairs of a local temple there, said people were enamoured by the idea of a bank that propagates the name of Lord Ram. "The name of Lord Ram is powerful and effective enough to dispel doubts, fears and anxiety. That is why the concept propagated by Prayagraj-based Ram Naam Bank, of embracing the divine presence by writing his name 108 times a day in a booklet has many takers globally," he said. "Apart from Almhult, we are exploring this idea with our other friends in Europe. "If all goes well, 'Ram Naam Bank' will have a presence in many places across Europe," he told PTI. The 'Ram Naam Bank' in Prayagraj is a "spiritual bank" where devotees deposit booklets after writing Lord Ram at least 108 times daily. "The uniqueness of the bank lies in the fact that its only 'currency' is Lord Ram," said Ashutosh Varshney, who manages the Ram Naam Bank's affairs in Prayagraj. He said the bank was originally started by his ancestors in the 1870s. Apart from Prayagraj, such 'Ram Naam Banks' have since also come up in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, including the state capital Lucknow where a road crossing is also named after the bank. In Varanasi, a Ram Ramapati Bank is operating on the same concept. "Earlier too, I wanted to write Lord Ram's name but was unsure about how to go about it. "Now, Ram Naam Bank has provided an answer and surely we look forward to having a chapter of the bank out of India," said Nityanand Sharma. Henk J Keilman, who hails from the Netherlands, is another foreigner who is interested in propagating the concept of 'Ram Naam Bank.' A resident of Baarn, and a follower of Vaishnav tradition of Bhakti Yog, Keilman told PTI, "According to Vaishnav tradition of Bhakti Yog, God has many names. "Ram is one of them. So the idea of a Ram Bank, where you can deposit copies filled with the Lord's name and generate good karma, is a very good idea." "In the western world, Lord Vishnu and Krishna are well known. Propagating Lord Ram's name to highlight the importance of humility, service and devotion, will surely be a welcome addition to the concept of divinity. "I do not know the full scope of the Ram Naam Bank project, but am interested to know more," Keilman said. US-based Shivani Singh said that she has also decided to open a chapter of the Ram Naam bank in California. "I visited the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj this year. Before my visit, I came to know how chanting or writing the Lord's name can actually help generate positivity and so when I visited Ram Naam Bank at the Mela venue, I was immediately hooked on to the concept," she said. "I have requested people associated with Prayagraj's Ram Bank to guide us on how to go about setting up the whole thing so that more people can benefit from this," Singh told PTI. Lucknow native living in Sweden's Almhult, Arijeet Ghosh said, "I wanted to go to Prayagraj to attend Maha Kumbh but was unable to go. "For the 45-day, I was physically present in Sweden, but mentally, I was navigating in the Sangam area and the narrow lanes of Prayagraj." Lauding the concept of Ram Naam Bank, Ghosh said, "I really liked the concept. Most people, whom I know in Europe do not know about this. "If writing the name of Lord Ram gives mental peace and spiritual satisfaction, then I am ready to embrace it. "After all, I also hail from Avadh --- the region of Lord Ram." Commenting on the growing popularity of such Ram Naam Banks, Varshney said, "Ours in Prayagraj dates back to the 1870s when my great great grandfather Radhey Shyam ji started it. "Ever since it has only become more and more popular to the extent that people now want to replicate the concept overseas." Currently, the Prayagraj-based bank has over 2 lakh account holders, who have written the name of Lord Ram more than 12 crore times, Varshney said. "The bank doesn't need ATMs or cheque books. "Anyone willing to pen the Lord's name is entitled to open an account with us," he said. The Ram Naam Bank participated in the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj that concluded in February. The name of Lord Ram is entered in the passbooks provided by the bank, and once the 30-page passbook is full, another is issued to the devotee, and the duly filled passbook is deposited at the deity's feet, Varshney said. "The name of the Lord should be written in red ink as it is the colour of love," he said. "The completed Ram Naam booklets keep getting distributed among other devotees, as these aren't mere booklets but akin to Lord's blessings," Varshney said adding that it was for a reason that these "Ram booklets" wrapped in red colour are called "punya ki potlee." Throwing light on the Ram Ram Bank in Lucknow, local corporator Man Singh Yadav told PTI, "Almost 30-35 years ago, the place where the crossing is now named 'Ram Ram' bank, people used to write the name of Lord Ram in a booklet to usher in the New Year. "After completing the booklet, they used to deposit it at a local centre and from there it was sent to Ayodhya." Chandra Prakash Dixit, who is the director and founder of Ram Naam Bank, Ayodhya said that the bank started in 2015 and since then has added 1.05 lakh plus devotees with total Ram count at 17,72,17,60,149 (over 1,772 crore). "Filled booklets are sent to Ayodhya where they are taken to Hanuman Garhi temple and Kanak Bhavan and shown to Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. "After prayers, these copies are deposited at the Valmiki Ramayan Bhavan in Ayodhya," Dixit told PTI. Ashish Mehrotra, whose family operates the Ram Ramapati Bank in Varanasi, told PTI, "Lakhs of people are associated with us, and so far, the name of Lord Ram has been written more than 2,000 crore times. "The bank is nearly 98 years old." "The name of Lord Ram is written during a ceremony, which lasts 250 days, and devotees pen Lord Ram's names 500 times daily. "People do this to get their wishes fulfilled," he said. The Centre does not want to control Waqf Boards but ensure that they operate within the bounds of law so that their assets are used in promotion of education, healthcare and employment for the Muslim community, Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda said on Sunday. IMAGE: Union minister and BJP national president JP Nadda being felicitated by Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (right) and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva at the foundation day celebrations of the party in New Delhi, April 6, 2025. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo Addressing an event organised at the BJP headquarters here to mark the party's 46th foundation day, Nadda said governments in Turkey and many other Muslim countries have taken the Waqf properties under their control. "We are only asking those operating (the Waqf Boards) to do it as per rules. You will have to do it as per rules," he said. "We do not seek to control the Waqf Board. Our goal is to ensure that those managing it operate within the bounds of law and adhere to established rules. The properties and funds of the Waqf Board should be dedicated to promoting education, providing healthcare and employment opportunities for the Muslim community," the BJP chief said. Before the address, Nadda hoisted the BJP flag at the party headquarters. Several party leaders, including MPs and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, were present. Revisiting the BJP's political journey that began with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, Nadda said today it has become the world's biggest political party and is in power in several states because it never deviated from its ideological foundation for votes, unlike the Congress which suffered a decline due to its "ideological dilution". He also attributed the BJP's success to party stalwarts such as Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, Atal Bihar Vajpayee and L K Advani. "Today, we have 240 members in Lok Sabha, 98 members in Rajya Sabha and more than 1,600 MLAs across the country. We have just concluded our membership drive and the number of BJP members has crossed 13.5 crore. We have more than 10 lakh active party workers in the country," Nadda said. He said BJP is the only political party that has witnessed a "scientific growth". "Expanding the organisation and winning elections is an art and a science," he said, adding, "Though our opponents take jibes at us in Parliament, they also say we are the world's biggest party. Even our opponents recognise our strength." Nadda said the BJP has always kept the nation first and made efforts to promote India's traditions, culture and history, and pointed out that a "magnificent" Ram temple was constructed in Ayodhya during the party's rule. He said in the Shah Bano case, the Congress under the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had succumbed to appeasement politics by "bowing" to pressure from certain sections of the Muslim community. "Despite the Supreme Court calling for the emancipation of Muslim women, no one had the courage to take a decisive action," he said, adding that BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi abolished triple talaq and liberated Muslim women. The BJP chief said the Modi government also gave citizenship rights to those who came to India after facing "religious persecution" in Pakistan. "We said we will come out of the colonial mindset. Rajpath is now Kartavya Path. A statue of Subhash Chandra Bose was also installed (near India Gate). We also scrapped Article 370. We never compromised our ideological foundation," he said. Nadda said the BJP is moving forward with the "ideological foundation" laid by B R Ambedkar who drafted the Constitution of India, while the Congress has made several attempts to hit at its "soul". He asked the party leaders and workers to reach out to people during Ambedkar Jayanti from April 14-25 and expose how the Congress tried to strike at the "fundamental spirit" of the Constitution. Nadda also asked them to spend at least one day in a booth and meet people, especially veteran party workers who were associated with Jan Sangh and the BJP in the early days. The BJP chief later met 98-year-old Shakuntala Arya, a veteran BJP worker who served as Delhi Mayor in 1997, at her residence here. The BJP Foundation Day was celebrated across several states including Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hoisted the party flag atop the Hindu Sevashram building within the Gorakhnath temple premises. He also took a selfie with party officials in front of the flag. In Maharashtra's Thane, district BJP president Sanjay Waghule said several workers from Shiv Sena, Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar joined the BJP in the foundation day celebrations. Meanwhile, Union minister George Kurian presided over a function held at Jawahar Nagar in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. He praised the dedication and resilience of the BJP workers in Kashmir and reminded them of the party's unwavering commitment to national integration, development and inclusive growth. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini too observed the foundation day at the BJP office in Panchkula. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, he asserted that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was in the interests of the Muslims, and alleged that the Congress opposed the legislation because it feared losing its "income.". ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 6. Pioneering agro-industrial initiative, developed by Italian company Tramite S.r.l. in partnership with AGRIQA Asia, is set to transform Turkestan region of Kazakhstan agricultural landscape, Gianantonio Tramet, Chairman of Tramite S.r.l., told Trend in an exclusive interview. "The project, located in the Shardara region of Turkestan, combines advanced farming techniques with cutting-edge processing technologies, positioning Kazakhstan as a key player in the global agricultural export market," he said. Gianantonio Tramet revealed the project's unique approach: "Our model, which we call 'ecopolies,' integrates farming, technology, and processing in a sustainable and scalable ecosystem. This will allow us to produce high-quality agricultural products for global markets while fostering local economic growth." According to him, the project focuses on tomato farming, leveraging Kazakhstan's ideal climate with 300 sunny days a year and fertile soil. "Were able to grow tomatoes in the optimal climate here, with a harvest period of just 90 days, making it competitive even with global players like California," Tramet explained. The facility will also take advantage of the Shardara water reservoir, ensuring sustainable irrigation practices. He also highlighted that the initiative will not only focus on tomatoes but will also diversify into other high-value products such as frozen fruits, vegetable purees, and freeze-dried foods. "We aim to offer a wide range of products, including healthy food options like microgreens and emergency food kits for European markets," Tramet added. The official explained that with a total investment of $100 million the project will generate more than 1,000 new jobs and bring economic benefits to the region. "Our plan is to export up to 90 percent of production, primarily to European, South Asian, and Gulf Region markets, enhancing Kazakhstan's economic complexity," Tramet shared. In his view, the project has the backing of the Kazakh government, which offers tax incentives and investment-friendly policies, including subsidies for water-saving technologies. Tramet expressed confidence in the long-term sustainability of the project, stating, "The taxes generated will repay the state support within five years, ensuring the financial viability of the project." he concluded. This new venture promises to significantly enhance Kazakhstans agricultural capabilities and position the country as a leader in sustainable, high-value agro-production for the global market. Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Aidarbek Saparov, met with Gianantonio Trame, the founder of the Italian company "Tramite Group," to discuss a project focused on cultivating and processing tomatoes in Kazakhstan for leading Italian brands. In the course of the meeting, Saparov expressed interest in large-scale processing projects and emphasized that the government is ready to provide comprehensive support for their successful implementation. Amid growing protests by students and other groups, All India Congress Committee in charge of party affairs in Telangana Meenakshi Natarajan has asked the state government to hold discussions with all the stakeholders about the 400-acre land adjacent to the University of Hyderabad. IMAGE: University of Hyderabad Teachers Association members stage a protest against the auction of 400 acres of university land and the detention of students, in Hyderabad, April 2, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo The committee of ministers comprises deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, industries minister D Sridhar Babu, both alumni of UoH, and state revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy which is tasked to hold discussions with the UoH executive committee, civil society groups, and others met Natarajan, who arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday. "She (Natarajan) said the government should also listen to their (students and others) objections. And wait for the Supreme Court's ruling on the land issue too. We will hold consultations with all stakeholders and we should give patient hearing," a senior Congress leader told PTI. Natarajan is expected to meet some civil society groups also on the issue. The Congress leader said the Kancha Gachibowli land belongs to the state government and the present dispensation fought in the courts and retained it. UoH sources told PTI that some student groups and some employees of the varsity are likely to meet Natarajan on Sunday. When contacted, UoH Students' Union president Umesh Ambedkar said there has been no official invitation from the committee of ministers for talks. The Telangana government's plan to develop 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli to create IT infrastructure has sparked protests by the UoH Students' Union. The matter is now being heard in the Telangana high court and Supreme Court. The agitating students claim that the 400-acre stretch belongs to the varsity while the state government asserts that the land is under its possession and allocated nearly equivalent space to the UoH near its campus in lieu of the Kancha Gachibowli land long ago. The Cyberabad Police on April 4 imposed restrictions till April 16 on the entry of people into the area of 400-acre land in Kancha Gachibowli, citing the prevailing law and order situation and to prevent any disturbance of public tranquillity. The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, claiming it was a "dangerous conspiracy" to strip Muslims of their religious freedom. IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard as Jamia Millia Islamia students stage a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, in New Delhi, April 4, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was earlier passed by Parliament after heated debates in both Houses. Several petitions, including one by Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, have been filed in the apex court challenging the validity of the Act. In its petition, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has said that this law was a "direct attack on the country's Constitution, which not only provides equal rights to its citizens but also grants them complete religious freedom". "This bill is a dangerous conspiracy to strip Muslims of their religious freedom. Therefore, we have challenged the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in the Supreme Court, and the state units of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will also challenge the constitutional validity of this law in the high courts of their respective states," the Jamiat said in a press release. "President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani, has not only challenged various provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act but has also filed an interim petition in court to prevent the law from coming into effect," it said. In its separate plea filed in the top court, Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, a religious organisation of Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics in Kerala, has claimed the Act was a "blatant intrusion" into the rights of a religious denomination to manage its own affairs in the matter of religion. The plea, filed through advocate Zulfiker Ali PS, said these amendments would distort the religious character of Waqfs while also irreversibly damaging the democratic process in the administration of Waqf and Waqf Boards. "Hence, it is submitted that the 2025 Act is a blatant intrusion into the rights of a religious denomination to manage its own affairs in the matter of religion which is protected under Article 26 of the Constitution of India," the plea said. It alleged that the 2025 Act was against the federal principles of Constitution as it takes away all powers of the state governments and State Waqf Boards in connection with Waqfs and accumulates all powers into the hands of the Central government. "The cumulative effect of these provisions will be highly detrimental to Waqfs at large and the Muslim community will be deprived of large tract of Waqf properties on account of operation of these provisions," the plea said. Several pleas, including those by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, were filed in the top court challenging the validity of the bill. Besides them, an NGO -- Association for the Protection of Civil Rights -- has also filed a petition in the apex court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Jawed's plea alleged the bill imposed "arbitrary restrictions" on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the Muslim community's religious autonomy. The petition, filed through advocate Anas Tanwir, said the proposed law discriminated against the Muslim community by "imposing restrictions that are not present in the governance of other religious endowments". The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it. Lok Sabha member from Bihar's Kishanganj Jawed, who was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the bill, has alleged in his plea that the bill "introduces restrictions on the creation of Waqfs based on the duration of one's religious practice". In his separate plea, Owaisi said the bill takes away from Waqfs various protection which are accorded to Waqfs and Hindus, Jain and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike. "This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and is violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion," said Owaisi's plea, filed by advocate Lzafeer Ahmad. The plea argued the amendments "irreversibly dilute" the statutory protection afforded to Waqfs and their regulatory framework while giving "undue advantage" to other stakeholders and interest groups, undermining years of progress and pushing back Waqf management by several decades. In his separate plea, Amanatullah Khan has sought that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill be declared as "unconstitutional and being violative of Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 300-A of the Constitution". 'Challenging Waqf (Amendment) Bill in SC will yield no results' Asserting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has been brought in the interest of poor and marginalised Muslims, Union minister BL Verma on Sunday said challenging it in the Supreme Court will yield no results. Verma defended the bill, stating that it had received overwhelming support in Parliament and reflected the strength of the Narendra Modi government. "The Waqf (Amendment) Bill has been passed with a strong majority. Some people may approach the Supreme Court against it, but nothing is going to happen," he said at a press conference at the party office here on the occasion of the BJP's Foundation Day. Verma emphasised the bill is meant to benefit weaker sections within the Muslim community, particularly the poor and Pasmanda Muslims. "This legislation will ensure transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties and ultimately work in the interest of underprivileged Muslims," he added. Verma's remarks come amid reports of some Muslim organizations and opposition leaders planning to legally challenge the provisions of the amended bill. Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday ended his hunger strike which he had started on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops. IMAGE: Doctors examine farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast over various demands, at a hospital in Patiala, March 28, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo The announcement came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to him to end his fast-unto-death. Union Minister Bittu and Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema welcomed Dallewal's decision. At a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' organised at the grain market in Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, Dallewal said he had acceded to the request of the"sangat" to end his fast-unto-death and asserted that their fight for the legal guarantee on MSP for crops and other demands continues. "You all have said (to me) to end the fast-unto-death. For me sangat (people) is rabb da roop (a form of God). I am indebted to you for looking after the agitation the way I had said. I respect your sentiments," said Dallewal, who addressed the gathering from a stretcher. "The morcha (agitation) continues. Even today I do not want to end the indefinite fast but you have asked me time and again (to end fast) and I respect it. But I want an assurance that we will put up a stronger morcha. The fight is on. The MSP (guarantee) has to be taken and a bigger 'morcha' has to be put up. Do you agree on holding a bigger morcha," he asked the gathering. "The government is alert and it knows farmers can fight. The way you took care of the morcha, the government has seen it," he said. He asked those present to raise their hands in a show of support for the agitation. "Dear friends, your order is like a direction of God," said Dallewal who was visibly emotional as the grain market reverberated with slogans of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad and Sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal Zindabad. Replying to questions from media persons, he later said farmer leaders will attend the meeting with the Centre on May 4. "If we do not go to the meeting, then it (the government) will have an excuse that farmers did not come to put forth their demands," he said. Referring to the previous meetings with the central delegation, Dallewal claimed the government did not have any counter to their arguments made in support of their demands. The development comes more than a fortnight after the Punjab police cracked down on agitating farmers, detaining their leaders in Mohali when they were returning from a meeting with a central delegation led by Agriculture Minister Chouhan in Chandigarh. The March 19 meeting was organised to discuss the farmers' demands, especially the MSP guarantee. Police also evicted farmers and dismantled temporary structures from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points where the sit-ins were being held. On Saturday, Union Minister Chouhan appealed to Dallewal to end his hunger strike. In a post on X, he said, "The ongoing dialogue between the representatives of the Government of India and the representatives of farmers' organisations regarding their demands is continuing. "Farmer leader Shri Jagjit Singh Dallewal has now returned from hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery. We also request him to end his hunger strike and we will meet with the representatives of the farmers' organisations for talks at 11 am on May 4 as per the already decided date." A similar appeal was made by Union minister Bittu on Saturday. Punjab FM Cheema welcomed Dallewal's announcement and said the farmer leader had been fighting against the BJP-led central government over their various demands. Dallewal is a senior leader of a joint forum of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, which were spearheading the agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points in support of their various demands. He began his indefinite hunger strike on November 26 last year to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands. During his prolonged fast, his health had "deteriorated" but he continued to resist medical assistance until the government accepted farmers' demands. A team of doctors had also been deployed at the Khanauri site to look after him. His frail health had earlier drawn the attention of the Supreme Court, which had put the onus on the Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on his hospitalisation. Even a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee, headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh, had met Dallewal at the protest site, urging him to take medical aid. After the Centre invited the farmer leaders for talks in January, Dallewal started taking medical aid at the Khanauri protest site but did not end his fast. Dallewal, who is the president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), hails from Dallewal village in Faridkot. Be it inadequate compensation for the acquisition of farmland, pending payment of farmers or cases of farmers' suicides, Dallewal has been at the forefront of raising these issues. He had earlier gone on fast in support of farmers' issues in March 2018, January 2019, January 2021, November 2022 and June 2023. Dallewal's BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) was part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which led the 2020 farmers' stir against the now-repealed three central farm laws. But it broke away after SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal formed the Samyukta Samaj Morcha to fight the 2022 Punjab assembly polls. Dallewal later formed the SKM (Non-political) by involving like-minded farmer leaders. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Sunday said 'Agniveers' will be provided 20 percent reservation in the police recruitment in the state. IMAGE: The 3rd batch of Agniveer soldiers take oath during the passing out parade at Gaur Drill Ground, BRC, Danapur in Patna on June 4, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo In July 2024, months ahead of state assembly polls, the BJP government in the state had announced a 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of constables, forest guards and jail wardens, along with quotas in other posts. Chairing a review meeting in Panchkula on Sunday, Saini said Haryana is the first state in the country which has secured the future of Agniveers by creating a provision for jobs after their service period in the armed forces. The Haryana Cabinet has already provided security cover to the Agniveers by implementing the Haryana Agniveer Policy-2024. According to an official statement, the chief minister said Agniveers will be provided 20 per cent reservation in the recruitment of state police. Saini said Agniveers will be able to get jobs in Haryana after their service period in the Army and for this, a separate portal will be created for them on which they can register themselves. After this, they will be given preference in jobs on the basis of educational qualification, he added. During the meeting, officials informed Saini that 2,893 Agniveers were recruited in the Army, Navy and Air Force from Haryana during 2023-24 and 2,227 were recruited in 2022-23. Those Agniveers from Haryana who want to adopt self-employment or entrepreneurship will be provided loans at affordable rates. Apart from this, if the industries employ Agniveers on a monthly salary of more than Rs 30,000, the government will provide an annual subsidy of Rs 60,000 to those industries, the statement said. Those Agniveers who want to serve as private security personnel will be given priority in providing gun licences. For this, they will have to apply on the portal, it said. Launched by the Centre in June 2022, the Agnipath scheme provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Soon after the scheme's announcement, the then Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said the state government would provide guaranteed employment to Agniveers after their four-year stint in the armed forces. The Sunday's meeting was attended by Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra, Principal Secretary of Sainik and Paramilitary Welfare Department Vijayendra Kumar and Additional Principal Secretary to the chief minister Saket Kumar, among others. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that a recent article in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh mouthpiece about the property owned in the country by the Catholic Church indicates the "true mindset" of the right-wing organisation and the alleged "majority communalism of the Sangh Parivar". IMAGE: Members of Umrah and Aimah Group stage a protest against the 'Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024', at Park Circus in Kolkata on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi too alleged the "Waqf Bill attacks Muslims" and "sets a precedent to target other communities in future". In a post on microblogging site X, Gandhi shared an article which claimed that the RSS has now shifted focus to Catholic Church land after the passage of Waqf Bill. "I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future," he wrote on X. "It didn't take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians," the Congress leader wrote referring to the article. "The Constitution is the only shield that protects our people from such attacks -- and it is our collective duty to defend it," Gandhi wrote. In a statement issued by his office, Vijayan said that though the article was removed from the website of the RSS mouthpiece, it gives some "negative signals". The CM also alleged that it should be seen as part of "a grand plan to target the minority groups one by one and destroy them step by step". A similar view was expressed by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan who claimed that the article shows that the RSS has now set its eyes on the property of the church. In his statement, the CM further claimed that it also shows the Sangh Parivar's "intense majority communalism which is against other religious communities". Vijayan urged all progressive democratic secular movements to jointly resist such moves. Satheesan, while speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, claimed that in the article the RSS has asked the central government to acquire the over seven crore hectares of land belonging to the Catholic Church. He contended that according to the RSS, the church property was illegally leased during the British era. Satheesan claimed that the RSS demand in the article came on the same day when the Waqf Bill was passed in the Parliament. "We warned that if the Waqf Bill is passed, the Church Bill will follow," he added. The opposition leader said that such actions indicate that while the Sangh Parivar was trying to appease Christians in Kerala, it was attacking them in the rest of the country. He expressed hope that the Christians will recognise them as "wolves in sheep's clothing". Responding to the remarks, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the article, which was the subject matter of the discussion, was removed after it was found to be untrue. He also said that owning land was not a crime, but trying to grab land "like the Congress and the Waqf" allegedly did in Karnataka was wrong. Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplany on the other hand said there was "no need to try and scare the Church by saying that a Church Bill will come next" as its properties have been earned through hard work. "Only those who have amassed property through illegal means would be scared if a Bill comes. The Church is not scared of any Church Bill. It will take legal recourse, if required, at that time," he said. Police have invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section for terrorist act against two men arrested in the case of blast at a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district, officials said. IMAGE: The internal portion of a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district was damaged. Photograph: X Gelatin sticks went off at the mosque in Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil on March 30, on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, allegedly after an altercation between two groups during a procession, leading to the arrest of the two men. While no one was injured in the blast, the internal portion of the structure was damaged. Police arrested local residents Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Shriram Ashok Sagde (24) within hours of the blast. The Beed police initially registered a case under various BNS sections, including 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, covering insults) and 196 (promoting enmity between). During the investigation, the police have now invoked BNS section 113 (terrorist act) and UAPA sections 15, 16 and 18 that deal with the terrorist act, punishment for terrorist act and conspiracy, an official said. Securing bail is difficult under the UAPA. The arrested persons are in police custody, the official added. A Bangladeshi version of a meeting between chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "mischievous and politically motivated", especially the aspects relating to attacks on minorities and Dhaka's request for extraditing former premier Sheikh Hasina, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Bangladesh chief adviser Muhammad Yunus in Bangkok. Photograph: @PMOIndia/X Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam in a Facebook post on Saturday said the chief adviser raised with Modi in the meeting in Bangkok Bangladesh's request for the extradition of Hasina and the "response was not negative". The characterisation of the Indian prime minister's remarks regarding the relationship with Yunus and the previous Bangladesh government were "inaccurate", the people cited above said on Dhaka's official readout on the meeting and the Facebook post by Alam. In his post, Alam claimed that Modi had said: "We saw her (Hasina's) disrespectful behaviour towards you (Yunus). The people cited above said Modi had responded to various issues raised by Yunus by saying that these were best discussed by the foreign ministers of the two countries. PM Modi spoke of the progress in our bilateral relationship since 2014 and characterised it as a deep friendship between our societies and peoples, they said. The people said the prime minister also mentioned the importance of elections as the basis of legitimacy in any democracy and that a continued procrastination in this regard would damage the chief advisor's reputation "The Bangladeshi contention that attacks on minorities were a social media concoction was dismissed as being in contradiction of facts on the ground," said one of the people. There is no basis for the observation made by the press secretary on the extradition request, they said, adding such attempts call into question both the "seriousness and the good faith" of the interim government. New Delhi has no far not responded to the request made by Bangladesh's interim government last year for the extradition of Hasina. Hasina has been living in New Delhi since she fled Dhaka in August last year in the face of a massive anti-government protest. In the meeting in Bangkok on Friday, Modi conveyed to Yunus India's deep concerns about the safety of Bangladesh's Hindus and other minorities. "The prime minister urged that rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided," an Indian readout of the meeting said. PM Modi underlined India's concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, and expressed his expectation that the government of Bangladesh would ensure their security, including by thoroughly investigating the cases of atrocities committed against them. Sri Lanka on Sunday released 14 Indian fishermen as a special gesture, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for resolving the vexed issue with a "humane approach". IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes blessings from a Buddhist seer during his visit to Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple, in Anuradhapura as Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka looks on, April 6, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo The fishermen issue figured prominently during talks between Prime Minister Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday. Fourteen Indian fishermen were released as a special gesture, people familiar with the matter said. The fishermen issue is a contentious matter in India-Sri Lanka ties. There have been several alleged incidents in the past of Sri Lankan Navy personnel using force against Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait which is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka. In his media statement after talks with the Sri Lankan president, Modi called for adopting a "humane approach" on the matter. "We also discussed issues related to fishermen's livelihood. We agreed that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter," Modi said in his media statement after meeting Dissanayake. "We also emphasised on immediate release of the fishermen and their boats," he said. At a media briefing on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the fishermen issue was discussed in "considerable detail" between the two sides. "As the prime minister said himself during his remarks, there was emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides of the Palk Bay," he said. "The prime minister emphasised that at the end of the day, it is a daily issue for the fishermen and that certain actions that have been taken in recent times could be reconsidered," Misri said. The foreign secretary said both sides also emphasised the need to intensify the institutional discussions on the issue. "Both sides are in touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of fishermen's association talks between Sri Lanka and India," he said. The prime minister concluded his three-day trip to Sri Lanka on Sunday. President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament earlier this week after heated debates in both Houses. IMAGE: Lok Sabha debates the Waqf Amendment Bill, April 2, 2025. Photograph: Screen grab/Sansad TV Murmu also gave her assent to the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. "The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the president on April 5, 2025, and is hereby published for general information: The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025," the government said in a notification. Parliament early on Friday approved the Bill after the Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the contentious legislation following an over 13-hour debate. The discussion witnessed staunch objections from opposition parties, which termed the Bill "anti-Muslim" as well as "unconstitutional", while the government responded that the "historic reform" would benefit the minority community. The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha early on Thursday, with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it. Parliament also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod. The Lok Sabha had already given its assent to the Bill. After the president gave her assent, the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, stands repealed. Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday challenged the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Supreme Court, saying it violated constitutional provisions. Jawed's plea alleged the Bill imposed "arbitrary restrictions" on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the religious autonomy of the Muslim community. The petition, filed through advocate Anas Tanwir, said it discriminated against the Muslim community by "imposing restrictions that are not present in the governance of other religious endowments". Jawed, the Lok Sabha MP from Kishanganj in Bihar, was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Bill and alleged in his plea that it "introduces restrictions on the creation of Waqfs based on the duration of one's religious practice". In his separate plea, Owaisi said the Bill took away from Waqfs various protections accorded to Waqfs and Hindu, Jain and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike. Owaisi's plea, filed by advocate Lzafeer Ahmad, said, "This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and is violative of articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion." AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has also moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Bill's constitutional validity. In his plea, Khan sought that the Bill be declared "unconstitutional and being violative of articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 300-A of the Constitution" and direction for striking it down. The Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, an NGO, has also challenged in the apex court the Bill's constitutional validity. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 7. Uzbekistan has proposed the creation of a unified transport strategy for Central Asian countries to enhance regional connectivity and economic integration, Trend reports. According to Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport, sky-high transportation costs in the landlocked region - sometimes hitting the roof at 50 percent of a product's final price - throw a wrench in the works of trade and development. Uzbekistan emphasizes that improving transport links will strengthen Central Asias transit potential and competitiveness. To achieve this, the country proposes establishing efficient transport corridors with unified tariffs to facilitate access to key markets. Additionally, Uzbekistan calls for the creation of an integrated digital platform for freight transport. Experts estimate that resolving logistics challenges could double the regions GDP within a decade. Over recent years, Uzbekistan has actively worked to improve transport links with neighboring countries. Between 2016 and 2024, the number of flights between Uzbekistan and Central Asian states nearly doubled, while passenger traffic increased 2.1 times. Additionally, new international bus routes were introduced, and previous ones were restored, significantly expanding cross-border mobility. Major infrastructure projects have also been implemented. In 2017, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan inaugurated the TurkmenabatFarab railway and road bridges over the Amu Darya River. A year later, the GalabaAmuzang railway line connecting Uzbekistans Surkhandarya region with Tajikistans Khatlon province was reopened, marking a historic milestone in regional cooperation. These efforts have led to a significant increase in cargo transportation between Uzbekistan and its neighbors, with Central Asia's share in Uzbekistans total freight volume reaching 28 percent in 2024. Iran's foreign minister rejected US proposals for direct negotiations over Tehrans nuclear ambitions, days after US President Donald Trump called for face-to-face talks. In a statement released on April 6 by the Foreign Ministry, Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was prepared to hold indirect talks with Washington. "Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty," he was quoted saying. Araghchi's comments came three days after Trump called for "direct talks" with Tehran, saying they were "faster" and offered a better understanding than using intermediaries. Last month, Trump sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for negotiations and warning of military action if diplomacy failed. Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, said on April 5 that Tehran was willing to engage in dialogue on an "equal footing." In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with United States, France, China, Russia, and Britain, as well as Germany, to curtail its nuclear activities. The 2015 agreement -- known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- eased punishing sanctions that had restricted Iran's economy. During Trump's first term in office, however, the United States withdrew from the agreement and reinstated punitive sanctions. Iran rejects Western allegation that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons, insisting its programs are only aimed at civilian purposes like electricity generation. With reporting by AFP Pakistans plan to deport millions of Afghan migrants has drawn sharp criticism as the country begins implementing its controversial policy. Rights groups warn that many returnees face severe risks in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, including persecution, violence, and economic hardship. Vulnerable individuals such as women, journalists, human rights defenders, and former government officials are particularly at risk. The government had initially set March 31 as the deadline for Afghan migrants to leave voluntarily or face deportation. However, the deadline was postponed until April 10 due to the Eid al-Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, officials said. The delay provides a brief reprieve for tens of thousands of Afghans but does not alter the governments goal of expelling up to 3 million migrants by the end of the year. Meanwhile, around 40,000 Afghans in Pakistan await uncertain resettlement to third countries, mostly in the West. Many fled after the Talibans 2021 return, fearing retribution due to ties with the United States, NATO, and other Western organizations. Who Is Being Deported? The deportation campaign targets Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, undocumented individuals, and those who arrived after the Talibans return to power. There are around 800,000 ACC card holders and 1.4 million Afghans who have been issued Proof of Registration (POR) cards by the UN refugee agency. POR card holders are not yet being deported, Pakistani officials say, as their permits expire in June. ACC holders are granted temporary permission to reside in Pakistan, but the validity and duration of their stay are determined by the federal government. Unlike POR cardholders, ACC holders do not have guaranteed protections against deportation beyond the governments specified deadlines. This poses another problem, as members of the same family can hold different immigration statuses. Thats the case for Rehmat Khan, a man in his 50s who is facing immediate deportation because he is an ACC card holder, while the other members of his family are POR card holders. I dont know how I can leave my family behind, and I dont know who will support them when I am deported to Afghanistan, he told RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal. Rehmat Khan is one of approximately 20,000 Afghans who live in Jalala refugee camp, some 150 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. Residents of the camp have been formally notified to prepare to leave. Most of the Afghans in the camp are descendants of refugees who migrated to Pakistan after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Many are in their 30s, meaning they have never lived in Afghanistan and consider Pakistan their home. The camp functions as a small village, with several schools, houses mostly made of mud, and a makeshift bazaar. I am in 11th grade. Sending me back to Afghanistan at this point in the school year will ruin my future, a student who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons told Radio Mashaal. There are no educational opportunities there, and I am unfamiliar with the education system. I was born and raised here, and I know this place better than Afghanistan. A holding camp to process the relocation of refugees has been established in Landi Kotal in Peshawar, where Frontier Corps paramilitary forces and local police are deployed. While no refugees are currently housed in the camp, officials expect an influx of families in the coming days as the repatriation process gains momentum. Rights Groups Alarmed by Cruel Deadline The United Nations has expressed alarm over the plan, warning that some people would be at risk once in Afghanistan. We urge Pakistan to continue to provide safety to Afghans at risk, irrespective of their documentation status, said Philippa Candler, UNHCR's country representative, said in a statement on February 5, when the initial deadline was set. Amnesty International has also condemned the deportations, calling them a violation of international human rights law. The Pakistani governments unyielding and cruel deadline to remove Afghan refugees shows little respect for international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, Amnestys deputy regional director for South Asia, Isabelle Lassee, said on March 26. She added that portraying Afghan refugees as a threat is disingenuous and scapegoats a community that has fled persecution. Despite mounting criticism, Pakistani officials defend the policy as necessary for national security and resource management. The Pakistani government has often blamed militant violence and criminal activity on Afghan citizens, allegations rejected by the extremist Taliban-led government in Kabul. Victims and perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide live side by side three decades after the mass killings that tore the country apart. RFE/RL visited one of the reconciliation villages, an initiative supported by the government and NGOs. In 1994, when Hutu militias killed nearly 1 million Tutsis in just 100 days, Margaret Murekatete sought refuge at a church in Rukara, believing it would be a safe haven. Instead, dozens of her family members were killed there. Today, her neighbor, Karenzi Nasson -- who once took part in the attacks -- has built her a cowshed. Their journey to sitting together as friends in the backyard was a long and difficult one. Russia hit the Ukrainian capital with a ballistic missile and dropped a powerful "glide" bomb on a city east of Kharkiv, further undermining efforts to cement a cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv. The newsroom for Freedom TV was badly damaged in the April 6 attack -- the second time the state-funded broadcaster has been targeted by Russian strikes. Kyiv officials said one person was killed and at least three people wounded when the missile hit an industrial district, sparking fires and damaging a warehouse and other buildings. The casualties appeared to be minimal since the districts are home mainly to industrial businesses and storage warehouses. In a statement, Freedom TV, which was established prior to Russia's all-out invasion in February 2022, said its editorial offices were badly damaged but no employees were injured. It's the second time since February that the offices were hit. In Kupyansk, a city east of Kharkiv, Russian forces dropped a glide bomb on a residential district, causing widespread damage and wounding two people. Much of the city, which is close to the front lines, has been evacuated as Russian forces are crept closer from the north. Glide bombs are heavy munitions that are retrofitted with guidance systems and dropped from aircraft behind the front lines. The weapons are hard to defend against, and Russian forces have used them to devastating effect against Ukrainian defenses across the front lines. Overall, Russia fired nearly two dozens missiles at Ukrainian targets and more than 100 drones, authorities said. Half the missiles and nearly half the drones were shot down, officials claimed. Ukraine, for its part, fired at 11 drones at Russian targets, Russia's Defense Ministry said. In February, the Kremlin and the White House, as well as Ukrainian authorities, announced the framework for a limited cease-fire that would restrict attacks on energy infrastructure such as power plants, transmission lines, and substations. Moscow and Washington also announced a deal to limit military activity in the Black Sea region. However, Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued to fire drones and missiles at one another, almost nightly. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones, and more than various 30 missiles over the past week. On April 4, a Russian missile that Ukrainian officials said was armed with a cluster munition hit a district in the city of Kryviy Rih, southeast of Kyiv, killing 20 people. A children's playground was struck as well, killing at least nine children. Dozens of people were injured. Moscow claimed the strike had targeted a Ukrainian military gathering. Ukrainian authorities declared a day of mourning on April 6 for those killed in the attack. "We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a cease-fire," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. "We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people." Zelenskyy also criticized a statement by the US ambassador, Bridget Brink, who said she was horrified by the strike but did not call out Russia by name. "Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing -- such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," he wrote in a post to Telegram. There was no immediate reaction from the US Embassy to Zelenskyy's criticism. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Dozens of Serbian cyclists are traveling some 1,300 kilometers to the European Parliament in Strasbourg to draw attention to their country's ongoing anti-corruption campaign. The pedaling protesters were welcomed in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on April 5 after setting off from the Serbian city of Novi Sad two days earlier. The deadly collapse of a railway station cement canopy in Novi Sad last November killed 16 people and triggered nationwide demonstrations in Serbia, with protesters blaming the government for corruption and poor oversight. The protesters are now trying to get support from outside Serbia and from EU lawmakers. "We hope for change; we hope for a better country, and we hope for the best," said Stefan, who was among the student protesters who biked in Budapest. Budapest's mayor, Gergely Karacsony, voiced his support for the Serbian cyclists as did some Serbian students who are studying in the Hungarian capital. "Im here to support my friends, family, and everyone who is trying to change something in Serbia," said one female student, "to make Serbia a better place to live for all of us." Students in Serbia have been a driving force behind the anti-government protests in their country and have called on the government to release all documents related to construction work at Novi Sad's railway station. The authorities claim they have made public all available documents, but protesters reject that claim. The students plan to cycle through four countries -- Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany -- before reaching France in about two weeks and the EU Parliament in Strasbourg. Meanwhile, back in Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic on April 6 named Djuro Macut, a little-known medical professor, as prime minister-designate amid the political crisis. Vucic, one of the founders of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, which has been in power since 2012, presented it as a "movement of great change." On January 28, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned following weeks of mass protests demanding accountability for the deadly accident. Vucic said he accepted the resignation reluctantly because, he insisted, Vucevic did nothing wrong. Several vigils were held in the Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih for some of the 20 people -- nine of whom were children -- killed over the weekend at a playground and restaurant that were struck by an air strike as Russia again denied firing on civilian infrastructure despite evidence to the contrary. Three days of mourning began on April 7 in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, with Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul calling the strike the deadliest on Kryviy Rih, an industrial center with a population of around 600,000 before Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago. Eyewitness accounts, official statements, public records, and other open-source materials reviewed by Systema, RFE/RL's Russian-language investigative unit, show that the restaurant the Russian military says it targeted because it was hosting a meeting of military units and foreign advisers was actually the site of a beauty industry forum and a birthday party. As memorials popped up by swing sets and climbers throughout the blood-spattered playground, officials from around the world expressed their horror at the attack, which Ukrainian officials said involved the usage of a cluster munition. "The use of an explosive weapon with wide area effects by the Russian Federation in a densely populated area -- and without any apparent military presence -- demonstrates a reckless disregard for civilian life," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement late on April 7. Victims of the attack ranged from a 3-year-old to a 79-year-old. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a briefing on April 7 that "no strikes are carried out on social facilities and social infrastructure," reiterating Moscow's response to allegations from Ukrainian officials that the attack constituted a war crime. "Even if the Russian authorities had information that military personnel could be present, the mode and circumstances of attack may constitute an indiscriminate attack," the UN rights office said. Separately, in the face of the relentless air strikes on civilian areas, French President Emmanuel Macron called for "strong measures" should Moscow continue to block efforts to negotiate a peace deal. "While Ukraine accepted [US[] President [Donald] Trump's proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day cease-fire nearly a month ago, and as we work with all our partners to secure peace, Russia continues its war with renewed intensity, showing no regard for civilians," Macron wrote on X. "These Russian strikes must stop. A cease-fire must be reached as soon as possible. And strong action must follow if Russia continues to stall and reject peace," he added. Still, Russia again overnight continued its series of deadly air strikes on Ukrainian cities. Kyiv officials said one person was killed and at least three others wounded when a missile hit an industrial district in the capital, sparking fires and damaging a warehouse and other buildings. The casualties appeared to be limited because the districts are home mainly to industrial businesses and storage warehouses. In Kupyansk, a city east of Kharkiv, Russian forces dropped a glide bomb on a residential district, causing widespread damage and wounding two people. Much of the city, which is close to the front lines, has been evacuated as Russian forces creep closer from the north. Glide bombs are heavy munitions that are retrofitted with guidance systems and dropped from aircraft behind the front lines. The weapons are hard to defend against, and Russian forces have used them to devastating effect against Ukrainian defenses across the front lines. Overall, Russia fired nearly two dozen missiles at Ukrainian targets and more than 100 drones, authorities said. Half the missiles and nearly half the drones were shot down, officials claimed. Ukraine, for its part, fired 11 drones at Russian targets, Russia's Defense Ministry said. In February, the Kremlin and the White House, as well as Ukrainian authorities, announced the framework for a limited cease-fire that would restrict attacks on energy infrastructure such as power plants, transmission lines, and substations. Moscow and Washington also announced a deal to limit military activity in the Black Sea region. However, Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued to fire drones and missiles at one another, almost nightly. An update on moves to progress safety measures in Cloonfad village was sought at a meeting last week of Roscommon Municipal District At last months meeting of the MD, councillors were told that Cloonfad is not currently a location of interest for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). At that January meeting, Fianna Fail councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice questioned TIIs assessment of what is safe or unsafe as he believed there was plenty of accident data available. It was agreed at that meeting that accident data for Cloonfad was needed to bring it to the attention of the TII. At the March meeting of the MD, council engineer Tom McDermott outlined that correspondence had gone to the TII and the gardai seeking accident data for Cloonfad to establish if the villages junction could become a location of interest. During the discussion, Cllr Fitzmaurice repeated his calls for ramped crossing points and traffic lights to be installed in the village, which is on a national route. April 6 A fresh edition in our weekend series Weekend Edition (Credits: Harry Grout unsplash.com) Vlad Palcu, 06.04.2025, 14:00 In todays show: * a talk with Simina Lungu, a speculative fiction writer currently living in Timisoara, Romania with her rescue dog and cat. She started writing stories in her teenage years and quickly gravitated towards science-fiction and fantasy, enjoying the freedom of imagination offered by such genres. Simina made her writing debut in 2017 with the children fantasy novel The Last Survivors, published in both Romanian and English. Since then, she has written speculative short stories for various international publications and anthologies (such as Night Picnic Journal, Mobius Blvd, Schlock!Magazine). Her second novel, a science-fiction mystery called A Song for Rust-city was published in 2025 by Crossroad Press, appearing in print, ebook version, and as an audiobook narrated by Amber McCulloch. The novel delves into relevant themes and social issues such as prejudice, corruption, and the nature of humanity, while offering at the same time a fast-paced story and an intriguing mystery. Feel free to check out her website https://www.siminalungustories.com/ connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simina.lungu.writer or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siminalungu.author/ We rolled a joint and went to see Pink Floyd at Pompeii. It was like being at a concert, with a smoky atmosphere among the audience, but sitting in movie theater seats, recounts Rodolfo Medina. In 1974, he was a 21-year-old with long hair. A few days ago, he turned 71 and still has a few hairs left on his head. Medina, who these days enjoys an active retired life (yesterday, after picking up his grandson from school and handing him over to the parents, he enjoyed watching A Complete Unknown), was one of the Spaniards who was impacted at the time by the documentary Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, the filming of a peculiar concert by the British band: without an audience, in the arena of the Roman coliseum in Pompeii, just a few months before they recorded their masterpiece and best-selling album, The Dark Side of the Moon. In a context of a music market increasingly focused on attracting veteran fans with purchasing power, on April 26 a restoration of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii will be released in theaters, adapted for IMAX theaters and with improved sound by the fully qualified English musician Steve Wilson. The recording of that performance will also be released for the first time. Live at Pompeii was a musical documentary that served an almost social function in Spain at the time. In 1974, with Franco already in transit (he died in November 1975), but still possessing the cruel energy to pass death sentences, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii premiered in Spain, a space where rock, psychedelia, and history coexisted. The one-hour concert film, directed by Frenchman Adrian Maben, had been screened at a film festival in 1972, but failed to gain any commercial success. Two years later, Maben released an extended version, adding an additional half hour and including scenes of the quartet recording The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road, London. This revision was the one shown in Spain, in art-house film clubs. Montage of the four members of Pink Floyd playing in Pompeii: from left, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright. The journalist and writer Jordi Turtos, now 69, began his degree in journalism that very year: I watched it in Barcelona, where many music documentaries were being released at the time, like the one about Monterrey Pop or Woodstock. The same bunch of us always got together, a group of long-haired stoners who shared the concept of a band and a revolutionary idea, which was what Pink Floyd was proposing at the time. There was a sense of complicity in the future: the film made us participants in a revolt, in certain nonconformities. Full view of the band playing in the Roman amphitheater. The idea to record in that setting didnt come from the band, but from the director. Maben wanted to distance himself from mass concerts, to make an anti-Woodstock, where the music and the empty amphitheater meant as much, or more, than a crowd of people cheering the band on. The idea was highly appealing: on a stage populated by the ghosts of the 1,900-year-old faces that dominated the amphitheaters columns, the goal was to exploit Pink Floyds sonic potential, recreate enveloping atmospheres, and achieve an ethereal sound. But the location came about by chance. Maben visited the Roman amphitheater at Pompeii (near Naples) buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD as a tourist, as he was a great fan of art and history. When he arrived at the hotel, he realized he had lost his wallet and passport among the ruins. So he returned the next day, now without the tourist convoy. There, alone, he realized the acoustic solemnity and the moving nature of the space. He never recovered his wallet, but he had found his location. He contacted Pink Floyds manager, who proposed the project to the band, and they accepted. At that time 1971/72 Pink Floyd was on the launch pad towards its highest level of popularity and also its artistic zenith. Julio Ruiz, 72, a historic radio broadcaster, was working at Radio Popular FM at that time. I remember that I had already played Pink Floyds previous albums on the program, Ummagumma (1969), Atom Heart Mother (1970), Meddle (1971)... The record company sent them to us saying, somewhere between affectionate and contemptuous: These albums are for the progressives. Imagine how we were regarded. Diego A. Manrique, who had also been working as a music journalist for some time and saw the documentary in a film club in Burgos, confirms this: In the 1960s, the Spanish EMI didnt want to release Pink Floyd albums because they sounded too strange, although in the end they released them reluctantly, so that music journalists would stop bothering us. Ruiz tells an anecdote from the screening: After the performance of Echoes, we applauded, as if we were watching it live. We applauded the screen. That film was a great moment for everyone. Roger Waters banging the gong during his performance of 'Saucerful of Secrets.' Recording in Pompeii wasnt easy. After transporting the equipment and setting it up in the amphitheater arena, it was discovered there wasnt enough power. The solution: a 1,000 meter-long cable line to the City Hall building. In the film, David Gilmour (guitar and vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards and vocals) are seen playing shirtless due to the excessive heat, which reached 35 degrees Celsius. In the final shots, the guitarists pale back takes on a pinkish hue. Note: this was a concert filmed with a trick, as not all the songs were recorded in Pompeii. With the budget exhausted, time running out, and frequent technical setbacks, some songs, such as Careful With That Axe, Eugene and Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, had to be recorded in a Paris studio. Whats remarkable about the film is that it shows the band just before they were catapulted to superstardom by The Dark Side of the Moon and then Wish You Were Here. It also shows their capacity for experimentation, a legacy of their early days with Syd Barrett, despite already being considered a band for mainstream audiences. Film director and music producer Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo, 77, also saw the film at the time: That documentary had legendary status, it was a window of freedom. At the time, I was Smashs manager, and for them it was a goal: to fuse rock with culture, since the concert was being held in a place as symbolic and important as Pompeii, with historical and cultural significance. That certified rocks approach to culture, which may seem more normal now, but which at the time was extraordinary. The documentary's director, Adrian Maben, gives instructions to Richard Wright as the rest of the band prepares to play. This image is from the recording session at Studio Europasonor in Paris, where 'Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii' was completed. Icon and Image (Getty Images) Those interviewed affirm that there was no fear of attending these music gatherings, as at that point in time they werent part of the regimes problems. The police werent very concerned about the long-haired ones. We werent part of the politicized squad. We were anti-dogmatic. We were closer to anarchist approaches than to socialists and communists, who were the people who wanted to control the regime. We were more interested in Frank Zappa than in politicized groups, says Jordi Turtos. In addition to the seriousness of the setting, some images are particularly interesting, such as Roger Waters (bass and vocals) violently hitting the gong while Gilmour tortures his guitar by practicing the slide with a metal thimble on A Saucerful Of Secrets. Or an interpretation of Seamus, a blues number included on the album Meddle that in the documentary was renamed Mademoiselle Nobs, since that Nobs was the name of the dog that sings the piece; literally, since Richard Wright is in charge of placing the microphone near the dogs mouth while it barks in time with Gilmours harmonica. 1972 promotional poster for 'Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii.' LMPC (LMPC via Getty Images) Although Live at Pompeii drew many people to theaters in the United States, the band wasnt entirely happy. It was very disappointing financially, noted drummer Nick Mason in his book Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd. The biggest pain this time wasnt Roger Waters, but David Gilmour, who noted years later: Its the kind of movie they should only show once, and in the middle of the night. Curiously, or perhaps precisely because of this aversion to the original, Gilmour repeated the experience in 2017: he performed in the Pompeii amphitheater, but this time, with an audience. Some of those who saw the concert during the dying days of the Franco dictatorship in Spain will be able to do so again in 2025, under very different circumstances. One of the changes will be that instead of an ashtray on the arm of their seat, they will have a coaster. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Japan will on Monday see preliminary February results for its leading and coincident indexes, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In January, the leading index was up 0.4 percent on month, while the coincident was up 0.1 percent. New Zealand will release March figures for job advertisement data from ANZ; in February, job ads were down 1.4 percent on month. Finally, the in Indonesia (Eid-ul-Fitr) and Thailand (Chakri Day) are closed on Monday and will re-open on Tuesday. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Updates for 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X include tubeless spoke wheels, raised front fender, compact windshield and metal bash plate To target the fast-growing sub-middleweight motorcycle segment, Triumph had introduced the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X in July 2023. Triumph 400cc bikes have emerged as popular options, collectively ranked in the top ten list of bestselling 300cc-500cc motorcycles. In line with evolving needs of enthusiasts, Triumph will soon introduce the 2025 Scrambler 400X with multiple updates. Lets explore whats in store. 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X Whats new? Updated 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X was recently spotted during a shoot in Pune. Instantly noticeable is a new yellow colour, which complements the bikes sporty, agile character. A similar yellow shade is available with the Speed 400, but the paint format is different. One can also notice the distinctive graphics and Triumph logo on the fuel tank. Other additions include a raised front fender and a compact windshield. Both of these are painted in the body-coloured yellow shade. It remains to be seen if this sportier paint scheme is implemented for all variants or is exclusive to the yellow variant. Existing colour options available with Scrambler 400X include Matt Khaki Green / Fusion White, Volcanic Red / Phantom Black, Pearl Metallic White / Phantom Black, and Phantom Black / Silver Ice. The USD forks in golden finish are common for all variants. Other features include a circular headlamp and rear-view mirrors, knuckle guards, split seats and upswept exhaust. Tubeless wire-spoke wheels, enhanced off-road kit To make it a more versatile machine, Triumph has introduced multiple upgrades with the 2025 Scrambler 400X. Key among them is tubeless wire-spoke wheels, as seen in the spy images. While wire-spoke wheels perform better across off-road tracks, pairing it with tubed tyres creates major hassles when handling a flat. The task of removing all the parts to access the tube and fitting it all together again is just too painful. Its the reason why many enthusiasts choose to go with aftermarket tubed-to-tubeless conversions. With the new 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X, enthusiasts wont have to experience such hassles and additional expenses. With tubeless wire-spoke wheels, users get more confidence to unlock new experiences. Off-road capabilities are further enhanced with the addition of a full-metal engine bash plate. The existing model utilizes a plastic bash plate. It provides basic coverage but lacks the durability needed for tougher terrain. Enthusiasts will also be wishing for sintered brake pads in place of the organic ones in use currently. These organic units have a limited lifespan and also impact braking efficiency. New more affordable variant? Other than the aforementioned updates, most features and hardware remain unchanged for 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X. New Scrambler 400X could cost around Rs 12,000 more than the current model. To ensure it remains easily accessible, Triumph could introduce a new more affordable version of the Scrambler 400X. A similar strategy is already being used with the Speed T4, which is around Rs 42,000 cheaper than Speed 400. The affordable version of Scrambler 400X could be priced lower, as it will focus on the essentials. Existing Triumph Scrambler 400X is available at a starting price of Rs 2.66 lakh. The face of Richard Powers, 67, appears on the other side of the screen, smiling. Zoom is essentially the only way one can interview a writer who, for the last decade, has lived in complete solitude and communion with nature, making his home in the Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachians. I can look out the window and see forest, a mountain ridge, says the author known for his technological stories and for having a particularly well-tuned radar when it comes to the digital future. Hes been the winner of countless awards, such as the National Book Award, which he received for his novel The Echo Maker in 2006. In 2019, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with The Overstory, a publishing phenomenon for which Powers took a half-step away from science fiction to explore environmentalism. Now hes back with Playground (W.W. Norton & Company), in which he somehow brings together his two obsessions, technological fiction and climate warning. They are not two different things. Our life here is poised on this fulcrum between these universes, but we integrate them into our own experiences, he says. Playgrounds plot centers on Todd Keane, a tech magnate who suffers from dementia and reminisces about his childhood, university years and the creation of Playground, a social network with video game elements, essentially a mix of Reddit and Instagram, which brought him fame and wealth. Keane, a creator of potent artificial intelligence tools, recalls people he encountered throughout his life and who, one way or another, have converged on Makatea. The French Polynesian island is in the middle of a referendum on whether it should be used as the base for a consortium of California tech companies set on constructing artificial islands. Does this sound like science fiction? Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the publication of Galatea 2.2, a novel in which Powers describes, with terrifying precision, the training of a generative AIs neuronal network. That is to say: he might live in a cabin, but the author is particularly astute when it comes to predictions as to what the future may bring. At the time, I was just writing a fairytale. Now, theres nothing in the book that ChatGPT cant do many times more, he says. He knows what hes talking about: Powers was a Stanford professor for years, living and working in the heart of Silicon Valley, where he witnessed firsthand the tech revolution. He also got his bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Illinois, where the first graphical web browser would later be invented. I described in the book the creation of the first internet browser, and that was happening at Illinois when I was there, and there were all the people who would end up going out and creating YouTube and all of these various social networking platforms. I remember thinking about how unprecedented all of this was, how I was living at a moment when human beings were becoming a different kind of creature. I watched those early social networks when they were so primitive, just text on a screen. I could see how it changed the way that people interacted with each other. It created new kinds of hostility and new kinds of anonymous aggression. And then all of sudden, its status quo, and now its impossible to think of human beings in any other way, he continues. But hes not anti-technology, is he? No, but technology has always created crisis. You can read Socrates saying, be careful about this writing thing, its going to cause us to lose our memories, its going to make the words of a dead person more important than the person standing right in front of us. We went from Socrates anxiety about writing to my anxiety about social networks, he laughs. Its like, if you say yes to writing, the very next day, youre going to have AI. Which begs the question: how does his hermit lifestyle fit into writing highly technological stories? So I just want to say, Im not the Unabomber. Im Zooming with [a journalist who is located in] Spain. Im not isolated, nobody is isolated! I mean, I can look out the window and see forest, a mountain ridge. I have been sitting in this bedroom when a black bear came up to the window and started scratching its claws on the screen. In one sense, Im living in the 19th century, but Im also living every bit as much in the 21st century as everybody else. I can ask, what am I supposed to do when a bear is coming into my house and the AI will tell me what to do, you know? Which is to return to his main point: the interdependence of the natural and digital ecosystems. The Appalachians and the real world Indeed, the same Appalachian mountains now home to Powers also gave birth to Vice President J.D. Vance, whose government has handed over a large amount of power to todays tech billionaires. Is Powers Keane based on a real-life individual? When I first started writing Playground, I literally thought that I would do an Elon Musk as the central character, he says. I got several thousand words of this written, and then I thought, this man is too strange for fiction. I thought, what if we tell a story that tries to understand one of these people in that situation as a human being with human passions, human failings, reasonable and defensible desires? Its not the first time Powers has found inspiration in a real-life figure. 2021s Bewilderment has a character similar to Donald Trump, who dismantles democracy by destroying social norms and by basically saying, were gonna have new rules now, Powers says. What Musk and Trump are doing together goes beyond our worst fears for the future of democracy, he declares, before performing an astute X-ray on their current political movement. This oligarchy Society as a whole knows how dangerous these people are, but the MAGA people somehow believe that this will free them from elites. Even though its the most elite of the elites who are doing these things. In his new book, a referendum is taking place as to whether an area in the Pacific Ocean will be turned into an island factory. That is to say, its a story about voting. But does Powers believe that in the real world, people can opt into technological movements, or are they rather imposed on them? The problem with opposing the libertarian fantasy that drives Silicon Valley is that its more tightly connected to the capitalist fantasy than a lot of these other social ills were. AI represents the complete victory of capital over labor, he says. How much say do individuals or collectives or communities have in resisting the forces of history? I mean, how was the first wave of colonialism defeated? How was slavery defeated? How did women get the vote? All of these great social transformations did not emerge from the top. It was the victims of these historical processes who said, no, thats the end. The problem is the system depends on our own appetites, he continues. Each one of us has been so colonized by capitalism that we cant think of human meaning as being separate from the meaning that the culture of capitalism gives us, which is individualist, commodity-mediated. We dont know how to think of ourselves in this world except on those terms. He returns to Fredric Jamesons famous quote: Its easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. If youre on that treadmill, you will never have enough, Powers says. But theres another way of being in the world, and its richer and more meaningful and satisfying. The practical question of can we save ourselves is less urgent to me than the question of, how would we save ourselves if we could? You answer the second question first, I think, he says, sounding optimistic. I still want to believe that theres a way forward for human beings on Earth that doesnt end in the double catastrophe that capitalism has produced: climate crisis, species extinction, he continues. The answer is to start to find a way to tell stories that can light a spark in a readers mind, to suggest that for most of human history, there were other kinds of meanings. There is a grand human tradition that says meaning is not in accumulation, its in attention. That meaning is not in possessions, its in being present. Cant we tell stories that can create that transformation of consciousness in one reader? That is precisely Powers goal. And hes making good progress on it. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A chemical reaction that's vital to a range of commercial and industrial goods may soon be initiated more effectively and less expensively thanks to a collaboration that included Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers. The study, published in Nature, involves hydrogenation -- adding the diatomic hydrogen molecule, H 2 , to other compounds. "Hydrogenation is a critical and diverse reaction used to create food products, fuels, commodity chemicals and pharmaceuticals," said Zhenxing Feng, associate professor of chemical engineering. "However, for the reaction to be economically viable, a catalyst such as palladium or platinum is invariably required to increase its reaction rate and thus lower cost." Feng, OSU doctoral students Alvin Chang and Mason Lyons and researchers at four institutions in China took a deep dive into single-atom catalysts; a catalyst is anything that speeds the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed by the reaction, and a single-atom catalyst is one in which the metal catalytic sites exist as isolated single atoms on a supporting substrate. "SACs are a rising star among hydrogenation catalysts and demonstrate excellent catalytic activities compared to nanoparticle catalysts," Feng said. "Interactions between the metal catalyst and support material lead to unique synergies that improve catalytic activity and stability, but the reason for this enhanced performance had not been understood." In a project led by collaborators at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Science and Technology of China, researchers created and characterized 34 palladium SACs on 14 semiconductor supports. Advanced X-ray, infrared and electrochemical characterization techniques showed the SACs' effectiveness depended on how well a substrate could accept electrons, a connection that was consistent and predictable. "The catalytic abilities of palladium SACs have a universal linear relationship with the molecular orbital position of their supporting substrates," Feng said. "This opens a new avenue for the screening of metal-support pairs for high activity and stability. We also found that this molecular orbital position can be tuned by reducing support particle size, leading to SACs with record high activities and excellent stabilities." For this study, researchers looked at the semihydrogenation of acetylene in excess ethylene, a common industrial process. In hydrogenation, hydrogen molecules are added to unsaturated bonds in organic compounds, converting them to saturated compounds. For example, hydrogenation is used to convert vegetable oils, which are unsaturated fats, into margarine and shortening. Hydrogenation is also important for the refining of petroleum products, including converting alkenes like ethylene into alkanes to make cleaner-burning fuels such as propane and butane. The OSU China Experience Fund and the National Natural Science Foundation of China Center for Single-Atom Catalysis were among the funders of this project, which also featured researchers from the National University of Defense Technology and Suzhou Laboratory. Rivers of ink have been written about Audrey Hepburn, her successes and her personal life. The actress best known for Breakfast at Tiffanys (1961), Charade (1963) and Sabrina (1954) passed away more than 30 years ago. Yet she remains a muse of style and inspiration. With a legacy that seems immortal, shes still very much a part of the conversation. Her name continues to dominate the media, most recently with news about the sale of her former house (it was listed for $20.8 million). Still, there are less pleasant chapters of her life that remain unknown. And no, its not that theyve been hidden, but the actress tried to keep details about the most difficult years of her life from being a recurring topic of conversation in the interviews that she gave. To some extent, she succeeded. However, little by little, her closest circle and even Hepburn herself began to reveal the experiences that would shape her into the person she later became: caring, hardworking and humble. Nothing suggested that behind that glamorous and successful actress lay an adolescence marked by terror, broken dreams and the death of close family members during World War II. A recently-published Spanish-language graphic novel, translated as Audreys War, retells this story with the help of Salva Rubio, a screenwriter who holds a doctorate in History and Arts from the University of Granada, and Loreto Aroca, a cartoonist and illustrator. Hepburns childhood was marked by her parents separation. Born in Brussels in 1929, she soon entered a boarding school in the UK while living with her father. After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, her mother decided she should move with her to the Netherlands, a country that was considered neutral, where they believed they would be safe from the conflict. Both her father, Victor Anthony Ruston, and her mother, Ella van Heemstra, were fascist sympathizers. Audrey Hepburn in 1955. 1940 was the year that changed her life. The German Army invaded the Netherlands in May. A few days later, the occupation would begin, a period marked by uncertainty and a lack of basic necessities. But it was also the moment when Hepburn knew what she wanted to be in the future: a dancer. She conceived a dream after seeing a Sadlers Wells performance. Those were the things that kept her alive and her spirits high for much of the time she lived, trapped, in Arnhem, Rubio explains to EL PAIS. Not only did she attend ballet classes: she also taught other children in the town and was forced to give recitals before Nazi leaders. Ultimately, her calling led to a path other than dancing but without that need to dream, Hepburn would never have become an actress, he says. Meanwhile, her mother found work supervising a cafeteria for German workers and even began a relationship with one of them. Her family also suffered the horrors of war firsthand: her brother Alex remained in hiding after serving in the Dutch Armed Forces. He later joined the resistance. Her magistrate uncle, Otto Ernst Gelder van Limburgo Stirum, was executed in the summer of 1942, after opposing the prosecution of several citizens for what he considered to be minor offenses against the Reich. And Hepburns other brother, Ian, was recruited to work in a munitions factory when he turned 19. They eventually decided to move to the village of Velp, to live with their grandfather. One of the most widespread legends is that Hepburn was part of the resistance. However, this has never been proven. Its said that she carried messages and helped a wounded airman but theres no real evidence of any of this. She did perform important work at the local hospital, cleaning, assisting and caring [for patients]. During the evacuation of Arnhem, she and her family also helped refugees and even sheltered an Allied soldier for a few days. She participated in the so-called black evenings: clandestine art and dance gatherings to boost the morale of those who had joined the resistance, the screenwriter emphasizes. The cover of the Spanish-language graphic novel 'Audrey's War', by Salva Rubio and Loreto Aroca. PLANETA Hepburn never wanted to be perceived as a heroine, which is why she avoided talking about this chapter of her life. She was also wary, because she was hiding the true story about her parents political ideologies. It was extremely rare for her to talk about it. On the one hand, [this was] out of pure modesty, as she preferred to avoid talking about herself and her achievements but also because her parents had been Nazi sympathizers. Her mother had even met Hitler a few years [before the outbreak of World War II]. Its easy to understand why, at the time, she didnt want journalists to delve into these facts, Rubio explains. But the worst was yet to come. When she turned 15, she was forced to give up dancing to be, in her words, a good Dutch girl. The progressively worsening living and nutritional conditions, coupled with the obligation to join the Reich Chamber of Culture, led her to make this painful decision, which saw her dreams shattered. The so-called Hunger Winter began, with more than 20,000 Dutch people dying by May of 1945 from the cold, or from lack of food and other essential supplies. The actress fell ill during this time period and nearly lost her life: she suffered from anemia, edema, colitis, endometriosis and childhood malnutrition. At one point, she went three days without eating anything, which stunted her growth. She was close to dying from all of this; she suffered physical and psychological consequences for the rest of her life, Rubio notes. Hepburn was also captured by Volkssturm soldiers (members of the national militia established by Hitler in the last months of World War II) and was put into a truck with other young women, to be forced into labor. However, a quick reaction and the carelessness of her captors allowed her to escape from a bleak future. Even though she avoided talking about it as much as possible, the actress did recount how she learned that the German occupation was over: the machine guns stopped blaring and the air smelled of English cigarettes. They were safe. She soon left Velp for Amsterdam to resume dance classes, but she eventually opted for acting and pursued her dream until she became one of the most important actresses in history. In fact, in 1957, Anne Franks father asked her to star in a film about his daughter, but she declined because she didnt want to relive those years. Hepburn was a star, but she was also one of the most elegant women of classic Hollywood and a prominent philanthropist who dedicated part of her career to helping others. In the final stages of her life, before dying at the age of 63 from colon cancer, the Oscar-winning actress sought to bolster her humanitarian work and reach out to the most vulnerable. She retired from acting in 1987 (although she had already spent years focusing on caring for her family) and, in 1988, was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. I can testify to what UNICEF means to children, because I was among those who received food and medical relief after World War II. I have a long-lasting gratitude and trust for what UNICEF does, she explained during her trip to Ethiopia with the organization. Audrey Hepburn during a humanitarian mission with UNICEF in Ethiopia, in 1988. Derek Hudson (Getty Images) After that first mission, she visited a polio vaccination project in Turkey, professional training programs for women in Venezuela, initiatives for children living and working on the streets in Ecuador, clean water supply projects in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as radical literacy programs in El Salvador. She also visited schools in Bangladesh, drop-in services for poor children in Thailand, nutrition initiatives in Vietnam and camps for displaced children in Sudan, as reported on the UNICEF website. Her trip to Ethiopia, taken just a few months before her death, is one of her most memorable. She was very agitated upon witnessing the devastating situation caused by civil war and drought in the African country. Im not interested in promoting Audrey Hepburn these days. Im interested in telling the world how they can help Ethiopia, is one of her most memorable quotes from these trips. Whats the most valuable legacy Hepburn left behind? In addition to an impeccable career in theater and film, she undoubtedly left us an example of resilience, overcoming obstacles and being true to herself, Rubio affirms. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition On a hot afternoon in mid-March, Largo walks with a small black bag in his hands. His tall, slender figure sways with the joy of a child carrying a new toy. But Largo is no child. Hes a 30-year-old member of the Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang. And what hes carrying isnt a toy, but new needles and tattoo ink. Largo is a fugitive from justice in El Salvador and has been hiding for several years in the city of Tapachula, in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico. He has left his gang life behind and now tries to pass unnoticed as a tattoo artist. Largo has found in this inhospitable border city a place to survive, hide, and rebuild his life far from the Salvadoran prisons that claim his name. Like him, hundreds of MS-13 and Barrio 18 gang members have arrived here in the last three years, after Salvadoran President Nayib Bukeles administration launched a crackdown on gangs after invoking a state of emergency. Although MS-13 and Barrio 18 have been present in Mexico for more than two decades, Bukeles repression, which began in 2022, caused an exodus to this country, as well as to Honduras, Guatemala, the United States, and even Europe. The gang members used the same routes already established by the Salvadoran diaspora who had fled them for decades and took advantage of the same paths. Members of MS-13 and Barrio 18 in the Quezaltepeque prison, El Salvador, in March 2022. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Thats why Largo is happy now. He has found raw material to make a living while keeping a low profile. Gone are the days when he was a powerful man who made a living extorting small business owners in his neighborhood in San Salvador. Here, he lives in a criminal ecosystem with much bigger players than his gang. Here, drug cartels rule. Specifically, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. And Largo knows it. With this, Ill be able to earn about 500 pesos [around $25] with a tattoo. Dont you want me to do one for you? Largo asks. The state of emergency began on March 27, 2022, when Bukele had already been in power for almost three years. What was intended as an exceptional measure has now been renewed 36 times and has become the norm. The measure began after a massacre that left 87 people dead in a single weekend, following the breakdown of secret negotiations between the government and the gangs that had kept homicide rates at historically low levels. Since then, Bukele has ordered the police and army to be deployed to capture anyone who even smacked of gang activity. And he has succeeded: to date, he has imprisoned more than 85,000 people, including thousands of innocent citizens whose only crime was living in a community under criminal control, according to complaints from civil society organizations and the international community. Dont chicken out Eight months ago, Largo wasnt tattooing. He was working as a waiter at a beachside restaurant in Puerto Madero, one of Tapachulas main beaches. He arrived at the end of 2022. There, he served customers quickly and, in addition to his daily salary of 200 pesos (around $10), earned the occasional tip. He was such a good waiter that, he says, a customer offered him a new job. He remembers him as a fat man with a bald head and a Mexican norteno accent. He told him he looked young and energetic, and offered him the chance to take care of his ranch a few miles away. For two months, Largo kept it clean, and every time the owner arrived with his friends, he made sure their glasses were overflowing and ice-cold. But one night he saw boats arriving, from which men were unloading packages and hiding them in the beach house. The boss approached him and said: You know what were up to here, so dont chicken out. At dawn, Largo escaped from the ranch and went to live in the city center. The problem is that if I mess with them, theyll either kill me or catch me. And I dont want either of those. If they catch me, theyll send me to El Salvador, to CECOT [Bukeles mega-prison]. And if they kill me, well, its all over, he says. Most gang members who fled El Salvador, like Largo, now live in shantytowns, undocumented and hiding their tattoos. Largo has covered his own and says hes helped others conceal theirs with artistic designs. Before, carrying the letters [MS] was a source of great pride. Now, its best to cover them up so as not to cause trouble, he says. But not all of them give up their lives of crime. Many turn to drug dealing or contract killing for cartels. Nowadays, there are gang members in Mexico, not gangs. But it wasnt always like that. Inmates at the CECOT, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, January 27, 2025. Camilo Freedman The Mexico Program The presence of MS-13 in Mexico is not new. They have been present along the migrant route, primarily in Tapachula, since at least the early 2000s. For several years, they controlled a section of the train route known as La Bestia (The Beast), on whose back thousands of migrants travel in their quest to reach the United States. Activists, residents of Tapachula, and veteran gang members claim that MS-13 extorted migrants while they were on the train, and those who didnt pay were thrown onto the tracks. Many were maimed, and others died. This power lasted at least until 2005, when Hurricane Stan destroyed part of the train tracks in the Tapachula area. However, during the second decade of this century, MS-13 strengthened its presence by creating the so-called Mexico Program, a group of gang cells under common control. The creation of this program was no coincidence. According to four intelligence reports from the Salvadoran National Civil Police (PNC) obtained by EL PAIS, in 2013, MS-13 decided to create the program as a sort of headquarters to exile several of its leaders in anticipation of the imminent breakdown of the truce they maintained with the government of former president Mauricio Funes. The reports detail that, in addition to extending its power beyond its territory, the gang sought to increase drugs and arms trafficking by establishing connections with Mexican cartels such as Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel. The same reports indicate that by then several gang members had been sent to lead the program, with Francisco Javier Roman Bardales, alias Veterano de Tribus, being appointed as its head, and Jorge Alexander de la Cruz, alias Cruguer de Peatonales, and Marlon Antonio Menjivar Portillo, alias Mary Jane, as his main lieutenants. Over time, the leadership in Mexico expanded, as did its number of soldiers. One of the confidential documents, prepared by the Intelligence Analysis and Production Division in 2019, contains a series of documented events about the gangs activities related to other criminal structures in the region. For example, between June 2015 and May 2018, the gang received military training and sniper courses from Guatemalan special forces linked to crime, as well as former military personnel belonging to the Los Zetas cartel. They also allocated $600,000 to purchase weapons from the latter. A fiscal operation called Operation Jaque, carried out in 2016, also documents at least one meeting between MS-13 leaders of the Mexico Program and representatives of the Sinaloa Cartel, allegedly including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, now imprisoned in the United States. Another report from the Transnational Anti-Gang Center (CAT) indicates that, by 2022, MS-13 had a presence in seven Mexican states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, the State of Mexico, Guanajuato, and San Luis Potosi. The same authorities detail that MS-13 decided to hide in Mexico because the main problem in the country is the cartels, while the gangs are a lesser evil. MS-13 members belonging to the Ranfla Nacional, or high command, of the criminal organization believed to be in Mexico. Policia de El Salvador In recent years, however, Mexican authorities have increased the arrests of gang members. Between March 2022 and March 2025 alone, 42 MS-13 gang members were arrested in Mexico, according to a tally compiled by EL PAIS. Among those arrested are heavyweights such as Elmer Canales Rivera, alias El Crook de Hollywood. Rivera had been wanted by the United States since 2022 because he was supposed to be serving a prison sentence in El Salvador. However, he was arrested on November 9, 2023, allegedly in Tapachula. A journalistic investigation by El Faro indicated that the gang leader was released by the Bukele government as part of a pact prior to establishing the state of emergency. Other members of the MS-13 leadership recently arrested in Mexico include Jose Wilfredo Ayala, alias El Indio de Hollywood also wanted for extradition by the United States and captured on April 19, 2023 and Francisco Javier Roman Bardales, El Veterano, the leader of the Mexico Program, detained on March 17 of this year. There is no exact figure for how many gang members have entered Mexico since the start of the state of emergency in El Salvador. In mid-2022, authorities in Tapachula only warned of an increase, without providing further details. While cleaning his old tattoo machine, Largo recalls the days when he was a powerful gang member. Before, Im telling you, we controlled the entire country, says Largo. People were terrified of us, you know what I mean? But now, here, we have to know how to live life. All thats in the past. Now the municipal police extort me. I went from being the extortioner to the extorted. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition European stock markets sank into the red on Friday, as China announced retaliatory measures to swingeing US tariffs. China said it would match the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and hit US imports with a 34% levy and added 11 firms to a list of companies barred from doing business in the country. China's customs agency said it would also stop chicken imports from some US producers. All major bourses were down sharply, with Germany's DAX down 4.95% to 20,641.72 and Britain's FTSE 100 by an identical percentage to 8,054.98. Italy's FTSE Mib meanwhile plummeted 6.53% to 34,649.22. Unlike during the previous session, euro/dollar fell 0.87% to 1.0956. Brent crude was also lower, in part in anticipation of increased oil output from OPEC. Gold was also down amid the intense selling pressure across financial assets - conspicuously save Bitcoin. Raifeissen Bank, Sabadell, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Danske Bank, Standard Chartered and BPER Banca were among the major fallers, with the Stoxx 600 sector gauge giving back 8.43%. In other equity news, shares in Gerresheimer plunged 15% on a report that KKR has withdrawn from the private equity consortium pursuing a potential acquisition the German pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery systems maker. With the prices of eggs skyrocketing, many people are anxious about what creative activities can be used now, according to the New York Times. While videos on how to dye different foods like potatoes, onions, and marshmallows are beginning to circulate on many peoples feeds, theres a concern that the heavy cost of eggs may hurt this years traditionl With Easter approaching in almost two weeks, John Young of the family-owned Youngs Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio, says gathering lots of eggs will be in the works. In previous years, the family-owned farm comes together to collect and gather around 10,000 eggs for their annual easter egg hunt, but, with the current state of the egg market in the United States the family run business wonders if having the hunt this year is most logical. For the first time in 40 years, the eggs will be made of plastic filled with a coupon for a free ride on their carousel rather than a soft yummy shell. Young said hes hoping the U.S. can return to its normal tradition next year. The experience reminds people of the joyful experiences they had in their own childhoods and people want to keep that alive, Joe Ens, the chief executive of Signature Brands, the parent company of PAAS, an egg dye company stated. PAAS sells more than 10 million Easter-themed kits each year. A survey of 9,000 PAAS consumers found that 90 percent of buyers who celebrate Easter, and normally dye eggs planned on doing so this year despite costs and 54 percent plan to never stop, according to the the New York Times. A measles sign is seen at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (Associated Press) AP A second unvaccinated school-aged child in West Texas died from a measles-related illness, a hospital spokesman confirmed Sunday, as the outbreak continues to swell. Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, said that the child was receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized and did not have underlying health conditions. The hospital declined to say which day the child died. Neither the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the Texas State Department of State Health Services include the death in their measles reports issued Friday. Spokespeople for the state health department, the CDC and the U.S. Health and Human Services Department didnt immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday. A unvaccinated school-age child died in February in Lubbock the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade. In early March, an adult in New Mexico who was unvaccinated and did not seek medical care became the second measles-related death. Nationwide, the U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024. More than two months in, the West Texas outbreak is believed to have spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas, sickening nearly 570 people. The World Health Organization also reported cases related to Texas in Mexico. The number of cases in Texas shot up by 81 between March 28 and April 4, and 16 more people were hospitalized. A team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the ground in Texas assisting with outbreak response. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has delivered a tepid message on the importance of vaccination against measles, saying it should be encouraged while also sowing doubt in the vaccines safety. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for more than 60 years and is 97% effective against measles after two doses. Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, a liver doctor whose vote helped cinch Kennedys confirmation, called Sunday for stronger messaging from health officials in a post on X. Everyone should be vaccinated! There is no treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles, he wrote. Top health officials should say so unequivocally b/4 another child dies. Misinformation about how to prevent and treat measles is hindering a robust public health response, including claims about vitamin A supplements that have been pushed by Kennedy and holistic medicine supporters despite doctors warnings that it should be given under a physicians orders and that too much can be dangerous. Doctors at Covenant Childrens Hospital in Lubbock, where the first measles death occurred, say theyve treated fewer than 10 children for liver issues from vitamin A toxicity, which they found when running routine lab tests on undervaccinated children who have measles. Dr. Lara Johnson, chief medical officer, said the patients reported using vitamin A to treat and prevent the virus. Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administrations former vaccine chief, said responsibility for the death rests with Kennedy and his staff. Marks was forced out of the FDA after disagreements with Kennedy over vaccine safety. This is the epitome of an absolute needless death, Marks told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday. These kids should get vaccinated thats how you prevent people from dying of measles. Kennedy is expected to launch a Make America Healthy Again tour across the southwestern U.S. early this week. Marks also said he recently warned U.S. senators that more deaths would occur if the administration didnt mount a more aggressive response to the outbreak. Kennedy has been called to testify before the Senate health committee on Thursday. Experts and local health officials expect the outbreak to go on for several more months if not a year. In West Texas, the vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated people and children younger than 17. With several states facing outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable disease and declining childhood vaccination rates nationwide some worry that measles may cost the U.S. its status as having eliminated the disease. Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the CDC. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Well, its like the phrase goes: April showers bring May flowers. Sunday will kick off the few days of clouds, rain, and wind well experience this week, so be sure to keep your umbrella with you as you head into the work week. With a high of 54 degrees, Sunday will also be a bit breezy with winds hitting about 16 mph. Monday will kick off with a little morning rain, the AccuWeather website detailed. Aside from the bit of rain, the day will consist of persistent gray clouds as the weather stays in the mid-40-degree range. The wind remains in the area as well, picking up to about 21 miles-per-hour. Tuesday and Wednesday will bring some sun back into New York City, though the temperature doesnt exactly feel super spring-y: Tuesday will hit 46 degrees, and Wednesday will top out at 50 degrees. The mix of clouds and sunshine from the middle of the week will fade away back to clouds and rain. Thursday will scrape just over 50 degrees as rain showers scoot back into the area in the afternoon before sprinkling down throughout the night, AccuWeather said. Friday wont stray too much from Thursday with the clouds and rain shower, though the high temperatures creeps back up to 56 degrees: a warming omen for the weekend. The weekend starts off with surprise! more rain. Saturday and Sunday will mimic Fridays temperature, though, so it wont be too chilly. Wrapping up the week is some more well deserved sun as the clouds move out of area as the day progresses. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Spectrum is expanding technology education in the Staten Island community with its latest initiative. On March 10, the company presented a $30,000 Spectrum Digital Education grant to the Public Housing Community Fund. The grant will support three cohorts of the New York City Housing Authority Youth Tech Corps: Intergenerational Connections program, which promotes digital literacy and engagement among residents. The Public Housing Community Fund is a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of more than 500,000 residents and offers transformative programs aimed at creating a lasting impact. This grant aims to empower residents with essential technology skills and foster community-driven solutions. Spectrum presented a $30,000 Spectrum Digital Education grant to Public Housing Community Fund at the organizations office in downtown Manhattan. From left: Alex Zablocki, Public Housing Community Funds Executive Director; Don Kaplan, Spectrums Senior Director of Communications; Claire McLeveighn, Public Housing Community Funds Chief Strategic Engagement Officer. (Courtesy of Charter Communications) Charter Communications The three cohorts selected to participate in the program include Richmond Terrace in Staten Island, Polo Grounds Houses in Harlem, and Pomonok Houses in Queens. The program, spanning 10 weeks, pairs New York City Housing Authority youths, ages 16 to 24, with adult resident leaders to understand and address the technology needs in public housing developments. Connectivity is the foundation for meaningful learning, professional growth and human connection, and helps to build strong, thriving communities, said Mike Williams, Regional Vice President of the NYC Region for Spectrum. Spectrum Digital Education supports programs that empower community members to enhance their lives with connectivity, from providing digital literacy training to seniors to connecting students with important resources and tools for their education. In addition to digital education, the grant will provide crucial resources, including laptops, food, and financial stipends for each participant. Through hands-on learning, participants expand their understanding of technology and its applications, and youth explore career paths, said Claire McLeveighn, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer at Public Housing Community Fund. The Public Housing Community Fund greatly appreciates Spectrums support of New York City Housing Authority residents through the Digital Education Grant. Participants will develop digital skills, explore career opportunities in technology, and collaborate on community-focused solutions, including social media engagement, AI applications, electronic flyers, online surveys, and website development. This is the second grant awarded to the organization, bringing Spectrums total support to $55,000 over the past two years. Application Info For those in the Richmond Terrace area, the cohort begins on April 5, but registration is open until April 1. For more information and access to the application, visit their website. Former U.S. Rep George Santos leaves the federal courthouse with his lawyer in Central Islip, N.Y. on Dec. 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) AP Former Congressional Rep. George Santos could be facing over seven years in prison for his actions which included wire fraud, identity theft and stealing campaign funds. As reported by the Gothamist, prosecutors on his case are advising 87 months behind bars for his crimes, which prosecutors suggest could happen again. Santos did plead guilty in August of 2024 to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The disgraced Republican congressman, 36, served as the representative of parts of Queens and Long Island for New Yorks 3rd district for less than a year before being ousted from the House of Representatives in 2023. Santos publicly commented on the recommended sentencing on X, writing the following: The DOJ wants me to go to prison for 87 months while they let sex traffickers walk freely, they give drug lords slaps on the wrist and most importantly refuse to prosecute the cabal of pedophiles running around in every power structure in the world including the US Government. The filing was made public Friday from the Eastern District of New York, the Gothamist wrote. Santoss dishonesty and base self-preservation know no bounds. It is abundantly clear that, without a substantial deterrent, Santos will continue to deceive and defraud for years to come, the court filing explained. From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives. Several new state laws are set to take effect in New York in April. Several new state laws are set to take effect in New York this month. The new laws cover a wide range of topics, including school safety, seat belt requirements on charter buses, reimbursements for veteran funerals, name changes for minors and support for medically fragile young adults. Mining companies vying to develop Australias deposits of coveted minerals needed in products as diverse as electric cars, smartphones and military hardware are pressing the Coalition to walk back an election pledge to let fossil-fuel drillers access their industrys cheap loans facility. As Opposition Leader Peter Dutton seeks to fight the Albanese government over energy policies and prices, the Coalition last week said it would grant natural gas the same status as a critical mineral such as lithium, cobalt and graphite if it wins the election, as part of its plans to fast-track new gas-drilling programs and flood the market with bucketloads of the fuel. The Pilbara Minerals lithium mine in Pilgangoora, Western Australia. Classing gas as a critical mineral would qualify gas drillers for support from a $4 billion loans facility set up by the federal government in 2023 to kick-start more mining and processing of metals that the world will need in far greater quantities as building blocks for clean energy products and infrastructure. This will ensure gas projects so critical to our national and international security are able to access specialised teams within the Department of Resources to support their projects, opposition resources spokeswoman Susan McDonald said. In 2023, independent senator Lidia Thorpe and former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker accused Van of inappropriate touching and harassment, allegations he denied. Later that year, this masthead reported that Van had used his private Instagram to flirt with women, urging them to comment on his photos with the hashtag #senatorsixpack. Van has until next Thursday to decide whether hed like to renominate for another six-year senate term and put his political future in the hands of the people of Victoria on May 3. With chatter that he wouldnt be returning, we called the good senator to ask, but we received no response. But Van might have a financial incentive to mount what would probably be an unsuccessful run. If he loses, Van will be eligible for a $105,000 resettlement allowance, a one-off payment provided to parliamentarians who fail to get re-elected. Even we struggle to keep up with all the perks sometimes. Friendly farewell Former Parramatta lord mayor, also former state member for Granville Tony Issa, who died last week following a lengthy battle with cancer, was farewelled by a whos who of current and former Liberals at Our Lady Of Lebanon Church in Harris Park on Thursday. Former Granville MP and Parramatta mayor Tony Issa died last week. Credit: Louie Douvis Issa was one of just two Liberals to ever hold the normally safe Labor seat of Granville, which he won during the partys 2011 landslide. Barry OFarrell, the former premier who led that electoral rout, was at the service, seated next to ex-sports minister and Drummoyne MP John Sidoti. Theyre a pair with the Independent Commission Against Corruption as a common factor in their respective political demises. Sidoti quit cabinet and the Liberal Party and moved to the crossbench over an ICAC investigation, which in 2022 found he had engaged in serious corrupt conduct. OFarrell resigned as premier after the commission revealed hed forgotten to declare a $3000 bottle of Grange. There was no sign of OFarrells two immediate successors as premier, Mike Baird and Gladys Berejiklian, the latter of whom tends to steer clear of overly political engagements, despite a few earlier appearances on the Liberal campaign trail this year. Although state Liberal leader Mark Speakman was in attendance. The funeral brought together a few of the Liberal Partys many warring personalities. Former upper house MP and ex-Liverpool Council chief executive John Ajaka was spotted near the local government areas mayor Ned Mannoun. Ajaka was effectively dumped by Mannoun last year following a bitter falling out at the permanently embattled council. While things remained civil, the pair didnt speak. Two other attendees, former upper house MP Peter Poulos and member for Hawkesbury Robyn Preston caught up for an amicable coffee after the service. In 2023, Poulos was suspended from the party, and he was dumped from a winnable spot on its upper house ticket after it was revealed hed shared explicit photos of Preston five years earlier. Two years on, the pair appear to have made up. Dog days We last encountered billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes causing all manner of irritations in the picture-perfect South Coast hamlet of Narooma, where his maremma sheepdogs keep wandering off his sprawling holiday lair and winding up all over town. Hemmes dogs were the talk of Narooma Facebook groups, and it seems like since our last item in March, someone has been trying to rein them in. Last week, on another community social media group, someone had reached out to identify a local trainer for two large maremma dogs in Narooma. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Its self-evident that novelists require strong imaginative powers, but that seems to apply doubly to Brisbane-based Joanna Horton. Her new novel, Catching the Light, explores the relationship between a single mother and a teenage daughter on New Zealands South Island when the mother embarks on an affair with an older artist. Horton writes the mother-daughter bond with sensitivity and insight; its hard to imagine that she is not the mother of a teenager. Indeed, she only gave birth to her son, Felix, after the novel was completed. She also lost her own mother to illness when she was 11 years old. Catching the Light revolves around a mother who has an affair with a famous artist and how it affects her daughter. Credit: Ultimo Press When you have a parent that died quite young, its a bit of a black box in your mind. You have very limited material to work with, she says. Ive often wondered what our relationship would be like as adults. I think a lot of people have a moment of wanting to go back over their childhood and figure out what it was about, and how to have an adult relationship with their parents, and often this probably accompanies the decision to have children. Advertisement In the book, Sylvie, an aged-care worker, moves with her daughter, Alice, into a rent-free artists community on the outskirts of Dunedin, where she finds fulfilment at first in painting, and in trysts with the owner, Michael, a famous artist. Years later, Alice has grown up with trust and control issues, and has become slightly infamous due to something that happened under Michaels roof. Without giving anything away, Michael doesnt always treat Sylvie or Alice very well but despite the power imbalance, Hortons portrayal of a self-absorbed male artist is not of the #MeToo kind. Her previous novel, Between You and Me (2023), also has a male character who is older and more affluent than the two women he gets involved with, yet he doesnt elicit loathing. Im really not someone who can write a straight villain, Horton says. Im just bad at it. I feel too much compassion for a character once I start to write them. In early drafts, Sylvie and Alice were going to be prisoners of a cult, but Horton found herself heading too far into thriller territory. Thats not really the writer I am. The psychology between characters is what I find interesting about writing fiction. The novel offered other ways to connect imaginatively with her late mother, Robin, a prolific writer who left behind notebooks of ephemera. A poem of Robins, which foreshadows important themes and plot points, appears early in the novel. Advertisement Hortons parents were both from southern Africa and met at university in Durban. They both studied PhDs at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, which is where Joanna was born. The family moved to Dunedin, and Joanna and her father, Stephen, relocated to Brisbane after Robins death. Joanna feels a strong kinship with New Zealand but little with the US, despite returning to study her Master of Arts in anthropology at the University of Chicago. I thought I might want to live there again some time because I have citizenship, she says. Certainly, thats not the case any more. Its a few days before the US president will declare his trade war with the world, and were talking at the Smug Fig cafe in Stones Corner. The cafe is within the Griffith electorate, not far from the home Horton shares with Felix and her partner, Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather. Chandler-Mather won the seat from Labors Terri Butler in the 2022 federal election. He campaigned on housing affordability and aircraft noise, mobilised an army of volunteers, and personally knocked on thousands of doors (mine included). Max makes tonnes of sacrifices to do his job, Horton says. I think couples with young kids can plan to go on a holiday, go on a weekend away. We dont have that. Theres never really been a time in our lives together where hes not been working a crazy schedule. Advertisement His wins include the Greens securing an extra $1 billion for public and community housing from the governments Housing Australia Future Fund. But last August, when the MP, a former trade union organiser, addressed the CFMEU and accused Labor of attacking every worker in this country by forcing the union into administration, he was lambasted by Labor for grandstanding. How does Horton rate her partners chances of holding on to Griffith on May 3? You dont want to take anything for granted, she says. For me, I dont want to be left feeling like there was more I could have done and didnt. In the state election, when we lost South Brisbane, we shouldnt have lost that seat. If we had campaigned harder there, we would have held it. Having been through quite a few elections, my personal philosophy is that you can only do everything that you can, and then there are certain elements that you cant control, and you have to be OK with that. Hortons dedication to the Greens cause doesnt greatly colour her books. In Catching the Light, the grown-up Alice is writing a PhD in dystopian fiction about climate change, but its not a major plot point. Still, when the character laments that the people who were actively trying to avert the end of the world were the ones who got laughed at, you catch a glimpse of concerns explored more nakedly in Hortons writings for journals including Overland. (Horton also recently completed a PhD in food systems governance.) Advertisement More prominent in her fiction is the theme of compromised female friendship. In Catching the Light, the adult Alice begins spending time with an art critic, Caroline, but is unsure whether Caroline simply wants to get the goss on Michael. Hortons first novel, Between You and Me, depicts a menage a trois set in the sharehouses and apartments of West End. Credit: Ultimo Press Her Brisbane-set debut novel, meanwhile, is about two best friends in their mid-20s, Elisabeth and Mari, who both become involved with Jack, a history lecturer in his mid-40s, with devastating consequences for both of them. The feedback I get from readers is that, this is not a real friendship, theyre not very nice to each other, but I think a lot of friendships can be like that, especially between young adults. When youre working out how to relate to other people, sometimes you show your worst side. Horton is also adept at the difficult art of writing sex. Catching the Lights erotic scenes are visceral and daring, while Between You and Me has scorchers that seem to prove that the brain is the most important erogenous zone. Shes making Brisbane sexy again. Readers say that! she laughs. Theyre interested in the relationship with the older man as well. I guess theyre interested in the power dynamics. The older man [and younger woman] is a bit of a trope, and I wanted to subvert that trope. In the first book, both the women characters have their own type of power. Theyre young, theyre sexy, they have freedom. He feels like hes a kind of boring middle-aged fart next to them. Advertisement The history of Tren de Aragua is shrouded in mystery and has been the subject of plenty of speculation. It is known that it was founded sometime in the last decade by two inmates who came to command more than just the warden of the Venezuelan prison where they were held: they accumulated so much power that they built a zoo, a casino, and a swimming pool inside the complex. Very few details are known about who they really were or how they managed to prevail over other gangs, and there are few clues as to their current whereabouts. However, there are a few incontestable facts. In 10 years, the criminal organization has expanded to almost every country in Latin America and has a presence in major cities in the United States. Its members have committed murders and constructed multimillion-dollar criminal enterprises involving drug trafficking, extortion, kidnappings, and human trafficking. They spread terror wherever they go, but their reach and importance have been exaggerated and used to criminalize other Venezuelans. Experts maintain that Tren de Aragua in no way poses a national security issue for Washington, as Donald Trump claims. The Republican tycoon has seized on the myth to exaggerate the threat of Tren de Aragua and justify the policy of mass deportations he has undertaken since returning to the White House. Trump has compared the gang to the Sinaloa Cartel and even ISIS. It has provided one of the excuses he has used to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, which allows for the accelerated expulsion of immigrants, a mechanism used during World War II to imprison Japanese, Italians, and Germans in internment camps. And he has paid Nayib Bukele $20,000 for each of the 238 Venezuelans sent to CECOT, the maximum-security prison built by the Salvadoran president. There is not a single known case of a prisoner having left that jail, where there is no natural light or exercise yard, only a hallway with cells on either side. Fusing a hardline approach to a criminal group of disputable clout with an excessively broad understanding of who its members might be, the Trump administration has in effect sought a pretext for speeding up mass summary deportations, notes a report by the International Crisis Group, an international organization focused on conflict resolution. Guards at the CECOT transfer suspected members of Tren de Aragua on March 17 in Tecolula, El Salvador. Presidencia de El Salvador (EFE) Trump claims that Tren de Aragua plans to invade the United States, even though it doesnt have a known army or sufficient firepower to take even a town. Its not a group that has the capacity to be an enemy, not of the United States, but of any country, says Ronna Risquez, a Venezuelan investigative journalist who has written the first book about the gang, El Tren de Aragua: la banda que revoluciona el crimen organizado en America Latina (Tren de Aragua: the gang revolutionizing organized crime in Latin America), by phone. It doesnt even have a solid or very organized structure, she adds. That doesnt mean its not a dangerous organization, Risquez warns. In a very short time, it has made its way into Mexico and Colombia, two countries with a very strong structural criminality that doesnt tolerate the arrival of foreign competitors. In any case, Tren de Aragua is not easy to detect. Its membership has a fluid nature that allows them to adapt to any environment. Theyre so stealthy that their very existence has been questioned for years. Unlike Mexican cartels, they dont publish videos in which they behead their enemies. Some arrests in Chile and Peru have show the gangs leaders to be discreet individuals who dont have tattoos or flaunt the narco esthetic. They are certainly to be feared. Now their existence is being used to stigmatize Venezuelans. But its not just Trump who has done this. Dina Boluarte in Peru has done it, too, or Claudia Lopez when she was mayor of Bogota. In Chile, there are many cases of xenophobia against the Venezuelan community. Its not just a United States phenomenon, the author explains. Luis Alfredo Carrillo Ortiz, an alleged member of Tren de Aragua, is transferred by police officers on February 6 in Bogota, Colombia. Carlos Ortega (EFE) The White House claims that Nicolas Maduro and key leaders of the Venezuelan regime are behind Tren de Aragua. Experts have not ruled out the possibility of some kind of negotiation between the criminal organization and the Chavista government in the past, but to date, there is no evidence directly linking the two. That lacks any semblance of truth, says Tarek William Saab, Venezuelas attorney general, over the phone. Saab is responsible for much of the repression against the Venezuelan opposition and citizens protesting against Maduros electoral fraud. Tren de Aragua was dismantled here. Its leaders are in prison, dead, or subject to arrest warrants, continues Saab. In his view, this alleged connection is a fabrication intended to attack the Venezuelan government [...] Cases of serious crimes attributed to Venezuelans are insignificant in the universe of crimes that occur in the United States, adds the prosecutor. The most high-profile crime linked to the organization is that of Venezuelan dissident Ronald Ojeda. The former army lieutenant was kidnapped from his apartment in Santiago, Chile, and later tortured and murdered in February 2024. He had been in exile since 2017, when he participated in a military rebellion against Chavismo. Chilean prosecutors point to Tren de Aragua as the perpetrator of the crime and high-ranking Venezuelan government officials as responsible for giving the order. Specifically, Diosdado Cabello, the regimes second-in-command, has been named. The intermediary, according to the same investigation, was Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Nino Guerrero, the gangs top leader. Only a blurry, black-and-white photo of Guerrero Flores exists. After serving two decades in prison, no one knows his current whereabouts. Colombian intelligence services suspect he moves between Colombia and Venezuela, across the vast border that separates the two countries. He is one of the most-wanted criminals in the world. Nino Guerrero could never have imagined that the man who occupies the Oval Office would compare him to other historic enemies of the United States, such as Osama Bin Laden or Pancho Villa. Even if only in his own imagination. Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias "Nino Guerrero," leader of Tren de Aragua. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition It is a little disconcerting to see another person using your words, wearing your clothes, going through your experiences and in the most public way possible. On April 17, Richard Roxburgh will walk across big screens around the country in The Correspondent, a movie based on the book I wrote about my time in prison in Egypt on terrorism charges. I have watched it through my fingers. Peter Greste (left) and actor Richard Roxburgh, who portrays him in the movie The Correspondent. Credit: Louie Douvis By his own admission, Roxburgh is not performing an act of impersonation he is not trying to be Peter Greste but the script lifts chunks of dialogue that took place, and the wardrobe designers found shirts and jackets remarkably similar to the ones I wore on the job back in 2013. (Even the original hat I was arrested in makes a cameo appearance.) And while some elements of the story are necessarily ironed out for the cinema and some of the finicky details of life inside our cells are missing, the effect is strangely discombobulating. It is a little like one of those nightmares in which you hover above the earth, watching yourself head towards imminent disaster but powerless to stop it. Melbourne fashion designer Perri Cutten has died at the age of 73. Cutten founded her eponymous brand in 1981 and quickly became one of Australias best-known designers, renowned for her signature suiting and tailored outerwear. Fashion designer Perri Cutten. Credit: Fairfax Media A death notice posted on Saturday said Cutten had died peacefully, surrounded by family, on Friday. In a post on Instagram, the Perri Cutten fashion house described its founder as an iconic figure in Australian fashion whose name became synonymous with timeless elegance and sophistication. In case you missed it or were distracted by Teslas ongoing problems, Elon Musk is currently embroiled in his second highly publicised argument over child support payments, with the mother of one of his many children alleging the tech billionaire isnt doing the right thing. If youre wondering why Im talking about a man largely considered to be a moron by millions of people and what, at first glance, seems like a pretty tawdry affair, please stick with me. Elon Musk in Wisconsin, where he paid $32 million for a failed judicial election. Credit: AP Musk has long been an advocate for having many children and believes that the declining birth rates in developed countries including Australia is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. While the issue may be a real one, a pretty basic element in becoming a parent is agreeing to care for your children. That includes financially. Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of why the new unofficial president of the United States is behaving like Ebenezer Scrooge, a quick refresher: Musk has 14 children with four women. His lawyers argued he was a victim of the school rumour mill, having fought similar allegations levelled at him in 1985 which the court heard resulted in acquittals or a hung jury and no further proceedings. I was hands on, but I wasnt sexual The 71-year-old was interviewed by police on August 2, 2022, after he was arrested at a Blue Mountains home over the present allegations. Three of the complainants later came forward following a police release and coverage by this masthead. In the hours-long interview, tendered to the court and obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald, Lunn said he had been a hands-on teacher, adding: A man should be able to treat children the same way as women. A couple of times, they said if you were a woman, it would be alright. But youre not, he said. Children need some hands on. So, yes I was hands on, but I wasnt sexual. Asked by police whether there had been one victim or a number of victims in earlier court proceedings, Lunn said: There werent any victims. They were normal things made into sexual things. When he tucked a kid in, it involved sticking my hand in their pants, he said. Regarding the current case, prosecutors allege Lunn sexually abused the students as they sat on his lap or stood beside him during activities including show-and-tell and while marking their work. Lunn said during show-and-tell, he would let the students that loved to talk get on with it, while the very shy children were kept close and given a pat or stroke on the back for reassurance. There was no sneaky little things, the former teacher said. Lunn has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges. Credit: Peter Rae He said it was possible that he misjudged and you go to touch the back, and it gets further down or something. Lunn denied specific allegations against him and appeared shocked at some of the suggested behaviour, responding that it was ridiculous and putting his head in his hands. He also denied being sexually attracted to children. I really did love them. I cared for them ... I wont say I didnt love them ... I did you love every kid youve got, but not sexually, Lunn said. Asked by police about the reason multiple people had come forward with similar allegations, Lunn said: Only that its been put in their heads from the past in some way, or theyre after money. The court heard during the interview, Lunn complained of chest pain and was assessed before it continued. Defence barrister Pierre de Dassel submitted that the judge should accept Lunn as entirely truthful. He argued the police had conducted the interview in a confusing, dishonest or grossly inaccurate way, mixing the allegations with hypothetical questions bound to confuse anyone and attempting to reverse the onus of proof. Hiding in plain sight The eight complainants, along with parents, partners, siblings and fellow former students, gave evidence about the alleged acts by Lunn and any complaints made in the four decades before they were reported to police. One complainant alleged she had been digitally penetrated by Lunn and told she was a good girl. She said she didnt have anyone to tell, but after the incident, she began putting an extra pair of underpants over her tights. Michael Anthony Lunn (right) allegedly abused multiple students. One man alleged Lunn molested and kissed him and separately tried to push his pyjama pants down at a school camp. That mans wife gave evidence he was hyper-vigilant about child protection for their children and hated the idea of sleepovers. Another complainant alleged Lunn stroked her body while marking her work at his desk. She said she secretly took her workbook home and tried to erase her writing because she did not want to ask him for a new workbook, but the pencil imprint had remained. The woman said she became upset and told her mother I dont like what the teacher does. She said her mothers initial reaction was to say: You know its very naughty to make up lies. Loading The prosecutor said Lunn was a predator and it was a classic example of hiding in plain sight. She said the vulnerable, trusting, small children captured in time in their school photographs were now adults who had bravely, credibly and reliably told the court what the accused did to them. The defence argued rumours, scuttlebutt and innuendo circulated in social sets and families, which had the capacity to alter and contaminate students recollections. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Defects cost Sydneys homeowners and taxpayers $700m annually. How did we get here and what is being done about it? See all 7 stories . Stuart Mcleans concerns about the quality of his apartment building began when he realised the wet spots in the middle of his living room werent from his dog having an accident: water was seeping up from between the slab and the floorboards. The business consultant considered himself a savvy property purchaser and had negotiated a lower price for his familys new North Ryde apartment on the basis that the strata report had no committee meetings and almost no maintenance documentation. Every time it rained, his apartment would become sopping wet. It would eventually need new floors, skirtings and gyprock, covered by strata insurance, and the owners corporation had to spend more than $40,000 repairing cracks and putting waterproofing down. Mcleans apartment, purchased in 2020 and built in 2017, was riddled with defects. But his is far from the only one in Sydney. As the state government champions a rapid increase in high-density development, a Herald series is examining how far NSW has come from the days of Opal Tower and Mascot Towers, two buildings that were so shoddily built that their residents were evacuated in 2018 and 2019, and which prompted an overhaul in the way buildings were constructed and regulated. Stuart Mclean negotiated a discount on his flat when he saw the strata report was threadbare. Credit: Oscar Colman Our investigation has revealed that while the government body responsible for enforcing quality workmanship, Building Commission NSW, has significantly increased its investigations and prosecutions, the industry has little data to show whether buildings have fewer problems. There are, however, two things that the data makes clear: 40 per cent of work rectification orders for stand-alone homes were not being complied with within the mandated period, and defects are being found in close to 25 per cent of apartment complexes. Advertisement Before he retired last year, Building Commissioner David Chandler insisted there was a deep denial about the quality of home construction. But his successor, James Sherrard, takes a different view. No building is built defect-free, he said. If that door handle is set 50 millimetres higher [than detailed on the plans] its a defect, but its not an irrecoverable defect. The solution is: replace the door. Why are waterproofing problems are so common? Builders and designers lack training or competence and may not understand design rules. Weak oversight by licensing bodies and state and local regulators to enforce rules. Squeezing of compliance checking processes, especially the rise of Design and Construct contracts, where clients enter into a single contract at the beginning of the process Over time, the previous construction practice of relying on gravity has been forgotten. Source: Report to Australian Building Codes Board, 2024 But the commission is not issuing work rectification orders for door knobs: If theyre serious structural defects, then we will put an injunction on [the developer], they wont be able to get their occupation certificate. Defective work is estimated by the government to cost NSW home owners $700 million annually. So what is really going on? Speak to anyone with any experience of dealing with a defect in NSW, and one word almost always covers it: waterproofing. Advertisement Defective or missing waterproofing is a major defect that can cause structural damage, mould and concrete cancer, as well as damage to floor and wall coverings and fixtures. Building Commission NSW says it is the single biggest problem in construction across the state. According to a major 2024 study, 20 to 40 per cent of all apartment buildings nationally face problems with water ingress, which can cost between $235 and $610 million annually to fix. And fire systems including alarms, sprinklers and doors are also commonly installed incorrectly. Both the Coalition and Labor governments have also spent big on addressing the problem. In 2023, the new Labor government moved the commission out of Fair Trading and established it as its own office, taking it from 40 to 400 staff. It cost taxpayers $59 million over the past two years. NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard inspects a building in Sydneys north. Credit: James Brickwood Avoiding defects in the first place Getting ahead of defects making sure they dont happen in the first place was the key tenet of the former Coalition governments Design and Building Practitioners Act, which set out stringent regulations for new constructions. The DBP Act was a really fantastic reform for NSW, said Bronwyn Weir, a leading building consultant who wrote the landmark report into Sydneys defect crisis in 2018 and who helped craft the legislation. Its really nation-leading, what was done. But it was also, in some respects, a hopeful way of improving the quality of design. Advertisement Anoulack Chanthivong, the minister for regulation responsible for the building commission, did not think there was a crisis, saying that with more inspections came more defect notices. He said the government was working on legislative changes to improve standards and that the commission had conducted 1100 investigations into defective homes and units in the past year. In one sense, Im pleased that we are finding defects in some of these older buildings because it means our enforcement regime is actually working, he said. But more importantly, as you actually find the defects, you get good, intelligent data about where the concentration is in the defects. Fixes driving up costs Weir, who has closely monitored the industry since the act was introduced, said there was no doubt the requirement for specific designs was leading to far better outcomes but accepted there was another, potentially unexpected, cost to unit owners who have been forced to rectify defects in buildings made before the act came into effect in 2020. Because of the much higher design and engineering requirements under the legislation, more detailed planning needs to be done before any work can take place and that work is very expensive. Take a nine-unit apartment building in Rosbery, built 20 years ago. The waterproofing and tiling of a ground-level courtyard required replacing in 2018, before the law was introduced, and cost the owners corporation $13,000. Advertisement But now, when another ground-level courtyard needed the same repairs, the cost from the same builder had skyrocketed to $78,000. The act requires full remedial work to be completed, not just patchwork repairs. That has led to a simultaneous rise in the industry of highly specialised builders dedicated to fixing the problems. Sam Coady, managing director of family-run Sydney remediation company RM Watson, said recent legislative changes had altered the way they operated. Minister for Regulation Anoulack Chanthivong says the state is not in a defects crisis. Credit: Steven Siewert You used to be able to do smaller-type repair projects. So if there was a leak on a balcony, for example, you used to be able to do a partial repair but the Practitioners Act ruled that out in that it is now required that there is sort of wholesale replacement of the whole balcony deck. Loading Its still repairing the same sorts of elements, whether it be brickwork or masonry repair or cladding replacement, glazing repair its just on a bit of a larger scale, and that obviously doesnt happen overnight. (Further proposed changes to the National Construction Code could blow out the cost of fixing a single balcony from $55,000 to $196,000, the national association representing the remediation industry has warned.) Advertisement People who visited popular tourist locations in the south-east from Wednesday to Friday have been urged to monitor symptoms of measles, after Queensland Health confirmed an active case in the community. Brisbanes North Metro Health Service confirmed a traveller had been unknowingly contagious during the week while travelling across the region. Locations include Australia Zoo, Surfers Paradise, popular patisserie Brooki Bakehouse, Queen Street Mall and Central Station at various times from Wednesday to Friday. Queensland Health has warned the public of an active measles case in the states south-east from Wednesday to Saturday, including locations across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and the Sunshine Coast. Credit: Getty / Tammy Law Public health physician Dr Alexandra Uren urged anyone who had been around the infected person to monitor symptoms. Residents of Port Campbell love to gaze out on the ocean in all its moods from various vantage points in the south-west Victorian town. The bay at Port Campbell attracts swimmers, fishers and surfers, with the wild Southern Ocean just beyond the cliffs. The stunning views are among the towns best-loved features. Recently, the Corangamite Shire has been carrying out rejuvenation works in Port Campbell. The foreshore and main streetscape have been updated. There are new retaining walls, lawns and road improvements. Sue Younis on a viewing platform at Port Campbell. Credit: Nicole Cleary But among the most contentious works are a series of viewing decks under construction beneath towering Norfolk Island pines overlooking the water. Critics of this part of the project argue the sweeping views of their beloved bay from one favoured section has been replaced by angular wooden barriers rising from the decks. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The petrol tanker is just metres away when flames shoot from the roof and spread in a startling streak across the ground in front of me. As the flames grow, I dial up the hose pressure towards 230 litres a minute, bending my front knee and planting my back foot to hold my position. The water streaming forth is so powerful, it takes all my strength just to grip the handle and keep my feet. The petrol tanker fire. Credit: Alex Coppel I feel the blast of radiant heat. But I advance towards the engulfed truck, straining against the power of the stream pulling me away from the blaze. Thankfully, Country Fire Authority assistant chief fire officer David Maxwell has my back. Literally. He nudges me forward and then instructs me to use the stream to sweep the flames on the ground back towards the truck. Keep sweeping, Maxwell yells. Advertisement We then aim the hose on the truck to cool it down. My every movement is cumbersome and strenuous in the hulking firefighting uniform, but Im grateful for its protection. A few moments later, the flames disappear almost instantly, the menace suddenly over. Fighting this fire felt like the real thing, but it was carefully orchestrated. I am at the Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre on the outskirts of Ballan, near Ballarat, where Country Fire Authority volunteers are put through simulated disasters in preparation for actual incidents and today, journalists are also put through the wringer. Journalist Benjamin Preiss is put through his paces in firefighting training. Credit: Alex Coppel These exercises are also intended to help drive recruitment for the CFA, which marked its 80th anniversary on April 2. This external tanker and running fuel fire is the first of three exercises I will undertake. Although I am reasonably fit, my arms and shoulders already feel sore from just a few minutes of handling the hose. The CFA has kitted me out with safety gear: a bulky fluorescent jacket, fire-resistant hood, heavy padded pants and thickly lined gloves. The sturdy steel-capped boots add to the weight and protection. Advertisement As I emerge from the change rooms in this uniform, the temperature outside is a crisp 15 degrees. But beneath all this gear, it is beginning to feel like a stinking summers day. In the safety briefing, we were warned that some people can feel claustrophobic when fitted with the breathing apparatus, which allows firefighters to enter smoky environments while breathing clean oxygen. The apparatus includes an oxygen cylinder and a face mask. I strap on the gear and release the oxygen from the tank attached to my back. I suck in my first breath, as instructed, and oxygen begins to flow. David Maxwell (right) helps Benjamin Preiss into the breathing apparatus. Credit: Alex Coppel The next drill is set in a multi-storey building full of (party) smoke with a fire in a bedroom. I am given the hose and partnered with CFA operational doctrine and training deputy chief officer Rohan Luke. He guides me through the building and shouts directions at me. I struggle to hear him over the fire truck rumbling outside. And my breathing beneath the mask makes a distracting Darth Vader-like sound. Our priority is to locate human casualties and carry them out. But the senses I would usually rely on have all been dulled. Advertisement The artificial smoke clouds visibility, which is already inhibited by the mask that narrows my field of vision. The gloves strip my dexterity and the weight of the hose slows my movement through the building. Luke negotiates the bedroom door for me, and we find the room ablaze. My instinct is to release a blast of water, but Luke warns against it. Water creates steam in a house fire, which can inflict devastating scalds on anyone not wearing protective equipment. Luke instructs me to look under the bed and in a wardrobe where children might be hiding. Nobody there. We move cautiously into another room. I spot a pair of boots attached to a dummy lying on the floor and begin dragging it out. I grapple with its dead weight as I shuffle backwards down the stairs, trying to dodge hoses that might trip me and other crews moving through the building. Safely outside, Luke explains that firefighting requires fitness, but proper techniques help, too. They leave hoses in an S-shape so they can drag manageable sections rather than the entire hose length. When entering a building, Luke says, a firefighting team might also simultaneously pause their breathing so they can hear better. Advertisement A dummy being dragged from the apartment building. Credit: Alex Coppel We listen, just to see if we can hear anyone yelling, anyone screaming, any noises, he says. The final exercise simulates an industrial kitchen fire. An experienced firefighter guides us inside, crawling forward with the hose. I take third position, remaining on my knees as the flames flashover us before a few short spurts from the hose bring it under control. CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan, who joined this training day, says the agency is trying to increase its volunteer numbers. Ideally for communities, we want to make sure that we have a nice pool of available firefighters throughout the day and the night, he says. Figures provided by the CFA indicate volunteer numbers increased slightly to 51,949 last year, including 28,906 operational volunteers who turn up at fires. The simulated flashover in the kitchen fire. Credit: Alex Coppel Advertisement Private schools are offering a 60-hour week to students as parents look for ways to make home life fit around work commitments, meaning some children could have longer work days than their parents. Co-ed Caulfield Grammar is set to introduce organised activities to book-end the traditional school day at its new Shelford campus, after the schools market research showed parents wanted out-of-hours programs to be treated as additional learning opportunities that complemented the curriculum. MasterChef finalist Kishwar Chowdhury, with her children, Seraphina, 8, and Mikayle, 15, is developing cooking classes for Caulfield Grammar students. Credit: Penny Stephens From a parent perspective, that 7am to 7pm school concept is very real, principal Ashleigh Martin said. I think its an expectation, actually, that there are engaging activities that involve purposeful learning. And I think thats got a lot to do with working parents and dual-income families. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The family of a WA woman feared murdered by her husband nearly 40 years ago has been asked to provide DNA samples to police in a bid to solve the mystery about what happened to her and have called for her case to be reinvestigated. Sally Greenham was 38 years old when she disappeared without trace in 1987. She was not reported missing until five years later; friends and family initially believing her husband Jeff Greenham when he said she had left him and moved out of the state. But, as reported by WAtoday last month, that belief deteriorated when Sally was found to have contacted no one, hadnt worked, touched bank accounts or lodged a tax return, made a social security claim, or changed her name by deed poll. Her disappearance was first investigated in 1992 and police immediately suspected her husband had killed her. They took cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar technology to the couples property, 15 kilometres south of Geraldton, to try and find Sallys remains, believing he had buried her there. During that search, Jeff drove to Perth and took his own life. The now-retired detective who worked on the case, Ron Carey, told WAtoday he was satisfied that [Jeff] killed her, and he didnt know how to talk about it. Advertisement At that point, police stopped looking for Sally, but her case has never been closed, no coronial inquiry has ever been conducted into her disappearance and she remains on missing persons list. Sallys friends and remaining members of her family want that changed. It has always been the opinion of my late mother, my brother and I, that Jeff Greenham is directly responsible for Sallys death, Annastacia Parker, Sallys niece said. Annastacia and her brother are Sallys last remaining living relatives. Sallys mother died 10 years before she disappeared, her father has since passed away, and in 2014 her only sibling, Elizabeth, also died. Sally and Jeff Greenham before she disappeared in 1987. Elizabeth had campaigned on her sisters behalf to try and get to the truth of what happened to her, but died before ever finding out. Sally had no children. Advertisement Now, WA Police have requested DNA from Annastacia and her brother, telling WAtoday that Sallys disappearance remains an open and ongoing investigation by the special crime squad. Annastacia, together with Sallys remaining close friends, want police to re-examine the property where the couple used to live to try and find Sallys remains and lay her to rest. My family never felt easy around Jeff Greenham, Annastacia said. He was always telling our mum, Elizabeth, that Sally was mad. Particularly insensitive as Sally and Elizabeths mother was admitted to Heathcote Psych Unit and in 1973 committed suicide. Sally and Jeff Greenham renovated and lived in this converted church near Geraldton. It is the site where many believe Sally was buried. Annastacia claimed her mother stopped visiting her sister because of Jeffs behaviour toward her. Jeff Greenham behaved in a manner towards me that made Elizabeth uncomfortable and this resulted in us not visiting Sally very much, she said. Advertisement She added that the family believed Jeff played on Sallys fragmented and disrupted family background. Was Sally in domestic violence relationship? Psychologist Donna Stambulich has examined what we know about Sallys life and disappearance. Statistics consistently demonstrate that women are at highest risk of being murdered when attempting to leave abusive relationships, she said. Whether Sally was in an abusive relationship, or not, is unclear. But we do know that both Jeff and Sally were extremely private people with few friends or visitors. Two people they probably saw more than anyone were close neighbours Eric and Marie Wale, who provided statements to police during their initial investigation. Eric Wale, now almost 84, does not recall ever feeling like Sally was downtrodden. Advertisement People get these opinions, theyre just guessing and surmising, but Sally was more dominant than she was made out to be, he said. She would sometimes leave Jeff a big list of things to do about the place. And he would more take more notice of her than the other way around. The Wales would invite the Greenhams over often for tea, Eric said, and after Sallys disappearance, they befriended Jeff because he was lonely. Eric said he felt Sally was a bit strange sometimes. Sally Greenham has been missing since 1987. She wouldnt want visitors so she would get Jeff to put a notice at the gate to stop anyone going there, he said. They were very private people. Advertisement The recent changes in immigration policy implemented by Donald Trumps administration have not only put international travelers on alert, but also citizens who have their Green Card, and therefore are permanent residents. Different reports point to cases of people who have spent time outside the United States and when trying to enter, Customs and Border Protection (CPB) agents have pressured them to sign a form to voluntarily renounce their permanent resident status. In one of the cases, which has gone viral on TikTok, a woman claims that her niece who had a Green Card was deported after returning to LAX from Laos. According to the testimony, she was told that people with less than two years of Green Card who leave the U.S. are not eligible to return, which is false. People with permanent resident cards can travel abroad for up to 180 days without any problem. Despite this, there have been reports of some travelers that have been pressured or tricked into signing documents that put their immigration status at risk. One such document is the Form I-407, with which a person can voluntarily relinquish their Green Card status. With this, individuals who have spent years or decades in the United States as permanent residents can cease to be permanent residents, and risk deportation. What is Form I-407? Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, is used for an individual to inform the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that he or she is voluntarily abandoning his or her status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Generally, this form is filed by individuals who wish to return to live in their home country after having permanent resident status in the United States. Likewise, there may be other reasons for voluntarily giving up the Green Card, however, many people may not realize that signing this form is not mandatory at the airport, even if an officer pressures them to do so. When questioned alone and without legal advice, they may sign to waive their rights out of misinformation or desperation. What should permanent residents know? No CBP officer or other agency can force anyone to sign a Form I-407 or other document, and they do not have the authority to remove permanent resident status. Only an immigration judge can take away someones Green Card. One of the arguments made by officials is that if people spend too much time out of the country, they automatically lose their residency. However, this is false. Even if someone has spent more than a year outside the United States, they have the right to appeal in court, a right they can lose if they voluntarily give up their Green Card by filling out the form at the airport. In the event that an officer asserts that a Green Card is no longer valid, the person has the right to request a hearing before an immigration judge. If detained for questioning, it is recommended that you remain calm and ask to speak with an immigration attorney before signing any documents, and do not sign anything that you do not fully understand. For people whose Green Card is about to expire and who are out of the country, it is recommended to begin the renewal process to avoid problems when trying to re-enter the country. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Green Card holders who reside outside the United States for more than 180 days are considered as persons seeking readmission and may face inadmissibility issues upon return. However, this is not the first time people have been forced to give up their permanent residency. During the Donald Trump administration, authorities went so far as to hand out Form I-407s on airplanes, pressuring travelers to give up their Green Cards mid-flight. The cost to rent a house in some of Perths most in-demand school catchment areas has ballooned over the past year, with some suburbs now costing more than $1000 per week. The western suburbs in the catchment for Shenton College, the states biggest school, had the highest median weekly costs in the first quarter of 2025, according to Domains latest Rent Report; Dalkeith, City Beach, Mount Claremont, Swanbourne, Floreat, Nedlands and Cottesloe all commanded a median cost of more than $1000 a week. North Fremantle is also in the catchment for Shenton College, but teens who live there can also attend John Curtin College of the Arts, Melville Senior High School and Fremantle College, and the median rent is $950 per week. Churchlands and Wembley Downs, in the Churchlands Senior High School catchment, have a median weekly rent of $1100, reflecting a record 55 per cent increase in price in the past year for Churchlands, the highest increase in the metropolitan area. Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather has scoffed at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for holding a big Labor rally in Chandler-Mathers inner-city Brisbane electorate, saying it makes sense considering the government is copying Greens policies. Labors strategists decided to hold the first major rally of the campaign at the Queensland State Library on Sunday in Chandler-Mathers battleground electorate of Griffith, where Albanese spruiked his partys pledge to pay 30 per cent of the cost of home electric batteries. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with fiancee Jodie Haydon at Labors rally at the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane on Sunday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The targeted move by Albanese sets the stage for a political fight over the inner-southern suburbs of Brisbane after the Greens seized Griffith from Labor and the neighbouring seats of Brisbane and Ryan from the Liberals in a surprise local surge in support for the crossbench party at the 2022 election. Chandler-Mather told this masthead the battery policy idea had come from the Greens, which is why he called on voters to prefer his party over Labor. The Coalitions plan to increase international student visa fees by thousands of dollars will make Australias application costs the most expensive in the world, renewing concern that foreign students are being used as cash cows in a political debate over immigration. On Sunday Opposition Leader Peter Dutton unveiled his partys policy to cap international student numbers at 240,000 arrivals a reduction of 30,000 more than Labors scheme, which the Coalition rejected. Extra cuts would be directed at Group of Eight institutions such as Sydney and Melbourne universities. Peter Dutton has promised to cap foreign students, and raise the cost of student visas. Credit: James Brickwood Duttons announcement was made at a housing site in outer Melbourne, in an effort to frame deeper cuts to student numbers as a way to free up rental properties for Australians in Sydney and Melbourne. International student numbers have been linked to Australias immigration debate since post-pandemic immigration rocketed to highs of 536,000 in 2022-23, before starting to stabilise this year. Mark Lathams surreal and ugly behaviour as a politician has long stained his reputation. Now his defamatory tweet about Sydney MP Alex Greenwich could cost him big money: more than $500,000 in legal costs and damages. Lathams latest problems began last year when the Federal Court awarded Greenwich $140,000 in damages over a highly graphic and offensive comment posted on Twitter, now X, in March 2023. Greenwichs barrister, Dr Matt Collins, KC, told the court that the tweet, which described sexual activity in graphic and offensive terms that the Herald has chosen not to publish, was a vile, homophobic attack on the openly gay Greenwich. Mark Latham (left) could be left with a half-million dollar debt as a result of a graphic sexual tweet aimed at member for Sydney Alex Greenwich. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer Federal Court Justice David OCallaghan on Friday ordered Latham to pay Greenwichs legal costs of the defamation case on the ordinary basis, which results in the successful party recouping about 70 per cent of their bills. The independent Sydney MPs costs have been estimated at more than $600,000. Latham was the clever housing commission boy picked up by Gough Whitlam and escorted through Labor ranks and blooded for leadership: university, party research officer, local government councillor and then parachuted into his mentors old seat of Werriwa in 1994. Nine years later, he was opposition leader and failed to rise. Even before John Howard did him down in the 2004 federal election, Lathams trademark liking for taking risks and pugilism was evident. For example, he broke the arm of a taxi driver who had driven him home to Campbelltown in 2002. Little wonder he cost Labor votes. Loading Latham resigned from federal politics but he could not let go of his celebrity, writing books and articles and making television appearances that dripped with vengeance and abuse. He habitually verbally abused women, including former Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty (whose son, Luke, was murdered by her former partner), Nine presenter Sarah Abo, and a transgender military officer, Cate McGregor (whom Latham had described derisively as he/she). He crawled back to politics on Pauline Hansons coattail, winning an NSW upper house seat, fought with her and was dumped. Latham stood as an independent in the 2023 NSW election, and, when madness, badness, abuse and celebrity pass for politics for the few, won. Last weeks defamation loss was another setback in a career full of them. But he can probably afford it. Latham is entitled to two parliamentary superannuation schemes, including the extraordinarily lucrative super plan he helped scupper in 2004 but remained a beneficiary of. Together, the schemes are very generous, although some payments are curbed while he remains in state parliament. The closures of large gas-reliant manufacturers have reduced Victorias gas consumption and helped spare the state from shortages but some are concerned it spells a potential industrial decline and economic trouble. The Australian Energy Market Operators latest gas planning report for Victoria, published in March, shows that over the past four years, there has been an 11-petajoule decline in gas consumption from large commercial and industrial users, known as Tariff D customers, in the state. The gas-reliant Qenos manufacturing plant in Altona in Melbournes west shut a year ago. Credit: Jessica Shapiro This represented a 16 per cent drop in the category and came as the AEMO adjusted its most immediate warnings of winter shortfalls from 2025 to 2028. Consumption in this area had declined because of a combination of large industrial closures and the decrease in the number of businesses in Victoria, the report said. Not to mention, the AFL tragic points out, his place is close to town and the MCG. In fact, after a recent Carlton loss, he chose to walk home rather than face the humiliation of public transport shared with victorious Tiger fans. OK, so it was a seven-kilometre walk in the dark, he sadly concedes. Loading Having failed woodwork at school, Hughes says he is no handyman and was desperate to offload the old house rather than be forced to renovate it, but Ife was keen to knock it down and rebuild. I was turned off by the million decisions you have to make when you renovate or rebuild a house, Hughes shares. I dont know whats cool and not cool, I couldnt care less about what taps we have; I didnt want to have to go through that sort of thing. After a failed attempt to lock down a design with a local, well-regarded architect not the architects fault, Hughes stresses, though its a bit awkward when walking past their nearby house every day, he jokes the couple finally realised their vision with the help of Ifes childhood friend, Aimee Goodwin, of Project 12 Architecture. The resulting house is uncomplicated, focusing on natural light, open-plan living and interconnectivity to nature through a central courtyard and north-facing windows that frame the greenery and ever-changing sky. I think as you get older, you become a bit more in tune with nature, Hughes muses. I love being surrounded by trees and plants and the sounds of the birds. I love the breeze that comes through the front and the fact the north side is open to the sky so theres beautiful sunlight coming through all day. Hughes did not want to have to renovate, but did, engaging wife Hollys childhood friend to complete the project. Credit: Annette OBrien With five bedrooms and a living space, Hughes says the design still works well for the family now that the kids 15-year-old Rafferty, Sadie, 13, and Tess, 12 are older. Maybe we could have one more area thats separate for the children but they just want to hang with us anyway, I reckon, Hughes says. In the guest room hangs a portrait of Hughes painted by fellow comedian Anh Do, their friendship one that spans decades. One day, he rang me and said, I want to paint you and I was like, Sure, paint me if you want to, Hughes says, with a laugh. I love to look at it but having a portrait of yourself in your house is a tricky thing, really, because it looks like youre a total wanker. Hughes says he could be considered a bit of a homebody when hes not performing stand-up or away with TV commitments. The family are happily ensconced in the neighbourhood and often walk on the beach together, where Hughes has taken to cold-water therapy, or shooting hoops on the mini court in their backyard. The family love to shoot hoops on the mini court in their backyard. Credit: Annette OBrien I get the odd heckle. Ive had the odd rough sleeper tell me Im no good, but generally everyones pretty good-natured and if someones mean to me, I just use that as material, he says. I love the varied people you see in St Kilda. Theres no St Kilda look. Like, you go to Brunswick or Fitzroy, and you feel like theres a look, where I feel like in St Kilda there are all sorts of people around. I did a radio job in Sydney and I tried to get the family to move to Sydney then, but they didnt want to leave St Kilda, so I had to commute for four years, he laughs. So, yeah, I do think St Kildas our home at this point. 5 questions with Dave Hughes At home with Dave Hughes. Credit: Annette OBrien 1. Whats the one item in your home youd save first above all else? My iPad because its got my journal in it, where I journal every day, so I know exactly what Ive done. I can go back in time and go, What was I doing on this day? And Im going to journal about this answering questions. 2. Favourite space in your home and why? Im going to go with the balcony next to my bedroom because the kids just dont come up there, which is great. I get some peaceful time and can hang out among the treetops and the breeze. I love a breeze. Hughesys favourite spot in the home is the balcony off the main bedroom. Credit: Annette OBrien 3. The oldest thing in your home? Me, probably. Theres a piano there, thats really old. That came from my wifes parents I want to put it out into hard rubbish, but Im not allowed to. The main bedroom features one of two artworks by fellow comedian and friend, Anh Do. Credit: Annette OBrien 4. The newest thing in your home? The air fryer. My God, its the best invention since sliced bread, isnt it? 5. Tell us your best joke. London: As Scotlands most famous export, Scotch whisky is more than just a drink its a symbol of national pride, culture and history. But in a rapidly evolving global market, protecting this centuries-old product has become a full-scale legal battle. One of the key fronts in this fight is Australia, where a group that has become the guardian of the famed single malt is now calling for stricter regulations to combat counterfeit or misleading products. Edinburgh-based Alan Park, the director of legal affairs at the Scotch Whisky Association, leads a team dedicated to safeguarding the label from misuse worldwide. His efforts are vast currently handling more than 60 legal cases, investigating more than 100 suspicious products, and blocking more than 500 trademark applications. Bill and Lyn Lark opened the countrys first single-malt spirit distillery in 154 years in Tasmania. Credit: Fairfax Media Scotch whiskys global reputation means that many want to capitalise on it by suggesting that their products are Scotch whisky when they are not, Park says. We want to ensure that consumers around the world, including in Australia, are getting what they expect from a bottle of Scotch whisky. Of the torrent of words written about American foreign policy under Donald Trump, none are more revealing than the six that his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, uttered to commentator Megyn Kelly recently: We live in a multipolar world. They are words that would never have been uttered by any secretary of state let alone president in the past 80 years. For the first half of that period, the defining feature of global politics was the division of the world into the two rival camps of the Cold War. Such wars as they fought were proxy conflicts in developing countries. The non-aligned nations mattered, particularly in global forums such as the United Nations, but when it came to grand strategy, essentially, it was a bipolar world. Donald Trump went to his golf course in Florida on Friday as global financial markets collapsed after his tariffs announcement. Credit: Bloomberg After America won the Cold War and the Soviet Union collapsed, the world entered a new period in which, complacently and wrongly, many Western policymakers assumed that the ascendancy of the West with its democratic and pluralist values was more or less a given. The collapse of communism was seen by many as a proof of concept that democratic capitalism was the optimal form of governance to which human development had naturally evolved. One renowned Harvard scholar Francis Fukuyama even published a book with the provocative title The End of History. (As Fukuyamas thesis began to fray in light of events, subsequent editions added a question mark to the title.) The thesis was not unchallenged: two years later, Fukuyamas rival, Samuel P. Huntington, published an alternative prognosis of the post-Cold War world, The Clash of Civilisations, which predicted the rise of militant Islamism. Nevertheless particularly during the lotus-eating years of the Clinton presidency the pre-eminence of the West, led by a globally engaged United States, was the prevailing expectation. Connecticut: Crowds of people angry about the way President Donald Trump is running the country marched and rallied in scores of American cities on Saturday (US time) in the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of Trumps first weeks in office. So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organised for more than 1200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organisations, labour unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests. Thousands of protesters in cities dotting the nation from Midtown Manhattan to Anchorage, Alaska, including at multiple state capitols, assailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musks actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. On the West Coast, in the shadow of Seattles iconic Space Needle, protesters held signs with slogans like Fight the oligarchy. Protesters chanted as they took to the streets in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, where they marched from Pershing Square to City Hall. Protests against Trump and Musk were also held in European cities, including Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, London and Lisbon. Demonstrators voiced anger over the administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut funding for health programs. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) would like to announce the successful completion of several key training programs to enhance its personnel's professional development and strengthen community policing. Five KPSM officers recently returned from Miami, where they completed an intensive week-long training program to become certified School Resource Officers. This specialized training equips officers with the necessary skills to build positive relationships with students, foster a safe school environment, and effectively address youth-related issues within educational institutions. In addition, several KPSM personnel participated in an intensive BAVPOL training program (Buitengewoon Agent van Politie) conducted in collaboration with various government departments. Each department focused on its own area of expertise, contributing to a well-rounded and highly professional training experience. KPSM would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the officers who successfully completed their training and extend sincere gratitude to the institutions, trainers, and partner organizations that made these essential training programs possible. Continuous training and development remain a top priority for KPSM as the organization works to improve public safety and community engagement across the island. KPSM Press Release. PHILIPSBURG:--- Science Week 2025 on Sint Maarten has drawn to a successful close, leaving a lasting impact on students, educators, and the wider community. Organized by the St. Maarten Science Fair Foundation (SMSFF), this year's edition, themed "Change and Adapt with AI," saw unprecedented engagement and a broadening of its scope, further solidifying its role in fostering a culture of innovation and inquiry on the island. The week ran from March 31, 2025, to April 4, 2025, with its award ceremony scheduled for April 12, 2025. At the heart of the week was the National Sint Maarten Science Fair held on Thursday, April 3rd, and Friday, April 4th, 2025. Sixty-six talented students presented their research projects to a distinguished panel of judges, showcasing impressive scientific rigor and presentation skills. Notably, many of the projects offered innovative solutions to real challenges faced on the island, highlighting how students are already applying science to improve their communities. This year's fair introduced two exciting new categoriesrobotics and Social and behavioral Sciencesreflecting the evolving landscape of scientific exploration. Adding to the excitement, the Anguilla Robotics Association conducted live demonstrations of its robotic kits, further enriching the regional collaboration in STEAM education. For the first time, participating students also benefited from mentorship and academic support through a new partnership between the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) and SMSFF. This collaboration provided students with additional guidance and resources, helping to elevate their learning experience further. The event welcomed over 500 enthusiastic primary school students alongside their dedicated teachers, who were captivated by the ingenuity and creativity on display. Hundreds of other visitors, including key educational stakeholders, valued sponsors, prominent industry leaders, Ministers, and Members of Parliament, also attended, demonstrating the widespread support for STEAM education in Sint Maarten. This year's Science Week marked a significant expansion beyond the flagship Science Fair and poster competition. For the first time, the program included a range of engaging events designed to deepen public involvement in STEAM, and the week kicked off with an Opening Ceremony featuring a keynote address by H.E. Dr. Ricardo Neil, Goodwill Ambassador of Science and Technology and Founder & Chair of the OECS Robotics Association, and an interactive panel discussion on AI in Education. His involvement underscored the importance of regional collaboration and the potential for STEAM advancement across the Caribbean. Students also took part in enriching STEAM-focused field trips, while the introduction of the new Science Fair categories offered fresh opportunities for exploration and creativity. These additions offered multiple avenues for students and the wider community to engage with STEAM throughout the week. Furthermore, attendees of the public sessions had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Viewer's Choice Award, allowing them to vote for their favorite project during the public session. Limited to one vote per device, 957 votes were cast during the 3 hours provided for public viewing, highlighting strong community interest and support. The culmination of the students' hard work will be celebrated at the upcoming Awards ceremony on Saturday, April 12th at the Belair Community Center. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, winners will be recognized with medals, trophies, and high-tech gadgets provided to support their continued explorations of STEAM. Stay tuned for the announcement of the Science Fair winners including the Viewers Choice Award on April 12th! Dr. Rolinda Carter, President of the St. Maarten Science Fair Foundation, emphasized this growth, stating, "As a foundation, we recognize our vital role in fostering a culture of innovation and inquiry on St. Maarten, and the overwhelming participation this week underscores the growing enthusiasm for science and technology among our youth. The Foundation remains committed to supporting STEAM education all while strengthening our local and regional partnerships to achieve our mission. . SMSFF extends its sincere gratitude to all the students, teachers, AUC mentors, judges, local and regional partners, field trip hosts, media partners, sponsors, volunteers, and the wider community for their enthusiastic participation and support in making Science Week 2025 a resounding success. For more information, please visit the SMSFF Facebook page. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The world will be observing World Health Day (WHD) 2025 on Monday, April 7th under the theme, Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures. The World Health Organization (WHO) will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign will urge governments around the world and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize womens longer-term health and well-being. WHO and partners will also share useful information to support healthy pregnancies and births, and better postnatal health. WHO says its vision is to help every woman and baby survive and thrive. This task is critical. Tragically, based on currently published estimates, close to 300,000 women lose their lives due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over two (2) million babies die in their first month of life, and around two (2) million more are stillborn. Thats roughly one (1) preventable death every seven (7) seconds. Based on current trends, a staggering four (4) out of five (5) countries are off track to meet targets for improving maternal survival by 2030. One (1) in three (3) will fail to meet targets for reducing newborn deaths. WHO adds that listening to women and supporting families is essential. Women and families everywhere need high-quality care that supports them physically and emotionally, before, during, and after birth. Health systems must evolve to manage the many health issues that impact maternal and newborn health. These not only include direct obstetric complications but also mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases and family planning. The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (Ministry of VSA), calls on the community especially women and their partners to maintain a relationship with their physician during pregnancy through delivery. CPS adds that it is essential to have preventive interventions that could help reduce the prevalence of underlying health conditions like noncommunicable diseases and malnutrition that increase womens risks during pregnancy. CPS says that every stakeholder has a role to play in maternal health that would ensure a healthy pregnancy and birth and a lasting quality of life after the delivery. CPS also takes this time to highlight the work of the department through their Youth Health Care Section. This section in particular is tasked with guiding parents on the growth and development of their children. In addition to this, the department administers free vaccines to children 0-17 years of age as part of their National Immunization Program. If parents or guardians have any questions or concerns about the services the department provides or wish to speak to a youth health care nurse, please call 914 or 542-3003, or by WhatsApp 520-4163. Follow CPS on Facebook at Collective Prevention Services. Yemen Huthi media say one dead in air strikes Sanaa, April 5 (AFP) Apr 05, 2025 Media aligned with Yemen's Huthi rebels on Saturday said one person was killed and several others wounded in air strikes in the north of the country that they blamed on the United States. "One citizen was killed and four others wounded in an American attack against a solar energy site in the Hafsin neighbourhood in the west of the city" of Saada, said the Saba news agency and Al-Masirah television channel. Both media earlier reported four air strikes on Sadaa, the rebel's stronghold in the northern mountains. "Civil protection teams are fighting to put out the blazes and rescue the victims," said Saba. Rebel-held areas of Yemen have seen near-daily strikes blamed on the United States since Washington launched an air campaign against the Huthis on March 15. The group has attacked commercial and military shipping in what it says is a response to Israel's campaign in Gaza. The rebels form part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, an Iran-backed alliance of Middle East groups opposed to Israel and the United States. The claim came a day after US President Donald Trump posted a video purportedly showing dozens of Huthi fighters being killed in an American strike on Yemen. Trump had posted to his Truth Social platform black-and-white images shot from military drones or other aircraft. He wrote that the several dozen people in the images were Huthi fighters planning an attack. After a bright flash appeared in the middle of the scene, followed by billowing smoke and a close-up of a crater, Trump said the Huthis would "never sink our ships again!" Saba denied those targeted in the strike were fighters and insisted the gathering was an Eid celebration marking the end of the Ramadan fasting period. Iran rejects Trump call for direct nuclear talks Tehran, April 6 (AFP) Apr 06, 2025 Iran's top diplomat has dismissed direct negotiations with the United States as pointless, his office said Sunday, after US President Donald Trump said he preferred face-to-face talks over its nuclear programme. Trump sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month calling for negotiations but warning of military action if diplomacy failed. On Thursday, the US president said he favoured "direct talks", arguing they were "faster" and offered a better understanding than going through intermediaries. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said direct talks made no sense with a country "that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials". "We remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his ministry. "Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty." On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to engage in dialogue with the United States on an "equal footing". He also questioned Washington's sincerity in calling for negotiations, saying "if you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?" Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution with some regional countries like Oman playing a mediating role between the two sides. - Letter diplomacy - Trump's letter was delivered to Iran via the United Arab Emirates, and Tehran responded at the end of March via the Sultanate of Oman. On Sunday, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri, said Iran's response stressed that "we seek peace in the region". "We are not the ones who start wars, but we will respond to any threat with all our might," he said of the content of Iran's response. Western countries, led by the United States, have for decades accused Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran rejects the allegation and maintains that its nuclear activities exist solely for civilian purposes. In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the United States, France, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, to limit its nuclear activities. The 2015 agreement -- known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon. In 2018, during Trump's first term in office, the United States withdrew from the agreement and reinstated biting sanctions on Iran. A year later, Iran began rolling back on its commitments under the agreement and accelerated its nuclear programme. On Monday, Ali Larijani, a close adviser to Khamenei, warned that while Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, it would "have no choice but to do so" in the event of an attack against it. UK finds underwater suspected Russian nuke spy sensors: report London, April 6 (AFP) Apr 06, 2025 The UK military has found Russian sensors in seas around the country that it believes were attempting to spy on its nuclear submarines, the Sunday Times reported. The Royal Navy found some devices planted on the sea bed while several washed ashore, the newspaper reported. Military and intelligence chiefs believe they were planted to gather intelligence on the UK's four submarines that carry nuclear missiles. "There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic. This is a game of cat and mouse that has continued since the ending of the Cold War, and is now heating up again," a senior UK miliary figure told the paper. The newspaper's three-month investigation said it had discovered unmanned Russian vehicles "lurking next to deep-sea communications cables". The government also had "credible intelligence" that Russian oligarch-owned superyachts may have been used to conduct underwater reconnaissance, said the report. Then it was raised to 2,100, which was also fine. Then, in the autumn, their landlord announced they were raising the rent again, this time to 2,400. It was just not viable for us, says Alexia. Where to live Golden Visas: the four European countries where you can still get citizenship by buying property Four European countries still offering golden visas to property buyers A serving British military figure said: There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic. This is a game of cat and mouse that has continued since the ending of the Cold War, and is now heating up again. China files lawsuit with WTO following U.S. slapping of "reciprocal tariffs" on trading partners Xinhua) 12:30, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that China has filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism following the announcement by the United States on Thursday to slap "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners. "By imposing the so-called 'reciprocal tariffs,' the United States gravely violates WTO rules, seriously undermines the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously damages the rules-based multilateral trading system and the international economic and trade order," a ministry spokesperson said. "It is a typical unilateral practice of bullying that jeopardizes the stability of the global economic and trade order, and China is firmly opposed to this," the spokesperson said. China has always been a staunch defender of the international economic and trade order and a firm supporter of the multilateral trading system, said the spokesperson. "We urge the U.S. side to immediately correct its wrongdoings and cancel its unilateral tariff measures." (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) FUKUOKA - All six people aboard a helicopter that went missing were found and taken to the hospital on Sunday after the aircraft was discovered at sea in southwestern Japan, with one confirmed dead and two others showing no vital signs, local authorities said. The helicopter had departed Tsushima Airport in Nagasaki Prefecture in the afternoon to transport an 86-year-old female patient to a hospital in Fukuoka before going missing off the east coast of Tsushima. According to the coast guard, the patient was later confirmed dead, while her 68-year-old male attendant and a 34-year-old doctor were found showing no vital signs. Three others rescued -- a pilot, mechanic, and nurse -- are conscious, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The hospital held a press conference on Sunday night and said it is doing its best to treat the injured. The helicopter was found capsized in the sea about 27 kilometers northeast of the northern tip of Iki Island in Nagasaki Prefecture. The three conscious individuals were found clinging to floats, according to the coast guard. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said it is investigating the incident. Related coverage: 47, mostly foreigners, injured in bus collision on Tokyo expressway Small helicopter crashes in central Japan, 2 suffer minor injuries With the Taliban having severely restricted womens education and activities, it has been suggested that the Reynolds may have been detained due to one of their courses teaching mothering skills. Dame Imeldas first Olivier award came in 1985, for her supporting roles in A Chorus Of Disapproval and The Corn Is Green, and was followed by an award for Into The Woods in 1991. TOKYO - A Japanese startup will introduce an all-terrain electric wheelchair in 2026 that allows users to climb and descend stairs, and board trains and buses without assistance, with plans to develop a model that can navigate escalators. The wheelchair developed by Lifehub Inc., which normally drives on four wheels on flat surfaces, has caterpillar tracks to negotiate stairs, slopes and uneven ground. The company's Avest wheelchair adjusts its seat angle while ascending and descending stairs on an incline of up to 40 degrees, Lifehub said. It can travel up to 40 kilometers on a single charge. While similar stair-climbing wheelchairs are already available, many of them ascend with their occupants facing backward, according to the company. Lifehub will offer 50 units of the launch edition, priced at 1.5 million yen ($10,000). In Japan, electric wheelchairs are exempt from sales tax. The Tokyo-based company is developing a new version to allow users to ride escalators without assistance, which would be the first wheelchair in the world with such a capability, Lifehub said. Lifehub CEO Hiroshi Nakano said at a press event he wants to "solve the challenges faced by wheelchair users with our technologies." While Lifehub will initially focus on offering the Avest wheelchairs to the disabled, the elderly and those with injuries, it is planning to market them as personal vehicles to move around in places such as shopping malls and large stores, Nakano said. Related coverage: Japan to make vehicle gas pedal safety devices mandatory in 2028 Solar-powered smart wear to be trialed at Osaka Expo Rakuten eyes expanding deliveries by robot to main e-commerce site TOKYO - Approximately 42,000 bodies went unclaimed in Japan in fiscal 2023 and were subsequently cremated or buried by local authorities, a recent government estimate showed, amid a rise in elderly people who live alone without family support. The first study of its kind, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, also showed most municipalities did not have an established protocol for dealing with the bodies, including how long they should be kept before cremation. Of the roughly 1,160 municipalities surveyed by the Japan Research Institute, only 11.3 percent said they had a procedure while 43.5 percent said they did not. Others answered that although they did not have their own rules, they referred to practices elsewhere. Municipalities have also struggled with concerns that relatives may try to claim bodies after they have been cremated. The 41,969 unclaimed bodies, both identified and unidentified, made up 2.7 percent of all deaths in the 2023 calendar year, and the need for a system for handling them is growing with the number only expected to rise in coming years. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research forecasts 23.3 million out of 52.6 million households, or 44.3 percent, will be single-person households by 2050. Among municipalities with a system for handling them, Yokosuka, near Tokyo, launched in 2015 a program in which the city assists in contracts between funeral homes and the low-income elderly with no dependents. Under the program, the city will check on their well-being and contact necessary people and institutions in the event of their death. "The number of cases in which there are no families to take care of funerals will continue to increase," said Kazuyuki Kitami, a welfare officer in the city. "It is important for municipalities to create systems that will value a resident's dignity and intentions." Related coverage: Life experiences of nonagenarian "hibakusha" resonate on social media Japan town introduces online poll monitor for general election FEATURE: Young South Koreans giving up on marriage amid economic pressures Here are this weeks local business awards, grants and a milestone. AWARDS The American Council of Engineering Companies recognized Lochmueller Group, St. Louis, Missouri, with a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering in the Rex Whitton Expressway & Lafayette Interchange Mitigation project in Jefferson City, Missouri. Energage awarded First Mid Bancshares, parent company of First Mid Bank & Trust, the 2025 Top Workplaces USA award. This is the second consecutive year employee votes garnered national recognition for First Mids commitment to employee welfare. HELPING OUT The Rotary Club of St. Louis awarded Marygrove a grant from its endowment fund. Marygrove, Missouris oldest youth residential treatment program for youth, is a ministry of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Missouri Foundation for Health awarded Saint Louis University a $538,431 grant to research ways to improve maternal and infant health in the state of Missouri through better access to clean diapers. SLUs researchers will partner with the St. Louis Area Diaper Banks and Kids Win Missouri throughout the three-year project. MILESTONES Western Specialty Contractors based in St. Louis, Missouri, celebrated its 110th anniversary as a third generation, family-owned company. Specializing in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing and roofing, Western has grown to more than 30 branches nationwide. ST. LOUIS A 16-year-old was shot downtown early Sunday morning. The incident took place around 1:45 a.m. in the 400 block of South 10th Street. Police found the teen at a nearby hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses, who were at the hospital, told police they were at a bar downtown when a fight started. After running to a parking garage, they heard gunshots and noticed the 16-year-old boy had been shot. They told police they drove the victim to the hospital. Police later located a gun in the car. At the parking garage, more witnesses told officers that two males were fighting and pulled out guns to start shooting at each other. The investigation remains ongoing. Rapper and activist Tef Poe has sent St. Louis social media into a frenzy after releasing two diss songs Friday aimed at Cara Spencer, the alderwoman challenging Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in Tuesdays city election. Its a harsh and stinging take, accusing Spencer of being racist and selling her soul to the elite. Im pissing off everybody speaking the truth, Poe, a local hip-hop artist who rose to prominence during the Ferguson unrest of a decade ago, says in one of the songs lyrics. In his first track, Ghost of Ivory Perry, Poe accuses Spencer of being partnered with corporations he describes as exact and direct enemies of the Black community. The song, which pays homage to Perry, a prominent community organizer, describes what Poe calls a systematic plot to displace north St. Louis residents. Perry was a longtime supporter of protecting the interests of Black residents in North City before his death in 1989. Poe pointedly takes aim at developer Paul McKees NorthSide Regeneration, which acquired then neglected hundreds of city properties. NorthSide fight for your land, they tryna minimize us, he says in the song. Poe followed up that same day with another Spencer diss, freestyling over the Drake Back to Back beat. Poe says that while Spencer presents herself as a friend to the Black community, he believes she is a wolf in sheeps clothing. I just dont respect it, he said. I think its disgusting. I think its foul. And we deserve better than that as a community. Although the rapper says he released the songs as a form of protest art, Spencer took lyrics from Poes songs as a direct threat, specifically a bar in Ghost of Ivory Perry where he says, Up the score at City Hall, burn it down if she inside it. Spencer in a statement Saturday night said she disagrees with the violent rhetoric in this particular piece. However, she hears the pain associated with Poes songs. Many in our city feel abandoned, unheard, and disrespected and that pain is real, Spencer said. Black communities, especially in North City, have carried burdens that too many politicians ignored except during election season. Additionally, Spencer said she has walked alongside the community and is committed to standing with them. She said she refuses to back down when things are hard and plans on building effective coalitions and facilitating conversations on tough issues. Thats the kind of work Im committed to, she said. Im not pretending to be from anywhere Im not. But I am focused on building St. Louis up not burning things down. Poe insisted hes not threatening Spencer nor is he looking incite anything except conversations that will lead to change. Instead of accepting the song as criticism through protest art, Poe called Spencer a propagandist who uses his community reputation and image against him. Im a 6-foot-plus-tall Black man with tattoos, Poe said. Im involved in local hip-hop. Ive got a certain image to some of these people, and shes leaning into it to try to weaponize that against me. Additionally, the emcee says protest art isnt a new concept. Hip-hop artists have used music for years to communicate messages and incite conversations among people who dont watch the evening news. Poe said its his job to educate the community while encouraging others to use music as an expressive outlet instead of resorting to violence. I fall in line with a Black tradition in American music that has always existed, he said. Its nothing they can do about it. They cant stop me. Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a post Saturday on Facebook, Tef Poe wrote he plans to release a third Cara Spencer diss unless the police show up. Combating antisemitism is going to take all of us, Jewish or not, because hate of any kind is a menace to all of us. There is a song from the 1980s by the musical group Opus titled Life is Life. While almost too simplistic, the lyrics describe a universality to life. Our individual experiences might be unique, but life is life and there is a common thread weaving through all our lives. So it is with hatred. One could also say Hate is hate. Each one of us may encounter hate in some form or another. And while it may be for different reasons, hate is hate. After reading two reports that have come out recently about the dramatic rise in antisemitism up 360% to be exact, since Oct. 7, 2023, including one specifically directed to the impact of Jews living in the St. Louis area I knew I wanted to write about combating antisemitism again. I just didnt know what new insights there were to offer. It was only after I personally experienced an act of hate that I knew what I wanted to say. Back in February, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released its State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report and the numbers were troubling: 56% of American Jews have changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism. 73% say Jews are less secure in the U.S. than they were a year ago. When that question was asked four years ago, the number was just 31%. 90% of Jews say antisemitism is a problem in this country and that its gotten worse in the last five years. One-third (33%) of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitismin person or virtually at least once over the last 12 months while more than four in 10 (43%) are worried they will be a victim of antisemitism in the next year. Closer to home, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis published their own report: 2024 Greater St. Louis Jewish Community Study. The numbers for St. Louis closely resembles the broader AJCs national report. Among the Greater St. Louis Jewish community, 79% are deeply concerned about the global rise of antisemitism, while 47% share similar concerns about St. Louis. Sixty-three percent of those who have experienced antisemitic incidents have avoided certain activities as a result. While numbers can illustrate the concerns, we have witnessed real-life acts in our own area. Back in October, an apparent neo-Nazi group, which refused to identify itself, gathered on an Interstate 64 overpass in Town and Country, displaying Nazi symbols and a banner with a white supremacist statement. Just recently, swastikas, the number 88, meaning Heil Hitler, racial slurs, and the words WITE (sic) POWER were spray-painted on Affton High Schools front wall. AJCs St. Louis Director Nancy Lisker sat down with me to provide her expert analysis of the numbers and why they matter to everyone, Jewish or not. But it was not that interview that provided the insight for this column. It came a few weeks later, when Lisker showed empathy for me after I shared my story of intimidation, ugliness and a credible bomb threat at a Principles First gathering that I attended. Lisker followed up a few days later asking how I was. It was then that I realized that it was because she was likely the victim of such acts of antisemitism and pain, that she knew exactly what I needed for support. This is what allegiance against hate looks like and Lisker showed me the way. President and CEO Jewish Federation of St. Louis Danny Cohn offered the following to me: As 21st century Jews, we are now looking for the Righteous Gentiles of our generation. While we may not need to ask the question will you hide us, we are asking for your help now to stand with us in words and actions as we once again are attacked with the highest rate of hate crimes committed against our people since the Holocaust. Being an ally against antisemitism means that every day, we should listen to and validate the experiences of Jewish people, take their concerns seriously, and then speak out against antisemitic remarks and actions whether they come from online or out from behind a screen. In a 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, George Washington wrote: It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. 235 years ago, our first president gave Americans the roadmap to living peacefully in a pluralistic society. We can all use this reminder. St. Louis city and county voters on Tuesday will determine political leadership and other issues for the coming years in our region. Among the key decisions at the polling places will be choosing St. Louis citys next mayor and comptroller, and a significant proposed change to the structure of St. Louis County government. Below are summaries of our earlier recommendations: The slip-and-fall response to Januarys snowstorms by Mayor Tishaura Jones administration certainly wasnt its only failure, but its one that neatly encapsulates a theme weve seen again and again over the past four years: This mayor likes to pursue heady progressive wish lists that arent part of normal municipal responsibilities, while failing to focus on the nuts-and-bolts basics of running a city. Alderwoman Cara Spencer is stressing the importance of competently delivering those core services snow removal, garbage collection, street repair and, most of all, police protection. To focus on doing the job of being a city, as she puts it. That focus was right when Jones and Spencer faced off four years ago and its doubly right now. Early in Spencers 10-year career as an alderwoman, she built a reputation for her hands-on approach to constituent services, which included things like personally erecting a stop sign at a dangerous intersection to spotlight the citys refusal to address it, and personally compiling a database of local slumlords to pressure them for cleanup. Spencers hefty aldermanic record includes, in 2023, the first meaningful gun-control measure to be instituted in St. Louis in years, requiring permits for people to carry guns openly in the city. More recently, Spencer has sounded the alarm about the citys fumbling, corrupt handling of a $37 million grant program for North Side economic development, a program that was Jones brainchild. Jones has proposed or endorsed plans to spend millions of dollars to provide universal basic income to poor families, to provide child care and postsecondary education for the families of city employees, even to provide loans to city residents to bring their expired vehicle tags current. None of which is the job of a municipal government. With tight budget years approaching, Spencer says, such an expansive vision of city government is a mistake right now. She calls for ensuring we can do the very basics first, including a better working relationship with the citys police force. Dont be fooled by Jones supporters 11th-hour blitz trying to baselessly sow doubt about Spencers commitment to reproductive rights. Both candidates are in the same place on that issue. Just one represents needed change: Spencer. As the citys fiscal official, a big part of the comptrollers job is to pay city contractors and carry out other routine functions that are less political than clerical. On that front, 30-year incumbent Comptroller Darlene Green has stumbled somewhat in recent years. A Post-Dispatch investigation in late 2023 reported that contractors were going unpaid for months because of snafus related to staffing issues and technology in Greens office. Just last month, Green was caught flat-footed by the revelation that a top auditor in her office has a side business involving a top city contractor, raising serious conflict-of-interest questions. Then there have been her reportedly chronic absences from City Hall sometimes to the point of employees having to seek her out at home to sign documents. Baringer, who served as an alderwoman from 2003 to 2017 and was a state representative from 2017 until this year, is focused on the right priorities: More public transparency by the office, better employee relations as a way of rebuilding and maintaining staff, aggressively confronting conflicts of interest in city contracting. She also made a vow to us that shouldnt have to be made, but in this case is relevant: I will actually show up for work. Even St. Louis County Executive Sam Pages fellow Democrats on the County Council chafe at what they say is his uncommunicative, often adversarial leadership style. But that doesnt justify what amounts to a power grab by Council members who have forced Proposition B onto the county ballot. It would give the Council open-ended authority to fire department heads appointed by Page for apparently any reason, or no reason at all. Council members have alleged that Pages department heads have been uncommunicative and misleading toward them. Whether thats true, the ballot language of Prop B is, itself, misleading: It doesnt restore checks and balances to county government, as it claims, but rather erodes those checks and balances. The proposition represents a clear breach of the balance of power between the countys legislative and executive branches. Vote no. SEOUL - The ruling by South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday that removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office by upholding a parliamentary impeachment motion over his brief declaration of martial law marked a turning point in four months of turmoil. While the ruling may not bring an end to division in the country, which has seen daily rallies by Yoon's supporters and opponents since the Dec. 3 declaration, attention is expected to shift to the presidential election that must be held within 60 days. Whether the next president is able to restore stability and democracy in South Korea will be closely watched by neighboring countries including Japan, which is involved in disputes over territory and wartime labor compensation. The ruling stated Yoon imposed martial law in the absence of an emergency that could justify such an exercise of power, concluding the benefit derived from removing him to protect the Constitution would outweigh the national loss of his removal. Susumu Kohari, a University of Shizuoka professor and expert on South Korean politics, said the ruling "shows the justices made the judgment genuinely by abiding by the Constitution, putting aside each justice's political view." In a Gallup Korea survey conducted earlier this week that was released Friday, 57 percent of the respondents said Yoon should be removed, while 37 percent thought he should not. Lee Jae Myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, was the top choice for president with 34 percent support, followed by Employment and Labor Minister Kim Moon Soo at 9 percent and former leader of the ruling People Power Party Han Dong Hoon at 5 percent. The survey showed support for the liberal DP at 41 percent and for the PPP at 35 percent. Lee Jae Mook, professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said the ruling favored the DP as it resulted in the second removal of a conservative president, after Park Geun Hye in 2017. If the DP's Lee is elected, he must pursue social unity and avoid political retaliation, the professor said. The parties have traded harsh criticism, with the DP impeaching not only Yoon but also his government officials and the PPP calling Lee, who is facing lawsuits, a "criminal." If the cycle of attacks continues, society will become more divided, the professor said. When Yoon was formally arrested in January, some of his supporters entered the Seoul court that issued the warrant, destroying equipment. Given the growing tension between Yoon's supporters and opponents, Acting President Han Duck Soo called days before the ruling for people to accept the judgment calmly. A Yoon supporter after the ruling reportedly broke the window of a police bus parked near the court, but there was no major violence. Among the hundreds of Yoon supporters who gathered near the presidential office on Friday, many cried or expressed anger after the judgment, with 30-year-old Kim Soo Ah saying, "I am at a loss for words. Please save South Korea." Opponents of Yoon gathered near Gyeongbokgung Palace in the capital to watch a live broadcast of the ruling on a huge display. Lee Jae Wol, 69, a resident of a Seoul suburb, rejoiced, saying, "I want the DP to rise to power." Yoon's declaration of martial law was the first since 1980, when South Korea was under a military dictatorship. His removal is likely to spark concern in Japan as under him bilateral ties had improved after sinking to their lowest point in decades during the administration of the DP's Moon Jae In, mainly over the issue of wartime labor compensation. Lee Jae Mook believes the DP's current leader is more flexible than Moon. "I think, South Korea-Japan ties will not be as bad as they were under Moon Jae In's administration," he said. While the DP leader took a tough stance on the wartime labor compensation issue during the 2022 presidential election, which he narrowly lost to Yoon, he told Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima in late December, "I believe solutions are entirely possible if there is sincere intent." Japan maintains that all issues related to its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945 were completely and finally resolved under a 1965 agreement with South Korea that normalized diplomatic relations. As Japanese companies, which lost lawsuits over wartime forced labor filed by South Korean victims, refused to pay compensation, in line with Tokyo's stance, Yoon's administration decided in 2023 to compensate the plaintiffs with money from a government-backed fund. After Friday's ruling, a Japanese government source said the wartime labor compensation problem could resurface if the DP seizes power, as the party is more influenced by people's sentiments against Japan. Some of the plaintiffs are continuing to demand direct compensation from the Japanese companies and have refused to accept money from the government-backed fund. Lee Ki Tae, senior fellow at the Sejong Institute's Center for Diplomatic Strategy, said if a DP government is formed, it is possible that China could seek to work with South Korea to put pressure on Japan over issues related to wartime history. "Trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan as well as bilateral cooperation with Japan could suffer setbacks," he said. (Kazufumi Nagao and Natsume Watanabe contributed to this story.) Related coverage: Yoon ousted as South Korea president by Constitutional Court Cooperation with Seoul always important despite Yoon ouster: Japan PM Sailors attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) man their newly commissioned submarine during a ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) The USS Iowa (SSN 797) was commissioned in a ceremony on Saturday at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. It is the Navys first submarine to be named after the state of Iowa. This event is significant for both the life of a submarine and for the amazing people from the Hawkeye state, said Cmdr. Gregory Coy, the Iowas commanding officer. To the plank owners, the shipbuilders, the commissioning committee, and our Navy and Submarine Force leaders, this is your submarine. Christie Vilsack, Iowas sponsor and former First Lady of Iowa, gave the crew the traditional order to man the ship and bring her to life before the sailors ceremonially ran aboard the submarine. Sailors attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) man their newly commissioned submarine during a ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Secretary of the Navy John Phelan attended the ceremony and praised the crew and the shipbuilders after a years-long process of commissioning SSN 797, a fast-attack nuclear powered submarine. It is an honor to commission the Navys newest nuclear-powered attack submarine, here at Groton, the submarine capital of the world, Phelan said. USS Iowa will make our fleet stronger and more lethal. As Iowa goes to sea, she does so with one mission: to ensure that Americas adversaries never doubt our resolve. According to a service news release, Iowas keel was laid in August 2019 and christened in June 2023. Iowa is the 24th Virginia-class submarine to be commissioned and was designed to accommodate female sailors. The submarine has stealth and surveillance capabilities, as well as special warfare enhancements, to meet the Navys multimission requirements. It is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, can dive to depths greater than 800 feet, and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots. Honor guard sailors line up during a commissioning ceremony for the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Secretary of the Navy John Phelan greets crewmembers attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) during a commissioning ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Sailors attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) man their newly commissioned submarine during a ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Cmdr. Gregory Coy, commanding officer of the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797), salutes during a commissioning ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of the U.S. Navys Fleet Forces Command, delivers remarks during a commissioning ceremony for the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Sailors attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) man their newly commissioned submarine during a ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Sailors attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) man their newly commissioned submarine during a ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Sailors attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) man their newly commissioned submarine during a ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher, commander of the U.S. Navys Submarine Force, take their place on the podium during a commissioning ceremony for the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Christie Vilsack, former first lady of Iowa and ship sponsor of the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797), gives the order to bring the ship to life during a commissioning ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) Secretary of the Navy John Phelan greets crewmembers attached to the fast-attack submarine USS Iowa (SSN 797) during a commissioning ceremony in Groton, Conn., April 5, 2025. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy) In this coming year, this crew of proud American sailors will put this warship to sea and carry the name Iowa to the far-flung corners of the globe projecting combat power for decades to come, said Adm. Daryl Caudle, U.S. Fleet Forces commander. It is the fearless warriors before me that turn this piece of metal weighing almost 8,000 tons with hundreds of miles of fiber, cable, and piping systems into a combat ship, a warship designed to decisively win our nations battles. Your preparation and execution to get this ship to commissioning day is nothing short of amazing. The SSN 797 is the third naval vessel to bear the name, and joins the historic battleships that have long since been retired. The USS Iowa BB 61, a highly decorated WWII-era battleship (1943-1990), saw action in World War II, the Korean War and Gulf War. The first USS Iowa BB 4 (1897-1919) saw action in the Spanish-American War and World War I. Rescuers work near people aboard a medical transport helicopter after it fell into the sea in southwestern Japan Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Japan coast guard/AP) TOKYO A medical transport helicopter fell into the sea in southwestern Japan, killing the patient and two other people, the Japan coast guard said. The pilot, Hiroshi Hamada, 66; Kazuto Yoshitake, a helicopter mechanic and a 28-year-old nurse, Sakura Kunitake, were rescued by the coast guard after they were found in the waters clinging to inflatable lifesavers. The three suffered hypothermia but were conscious, an official with the coast guard told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Yoshitakes first name was initially given with a different spelling, but the coast guard corrected it later. The bodies of medical doctor, Kei Arakawa, 34; Mitsuki Motoishi, 86, the patient, and her caretaker Kazuyoshi Motoishi, 68, were later recovered by a Japan Air Self-Defense Force helicopter. The coast guard deployed two planes and three ships to the area as part of the rescue operation. The helicopter was heading to a hospital in Fukuoka from an airport in Nagasaki prefecture when it crashed, according to the coast guard. The cause of the accident remains under investigation, the coast guard said Monday. This grab from AFPTV footage shows smoke plumes rising following bombardment on Yemens Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on March 15, 2025. (Osama Abdulrahman/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) (TNS) President Donald Trump has boasted that hes decimated the Houthis, the Iran-backed militants who have attacked commercial ships transiting the Red Sea since 2023. But three weeks into a campaign of U.S. airstrikes, his administration has offered limited evidence of weapons deployed and targets hit to back up that assertion. Former President Joe Bidens administration provided frequent updates on its hundreds of operations against the Houthis, through Pentagon briefings and shared satellite images showing the results of strikes. Officials met with members of Congress before and after operations. Much of whats known about the recent U.S. attacks under Trump came by accident, from a Signal chat spelling out details of an impending assault that unintentionally included an editor from The Atlantic magazine. The secrecy about Yemen is raising skepticism among foreign policy and national security experts that Trumps strategy which hes touted as powerful and decisive can restore freedom of navigation on one of the worlds most important shipping routes. Major shipping lines continue to rely on a longer, and costlier, but safer route around the southern tip of Africa. Theres little doubt that the recent U.S. airstrikes have been intensive more than $200 million in munitions have been used so far, according to the New York Times but the Houthis have proved resilient through years of attacks. Efforts by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. for most of a decade failed to defeat the militants. The group has seized control of northern Yemen, holding its capital Sanaa since 2014 as well as the key Red Sea port of Hodeida. The recent airstrikes on the Houthis come as Trump is threatening to bomb Iran unless it engages in direct negotiations with the U.S. and then signs a deal renouncing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it will participate in indirect talks and maintains its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. Trump backed up his threat by ordering that two aircraft carrier strike groups, rather than the usual one, be deployed to the Middle East to pressure Iran and protect U.S. interests. The Houthis operations, including the drones on which they rely, are easy to move from one place to another, making them difficult to target from the air, said Jonathan Panikoff of the Atlantic Councils Middle East Program. The question that Ive been asking, and others have been asking, is, Why does the Trump administration expect this bombing of the Houthis to have any more effect than seven years of pretty extreme Saudi and Emirati bombings, including a ground invasion? said Annelle Sheline, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft who spent a year serving in the State Department during the Biden administration. In response to questions from Bloomberg News, a U.S. defense official said that Central Command is carrying out strikes across multiple Houthi locations every day and night. The official said the U.S. has confirmed the death of several Houthi leaders and destroyed command and control facilities, air defense systems, weapons manufacturing facilities and advanced weapons storage locations. The official spoke on condition of anonymity and declined to share specific military tactics and targets, citing operational security. The United States continues to unleash the arsenal of America against Houthi terrorists who have for too long terrorized international shipping and attacked US Navy vessels. President Trump is committed to restoring freedom of navigation through the Red Sea, National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said in an emailed statement on Saturday. But Trump posted an aerial video on X Friday night showing an oval formation of people followed by a huge explosion. These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack, he wrote. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! More than 60 civilians have been killed in the strikes since mid-March, according to the Houthi-run health ministry based in Sanaa. The Houthis have acknowledged that at least 40 of their fighters have been killed, including some with the rank of colonel. The Houthis leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, is still at large. Trump promised before taking office to end forever wars like the past conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Pentagon has so far offered no public blueprint for completing the mission in Yemen. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell has said that the U.S. plans to use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective but cautioned that this is also not an endless offensive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at a foreign ministers meeting in Brussels that the world should be grateful to the United States for being involved in this and doing this because nobody else can project power there and do this. National security adviser Mike Waltz has contrasted the overwhelming force of recent U.S. attacks with what he depicted as hundreds of slow and measured pinprick attacks under Biden that he derided as feckless. But the reliance on airstrikes shows that Trump is following the same core path as Biden, said Frederic Wehrey, a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and veteran Air Force officer. This is an administration that came to office promising an end to the forever wars, Wehrey said. Now you have the administration going down the very same path as the Biden administration. The lack of details about the current operations in Yemen has attracted attention in Congress. Sens. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, and Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, wrote to Trump asking him to explain his plan to deal with the Houthis. The senators said the president failed in his responsibility to consult with Congress before the Yemen operation, as required under the long-disputed War Powers Act, and they raised concerns about the potential of war with Iran. The Trump administration is not sharing a lot of information in the sense of even after-action reports, said Ben Friedman, policy director of Defense Priorities, a Washington think tank thats skeptical about the use of force. The administration is conflating violence with success. Theyre talking about bombing buildings, collapsing buildings, as if that were a victory. The tactical effect is not particularly meaningful. Rather than taking out Houthi operations, the U.S. intention may be to pressure Iran to lessen its support for the group and to curb Tehrans nuclear program, Carnegies Wehrey said. Theyre reminding Iran that they can still hit their proxies, Wehrey said. (With assistance from Mohammed Hatem and Nick Wadhams.) 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers killed by a drone strike in Jordan: from left, Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders and Sgt. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. (U.S. Army) A drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan last year was most likely preventable, according to a military investigation that determined numerous failures from complacency and indecisiveness to outright negligence contributed to the worst assault on American troops since the fall of Afghanistan. The small outpost, known as Tower 22, is along Jordans border with Syria and Iraq, and largely had been spared from the assaults on American positions in those countries by Iranian proxies furious with the United States for its support of Israels war in the Gaza Strip. However, on the morning of Jan. 28, 2024, while most of the bases 350 troops slept, there were indications an attack might be imminent, Army investigators learned. An intelligence report transmitted to Tower 22 approximately 90 minutes before the strike warned that militia groups had discussed openly on social media their intent to target U.S. forces in the area, prompting Tower 22s second-in-command to tell the watch team to stay vigilant. But when their radar picked up an unknown object heading toward the base, no one assessed it as a threat and, vitally, no one issued an order for everyone to take cover, the investigation found. Four minutes later, a powerful explosion throttled the bases living quarters. Oneida Oliver-Sanders, whose 24-year-old daughter, Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, was killed in the attack, told The Washington Post that when Army officials explained the investigation to her family, they were thorough and forthright about the lapses that were found. She said she was encouraged to learn there were other troops who braved danger to help but disturbed that the attack drone was allowed to breach the bases defenses. They did have time to alert them to take cover, and because of poor judgment, they didnt, Oliver-Sanders said. Also killed in the blast were Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, and Sgt. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23. More than 70 personnel were wounded, some seriously. This account is based on the voluminous report detailing the Tower 22 investigation, a copy of which was obtained by The Post via the Freedom of Information Act, interviews with the slain soldiers survivors, and a separate summary of the findings the military provided to them. The report is more than 4,500 pages, though the Army withheld more than half of it and redacted much of the material it released. The incident is the only deadly strike on U.S. troops since Iranian-backed militants unleashed their campaign of violence in response to the Gaza war. The Pentagon rushed additional defenses to the region to shore up protections for deployed service members, but Tower 22, a support base for another American outpost nearby in Syria, was deemed to be at lower risk of attack, officials have said. The investigations findings appear to have some contradictions. For instance, investigators faulted Tower 22s leaders for failing to visualize risk and not appreciating the likelihood of an attack. Yet commanders above them also failed to envision the bases vulnerability. Four months before the attack, Army Central, which oversees operations throughout the Middle East, denied a request for an air defense system capable of shooting down drones because, investigators found, only one such system was available and troops in the United States needed it to prepare for deployments. A request for a radar system that could better detect drones also was denied, the report said. The only counter-drone defenses at Tower 22 were electronic warfare systems designed to disable the aircraft or disrupt their path to a target, according to the investigation and previous reporting by The Post. A spokesperson for Army Central did not respond to repeated requests for additional information, including who at Army Central denied Tower 22s appeal for an air defense system. The Sanders family was told that four officers faced disciplinary action as a result of the attack. The investigation does not identify them or detail what their punishment was. (The Washington Post) The attack While senior military leaders determined there was less risk facing Tower 22, soldiers posted there would later report increasing unease. In October, a drone was brought down outside the base perimeter, and smaller reconnaissance drones were seen nearby in subsequent weeks but troops struggled to detect or disable them. Sanders, Rivers and Moffett belonged to an engineering unit responsible for reinforcing Tower 22s defenses. Rivers, an experienced noncommissioned officer, helped oversee electrical work. Moffett and Sanders operated heavy machinery such as bulldozers and excavators. The day before the attack was spent preparing for construction projects. After dinner, Sanders and Moffett went to a tent to partake in one of the few luxuries of a Middle East deployment: playing a few rounds of Call of Duty. After 1 a.m., they retired to the spartan housing unit they shared. While they slept, the night crew in the Base Defense Operations Center, or BDOC, monitored intelligence streams and the facilitys air defense systems. At one point, a laser was pointed at Tower 22 from Rukban, a camp less than two miles away housing thousands of displaced Syrians. Just past 4 a.m., Tower 22 received the report that a Telegram channel affiliated with local militias had posted about plans for a drone attack, the investigation says. At 5:30 a.m., troops in the operations center watched as a U.S. drone finished a surveillance flight. A minute later, the screen pinged, showing an unknown object approaching Tower 22 from the south, but the watch team and a powerful surveillance camera was focused on the friendly drone as it came in to land, the report says. At 5:35 a.m., the investigation says, a low whirring sound, like a lawn mower, could be heard and then a fiery blast. A leader, who is not identified in the report, burst into the BDOC and screamed, How did you guys not see it? the report says. The call was sounded for everyone to take cover, and people raced barefoot to the bunkers as shrapnel and other debris rained down. Once the all-clear was given, personnel rushed to the wreckage to look for survivors, pushing through their own injuries and with the threat that more attack drones could be on the way. Rivers was killed on impact and buried in rubble, the report says. The force of the explosion propelled Sanders onto the roof her housing unit. She and Moffett were unresponsive and taken to the surgical station, which was overwhelmed with patients. Physicians tried to resuscitate Moffett, but the crush of wounded personnel forced them to move on to troops they felt they could save, the report says. A vampire call was announced over the loudspeaker, and service members lined up to donate blood. It was an urgent and dangerous moment. Some time later, another drone approached and was shot down by an air defense system at the Tanf Garrison, a U.S. base 13 miles away in Syria, the report says. The base chaplain administered final rites to Sanders, Moffett and Rivers, and fellow service members guarded their remains before a helicopter arrived to evacuate them. Problems exposed The Armys investigation places significant blame on the operations centers leadership and crews. The attack was allowed to happen because of their failure to interrogate or assess the unidentified aircraft that pinged on the radar, the investigation concluded. Troops monitoring for incoming threats told investigators that they did not see the drone on their screens, describing instead two objects they assessed were birds or too far away to be a concern. Yet when there was an opportunity to alert base personnel to a possible threat, there was confusion among troops in the operations center about roles and responsibilities, the investigation found. The night shift was considered the most likely period an attack could occur, but an enlisted leader, rather than an officer, was in charge and as a result the crew did not feel fully empowered to make important decisions, the report says, even when faced with imminent danger to the base. Leaders at Tower 22 also failed to implement proper training, and the bases battle drills were inadequate, investigators determined. Service members told investigators that watching the friendly drone land may have distracted them from scrutinizing the unknown object. The militants also may have anticipated the landing was a moment the base had limited views of inbound threats and programmed their attack drone to strike about the same time. Other factors included cumulative exhaustion among the night crew and radars that dont classify whether incoming objects are drones. In response, Army officials reduced the night shift from 12 to eight hours, assigned more leadership to the base and conducted more training. Francine Moffett told The Post that she was comforted to learn her daughter received final rites, but overcome by the thought she could not hold her in her last moments. She said she struggles to recall much from the Armys briefing. When you say her name, and say deceased, you cant hear anything else, Moffett said. Her daughters legacy has endured, though. Breonna Moffett was a reservist and, when not fulfilling her Army duties, worked at a treatment center for cerebral palsy, which created an award in her honor. Shawn Sanders, Kennedy Sanders father, said he and his wife were heartened by the dedication of her fellow troops who ensured their daughters remains were protected, though he acknowledged it was difficult to accept the failures investigators found. Its beyond frustrating to know four minutes elapsed and human error allowed this to take place, he said. His daughter was full of potential and planned to study radiology, he explained, and after her death, their community in Waycross, Georgia, came together to support the family. Today, a section of their street has a new name: Kennedy L. Sanders Way. Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report. JERUSALEM, April 6 (Xinhua) -- British Airways, the flagship airline of Britain, resumed operations in Israel after more than six months of suspension, with a flight departing from London's Heathrow Airport and landing at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv on Sunday. The airline suspended flights to Israel in late September last year due to the escalating security situation in the region. It now resumed operations with one daily flight to Tel Aviv and plans to increase service to two daily flights starting April 20. United Airlines resumed flights to Israel on March 16 and Delta Air Lines on April 1. Meanwhile, data released on Sunday by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics showed that the number of tourists visiting the country in the first quarter rose 30.7 percent year-on-year, reaching 267,600. Stephen Connolly of Rath Gael, Clondalkin in Dublin was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday A 40-year-old businessman has been sentenced to four years in prison for laundering almost 300,000 in drugs money with his brother in an unoccupied apartment. Stephen Connolly of Rath Gael, Clondalkin in Dublin was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, where he had pleaded guilty to possessing 291,790, while knowing or believing it was the proceeds of crime at Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, on May 4, 2017. The court heard that gardai found the money rolled and placed in separate bags during a planned search. The defendants fingerprints were found on the cash. The court heard that the money had come from drugs and that the defendants role was to store and count the money. His brother, Mark Connolly, with an address at Harelawn Park, Clondalkin, was previously jailed for two and a half years for his part in the crime. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, submitted that his client was a family man, who had mental health issues and was on a number of medications. He said that his client was not at the directing end of the operation. Counsel noted that, as is often an unintended consequence of criminal activity, his client's imprisonment would cause stress and strain on the innocent members of his family. He handed in what he said was a heartfelt apology from his client. He explained that the offence had been carried out eight years ago and that, since then, the defendant had continued to provide for his family, and employed a number of staff members in his businesses. Those jobs may be now be in jeopardy as a result of him going into custody, he said. Id ask the court to recognise that he cant be defined by what happened in May 2017, said the barrister, describing him as a good man outside of this. Judge Martin Nolan said that Connolly must have been trusted to hold and count the cash, describing his as a significant role. I note hes a bright, competent man with two businesses on the go, employing people, and has family responsibilities, he said. He imposed a four-year sentence. Anne Broughton (71) faced court this week This is the pensioner charged with causing the death of paedophile ex-Ireland international rugby player Davy Tweed. The former DUP councillor died in October 2021 when his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a car in the Whitepark Road area of Ballycastle. Anne Broughton (71), from the Whitepark Road in the town, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Thursday to face a single charge of causing death by careless driving. The case was sent for trial at the Crown Court on a date to be fixed. When approached at her home in the picturesque north coast village of Ballintoy, Broughton said: I dont want to talk about it. Disgraced Tweed left the DUP in 2007 over its decision to share power with Sinn Fein. He later joined the TUV. Davy Tweed As a former member of the Orange Order in Dunloy, he was involved in the Harryville dispute when loyalists picketed a Catholic church in Ballymena. In 2012, a Crown Court jury found him guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault, gross indecency with a child and inciting gross indecency with a child. The convictions were quashed in 2016 due to the way the jury was directed in his initial trial, after he served four years of an eight-year sentence. Following his death, his step-daughter Amanda Brown spoke about the horrific abuse she and her mother suffered at the hands of Tweed. Ms Brown authored a book, No Peace Until Hes Dead, detailing Tweeds reign of terror including persistent sexual abuse of her and domestic violence towards her mother. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph in 2024, she said: Davy Tweed was a wife-beater. Davy Tweed was a child molester. Davy Tweed was a monster. When Davy Tweed came through our door, everything changed for me, for my mum, for everyone. We never had much as kids, even when my dad was still around, but what we did have was a childhood. We had freedom and innocence and fun. Davy Tweed took all of that away. I wish he had never been born. If he had never existed, I would not have this heavy burden to carry at all. I hated Davy. There was nothing in my humanity that could extend to forgiving him for beating my mother, for abusing me, for hurting my sisters too. This man ruined my childhood, made me live in a state of terror, did unspeakable harm to my body and to my mind. He destroyed my life, and my mothers and my sisters. Following Tweeds death in 2021, his former TUV boss Jim Allister paid tribute to him and described the brute as larger than life and that he was deeply saddened by his passing. After doubling down on the comments in a subsequent interview, Mr Allister later apologised for some of his remarks. Sabrina Nestor and Aishling Joyce were both charged with assault Two women left each other with bruising with one sustaining a cut lip after trading blows in the middle of a midlands town, a court has been told. Sabrina Nestor, Columbus Terrace, Athlone, Westmeath and Aishling Joyce, Sienna Villas, Battery Road, Athlone, Westmeath were both charged with assault following an incident on June 11, 2024 at Connaught Street, Athlone, Westmeath. Nestor faced an additional charge of causing criminal damage to her rivals mobile phone during the same incident. Sabrina Nestor was charged with assault causing harm to her co-accused Aishling Joyce during a street brawl that broke out in the middle of Athlone town during the early hours of June 11, 2024. Sgt Paul McNally outlined the States evidence at a sitting of Athlone District Court before presiding Judge Bernadette Owens. He said the incident unfolded at shortly after midnight when the pair began brawling with each other having crossed paths just moments earlier. Sgt McNally said it will be the States case that during the course of the fight, a series of punches were thrown as the pair grappled with each other along one of the midlands towns busiest thoroughfares. He said in the aftermath of that exchange, Joyce was left in pain having sustained bruising to her left arm as well as being left with a superficial cut to her lower lip. Sabrina Nestor outside Athlone Courthouse. Nestor, added Sgt McNally, was also left nursing bruises but stopped short of seeking medical attention. The upshot of that incident, led to Joyce being accused of having committed a section 2 assault with her co-accused facing a more serious section 3, assault causing harm summons in addition to that of criminal damage. Having heard the States evidence, Judge Owens accepted jurisdiction, allowing the case to be heard and disposed of in the District Court. Legal aid was granted to both women, neither of whom indicated or entered a plea to the proceedings. The pair were consequently remanded on bail to a sitting of Athlone District Court on June 4, 2025. Brave sisters reveal how no action was taken to stop rapes despite telling people about it One of two sisters who was sexually assaulted by their rapist cousins has called for two adults, who knew of the abuse but did nothing to stop it, to be charged. Sophie Brady (26), from Athboy, Co. Meath, was sexually abused by her cousin David Hamilton while her older sister was abused by both David and his brother Jonathan. On Monday, David was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, while Jonathan Hamilton was sentenced to three years, with the final six months suspended Sophie Brady Sophie Brady chats to Pat O'Connell about her rape ordeal at the hands of her evil cousins Speaking with the Sunday World, Sophie said both she and her sister, who want the leniency of the sentences appealed, had told an older woman of the sexual attacks in 2009 when she was 10 years old. She was told, she was made aware of everything that was happening when I was 10 years old, Sophie told this newspaper. My sister and I sat her down and we told her that this had happened to me, and she promised me that she would speak to him and deal with this. I found out in later years, half-way into my teens, that she had never spoken him. Sophie said when she again approached this woman in 2019, the woman made it clear to me that she did not believe me and that she felt I was a liar. Another woman, Sophie said, walked in on David Hamilton raping her sister when the girl was 14-years-old but, instead of intervening, closed the door of the room, and did nothing. She witnessed David Hamilton raping my sister, Sophie said. She walked in, she saw it, she closed the door, walked away and never spoke of that again. Under Section 176 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, a person who causes or permits a child to be left in a situation that creates a substantial risk to the child of sexual abuse is guilty of an offence and is liable to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. David and Jonathan Hamilton Asked whether she believes these two adults should be held accountable for failing to safe-guard the two girls, Sophie told us: They failed us. We were adults and they were children. I do (want them to be pursued by the gardai.) During the legal proceedings, rapist David (33), of Woodtown West, Athboy, Co. Meath, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of Sophie and guilty to rape, oral rape and sexual assault of her older sister in Co. Meath on dates between 2004 and 2008. His brother Jonathan (34), with the same address, pleaded guilty to one count of rape and sexual assault of Sophies older sister on one occasion in 2005. The court heard that she was raped by Jonathan on one occasion after David told him to have a go. An investigating garda said that prior to the offending starting when David Hamilton was aged 12 years and Sophies older sister was aged 10, there had been a background of inappropriate behaviour by him towards the child while playing. The garda said the woman recalled a rape occurring around this time after he had called her into a bedroom. She said she was raped on a frequent basis by David Hamilton from then on. She said on one occasion Jonathan Hamilton was present and after David Hamilton raped her, he told his brother: Now you need to have a go. She said that she was also forced to perform oral sex on David Hamilton and raped while on holiday. Her younger sister was sexually abused by David Hamilton, beginning when she was seven years old and he was 14. This offending occurred between 2005 and 2008. The court heard Jonathan Hamilton was only charged in relation to one incident with one child. He was 14 years old at the time of his offence. The younger injured party came forward to make a complaint in 2021 and the offending against her elder sister emerged in the course of that statement. David Hamilton was arrested and told gardai he could not recall much but accepted the veracity of what the women said occurred. He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Jonathan Hamilton denied raping the girl but accepted there was sexual contact. Sophie said that despite both men confessing to abuse, over half the family has turned against their victims and sided with the brothers. Roughly, about 20 members of the family have turned their backs on us, she said. Asked if she had any message for these people, Sophie said: Id like to ask them what were they protecting? Why were they so proud? I do think, 100 per cent, they should be ashamed of themselves. And I think everyone in this local area would feel the same way about those people. Why are they standing by two rapists? I wish I knew. The judge was disappointed giving the sentence that he had to give but his hands were tied, and he said that himself. He gave them the maximum that he could give them. But that was cut in half immediately because they were minors at the time. It terrifies me that David will back here in the same town as me in the next four years. How undercover police officers caught Bomber and McGovern on camera at car park rendezvous This is moment Thomas Bomber Kavanagh and Sean McGovern hold a meeting in a leisure centre car park in England following the arrest of cocaine kingpin James Mulvey. Bomber and McGovern can be seen talking with Mulveys father James Mulvey Snr at Kingsbury Leisure Centre just outside Birmingham in April 2017. The summit, which was secretly recorded by undercover cops, came as Mulvey Jnr was languishing in a prison cell in Lithuania after being arrested in connection with a massive cocaine and cannabis smuggling ring. Mulvey was regarded as one of the biggest drug traffickers operating in the UK and he would ultimately be sentenced to 32 years in prison for directing a 100m (118m) drugs empire. Thomas Bomber Kavanagh with James Mulvey Snr The pumped-up gangster had risen to the top of the underworld thanks to his connections to the Kinahan Organised Crime Group spending around 10k a week on his luxury lifestyle alone. However, the National Crime Agency (NCA) painstakingly built a ground-breaking case against the drugs lord through careful surveillance and co-operation with international police forces, including the Gardai. During the investigation into Mulvey by the NCA, it became clear that he was taking his directions from Bomber his own cousin who he was terrified of. After he was flown back to England from Lithuania following his high-profile arrest, police continued to follow Mulvey Snr and they observed him in what was described in court as a clandestine meeting. Initially, the undercover officers on the ground were unable to identify the imposing figure who met Mulvey Snr. However, when the officers brought the footage back, the man was identified as Thomas Kavanagh. James Mulvey Jnr being arrested James Mulvey Jnr Mulvey Snr is not involved in crime or in his sons criminal activities. However, it is believed that Bomber was paranoid he would be implicated by Mulvey Jnr and had requested a meeting with his father. The meeting is described in the new BBC four-part documentary series, Kinahan: The True Story of Irelands Mafia, which is available on Monday on BBC NI. The meeting was in Sutton Coldfield crematorium in Birmingham, where two men were seen sitting on a bench and spoke for a little over 20 minutes. Then, one week later at the beginning of April 2017, Mulvey Snr and Bomber were seen together again. This time they walked together to an isolated part of the car park of the Kingsbury Leisure Centre outside Birmingham, where they talked for approximately 30 minutes. And this time another man had flown in for the day and joined them Sean McGovern. Months later, McGovern would flee to Dubai, where he was welcomed with open arms by Daniel Kinahan. He is facing extradition to Ireland for the murder of Noel Duck Egg Kirwan. In court, the NCA claimed the meeting between Mulvey Snr and Thomas Kavanagh is significant because of its proximity to the arrest of James Mulvey. It is believed that Bomber asked Mulvey Snr to see his sons case file. James Mulvey Jnr The Crown said: This (Bomber) was the man who James Mulvey Snr was keen to show the case papers too as evidenced in the prison transcripts. According to a security source, Mulvey told his father that under no circumstances was he to show them to Bomber as he didnt trust the Dubliner. Mulvey had been arrested in a hotel in Lithuania after a two-year investigation by the NCA. He was convicted in relation to a 364kg cannabis and 20kg cocaine haul which was trafficked from the Netherlands to Belgium, England and Ireland between 2006 and 2007. The NCA said this and 14 other identical trips saw Mulvey smuggle drugs with an estimated street value of 68m. Investigators revealed he had lived in a 1.4m villa in southern Spain, moving between multiple five-star hotels and laundering in excess of 7.8m through the Isle of Man, Monaco and Mauritius. During the investigation, the NCA recorded Mulvey meeting with associates building up a full picture of his criminal activities. He was heard talking on phones about senior Kinahan Cartel figures including Gerard Hatchet Kavanagh, Daniel Kinahan, Graham The Wig Whelan as well as George The Penguin Mitchell. Sean McGovern These conversations would be significant because, in a case of several strands, they built an image of him as a part of the Kinahan criminal network. As part of the international investigation, Spanish police also discovered Daniel Kinahan had stayed in Mulveys villa in Marbella along with other key Cartel figures. Mulvey was also often seen in Dublin and would stay at the Westbury Hotel whenever he was in the city. During the investigation he was recorded by the NCA saying: Four, four, when we first started there was four bosses, me, Glasses, him whos just got shot dead and another kid. The other kids dead, hes dead, so theres just me and Thomas left mate. It is understood that the man referred to as Glasses is the gangland codename for Bomber Kavanagh. The kid is understood to refer to Paul Kavanagh, shot dead in Dublin in April 2015. And the fourth was Gerard Hatchet Kavanagh Pauls older brother who was gunned down in Marbella. Mulvey was horrifically violent towards some of his girlfriends. One previous girlfriend was attacked by him in a brothel. They talked of him always being coked up and paranoid. On one roadtrip he was so paranoid, a girlfriend said he dumped a kilo of cocaine down a storm drain. According to a security source, Mulvey believed he could evade justice by moving from hotel to hotel. Mulvey was someone who seemed to think he was untouchable, when you looked at his movements. He moved from country to country, around the world. Living in five-star hotels. Always paying in cash, so he wouldnt leave a trace. He didnt have a normal footprint. He was like a ghost He added: As he was being investigated more and more, as you looked at his history and associates, more and more you began to see the Kinahan links. He was linked to a lot of people in that organisation. It was all linked to the Kinahan OCG in the end. The day of the Regency Hotel murder, Mulvey was recorded on the phone in a panic, speculating who had been shot and talking about McGovern receiving gun wounds. Kinahan: The True Story of Irelands Mafia is on Monday night on BBC1. Quarter of a century of snubs, silence and broken promises This newspaper is still being kept in the dark in our quest to see our colleague Martin OHagans killers put behind bars. Martin was the only journalist to be killed during the Troubles. The 51-year-old father-of-three was cut down as he walked home from the pub in Lurgan with his wife, Marie. He heroically saved Marie by throwing himself across her as two LVF godfathers, Drew The Piper King and his brother Robin Billy King, fired a salvo of bullets into his back in a gutless drive-by ambush. Martin at our offices This newspaper has relentlessly pursued his killers including repeatedly naming and shaming the King brothers in the 24 years since his murder. Shortly after his death, others did the same. They included top police and politicians. They pledged that no stone would be left unturned until the LVF gang who plotted and carried out the execution were caught. They have proved empty promises. One of the vacuous pledges was even made by the then Secretary of State, John Reid, standing in our Sunday World office when we unveiled a plaque in memory of Martin. We have since tried to contact him a number of times in the House of Lords, where he now sits. All weve been met with is a snub and silence. The stench of a cover-up to protect the Kings and their killer gang all proteges of the LVF founder and psychopath Billy King Rat Wright, who weve been told ordered Martins murder from the grave is sickening. State Secretary John Reid unveils the plaque in memory of Martin Similarly with a top cop, who spoke to Marie and Jim McDowell outside Armagh Courthouse after Martins inquest. At the time, the Kings and their cohorts were facing murder charges and other charges related to the killing. The senior policeman told us: Weve got the right boys. However, all the charges against the Lurgan LVF killer gang were controversially dropped. Again, we were only told about that at a private briefing just minutes before the Public Prosecution Service staged an official press conference to announce the annulment of all charges. We were kept in the dark until the last minute again. That only heightened our suspicions that the Kings and their sectarian-slaughtering cohorts were being protected for one reason. Police officers search the scene of the shooting on the Tandragee Road They were being run by agents of the notorious British army black ops undercover agency, the Force Research Unit. But then, just over a decade after Martins murder, one of the LVF killer gang broke cover. He turned tout, or supergrass. He became what the police would rather refer to as an assisting offender. His name is Neil Hyde. He agreed to name the entire terror gang behind Martins assassination if he got a reduced jail term. He confessed to no less than 48 LVF-linked crimes. Crucially, he was even prosecuted for a series of offences, including conspiring to carry a firearm with intent to wound in connection with the murder of Mr OHagan. Sunday World reporter Martin O'Hagan who was shot dead 24 years ago as he and his wife Marie walked home Nothing, in terms of his naming and nailing Martins killers, came of his evidence. Still, he was rewarded for becoming an assisting offender. The real-time tariff for his self-confessed crimes was 18 years in jail. Instead, he was handed down a three-and-a-half-year sentence and whisked off to a new life in hiding in England. Which brings us to the point of this whole story... Last Friday, the Counter Terrorism Policing North East unit in England, in conjunction with local police, arrested a 42-year-old man. He was brought to Belfast, questioned, charged with fraud by fake representation, and was ordered to appear before Craigavon Magistrates court on May 2. Neil Hyde The PSNI said that the arrest and charge was part of the overall investigation into Martins murder. But they didnt name him. Yesterday, we officially asked the police to identify him to us. But following heir confirmation that an arrest had been made, they said could not comment further given the suspect is due to appear in court early next month. And there is form in this. At one stage, the Public Prosecution Service considered appealing the leniency of Hydes sentence amid allegations that he did not tell the full truth in his dealings with the authorities here. It didnt proceed. The 42-year-old lifted in Sheffield is now facing in Craigavon court next month fraud by false misrepresentation and the link our sources are making to Neil Hyde may stand up. Meantime, in our quest for justice for Martin, this newspaper is still being kept in the dark. Cover-ups or censorship or broken promises from police and politicians wont stop us. And finally, what is the point in not releasing the name of the 42-year-old arrested in Sheffield now, when he is going to be named in court anyway? What is there to hide? Logan Murphy (6) was not assessed by a doctor for over five hours after arrival despite a GP noting the referral as urgent A mother has said that no parent should have to bury their child after an inquest heard her six-year-old son suffered a fatal cardiac arrest just 24 hours after he was admitted to a hospital complaining of abdominal pain. Logan Murphy (6) was not assessed by a doctor for over five hours after arrival at Cork University Hospital, despite a GP noting the referral as urgent. Logans family, from Macroom, Co Cork, said he would have had a nicer death if he had stayed at home rather than attend the hospital. A verdict of death by natural causes was returned by Cork Coroner Philip Comyn. Mr Comyn found that Logan died last August 13 in Cork University Hospital (CUH) from myocarditis, or a severe viral infection, which attacked his heart muscle. This is a very difficult and tragic case, Mr Comyn said. Logans parents, Patrick and Lei Murphy, attended the inquest and were represented by Niamh OBrien solicitor, Esther Earley BL and Richard Kean SC. The legal team for the Murphy family had called for a verdict of medical misadventure and a recommendation that hospital staff take greater cognisance of parental concerns. Logan Murphy Mr Comyn said he believed a verdict of medical misadventure could not be returned against a hospital in this jurisdiction over simple inaction by medical personnel. He said such a verdict required a positive action, unlike in the UK, where simple inaction allowed for such a verdict. Barrister Mr Kean argued that such a position on medical misadventure was absurd. Mr Comyn said the matter may need to be clarified by a superior court. A verdict of medical misadventure was recorded in the case of Clare teen Aoife Johnston who died of sepsis after failing to receive potentially life-saving treatment in time in University Hospital Limerick (UHL). Mr and Ms Murphy, speaking after the inquest yesterday, said they were very disappointed by the verdict and vowed to take the matter further. We will do everything in our power to see justice done for Logan, Ms Murphy said. She wept as she said she repeatedly pleaded for help for her son in CUH as she watched him deteriorate. Why didnt they listen to a mothers instinct? Why did a healthy young boy die in 24 hours? No one should have to bury their six-year-old child, she said. Cork University Hospital, where six-year-old Logan Murphy died I remember his last words: I cannot take any more, Mummy. I kept crying and crying. I thought my whole world was collapsing, she added. Mr Murphy said Logan was so ill that he had to carry him into the GPs surgery on the afternoon of August 12. When it comes to Logans treatment, I believe the only doctor who showed concern was the GP, Mr Murphy said. I want to ask why no action was taken when Logans condition was deteriorating, and he was sent back to the ward. He said it is an insult to me to say they treated him. That is not treating him. If we stayed at home and he had no doctor, he would have had a nicer death, he said. You would have to be blind not to see it [how ill Logan was]. Mr Murphy said he was told Logan had nothing seriously wrong with him at 2am on August 13, and he went home to look after their other child. Mr Murphy said a photograph of Logan was sent to him at 10.58am and he was alarmed for his son. He went from that to dead thats all I can say, he added. Logan was admitted to the emergency department at 6pm on August 12, but was not seen by a doctor until 11pm, the inquest heard. It was initially suspected he had appendicitis. Later, when he was referred from the emergency department to the CUH surgical team, the possible diagnosis switched to mesenteric adenitis, a form of stomach pain usually caused by a viral gastric infection or possibly a twisted bowel. Logan was sent to a paediatric ward at 3am. However, he became acutely unwell and suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after 3pm on August 13 after collapsing on the ward. Logan Murphy died at University Hospital Cork less than a day after arriving at the emergency department with stomach pains Assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest that Logan died from myocarditis, which was very difficult to diagnose. It was only detected when Dr Bolster took multiple samples and cultures following his death. Surgical consultant Ahmed Haidaran said Logan was referred to the surgical team from the emergency department after midnight. He was assessed and given a bed at around 4am. I started my round at 8am and the first patient I saw was Logan. I took the medical history from Logan as he was able to communicate with me, Dr Haidaran said. He gave me the history very well he was communicating very well, he added. Logan said his abdominal pain was nine out of 10 on the pain scale and he had complained of abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. It was a stable picture all the day. Logans vital signs were normal apart from an increase in his heart rate (but within normal range). His blood pressure and respiratory rate were normal during the day, the consultant said. Patrick and Lei Murphy A chest-pain complaint was assessed by another doctor. The patient pointed towards the abdomen, Dr Haidaran said. Medical notes indicated that it felt like an asthma attack. At 9.54am, an ultrasound was conducted on Logan, but the test was inconclusive and a CT scan was booked. Mr Haidaran was the only consultant to see Logan throughout his stay at CUH. He said he was very concerned for the child and was waiting by his computer for the ultrasound result. I was pushing for this report. I prioritised him and asked for an urgent result. I was pushing for that myself. I am concerned and I want the earliest possible diagnosis, he said. The most serious surgical diagnosis was a complex abdominal problem. I was very urgent in my management. Unfortunately I was not able to finish my investigation. I was waiting for the CT scan. Logans vitals were borderline at 8am, but Dr Haidaran said it was alarming after 11am on August 13. Very sadly, I received a call from my intern around 3.30pm that Logan had suffered a cardiac arrest, he said. I immediately went to the ward. All the measures were done to save Logan. Unfortunately there was no response. Resuscitation continued for more than an hour and was stopped at 4.38pm. Dr Haidaran noted that the post-mortem report found Logan had died from myocarditis. Supportive medications such as paracetamol and Ibuprofen had been given to the little boy. Dr Haidaran said no antibiotics were prescribed, as such medicines would not have been appropriate at the time. I cannot start treatment for a patient without a diagnosis. If you want to treat a patient you need a diagnosis, he said. I just had a suspicion this might be a viral infection. Definitely we need to rule out any possible surgical cause for any abdominal pain. After ruling out this we have to think about the other possibilities. Dr Haidaran denied that red flags were missed as to Logans real condition. We did the best we can for him supporting therapy and waiting for the results of tests. He is six years old we need to be precise in our management, he said. I did not misdiagnose. I was working on my investigation according to the protocols and the HSE guidelines. Unfortunately, we could not finish our investigation. There were no symptoms [of myocarditis]. We had to rule out the possible surgical problem as a priority. I did not receive any information about chest pains. Consultant in emergency medicine, Finn Coulter, said the rapid onset of the viral infection in the little boys heart was shocking. The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate Emergency services declared a major incident yesterday evening as dozens of firefighters tackled a blaze in Co Down. The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said it was mobilised at 5pm yesterday to significant wildfire on Sandbank Road in Hilltown. It said there was a fire front of approximately two miles including a large area of forestry close to property. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content At the height of operations, 15 fire appliances and over 100 firefighters worked together with partner agencies, in difficult conditions and high winds throughout the night to bring the large wildfire under control. As a precaution a number of residents were evacuated from their homes on the Sandbank and Kilbroney roads, while the fire was brought under control. Locals residents had been asked to avoid the area to help support firefighting operations. Road closures were in place on the main Hilltown to Rostrevor road and the Sandbank Road due to the fire, but these have now reopened. A view of the wildfires At 3am, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service began reducing resources at the wildfire incident. Chief Fire & Rescue officer Aidan Jennings said this morning: Since midnight on 3rd April 2025 to midnight on 5th April 2025 NIFRS have received a total of 741 calls into our Regional Control Centre. An Amber warning remains in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland. NIFRS are asking the public to remain particularly vigilant to the risk of fire at this time. We can reassure members of the public that normal service delivery is being maintained. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our firefighters, control room operators and support staff who have worked tirelessly in recent days to ensure the safety of our community across Northern Ireland. CANBERRA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Australia's opposition party has announced it will further cut the country's international student intake if it wins power in the country's general election. Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Coalition and Australia's alternative prime minister, on Sunday announced that the party will introduce a flat 25 percent cap on foreign student enrolments at the country's universities in a bid to ease the housing crisis if it wins the May 3 election. Under the policy, the number of international students at Australian universities would be reduced to about 240,000 from 2026, down from a high of 320,000 in 2023. The governing Labor Party in 2024 moved to cap international student numbers at 270,000 from 2025 but failed to pass its legislation through the parliament. Dutton also said on Sunday that a Coalition government would raise the student visa application fee to 5,000 Australian dollars (3,021 U.S. dollars) for the Group of Eight (Go8), an organization comprising eight elite universities, and to 2,500 Australian dollars for other institutions. A new fee of 2,500 Australian dollars would also be introduced for students who want to change education providers. Labor in 2024 increased the international student visa application fee from 710 Australian dollars to 1,600 Australian dollars. Dutton told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday that the Go8 has "made a lot of money" in the international student market but that it has been "distortionary" to the housing market. "We're cutting migration because we want to put Australians first," he said. Responding to the policy, Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson described blaming international students for the housing crisis as a "flawed policy." She said in a statement that raising visa application fees would reinforce "negative and damaging messages" sent by Australia to the international education market in recent years and that doing so "makes no sense on any level." "Targeting international education will have damaging consequences across the economy. We can and we must do better," Thomson said. Luke Sheehy, chief executive of industry body Universities Australia, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television that both sides of politics have been in a bidding war to "take a sledgehammer" to the country's international education industry. According to the Department of Education, international education was worth 51 billion Australian dollars to the economy in 2023-24, making it Australia's fourth-most valuable export behind iron ore, coal and natural gas. Making his own major policy announcement on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged that a re-elected Labor government would spend 2.3 billion Australian dollars subsidizing 30 percent discounts for home battery installations. Albanese told a Labor Party event in Brisbane that one-third of Australian households have rooftop solar systems but only one in every 40 have batteries. The government estimates that 1 million new batteries will be installed by 2030 under the policy. Albanese said that the discount would reduce the cost of a typical household battery installation by 4,000 Australian dollars and reduce the average annual electricity bill by 1,100 Australian dollars. (1 Australian dollar equals 0.61 U.S. dollars) The Assemblys Education Committee, which is examining the cost of uniforms, heard the issue had been raised during consultations on legislation School uniform legislation is due before the Assembly later this year Girls want to wear trousers as part of their school uniforms because boys keep pulling their skirts up, MLAs have been told. The Assemblys Education Committee, which is examining the cost of uniforms, heard the issue had been raised during consultations on legislation. Deputy chair Pat Sheehan said: It appears there are quite a number of schools that do not allow girls to wear trousers, which, in this day and age, is wrong. One of the complaints that we hear from girls, particularly in co-ed schools, or even outside school, is about boys running past them and pulling their skirts up. Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan The Sinn Fein West Belfast MLA agreed with his party colleague Danny Baker that the issue should be included in a bill due before the Assembly later this year. Mr Baker said a report from consultations referred to high levels of misogyny in our schools and the need for guidance allowing all children to have one uniform, including the wearing of trousers for girls. The West Belfast MLA continued: Pupils were talking about the fact that the girls had to wear a white PE top, and the boys had to wear a black one, and about how uncomfortable that made them feel. What can be done in the bill so that we ensure that that is not the case? But Margaret Rose McNaughton, the Department of Educations director of transport and food in schools, said: It is best that we leave it to schools to design their uniform and decide with the children parents what that uniform should look like. It is not for the department to dictate to a school that it must have x, y or z. The children and young people should talk about what is more comfortable for them. The committee heard the average secondary school uniform cost anywhere between 177 and 378 per child. The aim is to bring the average down to 170. Ms McNaughton said: We know that there are really good schools that have managed to bring their costs right down even below 170. The Education and Training Inspectorate has been asked to provide some studies for us, which it is completing. I do not want to mention any particular school at the moment, but obviously those case studies will show how those schools have managed to do that. They have done it in a variety of ways. Many schools will welcome that and welcome the opportunity to try to do the same. There has been really good work done across some schools. Just as recently as before Christmas, I was at a school that, for the first time in a long time for the first time ever, probably has now allowed parents to go to supermarkets to buy the generic black and grey trousers. Mr Baker asked: Will the legislation make that a reality? Ms McNaughton replied: We certainly hope that it will, yes. Foul play as official who umpired at All-Ireland final fights off pair of thugs who set upon him at shop after asking for 100 Cathal Forbes, right, as an umpire at the 2022 All-Ireland final in Croke Park The soaking wet thugs are sent packing by Forbes, staff members and members of the public Cathal Forbes (pictured here in the orange jacket) is approached by the thug in the blue hoodie (left) before the scuffle broke out This is the shocking moment when a GAA ref who umpired the All-Ireland final last year was set-upon by two thugs outside his own shop. Referee Cathal Forbes was an umpire at Croke Park last summer when Armagh beat Galway and was also an umpire back in 2022 when Kerry beat the same opponent. But the experienced referee was viciously attacked outside one of his shops in the east Tyrone town on the shores of Lough Neagh last week. Mr Forbes who has also refereed hundreds of senior county club games in Tyrone as referee of his local club Ardboe ODonovan Rossa GAC gave the men the red card after they appeared in one of his shops claiming they were owed money. The soaking wet thugs are sent packing by Forbes, staff members and members of the public . . The men one who were recently released from prison are understood to have presented a voucher on his mobile phone purporting to be from the Prison Service and said it meant the shop had to give them around 100 (118). On Friday night, the police confirmed they were investigating and had arrested a 29-year-old man. In the 25-second video clip received by the Sunday World, Mr Forbes is seen walking backwards towards his shop after seemingly talking to two men. The men had apparently been in his shop and claimed they were owed money showing staff a text message which they claimed proved they were entitled to the cash. One of the men, whos wearing a blue coat with the hood hiding his face, blue tracksuit bottoms and trainers, runs at Mr Forbes and starts punching him pushing him into a display of plants outside. The second male wearing blue jeans and a black and grey top then appears from off camera running over to join in the attack on Mr Forbes. The two males swing wild punches at the GAA ref and get him to the ground where they continue to attack him. Thankfully, members of the public come to the aid of Mr Forbes or else the attack could have been even more serious. Cathal Forbes, right, as an umpire at the 2022 All-Ireland final in Croke Park Incredibly, a brave female employee at the shop appears with a soaking wet mop and uses it to fend off one of the attackers soaking him as Mr Forbes grabs onto his assailants trousers as the attacker now seems desperate to get away with the second male having already fled. The Sunday World asked Cathal Forbes for a comment but he did not respond to our request. An eyewitness told us: It was like something you would see on a GAA pitch alright something Cathal would be more used to breaking up, but it was completely shocking. I had no idea what it was all about these two men just ran at Cathal and started punching him they were giving him a right going over but hes a big lad and he did his best to defend himself. I only heard afterwards the boys had walked in with this voucher on their phone which was supposed to be from the Prison Service and they claimed the shop had to pay out about 100. Im not sure but I heard Cathal wasnt there when they first arrived in his shop I heard he was in his other shop, in Brockagh, when the girls in the shop had to call him because these two fellas were giving the staff a hard time and being aggressive. He came down and just asked them to leave. He saw them out to their car apparently and they left but they came straight back and thats when they attacked him. I just heard all the shouting and saw the fight but it was over pretty quick. One of them got a good soaking from one of the girls who had a mop in her hand which she was jabbing into him. It wasnt nice to see and everyone knows Cathal well. He has two shops and he sponsors the local GAA club. Its a tight community and we tend to stick together! Police confirmed last night they had arrested one man and were looking for more information from anyone who may have witnessed the shocking attack as they searched for the second assailant. Police investigating a recent assault in Ardboe have arrested a man, said a spokesperson for the Police Service of Northen Ireland. Inspector Long said: We received a report on Tuesday, 25th March at approximately 4.55pm that a staff member had been assaulted at a shop in the Mullanahoe Road area. A short time earlier, two men had entered the shop and demanded money to be withdrawn after they showed staff members a text message that they were entitled to a sum of cash. When the request was not facilitated, both men became verbally abusive towards the staff member who asked them to leave. Both men left in a Ford Mondeo, which returned a short time later at speed into the forecourt of the shop. One of the men ran at the same staff member and punched him to his head causing him to fall to the ground. The second suspect also joined in on the assault punching the victim several times. They left the scene, colliding with another vehicle and headed in the direction of Drumenny Road. A 29-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of common assault and driving-related offences in connection with the investigation. He was later released on bail to allow for further inquiries. We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area and noticed the altercation. We would also like to hear from anyone who may have any relevant dash-cam, CCTV or other video footage of the area during this time. Please call us on our non-emergency 101 number quoting reference number 1269 25/03/25. Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org. Sisters Rooney and Kate on Dublin set of their new film Heres the first pictures of Hollywood sisters Rooney and Kate Mara shooting their new movie in Ireland. The American siblings play sex-crazed twins in Bucking Fastard, a new movie from the acclaimed veteran German director, Werner Herzog. Theyre pictured here shooting scenes for the film while wearing 1980s style clothes while walking down Dublins pedestrianised Capel street, this weekend having earlier visited a shop that specialises in wool. Rooney and Kate pose for a selfie on the Capel St set The pair play identical twins, and are pictured here looking grim while wearing their hair down long, sporting the same long green coats, cheque skirts, red tops, red boots and clutching matching multicoloured handbags. Insiders reveal they will be spending the next two weeks in the capital, with Rooney set to celebrate her 40th birthday on April 17 in Ireland. Filming has been taking place in Naas, Co Kildare, as well as at the Pigeon House film studios in Dublins docklands and elsewhere in the capital. Some scenes will also be shot in Slovenia. The pair play twins Joan and Jean The movie is the first major film the sisters have worked on together, although in the video Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, Kate was the star Samantha Owens while Rooney played Classroom Girl. The script Bucking Fastard is written by Herzog and tells the true story of inseparable twin sisters Joan and Jean who live on the fringes of society. I want to make a feature film about the twins Freda and Greta Chaplin, Herzog said in his recent book Every Man for Himself and God Against All: A Memoir. Rooney and Kate Mara are shooting a movie in Dublin In 1981 they had a short run in the British red tops, or tabloid newspapers, and were famous for a few weeks for being the sex-crazed twins who were so infatuated with their neighbour, a lorry driver, that he took them to court and had a restraining order taken out against them. Their story is unique. They are the only identical twins we know of who speak synchronously. Rooney is a two-time Golden Globe and Bafta winner and has spoken in the past about her love for Ireland, where she previously filmed the Jim Sheridan directed The Secret Scripture. In 2018, Rooney said in an interview she wished come back to Ireland soon as the tight shoot for The Secret Scripture did not allow any time to visit her maternal ancestral home in Co. Down. I felt completely at home in Ireland. Except that the Irish accent was hard to master. Doing it was terrifying. Especially being on set with real Irish people, she said back then. A new initiative in Katikati is focused on boosting businesses and expanding the job market. The Focus Katikati Trust aims to grow businesses and job numbers by creating sector clusters to attract and retain people in the region. A meeting was held last month to discuss the new trust and introduce the project. The trust invited Cluster Navigators chief executive and founder Ifor Ffowcs-Williams to talk about the benefit of cluster developments. Cluster Navigators has developed economic cluster groups in more than 50 countries. Local interest Trust chairman John Clements said the meeting stirred interest among entrepreneurs and, based on conversations afterwards, attendees saw the potential. He said there was a significant number of businesses with potential in the area, as highlighted by last years Western Bay Museums Food Bowl of Plenty exhibition. While Katikati has a vigorous horticulture sector, especially in avocado and kiwifruit, many locals have expressed concern that there is not the range of jobs to hold young people and the census statistics supports that. A sure sign of an underperforming region is the record export of skilled people, he said. Katikati faces this challenge retaining and attracting younger high-skilled people. Growing a greater variety of jobs in the economy was also important as, despite Katikati having a strong social network, the town needs to retain people to be the next generation for social and community organisations, he said. The idea behind business clusters is to pull together similar industries and companies to help them work together and support each other. New Zealand clusters include Wellywood, Agritech NZ, Aerospace NZ, blue economy cluster Moananui, engineering cluster Engage South and Ceda in Manawatu. The next steps are mapping out similar sector businesses who wish to collaborate and strategise to grow. For more information contact Clements on 021 717 025. One lucky player from Mangawhai will be in for a treat after winning $1 million with Strike Four in Saturday nights live Lotto draw. The winning ticket was sold at Four Square Molesworth in Mangawhai. Powerball was not struck on Saturday evening and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $10 million. Lotto First Division will be $1 million on Wednesday night. Six Lotto players win Second Division Six lucky Lotto players will be living the dream after each winning $45,083 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw. One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $62,752. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold on MyLotto to a player from Auckland. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores: Store Location MyLotto (+PB) Auckland MyLotto Whakatane Four Square Taradale Napier New World Centre City Dunedin MyLotto Gore MyLotto Invercargill Anyone who bought their ticket from Four Square Molesworth should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App. Lotto NZ exists to return 100% of its profits to Kiwi communities through lottery grants programmes run by Te Puna Tahua NZ Lottery Grants Board. Jennie Rhodes Marbella Friday, 4 April 2025 | Updated 06/04/2025 08:10h. Compartir The province of Malaga alone has more than 40,000 British residents and many more are homeowners and live here part of the year, or have recently moved to the Costa del Sol and are looking for advice and support on how to ensure that they comply with residency, tax and visa rules as well as having the right insurance. British consular services in Spain help British residents and tourists who need assistance and an important part of their work is to inform British nationals on how to avoid problems while they are in Spain. The UK officially left the EU five years ago, which led to changes in some of the rights and obligations of British residents here. On Friday 4 April SUR in English, in collaboration with British consular services and Marbella town hall, held an informative event at the Palacio de Congresos fair and conference centre in Marbella during which these issues were addressed. Josele Lucy Gorman, consular regional operations manager for Spain and Andorra, and Malaga vice-consul Miram Perez addressed a range of issues affecting established, new and future British residents in Spain, from residence permits to welfare. They were accompanied by Jonathan Sutton (Spanish 'abogado' lawyer and partner Decotta Law), Diana Lise Perez Buck (department of institutional relations and sustainability Allianz Insurance), Bryan Wawman (CEO Castle Rock International Law & Investments) and Pablo Espejo Vergara (partner in Andalucia Martinez Echevarria) to address legal matters and questions related to insurance and residency, among many others. Crucial expertise SUR in English editor, Rachel Haynes, welcomed the panel members and audience members before handing over to Remedios Bocanegra, adviser in charge of the Foreigners' Department at Marbella town hall, who thanked Lucy Gorman and her team, saying that their expertise is crucial in ensuring Brits can adapt to life here with highest level of security and confidence". She also thanked SUR in English for organising the event. I wish you all a useful and productive session," Bocanegra concluded. Rachel introduced Lucy Gorman who started by explaining that there are eight British consulate teams in Spain; in Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza, Tenerife and Las Palmas who provide assistance to British nationals living or visiting the country. Key areas of work include providing support and advice on what to do if a family member passes away while here, offering support and advice if a Briton is involved in a road traffic accident and requires hospitalisation with complex needs, cases of domestic violence, assault and welfare matters. They also work closely with Spanish authorities through major incidents including natural disasters. A major focus of their work this year is related to the ETA system for non-UK citizens travelling to the country which was introduced on 2 April and the EEA (Entrance and Exit System) which will apply to UK nationals visiting Spain who do not have legal residency documents. A key message from the British Embassy in Madrid is a plea to all British nationals who are resident in Spain but who do not yet have a TIE to apply for one as soon as possible as this will cause problems when leaving and entering Spain once the EES is introduced in autumn this year. Case study Miriam Perez Martin, Vice-Consul at the British Consulate in Malaga, which covers Andalucia, Melilla and Ceuta, explained that her team can provide tailored assistance depending on consent and vulnerability but pointed out that they cannot help people without their explicit consent. Sometimes the person doesnt want to be helped, she added. But stressed that consular officers will explain the steps and what we can and cannot do in different situations. She went on to describe a case study of an elderly lady who has lived in a rural area of Malaga province for 20 years but was not registered on the town halls Padron (register). The ladys husband had died 10 years beforehand and now the lady had aged and was becoming increasingly frail and vulnerable. Perez Martin explained how the consulate can step in and help, ensuring that both the relevant Spanish and UK authorities are made aware of the situation and that "Mrs Jones" received the help and support she needed. The key messages from the case study, the vice-consul pointed out, are to register on the Padron, have legal residency in Spain to be able to access Spanish public services, the importance of keeping UK governmental departments such as Work and Pensions (the DWP) and the Department of Health up to date. The language barrier and understanding, or having a team of experts who understand Spanish bureaucracy for you. We are able to signpost people to accountants, lawyers etc. We can help people. We also help Spanish professionals to understand the needs of British people, she concluded. Panel discussion Lucy Gorman was then joined by Jonathan Sutton (Spanish 'abogado' lawyer and partner De Cotta Law), Diana Lise Perez Buck (department of institutional relations and sustainability Allianz Insurance), Bryan Wawman (CEO Castle Rock International Law & Investments) and Pablo Espejo Vergara (partner in Andalucia Martinez Echevarria) for a panel discussion chaired by Rachel Haynes. The first question the panel addressed was: what are the most common things that UK nationals living, or thinking about living in Spain, should be doing to plan for the future? Diana Lise Perez Buck from Allianz replied, We have a motto, we secure your future and explained that the firm advises people to check their insurance policies to make sure they are still appropriate as peoples situations change. Do an audit of your insurance coverage, she advised. Jonathan Sutton from De Cotta Law said that there isnt one particular thing he would advise, but a range. We get involved from the beginning with people when they are buying a house. You cant just move here and buy a house. Its surprising how many people are unaware about things like residency, he said and added that the company provides a check list for people moving here that includes things like registering on the Padron, making a will, registering with the tax office etc. Pablo Espejo Vergara from Martinez Echevarria advised British nationals to think about which countrys law they want to be applicable to their will and to get legal advice about the assets they have both in Spain and the UK. Its easy to do with a lawyer, he stressed. Lucy Gorman reiterated the importance of getting the basics right, i.e residency, TIE and having a valid British passport: Even if youre not planning on travelling it is actually really important to keep it valid as it can help to access services you are entitled to in Spain, she explained. Bryan Wawman, CEO of Castle Rock International Law & Investments, explained the importance of knowing about releasing equity from properties in order to enjoy retirement on the Costa del Sol. Post-Brexit Spain The panel then moved on to the post-Brexit world and how the situation has changed for Brits who have lived in Spain for a long time, those who have moved here since Brexit and anyone who is still considering the move. Pablo Espejo Vergara pointed out that the status of UK citizens has changed and that although they now need a visa to live and work here, there are different types of visas depending on finances, including work, golden, non-lucrative, student and digital nomad. Jonathan Sutton said that there are many people who still havent registered, despite having lived in Spain a long time. Anyone in that position should get together all the documentation they have. Even bank statements that show visits to supermarkets can prove you have been living here since December 2020, he said. Diana Lise Perez Buck advised setting up a network of trusted advisors, people who really understand you and speak your language. She said that at Allianz there are experts who are also expats who are able to bridge the two realities and provide information on policies and products in English. Lucy Gorman stressed the importance of trying to learn some Spanish: We see a lot of British people who speak none or very little and we see people who become vulnerable due to the language barrier. Its really fundamental, sign up to some classes, it will help in the long run, she said, adding We are in Spain. Conclusions Summing up the messages from the panel discussion, Bryan Wawman said, We can turn around a lot of peoples lives. Enjoy life in the sun. The key message from Diana Lise Perez Buck was to check on your insurance situation, while Jonathan Sutton said, Dont put things off: the Padron, residency, driving licence - get it done and tick it off as youre doing it. Pablo Espejo Vergara concluded that from December 2020 to autumn 2025 Britons in Spain are facing reality and a fundamental shift post Brexit. However, his advice was, Make sure you get proper advice from a pro. Stay organised and calm. There was an opportunity for members of the audience to ask the panel members questions before Rachel thanked the panel members, Marbella town hall, and the British Consulate, before ending the session. MACAO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- An environmental cleanup campaign of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was launched Saturday afternoon, marking the start of a two-month initiative to promote environmental hygiene and pest control across the city. Representatives from the SAR's Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), Health Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, and other departments and associations attended the ceremony at the Iao Hon Market Park. Chao Wai Ieng, chairman of the Administration Committee on Municipal Affairs of IAM, noted in his speech that the SAR government highly values the city's appearance and hygiene. Chao added that this campaign reflects the collaborative effort to clean their surroundings and instill a stronger sense of environmental responsibility among residents and businesses. After the ceremony, official and volunteer teams fanned out into nearby neighborhoods and leisure areas, carrying out cleaning operations and distributing educational leaflets to the public. Functional departments also visited food establishments, urging operators to strengthen solid waste treatment and adopt pest prevention measures. The campaign runs from April through May, with random spot checks and roving picture exhibitions in communities. Syracuse, N.Y. A huge wildfire that burned last month near dozens of homes and the Syracuse Zoo was started by a person, a fire official says. It could be someone started the fire on purpose or that it was accidental, according to Capt. Phillip Vogt, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Fire Department. Somebody did something to start this fire, Vogt said. But who, how or why? Investigators have been unable to answer those questions about the March 19 fire, which started in an open field near a drainage basin off Grand Avenue near Holden Street. They do know this, according to Vogt: It wasnt a lightning strike, nor an electrical spark. The fire, which caused 30-foot-tall flames and came within about 150 feet of the closest home, wasnt caused by light reflection on a window, he said, giving another example. At this point, the fire investigation is closed, Vogt confirmed last week. Syracuse police are not moving forward with a criminal investigation, said Kieran Coffey, a police department spokesperson. When firefighters arrived around 6:57 p.m. that day, large clouds of black smoke hovered over the field. Earlier that day, a red flag warning was issued in parts of Upstate New York and southern Onondaga County. Dry brush and shrubbery plus gusting winds and blowing embers fueled the fire, challenging firefighters efforts. At one point, a tree on the opposite side of Grand Avenue -- the side where the zoo is -- caught fire. It was quickly extinguished. The larger fire took more than two hours to put out the fire. It burned about four to five acres. There were no injuries to firefighters or residents. The fire investigator determined how the fire started. But what was used to cause the fire is undetermined, Vogt said. They cant specifically say, like, somebody threw a Molotov cocktail, he said. But he also cant say that somebody flicked a cigarette butt on the ground. He just knows that because of what was found that there was some sort of human involvement, but he cant say the intent behind it. Syracuse.com staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at tcobb@syracuse.com. In this April 18, 2024, file photo, Bruce Springsteen holds a guitar as he performs with the E Street Band at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N..Y. (Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com) Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com A rock legend is unearthing some new treasures from the vault. Bruce Springsteen announced Tracks II: The Lost Albums, a box set featuring previously unreleased music recorded between 1983 and 2018. More than 80 songs are featured, including unheard gems from L.A. Garage Sessions 83, recorded before his iconic Born in the U.S.A. album; works from the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions; home recordings; and experimentation with other genres, including country, orchestra-driven and film compositions. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse Fashion week was capped off with Underground Show on Saturday night. The event was held at the ELITE Gaming Arena. The always popular body painting segement focused on video games, with Tetris and Pac-Man being featured. Twenty-four models in total walked the runway all in an effort in part to raise money for the Food Bank of Central NY. Josh Emmett celebrates his KO against Michael Johnson after their mixed martial arts bout at UFC Fight Night, Saturday, March 30, 2019, in Philadelphia. Emmett won via 3rd round KO. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan) AP The UFC will air live on cable Saturday, with the event taking place at its home base UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Grizzled veteran Josh Emmett looks to get back into the featherweight title discussion against undefeated Lerone Murphy. Watch: UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy will air on ESPN, and can be streamed on DirecTV Stream (free trial). Heres what you need to know: What: UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy Who: Josh Emmett (19-4) vs. Lerone Murphy (15-0-1) When: Saturday, April 5, 2025 Time: Main card starts 9 p.m. ET, Prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET Where: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada TV: ESPN, ESPNU Stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial), fuboTV (free trial), ESPN+ Can I bet on the fights? Yes, you can bet on UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy from your phone in New York State, and weve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more. Lerone Murphy is a -330 favorite to beat Josh Emmett on FanDuel. Heres a recent UFC story from the Associated Press: NEW YORK (AP) UFC is joining up with Facebooks parent company Meta in a deal that will bring mixed martial arts to more fans around the world. The companies said Wednesday that their multiyear partnership will give UFC the ability to use Metas technology platforms, services, and products, including Meta AI, Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, so that UFC fans have more ways to view its content. Meta and UFC, whose parent company is TKO Group, said they will work together to incorporate Metas AI glasses into UFC events. Meta has the greatest minds in tech and they are going to take fan engagement to the next level, UFC President and CEO Dana White said in a statement. White mentioned that Meta is already working on some innovations for a new fighter rankings system. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, will also see the Meta brand appear in UFCs Octagon, as well as across numerous broadcasts. Metas social media platform Threads will feature exclusive original UFC content. I love this sport and Im looking forward to working with the UFC to let fans experience it in new ways, Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. Zuckerberg is trained in mixed martial arts and posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament in 2023. That same year, there were talks of him and Tesla CEO Elon Musk squaring off in a cage match, but the event never happened. Zuckerberg and White are no strangers to each other, with White joining Metas board of directors in January. Both Zuckerberg and White are among the many high profile business figures within the orbit of President Donald Trump. After Trump won reelection in November, Zuckerberg dined at the president-elects Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and Meta donated $1 million to Trumps inauguration fund. Other Big Tech companies such as Amazon have donated similar amounts. Trump is a longtime UFC fan and frequent attendee of major fights. His ties with White date back to 2001, when White hosted a UFC at the Republicans former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Trump Taj Mahal. Trump has also appeared with White at UFC matches over the years, especially in his 2024 campaign as part of efforts to appeal to younger male voters. White has had speaking roles at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican conventions and appeared on stage at Trumps election victory party in November. Shares of Meta Platforms Inc. rose slightly in midday trading, while shares of TKO Group Holdings Inc. climbed more than 2%. What is DirecTV Stream? DirecTV Stream is a comprehensive internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. Its the only choice for fans who want full access to local, televised sports. DirecTV Choice includes 125+ channels, unlimited DVR storage and thousands of on-demand titles. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., joined by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the GOP whip, left, talks to reporters at the Capitol, in Washington, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Republicans plugged away overnight and into early Saturday morning to approve their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts framework, hurtling past Democratic opposition toward what President Donald Trump calls the big, beautiful bill thats central to his agenda. The vote, 51-48, fell along mostly party lines, but with sharp dissent from two prominent Republicans. It could not have come at a more difficult political moment, with the economy churning after Trumps new tariffs sent stocks plummeting and experts warning of soaring costs for consumers and threats of a potential recession. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky both voted against the measure. But with a nod from Trump, GOP leaders held on. Approval paves the way for Republicans in the months ahead to try to power a tax cut bill through both chambers of Congress over the objections of Democrats, just as they did in Trumps first term with unified party control in Washington. Let the voting begin, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Friday night. Democrats were intent on making the effort as politically painful as possible, with action on some two dozen amendments to the package that GOP senators will have to defend before next years midterm elections. Among them were proposals to ban tax breaks for the super-wealthy, end Trumps tariffs, clip his efforts to shrink the federal government, and protect Medicaid, Social Security and other services. One, in response to the Trump national security teams use of Signal, sought to prohibit military officials from using any commercial messaging application to transmit war plans. They all failed, though a GOP amendment to protect Medicare and Medicaid was accepted. Democrats accused Republicans of laying the groundwork for cutting key safety net programs to help pay for more than $5 trillion tax cuts they say disproportionately benefit the rich. Trumps policies are a disaster, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as is Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency, he added. Republicans could snuff it out tonight, if they wanted. The Republicans framed their work as preventing a tax increase for most American families, arguing that unless Congress acts, the individual and estate tax cuts that GOP lawmakers passed in 2017 will expire at the end of this year. The Senate package pulls in other GOP priorities, including $175 billion to bolster Trumps mass deportation effort, which is running short of cash, and an additional $175 billion for the Pentagon to build up the military, from an earlier budget effort. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 ranking Republican, said voters gave his party a mission in November, and the Senates budget plan delivers. It fulfills our promises to secure the border, to rebuild our economy and to restore peace through strength, Barrasso said. The framework now goes to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could bring it up for a vote as soon as next week as he works toward a final product by Memorial Day. The House and Senate need to resolve their differences. The Houses version has $4.5 trillion in tax breaks over 10 years and some $2 trillion in budget cuts, and pointed at changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other programs. Some House Republicans have panned the Senates approach. Republican senators used their majority to swat back Democratic amendments, often in rambunctious voice votes. Among the more than two dozen amendments offered were several to protect safety net programs. Several Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, joined Democrats in voting to preserve some of those programs, particularly regarding health care. Collins opposed the entire package in a warning against steep Medicaid cuts. Collins said the potential reductions for that health program in the House bill would be very detrimental to a lot of families and disabled individuals and seniors in my state. Paul questioned the math being used by his colleagues that he said would pile on the debt load. Somethings fishy, he said. One Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, expressed his own misgivings about tax breaks adding to the federal deficits and said he has assurances that Trump officials would seek the cuts elsewhere. This vote isnt taking place in a vacuum, he said, a nod to the turmoil over Trumps tariffs. One crucial challenge ahead will be for the House to accept the way the Senates budget plan allows for extending the tax cuts under a scoring method that treats them as not adding to future deficits, something many House Republicans reject. A new estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation projects the tax breaks will add $5.5 trillion over the next decade when including interest, and $4.6 trillion not including interest. On top of that, the senators added an additional $1.5 trillion that would allow some of Trumps campaign promises, such as no taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and overtime, swelling the overall the price tag to $7 trillion. Republicans are also looking to increase the $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, something that lawmakers from states such as New York, California and New Jersey say is necessary for their support. The House and Senate are also at odds over increasing the debt limit to allow more borrowing. The House had boosted the debt limit by $4 trillion in its plan, but the Senate upped it to $5 trillion to push any further votes on the matter until after next years midterm elections. The Senate calls for just $4 billion in spending cuts, but GOP leadership emphasizes thats a low floor and that committees will be on the hunt for far more. Already, the GOP leaders are confronting concerns from fiscal hawks who want trillions of dollars in spending cuts to help pay for the tax breaks. At the same time, dozens of lawmakers in swing districts and states are worried about what those cuts will mean for their constituents, and for their reelection chances. The GOP leadership has encouraged members to just get a budget plan over the finish line, saying they have time to work out the tough questions of which tax breaks and spending cuts to include. Extending the the 2017 breaks would cut taxes for about three-quarters of households but raise them for about 10%. In 2027, about 45% of the benefit of all the tax cuts would go to those making roughly $450,000 or more, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, which analyzes tax issues. By Lisa Mascaro, Leah Askarinam and Kevin Freking of the Associated Press. nec2152 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Pune Posts: 55 Thanked: 184 Times Re: Mumbai - Pune - Kolhapur - Goa : Route Queries Route update: Did a drive from Pune to Devbag, onward to Goa at the end of March 2025. Came back from Utorda, Goa to Pune on 4th April. The new Thar Roxx did great. Onward journey on 29/3/2025: Pune to Karad via NH48, then State highway via Anuskura Ghat, Malkapur, emerged on NH66 around Rajapur. Drove on NH66 till Kasal and diverted towards Devbag, MH. Took a halt for the night in Devbag. Drove to South Goa the next day via NH66. Road is great throughout, esp the state highway. Hardly any traffic on SH, so fast progress can be made. Pune to Karad is not that great, some diversions. Although road surface is good in most places. NH66 is good but the surface being concrete, is not very good. Ride is bumpy. Return journey on 4/4/2025 Goa to Pune, I left around 9.30am from Utorda. I wanted to touch NH48 around lunch time, so decided to come via Amboli ghat, touch NH48 around Nippani and have lunch on NH48. Had I come via Anuskura ghat, I would have touched NH48 only around 4pm. Drove from Utorda to Banda on NH66, then Sawantwadi, Amboli ghat, Ajara, Gandhinglaj, touched NH48 around 1.30pm. Then followed a harrowing time with hundreds of diversions, from Gadhinglaj till Satara. It does not let you drive on the highway for more than a kilometer. Then a diversion of 1-2 km, again on highway for a km or so, and again diversion. This continued till Karad, after which, the diversion reduced. I do not recommend to go on NH48 after Karad, since the diversions will kill your time, average speed, and energy. Wildcard mention for road after Amboli ghat, via Ajara till Gadhinglaj: The road widening and resurfacing is recently done. Concrete road immediately after crossing Amboli ghat, all the way till Gadhinglaj. Even the surface of concrete is great here such that Thar Roxx didn't bounce much. I really enjoyed this part of the drive on the way back, the route is very scenic and road surface is great. Overall recommendation: Take the Anuskara ghat route. Pune to Karad via NH48 (till Narayanwadi, a little ahead of Karad), then divert on SH144 towards Malkapur, go via Anuskara ghat and touch NH66 around Rajapur. The State highways are great that side (road surface wise), and allow you to do Pune to Goa faster and more relaxed than staying on NH48 for longer. Sneak peak of Thar Roxx taking a break in Amboli ghat. Did a drive from Pune to Devbag, onward to Goa at the end of March 2025. Came back from Utorda, Goa to Pune on 4th April.The new Thar Roxx did great.: Pune to Karad via NH48, then State highway via Anuskura Ghat, Malkapur, emerged on NH66 around Rajapur. Drove on NH66 till Kasal and diverted towards Devbag, MH. Took a halt for the night in Devbag. Drove to South Goa the next day via NH66. Road is great throughout, esp the state highway. Hardly any traffic on SH, so fast progress can be made.Pune to Karad is not that great, some diversions. Although road surface is good in most places.NH66 is good but the surface being concrete, is not very good. Ride is bumpy.Goa to Pune, I left around 9.30am from Utorda. I wanted to touch NH48 around lunch time, so decided to come via Amboli ghat, touch NH48 around Nippani and have lunch on NH48. Had I come via Anuskura ghat, I would have touched NH48 only around 4pm.Drove from Utorda to Banda on NH66, then Sawantwadi, Amboli ghat, Ajara, Gandhinglaj, touched NH48 around 1.30pm.Then followed a harrowing time with hundreds of diversions, from Gadhinglaj till Satara. It does not let you drive on the highway for more than a kilometer. Then a diversion of 1-2 km, again on highway for a km or so, and again diversion. This continued till Karad, after which, the diversion reduced.I do not recommend to go on NH48 after Karad, since the diversions will kill your time, average speed, and energy.Wildcard mention for road after Amboli ghat, via Ajara till Gadhinglaj: The road widening and resurfacing is recently done. Concrete road immediately after crossing Amboli ghat, all the way till Gadhinglaj. Even the surface of concrete is great here such that Thar Roxx didn't bounce much. I really enjoyed this part of the drive on the way back, the route is very scenic and road surface is great.Pune to Karad via NH48 (till Narayanwadi, a little ahead of Karad), then divert on SH144 towards Malkapur, go via Anuskara ghat and touch NH66 around Rajapur. The State highways are great that side (road surface wise), and allow you to do Pune to Goa faster and more relaxed than staying on NH48 for longer.Sneak peak of Thar Roxx taking a break in Amboli ghat. KABUL, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security personnel have detained three suspects who were attempting to use a hand grenade against a security checkpoint in the northern Kunduz province, said a statement of provincial police on Saturday. Based on intelligence information, the police personnel conducted operations and arrested three suspects who were attempting to throw a hand grenade on a checkpoint in Police District 5 to disrupt the security of Kunduz city, the statement asserted. All the suspects have been referred to the judiciary for further infestation, the statement added, calling upon Kunduz residents to inform police if observe any suspicious activities. Boldly going: The US Space Force has awarded $13.7 billion in contracts to SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 program. The contracts run through 2029 and mark the first time three companies will simultaneously handle top-priority military satellite missions signaling a new era of competition in defense space launches. SpaceX secured the largest share of the contracts, landing $5.9 billion for 28 launches. Meanwhile, ULA snatched $5.4 billion for 19 missions, and Blue Origin received $2.4 billion for seven. These launches will carry sensitive payloads such as National Reconnaissance Office spy satellites into orbits that require advanced technical precision. As its first attempt at an NSSL award, Blue Origin's inclusion alongside veteran contractors underscores the shifting dynamics of the military launch industry. A closer look at the financials reveals notable cost differences between providers. SpaceX's average price per launch is around $212 million well below ULA's $282 million and Blue Origin's $341 million. These figures include not just the launches themselves but also added services like fleet surveillance and mission-specific studies. The NSSL Phase 3 program splits launches into two tracks: Lane 1 for commercial-style missions and Lane 2 for high-stakes national security payloads. The recent awards fall under Lane 2, demanding rigorous performance and security standards to minimize risks. This structure opens the door for newer providers in Lane 1 while reserving Lane 2 for systems that can meet the program's most complex requirements. Phase 3 represents a significant expansion over its predecessor, with an anticipated 84 missions scheduled between fiscal years 2025 and 2029 nearly double the number conducted during Phase 2. Of these, 54 missions are allocated to Lane 2, underscoring the importance of this segment in maintaining national security. Each provider will use its flagship rockets for these missions. SpaceX will deploy Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, while United Launch Alliance will rely on the newly certified Vulcan Centaur, phasing out its older Delta IV and Atlas V rockets. Blue Origin will use its New Glenn, which completed its maiden flight earlier this year but still needs additional certification before handling Lane 2 missions. The competitive dynamics of military space launches have shifted significantly over the past decade. While ULA once dominated this sector, it now faces fierce competition from SpaceX's reusable Falcon boosters, which offer a more cost-effective alternative. Since gaining eligibility to bid on military contracts in 2015, SpaceX has captured over 40 percent of NSSL missions, solidifying its role as a key partner for the Pentagon. Blue Origin is making strides in this domain but faces hurdles. The company needs at least one more successful flight of its New Glenn rocket to achieve full certification for Lane 2 missions, with that milestone expected by late 2026. Meanwhile, ULA certified its Vulcan rocket after two successful test flights. Designed for complex orbital maneuvers and long-duration missions, ULA hopes the rocket will differentiate it from competitors. Winning 60% of the missions may sound generous, but the reality is that all SpaceX competitors combined cannot currently deliver the other 40%! I hope they succeed, but they aren't there yet. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 4, 2025 In addition to Lane 2 missions, Lane 1 provides opportunities for newer players like Rocket Lab and Stoke Space to enter the military launch market with lower-risk payloads destined for low-Earth orbit. These less demanding missions have fewer certification requirements, fostering broader participation while maintaining cost efficiency. Why it matters: Quantum computers promise to tackle problems that stump even the most advanced supercomputers. Getting there is a different story, though. One of the biggest hurdles is efficiently connecting multiple quantum processors so they can share information without errors. A new interconnect device by MIT researchers could solve this problem. Current quantum-computing systems rely on clunky "point-to-point" connections, where data is transferred in a chain and has to jump between nodes. Unfortunately, each hop also increases the likelihood of errors. To address this issue, MIT researchers developed a quantum interconnect component that lets superconducting processors talk directly to each other without a "middleman." The device uses microwave photons to shuttle data, and it could finally pave the way for a scalable, error-resistant quantum supercomputer. At the heart of this breakthrough is a superconducting wire (a waveguide), which acts as a quantum highway that lets the photons zip between processors. The team connected two quantum modules to this waveguide, allowing them to send and receive photons on demand. Each module contains four qubits that act as an interface and convert photons into usable quantum data. Developing accurate, scalable quantum computers involves the creation of remote entanglement. This bizarre phenomenon links two quantum particles that instantly match each other's state regardless of distance. Entangled qubits act as a single system, enabling mind-bending algorithms that traditional computers could never perform. Unfortunately, simply firing full photons back and forth doesn't enable entanglement. Therefore, the researchers devised an odd process that stops the emission process halfway. Doing this leaves the system in a weird quantum limbo where the photon is paradoxically emitted and retained simultaneously. When the receiving module absorbs this "half-photon," the two processors become entangled even though they're not physically linked. The researchers also have to deal with photon distortion as they travel, which makes them more challenging to capture. To address this problem, the team trained an algorithm to tweak the photon's shape for maximum absorption. The result was a 60-percent success rate high enough to confirm genuine entanglement. These results are similar to Oxford's method, which uses an ion trap to create successful entanglement 70 percent of the time. The implications are enormous. Unlike today's patchwork quantum setups, this architecture supports "all-to-all" connectivity, meaning any number of processors can communicate directly. Future improvements like 3D integration or faster protocols could also increase absorption rates. "In principle, our remote entanglement generation protocol can also be expanded to other kinds of quantum computers and bigger quantum internet systems," Aziza Almanakly, an electrical engineering and computer science graduate student, concluded. The team recently published its research in Nature Physics. It's also worth noting that the US Army Research Office, AWS Center for Quantum Computing, and the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research funded MIT's efforts. Image credit: Ella Maru Studio There is a new platform that ByteDance quietly launched called "TikTok for Artists," and its goal is to help artists build their careers and brands. The latest content creator-focused experience from TikTok is now under testing, but this came at a time when it is facing a possible US ban again. TikTok for Artists: New Platform Now Under Testing From ByteDance A new report from Music Ally (via TechCrunch) shared that TikTok for Artists is now available for interested influencers to test, focusing on an insights platform that fosters their brands for further growth. The reports claims that ByteDance intends for this platform to help creators build their careers and expand their brand on TikTok as it offers tools for aspiring creators to take advantage of. It is currently under testing in Asia and Oceania as of writing, including countries like Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. There are plans to expand its availability to other markets in the future, as per reports. Creator-focused Platform Looks to Build and Expand Careers While TikTok already has an analytics feature on its platform, the company's new TikTok for Artists is now focused on helping out individuals, especially those looking to create a new career via social media. Several of its tools include a way to promote songs, engagement with fans, and performance metrics. The TikTok for Artists website details its significant focus for artists where they may launch campaigns, promote merch, run monetization campaigns, and more. Artists may also use this tool to help promote their albums or new song drops that link to Apple Music, Spotify, and other platforms. TikTok's Current State: US Buyers are Rushing In to Save It In late January, TikTok was forced to shut down temporarily in the United States. However, the app was immediately reinstated by President Donald J. Trump with an executive order, but this only bought them some time to work out a sale of its US business. China is already onboard with TikTok's sale in the US, which means that an American company will get full control of its operations and decisions moving forward. That being said, Trump is not requiring a full sale despite the law saying so, and he previously claimed that a 50-50 ownership between ByteDance and a US entity would suffice. Since then, a handful of interested buyers and investors have banded together and competed with other teams to purchase one of the largest social media platforms in the world. MrBeast and co., Perplexity AI, Amazon, and more are now looking to not only help TikTok escape their doomed fate but also take significant control of it away from ByteDance. Verizon has reportedly launched a three-year price lock guarantee for all customers. Promising to be the first and sole carrier to make such a commitment, the mobile network carrier asserts that this new program delivers big savings and stability to its customers. But there's more than meets the eye, particularly when you look at the fine print. What Is Verizon's Three-Year Price Guarantee? As of today, Verizon's new price lock covers anyone on its myPlan or myHome plans. You don't have to sign up or do anythingif you're on either plan, you're automatically covered. Better still, every time you change or upgrade your myPlan, your three-year clock is reset, locking in your new rate for another 36 months. But the catch here: the price pledge does not exclude fees and taxes. That's to say, even if your bottom-line plan remains static, Verizon still has the scope to hike your monthly bill through charging extra costs. So while it's a good deal, it's not quite as set in stone as it seemed at first. Trade-In Offers: Free Phones for Eligible Users According to GSM Arena, Verizon makes it sweeter by adding a juicy free phone exchange offer. Existing customers on myPlan can exchange any phone, in any shape or form even if it's Apple, Samsung, or Google-branded. With this, you can get a brand-new phone for free. Your phone being cracked, out of date, or hardly operational will not prevent you from still getting something in exchange. Bundled Add-ons Mean More Savings Subscribers who bundle their home and mobile internet plans under Verizon's umbrella can now save another $15 a month. This makes it more appealing to families or individuals already utilizing Verizon's services on multiple platforms. Furthermore, the company is now providing free satellite messaging to all customers, a feature particularly beneficial for those in rural or emergency areas. Save on Streaming With Verizon Perks One of the highlights of additions is Verizon Perks, a new discounting program offering customers 40% off leading streaming services. Although specific services included weren't made available, this feature might be a game-changer for both cord-cutters and streaming fans. Earlier last month, Verizon urged its customers to "put their phone down" as part of the support for the global digital wellness campaign. With TikTok's future in limbo, several major companies are now racing to acquire it before the latest government deadline hits. Among the top contenders are Oracle, Blackstone Inc., Andreessen Horowitz, AppLovin, and Amazon all eyeing a potential deal that would let TikTok continue operating in the U.S. under new ownership, according to multiple reports. Just hours after the original story broke, the Trump administration granted TikTok another 75-day extension, moving the sale deadline to June 19, 2025, according to CNBC. The announcement was posted on Truth Social. In a statement shared by CNBC, a ByteDance representative said, "An agreement has not been executed. There are key matters to be resolved." Trump extends the TikTok ban deadline for another 75 days as his staff works on a deal to save the app in the US https://t.co/RfxpVCIDoR CNN (@CNN) April 4, 2025 TikTok had previously faced a looming ban on April 5, the same day new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods were set to take effect. ByteDance, the app's parent company, had been expected to finalize a sale or risk removal from U.S. app stores a scenario that's played out before. On Air Force One, Trump told reporters that a deal was close, as Bloomberg reported. Earlier that week, he reviewed proposals featuring a group led by Oracle and backed by Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz, a venture firm with close ties to Trump. The proposal includes the formation of "TikTok America," a new U.S.-based company that would own 50 percent of TikTok. ByteDance and current stakeholders would retain partial ownership, and the company would license the algorithm instead of transferring it entirely, The Information reported. Meanwhile, AppLovin and Amazon have reportedly shown interest. Amazon in particular, still without a dominant social app, sees the opportunity. Whether ByteDance agrees to sell remains uncertain. With trade tensions rising, and Trump's political interests involved, TikTok's path forward remains anything but simple. Related Article: Trump Extends TikTok Sale Deadline for Another 75 Days to Avoid Looming Ban Originally published on Enstarz After almost a year since the European Union (EU) claimed that X violated the rules and provisions under the Digital Services Act, they are now deciding on the right punishment, which may include a fine over $1 billion, says reports. EU to Reportedly Fine X With $1B Fine For DSA Violations There had been many run ins that Musk's X had with the EU, and they mostly center on the 2023 law known as the Digital Services Act. Now, a report by The New York Times shares that the EU is now in the process of determining the right punishment befitting X's violations against the region's legislation. One of the most eye-catching proposals of the EU, per the report, is the possible fine against X that would be more than $1 billion, as shared by one person familiar with the matter. The hefty fine centers on the EU's plans to make an example out of X for other social media platforms and digital services, emphasizing the Union will be adamant in implementing their policies in the region. Other Penalties Are Also Coming Against X According to the report, the European Commission is planning to serve X with the fine and other penalties later this summer. However, it does not end with a monetary fine. The EU will also reportedly impose other penalties against X, which will require the company to change several aspects of its operations. The X Global Government Affairs account has shared a statement amidst these reports, claiming that this act is a form of political censorship against the platform. Elon Musk's X and the EU Back when the Digital Services Act was fresh from being passed into law in the EU, it found one of the first violators in the technology industry, and that is Elon Musk's X platform. Musk is known for previously contesting the EU's letter regarding improving social media's countermeasures against disinformation amidst the Hamas attack in the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict. The scrutiny against X's measures to implement actions against the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation on the platform continued amidst a string of controversies and incidents. Moreover, the EU also targeted X's paid verification program on the platform as a violation in the region, claiming that the easier way to obtain a verified status by only paying is misleading. X has also faced EU notices and probes regarding its operations, including content moderation methods, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, and more practices by the company. One of the most recent issues that the EU had against X focused on online privacy as the platform's Grok AI gathered user data for its model training, and this is a potential violation that the Union investigated last year. Tourists visit Honghe Nativeland in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 6, 2025. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday, citizens and tourists came to this city's Huquan Ecological Park, Dongfengyun Town, Honghe Nativeland and other places to enjoy the spring scenery. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) An aerial drone photo taken on April 6, 2025 shows tourists visiting Honghe Nativeland in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday, citizens and tourists came to this city's Huquan Ecological Park, Dongfengyun Town, Honghe Nativeland and other places to enjoy the spring scenery. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Tourists pose for photos at Dongfengyun Town in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 5, 2025. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday, citizens and tourists came to this city's Huquan Ecological Park, Dongfengyun Town, Honghe Nativeland and other places to enjoy the spring scenery. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) An aerial drone photo taken on April 4, 2025 shows tourists visiting Huquan Ecological Park in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday, citizens and tourists came to this city's Huquan Ecological Park, Dongfengyun Town, Honghe Nativeland and other places to enjoy the spring scenery. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) An aerial drone photo taken on April 5, 2025 shows tourists visiting Dongfengyun Town in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday, citizens and tourists came to this city's Huquan Ecological Park, Dongfengyun Town, Honghe Nativeland and other places to enjoy the spring scenery. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) An aerial drone photo taken on April 6, 2025 shows a view of Honghe Nativeland in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday, citizens and tourists came to this city's Huquan Ecological Park, Dongfengyun Town, Honghe Nativeland and other places to enjoy the spring scenery. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) by Julia Pierrepont III LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Several thousand people gathered Saturday downtown to protest U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's sweeping changes to the federal government. The event was part of the "Hands Off" campaign, which mobilized over 1,200 rallies across all 50 U.S. states and in cities abroad, including in Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe. Protesters gathered in Pershing Square decrying what they called an "assault on families, jobs, healthcare and social security" by Trump's administration and Musk's newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to downsize federal agencies. "Only people power can stop them now," Brad K. of Altadena told Xinhua at the rally. "Time for a mass uprising! Only by taking to the streets in massive protests can we stop the larceny and save Social Security, minority programs, veterans and seniors." Evelyn M. of Burbank, an economist, told Xinhua that the government is stealing their Social Security savings. "It's an inhuman, lose-lose scenario with catastrophic consequences to come," she said. Linda Falcao, 65, said she had contributed to Social Security since her teens and joined others in chanting, "It's our money!" Protesters also carried signs and chanted slogans criticizing Trump and Musk, accusing them of undermining democracy and social welfare. "Resist Fascism! Trump is not our King!" yelled Max P., a protester. "The greedy rich are stealing from the poor and middle class!" "We're here fighting for the soul of America," said resident Angela C., expressing worries that Trump would lead the country to become "another pathetic bully with a big stick out to exploit all the other countries in the world." Wayne Hoffman, a retired money manager, criticized Trump's tariff policies, warning they could devastate farmers and investors alike. The demonstration in Los Angeles mirrored similar protests held in dozens of Southern California cities, including Pasadena, Torrance, Santa Ana and Riverside. The nationwide effort has drawn support from Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who are currently on a multi-state "Fighting Oligarchy" tour. Their campaign has amplified the message with rallies across seven states and millions more watching online, with the upcoming stop in Los Angeles on April 12 expected to draw large crowds. "United we stand!" shouted Sharon B. at Saturday's rally. "This is just the beginning!" Torrential rains kill some 30 people in DR Congo capital Kinshasa, April 6 (AFP) Apr 06, 2025 Heavy downpours in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa have left around 30 people dead while wrecking havoc in the central African megacity, an official told AFP on Sunday. After the rain poured down overnight from Friday to Saturday, the rising water levels devastated several outlying and impoverished suburbs of the metropolis of some 17 million people. "There are many wounded who have been evacuated and for the moment we are in the 30s for the number of dead," Patricien Gongo Abakazi, Kinshasa's provincial minister of public health told AFP. The victims either drowned or were killed when the walls of their homes collapsed, the doctor added. The rising waters likewise cut off traffic on the national road one, Kinshasa's main thoroughfare which takes drivers from the centre to the airport, as well as in many neighbouring districts. "At around 2 pm, we suddenly noticed that the water was rising in the plot, and it just kept getting higher. As a precaution, we took the children to flee, as it was difficult to get through in some places", said Orline, a resident of the Masina commune. In the Debonhomme district to the east of the city, dozens of cars were swallowed up by the waters, while some residents had to make their way through the streets paddling in dug-out canoes or by swimming, AFP journalists saw. Some victims were also trapped in the upper storeys of their homes, where the water had invaded the ground floor. The floods have caused huge traffic jams in a city where chronic congestion is the norm. Neighbouring Kongo-Central province was also hit by the deluge. Flooding frequently proves deadly in Kinshasa, which sits on the bank of the banks of River Congo, Africa's second-largest after the Nile. In November 2019, around 40 people died in the capital after torrential rains caused flooding and landslides. Torrential rains kill dozens in DR Congo capital Kinshasa, April 6 (AFP) Apr 06, 2025 Heavy downpours in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa have killed around 30 people while wreaking havoc across the central African megacity, an official told AFP on Sunday. After the rain poured down overnight from Friday to Saturday, rising waters devastated several outlying and impoverished suburbs of the metropolis of some 17 million people, with some residents forced to navigate the streets by canoe. "There are many wounded who have been evacuated and for the moment we are in the 30s for the number of dead," Patricien Gongo Abakazi, Kinshasa's provincial minister of public health, told AFP. The victims either drowned or were killed when the walls of their homes collapsed, the doctor added. The rising waters have paralysed much of the haphazardly urbanised capital, cutting off traffic on National Road 1, Kinshasa's main thoroughfare, which leads from the city centre to the airport. "At around 2 pm, we suddenly noticed that the water was rising in the plot, and it just kept getting higher. As a precaution, we took the children to flee, as it was difficult to get through", said Orline, a resident of the Masina commune in the east. - Paddling in canoes - In the eastern Debonhomme district, waters swallowed up dozens of cars, forcing some residents to swim or paddle in dug-out canoes, AFP journalists saw. Some victims were trapped in the upper levels of their homes after water invaded their ground floors. "The water has reached 1.5 metres (five feet) high. We have just managed to save ourselves, the rest is trapped in our homes," said Christophe Bola, a resident of the Ndanu quarter in Limete commune. Flooding caused huge traffic jams in a city where chronic congestion is the norm. Several residents told AFP journalists they were angry at what they saw as a tardy and inadequate reaction by the authorities. Neighbouring Kongo-Central province was also hit by the deluge. Flooding frequently proves deadly in Kinshasa, which sits on the banks of the Congo River, Africa's second-largest, after the Nile. Poor maintenance and inadequate sewerage systems have left drainage pipes blocked by rubbish in many poorer neighbourhoods. Those living in makeshift shacks and quarters with unpaved streets are especially at risk. In 2022, at least 120 people were found dead in the capital after downpours caused landslides and flooding. Central Africa has been grappling with extreme downpours and thunderstorms since Thursday, notably in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Some 6.9 million people in west and central Africa were affected by torrential rains and severe flooding in 2024, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice As thousands came together on Saturday in nationwide protests to denounce President Donald Trumps administration, several rallygoers held noteworthy signs emblazoned with clever phrases and imagery to relay messages of defiance. Dubbed the Hands Off protests, rallies cropped up across the U.S. and the globe, with the sole purpose of putting a stop to the most brazen power grab in modern history, according to organizers. While many attendees marched empty-handed, others displayed handmade signs featuring fighting words aimed at Trump, JD Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk, leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has cut tens of thousands of government jobs. Below is a selection of some of the best signs spotted at the protests. One Wisconsinite held a sign that read: Wisconsin hates Elon Musk so much it could be one of his kids. The message, in reference to the Tesla CEOs strained relationship with his estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, appeared to entertain The Handmaids Tale actor Bradley Whitford, who shared a picture of the woman and her sign on X. open image in gallery 'Wisconsin hates Elon so much it could be one of his kids,' read the sign held by a Wisconite ( bradleywhitford/X ) Hundreds of miles away, in New York City, another woman showed off a sign with the words: Super callous fragile racist sexist nazi potus a pun on the nonsensical word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, popularized by the 1964 childrens movie Mary Poppins. A photo of the epic sign was featured in a carousel of snaps taken by Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon at the New York City protest. open image in gallery Cynthia Nixon attended the NYC Hands Off protest, where she took photos of some of her favorite signs ( Cynthia Nixon/Instagram ) Nixon also included a picture of a man holding a sign with the all-capped phrase: TURD REICH NO! Illustrations of Trump, Vance, and Musk were featured underneath. open image in gallery Hands Off NYC, Nixon captioned her Instagram post ( cynthianixon/Instagram ) Across the country, a trio in California posed with a sign declaring: Abort unwanted presidencies. open image in gallery 'Abort unwanted presidencies,' read a sign at the Hands Off protest in California ( ArtCandee/X ) Another sign that made one X user spit out [their] drink was one that read: Were all the couch now. At first glance, the sign might not make sense, but for those aware of the false rumors that circulated last summer claiming Vance had sex with a couch, youll likely understand the underlying message. Orlando Weekly reporter McKenna Schueler covered a local rally where one woman proudly held a sign warning people to know your parasites. Below, two illustrations of a dog and deer tick were pictured, alongside a third image of Trump labeled: Luna tick. open image in gallery A woman in Florida proudly holds a sign denouncing the acts of the Trump administration ( SheCarriesOn/X ) Honk if you never drunk texted war plans was also a popular quip seen on numerous signs. The message was in reference to the recent controversy in which a group of Trump advisers inadvertently added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat containing a detailed account of war plans. An ex-couple, who had been married 30 years, teamed up at the Los Angeles event with signs proclaiming: You know times are bad if you partner with your ex-husband/ex-wife to a protest. open image in gallery A divorced couple, who had been married for 30 years, share a laugh together during a 'Hands Off!' protest against the Trump administration in Los Angeles ( Getty Images ) From Los Angeles to London, tens of thousands marched to advocate for civil rights, healthcare, democracy, workers rights and LGBTQ+ rights that have been under assault by the Trump administration and GOP Congress members, organizers said. What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures, and our democracy are under attack, Rahna Epting, executive director of advocacy group MoveOn, said in a statement. This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people nurses, teachers, students, parents who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started. On 1 April, I co-authored a letter to the government, arguing that they should retract their endorsement of Adolescence to be shown in secondary schools across the country. Keir Starmers decision last week to rubber stamp the Netflix drama Adolescence as a classroom resource in secondary schools has been met with applause by some who rightly want action on rising misogyny, radicalisation, and male violence. But like many of my colleagues, I have serious concerns. While Adolescence is undoubtedly a powerful piece of television drama, its power is precisely why, I believe, it should not be rolled out en masse to children as young as 11 in schools across the country. We are not alone in this concern. Thousands of professionals across education, youth work, trauma psychology, as well as campaigners tackling violence against women and girls are all sounding the alarm not because we dont believe misogyny and radicalisation are problems, but because we know that shock tactics dont prevent harm. In fact, they can often cause more of it. Let us be clear: the Labour governments commitment to tackling online misogyny and male violence is both welcome and urgent. But Adolescence is a 15-rated drama for good reason. Graphic scenes of manipulation, abuse, and the murder of a teenage girl are not suitable for a blanket rollout in schools, where children as young as 11 may be expected to watch and process this material. Even for older teens, the developmental readiness to meaningfully engage with such content varies widely. The risk of retraumatisation for survivors, disruption in classrooms, and misunderstanding among students is high and, so far, no trauma-informed strategy has been outlined. In real classrooms, teachers are already seeing how students react when confronted with distressing material. Some laugh. Some mock. Others shut down. These are often defensive reactions, especially in young people. But in a classroom setting, such reactions can isolate or harm those who might see themselves in the storyline especially those who have lived through similar experiences, as victims or perpetrators. The fallout could include further victimisation, ridicule, or even bullying of peers. Weve been here before. Between 2017 and 2019, my campaign work helped lead to the withdrawal of so-called CSE films graphic short films that attempted to deter child sexual exploitation by shocking (female) students into not taking risks. The evidence was damning: the films didnt lead to more disclosures. They didnt prevent abuse. What they did do was harm vulnerable children, trigger anxiety, and leave teachers unsupported and overwhelmed. I met teenagers who had cut themselves after being made to watch those films in school. I met teenagers who had fainted, had panic attacks, and zoned out. I spoke to teenagers who had internalised the messages and blamed themselves for being abused and raped. I met teens who had tried to tell their teacher what was happening to them, only to be blamed or minimised as an attention seeker. The use of Adolescence risks repeating these very same mistakes on a much larger scale. And knowing a teenagers capacity to mock, it also risks reducing the important messages contained within the drama into a big joke. open image in gallery Keir Starmer has given the green light to let teachers show Adolescence in schools ( Netflix ) The issue isnt that Adolescence is fictional. Its that it was never designed as a teaching tool in the first place. It has no framework, no guidance, no safety protocols, no teacher training, and no evidence base. It hasnt been trialled in schools. There are no expert-led materials accompanying it. There has been no consultation with teachers, psychologists, or safeguarding professionals. It appears to have been chosen because it sparked a national conversation not because it has been proven to help children understand or prevent misogyny or radicalisation. Teachers, meanwhile, are expected to manage this without training, without specialist knowledge and often without support. When the credits roll, they will be the ones picking up the pieces, managing disclosures, distress, and heated discussions. Whether they are having to cope with students not taking it seriously, or absorb the emotional impact of teaching trauma, we cannot afford to ignore the effect this will have on already overstretched school staff. open image in gallery Tackling the rise of online misogyny needs a careful approach it is girls who will be harmed if we get it wrong ( PA ) Whats more, the series runs the risk of undermining its own goals. Far from offering a critique of online radicalisation and incel ideology, the show briefly gestures to them through emojis, niche symbols, and vague references. These are not explained, contextualised, or meaningfully challenged. Kids unfamiliar with incel culture might become curious and explore it online. Others may identify with the protagonist, Jamie, whose inner pain is explored in emotional depth while Katie, the murdered girl, is portrayed as a voiceless bully. Her family is absent. Her pain is invisible. Weve already seen online discourse justifying or minimising the violence against her. It might sound shocking, but many viewers have come away from the drama believing that Jamie was driven to murder, and that Katie had it coming. This is not education. Its retraumatisation, confusion, and distortion. And, unless we start to give schools the real resources to understand the boys they teach, the crisis they are in and how this is affecting girls, it is a cheap shortcut that will benefit nobody. Dr Jessica Taylor is a chartered psychologist and CEO of VictimFocus Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Have you heard the one about the yarn dye entrepreneur who allegedly faked her own death to avoid completing orders? I first heard it last year, shortly after taking up knitting. The story, which seems to be gleefully embroidered with every subsequent telling, goes a little like this: a woman in the US, whod become a superstar on a popular knitting site, was overwhelmed with orders for her products, so via updates provided by her sister pretended to be hospitalised, then pretended to have died. Orders went unfulfilled. Someone claimed to have spotted the woman post-death in a branch of Walmart. The phrase Zombie yarn dyers has since become an inside joke among the knitting community. Scandals like these werent initially the reason I was drawn to knitting last year. I instead wanted a new form of distraction. TikTok had become a big part of my life, and I found myself mindlessly flicking through clip after clip any time I had a second to spare. I needed to break the cycle, and knitting was a good way to keep my hands busy and my eyes off screens. But nothing could have prepared me for how much drama underpins what many assume is a wholesome activity. It seems inconceivable that knitting should be anything other than an innocent pastime. But not so! Just five months into my knitting journey, I had discovered a different side to the hobby. The algorithms of TikTok and Instagram quickly cottoned on to my newfound interest, so my social media feeds are now full of wonderful woolly creations but also the never-ending conflict that seems to go on in the world of fibre arts. In January, I was gripped as arguments erupted over the sharing of pirated knitting patterns through a Discord server. The revelation, uncovered by several knitting designers, caused a huge debate on social media. Designers were understandably angry that patterns they would normally have been paid for were being distributed for free, while knitters argued over whether patterns should always cost money or if more well-known designers could afford to take the hit. Then, talk of size inclusivity or the lack thereof began to circulate, as knitters on TikTok complained about some designers not including plus size modifications in their patterns. Nordic designer Mette Wendelboe Okkels, who goes by her brand Petite Knit, unexpectedly found herself at the centre of this particular storm. Some TikTokkers were upset that the majority of Okkels patterns, which are popular on social media, dont extend beyond 5XL. Complainants argued that Okkels should include more sizes despite her largest sizes accommodating a maximum bust circumference of 56 inches, equivalent to about a US size 26 (UK size 30). Some knitters came to her defence, arguing that Okkels Nordic background may have influenced the number of sizes she could adjust her patterns for. Others rather nonsensically pointed out that her moniker is Petite Knit, and therefore larger women shouldnt expect her to provide sizes for them. Knitters are quite analytical by nature, so if they spend all this time thinking about stuff in general, its no surprise that so many of these opinions are formed Emma Zimmerman, knitter Each week there seems to be something new for the online knitting community to debate. And each week I am surprised by my own response who knew I had so many opinions about knitting? And that theyd prove to be so controversial? In discussions about whether to use acrylic yarn or natural fibres, I am firmly in the latter camp, my heightened awareness of microplastics being the deciding factor for me. But Ive since learnt that this has been branded yarn elitism because of how much more expensive materials become. See what I mean? Accusations of pattern copying or using AI to generate them are also a hot topic of debate. Over Christmas, two crocheters got into digital fisticuffs over ownership of a blanket pattern, despite the original pattern having been modified and used hundreds of times over many years. More recently, a designer was accused of using AI to copy another designers goose-inspired pattern, but testers said this resulted in near-unreadable instructions riddled with mistakes. Every time a new drama begins to unfold, I watch each video recap eagerly. I lap up all the resulting hot takes, the deep dives, the explanations or lack thereof. I secretly cast my own judgements on the knitters I disagree with or like the comments made by the knitters who share my thoughts. But Ive never posted anything myself, partly because I dont think anyone wants to hear my opinion, but also because I enjoy being a passive consumer of gossip. open image in gallery Every time a new drama begins to unfold, I watch each video recap eagerly ( Getty Images ) The idea that knitting is a pure, wholesome hobby that engineers meditative calm is idyllic but entirely false. Historically, knitting circles were spaces for women to practice the craft together and simultaneously exchange information about anything and everything. To gossip, in other words. Stitch n bitch is a common phrase among modern knitting communities, and despite the negative connotation, gossip is a hugely important form of communication, particularly among women. While the knitting guilds of the 14th and 15th centuries were reserved exclusively for male knitters, who regarded themselves as master craftsmen, women had their own unofficial spaces to practice their skills and speak freely about what mattered to them. But the face of gossip has changed along with the advent of social media, and not necessarily for the better. Aleksandra Soowianiuk, a Nottingham-based knitwear designer, says that while she isnt surprised by the strong opinions shared by other knitters online, she finds there is a greater sense of entitlement now that fuels some of the drama. Soowianiuk was one of the many designers who found her patterns pirated on the aforementioned Discord server. There are so many people online who want what they want now, they want it for free, and theyre not happy with the idea that some things should be paid for, she says. A recent TikTok trend that saw users posting videos of their knitting hot takes often included a gripe about having to pay for patterns. Some have even suggested that AI could design knitting patterns for free. By all means, go and get your AI knitting patterns, Soowianiuk says. But it really devalues the work and passion knitwear designers pour into the patterns they release. Soowianiuk says she spends anywhere between six to eight months designing, testing and releasing patterns, at a cost of potentially hundreds of pounds of yarn. For people to then just share it online really devalues the work knitting designers have put into creating it. Whereas knitting circles used to provide space for intimate back-and-forth discussions, social media allows people to post their opinions and hot takes without really having to engage with others who might disagree with them. Anyone can film their opinion, upload it, and either ignore the comments or turn them off completely. Emma Zimmerman, a long-time knitter based in Atlanta, Georgia, says this one-way-street feature of social media makes it easy for drama to spread without anyone ever taking accountability. Theres barely a week that goes by without the fibre arts community seeing some sort of drama play out, she says. But a lot of these issues tend to be flashes in the pan. This week, theyre talking about AI patterns, next week therell be something else. And nothing ever really gets done. Its important to have some of these conversations, especially around inclusivity and ownership, but I think we move on so quickly because thats how social media works. open image in gallery Women historically had their own unofficial knitting spaces to practise their skills ( Getty Images ) Perhaps a reason for knitters propensity to discuss and debate even the smallest things is to do with the fact that when youre knitting, you literally cant do anything other than think, Zimmerman says. Ive found this to be a plausible theory, as no other hobby has forced me to be as alone with my thoughts as knitting has. Even when Im listening to a podcast or audiobook, I find myself turning over my thoughts and ideas while I make loop after loop after loop. It has forced me to confront whatever challenge is ahead of me and to really think about what I want to do, rather than reacting impulsively, which can only be a good thing. Knitters are quite analytical by nature, which is why the craft might appeal to them, Zimmerman proposes. So if they spend all this time thinking about stuff in general, its no surprise that so many of these opinions are formed. And, like almost anyone online, they share their hot takes and thoughts into the ether, but are maybe not necessarily willing to hear what someone else might think. The irony hasnt escaped me that I began knitting to stop looking at my screen so much, yet Ive been drawn into the endless soap opera that is KnitTok. And its hard for me not to get sucked in, particularly as someone who loves gossip. But its also been sobering to come to terms with the fact that not even the crafts wholesome reputation can protect it from the claws of social media, where comparisons, accusations and unsolicited opinions are rife. This digital knitting circle can be petty and mean, but Ive grown so much as a knitter from the side of KnitTok that is kind and generous. Its also the side Ill continue to engage with moving forward. After all, thats what knitting circles ought to be about. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice There's trouble in Trumpland; Tesla CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, has taken public swipes at Donald Trumps adviser on trade and manufacturing, Peter Navarro, who helped shape the president's reciprocal tariff policy that tanked markets across the world. Musk is typically vocal in his support and defense of the president, but has been quiet since Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement that killed $2.5 trillion from the U.S. stock market a loss of value that cost the Tesla CEO more than $30bn, according to CNBC. On X, which Musk owns, he took swipes at Navarro, a Harvard-educated economist who advises Trump on trade. Navarro who was originally tapped for a spot in the White House by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is the author of books on China and the economic threats he says the nation poses to the U.S. A user on X posted a video from CNN in which Navarro defends the tariffs, noting positively that he went to Harvard. Musk took issue with that, calling it a "bad thing." open image in gallery Elon Musk lashed out at Donald Trumps adviser on trade, Peter Navarro, after the economist defended the presidents tariff policy, which has wiped out trillions in value, and tens of billions in Musks personal wealth ( AP ) "A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing," he wrote. "Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem." Another user replied, insisting that Navarro was correct in his defense, but Musk rejected that and questioned Navarro's practical economic experience. "He aint built s***," Musk wrote. Navarro was jailed after a grand jury indicted him in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress. He refused to comply with a subpoena from the White House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The economist was sentenced to four months in jail and was fined $9,500. He was the first former White House official imprisoned on a charge of contempt of Congress. In another post, an X user shared a quote from conservative American economist Thomas Sowell that critiqued Harvard-trained professionals. "In every disaster throughout American history, there always seems to be a man from Harvard in the middle of it," the quote, attributed to Sowell, said. Musk replied to the post with a simple "yup." open image in gallery Peter Navarro with Musk and Stephen Miller in the White House last month ( AFP via Getty Images ) Sowell has been a vocal critic of Trump's tariffs, and warned that the president's policy could set off a global trade war and potentially another Great Depression, according to Fox Business. Despite the shock and condemnation of Trumps tariffs even by some conservatives, it hasnt dulled the negative attention Musk is facing for his actions as the head of DOGE. Under Musk, the agency has demanded the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers, effectively shuttered entire agencies, and has crippled some agencies' ability to work efficiently. Protesters took to the streets on Saturday to voice their anger at Trump and Musk for their dismantling of the federal government. open image in gallery White House tariff czar Navarro insisted over the weekend that the upcoming Liberation Day tariffs would be the biggest tax cut in American history and bring in $600 billion in the next year ( Fox News ) Americans frustrated by Musk who was not personally elected meddling in the federal government have responded by protesting outside Tesla facilities and boycotting the company's vehicles. Some have gone so far as to vandalize or even destroy Tesla vehicles and showrooms. Tesla announced a 13 percent drop in its first quarter sales this year when compared to last year, making it the company's worst quarter since 2022, according to a company statement. As of Friday, Tesla's stock price was down 10 percent between Musk-related blowback and Trump's tariffs. Musk's comments come shortly after news broke that Trump told his inner circle that the Tesla CEO will be stepping back from his duties at the White House, although he has not given a timeline for this happening. China launches dual probes into imported medical CT tubes Xinhua) 12:31, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it has launched an anti-dumping probe into certain imports of medical CT tubes originating from the United States and India, as well as a separate industrial competitiveness investigation into broader imports of medical CT tubes. The anti-dumping investigation, in response to the application from the domestic industry, concerns certain ball-bearing medical CT tubes originating from the United States and India, an official with the ministry said in an online statement. Preliminary evidence submitted by the applicants shows that from 2022 to 2024, the volume of dumped imports of these products from the two countries increased by 13 percent, while their prices continued to decline, the official said, adding that these imports have depressed domestic prices, resulting in operating difficulties and losses for domestic producers. After reviewing the application in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the investigation authority determined that the conditions for initiating an anti-dumping probe were met and decided to open the case, the official said. The investigation authority will carry out the probe in accordance with laws and make decisions based on the findings in an objective and impartial manner, the official added. In a separate move, the ministry has also launched its first industrial competitiveness probe into a broader range of imported medical CT tubes. While both probes were initiated at the request of the domestic industry, they differ in terms of scope and focus, the official explained. The industrial competitiveness probe was in accordance with relevant stipulations of China's foreign trade law, a spokesperson of the ministry said in a separate statement. Preliminary evidence submitted by the applicants suggested that China's medical CT tube industry started relatively late and remains in a developmental stage. The domestic industry is facing operational difficulties due to the impact of imports, which has adversely affected its competitiveness, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson emphasized that the industrial competitiveness probe is a fact-finding investigation, does not target any specific country or region, and does not affect normal trade, adding that the investigation authority will ensure the legal rights of all interested parties and carry out the investigation objectively and fairly in accordance with the law. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) LONDON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- "Nobody wins from a trade war," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an article for The Sunday Telegraph newspaper amid concerns over new U.S. tariffs. "The economic consequences, here and across the globe, could be profound," he wrote in the opinion piece, adding that "old assumptions can no longer be taken for granted." U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a new set of so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on imports from all trading partners, imposing a baseline 10 percent rate on goods from Britain. U.S. and global stock markets tumbled on Thursday and Friday following new Trump tariffs, which include a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" on all imports starting April 5 and an "individualized reciprocal higher tariff" on the countries and regions with which the United States "has the largest trade deficits," set to take effect on April 9. "Free trade is a galvanizing force for British export businesses," Starmer wrote in his article, noting that turning away from free and open trade "would be a grave mistake." He stressed the importance of keeping calm and fighting for the "best deal," adding that he would "only strike a deal if it is right for British business and the security of working people." In the article, he also called for "strengthening alliances and reducing barriers to trade with other economies around the world," saying that "agile diplomacy delivers a stronger, more diverse, and secure economy" for the country. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in dozens of cities across the United States and Europe to protest the controversial policies of Trump's administration. Gonzales Police motormen line both sides of the fountain at the main hospital entry as first responders come together to salute the health care workers working long hours to fight coronavirus, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, at Our Lady of the Lake's Ascension campus in Gonzales, La. Once a national leader in getting students to apply for college financial aid, Louisiana has plummeted in the rankings this year and is the only state to see a decline in aid applications this cycle, according to the latest federal data. Advertisement Eating outBest of Ten country bakeries worth a roadtrip (and where to find the best pie) Theres a vanilla slice that puts others to shame, pies and Cornish pasties made the old-school way, and what might be the countrys best lamington. Start the car and map your route around these standout bakeries. Richard Cornish April 7, 2025 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Anyone hitting the highways this Easter would be wise to plan a pit stop around one of the standout country bakeries Victoria is blessed with. Some of our best bakers work and live in regional towns. What makes them great is their connections with local farmers and food producers, leading to sensational sourdoughs for sandwiches at your holiday house; airy pastries that show off local fruit and cultured butter; and hearty handmade pies perfect for a long drive. Dunkeld Old Bakery is one of the standout regional bakeries doing everything from scratch. Visit Victoria DAYLESFORD AND SURROUNDS Blumes Advertisement This historic wood-fired bakery in the tiny town of Harcourt is back open after an extensive two-year renovation by self-taught bakers David and Jodie Pillinger. Masons of Bendigo founders Nick and Sonia Anthony have joined the project after closing their hatted restaurant last year. Blumes makes its lamington with all-local ingredients, even down to the cocoa. Richard Cornish Why its worth your time: The bakerys known for its 18-hour fermented sourdough bread and its dense fruit loaf, laden with dates and dried vine fruit soaked in ginger tea. But a very juicy sausage roll encased in buttery pastry is a new attraction. The wood-fired oven will fire up for the cooler months. The must-try item: The lamington ($7.50) possibly the best in the country is an all-local treat, made with Du Fermier chef Annie Smithers raspberry jam and cocoa from Castlemaine chocolatiers Cabosse & Feve. 158 Victoria Road, Harcourt, instagram.com/blumeshistoricbakery Advertisement Geeza and Co This stall at the weekly Castlemaine Farmers Market has quickly become the go-to for baked goods. You may remember Sophie Hogans cakes from The Blackbird, which she ran in Newstead until 2022. Her partner, Mathew Axon, is a butcher-turned-chef. Why its worth your time: Its all about the high-quality ingredients from small farmers and producers. Long Paddock Banksia cheese is grated over flaky croissants made with Lard Ass Butter. Hogans apple cake is made with local apples, drizzled with sage caramel, and covered with mascarpone and maple icing. The must-try item: The rye sourdough doughnut ($6), fermented for 24 hours and filled with Hogans seasonal jam, either nectarine and orange blossom or rhubarb and ginger. Advertisement Every Wednesday, Castlemaine Farmers Market, Camp Reserve, Castlemaine, instagram.com/geeza.and.co Related Article 10 of Victorias best regional pubs worth planning a road trip around Le Peche Gourmand Inside this heritage shopfront, a busy bakery plays backdrop to a cabinet full of well-bronzed pastries and pretty cakes, inspired by the French heritage of co-owner Marie Williams. Why its worth your time: High-quality butter, flour and organic French sea salt make for perfect croissants, while the picnic baguettes are packed with French butter, Emmental cheese and finely sliced ham from Ballarats Salt Kitchen Charcuterie. Advertisement The must-try item: The Paris-Brest ($8) is all about the contrast of light, crisp choux and buttery praline paste. Crunchy hazelnuts and sugar pearls add extra texture. 73 Albert Street, Creswick, lepechegourmand.com.au Two Fold Baker Alison Wilken worked in bakeries for decades before establishing her own bakery as a market stall in Daylesford. Advertisement Why its worth your time: Most people come here for the bread. The Koraleigh Fruit Loaf is packed with apricots, sultanas and sun muscats grown on the Murray, while the Wimmera Grains loaf is made with a porridge of biodynamic rye, spelt, wheat, oats, lentils and barley folded through tangy, moist sourdough. The must-try item: Sourdough crackers ($8), served at Daylesfords ever-popular Winespeake, are naturally savoury, crisp and golden perhaps Australias best cracker for cheese. Every Sunday, Daylesford Sunday Market, twofoldbakehouse.com.au MORNINGTON PENINSULA Tuerong Farm Advertisement This family farm surrounded by wheat fields has become a leader in Australias baking community, known for its heritage grains that are hard to find elsewhere. Why its worth your time: This is one of the few bakeries in Australia that bakes bread and pastries using only grain thats grown and milled right there. Come for the sea salt and fennel palmier and leave brimming with knowledge on regenerative farming and the importance of growing local grains. Tuerong Farm not only grows wheat, it turns it into beautiful sourdough loaves. The must-try item: The Reynard sourdough ($10), made with an old French red wheat variety, has a terracotta crust, an earthy pink crumb and a lovely nutty flavour. 76 Tuerong Road, Tuerong, tuerongfarm.com.au Advertisement HIGH COUNTRY Milawa Bread This bakery got its start when Adam Rivett, a winemaker, got the baking bug and travelled to France to hone his skills. Back home, he started baking in a small kitchen behind Milawa Cheese, where he and his team still work today. Vanilla slice with ultra-airy puff pastry is a must-order at Milawa Bread. Why its worth your time: Tucked down a country lane, this bakery-cafe produces full-flavoured sourdough made with flour milled on-site. The patisserie range includes macarons, Paris-Brest, and savoury pastries folded like a wallet and filled with bechamel, mozzarella and ham. Steak mince pie is made with mirepoix and stout encased in rich butter pastry. Advertisement The must-try item: The French-style vanilla slice ($8) puts others out there to shame. The light and airy puff pastry is made with a blend of spelt and wheat flours, and sandwiches a luscious vanilla custard folded with whipped cream. 17 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Road, Milawa, milawabreadandkitchen.com.au WESTERN VICTORIA Dunkeld Old Bakery This 1887 weatherboard bakery looks like a postcard and upholds baking traditions down to the smallest details, such as using Victorian butter. Advertisement Danishes with seasonal fruit toppings at Dunkeld Old Bakery. Why its worth your time: Self-taught baker Geoff Potter does everything by hand, including rolling Lard Ass artisan butter into his golden, flaky croissants and pains au chocolat filled with Belgian Callebaut chocolate. Fat, cheesy toasties are made with naturally fermented white bread, while the front cabinet is loaded with flour-free baked goods like almond and coconut cake, and apple and cinnamon slice. The must-try item: Danishes ($6) filled with proper egg-based French custard, topped with seasonal fruit like local peaches paired with pecans. 97 Martin Street, Dunkeld, dunkeldoldbakery.com.au Sourdough Portland Advertisement Self-taught baker Kim Hol has become the go-to expert that other bakers around Victoria seek out, thanks to the exceptional things shes turning out of her small bakery (formerly known as The Bakehouse) down a laneway in Portland, an old maritime town. Why its worth your time: Yes, its a four-and-a-half hour drive from Melbourne, but that hasnt stopped city-slickers from making the pilgrimage for Hols naturally leavened baked goods including sourdough bread, spelt loaves, croissants made to a four-day recipe, doughnuts and seasonal mince tarts and hot cross buns. The must-try item: The breakfast milk bun ($7.50) sounds vanilla but is anything but. More like a round focaccia, each one carries artful toppings such as caramelised onion and brie; ham, cheese and zucchini pickle; or sopressa with hot honey. 31 Percy Street, Portland, instagram.com/sourdoughportland Advertisement One of That Places impressive pies. That Place Pastry chef Ashlea Allen trained at one of Pariss leading pastry schools before perfecting her craft at the famous La Patisserie des Reves. Now, lucky Geelong gets to reap the rewards. Why its worth your time: This is a haven for lovers of traditional French patisserie and viennoiserie, made with a combination of French and Victorian butter. Think crisp, flaky croissants; pains au chocolat filled with Belgian chocolate; and flaky Danish pastries. Well-spiced hot cross buns are glazed with golden syrup. The must-try item: The beef hand pie ($12.50) is filled with beef Bourguignon of tender beef cheek slow-cooked with bay leaves and thyme, encased in buttery puff pastry in the shape of a pithivier. Advertisement 110b Mount Pleasant Road, Belmont, thatplacepatisserie.com Related Article On the road with Victoria by Farmer's Daughters chef Alejandro Saravia GIPPSLAND Salt Organics In the far-east reaches of Gippsland, former chef Ondy Meek runs a micro-bakery that doubles as a shop for organic and biodynamic produce, ferments, dairy and more. Advertisement Why its worth your time: These shelves dont look like every other bakerys. Bread is scored in beautiful patterns, bagels are layered with triple-cream brie and smoked turkey, and bialy (Polish bread rolls) are stuffed with mashed potato, Maffra cheddar and spicy Italian sausage. At Salt Organics, Cornish pasties are made with a traditional shortcrust that uses lard. The must-try item: Meek renders her own lard to make a rich, slightly crumbly shortcrust pastry for traditional Cornish pasties ($8.50) filled with chunks of beef, swede, potato and onion. The same pastry stars in beef pies ($8.50) cradling tender beef cheek and glossy gravy. 94 Nicholson Street, Orbost, instagram.com/saltorganics Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Involuntary celibacy incel culture, toxic masculinity, knife crime and young teens on social media. Netflix series Adolescence has become a focal point for anxieties about the lost boys of the internet and, in doing so, it has attracted a record 66 million views in two weeks. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has even suggested the show is important enough to be shown in parliament. The series is four hours of harrowing watching, following the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering a 14-year-old girl with a knife. One rainy weekend, my nearly 13-year-old son and I watched it in a single day. He asked me to write this. Owen Cooper plays Jamie Miller, who is arrested for murder, in the Netflix drama Adolescence. Its difficult, though compelling watching for a parent. The arrest with which the series begins emphasises the fragile shoulders and skinny torso of the accused young teen; a child really, taken into adult custody for a violent crime. Obviously, he should be protected by his parents. Obviously, he cant be. Its too late for that. Jamie has become part of a world the parents dont understand. As the police seek a motive for the crime, Jamies loneliness in prison is only underscored by the loneliness of the outside and online worlds he had inhabited. One of the investigating police officers even compares his school to a prison, in which the teachers are so stretched just trying to manage unruly inmates that learning is pretty much out of the question. Yet the main interaction of the teens isnt in person but online; their bodies have become fleshy props in service of those cyber interactions. The girls send nudes to the boys. The boys share them to prove something to themselves or others. Everyone is ranking everyone else, all the time. We take an in-depth look at the election campaign and the issues that matter to voters in the key Victorian seats of Wills, Goldstein, Kooyong and Bruce. Amelia Hamer, the Liberal Partys great hope to wrest the blue-ribbon seat of Kooyong back from the teals, has pitched herself as a renter and someone who empathises with tenants struggles. But this masthead can reveal that while the Oxford-educated 31-year-old is renting in Hawthorn, she is a landlord and owns two investment properties a million-dollar flat in inner London and an apartment in Canberra, both bought in the past decade. Amelia Hamer, the 31-year-old Oxford-educated grandniece of former Victorian premier Sir Rupert Dick Hamer, is hoping to unseat independent MP Monique Ryan in Kooyong. Credit: Eddie Jim UK Property Title documents obtained by this masthead show Hamer purchased a flat in Wandsworth, south-west London, in June 2017 for 635,000 ($1.07 million at the time). Online price estimate websites suggest the property is now worth 679,000 ($1.46 million). The property is listed online as a one-bedroom, one-bathroom flat, but Hamer was seeking to rent the property out as a two-bedroom flat in 2020 for 1600 a month (about $3000 at the time), according to public Facebook posts in a group for flat shares in London. WASHINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the United States is canceling all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and suspending the issuance of new ones. The action comes after South Sudan's transitional government failed to accept the return of its deported citizens in a timely manner, Rubio said in a statement. Washington "will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation," Rubio added. This is the first visa ban targeting all passport holders from a specific country since President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20. The Israeli military official said the internal investigation of the attack, which has drawn international scrutiny and condemnation, was ongoing. The video obtained by the Times shows that the approaching ambulances and fire truck were clearly marked and had their emergency signal lights on when Israeli troops hit them with a barrage of gunfire. Credit: NYT The assessment, which was shared in a briefing with reporters by an Israeli military official, came the day after a video obtained by The New York Times appeared to contradict the militarys earlier version of events. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under army rules. Jerusalem : The Israeli military has acknowledged that the initial accounts from troops involved in the killing of 15 people in the southern Gaza Strip last month who the United Nations said were paramedics and rescue workers had been partially mistaken. Briefing reporters on Saturday night on the militarys initial findings, the official said forces from a reserve infantry brigade had been lying in ambush along a road to the north of the Gaza city of Rafah in the predawn hours of March 23 and, at 4am, had killed what he described as two Hamas security personnel and detained a third one. Two hours later, as dawn was breaking, a convoy of ambulances and a fire truck approached the same spot. The Israeli forces were still on the ground and received a report from a surveillance aircraft that the convoy was moving toward them, the official said. When the rescue workers arrived and left their vehicles, he said, the forces believed that more Hamas operatives had arrived and opened fire on the occupants of the vehicles from afar. The Israeli military had previously asserted, repeatedly and erroneously, that the vehicles were advancing suspiciously toward the troops without headlights or emergency signals. The video obtained by the Times shows that the approaching ambulances and fire truck were clearly marked and had their emergency signal lights on when Israeli troops hit them with a barrage of gunfire. Health insurance scheme for officers, employees of MPs power companies soon Staff Reporter Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Pradyumn Singh Tomar has declared that a health insurance scheme will be implemented soon for all officers and employees working in the States power companies. He instructed officials to complete this process within a set timeframe. These directives were issued on Friday during a review meeting of power companies held at Bhopal Secretariat. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) Neeraj Mandloi, MP Power Management Company Managing Director Avinash Lavania, Madhya Kshetra MD Kshitij Singhal, Paschim Kshetra MD Anoop Singh, Power Generating Company MD Manjeet Singh and Power Transmission Company MD Sunil Tiwari, along with other senior engineers. Minister Tomar emphasized the importance of setting annual targets and aligning all actions accordingly. He said he would conduct quarterly reviews and added that officers who meet performance standards will be rewarded, while those who fall short will face penalties. These evaluations will also be considered for transfers and promotions. Tomar informed that the new organizational structure (O.S.) of the Power Generating and Transmission Companies has been approved, and instructed that recruitment processes be completed promptly. He congratulated the power companies for their notable achievements during the last financial year. The Minister directed that projects approved under the PM Jan-Man and Dharati Aba schemes be completed within the stipulated timeframes. Under the Jan-Man scheme, the goal is to provide electricity connections to 27,230 households, out of which 17,739 have already received connections. All three electricity distribution companies were directed to create a well-planned strategy to reduce line losses, ensure timely replacement of faulty transformers, strengthen the governments stance in legal cases, and provide timely information about power outages and maintenance via social media. Minister Tomar reminded power sector employees of their duties as responsible citizens. He emphasized the importance of social responsibility, including environmental efforts. Last year, one lakh saplings were planted, and he urged that their protection be ensured. He also called for the preparation of a plantation plan ahead of the upcoming monsoon season. Additional Chief Secretary Neeraj Mandloi reviewed the status of departmental schemes and directed engineers to compulsorily prepare the action plan for the new financial year by April 15. Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan swells with public participation, hope rises for groundwater conservation Staff Reporter The Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan (Water Ganga Promotion Campaign) underway in State, inspired by PM Narendra Modis call for water conservation, is rapidly transforming into a mass movement. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed his delight, stating that the publics enthusiasm for water conservation in the State is continuously growing. The revival of wells, stepwells, and ponds is raising hopes for the improvement of groundwater levels. CM Yadav had launched this state-wide campaign on March 30, from Ramghat on the banks of the Maa Kshipra River in Ujjain. He emphasised that the overwhelming public participation in water conservation clearly indicates that State is at the forefront of PM Modis mission of water conservation through public co-operation. The State Government is actively pursuing water conservation based on the principle of water from the field stays in the field, water from the village stays in the village. To make this a success, the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan is specifically emphasising rainwater harvesting, the rejuvenation of old water sources, and the adoption of water conservation techniques. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that this campaign will play a significant role in raising awareness about water conservation. He has directed all relevant departments to prioritise water conservation-related schemes and connect more and more people with the campaign. The campaign is witnessing enthusiastic public support for its various objectives, including water conservation, restoration of water sources, improvement of groundwater levels, renovation of old wells and stepwells, cleaning of water sources, tree plantation, and the conservation of small rivers and ponds. A tangible example of this is the collective cleaning of Chintaman Bawdi, Gothda Bawdi, Ranawad Bawdi, and Bamora Bawdi by the Ujjain Janpad Panchayat team, along with Ujjain Zilla Panchayat CEO Jayati Singh, through public co-operation. In Indore district, religious leaders are also joining the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan to spread awareness about the importance of water conservation to the masses. Through their sermons, they are emphasising the significance of water. Inspired by them, citizens are volunteering their labour to restore stepwells, wells, and ponds. In Barlai Jagir village of Indore district, Guru Anandacharya of Charbhuja Nath Temple Sanwer, along with the young disciples of the ashram, performed prayers and rituals at a stepwell. Water was also worshipped with chanting. He explained the importance of water to the gathered people, stating that every drop of water is life-giving and holds a special place in our religious beliefs. Therefore, everyone should work together to conserve water. Following Anandacharyas call, devotees volunteered their labour for the cleaning of the stepwell in Barlai Jagir. He stated that the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan is an important initiative to ensure the abundant availability of water in the state and water security for future generations. The State Jan Abhiyan Parishad, with the co-operation of college students, has initiated a series of voluntary labour drives to clean the most significant water structure in Sidhi, Gopal Das Talab, by removing silt. This effort is continuously being extended to the cleaning of various other water structures. Simultaneously, to raise public awareness about water conservation, Chaupal (village meeting) discussions, wall writings, and literary competitions such as essay and poetry writing are also being organised. The Navankur Sanstha Jan-Chetna Gram Vikas Samiti conducted a cleanliness drive through voluntary labour in the Tirchuli River of Nadaha, an ideal village in Sidhi district. The public contributed by cleaning and deepening the area around the village hand pumps and the reservoir. In Sheopur, as part of the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan, the Navankur Sanstha of the Jan Abhiyan Parishad, with the support of social workers and voluntary organisations, carried out voluntary labour for cleaning the Girraj Ghat on the Seep River. This marked the beginning of efforts to clean the river. In Seoni district, various programs for the conservation and rejuvenation of rivers, wells, ponds, stepwells, and other water structures in rural areas are being organised under the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan. Additionally, activities like awareness rallies and wall writings are being conducted to connect the general public with this campaign. Breaking Stereotypes By LEKSHMI GOPALAKRISHNAN Wearing a close-fitting black T-shirt and jeans, she walked confidently before superstar Mohanlal, clearing the path for him by efficiently managing the crowd. Her tough looks and commanding gestures made her stand out among the male watch-and-ward staff escorting the actor when he attended a function in Kochi recently. She is Anu Kunjumon, one of several women who are now breaking gender stereotypes by entering the long-standing, male-dominated profession of bouncers. Bouncers are professional security personnel deployed to manage crowds during mass events, escort celebrities, provide personal security to those facing threats, handle party spoilers during DJ parties, and deal with troublemakers at pubs and bars. Like Kunjumon, several women who are confident in their physical fitness and mental strength are now working as bouncers, a relatively new and unconventional profession in Kerala. If anyone asks what made her choose a profession that women do not typically take up, Kunjumon would say that she has always liked to command people and earn their respect. The 37-year-old would also say that she has always wanted to be mentally strong and physically powerful in life. I am a person who grew up fighting all kinds of challenges in my life. I had to strive to look after my mother and sister and to live a dignified life in society. But I overcame everything with my mental strength, she told PTI. A photographer by profession, Kunjumon used to take photos at film promotional events and celebrity programmes as per the demands of clients. She said that women photographers covering film promotions were also very rare when she began her career years ago. At one such event, she had an argument and altercation with a male bouncer, which ultimately led her to choose that profession. One of the bouncers pushed me while I was taking pictures at the function. I didnt like the way I was treated, so I gave him a strong push, which literally knocked him down. I later called the agency that supplied bouncers for the event and asked them why they don't hire women bouncers. I also expressed my interest in working as a female bouncer, she said. She believes that a woman with strong willpower, mental strength, and a moderately fit body can excel as a bouncer. During her years-long career, Kunjumon, who hails from Kochi, has worked as a bouncer at celebrity events and pub parties, as well as escorting female celebrities and business professionals. I have never felt any difficulty in managing crowds over the years. I have had to deal with troublemakers--men, women, and transgender individuals--in many situations. However, I have never had any bad experiences as a woman in such circumstances, the bouncer said with a smile. She also stated that she is pursuing her job as a bouncer with the same passion as she had for photography. Another woman bouncer, who does not wish to be named, said they receive almost equal pay to their male counterparts for their services. We are hired based on the demands of clients. In the majority of award nights, celebrity events, and DJ parties, women bouncers are now a necessity, she told PTI. However, she admitted that the lack of professional training is a major challenge for bouncers like her. I have been going to the gym for years and am very particular about keeping my body fit. But apart from that, I have not received any professional training to work as a bouncer or to meet the required responsibilities, the 32-year-old said. Rakhee K George, who runs Bonfire Events, an event management company in Kochi, said there is no proper system in place to provide training for women bouncers. Many bouncer-supplying agencies simply send physically strong-looking women to events as per the clients demands. Many women bouncers overcome challenges during work through their mental courage, she said. Umesh Kumar, who runs a private security agency here, said they usually do not provide women bouncers due to the lack of trained personnel. It seems that the majority of such recruitments are done through gyms. Physically strong women, especially those with gym training, are deployed as bouncers by many agencies, he said. (PTI) Citys Muslim brethren celebrate passing of Waqf Amendment Bill Staff Reporter A large number of members of the Muslim community, on Saturday expressed happiness over the passing of Waqf Amendment Bill in both the Houses at Badi Omti Chowk. They celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets among citizens. Many also praised the bill as a historic move in the national interest. The community members expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing forth the Amendment Bill. Speaking on the occasion, community representative S K Muddeen stated that the Waqf Amendment Bill will transform both the condition and direction of the Muslim community. It will undoubtedly play a vital role in their upliftment. BJP leader Jama Khan also addressed the gathering and said that the bill will significantly improve the future of Indian Muslims. He said for the past 70 years, a handful of leaders from Opposition parties have been misusing Waqf properties for personal gain. These properties were meant to support the poor, labourers and the helpless not politicians and their families. Despite over 9 lakh acres of Waqf land across the country, Muslims have been forced to conduct business on the streets, he said. Khan blamed the party in power for the last seven decades for the sorry state of Muslims. He said they are now trying to mislead the Muslim community about this bill for political gain, which is wrong. Prominent amongst those present on the occasion were S K Muddeen, Uwais Ansari, Qamar Ali, Tanveer Koti, Naseem Baig, Moin Khan, Muzammil Ali, Annu Anwar, Rashid Ali, Zafar Khan, Asif Anthony and many other members of the community. Isolated rainfall in Jabalpur, heatwave conditions persist Staff Reporter According to IMD, for Bhopal and its surrounding areas, the forecast for April 6, predicts a maximum temperature of 39C and a minimum temperature of 22C, with an average wind speed of 16-18 km per hour. State experienced varied weather conditions in the last 24 hours, with isolated rainfall recorded in the districts of Jabalpur division, while the rest of the State remained mainly dry. Maximum temperatures saw a notable increase in several areas. Districts in the Rewa division experienced a significant rise of 3.7C, and the Jabalpur and Shahdol divisions saw temperatures jump considerably by 4.4 to 6.3 degrees. In contrast, other divisions in the state observed no significant changes in maximum temperatures, and they remained normal across all divisions. Minimum temperatures also fluctuated, with Shahdol division districts recording a considerable drop of 2.5C. Minimum temperatures were below normal (-1.6C) in Jabalpur division districts, above normal (2.2C) in Indore division districts, and normal in the remaining divisions. The highest maximum temperature in the state was 40.0C, recorded in Narmadapuram and Ratlam, while the lowest minimum temperature was 14.6C in Pachmarhi (Narmadapuram). Key Rainfall and Wind Observations: Rainfall: Pandhurna (0.3 mm), Sausar (0.1 mm), Gusty Winds: Seoni (30 km/h) and thunderstorm/lightning: Chhindwara, Seoni, and Pandhurna. According to IMD, a cyclonic circulation at 0.9 km above mean sea level is currently affecting the central parts of Madhya Pradesh. A fresh western disturbance is expected to impact the Western Himalayan region starting from April 8. Residents are advised to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid travel when possible. It is crucial to seek safe shelter during storms, avoid taking shelter under trees, and move away from water bodies. The Weather Department also advises against lying on concrete floors or leaning against concrete walls and recommends unplugging electrical/electronic devices. Livestock should be kept away from open water and secured in protected sheds, especially at night. According to IMD, farmers are receiving specific guidance to prepare for summer crops, maintain soil fertility, ensure proper irrigation, monitor for pests, and protect stored grains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and local authorities urge everyone to stay informed about weather forecasts and alerts. It is also recommended to have an emergency kit ready with essential supplies. A gradual increase in maximum temperatures by 2-5C is expected over the next 5 days. The sky is expected to remain clear. Korba ASI caught accepting bribe The Hitavada State Bureau Korba/Bilaspur In a trap operation led by the State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB), Bilaspur, Assistant Sub-Inspector Manoj Mishra, posted at Hardibazar Police Station under Korba district, was arrested on Saturday while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a local resident. The complainant, Pancham Chauhan of Kosla village, had approached SEOIACB with allegations that ASI Mishra had falsely implicated him in a fabricated diesel theft case, and was demanding Rs 50,000 in exchange for releasing his vehicle. Upon receiving and verifying the complaint, SEOIACB Bilaspur planned a trap operation on April 5. During the operation, ASI Manoj Mishra was caught red-handed while accepting the the bribe of Rs 10,000 in cash from the complainant. The transaction was intercepted and documented by SEOIACB officers at the scene. The accused has been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), and that further procedural actions are underway. Lonar seeking a place in Nashik Kumbhs Spiritual Corridor By Vaishnavi Pillay With the preparations for the 2027 Nashik Kumbh Mela gaining momentum, spiritual and cultural leaders are voicing their vision to widen the scope of this ancient pilgrimage. One such voice is that of Satish Kate, a retired employee of the Indian Oil Corporation, Nagpur. He has proposed that Lonar town in Buldhana district of Vidarbha region be included in the Spiritual Corridor being planned for the upcoming Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027. Kate informed The Hitavada that the committee formed under the Maharashtra Government to plan the 2027 Kumbh Mela, is exploring ways of developing the regions nearby of Nashik from a tourism and spiritual perspective. Lonar is renowned for its meteoric lake, but is not widely known for its spiritual significance. The Markandeya Puran also refers to Lonar in its Viraj Mahatmya chapter, said Kate. Kate explained that just as the region around Nashik featured several important Jyotirlings, such as Ghrishneshwar Temple in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath, Lonar too should be included in the proposed Spiritual Corridor connecting Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Lonar. Kate noted that such a decision would not only boost tourism but also lift the local economy. People visit Lonar for its famous crater lake, but very few know that the story of Lonar is deeply connected to Lord Vishnu. He mentioned Daitya Sudan Temple, built in honour of Lord Vishnus victory over the demon Lonasur. Another important site, the Gomukh Temple, has a perennial stream from which water flows continuously. This spot is also referred to as the Sita Nahani Temple or Dhara. Kate stated that while the local population is familiar with these stories, they remain largely unknown to the general public. To support this vision, Kate has submitted a formal proposal to the Lonar Development Committee under the jurisdiction of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. Lonar is not well-developed at present, but with proper arrangements and effective promotion, people will become aware of its religious significance and be inspired to visit, he said and added that visitors travelling to Lonar could also explore nearby sites like Sindkhed Raja, the birthplace of Rajmata Jijau, mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Lonar needs better approach roads, improved internal roads and streets, and decent hotels. Even the temples in Lonar require proper care and maintenance, he said. Kate believed that integrating Lonar into the Kumbh Melas spiritual corridor will bring much-needed attention and development to the region. A crew member demonstrates a product, themed on the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), on the Laobacha Haikou Bus's CICPE special route in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 6, 2025. Ahead of the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), the Laobacha Haikou Bus has inaugurated its CICPE special route. Laobacha is a beloved Hainan tradition where locals gather over fragrant tea, savory snacks, and leisurely chat. Featuring a panoramic sunroof and a music stage, the bus blends local culture with innovative expo-themed designs and connects popular tourist spots across the city, showcasing the charm of local tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) Tourists take photos on the Laobacha Haikou Bus's China International Consumer Products Expo special route in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 6, 2025. Ahead of the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), the Laobacha Haikou Bus has inaugurated its CICPE special route. Laobacha is a beloved Hainan tradition where locals gather over fragrant tea, savory snacks, and leisurely chat. Featuring a panoramic sunroof and a music stage, the bus blends local culture with innovative expo-themed designs and connects popular tourist spots across the city, showcasing the charm of local tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) A Laobacha Haikou Bus, which runs on a China International Consumer Products Expo special route, is seen in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 6, 2025. Ahead of the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), the Laobacha Haikou Bus has inaugurated its CICPE special route. Laobacha is a beloved Hainan tradition where locals gather over fragrant tea, savory snacks, and leisurely chat. Featuring a panoramic sunroof and a music stage, the bus blends local culture with innovative expo-themed designs and connects popular tourist spots across the city, showcasing the charm of local tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) A tourist takes photos of the mascot of the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) on the Laobacha Haikou Bus's CICPE special route in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 6, 2025. Ahead of the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), the Laobacha Haikou Bus has inaugurated its CICPE special route. Laobacha is a beloved Hainan tradition where locals gather over fragrant tea, savory snacks, and leisurely chat. Featuring a panoramic sunroof and a music stage, the bus blends local culture with innovative expo-themed designs and connects popular tourist spots across the city, showcasing the charm of local tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) A tourist enjoys snacks on the Laobacha Haikou Bus's China International Consumer Products Expo special route in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 6, 2025. Ahead of the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), the Laobacha Haikou Bus has inaugurated its CICPE special route. Laobacha is a beloved Hainan tradition where locals gather over fragrant tea, savory snacks, and leisurely chat. Featuring a panoramic sunroof and a music stage, the bus blends local culture with innovative expo-themed designs and connects popular tourist spots across the city, showcasing the charm of local tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) Products themed on the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) are seen on the Laobacha Haikou Bus's CICPE special route in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 6, 2025. Ahead of the upcoming fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), the Laobacha Haikou Bus has inaugurated its CICPE special route. Laobacha is a beloved Hainan tradition where locals gather over fragrant tea, savory snacks, and leisurely chat. Featuring a panoramic sunroof and a music stage, the bus blends local culture with innovative expo-themed designs and connects popular tourist spots across the city, showcasing the charm of local tourism. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) Rahul Pande appointed as MahsChief Information Commissioner Staff Reporter NAGPUR MAHARASHTRA Governor C P Radhakrishnan appointed former State Information Commissioner Rahul Pande of Nagpur as States Chief Information Commissioner. Maharashtra Government had recommended the name of Rahul Pande for the said post to Governor. After the end of tenure of former Chief Secretaries Ratnakar Gaikwad and Sumit Mullick as Chief Information Commissioner the post became vacant. Rahul Pande is a former journalist who worked as City Editor of The Hitavada at Nagpur. Similarly, Governor appointed Gajanan Nimdeo, the Chief Editor of Marathi Daily Tarun Bharat and Additional Tribal C o m m i s s i o n e r Ravindra Thakare, both from Nagpur as State Information Commissioners (SIC). Governor also appointed Prakash Indalkar as SIC. Some people had applied for the post of Chief Information Commissioner but Government found only Rahul Pande as an eligible candidate in terms of experience of administration, governance (he completed full threeyear term of State Information Commissioner), he worked as journalist, also he is Post Graduate in Law. Rahul Pande is one of theyoungest StateI n f o r m a t i o nC o m m i s s i o n e r s(Maharashtra). Afterappointment as theState InformationC o m m i s s i o n e r(Maharashtra) inSeptember 2021, Pande broughtvibrancy in the functioning of Information Commission atNagpur to bring down the pendency. Within two weeks, he wasasked to handle Amravati benchas well and discharged the dutyfor around a month. He was given additional responsibility of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar bench whose jurisdiction is over all districts of Marathwada region. As SIC he disposed of more than 26,000 cases at Nagpur, Amravati and Sambhaji Nagar. He took stern action against certain undesirable elements who are misusing RTI provisions to extort or blackmail. During my previous stint as the City Editor of The Hitavada at its flagship Nagpur edition and my long stint as a successful journalist working in Central Indias largest and oldest English Newspaper, I handled very critical responsibilities expected from a senior journalist heading the reporting team with great distinction and to the great satisfaction of the management. I am a well connected individual with good communication skills and comprehension of legal, social, economic, political, developmental issues, said Rahul Pande. Gajanan Nimdeo, who came from a small town Mehkar in Buldhana district, established himself in Nagpur as journalist in last 34 years. He received prestigious 7 awards, including the Late Shaktikumar Sancheti Memorial Award from the Buldhana District Citizens Board working in Nagpur, the Mahatma Gandhi Addiction De-Addiction Service Award from the Maharashtra Government, the Appasaheb Padalkar Memorial Journalism Award from the Senior Citizens' Corporation Vidarbha, the Satyajit Gaurav Award from Mehkar in Buldhana district, and the late Anil Kumar Journalism Award. He provided free guidance for competitive examinations, thousands of students have benefited from it. He has written seven books for MPSC examinations. Ravindra Thakare worked as Additional Divisional Commissioner, Additional charge of Project Director of Vidarbha Marathwada Dairy Development Board, Additional Municipal Commissioner, District Collector of Nagpur, Additional Tribal Commissioner. Ravindra Thakare is known for his contribution during coronavirus pandemic when he was District Collector. As a Tribal Commissioner Thakare played a major role in introducing several initiatives helpful for tribal population especially tribal children. Shivnath Automobiles encroachment on hospital land removed in Bhilai Staff Reporter BHILAI An illegal encroachment near the Government Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Supela, Bhilai, was cleared after officials discovered that a portion of government land had been occupied by Shivnath Automobiles (Mahindra Motors). The encroachment was causing inconvenience in the hospitals postmortem process, as bodies had to be transported through the regular route due to blocked access. The issue came to light during a surprise inspection by Durg District Collector Abhijeet Singh. After proper land demarcation, it was confirmed that Mahindra Motors had encroached upon the hospital-adjacent government plot. Taking swift action, Executive Magistrate Dikeshwar Sahu, Zone Commissioner Ajay Singh Rajput, Revenue Officer J.P. Tiwari, and Building Officer Arvind Sharma reached the spot along with police personnel and municipal staff to clear the encroachment. The operation began at 2:00 PM, during which the encroached area was vacated and the debris was seized using JCB machines and dumpers. Officials from Shivnath Motors were issued a strict warning and were made to sign a written statement promising that no further encroachment would be attempted . A legal report (panchanama) was also prepared during the process. The BMC has warned all encroachers to refrain from occupying government land. If such violations occur again, eviction will be enforced, and the cost of removal will be recovered from the violators. Officials present during the eviction included Government Revenue Inspector Narsingh Sahu, Assistant Revenue Officer Prasanna Tiwari, Basant Dewangan, Engineer Purushottam Sinha, Chandan Nirmalkar, Revenue Inspector Shashank Shekhar, Demolition Officer Hariom Gupta, Supervisor Inam Singh Kannauj, Niranjan Asati, Nandu Sinha, Rajesh Gupta, Tosendra Sahu, Rajendra Singh, Hemlal Yadav, Mangal Jangde and Vishnu Soni. People take traditional holy bath at Brahmaputra river in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, April 5, 2025. Tens of thousands of pilgrims in Bangladesh have joined a traditional holy bath of Hindus at Brahmaputra river in Narayanganj. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) People take traditional holy bath at Brahmaputra river in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, April 5, 2025. Tens of thousands of pilgrims in Bangladesh have joined a traditional holy bath of Hindus at Brahmaputra river in Narayanganj. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) People take traditional holy bath at Brahmaputra river in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, April 5, 2025. Tens of thousands of pilgrims in Bangladesh have joined a traditional holy bath of Hindus at Brahmaputra river in Narayanganj. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) A rescue and medical team from Yunnan Province arrives at the Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 6, 2025. The team returned from Myanmar on Sunday afternoon, after completing their earthquake relief work. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei) KUNMING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A 37-member rescue and medical team from southwest China's Yunnan Province returned from Myanmar on Sunday afternoon, after completing their earthquake relief work. A 7.9-magnitude quake struck Myanmar on March 28. At around 6:30 a.m. Beijing time on March 29, the team from Yunnan Province, which borders Myanmar, took off from Kunming -- Yunnan's capital city -- to the quake-stricken areas in Myanmar boarding a flight, carrying with them life detectors, seismic warning systems, portable satellite telephones and drones. As the first Chinese rescue team to arrive in Myanmar, they immediately joined forces with local firefighters and rescuers to carry out rescue and medical operations in the severely-affected Naypyidaw, which lasted for over 150 hours. At 5 a.m. March 30 local time, the team, joined by local forces, rescued an elderly person who had been trapped for nearly 40 hours at a local hospital. A China Media Group report said on Wednesday that more than 500 Chinese rescue workers were in Myanmar for rescue and relief missions, all together. As of Thursday, Chinese rescue teams had successfully saved nine survivors from the quake-affected areas. World Health Day : Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures | Dr Kshetrimayum Kala Singh The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all The World Health Day is celebrated by the people all across the world every year on 7th of April under the leadership of World Health Organisation to draw the mass people attention towards the importance of global health. A proposal was put forward by Brazil and China for creation of an organization to take health related issues all over the world. The proposal presented in 1945 stated this body should be totally independent of any Government powers and focuses equally on health related issues of whole world. In 1946, establishment of WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) was approved in New York. World Health Assembly was held 1st time in the year 1948 in Geneva by the WHO where it was decided to celebrate the World Health Day annually on 7th April. It was 1st celebrated worldwide in the year 1950 as the World Health Day. It is an annual event being celebrated for years to raise the common public awareness towards the health issues and concerns. A particular theme is chosen to run the celebration and to take care of the health for whole year. The theme for this year is Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures will urge Governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women's longer-term health and well being. WHO and partners will also share useful information to support healthy pregnancies and births, and better postnatal health. Helping every woman and baby survive and thrive This task is critical. Tragically, based on currently published estimates, close to 300,000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over 2 million babies die in their first month of life and around 2 million more are stillborn. That's roughly 1 preventable death every 7 seconds. Based on current trends, a staggering 4 out of 5 countries are off track to meet targets for improving maternal survival by 2030. 1 in 3 will fail to meet targets for reducing newborn deaths. Listening to women and supporting families Women and families everywhere need high quality care that supports them physically and emotionally, before, during and after birth. Health systems must evolve to manage the many health issues that impact maternal and newborn health. These not only include direct obstetric complications but also mental health conditions, non- communicable diseases and family planning. Additionally, women and families should be supported by laws and policies that safeguard their health and rights. Campaign goals To raise awareness about gaps in maternal and newborn survival and the need to prioritize women's longer-term well-being. To advocate for effective investments that improve the health of women and babies. To encourage collective action to support parents as well as health professionals who provide critical care. To provide useful health information relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. World Health Day is celebrated worldwide by the Goverment, non-Government, NGOs including various health organizations at many places by organizing programmes relating to the public health issues and awareness. Participating organizations highlight their activities and supports through the media reports by means of press releases, news and etc. Health authorities from different country take part in the celebration with their pledges in order to support on the health issues worldwide. World Health Day targets all the health issues on global basis for which several programs are organized yearly by the WHO and other related health organizations at various places like schools, colleges and other crowd places. It is celebrated to remember the establishment of the World Health Organization as well as draw the attention of people towards the major health issues in the world. WHO is a vast health organization working under UN for addressing the health issues on a global basis. Since its establishment it has addressed serious health issues including chickenpox, polio, smallpox, TB, leprosy and etc. from various developing countries. It has played a significant role aiming to make the world a healthy world. It has all the statistic about global health reports. The World Health Organization has been involved in mobilizing many health efforts the world over. Describing what medicines are essential for public health, and which diseases to give a particular focus to. The movement to eradicate smallpox started in 1958, initiated by pressure from Viktor Zhdanov, the Deputy Minister of Health for the then USSR. In 1979 the WHO declared that smallpox had in fact been eradicated, making it the first disease in history to be eliminated by the dedicated efforts of humans. World Health Day is one of 11 official global health campaigns run by the World Health Organization, along with World Hepatitis Day, World Tuberculosis Day, World Chagas Disease Day, World Patient Safety Day, World Immunization Week, World No Tobacco Day, World AIDS Day, World Malaria Day, World Blood Donor Day and World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. Mr. Erasmus, the 16th century Dutch philosopher said that prevention is better than cure. Preventive methods help us in saving from deadly and fatal diseases which cant be cured. IT IS EASIER TO STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THE 1ST PLACE THAN TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AFTER IT HAS HAPPENED The writer is Senior Consultant, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon, Raj-Medicity North AOC Imphal West & Babina Multispeciality Hospital, Khabeisoi, Sajiwa Road, Imphal East After Delhi meet of April 5, what next ?Emerging truth and reality | What next ? This is the question that must be right up there in the mind of every thinking man and woman in Manipur now that the first ever meeting between representatives of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities under the aegis of the Union Home Ministry has come and gone. And 24 hours after the highly anticipated meeting, there are more questions than answers and the little that has been received and gone to the public domain are the proposals forwarded by the Union Home Ministry. No surprise elements in the proposals put forward for they are all steps needed to be taken up to put Manipur on the track of normalcy. As widely published, the three proposals laid down by the Centre are-declaration of ceasefire between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos, opening of highways and roads to all sections of the people and to pave the way for a lasting solution to the protracted violence. Again it was not surprising to see the six member team from AMUCO and FOCS, representing the Meitei community, agreeing with the proposals laid down by the Home Ministry while the representatives from the Kuki-Zo community put up the need to consult people first rider. Here it is not difficult to ascertain that the need to consult people first line would have been laid down with specific reference to the clause opening of highways and roads to all sections of the people and is a hark back to what happened to the open all highways and roads to all sections of the people by March 8, directive of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Manipur has certainly not forgotten the drama that unfolded on National Highway-2, a highway that passes through some Kuki dominated places such as Motbung and Kangpokpi and it remains to be seen how much things would have changed after the first ever meeting between representatives of the Kuki-Zo and Meitei community. What the Union Home Ministry has had to lay down before representatives of the two communities has been laid down clear and loud, but what Manipur wants to hear is what the representatives from either side had to say during the meeting. It is not clear whether the representatives of the Kuki-Zo community have returned or not while reports coming in say that the people who represented the Meiteis are set to return on April 7. How things unfold is anybodys guess, but the radical position adopted by the Kuki-Zo community would not have missed the eyes of the Union Home Ministry. The very line, need to consult people first is more than an indication that the soft approach to ensure free movement of people on all highways and roads from March 8 has only emboldened the Kuki-Zo side to strike such a posture. A reality which New Delhi can no longer afford to camouflage in their politics of molly coddling one side in a case of conflict between two groups of people. The Centre is yet to announce when the next round of talks would be held or more importantly if there would be further such talks, but the significance of holding the first such meeting between representatives of the two communities is significant. This is a line which The Sangai Express had been advocating from the early days of the clash and though late, it has come and one hopes Delhi is able to look at the issue without its vision being clouded by the compulsion of geo-politics. This is where it becomes important for New Delhi to look deeper and understand what the Kuki-Zo representatives actually meant by the line need to consult people first. This is obviously not the time to beat around the bush and anyone who has been following the Manipur violence minutely will understand who exactly the people are, the people who need to be consulted first. Manipur knows who is pulling the strings and it is with a reason why there is the growing suspicion that there are solid reasons why Delhi is refusing to acknowledge the hands that are pulling the strings from behind. It is this same compulsion which has prompted the Centre to keep on talking in two tongues and jump from one branch to the other, best exemplified by the way in which the reason for the ongoing clash has been attributed to the ruling of the High Court of Manipur and to the large scale immigration from across the border. Now look at the decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border, do away with the Free Movement Regime, the finger pointed at the ruling of the High Court and the uncertainty over the status of the SoO pact and the politics at work will certainly get more clear. XI'AN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A batch of highland barley seeds from the reusable returnable experimental satellite Shijian-19 has been handed over for the ground breeding of China's first-generation "space highland barley" in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The returned seeds were selected due to traits such as high yield, extreme temperature tolerance and pest resistance. They originated from Shannan City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. "As a major agricultural hub in Xizang, we are committed to securing grain output through technology. Space breeding offers a pathway to develop hardier, more productive crop varieties, ultimately boosting farmers' incomes," said Dawa Sangzhub, head of Shannan's agricultural technology promotion center under the bureau of agriculture and rural affairs. Space breeding involves exposing seeds to cosmic radiation, microgravity, and vacuum conditions aboard spacecraft to induce genetic mutations. Upon return, these seeds undergo selective cultivation to isolate desirable traits, including enhanced yield, disease resistance, and climate adaptability, according to Xi'an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base in the provincial capital of Shaanxi. After a 15-day space voyage, the seeds will be jointly analyzed by the base and agricultural experts from Shannan. A cooperative mechanism combining technical guidance of the Xi'an base with Shannan's field cultivation experience will ensure end-to-end support from mutation to harvest, experts said. Amidst apprehensions, the industrial city reflected the picture of traditional harmony today when the followers of Raheem offered serbat to the disciples of Ram during a Ram Navami procession here in the heart of Durgapur. Braving the hot weather, women in a long queue were carrying water in sacred pots for their annual Bajrangbali Puja at Sonartori Government Colony, in the outskirts of City Centre. Lakshmi Ghosh, Putul Roy, Bina Das and the likes were surprised when their neighbourhood housewives, girls such as Salima Shah, Rubina Khatun, Afsana Haque came forward with wet towels and glass full of sweet aromatic serbats. Putul said: Its too hot today and the serbats were very welcome. Advertisement Deepak Mal is the key person behind the Ramnavami procession here this year. He and his fellow participants in the gorgeous procession were received by Sheikh Asif, Iqbal Qureshi of C Zone Eid Celebration Committee near City Centre. All were offered serbats and sweets by the Eid Committee. Advertisement Deepak said: Its nothing new here and its the same Eid Committee that is A co-organiser of the Ramnavami procession since years. We are all wage labourers and always collectively celebrate Eid, Muharrum, Durga Puja or Ramnavami. We share the work of preparing the ground for Eid namaz each year and this is our culture here. Asif said: We sit and we play together. Even we share funds for someones daughters marriage and never think about one anothers religion. The MP of Burdwan Durgapur, Kirti Azad too echoed similar sentiments. He said: Bengal never divides people. With Ram Navami scheduled for Sunday, security across West Bengal has been significantly ramped up. In Kolkata alone, between 3,500 and 4,000 police personnel will be deployed to maintain law and order, while 29 IPS officers have been assigned special responsibilities throughout the state, police sources said. There will be several mega rallies by the Trinamul Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in city. Around 59 organisers have appealed to the police for organising processions in city. Senior officers of the ranks of joint commissioners, deputy commissioners (DCs), and assistant commissioners (ACs) will be stationed along major routes where processions are expected. Special picketing, deployment of drone surveillance, CCTV monitoring, and videography will be carried out to keep vigil over the events. Advertisement Apart from BJP-organised processions, various Hindu right-wing groups have also announced their plans to take out rallies. Interestingly, the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) will also participate in Ram Navami processions this year, not just in Kolkata, but in cities like Asansol and Siliguri, where the Hindi-speaking population is relatively high. In Jalpaiguri, TMC councillors have reportedly been distributing leaflets door-to-door, inviting people to join the celebrations. Advertisement Kolkata police commissioner Manoj Verma has made it clear that any attempt to carry arms during the processions will be dealt with as per law. However, chief minister Mamata Banerjee stated that processions can be held as long as they follow the system. Even Punjabis carry kirpans. If things are done following a proper system, it should not be a problem, she had said. The CM, who also holds the police portfolio, added: Many of us also take part in Ram Navami rallies. I have no objections as long as they are peaceful. Kolkata Polices Quick Response Teams (QRTs) will remain on standby. Senior officers will be present at key areas like Hastings, Entally and Cossipore, places known for hosting large processions. Bike patrol units will be on the move, and police personnel will accompany the processions for close monitoring. Police sources indicate that about 60 processions were held in Kolkata last year during Ram Navami, and a similar number is expected this year. In districts like Howrah, Hooghly, Barrackpore, Malda, Murshidabad and Siliguri, 29 IPS officers will be on special duty starting Saturday, with their responsibilities extending through Monday. A high-level coordination meeting, chaired by police commissioner Manoj Verma, is scheduled on Saturday noon at Lalbazar to finalise arrangements and deployment strategies. Kolkata Police is reportedly leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the celebrations remain peaceful and incident-free. Uncertainty looms over the salary for the month of April for 26,000 teachers, group C and D staff in government-aided secondary and higher secondary schools, whose appointments have been cancelled by the Supreme Court on Thursday on charge of gross manipulation and cover up during their recruitment process. As per existing process, schools send requisition for salary of their teachers and other staff to the education department by 10th of every month. Usually, teaching and non-teaching staff get their salary on the last day of every month. Advertisement But this time, the matter gets complicated following the apex court judgment invalidating appointments of 25,752 teachers and other employees associated with schools in the city and districts. Advertisement Bikash Bhavan, state education department headquarters at Salt Lake, has not yet given any instructions to schools so far. As a result, headmasters and headmistresses are confused on how to deal with the issue hardly five days ahead of the deadline of 10 April to send requisitions. Requesting anonymity, a headmaster of a higher secondary school in Howrah said: Requisitions are uploaded to a government portal every month requesting a salary amount. This time, we could not take any initiative to start the process because of no guidelines from the government after the court verdict. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the government will give a substantial allocation towards deeptech through the Rs 10,000-crore Fund of Funds scheme. Addressing the gathering on the final day of the Startup Mahakumbh 2025, the minister said the Centre is committed to supporting startups as a facilitator, not as a regulator. Advertisement Goyal highlighted Indias growing strength in innovation, and expressed confidence in Indias potential in deep technology, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. Advertisement This is the foundation on which I am confident India will foray in a big way into the world of innovation. We will make our presence felt on the global stage, he said. He further urged the Indian investors to back the domestic startup ecosystem more actively. The time has come for Piyush Goyal investors to recognise the huge potential of our startup ecosystem. Our young people are doing excellent work and their efforts can accelerate with greater domestic investment. Minister Goyal also mentioned that he has directed Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to prioritise smaller startups while disbursing funds through the scheme. The government will start a helpline desk for Indian start-ups in case they face any kind of issues or want to make suggestions to the government, he said. Whenever any officer troubles you (startups) or if you want to make any suggestion regarding any changes in the laws or if you want to flag any product or technology which may not fall under the current legal boundaries of India, you will be able to reach out to that helpline, the minister added. Talking further about the support provided by the government to startups, Piyush Goyal said that under the Rs 10,000 crore fund of funds of the Startup India scheme, each start-up has been given about Rs 20 crore on average. In an interesting revelation, the government data said that women own 39.2 per cent of all bank accounts and contribute to 39.7 per cent of total deposits. Their participation is highest in rural areas, where they make up 42.2 per cent of account holders. The Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry (MoSPI) released the 26th edition of its publication titled Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data on Sunday. Advertisement It further stated that there is a rise in DEMAT accounts over the years, indicating growing participation in the stock market. Advertisement From March 31, 2021, to November 30, 2024, the total number of DEMAT accounts increased from 33.26 million to 143.02 million, marking more than a fourfold rise. Male account holders have consistently outnumbered female account holders, but female participation has also shown a growing trend, the MoSPI data said. The number of male accounts rose to 115.31 million in 2024 from 26.59 million in 2021, while female accounts increased to 27.71 million from 6.67 million during the same period. Another interesting revelation by the MoSPI was in terms of female-headed proprietary establishments. It said there has been a rising percentage of female-headed proprietary establishments across manufacturing, trade, and other services sectors over the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 has been observed. Further, over the years, there has been an increase in the number of startups recognised by DPIIT with at least one-woman directors, reflecting a positive trend in female entrepreneurship. The total number of such startups rose from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024, it said. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LPFR) in usual status for ages 15 years and above has improved from 49.8per cent (2017-18) to 60.1per cent (2023-24). The MoSPI publication offers a comprehensive overview of the gender landscape in India, presenting selected indicators and data across key areas like population, education, health, economic participation, and decision-making, all sourced from various Ministries/ Departments/Organisations. The prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), a constituent of Delhi University, is all set to host the 14th edition of its highly anticipated annual undergraduate summit the Shri Ram Economics Summit 2025. Scheduled for April 78, the two-day extravaganza promises to be a celebration of ideas, innovation, and impactful conversation in the realm of economics and beyond. Advertisement Organised by the Economics Society of SRCC, this years summit boasts partnerships with big names such as Google, Microsoft, Infosys, Deloitte, PwC, Accenture, Tata Capital, NSE, Yes Securities (India) Ltd, and lead partner ACCA. Advertisement The summit will see a blend of talks, panel discussions, fireside chats, and live interviews all hosted on campus and open to students and enthusiasts from across the country. The Shri Ram Economics Summit serves as a platform where bright young minds come face-to-face with policymakers, economists, industry stalwarts, and academics to unpack some of the most pressing issues facing the world today. Among the key speakers this year are some of Indias most influential names: Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy; Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor of India; A. Robert Jerard Ravi, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL; and Aurelien Kruse, Lead Economist at the World Bank. The summit also honours its tradition of hosting legendary personalities in the past including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the late Arun Jaitley, investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and economist Dr. Arvind Panagariya. This edition features four national-level competitions that are expected to attract participation from across India. These contests are set to challenge students in fields like data analytics, economic policy, business simulation, and consulting strategy. Md. Sajid Khan, Director at ACCA India, expressed his enthusiasm for the event: At ACCA, our Think Ahead philosophy emphasizes preparation and resilience. Supporting this summit aligns perfectly with our vision encouraging students to challenge themselves, innovate, and push their boundaries. With a theme that declares On to Bigger, Better, Bolder, SRCCs 2025 summit is poised to be its most ambitious yet. Registration for the summit is currently open via Unstop, inviting students from colleges across India to be a part of this thought-provoking experience. Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez is mourning the loss of her mother, Kim Fernandez, who passed away on Sunday following a prolonged illness. Surrounded by close family members, Jacqueline performed the final rites alongside her father, Elroy Fernandez, in a quiet ceremony that turned deeply emotional for the grieving family. Advertisement A heartfelt video circulating online shows Elroy exiting the crematorium with moist eyes, clearly struggling to contain his emotions after bidding farewell to his wife. Jacqueline, too, appeared visibly shattered but composed as she carried out the final rituals. Advertisement Kim Fernandez had been admitted to the ICU on March 24 after suffering a stroke. Once Jacqueline got word of her mothers condition, she immediately flew home to be by her side. The 68-year-old had been living in Manama, Bahrain, and had previously faced a similar health scare in 2022. At the time, she was also hospitalized but recovered after treatment. This time, however, the situation was more serious. Jacqueline and her father were seen outside Mumbais Lilavati Hospital, where Kim was being treated. Their presence was a solemn indication of how critical the situation had become. Actor Salman Khan, Jacquelines co-star from Kick, also paid a quiet visit to the hospital to show his support. In a show of solidarity, Sonu Sood who stars opposite Jacqueline in the upcoming film Fateh was spotted at the crematorium offering condolences. Reports suggest that she had been slated to perform at the IPL 2025 opening match between the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders in Guwahati on March 26. However, she chose to step back from the high-profile gig to remain by her mothers side during her final days. Known to be deeply attached to her mother, Jacqueline had often described Kim as her emotional backbone. In past interviews, she credited her for being a guiding force through lifes highs and lows. Kim Fernandez, originally from Malaysia, met her husband Elroy a Sri Lankan musician in Bahrain during the 1980s. At the time, Kim was working as an air hostess. Their love story blossomed in the Gulf nation, where they eventually settled and raised four children. Jacqueline, the youngest of the siblings, has often spoken about her multicultural upbringing. She has discussed how her family played a crucial role in shaping her values and aspirations. Though Jacqueline moved to India to pursue a career in film, she remained close to her family, often visiting them in Bahrain and speaking fondly about her childhood. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs marked a significant milestone in empowering tribal entrepreneurship by showcasing 45 tribal-led startups from across India at the StartupMahakumbh. At the event, two tribal-led startups, incubated at premier institutions IIM Kolkata and IIT Guwahati received prestigious national recognition from Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, affirming the growing role of tribal entrepreneurs in Indias startup ecosystem. Advertisement OurGuest Travels, based in Gangtok, Sikkim, was conferred the D2C Award while the Ngurie Organic received the AgriTech Award for its transformative work in sustainable agriculture. Advertisement Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Vibhu Nayar, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, congratulated the winning startups for their exemplary innovation and dedication to community-led development. At the event, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) also showcased its role in supporting startup growth and underlined the potential of public procurement as a tool for promoting innovation and inclusive development. The event saw sector-focused pavilions that celebrated Indias strength in DeepTech, AgriTech, BioTech, MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Gaming, and more. GeM underscored its mission to bridge the gap between innovators and government buyers, enabling faster scale, market validation, and meaningful contribution to Indias global innovation standing. Speaking on the theme of government-startup collaboration, GeM CEO Ajay Bhadoo said, Lets work together and unlock the true potential of public procurement in driving startup growth, inclusive development, and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has hit out at the RSS over a now-deleted article on the land holdings of Catholic institutions, published by its affiliated magazine Organiser, claiming it reflected a targeted campaign against minorities. Sharing a news report on the Organiser article, Gandhi alleged that the RSS, after attacking Muslims through the Waqf Bill, has now turned its attention towards Christians. Advertisement I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. It didnt take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians. The Constitution is the only shield that protects our people from such attacks and it is our collective duty to defend it, Gandhi said in a post on X. Advertisement He also shared the news report on an article published by RSS-linked Organiser on the land holdings of Catholic institutions. As per the report Gandhi shared, the web portal of Organiser claimed that the land holding of Catholic institutions stands at 7 crore hectares, terming it the largest non-governmental land owner. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also slammed the BJP-RSS over the article, saying it lays bare the Sangh Parivars deep-rooted antagonism towards minorities. it reveals a deliberate, step-by-step attempt to target and isolate minorities and their institutions. Secular forces must unite in resistance, Vijayan said. Amid the row, the BJP clarified that the article was written by a journalist and was later deleted due to inaccuracies. Responding to Rahul Gandhis post, former Union Minister and BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, One thing I recommend to Constitution-waving, India-bashing @RahulGandhi is that he reads, learns the Constitution before he uses it for his #CongPoliticsOfLies. Clarifying on the news article published by the RSS-linked web portal, he said, Insofar as this article by Organiser was concerned, some journo wrote a piece about land owned by Christian bodies I understand they found it to be inaccurate and deleted it. Owning land is not a crime, just as vast amounts of land is owned by Railways, Army, plantation owners etc. However, grabbing it from people as Congress leaders in Karnataka do and Waqf tried to do is wrong. Scamming people, lying to people, poisoning people with lies, betraying people who vote for you etc that is wrong. That is what Rahul Congress does, he added. KIEV, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Several explosions were heard on Sunday morning in the Ukrainian capital as Russia launched a fresh wave of air attacks on the city, triggering the operation of its air defense, Kiev's military administration said. The air attack has caused fires in the urban districts of Darnytskyi and Obolon, and rescuers are heading to the scene, said the Kiev military administration in a post on the social platform Telegram. "Explosions in the capital. Air defense is in operation. Stay in shelters!" Mayor Vitali Klitschko was quoted as saying earlier on Telegram by media reports, adding: "The missile attack on Kiev is ongoing." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended greetings to BJP workers on the occasion of the saffron partys 45th Foundation Day (Sthapana Diwas). In a social media post on X, Modi recalled the contribution of those who devoted themselves to strengthening the party over the last several decades. Advertisement This important day makes us reiterate our unparalleled commitment to work towards Indias progress and realise the dream of a Viksit Bharat, said Modi. Advertisement The Prime Minister further stated that the good governance that the BJP has given is reflected in the historic mandates given to the party in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections as well as several local body polls. The people of India are seeing the good governance agenda of our Party, which is also reflected in the historic mandates weve received in the years gone by, be it in the Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections across different states and various local body polls across the nation. Our Governments will continue serving society and ensuring all-round development, the PM remarked. Asserting that the hardworking karyakartas are the backbone of the party, Modi said, I am proud of the manner in which our Karyakartas are working round the clock, in every part of the nation and serving the poor, downtrodden as well as marginalised. Their energy and enthusiasm are truly motivating. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated party workers on the occasion of its Foundation Day. I salute all those great men who sowed the seeds of patriotism in the foundation of BJP and worked to create a banyan tree of crores of patriots. Under the leadership of Modi Ji, BJP will continue to work towards building a developed and best India in every field, Shah said. Bharatiya Janata Party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Sunday said that BJP is the only political party which has never compromised on its ideology and diluted it for the sake of power, and is moving ahead on its strength, keeping the ideological foundation intact. Addressing the party workers on the occasion of the partys foundation day at the BJP headquarters here, Nadda said that the partys ideology is affiliated to the Indian tradition and culture. Advertisement The BJP national president said that the party is a cadre-based and mass-based organisation and is committed to humanistic growth. Advertisement Nadda also remembered the founding fathers and veteran party leaders including Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani and others. He paid heartfelt tributes to the veteran leaders of the organisation, who nurtured the creation and expansion of the party with their blood and sweat and remained continuously engaged with it with all their heart and soul. Nadda said for the next one week, the party leaders and workers will be visiting around 5 lakh booths and also the old members of the organisation. He urged party workers to, if possible, find an old member of the party from its founding days, or who has been associated with the Jana Sangh, and visit their residence and have a discussion with them. The BJP leader urged every party worker across the country listening to him through any medium that in the coming week they must devote a full day at the booth. Nadda mentioned that April 14 is Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Jayanti and starting from that day till April 25 the party will observe Samvidhan Gaurav Diwas. Later in the day, Nadda along with Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and other party leaders met 98-year-old senior party worker and former Mayor, Shakuntala Arya, at her residence in Lajpat Nagar area. The BJP national president honoured Ms Arya by presenting a party scarf, offering a shawl and sought her blessings by touching her feet, while he also hoisted the party flag at her residence. Arya blessed Nadda and Sachdeva, wishing them long life and success in their service to the nation. He stated that elderly workers like Ms Arya are an invaluable treasure for the BJP, and it is through the sacrifices and dedication of such workers that today the party is in power both at the Centre and in Delhi. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Haryana on April 14 to give a big gift to the people of the state. On this day, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the 800 MW capacity thermal unit in Yamunanagar, inaugurate the airport in Hisar, and lay the foundation stone of a new terminal. Through these development works, the Prime Minister will connect Viksit Haryana with Viksit Bharat. Speaking to journalists after reviewing the preparations at the programme venue on Sunday, the Chief Minister said electricity is the biggest need of the present time. Be it railways or electric vehicles plying on roads, we are dependent on electricity for everything. He said that the 800 MW thermal unit for which the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone in Yamunanagar is being built by BHEL, and its construction will cost Rs 7,272 crore. The work on this unit will be completed by the end of 2028. Advertisement Responding to questions, the Chief Minister said he held a meeting with officials and reviewed all the preparations so that there were no issues at Yamunanagar and Hisar. Expressing satisfaction over the preparations for the programme, he said the people of Haryana are eager to give a grand welcome to Prime Minister Modi at both places. Advertisement The Chief Minister enquired about all the arrangements, including the pandal being set up at the venue, the VIP and media galleries, parking, drinking water, and toilets at the venue. He instructed officials to improve the parking arrangements and ensure that people coming from all over the state do not face any problems. He also directed that drinking water be made available both at the venue as well as at the parking areas. Delhi woke up to a sunny morning on Sunday as temperatures reached 38.2C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a minimum temperature of 18.5C. As per IMD, the week will begin with mostly clear skies and high temperatures. On April 8, the temperature is expected to remain steady at 41C. Advertisement A gradual dip is likely in the following days, with the mercury falling to 40C on April 9, 39C on April 10, and further to 38C on April 11 and 12. Skies will turn partly cloudy between April 10 and 11 but are expected to clear again by April 12, IMD continued. Advertisement Despite the slight drop, the weather will continue to feel very hot. The IMD has advised residents to take precautions, stay indoors during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated, and avoid direct sun exposure whenever possible. In a bit of relief, Delhis air quality has improved slightly, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 209. However, pollution remains a health concern, necessitating awareness and precautions. With rising temperatures and moderate air quality, residents are urged to prioritize their health, stay cool, and limit outdoor activity. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir starting Sunday, during which he will tour a forward post along the India-Pakistan border and review the overall security situation in the union territory. Officials said that the union home minister will reach here this evening. Advertisement He is scheduled to review security, meet BJP MLAs and visit the international border. He will also meet the families of martyred policemen and take stock of developmental projects in the UT. Advertisement HM Shah is expected to arrive here around 6 p.m. Dr Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for State (PMO), will also arrive in Jammu later in the day to join the home minister during his 3-day visit. His meeting with the BJP MLAs is scheduled for around 8 p.m. at the party headquarters in the Trikuta Nagar area of the city. He will visit the Vinay border outpost of the BSF on the international border in the Kathua district on the morning of April 7. Families of policemen martyred while fighting the terrorists in Kathua will meet the home minister at the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon. The Union Home Minister will give appointment letters to some of the members of the martyrs families at the Raj Bhawan. He will leave for Srinagar late afternoon on April 7. He is scheduled to take stock of developmental projects at 11 a.m. at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on April 8. This will be followed by a security review meeting at 1 p.m. again at the Raj Bhawan. He will review the security situation in J&K with special reference to the Jammu region, where infiltration attempts and movement of terrorists in the upper reaches of Kathua, Udhampur and other districts have taken place. Officials said the home ministers focus will be on zero infiltration and the elimination of terrorists from the mountains and forests of the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. Union home secretary Govind Mohan, home ministry officials dealing with J&K, heads of Intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces will join the security review meeting in Srinagar. HM Shah will return to New Delhi in the afternoon on April 8. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, on Sunday emphasized that India is now self-reliant in the field of food grains and praised the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) for playing a significant role in this achievement. He stated that IFFCO has effectively connected farmers with fertilizers and further integrated fertilizers with cooperatives, adding that the organization now stands proudly after completing fifty years of its illustrious journey. Advertisement The Home Minister was speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebration of IFFCO at its Kalol branch in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where he also laid the foundation stone for the Beej Anusandhan Kendra (Seed Research Centre). Advertisement Shah remarked that IFFCOs 50-year journey demonstrates the incredible outcomes that can be achieved when cooperative and corporate values work in synergy. He noted that IFFCO has efficiently handled all aspects related to research and development, marketing, branding, and outreach. Expressing optimism about the future, Shah said that by the time IFFCO celebrates its centenary, its reputation among cooperative organizations worldwide will have grown significantly. He added that IFFCO has undertaken various research and development initiatives. Recalling the groundbreaking ceremony of IFFCOs Kalol factory, he said it was considered a major milestone at the time. As time progressed, IFFCO expanded its research into areas such as Nano Urea, Nano DAP, Nano Liquid Urea, and Liquid DAP, significantly increasing production. Shah highlighted that the organization has elevated Indias cooperative sector to global prominence, especially in the field of Nano Urea and Nano DAP, which are now being exported worldwide. He further noted that the cooperative has enhanced its capacity, expanded its outreach to farmers fields, and successfully translated laboratory research into field-level applications. Marking the foundation of the Beej Anusandhan Kendra in Gandhinagar, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched several innovative ventures across various sectors in the country. He stated that under the Prime Ministers leadership, the Ministry of Cooperation has undertaken nearly 62 unprecedented initiatives in the cooperative sector. Shah also mentioned that Parliament recently passed a bill to establish the Tribhuvan Sahkari University, named in honour of Tribhuvandas Patels contributions to the cooperative movement. He explained that this university aims to deliver modern cooperative education and ensure transparency across all cooperative levelsfrom Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to apex bodies. The Union Minister stressed the need to strengthen primary cooperative societies and cooperative dairies to fortify the nations cooperative institutions. Shah shared that IFFCO currently operates production units in five locations across three statesKandla, Kalol, Phulpur, Aonla, and Paradip. He further revealed that the organizations current fertilizer production capacity stands at nine million metric tons, with sales reaching 11 million metric tons. IFFCO has achieved a turnover of Rs 40,000 crore and a profit of Rs 3,200 crore. Several dignitaries, including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other notable figures, were present on the occasion. Indian Navys mission deployed stealth frigate INS Trikand, operating in the Central Arabian Sea, to provide critical medical assistance to a Pakistani crew member on a fishing vessel operating approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Oman coast. INS Trikand on the morning of April 4, intercepted a distress call from an Iranian dhow, Al Omeedi. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that a crew member of the dhow had sustained severe injuries to his fingers while working on the engine and was in critical condition and that he had been transferred to another dhow named fishing vessel Abdul Rehman Hanzia, which was en route to Iran, the Defence Ministry said in a communique on Sunday. Advertisement Informing that Trikand immediately altered her course to provide medical assistance to the injured crew member, it said, The crew of fishing vessel Abdul Rehman Hanzia consisted of 11 Pakistani (nine Baloch and two Sindhi) and five Iranian personnel. The injured individual, a Pakistani (Baloch) national, had suffered multiple fractures and severe hand injuries, resulting in heavy blood loss. Advertisement The Medical Officer of INS Trikand, along with a team comprising Marine Commandos (MARCOS ) and the Ships Boarding Team, boarded the fishing vessel to administer aid. After providing local anesthesia, the medical team performed suturing and splinting on the injured fingers, as per the Ministry. The surgical procedure, which lasted for over three hours, was successfully completed, and bleeding was controlled in time, thereby preventing potential permanent loss of the injured fingers due to gangrene, it said. Additionally, medical supplies, including antibiotics were provided to the fishing to ensure the crews well-being until they reached Iran, it added. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday said Indias parliamentary committees function as mini parliaments as these committees review policies and programs related to social security, social justice, economic empowerment, and public welfare and provide suggestions for their better execution. Speaking at the 150th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Uzbekistans Tashkent, he said the parliamentary committees also recommend the approval of demand for grants of the Ministries. Advertisement On the theme Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice, the Speaker said it was chosen for this assembly of the IPU as an extension of the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam the idea that the world is one family, which is deeply ingrained in Indian culture, tradition, and philosophy. Advertisement He said the essence of the Indian Constitution is to treat all citizens equally, provide them with equal opportunities, and ensure that the marginalized and backward sections of society are brought into the mainstream of progress. Birla said in recent years, the Indian Parliament has passed numerous bills that promote social justice, security, and inclusion for all sections of society. In recent years, the Indian Parliament has passed numerous Bills which promote social justice, security, and inclusion for all sections of society. We have established the primacy of justice by replacing the Indian Penal Code with the Indian Justice Code, he said. The Speaker also said under the visionary and capable leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has been the fastest-growing major economy in the world, with a GDP growth of 105 per cent over the last 10 years. We are rapidly progressing towards our goal of a developed India by 2047. Today, India is the fifth-largest economy in the world and is advancing towards becoming the third-largest economy, he said. Birla said India plays a leading role in the world in sectors such as innovation, AI, startups, space and defense technology, IT, fintech, pharmaceuticals, and more. Mentioning the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), he said under this scheme, over 550 million people from the economically disadvantaged section, which comprise 40 per cent of the population of India, are being provided with free health insurance. Birla also expressed the confidence that the IPU would engage in deep discussions on global innovations, best practices, and experience-sharing in the fields of social justice and development. Together, we will find new solutions and fulfill our responsibilities effectively to ensure a fair and just society, he added. A local Kuchaman City court has remanded Aditya Jain alias Tony, a key operative of the notorious Lawrence BishnoiRohit Godara gang, in police custody until April 17. The gangster, a native resident of Kuchaman City, was produced before the trial court amid tight security in connection with FIR number 403 lodged against him at the local Kotwali. Advertisement Judge Gyanendra Singh granted the prosecutions request to remand him in police custody for 12 days. Advertisement Tony, who was nabbed in Dubai on Thursday, was brought to Kuchaman City on Saturday from Jaipur for production before the court as several cases are pending against him in different police stations of the district. Tony had allegedly made threat calls to over half a dozen businessmen in Kuchaman City and demanded crores of rupees as extortion. Operating for the Lawrence Bishnoi-Rohit Godara Gang under the disguise Rohit & Company, his role included selecting extortion targets, arranging SIM cards with foreign numbers, and supplying weapons. He is wanted in cases of extortion, sexual assault, and a firing incident. He was considered a trusted operative of the Bishnoi-Godara Gang and was responsible for coordinating the gangs operations across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. The Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) had been on his trail for a long time. Tony had fled to the UAE in January last year. Continued coordination with Interpol led to his arrest by the UAE police in Dubai this February. Once the deportation process was completed, he was handed over to the police. The breakthrough in the case came after four gang members arrested by Jaipurs Sanjay Circle Police Station disclosed crucial information about Tonys whereabouts and his role in the gangs operations. MA Baby, who has been elected as the new general secretary of the Communist Party of India Marxist(CPI-M), is known within the party as a pragmatic communist. While remaining committed to ideology, Baby stands out from many other leaders in following and embracing changes in the world. Ideological commitment, practical approaches, closeness to the cultural scene, clarity of ideas and firm stances are the characteristics that marked the communist leader Mariam Alexander Baby, popularly known as MA Baby. While remaining within the systematic framework of the CPI-M, Baby did not hesitate to interact with new ideas. Even while adhering to communist principles, M A Baby was not rigid in his approaches. Wide reading, a keenness to recognize the changes taking place in the world, and a willingness to engage in constructive debates made him a different leader in the Communist Party. MA Baby is the second leader from Kerala to attain the general secretarys post after veteran EMS Namboodiripad. Advertisement Born on April 5, 1954, in Prakkulam, Kollam, the youngest of eight children of Kunnath P. M. Alexander and Lily, a teacher, M. A. Baby was educated at Prakkulam NSS High School and Kollam SN College. Baby, who entered student politics through the Kerala Students Federation, was active in organizations such as SFI and DYFI. Baby became the state president of SFI in 1975 and became the organizations All India President in 1979. Advertisement During the Emergency, Baby, who was a student at SN college, Kollam at the time, was arrested and brutally tortured in jail. In 1986, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha at the age of 32, making him one of the youngest members at the time. He served as Minister of Education in the LDF government headed by V S Achuthanandan. (2006-11). He became a member of the CPI-M Central Committee in 1989. At the 20th party Congress held in Kozhikode, he was elected to the Politbureau. He is married to Betty Louis and has a son Ashok Betty Nelson. As party general secretary, in a situation when the CPI-Ms footprint is at present largely restricted to Kerala, the responsibility of expanding the partys base to larger areas and regain lost ground lies with him. Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC) Chairman Min Aung Hlaing (2nd R, front) visits the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 6, 2025. Min Aung Hlaing expressed his gratitude to all members of the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and a rescue team from China's Hong Kong for their full-force disaster response in Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) MANDALAY, Myanmar, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC) Chairman Min Aung Hlaing visited the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay on Sunday, to express his gratitude to all members of the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and a rescue team from China's Hong Kong for their full-force disaster response in Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake. The arrival of Chinese rescue teams to provide support from afar exemplified the profound "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between the two countries, Min Aung Hlaing said. Chinese rescue teams possess extensive experience in cross-border search and rescue operations, and Myanmar looks forward to strengthening communication with China to expand cooperation in emergency response, disaster prevention, and mitigation efforts, he added. Chinese Consul General in Mandalay Gao Ping and Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Myo Aung attended the meeting. As of April 6, Chinese rescue teams have successfully rescued nine survivors in Myanmar. Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC) Chairman Min Aung Hlaing (1st L, front) visits the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 6, 2025. Min Aung Hlaing expressed his gratitude to all members of the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and a rescue team from China's Hong Kong for their full-force disaster response in Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC) Chairman Min Aung Hlaing (1st R, front) visits the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 6, 2025. Min Aung Hlaing expressed his gratitude to all members of the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and a rescue team from China's Hong Kong for their full-force disaster response in Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) Former Kerala Education and Culture Minister MA Baby has been elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at its 24th Party Congress held in Madurai, succeeding the late Sitaram Yechury. He will serve a three-year term. This marks the second time a leader from Kerala has been elected to the partys top post, decades after the late Marxist ideologue EMS Namboodiripad, who led the first democratically elected Communist government in India. Despite speculation that the new General Secretary might be from West Bengal, Baby, a Politburo member since 2012, was chosen for the role. Strengthening the partys independent base and consolidating Leftist forces to defeat the neo-fascist BJP will be the partys main focus, Baby said after his election. We dont want to conceal the decline in our strength. We will not be able to correct our course unless we address the causes of the decline, he stated, adding that alliances with opposition parties would be forged based on the political situation in each state. On poll-bound Kerala, where the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front is in power, he asserted that the goal is to retain power for a third consecutive term. An 85-member Central Committee (CC), the highest decision-making body of the party, was also elected at the Congress. It includes 30 new faces and has 20 percent representation of women. At its first meeting, the CC elected the 18-member Politburo. New additions to the Politburo include U Vasuki and K Balakrishnan from Tamil Nadu, as well as Amra Ram, Vijoo Krishnan, Jitendra Choudhury, Srideep Bhattacharya, and Arun Kumar. With the party strictly enforcing the age cap of 75 years, senior leaders including Prakash Karat (who coordinated the Politburo after Yechurys demise), Brinda Karat, Manik Sarkar, Subhashini Ali, G Ramakrishnan, and Surjya Kanta Mishra stepped down from the Politburo. However, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been granted an extension. Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar will now serve as special invitees to the Politburo, along with S Ramachandran Pillai, Hannan Mollah, and Biman Basu. Additionally, Yusuf Tarigami and PK Sreemathy were granted exemptions from the age limit to remain in the CC. Sudeep Dutta, Bal Singh, John Brittas, and Sudhanva Deshpande will serve as permanent invitees to the Central Committee. In a veiled yet sharp attack on the ruling DMKs persistent charge that the BJP-led Union Government is neglecting Tamil Nadu in financial allocation and devolution from the central pool, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that although the state had received more funds in the last ten years than ever before, some continue to cry for more. Let them continue crying; they can only cry, Modi remarked sarcastically, without naming the DMK, while inaugurating the iconic Pamban Railway Bridge and launching new projects worth Rs 8,300 crore in the pilgrim town of Rameswaram, an islet. Advertisement Countering the allegations, he asserted that the Union Government had tripled allocations for various infrastructure and development projects. Specifically, funding for the Railways had increased sevenfold over the last decade, the Prime Minister pointed out. Advertisement You know who were in alliance before 2014 and what Tamil Nadu got back then, he said, rejecting the claims of neglect. Tamil Nadu plays a significant role in Indias growth trajectory towards becoming a developed nation. As Tamil Nadus potential grows, the nations growth accelerates even more, he added, emphasizing that increased funding had greatly contributed to the countrys industrial and economic progress. Stressing that infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu remains a top priority for the Centre, Modi reiterated that railway development funds for the state had increased from Rs 900 crore annually before 2014 to over Rs 6,000 crore in the current Union Budget. He also listed various schemes through which the state had benefited. True to his style, the Prime Minister, who arrived by helicopter from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, wore traditional Tamil attiresilk dhoti, shirt, and a long towel. On the occasion of Ram Navami, he loudly chanted Jai Shree Ram, which was echoed by the crowd. Lord Ramas blessings will be with us, he said, noting that he had had a darshan of the Ram Setuthe limestone shoals in the Palk Strait between Rameswaram and Mannar Island in northern Sri Lankabelieved to be the remnants of the mythical bridge built by Lord Ram, also known as Adams Bridge. He also offered prayers at the renowned Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram. With the Chief Minister away on an official visit to the Nilgiris, the Prime Minister was received at the helipad by Governor RN Ravi, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, BJP state president K Annamalai, and other dignitaries. Addressing the DMKs campaign to protect Tamil against the Centres alleged Hindi imposition through the Three-Language Policy, Modi called for the implementation of the medical education curriculum in Tamil. In a subtle criticism, he said, I receive so many letters from Tamil Nadu in English. Even the signatures are in English, not Tamil. At least sign in Tamil. Earlier in the day, the Congress in Tamil Nadu staged black flag demonstrations across the state to protest Modis visit and condemn the Union Governments refusal to release pending dues running into several thousand crores. The protests were also aimed at opposing what they called the Modi governments anti-people policies. In Chennai, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai and former Union Minister P Chidambaram participated in the demonstrations alongside party workers and supporters. On the occasion of Ram Navami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Indias first vertical lift sea bridge, the New Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, on Sunday. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 550 crore, connects Rameswaram Island to the mainland, enhancing connectivity and boosting regional development. The 2.07-kilometre-long New Pamban Bridge, spanning the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, stands as a testament to Indias engineering prowess and visionary infrastructure development. Advertisement The bridge has one vertical lift spanning 72.5 metres with two tracks. The approach has 88 spans of 18.3-metre steel plate girders fabricated for a single line. Advertisement Earlier, Mr Modi posted on X,On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us. May His blessings always remain upon us. While the new Pamban Bridge is Indias first vertical lift sea bridge, it shares similarities with other globally recognised bridges known for their technological advancements and unique designs. The Railway ministry said that these include the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States, Tower Bridge in London, and the Oresund Bridge in Denmark-Sweden. The Prime Minister also flagged off the Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) express train from the new bridge. PM Modi will visit the Ramanathaswamy temple and later laid the foundation stone for infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu worth over Rs 8,300 crore, including four-laning of key highway sections. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, these projects will improve connectivity to pilgrimage sites, boost local industry, and reduce travel times. The new Pamban Bridge replaces the original cantilever bridge constructed by the British in 1914. For over 108 years, the old Pamban Bridge served as a crucial link for pilgrims, tourists, and freight transport in a region often battered by cyclones and corrosive marine weather. The New Pamban Bridge was constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways. RVNL has ensured the bridge met higher speed, load, and maritime requirements. This new bridge enhances connectivity while showcasing Indias infrastructure capabilities in safety, durability, and innovation. The ministry said the bridge has been constructed with stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade protective paint, and fully welded joints. A special polysiloxane coating protects it from corrosion, ensuring longevity in the harsh marine environment. The construction of a state-of-the-art sea bridge will be able to accommodate growing traffic volumes, ensure durability and facilitate smoother maritime navigation. In a landmark move to revolutionize the states education system, the Punjab government is all set to launch Sikhya Kranti a 54-day education festival beginning April 7 to inaugurate newly-developed infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,000 crore in 12,000 government schools across the state. Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced the initiative during a press conference at Punjab Bhawan on Sunday, emphasizing the governments commitment to creating an equitable and modern learning environment that empowers students to thrive in the modern times. This initiative is a testament to the Chief Minister S Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab governments commitment to providing quality education for all children, said the education minister, adding that the government schools have been provided with all the required basic amenities. Advertisement He said Punjab is the first state to appoint campus managers and security guards in schools, in addition to starting bus services for students. Over 10,000 students are currently availing this facility. The education minister also highlighted that over Rs 200 crore is spent annually on the upkeep of government schools. Advertisement On the first day of the education festival Sikhya Kranti, Bains said various infrastructure development projects would be inaugurated in over 350 government schools by the Cabinet ministers and other dignitaries. Punjab Chief Minister S Bhagwant Singh Mann, along with the State in-charge Manish Sisodia, will inaugurate a School of Eminence at SBS Nagar. Highlighting the ambitious program, Bains said that 6,812 schools now have new or repaired boundary walls, covering nearly 1,000-km, ensuring a safer learning environment. 5,399 new classrooms have been constructed to augment classroom facilities. Additionally, 2,976 toilets have been built in 2,934 schools, while 7,166 toilets have been repaired across 4,889 schools. To support students learning needs, 1,16,901 dual desks, tables, and chairs have been provided, ensuring that every student has a designated place to study. Furthermore, 359 school playgrounds have been developed to promote physical activity. As many as 2,261 smart classrooms have been equipped with Smart Interactive Panels in 1,886 schools, integrating technology into education for a more engaging learning experience, he said. The education minister said that 118 existing Government Senior Secondary Schools are being converted into Schools of Eminence in the first phase, while 14 SoE schools have already been dedicated to the public. These schools will be the centers of excellence, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to enable peer learning across institutions, and enhance the learning experiences of our children through contemporary schooling practices in the world of school education. Schools of Eminence will cater to the students of Classes 9th to 12th. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has raised concerns over the alleged involvement of an on-duty SDM in forcible polling during the Assembly by-polls held on November 13, 2024, in Samaravta village of Deoli-Uniara constituency. In its report submitted to the state government earlier this week, the Commission also questioned the police action following the infamous slapping incident at the polling booth. Advertisement The panel has directed the state government to submit an action taken report within a month. Advertisement The incident in question occurred during the by-poll in Samaravta village, Tonk district, where Independent candidate Naresh Meena slapped the area magistrate, SDM Amit Choudhary, accusing him of coercing villagers to vote. Following the incident, Meena was arrested by the police. However, amid protests, villagers clashed with police and freed Meena from custody. Later that night and the following morning, police used force, including teargas, to control the situation in Samaravta and nearby villages. Reports also suggest attempted arson during the unrest. Meena was rearrested on the morning of November 14, 2024. A panel constituted by the Commission later visited the affected areas to assess the situation. Based on the committees findings, the Commission forwarded its report to the state government. While the Commission condemned Meenas act of slapping the on-duty SDM as wrong and improper, it also took serious note of his allegations that the officer was pressuring people to vote. The report further questioned the polices handling of the villagers and demanded a formal response along with the action taken report within a month. The story of the rise and fall of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is one of the most fascinating and tragic of modern times. A towering personality, the undisputed leader of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman had all the ma kings and charisma of a world leader ~ a dream which unfortunately remained unfulfilled. Sheikh Mujib galvanised the entire Bengali speaking people of Pakistan to launch a move ment for autonomy for East Bengal (then East Pakistan) and restoration of Bengali pride by making Bengali the official language of East Bengal in place of Urdu (which was not in any case, understood by the common people). The Language Movement started by students in Dacca University (now Dhaka), which had seen many bloody battles and brute suppressions, culminated into a full-scale autonomy movement. Sheikh Mujib became the unchallenged hero of the masses and his party, Awami League based on secular and democratic principles became the most popular political front. General Elections based on guided democracy were held for both the wings of Pakistan ~ Z.A. Bhutto of Pakistan Peoples Party leading the West and Sheikh Mujib of Awami Party leading the East ~ as part of a deal struck between the military junta and the political parties for restoration of democracy and popular governments in Pakistan. Advertisement The results of the general elections were spectacular and most unexpected by the West Pakistan rulers. Mujib Rahmans Awami League Party won more than 90 per cent of seats of East Pakistan and secured an absolute majority in the National Assembly of Pakistan at Islamabad. The results were not acceptable either to the military regime or to Bhutto who was assured by the Army top brass and was himself certain about becoming the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. Advertisement The possibility of Mujibur Rahman becoming the Prime Minister of the united Pakistan had to be eliminated because the administrators of West Pakistan and the military leaders hated Bengali Muslims as inferior to them and could never accept such a situation. West Pakistan was in a serious dilemma and opted for the easy option that its leaders only knew well ~ crackdown, by sending the troops. So, there was an allout military cra ckdown in East Pakistan followed by genocide in which an estimated three million people, especially intellectuals and minorities were killed. Martial Law was imposed and the election results for the East were declared null and void. The top leadership of Awami League was put behind bars and Mujib was arrested and deported to an unknown destination somewhere in West Pakistan on charges of sedition. An era of sup pression, ar rests and torture targeting Hindus and the supporters of Awami Party began. The Army also resorted to the dastardly act of wiping out the entire top leadership and intellectuals after they were arrested and lodged in jails. Bhutto and the military jun ta completely misread the situation after the elections. Had only Bhutto agreed to share power with the Awami League and made Mujib the Prime Minister of Pakistan, even by rotation, the demand for autonomy for East Bengal may have slowly died out. Or perhaps, Mujib himself could have been persuaded to remain in East Bengal ruling the eastern part of the country (later re-named as Bangladesh) as its President with maximum possible autonomy within a new federal structure of Pakistan. In that case, Bhutto could have ruled Pakistan as its Prime Minister with the support of Mujibs Party. Instead of working out a political solution which would satisfy the aspirations of Bengalis, the leadership chose the path of extreme suppression, torture and bloodshed, which the Bengalis reb elled against. The genocide transformed every Bengalis resolve for autonomy into a de mand for full independence from West Pakistans rule. This, as mentioned, originated from a simple and justifiable demand to make Bengali the official language of East Bengal, but was mishandled by the West Pakistan rulers with all military brutalities. A simple Bengali language movement led to demands for autonomy which gradually escalated into a movement for independence. It is a sad reflection on the attitudes of the then administrators who were naive to believe that it all could be suppressed with brutal force. It could be safely argued that the West Pakistan-anointed administrators of East Bengal, with their arrogance, lack of humane approach, lack of foresight and total lack of understanding of the feelings of the local people precipitated the demise of Pakistan in East Bengal. Had they adopted a three language formula and evoked an impartial administration and independent judiciary and allowed a popular government to function, there would probably have been no demand for independence from Pakistan. It is an irony of history (history never forgives!) that Bhutto who played into the hands of military rulers and was indirectly responsible for the holocaust in East Bengal himself became a victim of his own actions and designs. He was first condemned by the military for dismembering Pakistan, then sent to prison and later executed on a murder charge, without a fair trial. His overthrow by a military regime left a trail of suppression, destruction of all democratic institutions, violence and lack of freedom in West Pakistan. Coming back to Mujib, no body knew where he had been taken by the military junta after his arrest and deportation. There were floating rumours including that he had been killed; and no authentic information was forthcoming because all news about Mujib was blacked out by the military junta. It was certain that Mujib had been flown out of Bengal. One speculation was that he had been confined to a remote jail in Baluchistan. Ano ther speculation was that he had been killed and secretly buried in West Pakistan. The Indian intelligence agencies and for that matter no international agency including the KGB had any clue about his disappearance. Probably, the CIA knew about his where abouts and it was subsequently rumoured that the American President might have asked the military rulers to spare Mujibs life. I have always considered astrological predictions as inane probabilities. Nonetheless, certain predictions approximate the truth with such accuracy that one is sometimes astounded to believe: yes, there is something in it. One such rare prediction coming true concerned Mujib. One day, a colleague of mine brought a copy of B.V. Ramans Astrological Magazine and asked me to read the leading article dealing with Mujibs future. I still vividly remember the predictions made on Mujibs life by Raman: the horoscope of Mujib shows he is very much alive; he will come out of the prison unharmed and he will be the head of state of a new nation. The accuracy of predictions like this leads people to develop faith in astrology. (The writer is a former Dy. Comptroller & Auditor General of India and a former Ombudsman of Reserve Bank of India. He is also a writer of several books and can be reached at brahmas@gmail.com This article is excerpted from his book Confessions of a Bureaucrat) South Korea stands at a pivotal moment in its modern history. The removal, by the countrys Constitutional Court, of President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, following his failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3, is not just the end of a controversial presidency ~ it is a test of the nations democratic resilience. While many celebrated his impeachment by Parliament on December 14 as a victory for constitutional order, the deep fractures in South Korean society reveal that this crisis is far from over. Mr Yoon remained suspended from duty for months, and with snap elections scheduled for June 3, the coming months will determine whether the country can heal from this unprecedented event or whether it will sink further into division and distrust. At the heart of this turmoil is the fear that South Koreas democratic institutions remain vulnerable to the ambitions of individual leaders. Mr Yoons brief military takeover was a chilling reminder that authoritarian impulses are not relics of the past. His claims of an internal subversion plot, supposedly orchestrated by foreign agents, were an alarming attempt to manipulate public fear and justify his actions. Advertisement Yet, despite the overwhelming legal consensus against him, a significant portion of the population still believes his narrative, demonstrating how misinformation can erode democratic foundations. This deep-seated polarisation is South Koreas most pressing challenge. While outrage over Mr Yoons actions initially united the nation, that unity has since fractured. His defiant rhetoric and claims of political persecution have transformed him into a martyr for a growing far-right movement. This shift in public sentiment is dangerous, as it undermines trust in key institutions, including the Constitutional Court and the electoral process. Advertisement The upcoming snap election will take place in an atmosphere of suspicion, with many questioning the legitimacy of the system itself. If trust continues to erode, South Korea risks a prolonged period of instability, where every election is contested not only in the ballot box but also on the streets. The only way forward is through reform and reconciliation. South Korea must use this crisis as an opportunity to strengthen democratic safeguards. Constitutional changes that limit presidential powers and enhance checks and balances should be a priority. Equally crucial is fostering a political climate where leaders are held accountable without turning them into symbols of partisan warfare. The country needs a unifying figure who can rebuild trust and ensure that democracy is not just a system of governance but a shared national commitment. South Korea has overcome crises before, but the road ahead will not be easy. Whether this moment is remembered as a turning point for democracy or the beginning of prolonged division depends on the choices the nation makes now. The stakes could not be higher. The recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshs interim leader Muhammad Yunus at the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok marks a crucial moment in the evolving relationship between the two South Asian nations. With former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas departure from power and Indias decision to provide her sanctuary, ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have taken an uneasy turn. The challenge now is to navigate these tensions and work towards a stable, mutually beneficial partnership. India and Bangladesh share deep historical, cultural, and economic ties. India played a pivotal role in Bangladeshs 1971 liberation, and under Sheikh Hasinas leadership, relations between the two nations had been largely stable. However, the circumstances surrounding her exit, the rise of anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh, and Dhakas request for her extradition have placed New Delhi in a diplomatic bind. Advertisement Giving her shelter has been met with resistance in Dhaka, where the interim administration is pressing for her return to face trial. Indias reluctance to comply with this request signals a calculated approach ~ one that prioritises regional stability over immediate appeasement. At the heart of this diplomatic impasse lies a shift in political sentiment within Bangladesh. Public opinion, once largely favourable toward India, has soured in some quarters, fueled by accusations of undue interference in Bangladeshi affairs. The Yunus-led government appears keen on recalibrating the nations foreign policy, seeking to assert greater independence. In this context, Prime Minister Modis call for avoiding rhetoric that could vitiate bilateral ties is both timely and necessary. Advertisement The issue of minority rights in Bangladesh also remains a point of contention. India has consistently raised concerns over the safety of Hindus and other minority communities, particularly in the wake of Sheikh Hasinas departure. While Dhaka downplays these concerns, violence against minorities has been a recurring issue that cannot be ignored. Mr Modis appeal to Muhammad Yunus for a thorough investigation into such cases underscores Indias commitment to protecting human rights beyond its borders. Despite these challenges, there remains a strong foundation for cooperation. Economic engagement between the two nations has flourished, with trade and infrastructure projects benefiting both sides. The geographical proximity and shared interests in regional connectivity, counter-terrorism, and climate change demand continued collaboration. The BIMSTEC summit itself serves as a reminder that both nations are integral to regional stability and economic progress. Going forward, the priority should be to rebuild trust and re-establish diplomatic equilibrium. India must balance its strategic interests with diplomatic tact, ensuring that its engagement with Bangladesh is seen as constructive rather than coercive. For Bangladesh, embracing pragmatic diplomacy rather than confrontation will be essential in maintaining stability and securing long-term development. A reset in relations is inevitable, but how it unfolds depends on the willingness of both sides to engage in honest dialogue. Now is the time for both nations to reaffirm their commitment to cooperation and ensure that political shifts do not erode decades of partnership. Australias Prime Minister has announced additional support for communities affected by catastrophic flooding in the countrys northeast. Anthony Albanese spent the eighth day of the campaign for the general election touring a vast area of the outback in the western part of the state of Queensland that has been inundated by flooding since late March. Advertisement The flooding in the sparsely-populated region, which is a major livestock farming area, is considered the worst since 1974 and has caused widespread damage as well as estimated losses of over 140,000 head of livestock. Advertisement Albanese on Saturday announced 105 million Australian dollars (63.4 million US dollars) in funding to rebuild fencing to protect livestock from feral pigs and dogs. The state government previously made disaster assistance grants worth up to 75,000 Australian dollars (45,314 US dollars) available for affected primary producers in the region. Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Coalition and Australias alternative prime minister, toured the region earlier in the election campaign, where he committed 10 million Australian dollars (6.04 million US dollars) in funding for a new weather radar a pledge that has been matched by Albanese. Asked on Saturday why he visited the region, which has long been a Coalition stronghold, if it does not serve him politically, Albanese said he wants to be Prime Minister of all Australians. I have a message for Queenslanders, which is: We have your back. We are with you, we will provide whatever support is necessary, he said, Xinhua news agency reported. Dutton also on Saturday partially walked back the Coalitions plan to end work-from-home arrangements for federal public servants, saying it would only apply to those based in Canberra. The Coalition also plans to cut 41,000 public service jobs to reduce government spending. Saturday marked four weeks until election day on May 3 and 17 days until early voting centres open across the country on April 22. With voting in the election mandatory for all Australians aged 18 and over, early voting centres give people the option to avoid long queues to cast their ballot. It has become increasingly popular in recent elections. According to the Australian Electoral Commission, 8.41 million people voted early in the 2022 general election, either in person or by post, representing 47.7 per cent of the 17.6 million enrolled voters at the time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, Israels state-owned Kan TV News reported on Saturday. Citing an Israeli source, the channel stated that the two leaders are expected to discuss the 17 per cent tariff the United States imposed on Israeli goods as part of Trumps so-called reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners. Advertisement Israeli news website Walla reported that Netanyahu plans to depart for the United States directly from Budapest on Sunday, following his current visit to Hungary. Advertisement The White House visit, however, depends on an Israeli court granting permission to postpone the upcoming hearings in his corruption trial, according to Walla, Xinhua news agency reported. The day before Trumps announcement, Israel had lifted all tariffs on imports from the United States, but this step did not prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on Israel. In addition to the tariff issue, the two leaders are expected to discuss the nuclear crisis with Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Netanyahus Hungary visit takes place amid international scrutiny over an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC issued the warrants last November against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Hungary is the first European country to host Netanyahu since the ICC issued the arrest warrant. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated earlier this year that Hungary continues to welcome the Israeli leader despite the warrant. He also said the ICCs move discredited the institution and confirmed it as a politically motivated body, adding that such decisions would affect Hungarys future cooperation with the court. Hungary has consistently backed Israel in the European Union fora and expressed strong support for its right to self-defence. BEIRUT, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and two others injured on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted an excavator and a vehicle in the western sector of southern Lebanon, the official Lebanese National News Agency reported. It said that an Israeli drone targeted a land reclamation excavator and a vehicle between the town of Zebqine and the village of Al-Shaaitiyeh in the Tyre district, "with initial reports indicating casualties." "The strike on Zebqine, which targeted the excavator and the vehicle, resulted in two martyrs and injuries to two Syrian workers," the report added. A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that the two killed during the Israeli strike were identified as Ali Salibi and Adnan Bazi. Since Nov. 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect, putting an end to more than a year of hostilities triggered by the war in Gaza. Despite the agreement, the Israeli military occasionally carries out strikes in Lebanon, claiming that the operations target Hezbollah "threats." President of the Ceylon Workers Congress and former Governor of Sri Lankas Eastern Province, Senthil Thondaman, said on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally intervened in the arrest of Indian fishermen issue with the Sri Lankan authorities. PM Modi has personally intervened in the ongoing issue of Indian fishermen being arrested by Sri Lankan authorities. PM Modi directly spoke to the President of Sri Lanka on the matter, aiming for a resolution, said Senthil Thondaman. Advertisement He further said that PM Modi has also assured full support to the Indian-Origin Tamil (IOT) community living in Sri Lanka. Advertisement Thondaman emphasised that PM Modi had consistently supported Sri Lanka, especially during its economic crisis a couple of years ago, adding that PM Modis leadership was instrumental during that difficult period, providing much-needed assistance under Indias Neighbourhood First policy. PM Modi stood by Sri Lanka when the nation was in dire need. His support was not only financial but moral too, Thondaman told IANS after meeting PM Modi in Colombo. He further noted that PM Modis guidance and encouragement to young leaders had made him a role model for emerging politicians in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Tamil leader shared a social media post of PM Modi on X, in which the Prime Minister wrote: The meeting with Indian-Origin Tamils (IOT) was fruitful. The community has constituted a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred Seetha Eliya temple, and other community development projects for IOTs, in cooperation with the government of Sri Lanka. Thondaman said that the timely support provided by the Indian government, especially the personal involvement of PM Modi, greatly enhanced Sri Lankas resilience during the crisis and strengthened ties between the two nations. He also lauded the Indian government for supplying essential goods to the people of Sri Lanka, stating that the local population holds immense respect and admiration for both the Indian Prime Minister and the government of India. Highlighting the legacy of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Thondaman said it is the largest trade union in Sri Lanka and has played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of Indian-Origin Tamils since the British colonial period. Since 1965, the CWC has been fighting for the citizenship rights of Indian-Origin people, and it is because of our persistent efforts that these rights were eventually granted, he stated. The CWC has been actively involved in improving the lives of approximately 600,000 tea estate and factory workers, most of whom live in poor housing conditions known as line rooms. Thondaman pointed out that the CWC initiated a housing program in 1987 to replace these inadequate accommodations. Since we began this effort, 39,000 homes have been constructed for tea workers across Sri Lanka, he said, adding that the CWC remains committed to improving the living standards of the tea estate community. In an administrative error, the US government mistakenly issued an email to several Ukrainian refugees, notifying them that their provisional legal status would be terminated in 7 days and ordering them to leave the country. The notice received by the Ukrainians who sought refuge in the US following the war with Russia caused panic among the immigrants this week. Advertisement The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged the error on Friday. Advertisement A message was sent in error to some Ukrainians who entered the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine program, said DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. The email, sent on April 3, read, DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole, referring to the temporary legal status that the Biden administration granted to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice, it stated. The agency also took the step of withdrawing the email on Friday, sending a follow-up message to the recipients, American broadcaster CBS reported. You may have received an email notification titled Notice of Termination of Parole. The DHS sent this email to you in error. No action will be taken with respect to your parole, it read. Last month, addressing reporters in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said the White House has not come to a decision yet regarding the legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees currently living in the country. Trump said that he had not made a decision on the matter yet, but planned to do so pretty soon. He also claimed that his administration did not want to hurt refugees from Ukraine. Were not looking to hurt anybody, and were certainly not looking to hurt them, Trump added. And Im looking at that, and there were some people that think thats appropriate, and some people dont, and Ill be making a decision pretty soon, Trump added that Ukrainians had gone through a lot. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on the report at the time, saying no decision had been made. The Biden administration announced in January before leaving office that it was extending temporary protected status for Ukrainians until October 2026 due to armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Ukraine that prevent individuals from safely returning. The revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS ) for Ukrainians would be in line with the Trump administrations broader approach to cracking down on legal pathways to enter the US amid a widespread crackdown on immigration. What is this chat jee-bee thing? asked the little woman, without any preamble. Bleary eyed as I usually am early in the morning, I was in no mood to be quizzed. But the little woman has this endearing habit of reading the newspapers while sipping her morning tea and sharing tidbits about miscellaneous disasters. She believes that after this early battle inoculation, one can easily shrug off whatever slings and arrows outrageous fortune hurls at us later in the day. Eh? said I. Chat is what you get in Bengali Market, New Delhi. If you want really good papri-chaat, I recommend the lanes of Chandni Chowk. Hello stupid! Wake up! I said Chat gee-pee-tea, not Chaat! Oh, that is an AI thing. You wont understand it, I said dismissively, pouring a cup of tea for myself. After a few sips, I felt quite fortified to handle any slings and arrows that might be hurled by the missus. Okay, maybe I was not fortified; but I certainly felt twentified enough. Is it a thing? Or a person or what? Some girls at the kitty party said that it is the new demon that has been let loose on humanity. One girl said that Modi ji had gone to Paris to tame this beast. Illustration: Job P.K. I was surprised to hear that my wifes kitty group discusses topics like AI. I was even more surprised to hear that the babushkas refer to themselves as girls. Well, so long as they dont fancy themselves to be nubile nymphs, I said to myself. Aloud I asked, Oh! And what else did the girls say? There was some talk of a new Chinese dragon. I suspect it was a joke because they said it was named Deepsh*t. Now, youre ever so clever, so tell me about this AI thing. Even though I had yet not had breakfast, I was sweet-talked into educating the missus about artificial intelligence. You mean that when my phone screws up my messages by changing spellingsthats artificial intelligence? Well, in a basic way. But there are other applications. Indeed, AI will soon be everywhere. We already have many examples of the technology of tomorrow. Are you aware that your washing machine can send emails to the manufacturer for troubleshooting? What? said the missus, saucer eyed. Thats so creepy! That machine sends emails behind my back to people I dont know! Instead of washing, its showing our dirty linen to strangers? Well, you better get used to such things. Your fridge would know when you were running short of butter and place an order for more. Your air conditioners would automatically switch on before you reach home. If you hold a doorknob, it will measure your blood pressure. All of a sudden, why do you sound like a vendor of AI? Oh no, Im not! I protested. However, the age of AGI is here and soon computers will be able to make more nuanced decisions. AGI will result in better governance, a better society and improved quality of life. But the potential for misuse is tremendous. Just imagine, a computer might order a nuclear strike if it learns to think maliciously. Even at a mundane level, there are unknown dangers posed by polymorphic malware. I confess I dont have the foggiest idea what polymorphic whatever means, but one must impress ones wife, no? Anyway, I rounded off my lecture by declaring pompously, With great power comes great responsibility. We need to use AI capabilities in a judicious and ethical manner. Dont you think you are being a bit patronising? If AI is so bloody intelligent, it should become self-aware and be able to itself overcome all ethical dilemmas. It should also develop a conscience and then, before you know it, it will have likes and dislikes and petulances and quirky behaviour. Then it will itself decide whether the saintly X will use it or the unethical Y. That left me speechless. I looked at the old girl with new respect. She had given the ethics debate a unique twist! I wondered which quality in my wife had deceived me earlierher natural stupidity, her artificial stupidity or her artful stupidity? Or have I been underestimating the educating power of kitty parties? But I still needed to make my point. You mark my words; AI will certainly prove to be a Frankenstein some day! You mean Frankensteins monster, dont you? Yes, I mean Frankenstein. The monster. My wife tut-tutted. Victor Frankenstein was the name of the guy who created the monster. The monsters name was not Frankenstein. No, Frankenstein was the name of the monster, I insisted. Youre so wrong! Why dont we Google it? Lets do better than a simple search. Lets use DeepSh*t for a more nuanced answer. And I typed in my query, Tell me something about the monster Frankenstein. Within a couple of seconds, the computer spewed outFrankenstein was not the name of the monster. Frankenstein was the name of the creator. The problem with you humans is that you so often forget who the creator is and who the creation! Now that was a patronising attitude! Stupid DeepSh*t, I said and banged the laptop shut. K.C. Verma is former chief of R&AW. kcverma345@gmail.com THE IMAGE SERVICES of wire agencies like AP, AFP and Reuters give journalists a window into unseen worlds. Only a minuscule sampling of their daily offering reaches you, dear reader. While some images are stunning or unexpected, an equal number are predictable and pedestrian. For example, think of natural water bodies in metros, and I can right away predict two series that will come up in June and in October-November. June will bring the series on the Arabian Sea breaching the sea wall along Mumbais Marine Drive. There will be Mumbaikars in the foreground; some playful, some indifferent and some whispering sweet nothings. All frames would be peppered with sea spray, with a monsoon-kissed sky glowering in the background. In the last quarter of the year comes the foaming Yamuna series from Delhi. Frames where the river looks like Antarctica at the Kalindi Kunj barrage. Then comes that image of the lone woman offering Chhath puja prayers, standing knee-deep in the white foam. Her orange or yellow sari makes her pop against a background of white and grey. If Chief Minister Rekha Guptas government has its way, the second series might become a memory. The BJP promises to change the naala (drain) into a nadi (river) in three years. Senior Correspondent Shubhangi Shahs cover story explores the layers of the Yamunathe political, the cultural, the holy and the historical. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal spoke to Shubhangi about the ministrys plans for the river. Thank you for finding time for THE WEEKs reader, dear minister. I liked the story, and I hope you will, too, dear reader. The river is quite complex and the story brings it out. In Delhi, she is dead. In Mathura, she is a goddess. And, in Yamunotri, she is a cherub in the lap of the majestic peaks. This issue is more than the river and cover, as always. From Kashmir, Senior Special Correspondent Tariq Bhat writes about Indias costliest rail linethe line to Leh. From Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, the proposed line will run through Manali to the biggest town in the high-altitude desert. And, the larger dream does not end there, but at Partapur, aka Siachen Base Camp, in the stunning Nubra Valley. Another interesting offering is Senior Layout Artist B. Manojkumars article on how tribal women in Keralas Devikulam taluk are being taught to ride two-wheelers by Kanavu, a joint initiative by the Marayoor Grama Panchayat and the state Motor Vehicle Department. These women are finding freedom and independence in a landscape that was otherwise limiting. In politics, Senior Assistant Editor Pratul Sharma looks at Punjab and what prompted Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns U-turn in strategy. And, in @leisure, Senior Correspondent Nirmal Jovial brings you the taste of Thiruvananthapurams Azad biryani, which has links to Surat and freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Coming back to the cover and the river, in the 1970s, when awareness about wildlife conservation was low, I knew of friends who would rouse themselves on winter dawns and hide in bushes along the Yamuna, carrying shotguns loaded with birdshot. They were out to get waterfowl. Sometimes the targets would tumble into the water, and the shooter would have to take a dip in the frigid waters to fetch the bird. Cairo is a city of contrasts, where gleaming skyscrapers stand alongside ancient structures. The Nile flows like a silver ribbon beneath the vast Egyptian sky. The air is filled with the aroma of spices and freshly baked bread, and the songs of Umm Kulthum, also known as the Kawkab-el-Sharq or the Star of the East, plays on from cafes, radios, and taxis. I arrived in Cairo in October 2010 as the chairman and CEO of Nestle for North-East Africa, with additional responsibility for Libya and Sudan. My boss Frits Van Dijk described this posting as a peaceful interlude, a retirement posting in a region perceived as stable. However, the veneer of tranquility was soon to shatter, revealing the complex realities of a nation on the cusp of profound change. As a country, Egypt has a pivotal geopolitical and economic role to play in the Arab world. Nestle has a long presence in Egypt dating back over a century when its nutrition product was sold for the first time in Alexandria. It wasnt until 1988 that Nestle began manufacturing near Cairo and invested significantly in building an integrated manufacturing and distribution service managed and operated by its own staff. Imaging: Deni Lal Just a week before the January 25 revolution began at Tahrir Square, Nestle Egypt announced a $160 million programme to enhance manufacturing and distribution, while also focusing on employee skill developmentthat would be implemented over three to five years. Many companies faced strikes, lockouts and disruptions that were common during that time and were tempted to hold back on investments until the situation settled or even to look for alternative locations from which to serve the region. This timing presented a critical juncture, forcing Nestle to confront a stark choice: retreat in the face of escalating instability, or remain steadfast in its commitment to the Egyptian market and its people. I spoke with my boss and said my team and I would stay, while our families would return home. After nearly two weeks, Hosni Mubarak had resigned as the president of Egypt and the entire city was under curfew. We decided to visit our two factories in the industrial district. About 15 per cent of the workforce at the ice cream factories were women. I was with my technical director, a Swiss Italian, and we were guessing how many workers would turn up. Despite the tough external environment we had almost complete attendance at the first ice cream factory and about 80-90 per cent attendance at the second factory. I addressed the workers, thanking them for turning up. One of them stood up and said, You never left. That was an important factor for themthat the leader doesnt leave. It also highlights the importance of leadership presence in times of crisis. This act of solidarity fosters a sense of trust and mutual respect, solidifying the bond between the company and its employees. Roger Stettler was my inspiration for the true values of a Nestle personrespectful, unfazed in any storm and someone who stood by me in times of volatility and crisis during the Arab Spring. The period from 2010 to 2014 was marked by significant social, economic, and political challenges, a direct consequence of the Arab Spring. Yet, against all odds, Nestle witnessed substantial growth in Egypt. This story stands as a testament to the resilience, commitment, and extraordinary talent of the Egyptian workforce, who consistently rose to meet the formidable challenges presented by the volatile environment and speaks of the enduring power of human connections. Narayanan is chairman & managing director, Nestle India Union Home Minister Amit Shah will spend two days in each month in three poll-bound statesBihar, West Bengal and Tamil Naduto coordinate the BJPs campaign efforts, reports said on Sunday. Stakes are high for the saffron party in these three states. In West Bengal, where assembly polls are expected in MarchApril 2026, the BJP is keen on wresting power from the Trinamool Congress. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party won 77 of the 294 seats. Bihar, where the BJP is in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) goes to polls later this year. There are rumours that the BJP wants to replace Nitish and install its own CM if it wins considerable seats. In Tamil Nadu, where BJP has four members in the current assembly, the party is in talks with the AIADMK for a pre-poll alliance. According to reports, Shah will continue his monthly trip until the elections are over in these states. He will visit Bihar on April 30 and May 1 to review partys poll preparedness. He will visit Chennai on April 10 and 11 and will tour West Bengal on April 14 and 15. In Tamil Nadu, Shah will review the ongoing alliance talks with the AIADMK and will also meet leaders of the NDA allies. Amit Shah is beginning his election mission soon after the conclusion of the budget session of parliament. It remains to be seen how the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in parliament will reflect in the results of Bihar, a state with considerable Muslim population. The suicide attempt by Maharashtra's Latur Municipal Corporation Babasaheb Manohare sent shockwaves across the state on Sunday. Manohare is currently battling for his life in hospital after one of the three bullets he fired from his gun pierced his brain. Manohare was rushed to a private hospital after his family members found him with gunshot injuries at his official residence in the MIDC area on Saturday night. Dr Hanumant Kinikar, director, of the hospital, told reporters that his condition continues to be critical. "The bullet pierced through pierced through his skull from the right side, damaging a portion of his brain," he added. It is suspected that Manohare attempted suicide. However, the police have yet to confirm the cause. Primary investigation revealed that Manohare was alone with his wife and two minor kids at his official residence. Police added that Manohare had the license to keep the pistol. Though the incident triggered suspicions, police said initial investigation revealed nothing suspicious. "Manohare had dinner and chatted with his family as usual before leaving for his bedroom. Moments later, his family heard a gunshot. They rushed to his room, along with a guard present at home, and found that he was lying injured. His firearm was lying nearby, Laturs superintendent of police (SP) Somay Munde told The Times of India. Manohare served as an additional municipal commissioner in Nanded Waghala Municipal Corporation before being appointed as Latur municipal commissioner. Mariam Alexander Baby, popularly known as M.A. Baby, the Communist ideologue from Kerala is set to become the next national general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The 24th party congress of CPI(M) will conclude in Madurai on Sunday. As per reports, Baby a member of CPI(M)s Politburo since 2012 and All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale were the main contenders for the role. Both Baby and Dhawale were backed by Kerala and West Bengal units, respectively. Polit Bureau member Comrade M A Baby speaks on the resolution to 'Condemn Israels Genocidal Attacks on Gaza' at the #CPIM24thPartyCongress pic.twitter.com/ZgIdig98E9 CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 4, 2025 Baby is succeeding Sitaram Yechury, one of the most popular leaders of the party at the national level. CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat was appointed as the partys coordinator following the demise of Yechury in September last year. Baby is the second leader from Kerala, after Communist stalwart E.M.S. Namboodiripad, to helm the role. Baby will be announced as the next general secretary after the central committee meeting of the party concludes at the Madurai party congress. Reportedly, Karat proposed only Babys name in the central committee for the general secretary role. A section of leaders feared choosing Baby could limit the party to Kerala, the only state where the left party is in power now. A few argued for Dhawale as agricultural issues are in focus and the CPI(M) is looking at expanding its base in rural areas. Baby, hailing from Kollam in Kerala has been elected to Rajya Sabha twice, from 1986-1998. He became a Politburo member in CPI(M) 20th party congress in Kozhikode. He was a key face of the Kerala Students Federation under the erstwhile united Communist party. He was the leader of the Students Federation of India during the emergency period and was also imprisoned. He was elected to Rajya Sabha while he was at the helm of affairs of DYFI. Baby was the minister of education in 2006 V.S. Achuthanandhan cabinet in Kerala. Though he contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from the Kollam constituency, he lost to RSP leader N.K. Premachandran. ADEN, Yemen, April 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. military forces conducted multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi positions on Yemen's Kamaran island in the Red Sea early Sunday, according to Houthi media outlets. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television network reported that five separate airstrikes hit various locations on Kamaran, the largest Yemeni island in the Red Sea and part of the Hodeidah province, which has been under Houthi control for more than a decade. The report did not specify casualties or the extent of infrastructure damage resulting from the bombardment. The United States has not issued any immediate statement on the attacks. The Houthi group said earlier in the day that it had launched a fresh attack on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its supply ship in the northern Red Sea over the past 24 hours. On Saturday, U.S. airstrikes targeted a solar energy store and a house in Yemen's northern city of Saada, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to nine others. Tensions between the Houthis and the U.S. military have escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on March 15 by authorizing a "decisive and powerful military action" against Houthi forces. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allay the fears of people of the state regarding the Lok Sabha delimitation exercise. He demanded the Centre must pass a resolution protecting the states rights in Parliament. Stalin, inaugurating various development projects in Nilgiris, gave Prime Minister Narendra Modis programme in Rameshwaram a miss. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader said he has sought an appointment with the prime minister to discuss concerns regarding delimitation. "We have sought an appointment to present the memorandum on the delimitation. Over the next few minutes, our prime minister is expected to come to Rameswaram (for various events). Since I am taking part in this government function I have conveyed to him about my inability to take part in his meeting and deputed our Ministers Thangam Thennarasu and Raja Kannappan. Through this meeting and through you, I hereby seek the prime minister to allay the fears of delimitation" PTI reported quoting the key opposition leader. The DMK has been spearheading protests against the proposed delimitation exercise to determine Parliament seats. Recently, chief ministers from opposition-governed states and opposition leaders met in Chennai and passed a resolution demanding a freeze on the delimitation exercise for another 25 years. They also demanded population must not be the sole parameter to determine the number of seats. Stalin urged the prime minister to pass a resolution in Parliament. "You (Modi) should also ensure that a resolution in this regard is passed in the Parliament. This (delimitation) not only leads to a reduction of Parliamentary seats, it is our right to ask and at the same time, it is also a cause of worry about our future," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said. "Including Puducherry, there would be 40 Parliamentary seats. But the ruling BJP government is trying to shrink our voices through delimitation," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the new Pamban rail bridge, Indias first vertical lift sea bridge on Sunday. Built at a cost Rs 700 crore, the bridge provides essential rail connectivity between Rameswaram island and the mainland. Modi, who arrived from Sri Lanka on Sunday, was received by Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu, Union Minister of State L. Murugan, Bharatiya Janata Party Tamil Nadu unit chief K. Annamalai and senior BJP leaders. A landmark development project, Modi flagged off new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service and a Coast Guard ship, which passed under the bridge. The bridge will improve connectivity to spiritual destination flocked by devotees throughout the year from across the country. On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for pic.twitter.com/W9lK1UgpmA Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2025 According to the railway ministry, the bridge was built at a cost of over Rs 700 crore. The bridge is 2.08-kilometre in length, features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train operations, the railway ministry said in a statement. The bridge is built using stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade protective paint, and fully welded joints. The bridge is designed for dual rail tracks to accommodate future demands and it has been provided with polysiloxane coating to protect it from corrosion. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi and state ministers were present during the inauguration. En route to the inauguration from Sri Lanka, Modi tweeted, On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prime minister offered prayers at Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameshwaram. He will inaugurate and lay foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 8,300 crore in Tamil Nadu later on Sunday. Kerala Muslim body, the Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema has moved the Supreme Court against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, accusing the Centre of violating the fundamental rights of the minority community. Several political parties have already petitioned against the Act in Supreme Court. In its plea, Samastha argued the Union government is trying to take over Waqf lands through the controversial act. The Waqf (Amendment) Act is designed to convert large tracts of waqf properties into government properties. Muslim community will be deprived of waqf assets and lose their right to administer waqf properties as per their choice, which is a fundamental right protected under Article 26, they argued. Samasthas petition comes after various political parties including Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party said they challenge the Act in the apex court. On Saturday, Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi moved the apex court against the Act and said it violated constitutional provisions. In his plea, Owaisi argued the Act takes away various protections that were accorded to Waqfs and Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike, PTI reported. "Appointing non-Muslims on the Central waqf council and the state waqf boards disturbs this delicate constitutional balance and tilts it to the detriment of the right of Muslims as a religious group to remain in control of their Waqf properties," Owaisi argued in his plea. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Saturday said they would conduct nationwide protests against the amendments. In a statement, the AIMPLB said they would also submit memorandums to the president and Union minister besides challenging the Act in the apex court. President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed by Parliament earlier this week in both Houses.The Act has sparked heated debates across India in recent days. In this context, THE WEEK spoke to Supreme Court lawyer Adv. Abhilash M.R. to understand the nuances of the new amendment and its potential impact on the ground. Edited excerpts: Q. The WAQF Amendment Bill, 2025 has been passed by both Houses of Parliament. A crucial step taken by the government was removing the controversial Section 40 of the Waqf Act, 1995. From a legal standpoint, what were the key issues with this provision that led Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju to describe it as a "draconian" section in Parliament? A: Under the Civil Procedure Code, anyonewhether an individual or a trustcan file a suit in a civil court if they have a claim over a property in someone elses possession. Thats a well-established legal route. But when it comes to Section 40 and the Waqf Board, the situation is different. The Board may collect information about any property and if it has "reason to believe" that a property belongs to Wakfeven if its just a claimthey have the authority to list it as Wakf property. The problem is, once that happens, its not a civil court but the Board itself that becomes the deciding authority. This shifts the burden entirely onto the affected parties, who often find themselves fighting a complex system to retain ownership of land theyve occupied for decades. Thats why this provision was seen as draconian. It gave the Wakf Board disproportionate power to take over properties based on their own assessment, without necessarily going through a transparent or judicial process first. Even if you approach the Wakf Tribunal, the situation may not always be fair. The Tribunal includes a Muslim law expert, and while theres nothing inherently wrong with having someone experienced in religious jurisprudence or theology, the concern arises when such a person is given authority to decide on property claims that may belong to someone else. There may arise cases where people may not possess the proper documents to prove ownership, even though theyve been in possession of the property for decades. On the other hand, the Wakf Board can claim a property as Wakf based on very broad criteria. They dont necessarily need to produce a title deed. For instance, if someone donates a property as Wakfeven without having legal ownership of that propertythe donation can still be recorded and recognised over time. This creates a serious problem: a third party can declare someone elses land as Wakf property, and unless the rightful occupant can provide definitive proof of title, the property may be considered legally sanctified as Wakf. This opens the door to arbitrary claims, where the burden of disproving Wakf status falls heavily on ordinary citizensmany of whom may lack formal documents despite longstanding possession. Such provisions were clearly unreasonable and arbitrary. And when this kind of arbitrariness is sanctioned by law, it leaves citizens vulnerable and helpless. Yes. So, there are numerous situations where a person has been in possession of a property for decadessometimes even their entire lifebut lacks documentary evidence to establish a clear title. This often happens due to various social or human factors. Families may have been living on the land for generations without formal papers. However, if the Waqf Board lays claim to such a propertyeven without having any valid documentation to establish ownershipthe statute still protects their claim. Thats the crux of the problem and an affront to Article 14 of the constitution which guarantees equality before law or equal protection of law. Also read: What's Section 40 of Waqf Act? Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju called it 'draconian' Q. You have appeared in the Supreme Court for a family from Tamil Nadu that had to face the threat of eviction because the plot they lived in was declared Waqf property. Could you please share the context of that case? There was this illiterate family in Tamil Nadu whose ancestors had been residing in a 130-square-metre property since 1920. In Tamil Nadu, there's a law known as the Tamil Nadu Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1975. Under this Act, certain properties fall within the definition of public premises. Waqf properties were also included in this definition of public premises, through an amendment in 2010. If someone is in occupation of such a property, an Estate Officer can initiate eviction proceedings under a summary process. The person in possession can, of course, challenge the eviction in a civil court or escalate it to the High Court, but the initial action itself does not require the Waqf Board to go through the regular legal route to establish ownership. This creates a shortcut for eviction. In this case, the family had been living on the property for over 100 years, yet they had no documents to prove ownership. Its a small property, and they are poor. Despite not having formal title deeds, they did have electricity bills and water bills in their name, which demonstrated long-term possession. On the other hand, the Waqf Boardor more specifically, the Mutawalli (caretaker) of an adjacent Waqf propertyclaimed this land without producing any title documents or clear evidence. The only basis for their claim was a petition stating that the property belonged to Waqf. The matter even reached the Supreme Court, where neither the petitioners nor the respondents were able to produce clear title documents. Yet, based on the Waqf claim, the court permitted the family to stay on the property for one more year and asked them to vacate peacefully within that time. This highlights the legal imbalance created by Section 40 and related laws: even without concrete evidence, the Waqf Boards claim receives statutory protection, while individuals with decades-long possession but no formal title are vulnerable to summary eviction. Q. When Union Minister Kiran Rijiju presented the bill in Parliament, he highlighted the plight of over 600 families in Munambam, Kerala. The issue involves a dispute over 404 acres of land claimed by the Waqf Board. Originally endowed to Farook College in 1950, the land was sold to residents in the 1960s. In 2019, the Waqf Board declared it Waqf property, halting land tax payments and threatening evictions. Legal battles and protests are still going on. Will this new amendment solve the issue of Munambam families. If yes, how? A. In fact, the government introduced Section 2A in the WAQF Amendment Bill, which clearly states that, once enacted, notwithstanding any judgment, decree, or order of any court, nothing in the Act shall apply to: A trust established before or after the commencement of this Act, or A body statutorily regulated under any law pertaining to public charities, if such a trust or body is established by a Muslim for purposes similar to a Waqf. This means that if a Muslim has contributed to or established a trust for charitable purposes similar to those of a WAQF, and that trust is already regulated under any other statutory provision, the Waqf Act would not apply to itregardless of any past or future court judgments. Farook College is reportedly such a trust. The people from Munambam claim to have purchased land from Farook College. Since Farook College is a registered trust, any decision passed or pending before the Waqf Tribunal would not be applicable to this trust, by virtue of Section 2A. So, prima facie, this amendment could mean that Farook College and the properties under its possession or control would be excluded from the purview of the Waqf Act. In other words, even if a court has already passed a judgment, or does so in the future, such decisions would be rendered redundant in light of Section 2A, provided the property in question belongs to a statutorily regulated trust like Farook College. The Munambam residents can pin their hopes on this provisionSection 2Ato protect their claim over the land they purchased from Farook College. Secondly, the decision taken by the Waqf Tribunal will now be appealable before the High Court as Section 67 of the 1995 Act is amended. A time period of 90 days has been provided for filing such an appeal. This provision offers an additional legal safeguard. Even if Section 2A is treated as a disputed issue, the decision of the Tribunal can still be challenged before the High Court, which can now examine the merits of the casesomething that wasnt possible earlier, when the High Court could only exercise limited judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution. So, in this way, the Munambam issue could be significantly impacted by the new amendment. Q. What is your opinion on the new amendment? Do you see any loopholes in its provisions that could potentially be misused against the rights of minorities? Ans. I may not agree with every aspect of the new amendment, but I do think a legislative correction was very much necessary. For instance, the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board may spark legal debates. The bill also states that only a person practising Islam for not less than five years may donate property as waqf. The criterion of 5 years may be seen as arbitrary. When the new amendment is challenged legally, the government would be required to answer this question. However, the claim that the amendment violates Article 25 of the Constitution of India is preposterous, as Article 25 (2) (a) makes it clear that the right to religious freedom under Article 25 (1) does not prevent the state from enacting any law regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice. The Bharatiya Janata Party in Tamil Nadu on Monday came down heavily on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin accusing him of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi by skipping his official event in Rameswaram. Modi inaugurated the new Pamban Bridge in the coastal town and launched other initiatives worth over Rs 8,000 crore. Stalin gave the event a miss as he was in Ooty to inaugurate a government hospital. The chief minister said he had informed the prime minister about his inability to attend the latter's programme in Rameswaram. Since I am taking part in this government function I have conveyed to the PM about my inability to take part in his meeting and deputed our ministers Thangam Thennarasu and Raja Kannappan. Through this meeting and through you, I hereby seek the Prime Minister to allay the fears of delimitation," the chief minister said. BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai, however, dubbed it as drama and said the reason given by Stalin was not acceptable. Our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl today inaugurated Indias first vertical-lift sea bridge in Pamban and also inaugurated various developmental projects in Tamil Nadu after arriving here after a successful state visit in Sri Lanka. Instead of attending this significant event, K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) April 6, 2025 He knows about PM's arrival, as the discussions were happening for long. The Prime Minister did not go to New Delhi directly from Sri Lanka but came here to dedicate projects. That being the case, it is the primary duty of the CM to welcome the PM," Annamalai said. The BJP leader also took a sarcastic jibe at Stalin, saying the chief minister had gone to Ooty since he couldnt bear the heat in Rameswaram. The chief minister has insulted the Prime Minister, who came for the sake of the people of Tamil Nadu. He should apologise to the people of Tamil Nadu, said Annamalai. At Rameswaram, Modi inaugurated the new Pamban Bridge, Indias first vertical lift sea bridge, built at a cost of Rs 700 crore. The bridge provides enhanced rail connectivity between Rameswaram island and the mainland. The prime minister also laid foundation stone for and dedicated to the nation various rail and road projects totally worth over Rs 8,300 crore. Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) general secretary Vellappally Natesan has courted controversy after his remarks, terming Keralas Malappuram district as a separate nation or a separate state of certain people, stirred up a political storm. While the Congress and its ally the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) condemned his remark, the BJP has come out in support of the Ezhava leader. The CPI(M), which enjoys the majority support of the Ezhava community in the state, has distanced itself from his remarks. On Sunday, Natesan said he stood by his statement and would not withdraw even a word. He reiterated that the backward communities were being denied social, political, educational, and economic justice in Malappuram. Around 56 per cent of the population in the district is Muslim. Natesan accused the IUML of trying to portray him as anti-Muslim and said he did not say anything against the community. "What did I say against the Muslim community? In my recent speech, I merely stated that there is no social justice in Malappuram. That is the truth, he said. Accusing the media of selectively amplifying parts of his speech, Natesan said the Ezhava community deserved its rightful share of opportunities. "I am not against any community. I have not made any hate remarks. It is true that our community does not even have a crematorium in Malappuram. They are living like slaves there," he alleged. What Natesan said Addressing a convention at Chungathara near Nilambur, Natesan alleged that people belonging to the backward community were living under constant fear in Malappuram. "I think, you (community members) cannot live here speaking your independent opinion. Malappuram is a separate nation...or a separate state of certain people, he said. UDF hits back The IUML, an ally of the Congress, condemned Natesans remarks and asked him to explain the difficulties being faced by the other communities in Malappuram. Senior IUML leader M.K. Muneer said Natesan was trying to please the BJP to gain national attention. "There is an agenda to please the BJP. People have become too narrow-minded to think that they would get national attention if they spoke something against Malappuram," he said. Muneer described Malappuram as the land of communal harmony while lamenting that the district had been targeted by certain people for some time now. The Congress also lambasted Natesans remarks and demanded Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take action against him. BJP supports The BJP Kerala unit has come out in strong support of Natesan, saying there was nothing wrong with his statements. "What he said was true. Democracy cannot flourish where demography follows a specific trend. Secularism won't thrive either. If this continues, democracy and secularism are in danger in Kerala," senior BJP leader and partys former state president K. Surendran said. Bharatiya Janata Party MP and chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal, slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling the bill unconstitutional and asked why the Gandhis skipped the discussion over the controversial bill if they felt so. Following hours of debates that extended beyond midnight in both houses of Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu granted assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Saturday. She also granted assent to repeal the pre-independence Mussalman Waqf Act. #WATCH | Lucknow, UP | Waqf (Amendment) Bill gets President Droupadi Murmu's assent Chairman of the JPC of Waqf (Amendment) Bill and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal says, "...A major reform has been done in Waqf by the Narendra Modi government, which will benefit the poor, Pasmanda, women pic.twitter.com/ZrW2sonJ6W ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 Reacting to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhis comments against the passing of the bill, Pal said the former and his sister Priyanka Gandhi should have argued clause by clause against the bill if they felt so. If it was an unconstitutional law, then Rahul Gandhi should have said in Parliament clause by clause that the amendment being made is unconstitutional. He did not give any suggestion on this, did not give any argument, neither Priyanka Gandhi gave any argument, Pal told ANI. Pal said long discussions were held in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha over the bill and the Gandhis skipped the discussion. Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, called out the RSS for an article targeting the Catholic church in its mouthpiece Organiser. Gandhi tweeted, I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. It didnt take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians. The Constitution is the only shield that protects our people from such attacks and it is our collective duty to defend it. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Saturday. The controversial bill was passed by both houses of Parliament earlier this week after heated debates that extended beyond midnight. The president also granted assent to Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. "The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the president on April 5, 2025, and is hereby published for general information: The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025," the government said in a notification. The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha early on Thursday, with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it. Karnataka deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar has reportedly refused to step down from the post of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee state president. With local body elections round the corner, the rival faction led by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has been demanding that Shivakumar resign from the post. A group of ministers close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, including state ministers Satish Jarkiholi and K N Rajanna, sought his removal highlighting the party's 'one man one post' policy. The ministers claimed there was a written note with the AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on the change of the KPCC president after the Lok Sabha elections. However, the minister who pioneered the campaign, K N Rajanna, got entangled in a honeytrap controversy, which stole the fiz from the campaign. Shiva Kumar, during his two-day Delhi trip, informed the High Command that he had no intention to relinquish the post. The top brass has already informed the Siddaramaiah faction of the decision, according to The Times of India. Speculations are that Shiva Kumar's decision to stay in the post is related to his ambitions to become the Chief Minister. He believes stepping down could weaken his stronghold within the party. He has also informed the High Command of his ambitions. In the light of the faction feud with Siddaramaiah faction, Shivakumar is said to have decided to stay in the post as a means to balance the power equation, especially amid rumours that there could be a change in Chief Minister. Shivakumar, who was deeply dissatisfied after being passed over for the CM post in favour of Siddaramaiah, was rumoured to have been offered the CM's post-mid-term. The combo deal of the KPCC president and deputy CM was offered as a consolation then. The High Command too was not in favour of changing Shiva Kumar, considering how Karnataka has become a symbol of governance success for Congress. With the local body and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections around the corner, the party was not in the mood to take risks like leadership change. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday amid escalating Gaza tensions and imposition of tariffs. Trump has imposed 17 per cent tariffs on Israeli imported goods. This would be Netanyahu's second meeting with Trump at the White House since he took office in January. Both the leaders are likely to discuss the latest tariffs imposed, Gaza ceasefire and Iran's nuclear program. El primer ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, y su esposa, Sara, partieron de Hungria este domingo para reunirse en EE. UU. con el presidente Donald Trump. Desde aqui, viajo a Estados Unidos por invitacion del presidente Trump para tratar con el, por supuesto, estos temas: pic.twitter.com/ClFtB9OwYt NMas (@nmas) April 6, 2025 His visit also comes at a time when Netanyahu is facing the heat of the legal proceedings against him in Israel. Due to his Washington visit, the PM's office asked the Jerusalem District Court to postpone his expected appearances on Monday and Wednesday. What's on the agenda list? A statement issued by the Netanyahu's office said that, "tariffs, efforts to release our hostages held in Gaza, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and the battle against the International Criminal Court in The Hague" are on the list of discussions. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu alleging responsibility for war crimes in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to Washington DC following the invitation he received from US President Donald Trump. Just as Bibi was the first leader invited to the White House when Trump became President, he will now be the first leader to negotiate a trade pic.twitter.com/fDCYD9PsqJ James J. Marlow (@James_J_Marlow) April 6, 2025 Also, being one of the closest ally, Israel was taken by surprise when Trump included the country on a list of nations hit with higher tariffs in exports to the US. Interestingly, it came a day after Israel's finance minister announced the removal of all tariffs on US products. Though Israel jumped the gun to secure itself from the imposition of new US tariffs, it failed to work in favour for them. Trump said that the US has a significant trade deficit with its ally. Both countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about 98 per cent of the goods from the US are now tax-free. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pointed out that the imposition of tariffs could impact hit its machinery and medical equipment exports to the US. Meanwhile, Trump's 'baseline' tariff paid by the US importers has already taken effect at US seaports, airports and custom warehouses. Reportedly, during Netanyahu's recent visit to Budapest, he and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke with Trump over phone call. Netanyahu's Washington visit was planned after the phone call. Israel-Turkey relations Another matter of discussion would be the relations with Turkey after the fall of the Assad regime in December last year. Israeli leaders have warned against Turkish support for militant groups operating in Syrian border regions. Amid rising tensions, Israel struck Syrian military sites in Homs, Damascus and Hama last week. Reportedly, Turkey is planning to deploy forces at the T4 airbase and Palmyra military airport in Syria's Homs province. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) publicly acknowledged yesterday that their soldiers had made grave errors in the killing of 15 emergency workers, including 14 Red Cross officials and one additional aid worker, in Rafah, southern Gaza, on March 23. The incident, which also left another survivor injured, ranks among the deadliest IDF attacks on international aid personnel in the ongoing conflict. The admission came after mobile phone footage contradicted the militarys initial claims, prompting a rethink. The tragic events unfolded in the pre-dawn hours of March 23 near Tel Sultan in Rafah. At 4:30am, the IDFs Golani Brigade laid an ambush targeting Hamas forces, successfully neutralising them. Over the next hour and a half, various vehicles, including ambulances, passed through the area uneventfully. But around 6am, as daylight emerged, a convoy of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances, a UN car and a fire truck approached. From concealed positions, IDF troops perhaps misjudged the clearly marked vehicles as a Hamas threat and unleashed a barrage of gunfire. His final moments captured on video that proves IDF lied. Refaat Radwan is the name of the paramedic in this video, capturing his final moments alongside his colleagues. In total, Israel executed 15 Red Crescent and Civil Defense workers. Forgive me, mother. This is the path I https://t.co/lGFJkpg7p9 pic.twitter.com/Fl0Ezg83bI Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) April 5, 2025 The initial justification from Israel was that the attack was triggered by the suspicious movement of the convoy, with its headlights switched off and without any emergency indicators. However, that turned out to be false as footage shot by paramedic Refat Radwan, later obtained by the New York Times, showed the vehicles with headlights and flashers on, responding to an emergency call. The five-minute clip ended hauntingly with Radwan reciting his last prayers as Israeli soldiers voices closed in, undermining the IDFs early account and forcing them to retract it as mistaken. Dr Bashar Murad, a senior official of the Palestine Red Crescent, told reporters that one of the paramedics who was present at the site was speaking on the phone with colleagues at the time. The man, who had been wounded, was reaching out to request assistance. According to the IDF, the soldiers acted on aerial surveillance reports flagging the convoys approach as suspicious. Having earlier clashed with Hamas at 4amkilling two militants and detaining a thirdthe troops assumed the ambulances, which stopped near a Hamas vehicle, signalled a fresh threat. The military later claimed at least six of the 15 victims were Hamas operatives, though they offered no public evidence, citing classified intelligence. The Red Crescent, UN and the Red Cross firmly maintain that all those killed were unarmed aid workers. After realising their error, the IDF notified the UN, gathered the bodies in a net, and provided coordinates for retrieval. When the UN couldnt locate them, the military, upon returning to the area, buried the remains in a shallow mass grave to shield them from wild animals and combat damage. On March 30, aid teams finally uncovered the site, finding the bodies alongside crushed vehicles and Radwans phone, which preserved the critical footage. Briefing journalists yesterday, an IDF official promised a thorough examination of the incident, denying claims that the medics were handcuffed or executed at close rangeassertions challenged by a surviving paramedic who told the BBC the convoy was visibly lit and his colleagues unaffiliated with militants. The IDF has repeatedly claimed that Hamas uses ambulances to transport its leaders and cadres. There may be some truth to it, but the Rafah incident, which appears unjustified, has put it in a tight spot. The killings, meanwhile, have sparked widespread outrage, with the Red Crescent and other international rights groups calling for an unbiased investigation. The video evidence and conflicting testimonies have cast doubt on the credibility of the IDFs ongoing probe, leaving the Netanyahu administration a lot to answer for. China suspends poultry meat, sorghum imports from certain U.S. firms Xinhua) 12:34, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday that it has decided to suspend the exports of poultry meat from some U.S. firms to China as well as suspend the qualifications of some U.S. firms to export certain products to China. Effective April 4, China will suspend the qualification of C&D (USA) Inc. to export sorghum to China. It will also suspend the qualifications of three other U.S. firms, namely American Proteins, Inc., Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Darling Ingredients Inc., to export poultry meat and bone meal to China, the GAC said. The decision came after Chinese customs detected excessive levels of zearalenone and mold in imported U.S. sorghum, and salmonella in imported U.S. poultry meat and bone meal, the GAC said in a statement, adding that the suspension aims to protect the health of Chinese consumers and the safety of animal husbandry sector in China. In a separate announcement, the GAC also announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat imports from the two U.S. companies of Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Coastal Processing, LLC. The GAC said that this suspension follows the Chinese customs' detection on several occasions of the prohibited drug furacillin in imported U.S. chicken products and that the suspension decision is to protect the health and safety of consumers. An official with the GAC said that the suspension of poultry meat import from the two U.S. companies would help prevent food safety risks from the source, and the decision was made in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and international standards. "The above measures taken by the General Administration of Customs are necessary precautions to ensure food safety, and they are reasonable and in line with international norms," the official said. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) CHICAGO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- "You are a distant long road, the light in the fog and mountains. I am a child, walking in your eyes." Ari Watts, a junior student majoring in neuroscience at North Central College in Chicago's western suburban city of Naperville, was singing the Chinese song titled "As wished" in perfect Chinese Saturday. Some 60 U.S. students from eight colleges in the Midwestern states of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa gathered at North Central College to show off their Chinese skills at the 2025 Midwest College Chinese Speech Contest. Addressing the opening ceremony, Chinese Deputy Consul General in Chicago Zhang Yiqi said that "China is willing to offer support and provide convenience for the American public, American youth in particular, to learn Chinese." She urged U.S. students to go to China to see for themselves. "Understanding is what helps us to make the world a better place, whether you're in business, whether you're in education, whether you're in social work, (or) whether you're in health care, that perspective is critical," said Abiodun Goke-Pariola, president of North Central College. "So I commend you for the curiosity that has made you step outside your comfort zone." Students attending the contest each gave a three-minute speech in Chinese, showed their proficiency in Chinese singing and dancing skills, and recited tongue twisters and Tang poems. One of them performed the "Butterfly Lovers," a Chinese legend akin to "Romeo and Juliet," on the violin. "All of your hopes and all of your dreams are something that I hope to accomplish, and I hope to walk the path that you walk," Watts told Xinhua about her understanding of the song "As wished." "I really like that sort of meaning and also the melody, the way that it's sung, it's just very pretty," said Watts. Meredith Newcomb, a junior at North Central College, recalled her China travels, calling them "life changing." "It was a really special experience to be able to have at such a young age," she told Xinhua. "I think the opportunity to be able to learn from people from different places and to open your mind to what the world can be is a very valuable one. And I was very grateful to have it at such a formative age," Newcomb said, adding she would love to go back one day, as "there's a lot of China." The contest was jointly organized by Northwestern University, Loyola University Chicago and North Central College. "We have been organizing the contest for 25 years, and the theme of the contest this year is 'We are the world,'" Northwestern University professor and organizing committee co-chair Gu Licheng told Xinhua. The contest aims to "promote Chinese teaching progress at the university level in the U.S. Midwest, encourage students to learn Chinese and become interested in Chinese language and culture," he said. Two weeks after leaving the hospital, Pope Francis made a surprise entrance to St. Peter's Square on Sunday. His visit during a special Jubliee Mass for sick and health workers made his first public appearance at the Vatican since his got discharged from the hospital. He waved at the crowd as he made his entrance in front of the altar in the square. "Good Sunday to everyone," Pope Francis said. The pontiff was advised rest for at least two months as he continues physical, respiratory and speech therapy. Along with this, he is also undergoing treatment for his lung infection. Addressing the sick among the crowd, the pope said, "In this moment of my life I share a lot: the experience of infirmity, feeling weak, depending on the others for many things, needing support." "It is not easy, but it is a school in which we learn every day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without demanding and without rejecting, without regretting, without despairing, grateful to God and to our brothers for the good that we receive, trusting for what is still to come." The Pope got discharged from the Gemeli hospital on March 23 after battling life-threatening pneumonia during a five-week hospital stay. The doctors, who treated the Pope, at one stage lost hope that he was going to make it. Special prayers for the pontiff was held in St Peters Square everyday with hundreds taking part in it. During the Sunday blessing, he offered prayers for doctors, nurses and health care workers who are not always helped to work in inadequate conditions, at times the victims of aggression. Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected. STRIKINGLY COLOURFUL TEMPLES, most of them dedicated to Lord Krishna, dot the banks of Yamuna. Apart from devotees offering prayers along its bank and in temples, children play in its waters, visitors hop on for boat rides, sadhus sit on its steps, and priests go about doing business convincing, and often coercing, visitors to get puja done. Monkeys hop around, terrorising worshippers. One swiftly snatches an onlookers glasses only to return after being obliged with a fruit. It is noon, with a scorching summer sun blazing on top, but nothing subduing the vibrant activity on Mathuras ghats. There are 23 ghats in total. The main one is Vishram Ghat, with 11 ghats on each of its two sides. Lord Krishna is believed to have rested at Vishram Ghat after killing his demon uncle Kansa, whose humongous but glaringly non-striking abode stands in one corner. There are heaps of saris on the rivers bank, and celebratory worship begins on an adjoining ghat. We are adorning Yamuna ji with saris, says priest Ajay Chaturvedi. They say it makes your wishes come true. While rivers in India are part of the sacred geography, especially for the Hindus, the significance of the Yamuna in Mathura feels magnified. Here, it ceases to be a holy river or just a river used as a garbage dump but assumes a character of its own. Here, the Yamuna becomes a daughter, sister, wife and mother, as women often do. Here, the river becomes a she. Sitting on the step of a ghat, Laljibhai Shastri, a spiritual storyteller, talks fondly of the holy river. She is a mother, but she is also a maharani (queen). Even Radha couldnt earn the title. Yamuna is one of Krishnas wives, he says. The relationship Krishna shared with the Yamuna goes back to his birth story when he was born to Devaki and Vasudeva at his uncle Kansas dungeon in Mathura. As Vasudeva, carrying an infant Krishna to safety, was crossing the Yamuna, the river raged. Her waters rose high until it touched the baby Krishnas feet, after which it turned quiet as if that was her singular intent. Vasudeva, then, swiftly brings Krishna to Vrindavan, to Yashoda and Nanda. The relationship continues in Vrindavan, where he spends quite a lot of time playing flute and pranks on its bank, teasing gopis (milkmaids), dancing with Radha, and also taming Kaliya, the snake who was poisoning the Yamuna. On one side of the ghat, two women can be seen praying to several deities, one of whom, I am told, is Yamuna as goddess. Right around them can be seen puja essentialsclothes, flowers in plastic bags, burnt incense sticks. While the river has been much talked about for its abysmal state in Delhi, it isnt in its best health in Mathura, either. And while the river is broader and has depth compared to its stretches in Delhi and Agra, it looks visibly polluted. At a temple, a board reads: Chalo kuch ab naam kare, Yamuna bachane ka kaam kare [Lets make a name for ourselves by saving Yamuna]. Saabun na lagaye [Dont apply soap while taking a dip in Yamuna], reads another. While signs of the rivers worsening condition are visible, the city residents blame Delhi, which alone contributes more than 75 per cent of waste that goes into the Yamuna. However, with so many drains emptying into the river, it is only a matter of time when the river here, too, turns bad, says Chaturvedi. The river often assumes a political character, too, such as last year, when while campaigning during the Lok Sabha polls, BJPs Hema Malini, now MP from Mathura, performed puja at Vishram Ghat and said that cleaning the river would be her top priority in her next tenure. Here, religion and politics also brush against tourism. The Uttar Pradesh government has unveiled a master plan for a complete makeover of the city by 2031, thus developing it as a tourist destination. A 30km Yamuna riverfront is the centrepiece of that plan. The soon-to-be-unveiled Noida International Airport in Jewar, which is barely 80km from Mathura, will only boost connectivity. The impressive Yamuna Expressway connects the two, making for a smooth ride. Meanwhile, a 70-storey ISKCON temple is also being built in Vrindavan, for around Rs684 crore, which is expected to further boost tourism and the local economy. Interview/ Sarbananda Sonowal, Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways THE NEW GOVERNMENT in Delhi has big plans for the Yamunas rejuvenation, a part of which is developing cruise tourism on the river. The government has signed an MoU with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency of the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways. Excerpts from an interview with Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal: Q/ What is the IWAIs roadmap for developing the river cruise on the Yamuna? A/ With the signing of the MoU between IWAI and various departments of the Delhi government, a new chapter begins for the development of Delhi. For promoting short-distance recreational boat tourism and ferry services, a 6km stretch of the Yamuna is being developed from Sonia Vihar (upstream of Wazirabad Barrage) to Jagatpur. This initiative is a significant step toward making Delhi a more sustainable, eco-friendly and tourist-friendly city. It not only aids in restoring the rivers ecological balance but also improves connectivity, boosts tourism and creates economic opportunities. Q/ How do you see inland waterways and their development impacting growth? A/ The development of inland waterways holds great promise for transforming the logistics sector in India. By leveraging our extensive network of rivers and water bodies, we can create a sustainable, cost-effective and efficient mode of transportation for goods. The Inland Water Transport(IWT) sector has had an unprecedented surge in terms of trade and transport in the past decade. There has been a 767 per cent increase in the number of operational national waterways, 635 per cent increase in the volume of cargo handled on national waterways, and a rise of 62 per cent in multimodal terminals, with a 233 per cent increase in investments in national waterways. Cargo traffic on national waterways has witnessed exponential growth in the last 10 yearsfrom 18 million tonnes a decade ago to 133 million tonnes in 2023-24. Inland waterways also hold significant promise for the tourism sector, offering opportunities for leisurely exploration and cruises. For example, the historic journey of MV Ganga Vilas showed the potential of cruise tourism, being the Worlds Longest River Cruise and travelling through 27 different river systems, five states, and two countries. Q/ Developing riverways can be a variable model for decongesting road traffic. What are the governments plans? A/ The commitment of the government in transforming the IWT sector goes beyond infrastructure and logistics. IWAI aims to create an ecosystem that nurtures growth, innovation and sustainability, and inland waterways will have a significant role in planning. For the development of this sector, convergence between the Centre and the state governments is paramount. The development of the waterways as a mode of connectivity, specifically with intermodal integration, can help boost the economy by resolving existing infrastructure constraints and improving connectivity. The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, has been introduced in the Lok Sabha and will be enacted soon. It envisages the development of a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan for the seamless integration of inland waterway routes with maritime coastal transport. The aim here is to enable the transportation of goods solely via water-based modes of transport, from inland waterways to coastal shipping routes. Waterways have also been pivotal in elevating the lives of hinterland communities by offering an alternative and accessible mode of transport, thus fostering socioeconomic progress, empowering the local population and creating a more equitable distribution of resources and benefits across a diverse region. IWAI has envisaged strengthening the urban water transport system to develop water metro projects across 18 cities in 12 states to replicate the Kochi Water Metro model in full or in part. IWAI will complete the feasibility studies for the same in the coming six months. Jeevesh Gupta DELHI IS AN URBAN space totally gone wrong, with a population of around 20 million, way beyond its capacity. If we go downstream of the Wazirabad barrage, a series of 21 drains flows into the Yamuna, making it a giant drain. The city generates more than 3 million cubic metres of treated and untreated sewage. The total mean annual flow for the Yamuna up to the Delhi stretch is 12-13 thousand million cubic metre (TMCM). The water abstraction from the river for irrigation and drinking till Delhi is about 10-11 TMCM. This leaves only a free river flow of about 2-3 TMCM. For the Yamuna, as for most Indian rivers, around 80 per cent of the flow occurs in the monsoon months (July to September) and the rest in the nine non-monsoon months. There is almost zero environmental flow available downstream of Wazirabad barrage during the non-monsoon months. Haryana releases 10 cumecs (cubic meters per sec) of flow at Hathanikund during the lean season. However, most of it evaporates or percolates before it reaches Wazirabad. Even if the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) treats the entire sewage generated in Delhi up to the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of 10 mg/l, the desired water quality, which is BOD less than 3 mg/l and dissolved oxygen of over 5 mg/l, may not be achieved due to the unavailability of fresh water in the river downstream of Wazirabad. The annual average BOD in the Yamuna varies from 11 to 24 mg/l. That is, the average non-monsoon season BOD level is close to eight times more than the desirable level. This would require a dilution of eight times to make it fall into safe health limits or a freshwater flow of over 20 MCM per day. Clearly, during the monsoon months, there is adequate dilution flow to maintain health standards. But during the non-monsoon months, this is not possible. Therefore, in the non-monsoon months, there is no option but to treat the sewage of Delhi and reduce the BOD to no more than 5 mg/l. Thus, Yamuna needs comprehensive cleansing of sewage. There is also the issue of algal choking. To avoid still-water algae growth, a minimum flow velocity of 0.75 m/s is required. The non-monsoon flow needed to do this is estimated to be 1.8 TMCM, whereas the Yamuna's current total non-monsoon flow is just 0.44 TMCM, which is leading to algal choking of the river, causing oxygen depletion and addition of toxins produced by algae. While the issue is mounting, there are solutions in sight, such as a flow of 23 cumecs in the lean season recommended by the National Institute of Hydrology in its study report submitted to the ministry of jal shakti. While this looks like a plausible solution, the dam projects upstream are still a few years away. The water stored can be sent downstream during the lean season, and the flow can be increased subsequently. Then there is water harvesting and introducing more efficient agricultural practices like drip irrigation, and shifting water-intensive agriculture (for example, rice and sugarcane) to water-surplus areas. The pumping of groundwater by borewells in the Yamuna flood plains, especially by the Delhi Jal Board, also has an impact on the river base flow in the lean season. This pumping should be reduced, and water shortage should be covered by increasing the number and efficiency of rainwater harvesting pits across the NCR region. Most importantly, the entire sewage generated from the stretch of Delhi requires treatment through sewage treatment plants and common effluent treatment plants in Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Upgrading existing sewage treatment plants and their efficient running is a big challenge, which has not happened despite environmentalists demanding it for decades. Promoting organic farming and reducing the use of fertilisers by agriculturists farming in the Yamuna plains will also go a long way. Jeevesh Gupta is an environmentalist and co-author of the book Green Day. It is 8am at Delhis ITO barrage. The early summer sun isnt too hot, the ailing Yamuna looks calm, rather domesticated and subdued. Decked up in Kashmiri pheran, and docked up on a boat, a young soon-to-be-wed couple poses for the pre-wedding shoot, capturing the wide expanse of the river. Also known as Kali Nadi (dark river) or Kalindi, in reference to Goddess Kali, the Yamunas current state reflects the very colour it is named after owing to decades of pollution. The Najafgarh drain is the biggest polluter, dumping as much as 70 per cent of the pollution load into the river. Just a little over 200km southeast, the river lay testimony to another love story, of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz that birthed the most extravagant symbol of lovethe Taj Mahal. Legend has it that the Mughal emperor intended to build a black Taj Mahal as his own mausoleum, opposite the white one. Agra also boasts a red Taj Mahal, built not by a man but a woman in memory of her husband John Hessing, a Dutch traveller-turned-army officer for the Marathas in Agra in the 1790s. And right between Delhi and Agra, the river is said to have witnessed the love story of Radha and Krishna, and their divine dance of love, or Raasleela, in Vrindavan. A river of dark love, Yamuna is celebrated in both myth and history. It is associated with the pranks of the dark god Krishna, and his dance on the dark snake Kaliya who was poisoning its very waters. It is also associated with the secret, unrequited love of Salim and Anarkali, and the several ancient and medieval monuments that dot its banks. Without the Yamuna, there is no Mathura or the tales of Krishna, says a priest at one of the ghats of this ancient temple townthe supposed birthplace of the Hindu godthat lies on the banks of this holy river. Manus ho to wahi Raskhani baso Braj Gokul gaon ke gvaran / Jo pasu hon to kaha bas mero charaun nit Nand ko dhenu manjharan (If I, Raskhan, am reborn as a human, I wish to be a cowherd in the village of Gokul in Brajbhumi. If born an animal, I would like to be a cow in the herd of Nanda, grazing blissfully all day), wrote 16th century Sufi poet Raskhan. How a Syed Ibrahim Khan became the Krishna bhakt (devotee) Raskhan is for the scholars to decipher, but his grave still rests in Gokul on the banks of Yamuna, bearing testimony to Indias Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb (composite culture). Sacred stretch: A sadhu on the banks of the Yamuna in Bateshwar, which is dotted with Shiva temples, in Agra | Sanjay Ahlawat Several stretches upstream, at a height of 6,387m, the river rests as a symbol of deep devotion for the Hindus at Yamunotri, its origin, in Uttarakhand. Lakhs of devotees, old and young, embark on this trek to worship the river goddess at the Yamunotri temple, one of the Char Dhams (Hindu pilgrimage sites). The river tumbles down the mountain slopes with force, vibrant with pristine blue waters. Travelling 1,376km through varied landscapes, four states and Delhi, it meets the Ganga at the Triveni Sangam (the site for the Kumbh Mela) in Prayagraj, its character starkly different downstreamit is wider, calmer and darker. And through its course, it flows through major towns and cities, having birthed several big and small empires, the remains of which stay mute on its banks, and it continues to host the seat of political power in India. Despite the tales, myths and grandeur, Yamuna is now often synonymous with pollution and filth. A simple Google search will first reveal pictures of a frothy Yamuna in Delhi and not the crystal clear water it holds in its upper reaches in Uttarakhand. Also known as Kali Nadi (dark river) or Kalindi, in reference to Goddess Kali, its current state reflects the very colour it is named after owing to decades of pollution. And here, it also imbibes a political colour. Politics over Yamuna ma On the bank of the river, at the stunningly colourful ghats in Mathura, a priest is carrying out a ritual in which the Yamuna is adorned with saris. Stacks of saris can be seen on the bank, along with flowers in plastic bags, burnt incense sticks and broken idols. On being asked if all this wouldnt pollute the river, he points fingers at Delhi. It is all coming from there, he says. Not entirely inaccurate as reports suggest that the 22km stretch of the Yamuna that flows through urban Delhi, from Wazirabad to Okhla barrage, makes for a mere 2 per cent of its length but contributes to over 75 per cent of its pollution load. The issue of Yamuna cleaning has also opened a political front since the assembly elections in Delhi in February, campaigning for which AAP supremo and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed neighbouring Haryana for poisoning the river. Kejriwal lost to BJPs Parvesh Verma, Delhis new water minister. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the slogan: Yamuna Maiya Ki Jai (Hail Mother Yamuna) and pledged to make the river the pride of Delhi post BJPs win. And after being sworn in on February 20, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with cabinet ministers, went to the recently-built Vasudev Ghat near Kashmiri Gate, and did Yamuna Aarti. If that was intended to show her governments intent, it was optics 101. This came just a few days after Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced a plan to clean Yamuna, Delhis lifeline, in three years. A citys lifeline Standing on the banks of the heavily-polluted Yamuna near the Salimgarh Fort, built by Sher Shah Suris son Salim in 1546, less than a kilometre from the Red Fort, built by Shah Jahan, with the old iron bridge built by the British on one side, I wonder how the river would have looked then, prompting scores of rulers to base their capitals here. It was never the lifeline of Delhi, at least not before the 1880s when the British set up the first water pumping station at Chandrawal, making it a source of drinking water, says heritage and conservation activist Sohail Hashmi. The river didnt flow through any of the seven medieval capitals that came up, all situated on its west bank, with wells and stepwells being used for drinking water. In fact, Sultan Feroze Shah Tughlaq started constructing a canal to bring the river water from Hisar to Kotla Feroz Shah, which was later completed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It then started flowing through the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk, and was called Nahr-i-Bihisht, the stream of paradise. But why was Tughlaq building a canal to get water from the Yamuna to Delhi? In my understanding, the river water wasnt potable even then, probably because the Yamuna in Delhi flows on the bedrock of the Aravallis, which in Delhi is quartzite rock that has a lot of silica and mica in it. People then wouldnt have known what these were but would have probably experienced that drinking it was causing several ailments. The Yamuna coming from Hisar, on the other hand, is carried on a thick layer of alluvial soil, says Hashmi. Indeed, Tughlaq and the Mughals werent the first to command the Yamunas waters. Lore has it that Krishnas brother Balram, the god of farmers, had dug a canal to divert a recalcitrant Yamunas waters to Vrindavan during a drought. Strangely, the rivers decay in Delhi began when it became the source of drinking water with the setting up of the water pumping station after which piped water began to be supplied to Shahjahanabad. And by the 1890s, the British also introduced the sewage system in Shahjahanabad, after which sewage began to flow into the Yamuna, says Hashmi. So, the water is pumped out from one side and sewage dumped into it on the other, what does it leave the river of? Where river becomes a glorified drain As the Yamuna enters the Yamunanagar district in Haryana to the Hathni Kund barrage, the river water is diverted to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by the Western Yamuna Canal and Eastern Yamuna Canal, respectively. The remaining flows into Delhi, entering at Palla, a village located on the tri-junction of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The water, although not crystal clear, looks visibly in better health. A temple, dedicated to goddess Yamuna, can be seen on the river bank, bearing signs that read, Ek snaan Yamuna maiyya ki swachhta ke naam [Take a dip for Yamunas cleanliness], and the more important Kooda kachredaan mein daale [Throw waste in the dustbin]. At Palla, the dissolved oxygen (DO), a marker of a rivers ability to support aquatic life, is 6above the required threshold of over 5 milligram per litre (mg/l)as per the latest report by the Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCC) for February. And the faecal coliform, the level of sewage contamination, was 1,300 MPN (most probable number) per 100 ml, which is tolerable for bathing. The permissible limit is 2,500 MPN/100ml. From Palla, it reaches Wazirabad, where it is barraged for Delhis source of drinking water. There is much activity here, with people worshipping and a group of divers taking turns diving into the river to recover coins. It is a productive day for 30-year-old Sagir, who not only recovers a huge pile of coins but also shows off his capability to remain underwater for over a minute. On a good day, I can recover coins worth over Rs200, he says. But doesnt being in the dirty river water trigger health concerns? Wheres the dirt? he interjects. You can even see the riverbed. The dissolved oxygen at Wazirabad was 5.3 in February, and the river appears visibly alive, with much activity and a calm and peaceful atmosphere. But this changes less than a kilometre away. It gets dirty over there, says Ramlal, another diver, pointing at the Najafgarh drain. It is the biggest polluter, dumping as much as 70 per cent of the pollution load into the river. It does so near Signature Bridge, which Delhi boasts as a modern landmark and the AAP government promoted as a tourist destination. Interestingly, swanky cafes at Tibetan refugee settlement-turned-citys hip locale Majnu ka Tila offer a view of the bridge and the river, the guests unknowing that it is exactly where the Yamunas water deteriorates sharply, making it more of a glorified drain. At ISBT bridge, less than a kilometre downstream from the Najafgarh drain, the faecal coliform reaches a whopping 5.4 million MPN/100ml, and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), reflective of a rivers ability to heal itself, is 46, much beyond the limit of 3mg/l. Just 3km away is the newly constructed Vasudev Ghat. Spanning 145m between the Yamuna Ghat and the Nigambodh Ghat, it boasts manicured lawns, carved pavilions, seasonal flower, native and naturalised trees, and a giant topiary of Maa Yamuna. It was inaugurated by the lieutenant governor last year, and was where the new Delhi CM and her cabinet ministers performed Yamuna aarti after being sworn in. A newly made staircase leads to the water, and people can be seen resting, taking selfies and making reels. The makeover is impressive, but something lingers. It is the stench, of the river. But that doesnt bother a trio making an Instagram reel. The aesthetics here are nice, they say. A couple can be seen walking hand-in-hand on the manicured lawn, the river bearing testimony to yet another love story. The stench doesnt bother them either. Has the river evaded consciousness of the people who inhabit the city, rendering its current state more of an inconvenience that can be ignored, I wonder. According to Hindu scriptures, the Yamuna is considered the sister of Yama, the god of death. That makes it but an irony that the river that serves as the site of last rites is virtually dead in Delhi. A recent parliamentary committee report observed that the Yamuna in Delhi was virtually non-existent because of insufficient levels of dissolved oxygen, and called for an urgent, lucid and coordinated response from all stakeholders to improve the situation. This abysmal state of the river is nowhere as evident as in Kalindi Kunj. A thick foam floats on the river water, the stench so bad that it is hard to stand even after covering the nose with a napkin. But what is even more shocking and jolts you into realisation is the surrounding, absolutely apocalyptic, with not a single soul to be seen nearby but only a couple of stray dogs fighting over a piece of meat. The weather feels grim, like during somebodys death. Only in this case, it is the atmosphere generated by a rivers death. At Okhla barrage, the rivers dissolved oxygen is nil and faecal coliform a staggering 9.2 lakh MPN /100 ml. The issue fans out of Delhi, as the recent parliamentary committee report on the Review of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Project Up to Delhi and River Bed Management in Delhi noted that at 23 of 33 locations on the Yamuna (six in Haryana and Delhi each, and 11 in Uttar Pradesh), water wasnt found fit for bathing. It also noted that there is no dissolved oxygen in around 40km stretch of the river in Delhi, except at Palla, and called for a study to be undertaken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga with the environment ministry to assess the damage rendered to the river, its ecology and aquatic life. Where the problem lies Pankaj Kumar, who goes by the name Earth Warrior on Instagram, has been carrying out clean-up drives along the Yamunas bank since 2019, with the recent one at Kalindi Kunj. We do solid waste removal, such as of clothes, idols, plastics, etc. We segregate the green waste, leave them there, and the municipal corporation takes away the rest, says Kumar, who adds that a tougher task is to sensitise people. Throwing waste is one thing, but people also take bath in it, despite seeing the thick foam. We all have seen shocking visuals of devotees taking a dip in this water during Chhatt puja. We have even been sued for stopping people from doing so. Kumar encapsulates the state of the river in Delhi with a simple: Ye nadi nahi ye, naala hai [This isnt a river, but a drain]. Waste generated from worship forms a miniscule part of the problem, says Vibha Dhawan, director-general of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). As many as 22 drains empty their load into the river, and as it leaves Delhi at Asgarpur in Delhi, the faecal coliform reaches a staggering 1.6 crore MPN/100 ml. Here, we need to look at the sewage treatment plants (STPs), if they are working at an adequate capacity. The answer is no, says Dhawan. Delhi generates 792 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage of which only 550MGD is treated, as per reports. The remaining flows untreated into the Yamuna. As per the latest report by DPCC, 18 of 36 STPs in the city, which includes Okhla, Sonia Vihar and Ghitorni, failed to meet efficiency norms in February. Where Yamuna enters Delhi in Palla, the faecal coliform is a little over 1,000 and where it leaves Delhi at Asgarpur, it is over 1 crore, which is reflective of the human and animal waste floating in the river, which means the sewage isnt being treated properly, says Kumar. At ITO barrage, where the faecal coliform is 43 lakh MPN/100ml, children can be seen playing in the river. It is like welcoming a medical emergency. Here, the government, too, should take an initiative by just installing boards that the river water isnt fit for bathing, he says. According to Dhawan, along with the treatment of sewage, the rivers flow is also a problem, which reduces significantly as it enters Delhi. The parliamentary committee report, too, noted that the key concern of maintaining an adequate environmental flow remains unaddressed. It observed that there is almost nil environmental flow available at downstream of Wazirabad barrage during 9 out of 12 months in a year. Encroachment along the river, too, remains an issue with the National Green Tribunal having reprimanded the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for failing to comply with its 2019 order on the removal of encroachments from the Yamuna floodplain. On the other hand, the DDA has said that it reclaimed 300 acres in an anti-encroachment drive conducted between August 2022 and January 2024. While there are regulations, if you visit these areas, you can see dhobi ghats, waste from which enters the river. Then, there is this huge industrial belt that adds heavy metals into the river, says Dhawan. River in political focus In her maiden budget speech on March 25, the Delhi chief minister mentioned the Yamuna 17 times. Rapping the previous AAP government, she argued that it completely failed to clean the river. Vows were taken to save Yamuna ji, but it was instead turned into a drain of filth, Gupta said. Notably, Kejriwal, while campaigning during the 2020 Assembly elections, had vowed to clean the river and take a dip in it by February 2025. While he won, not much changed on ground. Delhi was once irrigated by the clean water of the Yamuna. But it is now struggling with a water crisis, overflowing sewage and polluted water reservoirs. The indifference of the previous governments meant the thirst of Delhi couldnt be quenched. Indeed, the water crises only deepened, Gupta said, as she announced Rs500 crore for the cleaning of Yamuna. Additional funds were announced for improving capability of STPs. To clean Yamuna ji, we will build 40 decentralised sewage treatment plants, so that sewage is treated at the source itself. In addition, modern machinery will be purchased with an amount of Rs40 crore, among them modern devices like trash skimmer, weed harvester and dredgers, the CM said. Another Rs200 crore was announced for the restoration of the Najafgarh drain, the primary polluter. As many as 32 real-time water quality monitoring stations, equipped with advanced sensors that will constantly monitor the contamination level in the water, will also be set up. We are committed to making Delhis water management modern, scientific and sustainable, said Gupta. An ambitious roadmap, adding to which is a Memorandum of Understanding signed on March 11 by the Delhi government and the Inland Waterways Authority of India to run a water ferry service upstream of Wazirabad on a 4km stretch. Earlier in March, Water Minister Verma had emphasised the new governments plans to promote tourism by introducing ferry and cruise service along the 8km stretch between Wazirabad and Sonia Vihar. Meanwhile, the LG, on February 16, announced the start of a cleanup drive, which included deploying trash skimmers, weed harvesters and dredging machines. The Delhi government aims to clean the river within three years. Meanwhile, TERI, too, had shared a 10-point action plan to clean the river within the same time. The solutions are everywhere, says Dhawan. But will the Yamuna be revived from a dark glorified drain to become the holy river that birthed many an empire will be crucial to see. Cold comfort: Vice President J.D. Vance and wife, Usha, at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland | AP Yankee go back: A protester in Nuuk demonstrates against increased military presence because of the visit of the US delegation | Getty Images Trump blinked. Greenlanders won. US Second Lady Usha Vances self-declared heritage tour of this remote Arctic island morphed from charm to harm to flop offensive. Outraged by President Donald Trumps brazen plans to annex their landa semi-autonomous region of DenmarkGreenlanders declared frostily that the Vance entourage was uninvited and unwelcome. Citizens refused to even meet her and husband J.D. Vance. The cultural excursion to see a dog-sledding race and other gems were unravelling into a media disaster for the whole world to see: a shuttered museum, empty streets, snowy landscapes without dogs and protesters turning their backs to the motorcade, holding placards that read, Make America Go Away. So Trump withdrew. Video from Greenland capital Nuuks airport showing American armoured cars retreating into the hull of two Hercules aircraft was the first clue that Trump had blinked. Gleaming bulletproof cars had arrived for the motorcade through charming Nuuk, home to one-third of Greenlands 57,000 citizens. But as there would be no cheering Greenlanders lining the streets, all public events were abandoned, the cars were sent back, and Team Vance flew directly to the icy, isolated US Space Base in Pituffik, 2,000km from Nuuk. Locals have no objection to Americans visiting their out-of-sight base. Trump covets Greenland for its mineral wealth and to surveil the Russians and the Chinese prowling the Arctic. Both goals are achievable without an invasion. The US can sign mining leases with Greenland, and as NATO leader, it has operated, closed and augmented bases here for decades. But invasion is about power and profiteering. Greenlandic authorities viewed the cultural foray as highly aggressive because it initially included National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Republican Senator Mike Lee, a grab-Greenland trooper. The Signalgate scandal and Greenlanders glacial reaction persuaded the White House to drop the officials. J.D. Vance stepped in last-minute. When he stepped out into the Arctic base, he blurted, Its cold as shit here. Nobody told me. His mobile phone probably did. The ironyhe was speaking from the worlds most sophisticated space surveillance centre. Still, why waste a trip? Europe-baiter Vance, who loathes Europeans for being pathetic freeloaders, baited NATO ally Denmark for neglecting Greenland, whose independence movement he endorsed in a staged video from the maximum-security base. Greenlanders want independence from Denmark but equally want to stay out of US control. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen said the botched Vance soft-power visit arose from the false American narrative that the islanders would enthusiastically welcome the visitors and happily become US citizens. That myth originated from Trumps namesake son, Jr., who landed in Greenland in a Trump jet in January, even before his father took office. He invited 15 allegedly homeless people to lunch, distributed MAGA caps, shook hands, showed off dad, went home and raved about how cool it was. That myth imploded as the chilly public reception turned the Vance visit into a pointless parody. What cultural activity could Usha Vance do in a military encampment with its 10,000-foot runway, deep-water port, radar systems and a satellite receiving stationbut not a single receiving Greenlander? The heritage expedition became a nonsensical Vance Voyage, flying 16 hours to speak to a few US service personnel. Local entrepreneur Jakob Nordstrm summed it up: It is a big win for Greenland. Trump blinked, but his third eye opens. He told NBC, Well get Greenland, 100 per cent. Nuuk resident Nanna Jrgensen, 34, fears for her and her sons future. She worries, I dont think its over. On the contrary, Im afraid its only just begun. New York state officials have told the Trump administration that they will not comply with its demands to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices in public schools, despite the administrations threats to terminate federal education funding. Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of the state Department of Education, said in a letter dated Friday to the federal Education Department that state officials do not believe the federal agency has the authority to make such demands. We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems diversity, equity & inclusion, he wrote. But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI. Morton-Bentley also wrote state officials were unaware of any authority the federal Department of Education has to demand that states agree with its interpretation of court decisions or to terminate funding without a formal administrative process. The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. The Trump administration on Thursday ordered K-12 schools nationwide to certify within 10 days that they are following federal civil rights laws and ending any discriminatory DEI practices, as a condition for receiving federal money. Federal funding comprises about 6% of the total funding for New York K-12 schools. Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement when the demand was made. He said many schools have flouted their legal obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another. The certification demand asked state and school leaders to sign a reminder of legal obligations acknowledging their federal money is conditioned on compliance with federal civil rights laws. It also demands compliance with several pages of legal analysis written by the administration. The demand specifically threatens Title I funding, which sends billions of dollars a year to Americas schools and targets low-income areas. Morton-Bentley wrote that the state Education Department has already certified to the federal government on multiple occasions that it is complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, most recently in January. He said the federal department is basing its demands to end DEI programs on a faulty legal interpretation. Given the fact that you are already in possession of guarantees by NYSED that it has and will comply with Title VI, no further certification will be forthcoming, he wrote. He also said the administrations stance is an abrupt shift from the one taken by the first Trump administration, citing comments in 2020 made by then-U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that diversity and inclusion were cornerstones of high organizational performance. He wrote the administration has provided no explanation of why it changed positions. Critics of the certification demand said it conflicted with Trumps promise to return education to schools and states. The threat of financial sanctions is similar to ones the Trump administration has been leveraging against colleges in its effort to crack down on protests against Israel that it deems antisemitic. New York state has similarly refused to comply with a demand by the Trump administration to shut down a program to fund mass transit in New York City with high tolls on cars that drive into Manhattan. (AP) John Gutierrez had been thinking about buying a new laptop for the past year. The Austin, Texas, resident needed a computer with faster processing and increased storage for his photography work and had his sights set on a product from a Taiwanese brand. Then President Donald Trump announced expansive new import tariffs Wednesday, including a 32% tax on imports from Taiwan. That same day, Gutierrez ordered the laptop, with a base price of $2,400, from a retailer in New York specializing in photo and video gear. I thought Id bite the bullet, buy it now, and then that way Ill have the latest technology on my laptop and dont have to worry about the tariffs, he said. Gutierrez was among the U.S. consumers rushing to buy big-ticket items before the tariffs take effect. Economists say the tariffs are expected to increase prices for everyday items, warning of potentially weakened U.S. economic growth. The White House hopes the tariffs prod countries to open their economies to more American exports, leading to negotiations that could reduce tariffs, or that companies increase their production in the U.S. to avoid higher import taxes. Rob Blackwell and his wife needed a new car that could handle long drives from Arlington, Virginia, to their sons college. Their current electric vehicle is older with a limited range, and it will soon be used by his daughter, who is on the verge of getting her drivers license. I have been telling my wife that for some time we were going to need to do it, he said, and I was watching to see what the president did with tariffs. Blackwell wanted another EV, but said leasing made more economic sense because the technology is ever-changing. He had his eye on the new General Motors Optiq; its an American car but made in Mexico, which could be subject to tariffs on supply chains that might increase the cost. After hearing that tariffs would be announced, they made plans the weekend before to lease the car. He said the dealership honored the agreement they worked out before the tariffs were finalized. And although he said the salespeople were a pleasure to deal with, Blackwell sensed a shift in their stance. They know what we know, which is suddenly it flips from a buyers market to a sellers market very quickly, Blackwell said, adding that he is happy with his choice. It was just a simple rational decision, he said. If this is what the governments going to do, I need to get my act together. Lee Wochner, CEO of the Burbank, California-based Counterintuity marketing and strategy firm, also needed a new vehicle. He wanted a more presentable car for business meetings, but kept putting it off because of his busy work schedule. On March 27, a Thursday, he told his firms car broker: Ed, I need a car pronto and its got to happen by Sunday. The broker gave him some car and pricing options and he leased an Audi Q3, which was delivered Sunday to his house by a nearby dealership. A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation showed how much he saved by leasing before the tariffs were implemented. If he had waited, Wochner said, it would have cost about another $4,300. One of the things my car broker said was that deals that were already written, some of the dealerships were ripping them up already and renegotiating them because they were afraid that they werent going to be able to get enough new inventory at a price anybody would buy, he said. He believes prices will continue to increase because the U.S. has lost the trust of the international trade market. If you need a new car, if you can get that pre-tariff deal still, you should go get it, he said, because who knows what next Wednesday might be like. (AP) Prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued in a court filing Friday that a significant sentence was warranted because the New York Republicans unparalleled crimes had made a mockery of the countrys election system. From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santoss unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives, the office wrote. Prosecutors also argued that Santos had been unrepentant and defiant for years, dismissing the prosecution as a witch hunt and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked. They said his claims of remorse after pleading guilty ring hollow and suggested he has a high likelihood of reoffending given he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or repaid any of his victims. Santos lawyers, in an email to The Associated Press, dismissed the seven-year proposal as absurd and unfounded, saying it appears designed to beat up on a man that already took full responsibility for his actions. In their own sentencing memo Friday, they rejected the notion that Santos will fall back into criminal behavior, noting he has no prior criminal record and also provides crucial support to his sister and her young daughter. They argued for a two-year prison term, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft. The lawyers maintain such a sentence is in line with those handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures facing similar financial crimes. They also touted Santos cooperation in a separate federal investigation into a Texas man who tried to dupe Santos out of nearly $1 million by posing as a political fixer offering to destroy evidence in his cases. This sentence, coupled with the significant collateral consequences Mr. Santos has already sufferedincluding the loss of his congressional seat and public humiliation would send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated, the lawyers wrote. A federal judge on Long Island is scheduled to decide Santos sentence during a court hearing April 25. The once-rising Republican, who represented parts of Queens and Long Island, served barely a year in office before he was ousted by his House colleagues in 2023, just the sixth congressperson ever expelled in the chambers history. Santos political demise came after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his life story, leading to questions about how the political unknown had funded his winning campaign. The now-36-year-old cast himself as a wealthy businessman who had graduated from top colleges, worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio. In truth, he was struggling financially and faced eviction. Santos admitted in August that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his own family members, to make donations to his congressional campaign. He was initially due to be sentenced in February, but a judge granted him a three-month reprieve to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines. As part of his plea deal, Santos agreed to pay nearly $375,000 in restitution and $205,000 in forfeiture. Santos lawyers said at the time that he had little more than $1,000 in liquid assets and needed more time to build his newly launched podcast Pants on Fire in order to begin paying off the debt. Prosecutors maintain Santos profited handsomely from his infamy, arguing he has earned more than $800,000 from appearances on the video-sharing website Cameo and from a new documentary since his expulsion from Congress. Two of Santos campaign staffers have also pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection to the campaign financing scheme. Sam Miele, his former campaign fundraiser, was sentenced in March to one year and one day in federal prison. He admitted to impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide and charging donors credit cards without authorization while raising campaign cash for Santos. Nancy Marks, Santos former campaign treasurer, admitted to filing bogus campaign finance reports filled with fake donors and a fake $500,000 personal loan from Santos himself. The embellishments helped the campaign hit fundraising thresholds needed to qualify for financial backing from the national Republican Party. Marks is due to be sentenced in May. (AP) In a stunning new twist to the long-running saga of Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings, newly surfaced federal documents show that the son of then-Vice President Joe Biden directly sought and received help from the Obama State Department on behalf of a Ukrainian energy firm that was paying him a million-dollar salary. The documents show Hunter used his connections within the administration to secure diplomatic assistance for a geothermal subsidiary of Burisma Holdings operating in Italy. The revelation adds fresh fuel to Republican allegations of influence peddling by the Biden family during the Obama years. In July 2016, then-U.S. Ambassador to Italy John Phillips responded to a letter from Hunter with a striking offer: diplomatic assistance in brokering a meeting between Burisma representatives and Enrico Rossi, the president of Italys Tuscany region. I know Enrico Rossi well and have a good working relationship with him, Phillips wrote. Ive asked [a senior embassy official] to be the point of contact, see where our interests may overlap, and facilitate contact. The letter, obtained and published by The New York Times, follows an earlier message from Hunter in which he asked the U.S. embassy in Rome for help arranging the meeting, referencing a recent visit to the city with his father, then-VP Biden. Phillips confirmed that Hunter appeared to be referring to a three-day official stay at the ambassadors residence in 2015, during which both Bidens were present. A representative for Hunter claimed the mention of the trip was heartfelt appreciation and not an attempt to invoke his fathers political clout. Still, critics argue the timing and tone suggest otherwise. This is yet another example of the Biden familys playbook, said House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who has led inquiries into alleged Biden family influence schemes. Hunter cozies up to U.S. and foreign officials, cashes in on the Biden name, and gets the government to grease the wheels for his foreign paymasters. Burisma hired Hunter Biden in 2014 to help polish the reputation of the companys pro-Russian owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, following Ukraines revolution. At the time, Joe Biden had just taken over the White Houses Ukraine portfolio. Despite having no relevant experience in the energy sector, Hunter landed a lucrative board seat and, as recently as 2019, admitted he likely wouldnt have been hired if my last name werent Biden. The newly uncovered records appear to corroborate long-standing claims that Hunter used his family name to secure preferential treatment and high-level access and that officials in the Obama administration were responsive to his overtures. Compounding the controversy are earlier reports and laptop emails indicating that Joe Biden met with several of Hunters business associates despite his repeated denials. These include alleged meetings with figures from China, Mexico, Russia, and Ukraine. The documents also reignite questions about Joe Bidens role in the 2016 firing of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who had been investigating Burismas leadership. Biden famously threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Ukraine removed Shokin a move Biden has defended as U.S. policy but which critics now view with suspicion, given the potential conflict of interest. Sworn testimony from Devon Archer, a former Hunter business partner, has revealed that Hunter called his father from Dubai during a meeting with Burisma executives in December 2015, shortly before the Shokin firing became official U.S. policy. The issue is further complicated by Burismas activities in Italy, where Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko a frequent Biden contact is said to have been a core shareholder in the Burisma subsidiary. Klitschko has denied any business ties to the company. Although the political heat surrounding Hunter Biden has cooled somewhat since his father left office and dropped his re-election bid last July, the release of these records may give fresh momentum to calls for accountability. Hunter was pardoned by his father in December over tax and gun charges, followed by sweeping pre-emptive pardons for other family members in January including Bidens brother James. The Biden brand was the business, Comer said. And these documents show just how far they were willing to take it. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) KABUL, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has expelled about 700 Afghan families in the past five days, a local media outlet channel reported late Saturday. "Among these individuals (immigrants), numerous are men whose spouses remained behind (in Pakistan). There are cases where women have crossed over while their husbands remain on the other side," TOLONews TV channel quoted Azizullah Mustafa, deputy governor of eastern Nangarhar province as saying. The Pakistani government is set to deport 3 million Afghans to their home country in 2025. "We urge Pakistan to immediately stop mass internal relocations, deportations, arrests, evictions, intimidation and other pressures on Afghans to cross the border into Afghanistan, and to uphold the absolute and non-derogable principle of non-refoulement," UN experts said in a statement on Friday. Reportedly, about 7 million Afghan refugees, most of whom are undocumented migrants, are currently living abroad, with most living in Afghanistan's neighboring Pakistan and Iran. The Afghan interim government has been repeatedly calling upon Afghan refugees to end living abroad as refugees and return home to contribute to the rebuilding of their war-torn homeland. A political firestorm erupted Thursday after Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio referred to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as Fuhrer Schumer, invoking the title of Adolf Hitler. Heres the main thing youve got to understand, Moreno told reporters while discussing President Donald Trumps tax proposals. Republicans are independently minded. Democrats are monolithic sheep that follow the Fuhrer Schumers orders. The incendiary comment was immediately denounced by Jewish leaders and civil rights organizations. A spokesperson for Schumer responded tersely, saying, Thats textbook antisemitism, so we wont comment on it. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, issued a blistering condemnation on social media: Its despicable and inexcusable to compare a Jewish leader in the Senate to Adolf Hitler. Nazi analogies in politics trivialize the Holocaust and the memory of the 6 million Jews who were murdered, including dozens of members of Sen. Schumers own family. Somewhat similarly, in March, President Trump said that Schumer used to be Jewish and had become a Palestinian a remark widely panned as both antisemitic and Islamophobic. Schumer is a Palestinian as far as Im concerned, Trump said at the time. Hes not Jewish anymore. Hes a Palestinian. Trump also once said that Schumer was a proud member of Hamas. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a major case stemming from the murder of Ari Fuld HYD, a beloved American-Israeli activist and father of four who was killed in a 2018 terrorist stabbing in Israel. The case, Miriam Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization, centers on whether current U.S. law grants courts jurisdiction to hear civil claims against foreign entities like the PLO when American citizens are victims of terrorism abroad. The hearing did not debate new legislation, but rather sought to determine whether existing congressional statutes allow for such legal action in U.S. courts. Representing the Fuld family was Rockland County (Monsey) attorney Sam Silverman, a prominent advocate for victims of terrorism. The family, seated in the courtroom, listened intently as the justices posed challenging legal questions. A ruling is expected later this spring or summer. YWN had a reporter on-site to cover the days proceedings. After the hearing, the Fulds visited the Capitol Hill office of Congressman Mike Lawler, who has been a staunch supporter of terror victims. The family thanked Lawler for his commitment and compassion, and the Congressman reaffirmed his resolve to stand against antisemitism and terrorism. In a deeply personal moment, he pledged to continue advocating for justice for victims like Ari Fuld and to ensure that those who support terror are held accountable. Lawlers efforts go beyond words. Weeks before the Supreme Court hearing, on February 27, 2025, Congressman Lawler joined Representatives Claudia Tenney, Jared Moskowitz, and Josh Gottheimer to reintroduce the PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at imposing sanctions on Palestinian officials and institutions involved in the pay-for-slay terror payment system. The bill targets those who financially reward terrorists and their families, including foreign individuals, institutions, and government bodies facilitating these transactions. Pay-to-slay terrorism is a disgraceful and inhumane practice, said Lawler. The PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act will ensure those who enable these horrific acts are held fully accountable. We are delivering a clear and unwavering message: terrorism will not be tolerated or rewarded. This legislation comes amid ongoing outrage over the Palestinian Authoritys continued financial support for terrorists. As YWN reported in September of 2023, the PA doubled the monthly stipend to Khalil Yousef Ali Jabarin, the terrorist who murdered Ari Fuld, even as he serves a life sentence for the attack. Even more disturbing, in January 2025, YWN reported that Jabarin was slated for release as part of the hostage exchange deal. Although it remains unclear whether that release has taken place, the very prospect has intensified calls for greater accountability and legislative action including the very sanctions bill Lawler now champions. Ari Fuld was murdered on September 16, 2018, at the Gush Etzion Junction. Despite being stabbed by a 17-year-old Palestinian terrorist from Yatta, Fuld heroically pursued and shot his attacker, preventing further harm. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Fuld, who was also an American citizen, was widely recognized as a fierce defender of Israel and a passionate educator. He was known for creating viral videos explaining Israeli policy and Torah ideas, delivering care packages to IDF soldiers, and traveling to border communities under fire. His story was widely reported by YWN at the time full coverage here. As the Supreme Court deliberates on the jurisdictional questions posed by Miriam Fuld v. PLO, the stakes remain high for the Fuld family and for American victims of terrorism worldwide. With legal representation from Monsey and unwavering support from Congressman Lawler and others, the Fulds continue to fight not only for justice in Aris memory but for change that will protect other innocent lives from similar tragedy. Your browser does not support the video tag. Your browser does not support the video tag. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) President Donald Trump has claimed that recent U.S. airstrikes in Yemen have decimated the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group, but officials behind closed doors are painting a very different picture. According to a New York Times report published Friday, Pentagon officials have quietly acknowledged that the strikes have fallen short of expectations, failing to dismantle the Houthis fortified underground weapons infrastructure. The report reveals growing frustration within the Defense Department, where sources admit that U.S. forces are struggling to inflict lasting damage on the Iran-backed groups deeply embedded arsenal. Despite increasingly intense operations ordered under the Trump administration, the Pentagon has reportedly refrained from publicly disclosing the full scale of the strikes or their limited effectiveness. The underground bunkers are well-fortified, said one official quoted in the Times. We underestimated how prepared they were. Behind the scenes, the cost of the campaign is mounting. The U.S. has already spent an estimated $200 million in munitions alone, a figure that excludes the deployment of two aircraft carriers, personnel, and other military assets in the region. One congressional source told the Times that total expenses could hit $1 billion by next week. The United States has also dedicated substantial resources to protecting Israel, its key ally in the region, from Houthi aerial threats. The use of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to intercept incoming missiles can cost between $12 million and $15 million per use, according to Israeli media outlet Walla. Despite the pressure on Israel from frequent Houthi missile fire, a source told the Jerusalem Post that the U.S. had advised Israel against striking Houthi positions, instead opting to take the lead in the sustained offensive. While Israeli Air Force strikes have successfully targeted Houthi sites in the past, U.S. officials believe American forcesbolstered by aircraft carriers and long-range precision weaponsare better equipped for prolonged engagement. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A senior Israeli official told reporters that Israel is in active talks with multiple countries about accepting Palestinians from Gaza as part of a long-term strategic shift in the regions post-war future. The disclosure came during a press briefing with reporters covering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus diplomatic visit to Hungary, making it likely that the senior official is Netanyahu himself. According to the official, while the United States is not currently pushing President Donald Trumps Gaza relocation proposal, Israel is very serious about advancing it. There are countries interested, the senior official said. They want something in return not necessarily money, but also strategic matters. The plan hinges on two immediate goals: the release of Israeli hostages and the elimination of Hamas. Only then, the official said, will there be a possibility for wide-scale emigration, citing an unnamed poll suggesting that 60% of Gazas population around 2 million people would consider leaving the enclave. Arab states have so far rejected appeals to absorb Palestinian populations. Governments in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and others have argued that removing Gazans from their land risks deepening the crisis and simply exporting the conflict into neighboring countries. The official did not confirm whether Gazans who leave would be allowed to return. Reports have already emerged of small groups of Gazans being required to sign documents relinquishing their right of return, citing the ongoing security situation. The official further suggested that while Israel does not seek a permanent occupation of Gaza, it may hold onto territory to ensure long-term security control. The proposed future for Gaza would involve temporary governance by a consortium of Arab countries, particularly the Gulf states, who would manage the territory pending further arrangements. That vision, however, has run up against a hard political wall: Arab participation has been conditioned on Israel granting a governance role to the Palestinian Authority and committing to a roadmap toward a two-state solution a path Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected. The officials assertion that Arab nations will eventually acquiesce and bankroll the post-war Gaza project has strained diplomatic ties, especially with Gulf leaders frustrated by what they see as an unrealistic and unilateral approach. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The US transferred a second THAAD air defense battery and two Patriot batteries to Israel, the Saudi Al-Hadath channel reported on Motzei Shabbos. The report comes amid record tension between the US and Iran and the extensive military operation the US is carrying out against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. A US transport plane, the C-5M Super Galaxy, was tracked landing at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on Shabbos and remaining there for about eight hours. The first THAAD [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System], along with about 100 US soldiers, was deployed to Israel by the Biden administration in the wake of Irans attack on Israel on October 1, 2024. It was used for the first time at the end of 2024 to intercept a missile launched at Israel from Yemen Army Radio journalist Doron Kadosh noted that we need to connect the dots and look at the whole picture: the US is transferring a lot of military equipment to the region both offensive and defensive. This joins the aircraft carriers that are making their way to the region and the large quantity of strategic bombers that are already on the island of Diego Garcia. According to publications in international media, the US is placing the systems in question in the area as a possible preparation for an attack in Iran. The meaning: the US is placing a credible military threat in our region against the Iranians, offensive and defensive, as leverage to bring them to an improved nuclear agreement. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The Lavi organization submitted an urgent petition to the Supreme Court on Friday demanding that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara be ordered to refrain from dealing with the affairs of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman. The petition is based on a recent revelation of personal friendships spanning decades between Baharav-Miara and her husband, and Bar and Argaman. The Attorney-Generals husband, Tzion Miara, served as a Shin Bet operative before he became ill 20 years ago and was diagnosed with ALS. Bar and Argaman were Miaras Shin Bet colleagues and close friends who maintained contact with him after he became ill and homebound. Despite her close personal ties with Bar, Baharav-Miara became involved in his case to a degree that even Supreme Court justices disagreed with. She froze Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus dismissal of Bar and even fabricated a legal decision that he is forbidden from interviewing candidates for the position until a hearing is held on the matter. Regarding Argaman, Baharav-Miara is personally involved in a petition he filed regarding the government commission of inquiry on spyware, when she surprisingly refused to represent the governments position and instead adopted Argamans position. The petition filed by the Lavi organization includes tangible evidence of Baharav-Miaras personal connections to Bar and Argaman, such as reports by Baharav-Miaras brother-in-law documenting visits and social gatherings and describing the close relationship between the families. The petition details how Baharav Miaras conduct violates a series of laws, including a section in the Civil Service Regulations that prohibits a public servant from being involved in a matter in which he/she may be in a conflict of interest; the rules of ethics for state employees that require self-disqualification in handling the cases of personal friends; as well as the conflict of interest arrangement that Baharav-Miara herself signed. The Lavi organization stated that attempts were made to resolve the problem out of court. The organization contacted the Ministry of Justice on March 27, 2025, demanding that the conflict of interest be addressed, but the request was completely ignored. A journalists inquiry on the matter was also answered with no comment. Every moment in which Baharav-Miara deals with matters in which she is in a personal conflict of interest, which she does not deny at all, contaminates these proceedings, the petition states. This conduct harms public trust in the law enforcement system and constitutes a very problematic example for all public servants in the country. The petition also emphasizes the contradiction in Baharav-Miaras conduct, which, on the one hand, adheres to strict conflict of interest rules towards other parties, and on the other hand, ignores a significant conflict of interest in her own affairs. The petition demands that the Supreme Court issue a conditional order and a temporary injunction ordering Baharav-Miara to update her conflict of interest arrangement and immediately withdraw from any involvement in petitions related to Mr. Bar and Mr. Argaman. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz today unveiled irrefutable proof of Irans central role in orchestrating the October 7th massacre and its ongoing mission to destroy the State of Israel. Speaking during a visit to Israels elite Special Operations Unita recently established intelligence and combat force comprised of seasoned reservistsKatz revealed the first-ever transcript of explosive communications between Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif and the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. I present here today unequivocal proof of Irans support for Hamas genocidal plan to wipe Israel off the map, Katz said. Sinwar and Deif demanded $500 million from Irans Quds Force commander to carry out their planand they received it. According to the materials retrieved by the Special Operations Unitclassified intelligence physically extracted from deep within Hamas tunnels in Gazathe documents include internal archives from Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terror factions. Among them was a direct correspondence between Hamas leadership and the Iranian regime that lays bare the scale of coordination and shared ambition to destroy both Israel and the United States. In this document, Sinwar and Deif explicitly request the transfer of half a billion dollars from Iran to fund the destruction of the State of Israel, Katz explained. In response, Hassan Izadi, the head of the Palestinian branch of the Revolutionary Guards, pledged the moneydespite Irans severe economic crisis and the suffering of its people. The Iranian regime made clear: annihilating Israel takes precedence over the well-being of its own citizens. The conclusion is clear, Katz continued. Iran is the head of the snake. Despite its denials, it continues to fuel terrorism across the regionfrom Gaza to Lebanon, Syria, Yehuda and Shomron, and now through the Houthis in Yemenall under the same banner: the eradication of the Jewish state. We will not rest until the Iranian axis of evil is dismantled and destroyed, Katz concluded. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israeli police and Shin Bet agents have arrested a Palestinian man from the Shuafat refugee camp who was allegedly plotting a series of terror attacks in Jerusalem including a bombing of the citys light rail system. The arrest, which occurred last month, was revealed Sunday in a joint statement by law enforcement and the internal security agency. Authorities say the suspect meticulously planned a string of attacks to be carried out during the month of Ramadan. According to investigators, the man whose identity has not yet been released was building his own pipe bombs and had amassed a collection of knives, all intended for coordinated assaults on civilian targets. His initial plan, authorities say, was to plant homemade explosives in crowded public areas, including a train car on Jerusalems light rail, a public bus, or a restaurant in the southern part of the capital. At a later stage, he allegedly shifted focus to a far more devastating attack a combined vehicular ramming and stabbing spree at a busy Jerusalem bus stop. As part of this plan, he acquired both a car and multiple knives. The Jerusalem District Attorneys Office is now preparing to file an indictment, though a date has yet to be announced. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) With the Government's changes to stamp duty having just come into effect, there will have been a glut of first time buyers frantically pushing for their house purchases to go through in time. The last thing a new homeowner wants is to shell out even more money than they need to on electric and gas, so many will be looking to keep bills down. And others might want to make improvements that reduce the environmental impact of their home. But what can you do to ensure your bills are as cheap as possible? What on earth is an EPC rating, and is it worth investing in double, or even triple, glazing? With the help of Celia Rumbold, energy expert at utility firm Ovo, we explain what those moving into their first home need to know. Efficient: New build homes often have a better EPC rating than older properties Why does energy efficiency matter? An energy efficient home reduces your impact on the planet, but it will also be less painful for your finances as less energy will be needed to heat or cool your home, in turn reducing your energy bills. Taking energy efficiency measures could also add value to your property when you come to sell. Another unseen benefit of an energy efficient home is that it could leader to lower costs for home insurance. When you buy a home, you must be given an energy performance certificate (EPC) by the previous owner. This shows how efficient the property is currently, and makes suggestions about how it could be improved. Rumbold says: 'Taking the time to read an EPC and understand it won't just help you estimate your running costs, it could lead to big savings - or boost your property's value - in the future.' What is an EPC rating? Every home has an EPC rating, which ranks your property from A, the most efficient, to G, the least. The higher the EPC rating, the lower your energy costs will be. The average EPC rating of UK homes is D, with older homes having a worse rating, while new builds have an average rating of B. Improving your rating can not only bring down your energy bills, but also boost the value of your home. However, when looking to buy a property, listings will often just display the rating letter, without any of the detail behind it. Using the Government's EPC tool enables you to find out more about a property you are considering. EPC ratings last for a ten-year period, so if the rating is due to expire, there could be improvements that have been made but aren't yet listed. Rumbold said: 'Reading the EPC in full is time well spent. It helps you plan for running costs, future upgrades, and could even help you add value to your property when it's time to sell.' Celia Rumbold says even small improvements can make a significant difference to your energy bills How expensive are energy improvements? The cost of improvements can vary greatly. For example, installing solar panels or battery storage will offer significant improvement to your EPC rating, as well as reducing reliance on the national grid, but these are also some of the more expensive home improvements. There are, however, cheaper changes that can be made. Rumbold says: 'Around 10 per cent of a home's heat is lost through windows, so installing double or triple glazing can help you retain more heat, improve energy efficiency and potentially boost your EPC.' Similarly, improving your new homes' insulation will help to reduce heat loss, especially in older homes. Loft insulation and roof insulation can be a cost-effective way of doing so, while cavity walls and solid walls can both be insulated too. Improvements to insulation are one of the most common EPC recommendations. Where do I start with home improvements? An EPC will set out ways that the energy efficiency of your home can be improved, as well as what energy efficiency measures are already in place. Rumbold said: 'A great place to start is looking at your EPC or bringing in an expert to do a top-to-bottom assessment of your home's energy efficiency.' It might be tempting to go all-out with a big ticket home improvement, such as a heat pump or battery storage, but Rumbold warns that doing so before you have addressed other problems could mean this tech doesn't make the savings you quite hoped for. She said: 'If you are planning on greener tech investments, it's a good idea to take a "fabric first" approach. 'This means focusing on the conservation of heat, identifying and tackling your property's main heat loss hot spots - like walls, lofts, and floors - first before you buy your new tech. 'Your home will lose less heat and will maximise the efficiency of any new tech, including things like smart heating controls.' Even if major changes are out of budget, there are quick wins that could cut your bills and help you save for bigger improvements. If you can't afford to splash out on double glazing, for example, Rumbold says even making use of draught-excluder tape could help to cut heat loss in your home and save 45 per year. According to Rumbold, turning off appliances properly, rather than leaving them on standby, could cut your energy bills by 45 per year. Meanwhile, lowering your thermostat by 1 degree could save you as much as 90 per year. It is worth noting that it isn't recommended to heat your home to less than 18 degrees during winter. Switching halogen bulbs to LEDs could also save 4 per bulb annually. SYDNEY, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Australian police have arrested and charged a Jordanian national who allegedly attempted to open the doors of a Sydney-bound flight. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement on Sunday that the 46-year-old man was arrested at Sydney Airport upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night. According to the AFP, the man attempted to open the rear emergency exit door of the aircraft mid-flight. The man was subsequently escorted to a seat in the middle of the aircraft by airline staff, where he allegedly tried to open the middle emergency exit door before being restrained by crew and passengers. The AFP said he has been charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assaulting the crew of an aircraft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment. "The actions of this man could have had tragic consequences, and passengers and airplane staff shouldn't have to put up with unruly, violent, or dangerous behavior on flights," AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Davina Copelin said. Tonight we play catch-up for constant readers inspired by the next page for actress, celeb hottie LiLo. Check TKC news gathering . . . Low Turnout GOTV Final days of early voting in Kansas City: What you need to know before Election Day Time is running out for voters in Kansas City to cast their ballots early ahead of Tuesday's election. Cowtown Biz Class Meet Chamber showcase fills Union Station with real-life social networking for small biz owners "We don't know how that connection might actually continue to help us to scale," said Lenora Leathers. "I also want to continue to introduce people to our business and continue to put our name out there in spaces that we may not be known." Sunflower State Outrage Too "Hands Off!" rally draws thousands to Kansas statehouse in solidarity "Hands Off!" rallies drew thousands of protesters across the country Saturday afternoon, including Kansans who took to the Statehouse steps in solidarity with the movement. Show-Me People With Real Probs Missouri Roads Turn Into Rivers During Deluge - Videos from The Weather Channel Severe flash floods swept across southern Missouri, impacting cities including West Plains, Van Buren and Springfield. In West Plains, streets were overwhelmed by more than 7 inches of rainfall, leaving vehicles submerged. Van Buren saw a rare emergency alert as rescue teams responded to rising water. Home Team Beats Dirty Birds One winner and four losers as the Royals fall to the Orioles 8-1 They've got to win a series eventually, right? New Look For Longtime Starlet Lindsay Lohan is aglow as she and Jamie Lee Curtis plug Freaky Friday Lindsay Lohan was aglow as she promoted Freakier Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis at CinemaCon on Thursday. MAGA Offers Encouragement Trump urges US to 'hang tough' as 10% tariffs come into effect It comes on the largest day of protests against Trump's administration since he returned to office. GOP Fears Blue Wave Rising As Democrats overperform in off-year elections, GOP frets over Trump voter turnout | CNN Politics A trio of election results this week have Republicans confronting a new reality: not only are they facing political headwinds as the party in power but simultaneously grappling with a dramatic reversal in the partisan preferences of the country's most reliable voters. Republicans Advance On Hill Senate GOP Advances Tax Cuts, Border Security Spending After Marathon Session The Senate voted largely along party lines early Saturday morning to pass a budget blueprint encompassing many of Trump's legislative priorities. Holy Land Moves Forward 'We are cutting up the strip': Israel deploys troops to new corridor across southern Gaza Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced the new Morag Corridor and suggested it would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered evacuated, from the rest of Gaza. Allies In Europe Disappointed US response to Russian ballistic missile strike 'weak,' Zelenskyy says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for "sufficient pressure on Russia" after a day of missile and drone strikes killed at least 23 people. Expert Unpacks Not So Smart TV Fantasies Sex columnist Dan Savage opines on non-monogamy and White Lotus inc*st storyline According to a 2023 survey, 34% of Americans describe their ideal relationship as not entirely monogamous. Uncloseted Media called up legendary sex columnist and LGBTQ activist Dan Savage - who coined the term "monogamish" - to get his take on all things sex in America in 2025. Puppers Play This Weekend Bark at the Park brings fans and their fur friends to the K Hot dogs weren't the only dogs at Kauffman Stadium for the first game of a 7-game homestand. Grigs Gives Us Chills Frost possible the next three mornings Big warmup coming midweek And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Recently . . . There's this weird myth the corporations are far more efficient and productive than government workers. Reality check: Most corporate biz is composed of B.S. jobs jam packed with suits without any semblance of talent beyond schmoozing, backstabbing and talking a lot of smack about their rivals and the less fortunate. Accordingly . . . And merely to serve our betters . . . Here's a just a bit of local pride . . . JJ's on the Plaza endures as Kansas City's top spot for socializing with local sharks and then billing those "critical conversations" to suckers and/or clueless shareholders. Of course . . . We share a nicer write-up aimed at those with "the means" to enjoy this kind of upscale fare. Check-it . . . "Yet it was the tragic ending of JJs first location that led to the beautiful beginning of its second one, when Frantze and his brother, David, were presented with the suggestion to reopen JJs Restaurant in Plaza Vista. It made good business sense, the 4,800-square-foot restaurant space is in a prime spot just off the lobby, with a cozy bar and separate dining room, along with a particularly stunning and spacious outdoor patio. A mere 18 months after the blast, JJs reopened in their new location with most of the original staff. " Even more backstory that locals should know . . . Its been 40 years since JJs Restaurant first opened its doors, and there are some new and exciting changes afoot. Frantze retired last year, leaving his restaurant in the trusted and capable hands of his nephew, Kevin Frantze, who has a background in hospitality, having managed restaurants and hotels in California for many years. After 40 years of running one of Kansas Citys most loved independent restaurants, my Uncle Jimmy decided he wanted to step back from the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and focus on his true passion, the wine list. With my background in hospitality, returning to Kansas City to take the reins was a natural fit and dream of mine since I was a kid, says Kevin, who now serves as JJs managing partner." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . In Your Cocktail: JJs Restaurant Here's a tech showdown in the making as a MAGA movement maverick is about to ruin your dad's favorite app that everyone else gave up on 5 years ago . . . A Meta whistleblower could prove that Mark Zuckerberg lied to Congress about the social media giants ties to China when she testifies on Capitol Hill next week, Sen. Josh Hawley told The Post in an exclusive interview. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook global policy director who worked on China issues, is slated to go in front of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee chaired by Hawley (R-Mo.) on Wednesday despite Metas frantic attempts to muzzle her from promoting or publicly discussing her bombshell memoir, Careless People. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . The aftermath . . . Kansas City residents packed the streets of the Country Club Plaza to demonstrate against a myriad of issues but mostly as a rebuke against the administration of Prez Trump. We don't want to be a jerk . . . BUT WITH OVER 40 PLAZA STORES CLOSED SINCE 2020 . . . WE CAN ONLY HOPE THESE ACTIVISTS PICKED UP A FEW ITEMS FROM THE LAST REMAINING OUTLETS NEARBY!!! It all looks like good fun and there wasn't a report of any trouble . . . Just a few loud debates betwixt middle-class white ladies and dudes in big trucks not ready to debate the finer points of global trade agreements. An insignificant debate . . . A few outlets counted the attendance as "hundreds" but there were THOUSANDS of locals protesting across the Plaza throughout the afternoon . . . It's not an argument worth sweating and it makes sense that Democratic Party leaning KC would turn out en masse . . . But it would be a mistake and innacurate to downplay the second week of mass protest in this cowtown . . . Even if we think that playing video games might be more productive in terms of electoral politics. Of course . . . We share a more "professional" roundup and info from across local MSM . . . "Saturday's rally was held in conjunction with a nationwide day of action, with nearly 1,400 similar events planned around the nation. Kansas City protesters took aim at the mass federal layoffs and funding cuts led by President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's DOGE. "Several hundred people rallied Saturday on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City to protest the Trump administrations dramatic reshaping of the federal government." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . 'Hands off!' Kansas City protest against Trump and Musk draws hundreds to Country Club Plaza Saturday's rally was held in conjunction with a nationwide day of action, with nearly 1,400 similar events planned around the nation. Kansas City protesters took aim at the mass federal layoffs and funding cuts led by President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's DOGE. Hundreds of Kansas City activists participate in nationwide 'Hands Off Day of Action' Demonstrators gathered across the country Saturday as part of the National Hands Off Day of Action, a coordinated protest against former President Donald Trump's policies, with hundreds rallying at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. 'Hands Off!' rally fills up the Country Club Plaza The rally was part of a nationwide protest on Saturday. Developing . . . BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesperson on Sunday said that a Japanese fishing vessel had been expelled for unlawfully entering into the territorial waters of China's Diaoyu Dao. The CCG has taken necessary control measures in accordance with the law, issued warnings and drove the Japanese fishing vessel away after it illegally entered the waters between Saturday and Sunday, according to spokesperson Liu Dejun. Emphasizing that Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands are China's inherent territory, Liu urged the Japanese side to immediately cease all illegal activities in these waters. The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement operations in the territorial waters of Diaoyu Dao to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, he added. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Asteroid 2024 YR to skip Earth could hit Moon The asteroid 2024 YR, whose chance to hitting Earth lowered to almost zero, is now have an alarmingly high chance of striking Moon Sunday April 6, 2025 8:04 PM , Science Desk The asteroid 2024 YR, whose chance to hitting Earth lowered to almost zero, is now have an alarmingly high chance of striking Moon. 2024 YR4 The 2024 YR4 was first detected on December 27, 2024 by the El Sauce Observatory in Chile. In terms of its size, it is estimated to be between 131 and 328 feet or 40 and 100 metres wide. The field size asteroid 2024 YR, billed as City Killer because of its size originally had 1.2% chance of hitting the Earth. The ESA later increased the asteroids chances of hitting Earth to 2.8% and NASA upgraded it to 3.1% . The impact date would have been December 22, 2032 but it is now extremely likely the asteroid will simply zoom past Earth with ESA downgrading its 'meeting' with Earth to almost zero . 2024 YR Chances of Striking Moon Based on the latest data received from James Webb Telescope (JWS), NASA on April 02, 2025 said 2024 YR has 3.8% chance of hitting Moon. This is up from a 1.8%, or a 1-in-56 chance, back in February. It means the odds of a Moon strike have more than doubled. About the Moon location, NASA said the asteroid could strike near the Moons limb, or edge. About the date and time, NASA estimates December 22, 2032 the same was projected for Earth strike. As per the latest update, asteroid 2024 YR4 is 116 million miles (188 million km) away and getting farther every second. Some observers noticed the asteroid will be somewhat close to the Lucy spacecraft, so its team checked to see if 2024 YR4 would be observable by the spacecraft. But at its closest to Lucy the asteroid will still be too faint for the spacecrafts LLORRI instrument to detect, according to EarthSky.org. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 gets Presidents nod, AIMPLB announces stir President Droupadi Murmu Saturday April 05, 2025 signed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 even as All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) announced nationwide protest Sunday April 6, 2025 12:24 PM , ummid.com News Network New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu Saturday April 05, 2025 signed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 even as All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) announced nationwide protest. President Murmu Saturday also signed the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill 2025. The Waqf Amendment Bill, renamed as Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Bill or UMEED Bill, was passed by the Parliament after fierce debates. The BJP and its allies together have a majority in both the houses of the Indian Parliament. As a result the Waqf Bill was first passed by Lok Sabha - the Lower House of the Indian Parliament, with a vote result of 288/232 on Wednesday April 02, 2025. After Lok Sabha, the Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Thursday April 03, 2025 with 128 MPs voting in favour and 95 against. After the Presidential approval the Bill has now become a law. Interestingly, President Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 even as its constitutionality has been challenged by the Congress and Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM in the Supreme Court of India. Muslim Panel Announces Protest The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has announced it would lead a nationwide protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, in coordination with all religious, community-based and social organizations. The protest would continue until the legislation was fully repealed, the Muslim panel said. The board reassured the Muslim community of India that there was no need for despair or disappointment. The leadership will not shy away from any sacrifice in this cause and, along with all justice-seeking forces in the country, will initiate a strong movement within the constitutional framework against these oppressive amendments, the AIMPLB said. The Muslim panel also criticized National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents such as the JD(U), TDP and the LJP (Ramvilas) for backing the controversial bill in the Parliament. The support extended by certain parties to the BJPs communal agenda had fully exposed their so-called secular facade, the Muslim panel said. (With inputs from PTI) Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. JERUSALEM, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government said on Sunday that the tenure of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar could "irreparably harm" the country's security. The remarks were made in response to the country's High Court of Justice, which suspended a decision by the government in March to dismiss the chief of Israel's internal security service amid ongoing disagreements between him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Forcing Bar to continue his tenure is unacceptable and inconsistent with the government's powers and constitutes a reversal of the order of government, the government said in the response. On Friday, Bar wrote to the court that Netanyahu had repeatedly asked him to issue an opinion citing security concerns to prevent Netanyahu's ongoing court testimony at his corruption trial -- a request Bar rejected. Bar emphasized that the Shin Bet must maintain professional independence and warned against the possibility that the Shin Bet would become a secret police. Also on Friday, Israel's Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, urged the high court to overturn the government's decision to dismiss Bar, arguing that it was fundamentally flawed and tainted by Netanyahu's personal conflicts of interest. The U.S. Supreme Court has permitted the Trump administration to cancel millions of dollars in federal education grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a 5-4 decision, the Court granted the Justice Department's request to pause a lower court's order that had required the Department of Education to reinstate these grants to universities and nonprofit organizations in eight states. The majority reasoned that recipients could seek financial recovery later if they ultimately prevail in their legal challenges. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent. Justice Elena Kagan criticized the decision, noting that the administration did not defend the legality of canceling the grants. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson highlighted the potential harm from abrupt funding withdrawals, emphasizing that such actions contradict Congress's goals in establishing the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) programs. The Department of Education had previously canceled all but five of the 109 grants after reviews found "objectionable" diversity and equity training material in the recipient programs. In response to the administration's actions, New York state officials have formally rejected the directive to eliminate DEI practices in public schools, citing a lack of legal authority for such demands. They emphasized that federal funding cannot legally be withdrawn without a formal administrative process. This Supreme Court ruling represents a significant development in the ongoing debate over federal funding for education programs associated with DEI initiatives. SANAA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said early Sunday that it had launched a fresh attack on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its supply ship in the northern Red Sea over the past 24 hours. In a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the aircraft carrier was targeted with "cruise missiles and drones," while the supply ship was hit with a "ballistic missile." The U.S. Navy has yet to comment on the claim. Tensions between the Houthis and the U.S. military have escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on March 15. The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has claimed multiple strikes on U.S. warships and targets in Israel in recent days. The Houthis said their attacks aim to pressure U.S.-backed Israel to stop its offensive in the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave. Over the past two weeks, U.S. forces have carried out a wave of strikes on Houthi targets across several Yemeni provinces. Musk advocates a free trade zone between US and Europe, with zero tariffs. Elon Musk addressed a congress of Italy's right-wing Lega party in Florence on Saturday, appearing by video link as the star guest of the party's leader and deputy Italian premier Matteo Salvini. The tech billionaire and senior advisor to US president Donald Trump replied to questions put to him by Salvini who is the seeking re-election as party leader, in a one-horse race, during the two-day congress which ends on Sunday. Musk said that he hoped that Europe and the US move to a "zero tariff situation", opening up "a free trade zone between Europe and North America". The Tesla and SpaceX CEO - who has regularly voiced his support for right-wing parties in Europe including Italian prime minister Giorgia Melonis Fratelli d'Italia and Germany's Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) - was speaking days after Trump announced a 20 per cent tariff on EU imports. Asked by Salvini to send a message to Italians "at a time when anti-American sentiment is being fuelled", Musk replied: "I hope that the United States and Europe can create and build a very close partnership. There is already an alliance, but I hope it can be closer, stronger." Musk also expressed his hope for greater freedom of movement for work reasons between the two continents, adding that this is the advice he has given to Trump. Meloni is set to hold a government summit to address the tariff situation on Monday, along with the deputy prime ministers, the ministers for the economy, industry, agriculture and European policies. Last week Meloni said she considered Trump's introduction of tariffs on the EU as "wrong" and a move that "does not benefit either side". However she cautioned against "alarmism" and said it was "not the catastrophe that some are talking about". The Gardai in Waterford have appealed for assistance from the public following a serious fire near the city at the weekend. The incident occurred at Hollymount, Carriganurra, Slieverue, at around 2.05am on Saturday, April 5. A spokesperson for Waterford Gardai told Waterford News & Star the Waterford Crime Unit is investigating what the spokesperson described as "a significant incident of criminal damage by fire". "No injuries were sustained in the fire however there was significant property damaged," said the Garda. The Gardai are seeking the publics assistance and if anyone saw any suspicious vehicles in the area at that time or in the days preceding, they are asked to contact the Crime Unit at Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300 or on the Garda Confidential line at 1800 666 111. Best known for her stand-up, comedian Ruby Wax is also a vocal advocate for mental health. The 71-year-old discusses her famous friends, meeting Paul McCartney and her mixed fortunes with men. Ruby Wax: I wasnt good with men in my 20s and had a lot of bad luck with them. Credit: Wayne Taylor My dad, Edward Wachs, escaped Vienna and the Nazis in the 1930s with my mother Berthe. I was raised as an only child in Chicago. Dad thought women were the biggest pains in the arse. He treated my mother appallingly. He tried to train me the way he trained our family dog. He also loved hysterical opera. I had a boyfriend, Alan, when I was 15. He was a gorgeous football player who became gay. I was his prom queen; we fought over the sash. In the end, he wanted to be a prom queen more than I did. I ran away from home at 17, went to the University of California to study psychology, then moved to England in the 70s to become an actress, which was delusional. I met English actor Alan Rickman while studying at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He became my mentor and trained me for 30 years. He took my dad on every time Dad told me I was a loser. Liberal candidate Scott Yung addressed a casino high roller linked to the Chinese Communist Party as brother in Mandarin and thanked him for organising a Lunar New Year event in Sydney despite previously claiming to have no association with the controversial figure. Yung asked attendees to applaud Xie Xiongming, a former associate of billionaire Huang Xiangmo a political donor now barred from Australia on national security grounds during the event in Sydney on January 6. Liberal A-Frames for Bennelong candidate Scott Yung outside his campaign launch on Saturday. Credit: Oscar Colman Yung also welcomed former Labor state MP Ernest Wong who was found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2022 according to a video of the January speech obtained by this masthead. The video raises more questions about Yung and Xie. The Liberal Party said in February that Xie was just a member of the public who had appeared at events with the Liberal candidate. Yung is campaigning in the Sydney seat of Bennelong, currently held by Labor. JERUSALEM, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday at 1 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) at the White House, according to a statement from his office issued Sunday evening. The two leaders are expected to discuss several key issues, including the new tariffs recently imposed by Trump on Israel, the ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas, potential tensions between Israel and Turkiye in Syria, and joint efforts to counter Iran and its proxy network, said the statement. On Wednesday, Trump announced the decision to impose a 17 percent tariff on Israeli goods, as part of his so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners. The day before Trump's announcement, Israel had lifted all tariffs on imports from the United States, but this step did not prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on Israel. The United States remains one of Israel's top trade partners, with bilateral goods trade reaching an estimated 37 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. In Gaza, a phased ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas collapsed on March 18 after Israel refused to move to the second phase and resumed air and ground assaults on Gaza. Hamas kidnapped 251 hostages during its attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. According to Israeli tallies, 59 hostages remain in Gaza, with 35 of them presumed dead. Efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to revive talks have yet to yield a breakthrough. Karni Arni Mata Fair The shrine of Karni Mata at Deshnok in the Nokha tehsil of Bikaner district is the venue of a fair twice a year. Both these fairs are held in Navaratra, the first in March-April and the second, which is smaller , in September-October. Deshnok is said to have been founded by Karni Mata in 1419. There is a legend behind the Karni Mata Fair. Karni Bai was a strange girl with mysterious power. As she was the sixth girl in the family, her aunt wanted to cause her harm but the woman's arm was dislocated. At the age of five, Karni Bai cured her aunt's arm and her father who was bitten by a snake. She helped people with her supernatural powers. On her way to Sind to meet her sister, Karni Bai met a blind carpenter at Jaisalmer. She asked him to make a wooden statue of her and rest his head on it when he lay down to sleep. The carpenter did so and found himself transported to Deshnok the next morning, where his sight was restored. Karni Mata is said to have died in 1538 and she has been worshipped as a goddess since then. The temple of Karni Mata contains a 75 cm image of the deity. It is built of the yellow marble found in Jaisalmer. There is a mukat or crown on the head of the image and Karni Mata is shown wearing earings. The temple of Karni Mata has been described as the temple of mice who roam freely about the shrine, unconcerned by the devotees who throng there. If anybody reads on a mouse and kills it, in repentance he has to present a silver mouse at the temple. Eva Osborne Just seven per cent of the public would vote for Conor McGregor for president, as Mairead McGuinness soars ahead in a poll carried out by the Irish Independent. Former EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness has solidified her lead in the polls in the race to be the countrys next president, as the vast majority of the Irish public have said they would not vote for Conor McGregor. The former Fine Gael MEP and broadcaster came out with the highest ranking by far at 27 per cent support, the latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll shows, when the public was asked to choose from nine possible right-leaning candidates. Former UFC fighter McGregor would require the nomination of 20 members of the Oireachtas, or four local authorities to get on this year's ballot paper. Over two thirds of people said they would be less likely to vote for their local TD or councillor in the next election if they nominated him. Founder of Ireland Thinks, Kevin Cunningham, said he thought it was going to be stronger against McGregor in that regard. "The question was if your local TD or county councillor nominated Conor McGregor to run for president, would that make you less likely, more likely, or make no difference in terms of whether you'd vote for them - that is, the councillor - at the next election," he said. "69 per cent said less likely, 21 said no difference, one not sure, and nine more likely. Now, I think I would add that up as 30 to 31 per cent for whom it doesn't necessarily make a difference." A few months ago, McGregor was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in Dublin taken by a woman who accused him of rape. Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, won her claim against McGregor after accusing the professional fighter of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. Ms Hand, 35, was awarded damages and costs after a three-week trial last year in which the jury found him civilly liable for assault. People of my vintage will remember a time in Ireland when priests were so plentiful that in very busy parishes with teeming congregations, multiple priests were needed to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. Or in places like Enniscrone during the busy summer months, the length of Masses was extended when one priest had to spend between 20 to 30 minutes distributing Holy Communion. A few years before lay ministers were introduced around 1975, Fr Mark Diamond, who was then curate in Enniscrone, asked Bishop McDonnell for permission to bring forward the change on the grounds that he (Fr Mark) found the distribution of Communion a particular ordeal as he had an ongoing problem with his sight. The bishop agreed but on reflection in case he was accused of jumping the gun in the liturgy stakes changed his mind and suggested that the nuns in Enniscrone could help out instead. The bishops reluctance to change anything, even his mind, was underlined by his repetition of a favourite riposte to retain the status quo From time immemorial. Now that change in the Catholic Church has less of a sense of panic attached to it and is more and more an obligatory imperative, almost everything in life is now driven by necessary and inevitable revision. Even though the Catholic Church is tortuously slow in moving with the times, some get a strange pleasure out of impeding any reform by consigning it to a distant future on the basis that the Church only moves in centuries. Some thought that, with the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the reforms of the Second Vatican Council had been successfully deferred to a future century but to their horror Francis has given them a second wind, making their delayed implementation irresistible despite some clerical opposition. Now we live not just in changing times but in historic times and even though the pace of change is inadequately and unnecessarily ponderous, suddenly reform is the order of the day albeit on a slow boat to China. At the moment, the dioceses of Tuam and Killala are in the process of merging into one union an historic break from boundaries delineated over 900 years ago in the Synods of Rathbrazil (1111 a.d.) and Kells (1152). It is a mammoth task organising the complex process of joining two distinct pastoral and legal entities with separate histories, traditions as well as conditions of employment and it has been entrusted to Archbishop Francis Duffy who, in less than a dozen years, moved from his native Kilmore diocese to Ardagh and Clonmacnoise to Tuam and has now landed in Killala. But thats not all. The recent synod, albeit not delivering the pace of change that creates momentum, has designated Parish Pastoral and other Councils as mandatory no longer optional or at the whim of a clerical veto. Synodality, what Francis has defined as the (only) way of being Church in the new millennium, carries with it in simple terms the promise of a Peoples Church (as Vatican Two had intended). Now too were beginning to see the development of lay ministries not just because priest numbers are declining precipitously but primarily to facilitate the rights of all the baptised to use the gifts God has given them in the service of their church. The focus now is on accepting, facilitating and respecting the rights of the baptised. In Killala diocese, that change is particularly obvious and will within the next few weeks receive an historic impetus when 62 lay women and men will be commissioned as part of a drive to enhance the pastoral care of parishes. The lay ministries include the Ministry of Reader, Minister of the Eucharist (distribution of Holy Communion) and Funeral Ministers (who will co-lead with priests) all of the standard funeral services with the exception of the Funeral Mass. Funeral Ministers will accompany the priest to the wake house or funeral home; they will co-lead the prayers for the Rite of Reception at the church; they will co-lead the Final Commendation at the end of the funeral liturgy; and they will co-lead the Rite of Committal. The 62 women and men have just completed a Certificate in Lay Leadership: Theology, Culture and Ministry, designed and delivered by the Newman Institute, Ballina. For two years and three months, course participants have engaged with the main theological subjects of Sacred Scripture, Pastoral Theology, Liturgy, Moral Theology, Catholic Social Teaching, Faith and Culture, Encountering Jesus of Nazareth, Church History and Diocesan History, Canon Law and the administration of parishes. Safeguarding training and Pastoral Reflection evenings were also key parts of the course. Pastoral placements were undertaken in six host parishes over the two-year period. In the coming weeks, the lay leaders will commence their ministries in a voluntary capacity in their parishes. Last Friday (March 28) in St Muredachs Cathedral, the total group of 64 (62 lay people and two priests) celebrated their Graduation Ceremony and in Holy Week as part of the Mass of Chrism on Tuesday, April 15th at 6.30pm, our 62 lay leaders will be commissioned by Archbishop Francis Duffy. At a time when the commitment of parishioners to their Church is declining, the response of the participants has been nothing short of extraordinary. An additional reason for hope is that we are now, it would appear, at a seminal moment in church history. From his bed on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, at a time when his doctor has indicated that he was close to death, Francis has personally approved and supported a surprise letter to the worlds bishops by Cardinal Grech with two key messages: (i) that no bishop or priest can opt out of the process of embedding synodality in the future life of the Church in other words, that everyone has to grasp the fact that synodality, like Francis, havent gone away, you know, and (ii) that from 2025 to 2028, there will be a three-year period galvanising the Church at every level across the globe through a process of accompaniment and implementation. After a long winter of discontent, we are now on the verge of a new spring and, in Killala diocese, with the added providential benefit of 62 women and men willing and able to commit to putting their hands to the plough. That we have reached this point is a joy unconfined. Current global trade wars have their roots in a superpower competition born of Chinas emergence as the worlds largest manufacturing and exporting nation and a formidable competitor for the Western worlds largest automobile and technology companies. Ireland, as a small open economy, benefitted from Chinas rise but may be squeezed in the emerging Sino-American competition. I cast my mind back to 2003 and a Xiali model car I frequently took a taxi ride in across Beijing was a source of amusement, a lightly upholstered contraption run on an outdated engine licensed from a Japanese rival carmaker. Chinas car makers had become complacent, dominated by technologically superior western rivals like Volkswagen with whom they had set up joint ventures. But 20 years later China has become the worlds leading exporter of cars, largely by acquiring and developing better technology to build better engines while skipping the combustible engine era to focus efforts and research on dominating the electric vehicle manufacturing business. Car companies like BYD, Chery and Geely are today building and operating factories in Europe. All of this was telegrammed in five-year plans, the hiring of international talent and purchases of western technology. Western competitors, sated by access to Chinas giant market, belatedly woke up to the Chinese challenge when Chinese electric vehicles started showing up in European markets at quality-to-price ratios better than any European firm was able to offer. Its a similar picture on Irish building sites and farmyards. Twenty years ago, heavy machinery-making firms like Yugong offered cheap, inferior imitations of Caterpillar trucks. Today, I watch Irish construction machinery dealers making gushing TikTok videos extolling the virtues (high quality, low price) of Chinese heavy machinery on their visits to trade fairs in Shanghai and Shenzhen. I know a farmer in Mayo who imports Chinese loaders to sell to Irish farmyards at a considerable markup. And therein lies the problem for many Western economies for whom China has become a key supplier but no longer a contract manufacturer: rather, a competitor that they permitted to become the key supplier of most of its household white goods and its apparel but who now sells it cars and lorries. Chinas manufacturing renaissance, abetted by the countrys entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2000, which allowed it access to Western markets on more favourable trading terms enjoyed by WTO members. That entry was facilitated by the Clinton administration which saw an opportunity to open China up to Western ideas on human rights. Political liberalisation didnt happen but WTO membership did open China to a wave of American sourcing companies, lawyers and accountants who created a vibrant expatriate social scene in Beijing in the run-up to Beijing hosting the Olympics in 2008. This was peak globalisation. In so many industries, the Chinese could source for a fraction of the charge of a plant in the American mid-west, in large part because of low wages but also lower environmental standards as developed nations exported their dirty manufacturing businesses to the East. As a result, Western consumers enjoyed two decades of deflation as Chinese factories produced consumer goods at low prices, in the process emptying out American and European lower-end manufacturing capacity. In return, China invested its hard-earned dollars in American treasuries, in effect financing the American deficit-busting consumer spend that led to a housing bubble and a financial crash that shook the world and ushered in political consequences were still dealing with. Resentment about Western industrial decline and austerity aided the rise of Trump and European populists but in other ways too Chinas rise as the manufacturing superpower under the benign guise of globalisation created the space for the rise of resentment, Brexit and MAGA. The first Trump administration, and the Biden presidency that followed it, saw China as an economic threat the nationalistic Xi Jinping who took power in 2012 had after all stressed the need to make high-value goods and pursued a Made In China agenda to reduce its reliance on imports while increasing its exports. Seeing their dominance undermined by the assertiveness of Xi, America and the EU responded with tariffs and export controls on sales of American technology like microprocessor chips to Chinese clients. This was partly a response to Chinas military modernisation but also an effort too late, perhaps to slow the rise of Chinas industrial prowess. Washington (and later, Brussels) had come to see in China a competitor that had absorbed little of Western democratic values but much in western technology, a technologically sophisticated dictatorship determined to export its political system and values to other parts of the world while remaking global bodies like the United Nations in its own image. Today many of those hostelries in Beijing and Shanghai that catered to American executives and their families in 2008 have closed. The Chinese need for American and European imports has decreased while Western corporations have shifted some of their manufacturing to Vietnam and India. China joining the WTO had, of course, been good for Western corporations who could sell goods in China. Some, like Colgate, McDonalds and Nestle have major market share. But Chinas relentless drive to self-sufficiency, reverse engineering and improving on Western technology to export frequently better products at a lower price - like those aforementioned farm loaders being sold in Mayo - has created a broader trade conflict that may run for decades and wreck the principles of globalisation on which Ireland has built its economic prosperity. Chinas growing industrial sophistication has been devastating for major EU manufacturing nations like Germany, France and Italy which have seen their exports to China fall before losing customers in other major markets to Chinese competitors. Irish businesspeople have shown little European solidarity in their eagerness to import Chinese construction equipment sold for a fraction of the price of European brands. We may, however, find that Chinese competition is also coming for some of the things we make. Ireland hasnt called for higher tariffs on Chinese goods party because as a member of the EU, it cedes that power to Brussels - but will be forced to apply tariffs being considered by the EU on Chinese imports. It will do so reluctantly because Ireland is one of only two EU states with a trade surplus with China thanks to the fact that Chinese demand for software and pharmaceuticals has held solid. Trumps arrival has forced Brussels to jettison some of the hawkish talk about China heard during the Biden administration. Trumps tariffing of EU goods makes an EU-American joint front, built under the Biden administration to counter China, less likely. But it also increases the incentive for China to dump more of its US-bound exports in Europe. Trump has after all added 20% tariffs on Chinese goods in the past month. Thats atop the 25% introduced in his last term. A 45% increase in the price of any good renders most trade unviable. This is a major problem for China given America is its biggest market in value terms. As the worlds top importer (and second biggest exporter, after China) in value terms, the US offers a market China cant afford to ignore. Selling more stuff to its own population isnt an option that China trusts as the Chinese remain a nation of savers out of necessity given that China has little of the social welfare entitlements of richer countries. Complicating matters further, its not hard to see the consequences of Chinas manufacturing dominance asserting itself in other challenges facing wealthy Western countries like Ireland not least immigration. Immigration from developing countries has soared because of high fertility rates (particularly in Africa) but also because the flood of low-cost Chinese manufactured goods has deprived poorer countries of their own manufacturing-led development. Poor governance and regional political instability in these countries are, of course, also to blame but anyone whos witnessed the eradication of light manufacturing in subSaharan Africa by cheap Chinese replacement imports will understand the exit of these countries youth for work in care homes in Rome, London or Mayo. Faced with the might of Chinese capitalism, many of these developing countries have, like wealthy Western economies, started to introduce tariffs to protect whats left of their industries to varying levels of effect. A visit to an Irish farm by Xi Jinping (just before he became Chinas president) over a decade ago was reported enthusiastically by a local agriculture press keen to sell dairy and meat products to China. Those sales havent really materialised (as in most things the Chinese developed their own supply chains in both commodities) but Chinas purchases from Irish agricultural peers like New Zealand created space for Irish products elsewhere. But other than some dairy products, as well as pharmaceuticals and computer chips (both of which its trying hard to replace with its own products which it will inevitably export), China hasnt much use for anything else we produce. The past two decades of having the best of a globalised world, making and shipping American pharmaceuticals while buying cheap Chinese machinery, has benefitted Ireland greatly. But faced with American tariffs and voracious Chinese competitors we may be entering a new, more challenging, era. LONDON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Demonstrators in major European cities, including London, Paris, Berlin and Lisbon, joined the U.S. "Hands OFF" movement on Saturday to protest against the Trump administration's policies, especially the so-called "reciprocal tariffs." The levies, comprising a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" on all imports and an "individualized reciprocal higher tariff" on the countries and regions with which the United States "has the largest trade deficits," have led to a sharp decline in global stock markets and sparked widespread concern. In London, hundreds of protesters, including members of the UK branch of Democrats Abroad (DAUK), gathered at the Trafalgar Square, supporting the "Hands OFF" movement. Protesters carried signs with messages such as "No to MAGA hate," "Greenland is Not For Sale," and "Hate Will Never Make America Great." On social media, DAUK posted: "We must continue to show up and protest-for our rights, our communities in the U.S., our world, and for a better future." A 37-year-old woman from Philadelphia, who declined to be named, was draped in an American flag that had been passed down from her grandfather, a World War II veteran. She said she was protesting because of the "absolute, mind-blowing insipidness" of Trump's presidency. "I don't want to alienate the rest of the world. It's not going to be useful for anyone in the long run. I have friends in the United States who are marching in protest, and I wanted to march with them in solidarity," she said. In Lisbon, several hundred Americans rallied to defend civil liberties and freedom of expression. Organized by Americans living in Portugal, the event featured slogans like "Hands Off the Constitution" and "What America Needs, Portugal Knows." Among the demonstrators was Caryl Hallberg, 73, a longtime activist and registered Democrat who moved to Portugal after traveling across Europe for four years. She expressed concerns over pension cuts which she claimed have already affected some American retirees in Portugal. She also criticized Trump's economic policies, warning of the impact of tariffs and a weakening U.S. dollar. "He's trying to take away rights on every level," she added. Jaiy Conboy, 72, an academic affiliated with Portuguese universities and married to a Portuguese national, performed an original protest song titled "I Will Not Be Silent." He criticized Trump's policy as "causing chaos" and "all about power." In Paris, about 200 people gathered at Place de la Republique. Protesters delivered speeches criticizing Trump, holding signs like "Resist the Tyrant" and "Rule of Law." One participant performed Bob Dylan's "Masters of War." Demonstrations also took place in Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany, as part of the "Hands OFF" movement. In Berlin, protesters assembled outside a Tesla showroom and the U.S. embassy, denouncing both Trump and Elon Musk. Some held signs calling for "an end to the chaos" in the United States. Prior to the European rallies, protests erupted across the United States in response to the controversial policies unveiled by Trump's administration over the economy, immigration and human rights since January. Organized by a coalition of more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions and veterans' associations, the coordinated move led to over 1,400 protests nationwide. Donald Trump's tariffs once again dominate the front pages this Sunday, with 60,000 Irish jobs reportedly at risk amid recession fears. The Sunday Times reports up to 60,000 Irish jobs are directly at risk as a result of the US tariffs. Government is in "crisis mode" amid fears of a global recession, the Sunday Independent reports. The Business Post includes a 10-page special report on Trump's tariffs. Our front page today. Pick up a copy in stores or subscribe at https://t.co/LyVcHklEWC for these stories plus: 10-page special report on Trumps tariffs The latest in the Rippling spy case Izzy Englanders hedge fund giant Millennium expands in Dublin pic.twitter.com/mNRKgDOgOa Business Post (@businessposthq) April 6, 2025 The Sunday World leads with a story on a 'secret summit' between crime bosses. The Irish Sun on Sunday leads with Patrick Mullins' Grand National win. Today's Irish Sun on Sunday front page. pic.twitter.com/ivZJgEXhnn The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) April 6, 2025 The Irish Mail on Sunday leads with a story on gardai allegedly mishandling seized weapons. EXCLUSIVE In tomorrows @IrishMailSunday we begin a series of exposes that will rock An Garda Siochana. Industrial level mishandling of dangerous weapons and explosives. Four pages inside pic.twitter.com/XFPTWErQjV John Lee (@leeofthemail) April 5, 2025 The UK edition of The Sunday Times leads with a story on Kremlin spy sensors found in British waters. THE SUNDAY TIMES: Kremlin's spy sensors found in British waters **This front page replaces a previous version**#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/jjX5uOR5TW Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 The Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Mirror lead with stories on UK Labour MP Dan Norris, who has been suspended from the party after he was arrested on suspicion of non-recent sexual offences against a girl and rape. SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Labour MP arrested on rape and child sex offences#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Qo6heqwzQV Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 SUNDAY MIRROR: Labour MP's child sex & rape arrest#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/8Bb4f0pcsv Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 The Sun on Sunday leads with a story on a row at Strictly Come Dancing. THE SUN ON SUNDAY: I'm the only judge on Strictly#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Kn2uoy9fej Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 The New York Times leads with stories on the domestic impact of Trump's tariffs and the war in Ukraine. Prediction: The Pitt and The White Lotus will duke it out for Best Drama series at next years Emmys. Both held audience interest and didnt worry about those who drop all their episodes at once. Even better, both offered up some unforgettable performances. Parker Posey, leading the White Lotus charge as a Lorazepam-crazed mother of three, prompted more impressions than, well, Jennifer Coolidge in the first two seasons. Patrick Schwarzenegger, as her swaggering son, created a character who was as original as any his father put on screen. And Sam Nivola, as his brother Lochlan, should be nudging Timothee Chalamet for film roles. On The Pitt, Noah Wyle made such a notable return to weekly television itll be hard to deny him the Best Actor Emmy. Told over 15 hours in one day, the series (from some of his ER creators) gave a better look at the chaos that occurs in a hospitals emergency department than even ER. As the senior attending physician, Wyles Dr. Michael Robby Robinavitch was a like a conductor, leading an orchestra of first-chair performers. When an active shooter upped the hospitals census, Wyle got his best moments, including one that recalled his characters past during the COVID pandemic. In the supporting cast, three young actors (Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones and Gerran Howell) served as our eyes and ears in the ever-changing world. Their growth over the 15 episodes justified the producers decision to detail the day in such a microscopic way. Howell got a moment near the series end that demonstrated Nebraskans arent naive, just aware of their surroundings. Katherine LaNasa, as the departments charge nurse, and Fiona Dourif, as a 42-year-old second-year resident, got storylines that will pay big dividends in the second season. They had those Wyle moments, too, but kept audiences guessing as to their pasts and futures. While many hour-by-hour series sag somewhere near the nine-hour mark (24, were looking at you), The Pitt held up because it switched focus repeatedly and introduced new patients throughout the day. It also touched on the ills facing health care and why wait times and understaffed hospitals are issues that need airing. If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to see where health care is suffering, he should look at The Pitt. Its telling. The White Lotus, meanwhile, could give Congress a peek at the 1 percent and how theyre leading their lives. Filled with those who can afford a week or two at the luxury resort, the hotel showed how mundane those lives can be. When the rich become bored, trouble ensues. Poseys husband, played by Jason Isaacs, learned the truth about his business and panicked. Three lifelong friends (Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb and Carrie Coon) discovered they had drifted away from each other and chose the occasion to look for others. Trouble followed and made them an interesting diversion from the Southern Ratliff family. Writer/director Mike White followed a formula established in the first two seasons but got a different vibe from the Thai locals and secondary guests. When he stirred vigorously, White Lotuss mystery dug in, guaranteeing a big audience for the finale. Both series managed something broadcast dramas havent always been able to do make must-see television a part of our lives once again. The finales are ready and waiting for you. Streaming review: Noah Wyle returns to the emergency room and 'The Pitt' delivers Medical dramas shift after pandemic says 'Pitt' star Noah Wyle Reading, PA (19601) Today Mostly sunny and pleasant with refreshingly low humidity! Great weather to celebrate the 4th of July!. Tonight Mostly clear skies and very comfortable overnight. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mostly sunny and pleasant with refreshingly low humidity! Great weather to celebrate the 4th of July!. Tonight Mostly clear skies and very comfortable overnight. MELBOURNE, Australia The Trump administration appears to be leaving no stone unturned with its sweeping tariffs around the globe, from rocky outcrops home to polar bears in the Arctic to tiny tropical islands to a former British penal colony whose leader is befuddled that it was targeted. The American president rattled markets, manufacturers and more Wednesday announcing a baseline of 10% tariffs on imports into the United States and far higher on goods from some places, notably those with high trade surpluses with the United States. A few countries like Russia, which faces U.S. sanctions, and Canada and Mexico which face separate U.S. tariff measures were left off. The Holy See, for example, got a pass too from being listed among the dozens of countries and territories targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump. Here's a look at some target territories that have little to no production, exports or role in the global economy. There was no immediate explanation as to why these places made the cut in a list presented on the White House-affiliated "Rapid Response 47" account on social media. Jan Mayen This small Arctic island, possibly featuring more polar bears than people, figures among the more peculiar places on the U.S. target list. The only inhabitants on Jan Mayen, part of Norway since 1930, are staff of the Norwegian military and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The island 370 miles northeast of Iceland is partly covered by glaciers. The Norwegian military's main role there is to oversee Norway's claim to sovereignty over the island. It flies C-130 Hercules cargo planes to Jan Mayen about a dozen times a year from Norway. The planes are able to land only if visibility is good as the airport doesn't have any instrument landing capabilities. Tokelau The nation made up of three tropical coral islands and home 1,500 people on a combined land area of 4 square miles also faces 10% U.S. tariffs. One of the smallest economies in the South Pacific, Tokelau survives on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and finance from New Zealand, which counts the islands as one of its territories. Roland Rajah, lead economist at the Lowy Institute, an Australian foreign policy think tank, said officials in small island nations would likely struggle to change Washington's mind. "If those countries didn't get much consideration in terms of what tariffs were imposed on them given their size and obscurity to the Trump administration, that also could make it difficult for them to do anything about negotiating their way out of those tariffs," he said. Christmas Island The leader of Christmas Island, which has fewer that 2,000 people, said the Indian Ocean atoll exported nothing to the United States. "There's no trade between Christmas Island and America except that we do buy mining equipment through Tractors Singapore," said Christmas Island Shire President Gordon Thomson, referring to the regional dealer for the Texas manufacturing giant Caterpillar Inc. The Australian outpost located 225 miles south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta has used U.S. heavy machinery to mine phosphate for decades. "The trade, if anything, is U.S. product into Christmas Island. The only thing that we export is phosphate and that goes to Malaysia, Indonesia, maybe Thailand and a bit to the Australian mainland," Thomson said. Heard and McDonald Islands The Heard and McDonald Islands in the remote Antarctic, which together form another Australian territory this one uninhabited is also on the list and subject to 10% tariffs. The mostly barren islands between Madagascar and Antarctica have two active volcanoes and can only be reached by sea. Contacted by the AP, the Australian government's Antarctic Division did not immediately respond when asked about how the tariff might affect its operations in the islands. Norfolk Island Norfolk Island in the Pacific, another Australian territory with a population of about 2,000 people, received more severe tariff treatment. The Trump administration, in its calculation, said the former British penal colony charges the United States 58% tariffs and it responded with a tariff rate of 29% on Norfolk Island, whose economy revolves around tourism. It's about 1,000 miles east of Sydney. Norfolk Island Administrator George Plant, the Australian government's representative on the island, was looking into what was behind it. "To my knowledge, we do not export anything to the United States," he said. "We don't charge tariffs on anything. I can't think of any non-tariff barriers that would be in place either, so we're scratching our heads here." Speaking to reporters, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese quipped: "I'm not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States." "But that just shows, I think, exemplifies, the fact that nowhere on Earth is exempt from this." Security personnel work at a site of a rocket attack fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel on April 6, 2025. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM/GAZA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Three people were slightly injured on Sunday during a rocket attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which prompted the Israeli army to launch multiple airstrikes on central Gaza later in the day, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. Earlier on Sunday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a brief statement that it had attacked Ashdod in southern Israel with a barrage of rockets in response to what it described as Israeli "massacres" against Palestinian civilians. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed in a statement that 10 rockets were fired from Gaza, most of which were intercepted. Following the attack, sirens were activated in the cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Yavne, as well as other communities in the region. Later, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that one of the rockets had fallen in central Ashkelon, resulting in the three injuries. Kan TV News also reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) then launched a strike targeting the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to carry out a "tough" response against Hamas. The IDF confirmed the strike in a statement, saying it had struck the rocket launchers in Gaza from which the rockets were fired toward Israeli territory. Meanwhile, local eyewitnesses in Gaza told Xinhua that the Israeli army launched multiple airstrikes on Sunday night, targeting various sites across Deir al-Balah, with loud explosions heard in the area. Israeli warplanes were seen flying over Gaza in a series of successive strikes, while reconnaissance aircraft also conducted extensive overflights, the eyewitnesses said. Gaza health authorities have not reported any injuries so far. Israel resumed large-scale air and ground assaults on Gaza on March 18. According to Gaza health authorities, these renewed attacks have resulted in the deaths of 1,335 Palestinians and left 3,297 others injured as of Sunday. Security personnel work at a site of a rocket attack fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel on April 6, 2025. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) A car damaged by a rocket attack fired from the Gaza Strip is seen in Ashkelon, Israel on April 6, 2025. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Security personnel work at a site of a rocket attack fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel on April 6, 2025. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Even after rain cancellation, 450 people protest Trump with Hands Off campaign CAIRO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed on Sunday efforts to resume the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. During a phone conversation, the two sides tackled ensuring the implementation of the three stages of the Gaza ceasefire agreement in light of the dangerous Israeli escalation in the region, according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. The two ministers discussed the upcoming moves of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee and its activities with international parties regarding the Arab plan for early recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. They also reviewed a number of regional issues and exchanged views on the latest developments related to these crises. Israel ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas on March 18 and resumed air and ground assaults on the Palestinian enclave. LYON COUNTY, Ky. With persistent rain leading to widespread flooding in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency. Local officials have been coordinating with emergency services and road departments in their respective counties, hoping to mitigate flood damage and keep their citizens safe. Gov. Beshear emphasizes safety as severe weather continues As severe weather continues to impact the state, Governor Andy Beshear provided brief updates to social media emphasizing safety. Many officials have echoed similar sentiments, saying that this particular flooding was unprecedented and unlike anything they have seen in recent years. Lyon, Caldwell and Hopkins counties have been flooded. With some with main roads being submerged, neighborhoods covered in floodwaters and minor landslides, as of 2:30 p.m., KYTC District 1 reported six closures remaining in Lyon County one of which is the Interstate 24 exit 42 Northbound ramp, just west of Dawson Springs. Though US-62 in Kuttawa along I-24 has since reopened earlier today and throughout yesterday, the major flooding forced commuters to detour elsewhere. Areas throughout Land Between the Lakes have even been impacted heavily as well. "The Lyon County Road Crew has been out since 6 a.m. checking roads, Lyon County Judge Executive Jaime Green-Smith said. They will drive every county road and check for debris and damage. They are cleaning roads the best that they can, at the moment. High priority issues will be fixed first, such as drainage issues and damaged roads. They will work their way down the list over the next several days and potentially weeks, as we know we will have more flooding from the lake and river levels by the end of the week. In Princeton and Fredonia, residents and local businesses have seen significant flooding as well. Owner of MJs Lattes, Mara Jo Thomas took to social media to post that despite their efforts in sandbagging the coffee shop and pumping the water, she will be forced to relocate her business in the coming weeks. Caldwell County Judge Executive Kota Young said the courthouse is currently open to those needing it as a shelter. He recorded video of Lake Beshears emergency spillway, which was gushing with floodwater. This is a generational event. There is a tremendous amount of flood water in our County, with more to come, Young said. As always, if you need to report blocked roads, or if you need a shelter due to the flooding, call Central Dispatch at 270-365-7860, or my cell at 270-625-4827. The Courthouse will remain open overnight as a shelter. If you have an emergency, always call 911. Fredonia Mayor Jim Seibert has teamed up with Caldwell County Judge Executive Kota Young in an effort to assist residents whose homes are flooded, starting with Fredonia and then moving into Princeton. The City of Fredonia is offering a gas-powered pump at no charge, Seibert said. Your house will have to have a basement access for the suction line. Fredonia stands with Princeton and we appreciate everything Brock (Princeton Mayor) and Kota have done for us. After assisting Princeton, Seibert will be extending these efforts to Dawson Springs, which has been majorly affected by the flooding. He said residents should text or call for these services at (270) 836-6913, which are free of charge. Dawson Springs Police posted a drone video, showing the aerial view of Highway 62 submerged, which goes directly through the city. They also reported rainfall totals of 13.4 inches and referred to the flooding as unprecedented, detailing the severity. Protesters gather in front of the Detroit Institute of the Arts, April 5, 2025. Anti-Trump protests in cities, suburbs and towns throughout US On Saturday millions of people across the United States protested against the fascistic policies of the Trump administration and the rule of the oligarchy. Reflecting the mass anger felt among millions of workers, students and professionals, it appears the turnout was more widespread and larger than predicted by organizers, with over 1,400 demonstrations occurring in the US, including up to 100,000 people descending on Washington D.C. alone. Major protests drawing at least 10,000 people took place in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Boston, Denver and Atlanta. Many metropolitan areas saw a half dozen or more protests, each numbering thousands, as in Houston, the Bay Area, St. Louis and south Florida. In cities across Michigan, including Detroit suburbs Ferndale and Dearborn and the state capital, Lansing, several thousand people participated in demonstrations. The main focus was on the largest cities and on state capitals, but hundreds protested in smaller cities, such as Davenport, Iowathe most since the anti-police violence uprisings following the police murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020. International protests denouncing Trump and his accomplice, the fascist billionaire Elon Musk, were also held in Lisbon, Portugal; London, United Kingdom; Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany; and Paris, France. The protests are part of a growing international movement in the working class against daily assaults on their democratic rights, social conditions and living standards. Millions of people are outraged over attacks on immigrants, federal workers, due process and science, as well as the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Trumps ushering in of a global trade war and the rule of the oligarchy in general. There is a growing sense among millions that mass action is needed to stop the drive towards dictatorship and global war. A quilt at the anti-Trump rally at the Detroit Institute of Art on April 5, 2025 reads: "Some of those who hold office are the same that burn crosses." Most of the rallies held on Saturday were held under the banner Hands Off! a constellation of groups near, or directly integrated into the Democratic Party. At the largest rally in D.C., featured speakers included Democratic Representatives Jaime Raskin (Maryland) and Eric Swalwell (California). The Democrats praised the police and gave lip-service to constitutional and democratic rights, while proposing no concrete solutions besides electing the same Democrats who continue to reach across the aisle and enable Trumps fascist agenda. Similar proposals were advanced by rally organizers and Democratic Party-approved speakers at other events who sought to reduce the global crisis of world capitalism to the individual Trump, with a few insults leveled at Musk. The genocide in Gaza was ignored by these Democratic Party operatives, who limited their appeals to calling Congress and voting for Democrats in the next election. Over 10,000 protest in Detroit Over 10,000 people marched in Detroit against the Trump administrations attack on the social and democratic rights of the working class and its genocide in Gaza. The crowd included autoworkers, educators, librarians and healthcare workers. The rally in Detroit snaked for nearly two miles from the Detroit Institute of Arts, home to Diego Riveras Detroit Industry murals, to Grand Circus Park, downtown. Significantly, at the Detroit protest, leading members of the Socialist Equality Party (US), including Joseph Kishore, Jerry White, and Andre Damon, addressed the crowd. SEP (US) National Secretary Joseph Kishore stated, This ruling class will not be opposed and defeated outside of a movement of the working class, the great majority of the population, in a fight for socialism. Many protesters who spoke to reporters for the World Socialist Web Site at the various rallies also expressed an understanding that the problem went beyond Trump and that new organizations were needed to protect democratic rights and advance equality. At the Detroit protest, one young worker told the WSWS, I think were lying to ourselves if we say that the Holocaust isnt here again, because we have camps, we have people disappearing, we have people dying, and were sending more people to Guantanamo Bay than we plan to keep alive there. No one should be going there in the first place. She added, I feel like capitalism has failed us and so have our politicians. As thousands protest in Los Angeles, 50501 organizers threaten to call police on socialists Protesters in Los Angeles hold signs in opposition to the Gaza genocide, April 5, 2025. The Hands Off! demonstration in downtown Los Angeles saw thousands of protesters flood the streets in a powerful show of defiance against Donald Trumps authoritarian agenda. The marchers voiced overwhelming opposition to Trumps renewed assault on democratic rights, the ruthless dismantling of social programs, and the escalating attacks on public health and living standards. From students and workers to healthcare advocates and retirees, the crowd expressed deep anger at the bipartisan degradation of life for working-class people and the dangerous consolidation of power under Trumps increasingly dictatorial leadership. Despite the scale and political intensity of the protest, the 50501 organizers showed their true colors by targeting members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), who had come to distribute leaflets and literature to engage with demonstrators. Under the flimsy pretext that the SEP had not been vetted beforehand, organizers threatened to call the police and forced the group to move their table not once, but twiceeffectively harassing them and stifling free political discussion. This shameful behavior exposed the organizers hostility to genuine socialism and stood in sharp contrast with the broad and positive reception of protesters to the SEPs socialist strategy. While socialists were harassed and threatened with police violence by protest organizers, trade union bureaucrats and promoters of identity politics were provided an open microphone to speak at the rally. These included Christian Smalls of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU); Sanding Reding, president of the California Nurses Association (CNA); and former running mate of Cornel West, Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter. The promotion of identity politics and the trade union bureaucracy by the Democratic Party-aligned organizers is aimed at blunting a class-based movement against oligarchy and diverting it towards safer channels, namely the Democratic Party and electoral politics. Defying attempts to stifle discussion, members of the SEP distributed hundreds of leaflets and held dozens of discussions with participants which lasted for hours. Protesters at the Los Angeles rally hold signs in defense of immigrants and democratic rights, April 5, 2025. Alexa, a hospice care nurse, and Luisa, a mental health worker in Los Angeles and member of SEIU, spoke to WSWS reporters about the recent collapse in the stock market following Trumps tariff announcement. Alexa said: Well, thats a really scary thing for me because right now its very hard to even save money. And then you have your 401K (employee-funded retirement fund), and now the stock market is crashing. And then what? Whats going to happen to all the workers who have literally been working their entire lives? And us, as part of that group, well literally have nothing. Were going to have to work the rest of our lives. Thats really concerning, and its scary. Luisa added: Its Los Angeles. Were already underserved. Its a vicious cycle, and its being worsened. Its already affecting people diagnosed with mental illnesses that live in the streets. This is going to perpetuate that cycle. A section of the protest in front of Los Angeles City Hall, April 5, 2025. A WSWS reporter pointed out that the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, recently cut millions from homeless programs. Luisa replied: Exactly. We already have such a big need, and now we are going to have less resources by cutting the funding for healthcare and research and all of that. Its like what do we do now? Where do we go from here? We want to live in a world where our sick are taken care of. Our resources are dwindling, and yet theres plenty of money. Alexia rejected the trade war measures announced by Trump on Thursday, stating, The tariffs are a stupid idea. The things are American made with international parts. A man who works in marketing said: My immediate concern is the tariffs. It is going to have an impact on Main Street. Its terrible we are electing demagogues on the promise of lower costs only for them to cause an economic catastrophe for the people who need it most and, on the other hand, cutting benefits for the people who are most at risk at this particular juncture. A worker in marketing talks to the WSWS at the Los Angeles protest, April 5, 2025. A math teacher who instructs at the University of California-Los Angeles told the WSWS she came to the rally to protect science, and to protect democracy from a takeover by the wealthy and by a president who thinks he is a king. She added, There is so much going on, censorship of scientific research, the crackdowns on immigrants and transgender people. A young person named Kim said she came to the rally to fight for basic human rights and to protect social programs that help people in poverty. Kim She explained that her family immigrated to the US from Cambodia, which suffered a genocide under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, which was not that long ago. She added that she wanted hands off Palestine, which is also experiencing a genocide. 25,000 protest against Trump dictatorship in Seattle, Washington A section of the "Hands Off!" protest in Seattle, Washington, April 5, 2025. An estimated 25,000 protested in Seattle, according to the Democratic-Party aligned group Indivisible, the largest mass gathering in the city since the January 2017 protest following Trumps first inauguration. Unlike the 2017 protest, attendees at Saturdays gathering responded well to the sharp criticism of the Democrats offered by WSWS reporters. Many expressed outrage at the total capitulation and collaboration being carried out by the nominal opposition party. The WSWS spoke to hundreds of attendees about its statement on the protests published Friday, and the enormous danger posed by Trumps efforts to establish a dictatorship. Many purchased literature from Mehring Books, especially the latest publication, The Rise of Trump and the Crisis of American Democracy. Thousands rallied against Trump and fascism in Seattle, Washington, April 5, 2025. The nearest sign reads: Why didn't the Germans do anything? WHY DON'T YOU Signs at the Seattle protest included, No Kings, Not Ever, Science Will Always Rule, Fight Ignorance Not Immigrants, They Want Germany 1939, Give Them France 1789, and numerous other sentiments expressing opposition to Trumps policies and fascism. Some placards even explicitly noted there were too many issues to put on one poster. Protesters in Seattle, Washington, April 5, 2025. Thousands more demonstrated against Trump in Portland, Oregon, according to the local KOIN news outlet. Three main protests were held at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on the downtown waterfront, St. Johns Plaza in North Portland and Westmoreland Park in Southeast Portland. There were also dozens of other protests throughout the Pacific Northwest region. There were at least 1,000 protesters in Bozeman and Butte, Montana, and rallies in at least 17 other cities across the state. A nurse who was at the Bozeman protest commented, I think the biggest issue for me is people being seized off the street by ICE. Thats terrifying. Who else are they going to come after next? A section of the anti-Trump protest in Bozeman, Montana. One of the handmade signs reads: More Old Faithful, less old fascists. There were also protests of thousands in Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah, while hundreds demonstrated in Cheyenne, Wyoming. All four states voted heavily in favor of Trump in the 2024 election. Thousands protest in Grand Rapids, Michigan: The corporations are leading us to the next war with trade wars. A section of the anti-Trump protest in Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 5, 2025. More than 4,000 people protested in Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Many people from throughout the surrounding region prepared their own signs and came to the protest looking for a way to oppose the Trump administration. Speakers affiliated with the Democratic Party and the trade union bureaucracy took the platform and led chants that downplayed the seriousness of the struggle that those in attendance came to take up. A worker in the Grand Rapids area said, Yes, when I was talking to you earlier someone wanted to hear the speeches but what we are talking about is serious politics. These speeches were just sound bites. They had nothing to say! Participants in the demonstration stop by a Socialist Equality Party literature table. In discussions with World Socialist Web Site reporters, workers and youth expressed their opposition to both the Democrats and Republicans and their desire to find an alternative. A young student commented: I came to protest because I do not like the state of this country at present. The fact that we have to live with this government at all, were effectively forced to vote for neoliberal capitalists and fascists. It is not a situation I want to be stuck in. I dont like capitalism in general, which is actively screwing over everyone who isnt a billionaire. The only way we can do anything is through collective action. I was born when the War on Terror was underway. I grew up my entire life with soldiers bombing random people we have nothing to do with. People are having to die for it. Now, with the War on Terror over, the corporations are leading us to the next war through trade wars. Protesters in Grand Rapids, Michigan hold signs in support of equality and in opposition to attacks on the social programs that benefit the working class, April 5, 2025. A lawyer in Grand Rapids stated: I have a strong love for public policy and am horrified by Trumps ignoring of the rule of law. I support democracy. I havent followed Mahmoud Khalil and Momodou Taals cases closely but I know of them. I support First Amendment rights and equal protection for everyone. A Grand Rapids Community College student told the WSWS, We need theory and thats why I started reading Marx. He went onto to explain the history of the unity of the ruling class in attacking the working class, commenting: Just look at the Paris Commune. This has happened many times. Why did Prussia side with its capitalist rival France? It was because of the Paris Commune. They joined together in order to save their system. A young worker responded to the ruling elites turn to fascism and the need to study history, stating, I need to know how we got here. We need to know why were in this situation. 5,000 protest Trump administration and oligarchy in Indianapolis, Indiana: I dont think the Democratic Party is enough A section of the protest in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 5, 2025. An estimated 5,000 protesters demonstrated outside the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Saturday. Demonstrators held signs and protested against federal budget cuts and the attacks on democratic rights being carried out by the Trump White House and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Participants spanned a wide range of occupations and demographics. Many carried handmade signs denouncing Trumps attacks on Medicare and Social Security, the assault on the Constitution and the danger of fascism, dictatorship and the growth of wealth inequality. Protesters spoke against Trumps attacks on free speech and the denial of due process, especially on college campuses. A WSWS campaign team distributed leaflets at the rally and spoke with many protesters. On Trumps tariffs a teacher said: Im pretty pissed off about it. They are cutting Title I and special education. The state is trying to cut budgets completely. My district is looking at losing $500,000 the first year and $2 million the second year. I teach special ed. In 2019 we had a massive rally down here with over 20,000 teachers from across the state, so Id like to see some more big actions like that. Protesters in Indianapolis hold signs defending democratic rights and in opposition to cuts to education, April 5, 2025. The teacher noted that the working class is the source of all wealth in society, commenting: We are doing the work. You should get taxed more for money that you dont work for. I think the rich should be taxed 30 percent. If billionaires were only taxed 2 percent on their unrealized gains, we would have enough money to pay for all of our social programs indefinitely including Social Security and Medicaid. I dont think the Democratic Party is enough. Socialism isnt bad, people just dont know that. Im so proud of everyone here. I told my friends I rode down with, I just know thousands of people will be there. They said, this is Indiana. I said I dont care, I have faith. Look at this, this is bigger than the last one. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, hundreds of people protested across the Allen County Courthouse lawn. Demonstrators covered the lawn all the way back to the flowers. Protesters with signs also lined the sidewalks along the streets and around the courthouse. A section of the protest in Fort Wayne, Indiana, April 5, 2025. Many carried handmade signs denouncing Trump as a dictator and opposing the attacks on immigrant workers. One protester told WANE15, We are very passionate about advocating for the people. And thats kind of our message. We dont want a fascist government. We dont want a king. Members of the United Auto Workers who participated expressed their opposition to UAW President Shawn Fain, who has endorsed Trumps tariffs. Workers also denounced the refusal of the unions to take any strike action against the Trump administration. Thousands protest Gaza genocide, Trump administration in Oakland, California Thousands protested against oligarchy and fascism in Oakland, California, April 5, 2025. The Hands Off! rally in downtown Oakland, California, attracted thousands of participants. A WSWS reporting team intervened at the rally to advance a socialist solution to the crisis of capitalism by turning to the working class and building a leadership aimed at ending the source of oligarchy. Many at the rally expressed outrage at the resurgence and promotion of fascism by the US ruling class. Members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) spoke to dozens of rally attendees, distributed hundreds of leaflets and sold large amounts of literature. Rally attendees of all ages carried signs and other slogan-bearing items expressing bitter, intransigent opposition to the Trump administration and its efforts to establish a fascist dictatorship. Significantly, many went much further to denounce capitalism and the Democratic Party as well. The presence of the slogan Genocide Joe and others served as clear reminders that the deeply criminal policies of the current government did not begin with the second inauguration of Donald Trump. Despite the efforts of pseudo-left organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to obscure the role of the Democratic Party in collaborating with Trumps agenda, the WSWS table attracted considerable attention, with no shortage of rally attendees engaging in discussions with members. A music teacher named Frank said, I think the current regime of Americas government is appalling, trying to destroy everything that is even partially good in our world. Frank went on to draw a connection between the governments attacks on social programs and the genocide of the Palestinians, stating, I also have many objections to the militaristic policy of the United States, and I object to supporting genocide in Gaza. Over 100,000 protest in Washington D.C. and Baltimore against Gaza genocide and Trump administration A section of the tens of thousands that protested in Washington D.C. on April 5, 2025. Two protests were called simultaneously in the nations capital, with over 100,000 people protesting against the Trump administration as well as the ongoing Gaza genocide that began under Biden. The Hands Off! protest, which began at the Washington Monument on the National Mall, was organized by over 150 different Democratic Party-connected organizations. Protest organizers initially filed for a permit for a rally of 10,000, then raised that to 20,000 on Friday evening. The actual size of the crowd was five times larger than they anticipated, stretching for blocks around the Washington Monument. Protest signs displayed hostility to Trump and Musk in particular. Demonstrators denounced attacks on federal workers and agencies, the disappearing and kidnapping of anti-genocide protesters and immigrants, as well as the raft of trade war policies the White House has announced. While Democratic Party congresspeople and officials from the trade union bureaucracies sought to corral opposition behind the two-party system, many responded positively to statements from the Socialist Equality Party and opposed efforts to whitewash the political crisis by claiming opposition to Trump could be resolved by voting Blue. Protesters in Washington D.C. stop by a Socialist Equality Party literature table, April 5, 2025. This president is destroying the country, said Bryce, a worker attending the protest. My parents are federal workers that are about to lose their jobs. I have a friend whose brother was almost detained by ICE and shes currently trying to make sure he doesnt get detained. Im in a union and these guys are union busters. Its like this is affecting my entire life. Despite the Democrats refusal to speak about the ongoing Gaza genocide and attacks on pro-Palestinian protesters, the defense of free speech and opposition to the genocide were strong sentiments at the Washington protests. Its really bad. I feel like this is just going to keep escalating and escalating and [the government] will just start deporting whoever they feel like, Bryce added. Other protesters spoke strongly of the need for international working class solidarity. Jana, a protester at the event by the Washington Monument, commented, The working class has really got to realize that we have to stand together on this. We have to stand together against this tyranny, against this fascism. These tariffs are going to hurt everyone, she said, adding, not just the working class in America, but the working class all over the world. We have solidarity with our brothers and sisters all over the world. And its time for the working class to stand up. In Baltimore, a crowd of about 1,000 protesting federal workers rallied outside city hall while Democratic city council members and trade union bureaucrats tried to placate the gathering crowd. Many protesters carried signs of support for Kilmar Garcia, a Maryland resident who was recently kidnapped and deported to El Salvador. There was as much anger over the deportations as there was at Musk and the oligarchs. Many that spoke to representatives of the World Socialist Web Site expressed frustration that the Democratic Party enables Trumps anti-democratic rampage and evinced general agreement with the perspective of uniting the working class internationally against capitalism, the root cause of oligarchy and dictatorship. Over 30,000 protest in Chicago, thousands more throughout Illinois and Indiana A section of the protest in Chicago, Illinois, April 5, 2025. In Chicago an estimated 30,000 gathered downtown, spilling outside of the plaza and into the surrounding streets at the demonstration. The protest was organized by Democratic Party-affiliated Indivisible organization, among others. Numerous additional protests took place in smaller towns across Illinois. WSWS reporters spoke with teachers from Illinois and Indiana, workers from National Institutes of Health, and others. A section of federal workers from the US Treasury had an organized presence. Multiple protesters told the WSWS they were motivated to come out in order to defend democratic rights, including the rights to dissent and due process. In Chicago, Illinois a rally-goer holds up a sign denouncing the detention of international students, April 5, 2025. There was deep anger and dissatisfaction expressed at the Democratic Partys collaboration with the Trump administration, its support for the genocide in Gaza and its role in the repression of student protests. Many spoke out against oligarchic rule, and expressed their worries about the fate of critically necessary social programs like Medicaid and Social Security. Whole families were also in attendance, and parents approached the SEP/IYSSE table to purchase placards and express their fears about their childrens futures. Tens of thousands protest against fascism in New York City and New Jersey Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets around Bryant Park in Manhattan, filling block after block to oppose Trumps drive to dictatorship. The crowd marched down to Madison Square Park. Many had hand-painted signs that read: First they came for Mahmoud, Deport Elon, Without due process, we are not a democracy, Stop the attacks on science! and There is hopeunite! In New Jersey, more than 20 protests were held throughout the state. A couple hundred protesters gathered in front of the municipal building and alongside the main commercial road in Bloomfield, a suburb of Newark of around 50,000 people. Protesters held handmade signs denouncing Trumps attack on the Constitution, opposing the brutal assault on immigrants, oligarchic rule, and the dismantling of government programs. In response to chants of Trump must go, and democracy yes, fascism no, a steady stream of motorists honked horns to register their solidarity. In Maplewood, another small suburb of Newark, hundreds more gathered at the train station amid the rainy weather and marched through the downtown, before boarding the train to join the larger protest in New York City. Despite the rain, hundreds protested in Maplewood, New Jersey, April 5, 2025. Protesters also gathered in other parts of the state, including in the capital Trenton and in Atlantic City. Over 35,000 demonstrate in Boston, largest protest since 2017 At least 35,000 peoplewith some estimates placing the number tens of thousands highergathered at Boston Common and marched to City Hall Plaza in the biggest anti-Trump demonstration since the Womens March in January 2017. Placards were dominated by slogans likening Trump to a dictator, and defending freedom of speech. Speakers at the rally included union officials along with Senator Ed Markey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Markey and Wu, both Democrats, failed to note the culpability of the states Democratic governor, Maura Healy, in enforcing the Trump administrations round-up of hundreds of immigrants recently on the states streets. Elsewhere in New England, an estimated 8,000 protested in Providence, and there were large demonstrations in Portsmouth and Concord, New Hampshire. Protests were held in dozens of other smaller cities and towns throughout the region. Stop Trumps dictatorship! Build a movement of the working class for socialism! At the rallies across the US Saturday, supporters and members of the Socialist Equality Party (US) distributed thousands of copies of a Perspective statement published on the World Socialist Web Site. Protesters in Seattle, Washington hold signs that read "Fascists they not like us" and No Nazis" featuring the Tesla logo, April 5, 2025. Across the United States, hundreds of thousands are expected to demonstrate Saturday in opposition to the Trump administration. Protests are taking place in cities throughout the country, part of a broader mood of defiance and anger among workers and youth. Millions are horrified by the attacks on immigrants, the assault on free speech and the genocidal war in Gaza, and they want to fight back. But the determination to resist must be guided by a clear understanding of what is happening, what are its origins and what must be done to stop it. The situation must be stated with absolute clarity: The Trump administration is moving systematically and deliberately to establish a dictatorship. It is implementing a fascist program aimed at abolishing basic democratic rights, consolidating unchecked executive power and crushing all opposition. This is targeting, above all, the working class. What is being tested today on students and immigrants will be used tomorrow to suppress striking workers, all social opposition and political dissent of all forms. On college campuses across the country, a reign of terror is already underway. Peaceful protesters are being surveilled, seized, detained and deported for opposing the US-backed genocide in Gaza. Under Catch and Revoke, an AI-powered surveillance program, students social media posts and public statements are being monitored by the State Department to identify targets for removal. Momodou Taal, a Cornell Ph.D. candidate, was forced to leave the country this week after federal agents attempted to seize him for challenging Trumps executive orders in court. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and lawful permanent resident, remains in ICE custody. Othersincluding Fulbright scholar Rumeysa Ozturkhave been abducted in broad daylight by masked federal agents. Read the rest of the Perspective here. Chinese medical team provides free health services to Cameroon school Xinhua) 12:35, April 06, 2025 A Chinese doctor teaches a student of a primary school to brush teeth correctly in Mbalmayo, Cameroon, on April 3, 2025. A Chinese medical team working in Cameroon on Thursday provided free health care services to a primary school in Mbalmayo. The free health care services, including dental checks, health counseling and a lecture on infectious disease prevention, benefited over 80 students and teachers of the school. (Xinhua/Kepseu) YAOUNDE, April 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese medical team working in Cameroon on Thursday provided free health care services to a primary school in Mbalmayo. The free health care services, including dental checks, health counseling and a lecture on infectious disease prevention, benefited over 80 students and teachers of the school. The activity involved 14 professionals from the Chinese medical team on an aid mission in Mbalmayo, an industrial town about 40 km from the national capital of Yaounde. The medical team also donated study materials to the school. "With the Chinese doctors, I really learned how diseases are contaminated, and how to brush your teeth and wash your hands, how to behave," said Stephane, a student of the school. Head of the medical team Ren Qinglan said, "This is just a beginning, we will continue with other kinds of free medical services to help more local people." Since 1975, China's Shanxi Province has sent 24 batches of medical professionals on aid missions to Cameroon, involving 786 staff in total. The current batch consists of separate assignments in Yaounde and Mbalmayo. A Chinese doctor does a dental check for a student of a primary school in Mbalmayo, Cameroon, on April 3, 2025. A Chinese medical team working in Cameroon on Thursday provided free health care services to a primary school in Mbalmayo. The free health care services, including dental checks, health counseling and a lecture on infectious disease prevention, benefited over 80 students and teachers of the school. (Xinhua/Kepseu) Chinese doctors make a lecture on infectious disease prevention for students of a primary school in Mbalmayo, Cameroon, on April 3, 2025. A Chinese medical team working in Cameroon on Thursday provided free health care services to a primary school in Mbalmayo. The free health care services, including dental checks, health counseling and a lecture on infectious disease prevention, benefited over 80 students and teachers of the school. (Xinhua/Kepseu) A Chinese doctor interacts with students of a primary school in Mbalmayo, Cameroon, on April 3, 2025. A Chinese medical team working in Cameroon on Thursday provided free health care services to a primary school in Mbalmayo. The free health care services, including dental checks, health counseling and a lecture on infectious disease prevention, benefited over 80 students and teachers of the school. (Xinhua/Kepseu) (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) ALGIERS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Algiers on Sunday for an official visit aimed at easing diplomatic tensions and reviving cooperation between the two nations. Speaking at a press briefing following his meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Barrot said both sides have agreed to reactivate all cooperation mechanisms across sectors. He quoted Tebboune's words, saying, "The curtain is lifted." On security matters, Barrot confirmed that intelligence communications will resume, and a meeting between senior security officials from both nations has been agreed upon. A strategic dialogue on the Sahel region is also expected to follow. Economic relations are also set for renewal. Barrot noted that Tebboune expressed his commitment to reinvigorating trade, particularly in the agri-food, automotive, and maritime sectors. On the issue of migration, both sides agreed to resume cooperation without delay under existing agreements. Barrot announced that Algerian consuls in France will meet with French prefects to streamline migration procedures. Barrot said that communications between French and Algerian historians have resumed to address the long-standing "memory" issue stemming from France's 132-year colonial rule over Algeria starting from 1830 before Algeria won the eight-year independence war in 1962. On March 23, Algeria's parliament established a commission to draft a law criminalizing the French colonial rule -- a move backed by local lawmakers, historians, and legal experts. Barrot also appealed for a humanitarian gesture regarding Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on charges of undermining national security. The French minister cited concerns about Sansal's age and health. Earlier in the day, Barrot held talks with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, with discussions later expanded to include delegations from both countries. The visit follows a March 31 phone call between Tebboune and French President Emmanuel Macron, during which both leaders agreed to restart stalled cooperation. This marks the first high-level visit since the two countries' relations deteriorated due to disagreements over immigration issues and policies, historical grievances, and France's backing of Morocco in disputes over Western Sahara, among others. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Netflix April showers may bring May flowers, but the best streaming services are already blooming with plenty of great new movies to watch this weekend. But when you're spoiled for choice, narrowing down which movies are worth the hype can be tough. That's why we're highlighting all of the hits and none of the duds to make your next movie night one to remember. Advertisement Advertisement My weekend watch list is topped by a new French action thriller on Netflix, "Banger," that looks to bring some high-octane twists and turns. There's also "Paddington in Peru," which makes it debut on video-on-demand platforms, A24s teen apocalypse comedy "Y2K" on Max, and a musical biopic on Peacock that will take you right back to the '80s: "Girl You Know It's True." So without further ado, let's dive into the best new movies on streaming to watch this weekend. 'Paddington in Peru' (PVOD) Everyone's favorite marmalade-loving bear is back in his biggest adventure yet. "Paddington in Peru," the third installment in the beloved children's series, sees the adventurous bear head back home to pay a visit to his Aunt Lucy. Or at least, that was the plan. Advertisement Advertisement When Aunt Lucy goes missing from her retirement home, the ever-polite Paddington Bear and the London family that adopted him (Hugh Bonneville and Emily Mortimer) set out on a jungle safari to find her. Their journey brings them face-to-face with an age-old treasure hunt, an eccentric river guide (Antonio Banderas), and a guitar-playing nun (Olivia Colman). While it may not quite capture the enchanting charm of the much-loved "Paddington 2," Paddington's threequel is a wonderfully fun adventure with plenty of the series' signature warmth, humor and heart that fans have come to love. Buy or rent now on Prime Video 'Banger' (Netflix) If subtitles aren't a deal-breaker for you, "Banger" looks like a must-watch for action movie buffs. Advertisement Advertisement This French action-comedy stars Vincent Cassel as Scorpex, a burned-out DJ who's been mixing beats long enough to realize that his career is on life support. But his fortunes change when he's recruited to bust a quirky criminal gang with ties to one of his music scene rivals, Vestax (Mister V). Narcotics agent Rose (Laura Felpin) uses Scorpex's mounting debt as leverage to strong-arm him into becoming an informant. But as he infiltrates the gang, he realizes he may just have one banger left in him, and he'll risk it all to relaunch his career. "Banger" looks like a pretty formulaic B-movie action comedy, but with enough twists and turns and a solid performance by Cassel to keep things interesting. Watch it now on Netflix 'Y2K' (Max) A24s teen apocalypse comedy "Y2K" hasn't gotten the best reviews (it's currently sitting at a 42% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes) but y'know, sometimes bad movies are just as fun to watch as good ones. Advertisement Advertisement Written and directed by Saturday Night Live vet Kyle Mooney, it follows two high school wallflowers (Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison) who score an invite to the most popular kid in school's New Year's Eve party in 1999. But their hopes at climbing the social ladder are dashed when all the conspiracy theories surrounding Y2K come true and '90s tech springs to life and starts killing people. Mayhem ensues, and what starts as the hottest party of the year devolves into a campy, horror survival story. Watch it now on Max 'Girl You Know It's True' (Peacock) A great pick for music lovers this week is "Girl You Know It's True," a musical biopic that dives into the infamous rise and fall of Milli Vanilli, offering a fresh perspective on one of the industry's most controversial stories. Advertisement Advertisement Step back into the '80s when the German R&B duo became an international sensation with their debut album All or Nothing. Their success was undeniable, but that fame came at a cost. When the news broke that its members, Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, weren't actually singing any of their music but lip-syncing instead, their shot at stardom came crashing down. Directed by Simon Verhoeven, "Girl You Know It's True" tells the surreal story of the duos rise to fame and the scandal that shattered it, with Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali portraying Pilatus and Morvan. Watch it now on Peacock 'Insidious: Chapter 2' (Netflix) The Insidious series is one of my favorite horror franchises to date, and "Insidious Chapter 2" might just be the scariest of the bunch. Advertisement Advertisement After the Lambert family Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) wrenched their young son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) from the clutches of a demonic force in the first movie, "Chapter 2" reveals that what happened to their son may be no coincidence. And that the family's ties to the mysterious, otherworldly Further may be stronger than they thought. Part ghost story and part detective story, "Chapter 2" kicks off right where the first left off. The family is desperate to move on with their lives, but the spirits have other plans. When Josh starts behaving oddly, Renei teams up with his mother Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) and her ghost-hunting friends to investigate the past to save the family's future. Watch it now on Netflix The Wisconsin Supreme Court race that set spending records and got national attention entered the "Saturday Night Live" conversation thanks to the person who made himself the main character in the election: Elon Musk. The world's richest person poured in a ton of money in the race as he attempted to get the conservative candidate elected and even held million-dollar giveaways in Green Bay while wearing a cheesehead, the famed accessory of the Green Bay Packers. But his money wasn't enough. His candidate lost handily by 10-percentage points, a rarity in purple Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, just a few days after the race, Musk's involvement in the race got the cold open treatment on "SNL." SNL cold open features Elon Musk wearing a cheesehead alongside Donald Trump Mike Myers, who has played Musk this season, came out while James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump began the skit discussing the tariffs his administration imposed on other countries this week. "We need to send a message to countries who have been ripping us off like South Africa," Johnson's Trump said. "South Africa puts a 60% tariff on everything we send them, and they've never even sent us one good thing." Enter Myers' Musk. "But what about me?" Myers asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Myers walked out wearing a cheesehead just as he did during the event in Green Bay last Sunday. He threw it off and then noted: "That was from when I tried to buy the election in Wisconsin. I'm an idiot, I should have just bought Wisconsin." Musk, the South African-born billionaire and close ally to President Trump, gave away three $1 million checks to people in Wisconsin ahead of the Supreme Court race. Wisconsin's attorney general Josh Kaul's lawsuits against Musk for his million-dollar giveaways were rejected. Musk, who owns Tesla and the social media platform X, was the largest donor in the race and spent over $20 million in trying to get Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel elected to Wisconsin's highest court. But Dane County Judge Susan Crawford cruised to a victory over Trump-endorsed Schimel. After the election, Musk wrote on X that he "expected to lose" the race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crawford addressed Musk in her victory speech on Tuesday. "As a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could have imagined that I'd be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin," she said. "And we won." Crawford previously called Musk's cash giveaways "immoral" and that his involvement in the race motivated her voters to get out. Watch SNL cold open SNL musical guests feature Wisconsin connection The musical guests on Saturday's SNL also had a Wisconsin connection. Milwaukee's own SistaStrings played alongside Elton John and Brandi Carlile, who were the musical guests. It was the second time sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross played with Carlile on "SNL." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: SNL cold open: Mike Myers' Elon Musk on Wisconsin Supreme Court race This photo taken with a mobile phone shows people walking through a flooded street in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), April 6, 2025. (Xinhua) KINSHASA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people have died following heavy rains and severe flooding in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local authorities said on Saturday. Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba said the death toll remains provisional and may rise as search and rescue efforts continue. "We are still carrying out evacuations, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children," Bumba told local media. With military support, emergency evacuations are underway in several of the worst-affected neighborhoods, including Mont-Amba, Salongo, and Ndanu. The flooding, which struck overnight from Friday to Saturday, has paralyzed much of the city's infrastructure. Major roads were submerged, causing widespread power and water outages across multiple districts. The Ministry of Transport reported severe disruption to access routes leading to the N'djili International Airport, prompting the deployment of emergency ferry services to assist stranded travelers. In the eastern suburb of Debonhomme, floodwaters from the swollen N'djili River engulfed dozens of vehicles. Some residents were seen paddling canoes or swimming through the inundated streets. Meteorological forecasts predict continued heavy rainfall in the coming days, raising fears of further destruction in the city of 17 million, already vulnerable due to rapid and unregulated urban expansion. The DRC's rainy season typically runs from November through May. This photo taken with a mobile phone shows buildings submerged in a flooded area in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), April 6, 2025. (Xinhua) Across St. Paul and the Twin Cities, fine-art curators and gallerists are living large. Sometimes this is literal: At The Museum of Russian Art, an exhibition aims to showcase the largest canvases curators could track down. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts major exhibition, showcasing art owned by musicians Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, is titled Giants. But the focus on going big is figurative, too. A cool show at the Minnesota Museum of American Art explores portraits as mirror-reflections of our emotions and relationships more broadly; at Calendula Gallery, photographer Jared Arvin explores the expansiveness of St. Paul at night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And speaking of growing or thinking small? conceptual art gallery Night Club, which for a while was downtown thanks to a program offering free rent for vacant storefronts, is moving to a pocket-sized spot in the North End. Less square-footage, more ambition; look for a late summer or fall opening. This guide is organized as follows: Shows for your spring calendar (openings and closings), shows for your summer calendar (openings and closings) and shows that remain on view throughout the spring and summer months. Spring Openings April 4, Book Arts Exhibition Friedli Gallery: This is the fourth annual exhibition of artist books, paper sculptures, boxes, letterpress, and other printed works curated by local artist Erin Maurelli. The opening reception (free) is from 6 to 8 p.m. April 4, and the show runs through May 31; 943 W. Seventh St. April 12, Monumental Soviet Paintings The Museum of Russian Art: If theres one thing you probably know about Russia or the former U.S.S.R., its that its a big place. Turns out, Soviet artists created big paintings to match. This exhibition showcases some of the largest paintings from the Soviet era that TMORA could unearth in private American collections, the museum says. So as not to overwhelm you, though, dont worry: A few smaller canvases are also on view. Museum entrance is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, $5 for students, free for kids and members; 5500 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement April 12, The Plywood Quilt St. Catherine University: In the West Gallery from April 12 to May 17, the Plywood Quilt project consists of 12-inch-by-12-inch plywood panels painted by community members between 2022 and 2025, particularly in response to racial justice movements. From 5 to 7 p.m. on April 12, the public is invited to add to the installation by painting their own small murals (free); Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, 2004 Randolph Ave. April 22, Stitching Black Legacy: The Quilts of Carolyn Mazloomi Textile Center: Carolyn Mazloomi is not just a renowned historian and curator of African American quilts; she is a quilting artist in her own right, and this show at the Textile Center is the largest-ever exhibition of her work. Her quilts are all black-and-white, a stark and bold style inspired by woodblock prints and newspaper images. On view through July 12 (free) during open hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday (till 7 p.m. Thursdays) at the Textile Center; 3000 University Ave S.E., Minneapolis. April 25: Saint Paul After Dark Calendula Gallery: Photographer (and gallery co-owner) Jared Arvin estimates he walks about 30 miles a week photographing the city at night, capturing buildings, streets and landscapes in moody darkness. On view 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends (and select Friday evenings) at Calendula Gallery; 275 E. Fourth St., Suite 110. May 3, In Memoriam: William Murray Groveland Gallery: St. Paul painter and longtime Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater fine arts instructor William Murray experienced a burst of creativity throughout 2024 and was planning a solo gallery show, but unfortunately died in November 2024, before the show was set to open. In his memory, his family and Groveland Gallery are mounting an exhibition of Murrays new watercolor paintings, most of which are inspired by the Boundary Waters. Opening reception 25 p.m. May 3; show runs through May 24. Free during gallery hours, 125 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at Groveland Gallery; 25 Groveland Terrace, Minneapolis. Last chances Go before April 27, When Youre In The Mirror The Minnesota Museum of American Art: Dont miss this cool show exploring portraiture and the ways our feelings about and relationships with people (and ourselves!) shape the very literal ways we perceive them. Featuring well-known local and national artists including Wanda Gag, Leslie Barlow, Frances Cranmer Greenman, Beatrice Wood and others. Entry is free; 350 N. Robert St. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Go before May 1 April Fools, Grand Hand Gallery: Two pairs of married artists noted sculptor and printmaker Kinji Akagawa and textile artist Nancy Gipple of Afton, and potters Randy Johnston and Jan McKeachie Johnston of River Falls, Wisc. are showing work in an exhibition the artists themselves wanted to title April Fools. On view during gallery hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Wednesdays and Fridays and Saturdays; 10 to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays) at the Grand Hand Gallery; 619 Grand Ave. Go before May 10, Mental Health, finding creative solace ArtReach St. Croix and Washington County Courthouse: More than 100 works, ranging from sculpture to painting to bookmaking, by more than 60 artists from Minnesota and Wisconsin will be on display in this show, which focuses on themes of mental well-being, stigma and strength. The free show is split across two venues: ArtReach St. Croix (224 N. Fourth St., Stillwater), open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday; Washington County Courthouse (101 W. Pine St., Stillwater), open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends. Go before May 18, Seen Weisman Art Museum: Artists in this exhibition are currently incarcerated and, along with other artists and activists, their seven installations explore the inside/outside distinction, processes of healing and community-building and the impacts of the criminal legal system. Free; 333 E. River Pkwy., Minneapolis. Go before May 31, Artistic Kaleidoscope II Burl Gallery: This Lowertown art space (formerly known as Argyle Zebra Community Gallery) has a cool curatorial model: All their shows in a year focus on one specific metaphor. Last year was alchemy as transformation; this year, theyre using the kaleidoscope to discuss perspective, turning brokenness into beauty and diverse complexity. Very cool stuff. Specifically, this show includes original art by 69 artists on that theme. Free during gallery hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends), with a community reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26; 308 E. Prince St. Summer Openings June 5, Queering Indigeneity the M: This exhibition at the Minnesota Museum of American Art showcases a multiyear project led by artist Penny Kagigebi to amplify Indigenous culture bearers and the artistic voices of queer or 2-Spirit Native artists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement June 21, Salad Hilowle: Inscriptions American Swedish Institute: This is the first major solo exhibition outside Sweden for artist Salad Hilowle, who was born in Somalia and grew up in the Swedish city of Gavle. His work encompasses video, sculpture, textile, photography and other sound/performative installations that address the complexity of the Afro-Swedish experience. Entrance to the American Swedish Institute is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $8 for youth and college students; its free for members all the time and for the public after 3 p.m. Thursdays; 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis. June 26, Trisha Brown and Robert Rauschenberg: Glacial Decoy Walker Art Center: The now-iconic dance piece Glacial Decoy debuted at the Walker in 1979, created by postmodern dancer Brown and early pop artist Rauschenberg. This exhibition honors the work and what would be Rauschenbergs 100th birthday with photo, lithographic prints, original costumes, video installations, and more. Live performances will also be scheduled. Included with required timed-entry museum ticket: $18 for general admission; $16 for seniors; $12 for students; free for kids, teens and Walker members. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis. June 13, The Medium is the Message: Three Voices in Clay Friedli Gallery: This show highlights three artists using similar mediums but conveying unique stories and emotional themes. Last Chances Go before July 13, Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys Minneapolis Institute of Art: The Mias blockbuster summer show, visiting from the Brooklyn Museum, highlights nearly 100 works by Black artists including Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Amy Sherald. The collection is owned by married musicians Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, who were in town for the shows opening this spring. Timed tickets to this special exhibition ($20) are required for visitors over 17 years old at new.artsmia.org/exhibition/giants, but museum admission is otherwise free; 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Go before Aug. 10, Hokusai | Monet the Mia: While youre there for the Giants show or on another visit check out this cool exhibition of floral paintings by painter Claude Monet and printmaker Katsushika Hokusai, bringing mid-1800s French and Japanese art into conversation. This exhibit is free. On view all season Ways of Knowing Walker: Eleven artists, many of whose works in this show are being displayed in the U.S. for the first time here, explore how we know what we know and how we find truth in history and in the physical world. How do we come to know information? How do we know whats real and whats imagined? Exhibition is included with museum entry ticket. Echoes of Life: Paintings from the Collection Cafesjian Art Trust: Since the Shoreview modern art museum opened a few years ago, its exhibitions have focused on displaying various aspects of philanthropist Gerard Cafesjians extensive personal collection. This show is focused on paintings that highlight small moments of the human existence. (This is the last show programmed by the museums previous curator focusing solely on the Cafesjian collection, at least for now; upcoming shows by a new curatorial team will feature more traveling work and a broader modern and contemporary focus.) Free admission; museum is open Thursdays and Fridays by timed reservations only and Saturdays general admission; 4600 Churchill St, Shoreview. Related Articles Apr. 5WATERTOWN Carrying buckets in one hand and cellphones turned to flashlight functions in the other hand, attorney Andre J. Hungerford and history buff James P. Barker found themselves hiking through Brookside Cemetery this past Friday and Saturday nights in the sometimes freezing rain, tasked with a chore related to the upkeep of a historic structure at the cemetery. On Monday morning back home in Maine, Hungerford reflected on the weekend: "Restoring a mausoleum is a lot of work." And after a deep breath, added, "How can I say this? The whole thing was nuts. It all ended very well. That's the only way I can describe it." For a full description of the weekend adventure, one first must go back to 2020, when GYMO Architecture Engineering & Land Surveying, Watertown, prepared a report for the Hungerford family on the restoration of the Hungerford Mausoleum at Brookside Cemetery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Orville Hungerford was born on Oct. 29, 1790, in Farmington, Connecticut. Orville's father moved the family to Watertown in 1804, where Orville would become a prominent merchant, banker, industrialist, freemason, and railroad president. He made his fortune supplying the U.S. troops at Sackets Harbor during the War of 1812 and later channeled the profit into banking and commerce. He also was a U.S. Congressman, elected to House of Representatives representing New York State's 29th district between 1843 and 1847. In 1847, Orville was defeated for office of the New York Comptroller by Millard Fillmore, who went on to become the 13th president of the United States. Orville died on April 6, 1851 in his stone mansion on Washington Street (moved in the early 1960s block-by-block to Flower Avenue West) and was buried with a simple headstone next to his brothers in the "Old Grounds" of the Sawyer Farm, which became part of Brookside Cemetery. The Hungerford mausoleum was commissioned in 1854 by Orville's son, Richard Esselstyne Hungerford. Orville was reinterred in the mausoleum when it was completed in 1860, six years after Brookside Cemetery was formally dedicated. The 34-foot-tall Gothic- style mausoleum, a popular stop on the annual Jefferson County Historical Society tour, features towers, spires, buttresses, pointed arches and stained-glass windows. Andre announced the plan for the mausoleum's restoration nearly five years ago as part of an exhibit on the life of Orville and other family members. That exhibit, "Hungerford's A$hes," will open with a reception on June 13 at Flower Memorial Library and will be on display through Aug. 18. The exhibit is being promoted as an "Exhibit of heirlooms and comic-book art taking you on a journey through the North Country." Andre Hungerford was inspired to combine graphic novel and exhibit ideas in 2015 when he attended the Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton Luncheon in New York City to benefit the New York Historical Society. Special guests were Lin-Manuel Miranda and author Ron Chernow. Hungerford talked to both. Miranda turned Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton into a blockbuster Broadway show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was Lin who inspired the idea of mashing up a comic book with a historical figure in the context of a museum show," Hungerford said. Andrea R. Mutti, a native of Italy who now resides in Florida, is the graphic artist hired by the Hungerford family. He has illustrated "Batman" and "Batwoman" titles for DC Comics. He's also illustrated several titles for Marvel and for Dark Horse Comics, titles such as "Star Wars," "Conan" and "Tomb Raider." A few years ago, he completed a graphic novel on the life of Orville. Emergency repairs The weekend trip to the Hungerford Mausoleum originally had a couple of small goals: the mausoleum's steel door needed stripping before painting it gold, symbolizing the name Orville. "What he touched turned to gold," Hungerford said. "Or" is the French word for gold and "Ville" is the French word for city. Another goal was to inspect the stained-glass windows and examine how they could be removed for renewal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hungerford hired Ricky Taylor, owner of Redwood-based Taylor's Surface Prep, for the door task. The door's paint was removed over the weekend and was to be primed and painted. Accompanying Hungerford over the weekend was Anton Topchyyev, owner of Saco, Maine-based Brick & Stones Masonry. He started doing masonry work as a teenager in his native Ukraine. Once Topchyyev examined the mausoleum upon their arrival on Friday, he felt it needed immediate attention. The weekend task expanded beyond a simple look at windows. "When we got there, it was much worse than we thought," Hungerford said. "And it was raining freezing rain, no less. And it was like, 'OK. We've got to deal with this right now.'" But in a fortuitous twist, the rain allowed Topchyyev to help identify a section of the stone from where a large water leak originated from. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of the stones had completely deteriorated mortar, Topchyyev explained Monday in a phone interview. "Mortar has a certain life, and after that, it turns to nothing and becomes pretty much dust. Bricks were falling off. We put those back in." He also discovered holes near the top of the mausoleum that were causing water to flow into the structure. Those were patched. "The weather wasn't cooperating much, that's for sure," Topchyyev said. "We did what we could." The stone mason was familiar with the GYMO report on the mausoleum. "The report doesn't do it justice until you get there and look at it physically and touch it," Topchyyev said. "There was a significant crack. We filled that and it stopped quite a bit of water from coming inside." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Energetic visit by 'queen' Also on scene for the weekend project was Christine ("The History Queen") Darrow, Watertown, who provided a generator and helped with various tasks. Darrow earned a master's degree in museum studies from Oklahoma University and completed additional courses in museum studies at Harvard University. Darrow, also an actress, is involved in local history groups and societies. In November, she produced a 25-minute pilot video, "Thompson Park: Historic and Mysterious" as part of her "Christine: The History Queen" series of videos. She has produced eight videos, which are scheduled to air on Watertown-based WPBS beginning this fall. "The show's mission is to inspire the public to love history and drive tourism to historic sites and museums," Darrow said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The topic of one program is the Hungerford legacy. Darrow and her producer, James P. Barker, assisted Andre at the mausoleum over the weekend. Barker is also a friend of Hungerford's and is founder and manager of the Facebook page, "You haven't lived in Watertown, N.Y., If ," which has 26,000 followers. "The show will focus on the accomplishments of Orville Hungerford and how his descendants honor his legacy," Darrow said and added that "'Christine the History Queen' will also be filming at the June 13 exhibit opening at Flower Memorial Library. "Orville Hungerford laid the groundwork for the city of Watertown, opening the first bank and of course, the railroad is what made Watertown a city," Darrow said. "It thrived once the railroad came and is an integral part of Watertown's history. Before this past weekend, Darrow had never been to the mausoleum. "It was a learning experience for me as well," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Darrow contacted Hungerford last Thursday. "I saw that it was supposed to be freezing rain all weekend and I thought that would slow things down and I knew they were on a tight schedule, so I asked them if they wanted to use my generator," she said. "Thank God for that," Hungerford said. The generator powered a mortar mixer and other tools that Topchyyev had with him. The generator also powered lights. "I also brought a warming tent so they could break and warm up," Darrow said. Hungerford made trips to Home Depot to pick up materials for the project. But something more was needed, which led to the cemetery tromps. Water and small stones were needed for the mortar mix. Hungerford knew of a nearby stream, and he headed there with Barker on Friday and Saturday nights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Jim and I are running down there with buckets, getting water at night," Hungerford said. "There's no lights out there. "We have our iPhones." Brookside Cemetery management was aware of the weekend visit to the mausoleum. "Phillip Moses (cemetery director) was very gracious and even left us a huge ladder to use, just in case. So, Anton is up on the ladder and I'm helping him mix stuff and scraping out some of the cracks. We were joking that now I'm a stone mason," said Hungerford, who practices in Maine and Massachusetts. The crew worked until about 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. They wrapped up the project at about 3 p.m. on Sunday. Hungerford and Topchyyev spent that evening in Massachusetts before heading back to Maine early Monday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was very fruitful," Hungerford said. "There was also a lot of stuff to sweep. We got a lot of work done, it needs a lot of work, but it was an adventure in the rain. We didn't anticipate anything like that. I'm appreciative of Jim Barker for coming out and helping with the water and for Christine Darrow, who, on her own, talked to her husband and told him, 'I think these guys might need a generator.' And Anton was kind enough to do a road trip with me to check it out." Barker suggested to the crew that a written log be created listing work done on the mausoleum and possibly kept on site. "It may be 165 years too late," Barker said. "But better now for future generations, or however long it may stay standing, just to know what was done." "It's going to need a lot more work and it's going to take time," Hungerford said. "It's a symbol. That's why the Hungerford family and associated families decided to save it and keep it going." Hungerford said the weekend at the cemetery wrapped up on an odd note. "The weird thing is, just down from there, we saw half of a deer's limb. We were joking that there was a werewolf somewhere in the cemetery." This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) After a deadly crash between several vehicles in a Salt Lake City intersection on Saturday night, officials have begun an investigation and are asking drivers to avoid the area. Three cars got into a crash at 900 West 200 South on Saturday night, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. Police said one person died at the scene, and another person was taken to the hospital for treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sgt. Miles Southworth, SLCPDs PR sergeant and PIO, told ABC4.com that the person who was taken to the hospital is a juvenile and that they have non-life-threatening injuries. Two people were treated at the scene, and one other person involved was uninjured, police said. The suspect driver is in custody for possible impairment, police said on social media Saturday. Southworth said crews are going to remain at the scene for several hours to gather evidence. Authorities said significant delays are expected in the area, and the departments Major Crash Team is responding. Anybody that has video of this, or has anything that they think might have evidentiary value for the police, please reach out to us at 801-799-3000, Southworth said. That can offer some very helpful pieces of information for us, and we would like to collect every piece of evidence that we can in this case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials first received calls about the crash around 7:15 p.m. on Saturday. Officials have asked drivers to avoid the area and find alternate routes because of the investigation, Southworth said. There is no estimate available for when the road will reopen. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. There is no further information at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Albuquerque police are looking for the publics help in locating a man accused of a deadly shooting in the International District Friday night. Police responded to near Louisiana just south of Central just after 3:00 p.m., finding two people with gunshot wounds. Trial continues Thursday for former APD officer accused of false imprisonment One of the victims was pronounced dead, with the other was taken to the hospital. APD is now looking for a man they say shot one of the men, with the bullet then striking another man nearby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say he was last seen going south on Indiana just east of Cochiti and is believed to have frequented the area of the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers and could be eligible for a $2,500 reward. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. BERWYN, Ill. One person has died and another was injured after a shooting Saturday afternoon in Berwyn. The Berwyn Police Department said just after 1 p.m. Saturday, officers were sent to the 3200 block of Clinton Avenue for reports of multiple shots fired. When officers arrived, they found two people who had been shot multiple times. Woman sought for alleged child luring incident in Schaumburg Both victims were taken to a local area hospital. One of them, identified by the medical examiner as 26-year-old Danielle Aguirre, died from her injuries while the other remains in critical condition, according to investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said detectives conducted a preliminary investigation which led to the identification of a male suspect who was found in Hillside, Illinois at around 3:40 p.m. The suspect was taken into custody and taken to the Berwyn Police Department for further investigation. According to police, it appears this was an isolated incident that stemmed from a domestic dispute. There is no additional threat to the community at this time. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information or video surveillance footage is asked to call the Crime Tip Hotline at 708-749-6564. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Detectives are investigating a shooting that killed one man and injured four other victims in unincorporated Los Angeles on Saturday. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said deputies responded to a gunshot victim call around 2:20 p.m. on April 5. Deputies arrived at the 11000 block of South Manhattan Place and found five total patients, four men and one woman, all suffering from gunshot wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details are limited, and the department did not initially say whether any suspects were found or in custody. It also was not revealed if the victims knew each other or the potential suspect(s). Personnel with the L.A. County Fire Department arrived and pronounced one of the male victims dead at the scene. The other victims received treatment at local hospitals and are in stable condition, LASD said in a release. Officials said the homicide investigation is ongoing, and there is no additional information as of Saturday night. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To provide information anonymously, callers can contact Crime Stoppers by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) One person was killed Sunday as Russian air strikes hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while the death toll from Fridays deadly attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih continued to rise. The Kyiv victim was found close to the strike's epicenter of the attack in the city's Darnytskyi district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. A further three people were injured in the strike, which sparked fires in several nonresidential areas, damaging cars and buildings. In a statement on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the intensifying Russian attacks showed that there is still insufficient international pressure on Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said Russia has launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles at Ukraine in the past week alone. These attacks are (Russian President Vladimir) Putins response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners the United States, all of Europe, the entire world has seen that Russia intends to continue the war and the killing," Zelenskyy said. "That is why there can be no easing of pressure. All efforts must be aimed at guaranteeing security and bringing peace closer. Zelenskyy also said that the missiles fired into Ukraine had been launched by Russian ships stationed in the Black Sea. While U.S. negotiators announced on March 25 that both Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to a Black Sea ceasefire, the Kremlin has pushed for some Western sanctions against Russia to be lifted before such an agreement comes into force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one reason why Russia distorts diplomacy and will not agree to an unconditional (Black Sea) ceasefire: They want to retain the opportunity to strike at our cities and our ports from the sea, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. A ceasefire at sea is not only about free navigation and maritime food supplies, it is, above all, about security. Meanwhile, officials said that the death toll from Friday's attack on Kryvyi Rih had continued to grow, with 20 dead including many children and a further 75 wounded. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih's military administration, declared three days of mourning, starting on April 7. He said that there was pain in the hearts of millions of people. Together we will stand. And no matter how difficult it is, we will win, he said. The enemy will be punished for every Ukrainian and for every mother's tear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A team from the U.N. Human Rights Office in Ukraine visited the impact site Saturday to document the damage and establish the identities of the nine children killed in the attack. They described it as the deadliest single verified strike harming children since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Local authorities said the Kryvyi Rih strike damaged 44 apartment buildings and 23 private houses. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place. Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The militarys claims could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere, Russian troops fired 23 missiles and 109 strike and decoy drones across Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Sunday. Thirteen missiles and 40 drones were shot down, while 53 decoy drones were jammed and did not reach their destinations, it said. A 59-year-old man was killed Sunday morning by a Russian drone strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said. Russias Defense Ministry said that its air defenses had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones, including eight over the Rostov region and two over the Kursk region. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) One person was hurt in a crash Saturday evening, April 5 near El Paso International Airport, an El Paso Fire spokesman said. The single-vehicle crash happened just before 7 p.m. Saturday at Cottonwoods Drive and Global Reach. One person was transported Code 1 (minor), the spokesman said. Initially, the Fire Departments helicopter was called out, but was canceled. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) Dignitaries from the federal government, military officials, and families of those killed in the World War II battle of Iwo Jima traveled to Japan to mark 80 years since the U.S. wrestled control of the tiny island from Japan. Among those there, one of the few living survivors of the battle was Joseph Caminiti of Bristol. Caminiti is 100 years old and was featured on News 8 last year. The Marine still goes to the gym daily. Caminiti took the 23-hour flight to Guam and traveled to Iwo Jima and laid one of the three wreaths at the site where U.S. Marines raised the American flag in March 1945. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was also on hand. The flag raising was captured in an iconic photograph that was the basis for the monument in Arlington, Virginia, and replicated in New Britain. More than 6,800 Americans and 20 thousand Japanese were killed in the 36-day battle for Iwo Jima, which was considered a turning point in the last phase of World War II. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is estimated that only three survivors of Iwo Jima are still alive, and Caminiti is one of them. He served as a gunner on an amphibious vehicle. One hundred people from Connecticut died at Iwo Jima. Watch the video above. THIS WEEK IN CONNECTICUT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. TOKYO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Three people were in cardiac arrest while three others were conscious after being rescued as a medical helicopter carrying six lost contact in southwestern Japan on Sunday afternoon, local media reported. At around 2:50 p.m. local time, the Japan Coast Guard was notified that the emergency medical service helicopter heading from Tsushima Airport in Nagasaki prefecture to transport a patient to a hospital in Fukuoka prefecture had gone missing off the east coast of Tsushima, the public broadcaster NHK reported. According to the flight plan, the helicopter took off from Tsushima Airport at 1:30 p.m. local time and was due to arrive at the hospital in Fukuoka City at 2:15 p.m. local time. After searching the area, a patrol boat found the capsized aircraft floating on the sea at around 5:05 p.m. local time and three people on board were rescued and reportedly conscious. The remaining three were found and rescued later and were in cardiac arrest, the report said. The six on board included a pilot, mechanic, doctor, nurse, as well as a patient in her 80s and her attendant in his 60s. (Fox40.com) The California Highway Patrol Auburn Area Office is looking into a fatal crash on Eureka Road, east of Bridle Path Lane, Sunday. A BMW M3 was traveling at a high rate of speed on Eureka Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, ran off the north side of the roadway, and collided with a redwood tree around 3:14 a.m., according to CHP Auburn. The driver and right-front passenger died from the crash. Video above: He Lost Control Box Truck Crash Injures at Least 6 in Downtown Boston According to CHP Auburn, the roadway was closed for about four hours to allow emergency personnel to investigate the crash and make preparations to reopen it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The closure of a roadway, for any length of time, can cause significant delays, and CHP appreciates the publics patience while the crash was being investigated, read CHP Auburns statement from its press release. The California Highway Patrol extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Auburn CHP at (916) 663-3344 or email at 220PIO@CHP.CA.GOV. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News. TOPEKA (KSNT) Federal health officials say thousands of pounds of bratwurst product is being recalled in multiple states, including in Kansas, as it may contain hard plastic. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a press release on April 5 that Johnsonville, LLC based out of Illinois is recalling 22,672 pounds of cheddar bratwurst. The recall was started as the product may contain hard plastic. The FSIS said the product has the establishment number Est. 1647 on the front of the label and was produced on Feb. 5, 2025. The bratwurst was shipped to retail locations in Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnsonville, LLC initiated the recall after two complaints from customers regarding hard plastic in the bratwurst. No reports of injury have been made yet in association with this recall. (Photo Courtesy/FSIS) The FSIS reports the primary concern is that some people may still have the recalled bratwurst product stored in freezers. People are encouraged to check to see if any bratwurst they have is part of this recall and, if so, throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Juice recalled in Kansas over potentially deadly food poisoning risk Customers who have questions about this can reach out to Johnsonville, LLC by calling 888-556-2728 or send an email to anachtweyfritsch@johnsonville.com. People can also call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-2728 or send an email to mphotline@usda.gov.. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. This story is a collaboration between Injustice Watch and the Chicago Tribune. In a flurry of contracts inked a decade ago, some of Illinois most powerful political figures declared it was time to fix their obsolete and expensive computer systems. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle called for an online method to deliver error-free property records and tax bills. Then-Clerk of the county Circuit Court Dorothy Brown wanted seamless technology so everyone could read and file cases on their laptops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the Illinois Supreme Court sought a single unified dashboard linking the appellate courts with all 102 county courthouses from Cairo to Galena. In a three-year window starting in 2015, executives of a little-known Plano, Texas, corporation Tyler Technologies Inc. persuaded all three to give them the crucial job. The collective price tag was initially $75 million and what officials called the go-live deadlines were three to five years out. But since then, an Injustice Watch and Chicago Tribune investigation found, the cumulative projected cost swelled to more than $250 million while execution was dogged by slowdowns and shortcomings. Two of the projects have yet to reach their declared finish line, and the third is still in need of fixes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Cook County property records project, which started in 2015 and was supposed to be completed in December 2019, is now set to launch April 28 after five years of delays that forced the county to spend tens of millions of dollars more on upkeep to the 1970s-era technology. The Injustice Watch and Tribune investigation found Cook County and state officials approved the cascade of taxpayer dollars to Tyler even as the company struggled with software crashes, bungled rollouts and allegations of incompetence, while Tyler pointed the finger back at government officials for various missteps. The county wrote a flawed property revamp contract paying millions of dollars upfront and imposed few consequences for nonperformance, records and interviews show. In the circuit court contract, a consultant blamed court staff for being uncooperative or untrained. And the Supreme Court expanded its contract tenfold amid state auditor criticism over its lack of independent oversight. At one critical juncture five years ago, the county considered firing Tyler from the property tax contract, the investigation found. Preckwinkle and other county officials wrote sternly worded letters and made legal threats but, faced with the prospects of an even longer schedule and higher costs, decided to stick with the company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There needs to be a very serious reckoning, said David Orr, who was Cook County clerk when the first Tyler contract was signed. He is now a senior policy adviser to the advocacy group Reform For Illinois. This has gone on a long time, the payments ballooned and the county even had to put consultants over the consultants. Good government demands efficiency. Its very troubling. Government agencies have so far approved $185 million to Tyler for the three contracts more than twice the original estimates. In addition, Cook County authorized $22 million to outside consultants to watchdog the troubled Tyler projects and $59 million more to tech companies and former employees to keep hosting data on the outmoded mainframe Tyler was supposed to help replace years ago. The Chicago Tribune and Injustice Watch investigation found records offering a glimpse into the political intrigue behind the high-tech contracts. Tyler executives won the companys first business in Illinois following a series of campaign contributions. Both Brown and an underling were under federal investigation in an unrelated bribery scandal during Tylers selection process although Brown was never charged and denied wrongdoing. And the Supreme Court hired a Tyler executive to be chief of staff overseeing its contract with the company, raising questions about a potential conflict, which the executive denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Preckwinkle, Brown and the chief justice of the Supreme Court all declined requests for interviews, but through spokespeople said they were working to ensure the Tyler systems were completed and performed as promised. Tyler President H. Lynn Moore Jr. also declined to be interviewed. In a series of emails the companys media team underscored thousands of success stories including other Illinois contracts from Springfield to Schaumburg streamlining outdated government technology and saving taxpayer dollars. They said the shifting property tax project timelines were agreed to by all parties, and said Tyler has contended with government leadership changes, poor data and a lack of government staffing to support the work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are modernizing multiple, previously siloed, often homegrown legacy systems and processes while working with vast amounts of historical data and embedded business practices, the email from Tyler said. But in Cook County, the company was faulted for its execution. In 2019 as the company missed another deadline for the rollout of the massive Cook County property tax system overhaul the county clerk, assessor and treasurer asked Preckwinkle to meet to discuss alternatives. Progress and accomplishments have been minimal; excuses and delays have been plentiful, the three officials wrote in correspondence obtained through Freedom of Information requests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They complained about a round-robin of Tyler project managers churning through leadership roles, and claimed some were poorly trained in the intricacies of Cook County government or even Tylers software. Tylers latest project delivery plan contained blatant spelling errors. In one case, a calendar calculation was 73 years off, the letter alleged. As the Cook County contract proceeded, other government bodies in the last decade rescinded contracts or filed lawsuits over dissatisfaction with the companys performance. Injustice Watch and the Tribune found 18 federal lawsuits around the country involving controversies over Tyler contracts, including allegations of fraud by a Michigan county 911 consortium claiming Tyler gave false assurances about its technology. Tyler disputed the agencys claims, and the case was later settled. Despite the concerns, Tyler parlayed the three lucrative Illinois contracts to become a national powerhouse in the field of local government technology. Last year, it reported income of $2.1 billion from taxpayer-financed contracts. Formed in 1966, Tyler evolved from being a company that forged cast-iron sewer pipes to a local government technology firm, court and corporate records show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They were a company that bought companies and reinvented itself as a tech company, said John Harvell, a former Tyler vice president and technology specialist. Its really a pretty simple formula. Go in, buy up small companies. You dont have to pay them a whole lot, Harvell said. Use their political contracts and influences. Get into the city, state, county, whatever it is, and then go from there. Tyler entered the world of Cook County government in the same way. In 1998, it bought a land records tech firm, Government Records Services Inc., that already had a Cook County contract to digitize property records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between 1998 and 2000, when Tyler owned GRS, executives including its Vice President Lynn Moore Sr. the father of Tylers current president, Lynn Moore Jr. donated $25,000 to Democratic elected officials who ran offices needing modernization, including Brown and two successive recorders of deeds, Jesse White and Eugene Moore. In 1999, Tyler won a $4.5 million contract with the county recorder of deeds to organize land records. Tyler executives have been public about their strategy to take over government record-keeping from the agencies hiring it, noting it in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission report. We also compete with internal, centralized IT departments of governmental entities, which requires us to persuade the end-user to stop the internal service and outsource to us, said Tylers most recent annual SEC report. Stay up to date Get investigations like this and the other news you need to know to start your day with the Tribunes Daywatch newsletter. Sign up here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Injustice Watch examines issues of equity and justice in one of the largest court systems in the country. Get our latest investigations delivered straight to your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. When that happens, public agencies are effectively captive to Tyler, Zacks Investment Research wrote in a December report rating Tylers stock a buy. Once a project is approved by a government entity, the budget gets locked in, which reduces its flexibility to cancel the project, the report said. In their emailed response, Tyler representatives acknowledged its strategy to compete with any government client which they referred to as a prospect wedded to siloed information systems, outdated technology and business practices. Every time a County employee opens a Word document, passes a government vehicle, parks under a streetlight, uses a clean bathroom, or prints out an article from the Chicago Tribune, they are leveraging third-party hardware, technology, or services delivered by a company that needs to generate revenues to stay in business so that the company can keep doing the work the government has asked it to do, Tylers email said. An arrogant and disinterested vendor Tylers involvement in Cook Countys property tax software project began in 2015 when Preckwinkle asked the firm to undertake the Herculean assignment of retiring 1970s mainframe computers used to levy and distribute $18 billion a year from all 1.8 million county properties. For Preckwinkle, it was a legacy project, according to interviews with her top aides. County workers at the time still walked from office to office hand delivering records about assessments, appeals, rate calculations and bill collections. The fairness, accuracy and timeliness of the property tax system was in question, and the assessor, clerk and treasurer needed a single data platform. Before Tyler was picked, it almost didnt make the first cut. When the county in 2014 empaneled a committee of IT specialists from across several departments to evaluate bids, the evaluators lambasted Tylers 615-page proposal for negligent cut-and-paste efforts, buzzwords and vague marketing language, the Evaluation Committee report said. But during an in-person presentation, Tyler executives changed minds with a price cut and assurances of their expertise and customized service. In September 2015, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved Tylers contract, capped at $30 million with options to renew. Winning Big, Tyler announced in its 2015 annual report. At the time, this was the largest government contract in Tylers history and a prime example of Tylers business strategy for growing our presence with larger governments, the companys report said. But problems soon arose. Tylers October 2016 deadline to produce an initial schedule of its project came and went, Simona Rollinson, who ran the countys technology office, wrote to Tyler Vice President Mark Hawkins. And a year later when Tyler presented a detailed project schedule the company was already on its third project manager whose performance problems are consistent with those of Tylers previous two project managers, who were removed because of poor performance, Rollinson claimed in a letter obtained through records requests. Each of the project managers has also been off site at an unacceptable frequency, she wrote. Through government records and interviews, Injustice Watch and the Tribune identified eight Tyler project managers who worked on Cook Countys integrated property tax system. Five of them lived in other parts of the country outside the Chicago area. One former Tyler project manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he no longer works for the company, said Tyler scrambled its A-Team across the country to deal with emergencies and burned through talented tech workers. Tyler had this merry-go-round, where the quality staff go on tours, if you will. They dont really commit to work on one project, said the former Tyler manager. In their response to Injustice Watch and Tribune questions, Tyler representatives said the company used remote project managers but when the County requested an onsite PM, we provided one. By September 2018, Cook Countys treasurer, assessor and clerk wrote to Tylers board chairman, John Marr Jr.: It has been nearly three years since the award but Tyler has little to show for it. And a year later, county tech specialists pressed a Tyler project manager for progress reports and instead he delivered an outburst that was uncalled for and unprofessional, according to a memo the three elected officials wrote to Tyler President Moore. By March 26, 2019 three-and-a-half years after the contract was signed the situation had come to a head. Preckwinkle summoned Moore to the fifth floor of the county building for a face-to-face meeting. Their once-promising partnership had turned adversarial, and now both their reputations were on the line. Moore arrived on that crisp, cold day flanked by two senior Tyler executives. Alongside Preckwinkle were recently elected Assessor Fritz Kaegi, newly appointed County Chief Information Officer Tom Lynch and representatives from the county clerk and Treasurer Maria Pappas. The countys made a big investment and you need to deliver, Preckwinkle told Moore, according to two county officials present, noting Cook County was one of Tylers biggest customers. Moore, who had a reputation as a poker-faced corporate lawyer and a serious numbers guy, gave little ground, according to one county official, who said Moore alluded to complexities of large projects and that government projects are frequently delayed. Following the meeting, Preckwinkle wrote to Moore that if Tyler did not meet a June 2019 milestone to pull off a key deadline for that Decembers planned launch that the County will exercise all available remedies under the contract, up to and including termination. But as December approached, Tyler again asked for more time. Pappas in November urged Preckwinkle in a letter to fire Tyler and sue for what the law will allow us to recover, describing it as possibly the worst technology contract with a vendor that Cook County has ever written. Clearly, giving Tyler any upfront money has made the County look foolish, inept stewards of the peoples money, Pappas wrote. However we do it, we must clean up the wreckage Cook County fostered when it signed this ill-advised contract with an arrogant and disinterested vendor. Preckwinkle said in a written response she shared Pappas concern and frustration with Tylers performance and alleged the poor quality of their work has not met the standards required by the contract and has jeopardized the success of the project. Instead of firing Tyler, Preckwinkle hired the tech research firm Gartner to evaluate the countys options. Gartners April 2020 report was grim: County leaders were confronting what it described as sunk costs bias the emotionally driven tendency for executives to pursue a failing strategy simply because theyd already invested time and money into it. In Tylers case, the county had already paid the firm $13 million and owed another $17 million on the $30 million contract. The county could bring on another firm, but the change could cost between $15 million and $24 million and take 3.5 to 4.5 years to complete, Gartner wrote, while Tylers go-live date was 2.8 more years. Still, Tylers scheduled implementation dates have so far slipped between 18 to 24 months, the Gartner report said. Preckwinkle decided to stay the course, and Kaegi supported her, over objections from Pappas. Over time, Preckwinkles staff negotiated new contract terms exacting $4.3 million in county savings and tying future payments to hitting milestones while also granting Tyler a three-year, $8.4 million contract extension in 2022. Experts interviewed by the Chicago Tribune and Injustice Watch said there is always finger-pointing when massive government tech projects spin out of control. The contractor is likely to stretch things on as long as they possibly can, so thats why the government needs to have contract clauses that force the contractor to perform on budget and on time, said Scott Amey, general counsel for the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight in Washington, D.C. By April 2024, when Tyler ran tests of its system in a demonstration for the treasurers office, half failed, Pappas told Preckwinkle in a letter, adding, this project remains on course to be a disaster. Hawkins, Tylers VP, said in a follow-up letter that Pappas was exaggerating and said it was extending the go-live dates into 2025 at the countys request. To get there, we need to cooperate in good faith, operating on facts and not hyperbole, Hawkins wrote. Since October, when Tyler pledged to bring in its A-Team to meet the April 28 deadline, the project has experienced other fits and starts. Just last month, Preckwinkles staff said Tyler would need to curtail access to the mainframe for three weeks to test the system, which Pappas recently described in a letter to Preckwinkle as a complete shock that could hurt homeowners facing the loss of property as they pay delinquent property tax bills in increments. While Tyler said it made exceptions to address some of Pappas concerns and that such blackouts were routine, the interruption still clouded the cautious optimism some county officials felt about the upcoming April 28 go-live promise. Tyler hasnt given me any reason to trust them, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen said in an interview. Odyssey complaints pervasive A decade ago, before any problems surfaced in the Cook County property tax effort, Tyler in quick succession bid for two other massive Illinois contracts to digitize state and local courts. The most high-profile was to upgrade the Cook County Circuit Court clerks office, which was being run at the time by Brown. In 2015, clerks in the second-largest unified court system in the country still used metal carts to bring judges dog-eared cardboard files. Much of what was online lived on monochrome monitors displaying phosphor-green text on a black background. Court orders were issued on carbon paper. Brown had already been criticized in media reports and county hearings for bungled tech rollouts, and this was her biggest project by far, calling for giving the public online access to judicial operations rather than forcing people to appear at the courts. Tyler was one of seven bidders graded over multiple rounds. On the evaluation team was Beena Patel, an associate clerk who had worked in the office for 30 years. As she was evaluating the bids, Patel was separately lying to a federal grand jury with her denials that jobs, promotions and raises were being exchanged for money and loans to Brown, court and contract records show. Patel was ultimately sentenced to two years in federal prison for lying to the grand jury about facilitating a $15,000 bribe to Brown from a county job applicant, among other infractions. Patels lies, federal authorities said, became a substantial interference to indicting Brown. Brown, who denied any wrongdoing throughout the investigation, was never charged. Neither Brown nor Patel responded to requests for comment. Tyler eventually won the $36.5 million county court bid in April 2017. Less than a year later, Brown broke out a pair of big scissors to snip a red ribbon and mark the first migration to Tylers new system, a comprehensive court case management platform known as Odyssey. Subsequent launches were error-riddled. E-filings, launched the following August, took days to get approved or were rejected for unclear reasons, the Tribune reported at the time. Attorneys and paralegals blamed Brown for a lack of notice or training. Brown countered that she could only provide the few instructions given to her by Tyler. When Tyler moved to upgrade the criminal system, it too was plagued by problems, including long delays, gaps in case information and unprepared clerks. Tyler said at the time there was a natural learning curve. While Tylers team took some heat, so too did Brown. According to reports from the consulting firm Guidehouse, Brown failed to dedicate enough staff to the project and that there was low attendance at training sessions for judges and clerks. The last division of the project, traffic court, didnt cross the finish line until the end of December 2022, 18 months late, and under a new clerk, Iris Martinez. The county has authorized paying Tyler $48 million through 2027. Complaints continued, including from Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell Jr., who wrote Martinez about incomplete search results, frequent outages and recording errors that left defendants unable to attend court or held in jail longer than required. Today at Ascend Justices emergency clinic, where domestic violence survivors seek legal help writing orders of protection, attorney Danielle Parisi Ruffatto said their cases often dont appear in the system. If we cant access the system of those documents, we might be giving the judge incomplete information or we might not be giving the client full and complete advice as we would if we could see all of the case documents, she said. Newly elected Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos, who campaigned on fixing the systems problems, said her office is working to address issues with the Odyssey system. Tyler representatives rebuffed the critiques, telling the Tribune and Injustice Watch: Project milestones were successfully achieved. Currently, new court leadership is familiarizing itself with the system and training additional new staff members. Certainly not at the level that it could be Unlike elected officials in Cook County, Illinois Supreme Court leaders defend their contract with Tyler and say any problems are routine in giant tech deals. But the Tyler contract to digitize and integrate the Supreme Court with clerks in Illinois 102 counties has grown from an initial $8.4 million in 2016 to $89 million so far, the Tribune and Injustice Watch found. The growth comes because the Supreme Court expanded the project in both size and scope and not due to cost overruns, officials said. I think the cost is what was anticipated. Illinois is a big state with a lot of courts, said Skip Robertson, chief technology officer for the administrative office of the Illinois Courts, the Supreme Court arm in charge of Tylers contract. People can stay home and file from anywhere, when they used to have to print off paper and carry it to downtown Chicago and park at the Daley Center and go stand in line at the clerks office, Robertson said. Those days are pretty much over. Still, the project has had its critics, including the state auditor generals office, which has repeatedly said the Illinois Supreme Court should have included an independent review of Tylers work similar to the oversight contracts imposed by Cook County agencies. Though Supreme Court officials dispute those concerns, Tylers statewide search function is not yet available to the public. The online portal, called re:SearchIL, is limited to judges and their staff and clerks, as well as attorneys and litigants who can review only specific cases in which they have filed appearances as a party. Court spokesperson Christopher Bonjean said in an interview with Injustice Watch and the Tribune that the portal hasnt been opened up to the public yet but hoped its very soon. A month after that interview, the Supreme Court issued an order saying public access to some Supreme Court and Appellate Court records would begin May 1 although the court said that would only include court documents filed after April 1 and would not provide statewide public access in the 102 county courts. Tylers public tracker of courts that are fully integrated with the re:SearchIL system lists the Supreme Court and Appellate courts as coming soon. So are circuit courts in Cook and several other counties including, Lake, Kankakee, McLean and St. Clair. Its certainly not at the level that it could be, but its something that is available and it is used, Robertson said. In its emailed response to Injustice Watch and the Tribune, Tyler representatives suggested state officials bore responsibility for the issues. A key aspect of this particular project has been the need to navigate leadership transitions, evolving stakeholder priorities, and complex decision-making processes, Tyler representatives said. Among those working on the contract for the Supreme Court is a former Tyler employee, the Tribune and Injustice Watch found. John Kennedy Chatz in 2023 became the chief of staff to the Illinois Courts administrative office. Before taking that job, Chatz worked as a Tyler client executive assigned to the Supreme Court contract. Though working both sides of the contract at different points in his career might appear to be a conflict of interest, Chatz in written responses to Injustice Watch and the Tribune said he did not think he had such a conflict and did not have to undergo any special state ethics review before taking the state job. Before his time at Tyler and the state, Chatz worked as a supervisor for Brown at the Cook County clerks office. In 2004, Brown told the Chicago Sun-Times she suspended Chatz for violating her policy against political work in the office after Chatz had reportedly directed a court staffer to drop complimentary tickets to Browns political fundraiser into every judges mailbox at the Skokie courthouse. Chatz disputed that report. I was not suspended, he said in his emailed response. A review of records in the Cook County Odyssey system also found discrepancies about Chatzs status as a lawyer in Illinois. Odyssey records show Chatz was registered as a lawyer in 2021, and then represented a client in court on a traffic matter. But separate state records show he lost his Illinois law license a decade earlier for failure to complete legal education requirements. Chatz said the records in the Odyssey system now overseen by his former company are mistaken. I did not re-register, this information is false, he wrote. In their email response to questions, Tyler representatives said any errors in the Odyssey system regarding Chatz are input errors by the county. The Odyssey Portal reflects data provided by the County. If Mr. Chatz believes there is an error in what is being reflected, then we would assume that that would be addressed with the County, the Tyler representatives wrote. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Three teenagers are in the hospital after being shot Sunday morning, the Memphis Police confirmed. At 7:01 a.m., officers responded to three shooting victims, all 17 years old, at Methodist North Hospital. The teens were driven there by private vehicle to the hospital. According to a police report, a white Infiniti with no license plate dropped the victims off in the parking lot. Memphis Police say security guards helped the teens into the emergency room and called the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local restaurant broken into for the second time in four months According to police, one of the teens said that he didnt know where he had been shot. The teen reportedly told police that he was a passenger in the Infiniti but didnt know the driver. Memphis Police say another victim also told investigators that he had been riding in the Infiniti but didnt know the driver. That victim reportedly said he and the other victims were riding around Nutbush to pick up food for the St. James Church food bank. According to police, the victim said he noticed some men on foot nearby. Soon after, shots were fired, and he was struck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Memphis Police say the third victim would not speak with officers. On Sunday morning, Memphis Police reported that all of the victims were in critical condition. Police later stated that two of the teens were in non-critical condition and one teen was in stable condition. Police said that at this time, it is not known where the shooting occurred. According to the police report, one of the security guards noticed a black ski mask and an empty Corona beer bottle on the ground where the Infiniti had dropped the victims off. The mask and bottle were collected as evidence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Dr. Alberto Ascherio (left) and Dr. Stephen Hauser (right) are co-winners of a 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. | Credit: Dr. Alberto Ascherio and Dr. Stephen Hauser Two scientists will share a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for research that has revolutionized our understanding of multiple sclerosis. The two prize winners Dr. Alberto Ascherio of Harvard and Dr. Stephen Hauser of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) will share $3 million for the award. For comparison, a Nobel Prize comes with 11 million Swedish kronor , a bit over $1 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's obviously an honor," Ascherio told Live Science of the recognition. He added that he's looking forward to joining the "interdisciplinary forum" of past winners of the prize, who hail from many scientific backgrounds and help decide future winners of the award. This year's Breakthrough Prize winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on April 5. Related: In a 1st, trial finds vitamin D supplements may slow multiple sclerosis. But questions remain. Rogue immune cells behind MS The Breakthrough Prizes have been awarded annually since 2013 to recognize accomplishments in fundamental physics, mathematics and the life sciences. One of the three life-science prizes recognizes work in the field of neurodegenerative disorders, and this year, that prize highlighted paradigm-shifting research about multiple sclerosis (MS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In MS, the immune system attacks fatty tissue that surrounds nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Called myelin, this fatty substance helps neurons send signals efficiently. The destruction of myelin undermines neurons' ability to communicate with one another while also triggering inflammation and scarring in the nervous system. This leads to symptoms of numbness, weakness, pain, dizziness, slurred speech, coordination problems, and blurred or double vision. Depending on the subtype of MS, a person's symptoms may come and go or steadily worsen over time; some people's disease switches from the former relapsing-remitting pattern to the latter, progressive form of the disease. Hauser, who directs UCSF's Weill Institute for Neurosciences, helped identify which immune cells actually drive MS. It was once thought that T cells alone were responsible for the disease. These cells normally rid the body of foreign invaders by killing infected cells, sparking inflammation and summoning other immune defenses to sites of infection. But in MS, it was thought that T cells unleashed inflammation against myelin, damaging the tissue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Research findings in the 1970s that supported this idea set the stage for MS therapies that took aim at T cells alone. However, this theory of the disease was incomplete. T cells sparked inflammation, but in animal experiments, T cells alone couldn't trigger the type of myelin damage seen in the brains of people with MS. Hauser's research filled in the missing piece of the puzzle: Another type of immune cell, called a B cell, is also key in MS. Although he and his colleagues faced resistance to their theory, they eventually got clearance to test a B-cell-targeting drug in MS patients, and it worked. That pivotal study paved the way for B-cell-depleting therapies for MS, such as ocrelizumab , which are now a mainstay of treatment. At the very start of his research, "it would have been impossible to imagine that 35 years later B cells would rest, arguably, at the epicenter of MS immunology," Hauser wrote in a 2015 essay . Related: $3 million Breakthrough Prize awarded to developers of Ozempic-style drugs Linking a very common infection to MS Hauser will share his Breakthrough Prize with Ascherio, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard University. Ascherio is being recognized for "revealing that Epstein-Barr virus infection is the leading risk for multiple sclerosis." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes the common disease infectious mononucleosis, better known as "mono"; over 95% of people catch the EBV virus by adulthood, although not all get the symptoms associated with mono, such as fatigue, fever or swollen lymph nodes. Through a painstaking 20-year study, Ascherio and his colleagues demonstrated that, following an EBV infection, an individual's risk of MS increases 32-fold . No other risk factors or viral infections are tied to such a stark increase in the risk for the disease. And absolutely no MS cases were seen among people in the study who hadn't caught EBV. "The fact that the virus is so common makes it difficult to prove," Ascherio said. Difficult, but not impossible Ascherio mentioned polio as a similar example. The annual rate of symptomatic polio infections in the U.S. peaked in 1952, reaching nearly 58,000 reported cases , and of those, over 21,000 caused paralysis . But many cases of polio go unnoticed; approximately 70% cause no symptoms, while less than 1% of infections lead to paralyzing disease. "So it's quite common for a virus to be nearly ubiquitous infect everyone but cause severe disease, in particular neurological diseases, in only a small minority," Ascherio told Live Science. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the publication of Ascherio's 20-year study, "there's been a huge shift" in the field, he said. "Now, EBV has been accepted as a central player and the leading cause of MS." RELATED STORIES Twin study reveals signs of MS that might be detectable before symptoms Europeans' ancient ancestors passed down genes tied to multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's risk New 'inverse vaccine' could wipe out autoimmune diseases, but more research is needed However, it's not yet known how EBV infection ultimately leads to MS. It's important to note that EBV is a herpesvirus, which means it can lurk in the body, go dormant and reactivate later on. For his part, Ascherio thinks EBV reactivation in the brain is likely important for the development of MS. Figuring out how that mechanism works could help explain why, out of the many people who catch EBV, only a small percentage end up with MS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But even if that mechanism is unclear, knowing EBV is a key driver of MS points to possible solutions, Ascherio said. For instance, various groups are working on vaccines to prevent EBV infection, with the hope of snuffing out MS down the line. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Dr. Jens Holst, pictured above, is one of five researchers to have been jointly awarded a Breakthrough Prize for their work on Ozempic-style drugs. | Credit: Lars Svankjr of The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters Five scientists who helped develop Ozempic-style drugs have been awarded a $3 million prize nicknamed the " Oscars of Science ." The Breakthrough Prizes are annual awards that aim to recognize "the worlds top scientists working in the fundamental sciences," according to the official website for the prizes. Six awards are given, in total, covering accomplishments in fundamental physics, mathematics and the life sciences. Advertisement Advertisement This year, Dr. Jens Holst , Dr. Daniel Drucker , Dr. Joel Habener , Lotte Knudsen and Svetiana Mojsov have been announced as joint winners of one of three Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences for 2025. "When something [like this award] drops in completely unexpected, that's nice, that's wonderful," Holst, a professor of medical physiology at the University of Copenhagen, told Live Science. Related: Scientists behind tech in mRNA vaccines snag 2nd prestigious prize is a Nobel next? Holst and his colleagues received one of the life-science awards this year "for the discovery and characterization of glucagon-like peptide 1 and revealing its physiology and potential in treating diabetes and obesity," read an official statement. Advertisement Advertisement Glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, is a hormone that the gut secretes after eating . The hormone stimulates the release of insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels, and it also slows down digestion, making people feel full. It's a key player in how the brain regulates appetite . Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are examples of "GLP-1 receptor agonists" they mimic the action of the GLP-1 hormone in the body to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity , respectively. These drugs have garnered significant popularity over the past decade, and they are now being investigated as potential treatments for many other health conditions, ranging from substance-use disorders to Alzheimer's disease . In 2024, Wegovy also got regulatory approval in the United States to treat heart disease , although questions remain regarding how it actually treats the condition. However, despite their success, GLP-1 receptor agonists have also faced considerable scrutiny. For instance, there have been reports of some patients experiencing nasty side effects, such as persistent vomiting and stomach paralysis . Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, a large study published in 2025 revealed that these drugs may reduce the risk of developing 42 health conditions but may increase the chances of experiencing 19 others , including abdominal pain, low blood pressure and arthritis. This study was correlational, so it's unknown if GLP-1 agonists are actually driving these conditions, but it still raises questions about the drugs' long-term effects. Ozempic and Wegovy are well-known examples of GLP-1 receptor agonists. | Credit: The Washington Post / Contributor via Getty Images Even with these concerns, though, many believe these drugs have revolutionized the treatment of cardiometabolic disorders . In the U.S., 1 in 8 adults have reported using a GLP-1 drug at some point in their lives. Holst and colleagues originally discovered the GLP-1 hormone back in the 1980s . Piece by piece, they gathered data showing that the hormone stimulated insulin secretion, and that it inhibited food intake and the emptying of the stomach after a meal, Holst said. Over the years, the researchers further examined these physiological effects within the context of diabetes and obesity, which eventually led to the development of the widely used drugs that are household names today. Advertisement Advertisement There is likely a huge interest around these drugs because they offer an alternative, and very effective, route to weight loss for people with obesity who might not have found success with other interventions, Holst said. However, as a doctor, he is more interested in their ability to treat the knock-on health concerns tied to obesity, such as certain cancers and atherosclerosis , which can lead to coronary artery disease , he added. "What we know is that obesity is associated with a hell of [a lot of] complications," he said. "The important thing is that with these compounds, you can prevent that." Holst and colleagues are now investigating how the body regulates its own GLP-1 hormone levels and whether this process can be manipulated. For instance, they want to see whether patients with obesity or diabetes could be given a drug that increases the secretion of their own GLP-1 hormone, rather than being given a drug that just mimics the action of GLP-1, Holst said. RELATED STORIES Advertisement Advertisement 4 biologists awarded Germany's most prestigious scientific award, worth 2.5 million euros 2 scientists win $3 million 'Breakthrough Prize' for mRNA tech behind COVID-19 vaccines 2 scientists snag Nobel in medicine for discovering 'microRNAs' In addition to the prize awarded to GLP-1's developers, the other two life sciences awards this year went to Dr. Stephen Hauser and Dr. Alberto Ascherio , for their work on multiple sclerosis , and David Liu for developing two common gene editing technologies known as " base editing " and " prime editing ." This year's winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on April 5, 2025. Three people are dead from the same virus that killed Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, sparking concern among local residents. Hackman's wife died from a rare virus that is spread by rodents. The Hollywood star and his wife were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Feb. 26. While Hackman is believed to have died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimers disease as a significant contributory factor," his wife died from a rare illness. Arakawa, who was 65 years old, died from hantavirus. The virus, spread by rodents, can cause fatigue, fever, muscle aches, coughing and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In severe cases, like Arakawa's, it can be fatal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tragically, three people in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California have died from the same illness. Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa during Gene Hackman Sighting at Spago - September 5, 1986 at Spago in West Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) Ron Galella/Getty Images Health officials in Mono County confirmed this week that three people had died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The virus is typically spread by mice to humans through urine, saliva or droppings. Dr. Tom Boo, a county public health officer, is worried. The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year, he said in a statement. While cases are rare, they are typically more prevalent later in the spring and summer. Multiple cases this early in April have sparked cause for concern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest death in Mammoth Lakes, California is the third since February. The home had no evidence of mouse activity, Boo said. We observed some mice in the workplace, which is not unusual for indoor spaces this time of year in Mammoth Lakes. We havent identified any other activities in the weeks before illness that would have increased this persons exposure to mice or their droppings. Local authorities are urging people to be vigilant and careful about mice in the home. A federal case in Michigan led to four men from Georgia and one from Alabama pleading guilty to playing a role in a sexual extortion scheme. According to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, the five men all pled guilty to conspiring to launder the money earned by Nigerian sex extortionists. The U.S. Attorneys Office said five men used online payment systems to collect sextortion proceeds and send them to a Nigerian individual they referred to as The Plug. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment against the five men said the sextortionists had boys and young men create nude images, then, when the sextortionists received the pictures, they allegedly had the victims send money to the U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App and Zelle. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The launderers kept 20%, converting the rest into bitcoin to send to The Plug, who kept a portion, then sent the remaining funds to the sextortionists involved. Federal officials said three Nigerian nationals were charged in a sextortion scheme in 2022 after 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, a victim, died. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following five individuals pled guilty to conspiring to launder proceeds for Nigerian sex extortionists: Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Ala., pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025. Kendall Ormond London, 32, of Lithonia, Ga., pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025. Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., pleaded guilty on March 28, 2025. Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, of McDonough, Ga. pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025. Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, of Stone Mountain, Ga., pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025. These individuals helped and profited from this awful, heartbreaking scheme and so they now will face the consequences, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said in a statement. The conspiracy offense is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The court will decide the sentences upon consultation with federal sentencing guidelines and the individual circumstances. The FBI provides the following recommendations for how to protect yourself from sextortion schemes: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers. Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims. Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform. Be in the know. Any content you create onlinewhether it is a text message, photo, or videocan be made public. And nothing actually disappears online. Once you send something, you dont have any control over where it goes next. Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that dont seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] COLOMBO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- All Sri Lankan state-owned hospitals will be digitalized and redesigned, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media said on Sunday, quoting Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The minister said modernization and digitalization are vital to providing accessible, convenient, and efficient healthcare services to the people. Digitalizing the healthcare system will help the government to manage the workforce and data of hospitals, to digitalize health records and streamline the pharmaceutical supply chain, Jayatissa said. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) It was a big day for rowing, as it was the 4th annual Wabash Valley Crew Rowing Challenge at the YMCA on Saturday. Saturdays event brought together local celebrities, agencies, and businesses to compete in the event. For the celebrity rowing challenge, Bryan Horsman was the fasted to 500 meters. Forrest lowery finished second, Indiana State President Mike Godard came in third, and Mayor Sakbun finished in fourth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the celebrity challenge, local agencies competed against one another in the 4,000-meter relay. The Terre Haute Police Department took home the gold medal, beating out the Terre Haute Fire Department and the Vigo County Sheriffs Department. Lastly, many businesses and colleges came together to compete against each other in the corporate 4,000-meter race. Union Health brought home the honors, with Rose-Hulman coming in second place, and Indiana State placing third. All of the money raised from Saturdays event will benefit Wabash Valley crew, which includes plans to build a boathouse at Fairbanks Park in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Shelby County Sheriffs Office says multiple people had to be rescued from their vehicles and evacuated from their homes after Saturdays storms and flooding. According to SCSO, six people had to be rescued or assisted from their vehicles on Saturday, and two people had to be evacuated from a mobile home park in the area of Raleigh Millington Road and Navy Road. The sheriffs office says another person had to be evacuated from a home on Bridgewater Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Midtown residents express concern as flooding stops them from leaving home SCSO says that since 6 a.m. on Saturday, crews have responded to 16 calls about flooded roads, six downed trees, three mudslides, two roads that were damaged by flooding, and a downed powerline. The sheriffs office posted images and videos of the damage and floods across the county. SCSO says flooded roads were either cleared or barricaded, and all of the trees and mudslides have been cleared. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. "How far do we go in tolerating these people & this trash under the excuse of academic freedom & freedom of expression? . . . Hasn't the time come to take on those neurotics in our faculty group and lay down some rules of conduct for the students comparable to what we'd expect in our own families?" No, this is not a threat from President Donald Trump in 2025. It is an excerpt from an August 1967 letter from Ronald Reagan, who had been elected the governor of California six months prior, to Glenn Dumke, the chancellor of the California State University system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's ongoing attacks on higher education echo the right-wing playbook that Reagan created nearly six decades ago. In a 2024 campaign video, Trump declared that "We are going to get this anti-American insanity out of our institutions once and for all. We are going to have real education in America." The goal, he said, would be to take back "our once-great educational institutions from the radical left." In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to withhold $9 billion in federal money from Harvard and another $575 million from Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. Both Reagan and Trump knew they were tapping into popular discontent with elite universities. For Reagan, it was the mass protests and arrests resulting from the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley. For Trump, the source of public anger came from the pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments held at dozens of universities in early 2024. A dissatisfied American public Trump, like Reagan, sees political dividends in his attacks. In 2012, 26% of Americans said in a survey by the Pew Research Center that colleges had a negative effect on the way things were going in the country. Last year, Pew revealed those negative views had climbed to 45%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1966, Reagan won an upset election against incumbent Gov. Pat Brown by vowing to "clean up the mess at Berkeley." Once in office, he acted on his verbal threats by firing Clark Kerr, the president of the multi-campus University of California system. Kerr was widely admired in academic circles, but to Reagan, he was "soft" and had "appeased" campus protesters. The next year, when the Black Students Union lead a campus-wide strike that shut down San Francisco State College, Reagan called for police intervention and said the campus should be kept open "at the point of a bayonet if necessary." In February 1970, five days of noisy anti-war protests erupted when local police arrested a student carrying a wine bottle. A full-scale riot ensued, with buildings and police cars set on fire. The police confronted the rioters with guns and shot and killed a university student (ironically, not one of the protesters). Reagan later defended the police response, saying anti-war campus protests had to be stopped. "If it takes a bloodbath, let's get it over with," he said. "No more appeasement." Steve Brint, a historian at the University of California, Riverside, observed that by repeatedly cracking down on university protests, "Reagan created a blueprint for the long-term success of the Republican Party as the voice of conservative 'middle America' and 'the silent majority.'" While Reagan was the first Republican candidate to score a major political win by assailing higher education, the party's animosity to the liberal atmosphere on many college campuses can be traced back to the 1951 publication of William F. Buckley's "God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of Academic Freedom." Caste rule at Yale Buckley, a devout Catholic from a wealthy Connecticut family, graduated from Yale in 1950. Buckley's book became a surprise best-seller. He would go on to publish the National Review and host the PBS interview program, "Firing Line." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an introduction to the book, John Chamberlain, a conservative editorial writer for Life magazine, endorsed Buckley's accusation that Yale had set-up "an elite of professional untouchables . . . The elite would perpetuate itself as it chose. Departments would select their staffs without reference to alumni or parental or undergraduate opinion . . . This is caste rule as applied to education, it might be unkind to call it 'Fascism,' but it certainly is not democracy." Chamberlain said he endorsed Buckley's criticism that Yale faculty was "skeptical of any religion and interventionist and Keynesian as to economics and collectivist as applied to the relation of the individual and government." While many conservative Republicans agreed with this condemnation, they found little traction with the public in the 1950s. Universities were filled with veterans on the G.I. Bill. President Eisenhower, who had briefly served as the president of Columbia University before the election, believed American colleges were important to a rising middle class and endorsed generous funding for them. While running for president in 1980, Reagan vowed to eliminate the Department of Education, decades before Trump. Reagan could not get a Democratic-led Congress to accept that pitch. During his two terms, however, he cut the federal budget for education, both primary and higher, by 25%. He ended a number of federal grants for college students and pushed for private loans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, every Republican presidential candidate has vowed to reform higher education, with numerous attacking "Marxist" or "radical left" university faculty. So far, the Trump administration has not deployed law enforcement to tamp down on student protests, but it has detained nearly a dozen students and faculty members on college campuses, individuals with student or work visas, who are alleged to have participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The State Department has revoked at least 300 student visas, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day," he said at a recent press conference in Guyana. "Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas." Universities on the defense Trump's attacks on "radical left" universities have taken a toll on their leadership. Since the spring 2024 pro-Palestinian protests, six college presidents have resigned, including two at Columbia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Universities are not without resources, however, and many have begun to fight back. University leaders have started meeting directly with members of Congress, as well as hiring lobbyists. Some 50 institutions, including Harvard, Columbia, Yale and Stanford, have hired lobbying firms since the election. A February poll of some 100 college and university presidents by the Yale School of Management found that 100% of respondents agreed that their schools needed "to do a much better job of conveying their value proposition." Perhaps they will invoke the advice of one founding father, Benjamin Franklin, who wrote that "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." Politically speaking, Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida is hardly my cup of tea. She is, by her own admission, one of the most conservative members of Congress. Indeed, in 2023, she championed an effort to censure and fine Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff for leading the first impeachment of President Trump when Schiff was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in 2020. That censure effort failed because lawmakers were loath to levy a $16-million fine on a fellow member. But Luna, who was not even in office at the time of the Schiff-led impeachment, was undaunted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am telling you, she said at the time, I am persistent, and I am not kidding, censuring is going to happen. And so it did, minus the fine, the second time around. Luna is, for lack of a more elegant phrase, kind of a bad ass. The lawmaker, an Air Force veteran, the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida and mother of a toddler, has now taken on her leader, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who, like his fellow Republicans, gives lip service to supporting families but mostly devotes himself to making their lives more difficult. Since January, Luna and her Democratic colleague Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, a mother of two, have been trying to get the House to pass a measure that would allow Congress members who have infants to vote by proxy until their babies are 12 weeks old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No dice, says Johnson. "I have great sympathy, empathy for all of our young women legislators who are of birthing age. It's a real quandary," Johnson said last month. "But I'm afraid it doesn't fit with the language of the Constitution, and that's the inescapable truth that we have." His helplessness rings hollow. During the pandemic, when Democrats were in control, the House passed a rule allowing proxy voting for the first time in American history. Johnson was among the Republican lawmakers who sued to overturn the rule, but hey, even he and dozens of other members availed themselves of the new rule. When Republicans took back control of the House, they put an end to the practice, citing concerns that it could be abused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Luna and Pettersen essentially brought the House of Representatives to a halt after defying Johnson, and using a procedural twist to do an end run around him. In the face of Johnsons refusal to bring the proxy measure to a vote, they rounded up enough bipartisan support to force the measure to the floor with the use of a discharge petition. Then Johnson so, so helpless, right? designed a special rule to prevent the vote, but as NPR reported, nine Republicans bucked their leader and voted alongside Democrats to block it. I could not in good conscience vote for an unprecedented rule that would pull the rug out from under Rep. Lunas discharge petition that got the required signatures fair and square, said Republican Ohio Rep. Max Miller, who has a year-old baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pettersen put it more succinctly: Dont f with moms. You may recall that Pettersen made headlines in February when she rushed back to Washington with her 4-week-old son, Sam, to cast a vote against the Republican budget plan. She was photographed cradling her baby on the House floor. I was a complete, you know, zombie right out here trying to represent my constituents, Pettersen told USA Today. Luna became a first-time mother in 2023. She had complications stemming from high blood pressure, and her doctors urged her not to travel while she recuperated. As a result, she missed 137 votes. "How is it not discriminatory to tell a duly elected member of Congress that she can't vote because she gave birth to a child?" she said in January. "New mothers in Congress should not be forced to choose their careers over children or choose children over careers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is hardly surprising that most congressional Republicans, in thrall to Trump, are so hostile to children and families. The MAGA animus toward kids our most precious resource blah blah blah was on full display early on in Trumps first term when he implemented the grotesque family separation program. We know that many of the children separated from their parents at the southern border suffered severe psychological trauma and, shamefully, some families have never been reunited. How else do Trump's and the GOP's policies hurt children? In his first term, he tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and to pay for tax cuts now, the administration with the help of congressional Republicans, is trying to cut Medicaid, which provides healthcare to millions of low-income children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worries about the potential dangers of artificial food coloring, but he has contributed to a wave of vaccine skepticism that will unquestionably result in actual deaths. He currently presides over a measles outbreak that has killed two unvaccinated people so far, one a Texas child, and has recommended that children at risk of measles take vitamin A, which does nothing to prevent the disease. When the callous young members of Elon Musks White House advisory team, which he calls the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, killed off USAID, the foreign-aid agency that is Americas most effective soft-power tool, they cut off aid to children in developing countries, with a probable outcome that tens of thousands of children, and millions of people of all ages, will now needlessly die of tuberculosis, HIV, starvation and other preventable or treatable diseases. Abolishing the Department of Education will hurt children in low-income communities who benefit from federal aid that is disbursed through the states and school districts, and disabled and special education kids as well. Its unclear at this point what happens next to Luna and Pettersen's bill. Tuesday, Johnson was forced to cancel votes for the rest of the week, which means the House did not address MAGA bills that would prevent federal courts from issuing national injunctions and require proof of citizenship to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, on Thursday, Trump weighed in. I dont know why its controversial, he told reporters on Air Force One. If you're having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote. I'm in favor of that." Hell just froze over; he is absolutely right. Bluesky: @rabcarian.bsky.social Threads: @rabcarian If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) About 100 demonstrators gathered outside Abilene City Hall on Saturday, holding signs like Hands Off Our Education and Hands Off Social Security as part of a nationwide protest against President Donald Trumps policies. The Abilene demonstration was scheduled for 3:00 p.m., but many protestors arrived early. By 2:30, crowds were already forming at the entrance to City Hall, signs in hand, chanting and calling for change. Protesters from New York to Alaska assail Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their goal? To send a message to the Trump administration: To keep hands off the programs and policies that have been targeted by executive orders and changes from the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency known as DOGE this year. For protestor Kristy Compton, hands off hits close to home. I was a librarian. So for me, hands off books, free people read freely, and nobody should tell you what to read. I certainly am not happy with the cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Thats not cool with librarians, Compton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No kings on Presidents Day rings out from protests against Trump and Musk Locals werent the only ones showing up. Jenny, who was visiting family from Maine, said she couldnt pass up the opportunity to join the demonstration. Im an educator. Im an athlete. Im a woman. Im a mother. I want this country to stick up for what it has been and for what people from around the world have always thought it was. And that is a beacon of liberty, hope and peace, Jenny shared. More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations were planned across the country, backed by more than 150 organizations including civil rights groups, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, Veterans groups, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. COOK COUNTY A man accused of gunning down six people at random during a nine-month span in 2020, when he was a teenager, has a detention hearing Monday before a Cook County judge. Antonio Reyes of Chicago is facing five counts of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder for what were described by Cook County States Attorney Eileen ONeill Burke as serial murders. Woman sought for alleged child luring incident in Schaumburg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors say Reyes started killing his victims randomly when he was just 16 years old. Reyes was first arrested in December 2020 for one of the murders, but he was not charged in the other five as well as the four attempted murders until February of this year. Click THIS STORY for more information and a timeline of the murders that Reyes is charged with. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Tennessee is reeling after four straight days of severe storms and the end still isnt in sight. On Saturday, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency activated a Level 3 State of Emergency out of the State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville, which remains in effect Sunday morning. TEMA also announced that the Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed 10 weather-related deaths in the past week. Heres what we know about the death toll so far. Fayette County father and daughter killed after tornado hits home A 48-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter in Fayette County were among the first batch of four weather-related deaths in Tennessee reported Thursday. The man was pronounced dead on the scene, and the daughter died later in the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Fayette County Chief Deputy Raymond Garcia, the two were killed after a tornado struck a modular home outside of Moscow, about 45 minutes from downtown Memphis. Three others were injured, including the mother, 46, who was transported to the hospital in critical condition. What we know about the 8 other deaths While the Fayette County Sherrifs Office shared details of the deaths in Fayette County, details remain sparse on the others who have died across the state. The largest share of victims, five, was in McNairy County, where a preliminary EF-3 tornado with 160 m.p.h. winds ripped through Selmer early Thursday morning. Two years ago, another devastating tornado hit McNairy County and left nine dead in the small towns of Bethel Springs, Adamsville and Rose Creek. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The other three storm-related deaths were confirmed in Carroll, Obion and Tipton counties. Obion County, located in the northwestern corner of the state near the southernmost edge of Kentucky, on Saturday issued a voluntary evacuation in areas that are prone to flooding ahead of another band of severe weather, according to TEMA. Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Reach him at ahornbostel@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee's storms, tornadoes kill 10: What we know Sen. Adam Schiff, one of President Donald Trumps toughest political opponents, is gearing up for another battle in Washington D.C. this time in support of California farmers. In an interview with The Fresno Bee, Schiff spoke in defense of the states multi-billion dollar farming industry and the thousands of workers who harvest nearly half of the nations supply of fruits and vegetables and almost all of its almonds and pistachios. The former Congressman, who rose to prominence as the lead prosecutor in Trumps impeachment hearings in 2019 and 2020, has become a frequent target of the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elected to the Senate in 2024, Schiff is unbothered by the name-calling. He remains critical of the Trump Administration and its efforts to reduce the size of government and bring back manufacturing jobs through tariffs on foreign goods. The senator disagrees with the tariff strategy, saying California farmers, especially almond and pistachio growers, who depend on exports, will suffer, much like they did the last time Trump imposed tariffs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that in 2018 U.S. farmers took a $27 billion hit from retaliatory tariffs. In California, tree nut growers suffered the biggest losses at $239 million. A federal bailout program fell short of making up for the losses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The concern I have for California farmers is that the last time there was a bailout fund, when Trump was last president, almost none of it went back to California farmers, Schiff said. The vast majority of those bailout funds went to commodity growers in the Midwest. So I want to make sure that ... California farmers and specialty crop farmers are treated fairly. California Rep. Adam Schiff addresses the crowd at the Armenian flag raising ceremony outside Fresno City Hall Wednesday, April 24, 2024 in Fresno. Adam Schiff and California agriculture Schiff has also been critical of the USDAs layoff of nearly 6,000 probationary employees, some of whom worked on the front lines of battling plant pests and diseases. Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction against the USDAs termination of probationary employees. The court found the layoffs were unlawful, and an appeal is pending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To cut those experts and their expertise ... is just insane, Schifff said. Since joining the Senate, Schiff has toured the states vast farming regions and has been in awe of the multi-generational farm families that have survived for decades, despite the many challenges. Its also one of the reasons he wanted to serve on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Schiff is the first California senator to be on the committee in more than 30 years. And while he realizes many farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are Trump supporters, thats not going to weaken his support for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whatever our views are on other issues, Im still going to be an aggressive champion of the industry, he said. I want the farmers and the farm workers to view me as their ally and their champion, and look forward to getting to know them better. Im hugely proud of what the industry does, and I just want to let people know that. California water priorities and legal workforce Schiff vows to find a solution to the regions demands for irrigation water. I want to make sure that we are bringing about a sensible water policy that tries to look for solutions that both support our cities and farms and the environment and I know that its difficult and treacherous waters, but were going to have to figure it because its a scarce and precious resource, Schiff said. Also on the senators plate is the issue of securing a stable and legal workforce. Roughly half of the states farm workers are not authorized to work in the U.S. and their numbers are dwindling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps crackdown on undocumented immigrants threatens to shrink the supply of workers further. Schiff admits that introducing legislation aimed at immigration reform could be dicey given the current climate of Trump-ordered mass deportations. But there may be a way around that. Schiff told a Republican colleague recently that they should appeal to the presidents ego, by telling him that he could be the first president to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. The way to appeal to this president is by appealing to his vanity, Schiff said. And if that works, then lets appeal to his vanity, because I would love for us to get back to trying to work out a sensible and comprehensive bill that makes sure that our borders are secure, but also make sure that we have a pathway to citizenship for people like farm workers who are toiling away for all the rest of us. KABUL, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Police have discovered and destroyed a drug-processing lab in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, provincial police spokesman Ezatullah Haqqani said Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the Bughni area on Saturday. In addition to smashing the drug-processing lab, police also discovered a huge quantity of the illegal objects used in manufacturing heroin, the official added. Police have taken into custody a person in charge of operating the drug lab for further investigation, the official said. The Afghan interim government has vowed to fight against illicit drugs until the once-poppy growing country becomes a drug-free nation. WASHINGTON (WCBD) As the Trump administrations cuts to U.S. foreign aid begin to take hold across the globe, a group of South Carolinians is calling on congressional lawmakers to protect funding for critical health programs in Africa. Trump ordered what he said would be a three-month review of which foreign assistance programs deserved to continue in his first day back in office on Jan. 20, and cut off all foreign assistance funds almost overnight. In February, the administration announced it would eliminate more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Developments foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance worldwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USAID has historically delivered billions of dollars in humanitarian aid overseas, which health experts say is critical to curbing the spread of HIV and malaria. The agency, which also helps to fight poverty and hunger, is credited with saving millions of lives worldwide. Olivia Ott, a 22-year-old from Mount Pleasant who works with Seacoast Church, has seen its impact firsthand. I grew up as a pastors kid and started taking mission trips overseas to Africa at the age of 16, and my eyes were totally just opened to the world and to hurt and brokenness and impact, she said. There isnt a part of the community that [U.S. aid] wont reach when it comes to the health of children, when it comes to education, when it comes to spiritual and emotional health. One or two things that can seem so small like clean water or access to food or access to education, thats the difference of a generational change, she continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ott was one of more than 100 individuals who traveled to Washington, D.C. last month to advocate on behalf of the One Campaign, an international nonprofit that works to secure resources to promote health and economic opportunity in Africa. It was part of the organizations annual Power Summit, a multi-day conference that culminates in a lobbying day on Capitol Hill. While there, Ott and others met with Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scotts offices as well as Reps. James Clyburn and Nancy Maces offices. Trump goes all in with bet that the heavy price of tariffs will pay off for Americans Their request was straightforward: safeguard funding for vaccine programs and those designed to treat and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the ONE campaign, contributions to these programs from South Carolinians alone have helped to save nearly 200,00 lives from HIV, provide more than 410,000 mosquito nets, and immunize more than 1.2 million children against deadly diseases. The abrupt cut in funding to those programs threatens to undo decades of advancement and puts lives at risk, advocates have warned. Any interruption to service for things like PEPFAR costs lives, and so its critical that those things remain, said Alayna Diviney, a senior at the College of Charleston. U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, has been recognized for helping change the course of AIDS globally since being introduced in 2003. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after Trump put a freeze on foreign aid, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver to allow the lifesaving aid to continue. Despite that, PEPFAR funds stayed frozen. That caught the attention of Sen. Graham, a longtime supporter of PEPFAR, who warned the administration against going too far with funding freezes. If you go too far, youre going to lose trust in terms of actually cleaning up the place, Graham told Dan Bishop, the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, during a Senate budget hearing last month. Diviney and Ott applauded Grahams support for the continuation of PEPFAR and said they encouraged other South Carolina lawmakers to seek clarity from the administration on what is being cut and why. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were empowering them to demand those answers from the administration, Diviney said. And standing up for exercising their constitutional mandate which is appropriations and exercising their oversight power to make sure that the funds, that our tax dollars that have already been appropriated, already been voted on actually make it to where theyre supposed to go and really stand up for the legacy that Congress has created of these robust, effective life-saving programs that are beacon of United States values across the world. The government was on track to spend about $58.4 billion on international aid programs in the 2025 fiscal year, according to January projections from the Congressional Budget Office. That would have been less than the $71.6 billion spent in fiscal year 2023 but still a small fraction of the total federal budget. Diviney said the public tends to overestimate the percentage the U.S. spends on foreign aid and noted that the success of these programs is often measured by the absence of crises, which can lead people to think theyre no longer needed. A lot of the times, the metrics for these types of things being successful is nothing happening, she said. With PEPFAR and GAVI and stuff like that, that is the metric of success, but people mistake that sometimes for it not being necessary anymore, which is completely not true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pair also expressed concern about how the sudden reduction in funding could harm Americas standing in the world. Foreign assistance offered the U.S. a source of soft power allowing it to cultivate goodwill, build alliances, and counter adversaries in a bid to shore up national security without having to dispatch troops, weapons or other more coercive measures. When we take a step back, theres a void there, as far as global influence goes, and we think thats really important that we remain a leader in that respect, said Diviney, adding that foreign aid is more than about handouts. Theres so much opportunity and potential there for partnerships and investment and and creating a more just world where Africa is an equal player, she continued. And that helps Americans, you know, economically and just generally, as much money that goes into Africa right now, its actually more money that comes out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The end goal isnt just aid unto aid unto aid unto aid, but actually unto trade, Ott said. We want to see Africa as a continent at large, to become an economic partner. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. Nineteen years after 10-year-old Adreanna Jackson disappeared and later was found dead, the Washington state Attorney General Offices cold-case unit is reviewing her case. Police consider the girls death the oldest unsolved homicide in Lakewood. After exhausting their capabilities and resources to investigate the case, Lakewood Police Departments Sgt Charles Porche said, detectives have turned it over to the attorney generals Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Cold Case Unit. Lakewood police forwarded the case to the unit in mid-2024, he said. We do not have a cold case unit and it was a case that the AGs office was willing to take after a consult with them, Porche said in an email to The News Tribune. Background on Adreanna Jackson case Adreanna was walking to Tillicum Elementary School on Dec. 2, 2005, not knowing classes had been canceled from an overnight snowfall. She never made it to the school, according to previous News Tribune reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her mother, Yvette Gervais, reported her daughter missing that afternoon when she did not come home. A search began that day. Lakewood police combed through Tillicum and the rest of the city, a News Tribune story reported. Divers searched American Lake, hoping to find answers. Adreannas disappearance turned into a homicide investigation after two boys found her skeletal remains in April 2006 in a thicket of blackberry brambles two miles from her familys apartment on Wadsworth Street Southwest. Her cause of death has been undetermined, with the Medical Examiners Office ruling it also could not determine the manner in which she died. Investigators have treated the girls death as a homicide, according to the FBIs archives. State and federal forensics experts analyzed hundreds of items that were taken from her home and the lot where she was found, The News Tribune reported. The FBI also assisted before her remains were found. The FBI immediately investigates the mysterious disappearance of any missing child and the case of Adreanna Jackson was no different, a FBI spokesperson said March 19 in a statement to The News Tribune. We offer FBI resources to assist our partners, the Lakewood Police Department in this instance, with their investigation. In this case, we conducted an extensive investigation which included, interviews of witnesses, technical resources, polygraph examinations, behavioral analysis, analytical assistance, the offering of a reward, and evidence recovery support. What is the MMIWP Cold Case Unit? The unit was created and funded by the Washington Legislature in 2023 in response to recommendations from the MMIWP Task Force, according to the Office of the Attorney Generals website. The FBIs archives show that Adreanna was Native American. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The purpose of the team is to assist federal, municipal, county, and tribal law enforcement agencies in solving missing person and cold homicide cases involving persons of Indigenous ancestry who go missing and are murdered at a higher rate than other demographics. It is the first unit of its kind in the nation, the website says. Mike Faulk, the deputy communications director for the AGs Office, told The News Tribune via email that an investigation by the MMIWP Cold Case Unit begins when a local police agency or jurisdiction requests it. The process for the unit varies depending on the circumstances of each case. Generally, the second step is that the team goes over the provided case file and reviews it independently. Faulk said cold-case investigators are doing that now in Adreannas case. The third step is the team then meets with the local agency to discuss possible next steps for the investigation, Faulk said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those steps include identifying additional people to interview, canvassing physical locations and potentially using DNA and other investigative tools in addition to the work done by the local jurisdiction, he said. Depending on what comes out of the investigation, local prosecutors could take legal action. If they ask us, we could agree to review the case for potential criminal charges, Faulk said. The MMIWP Cold Case Unit is working on 25 active cases, five are from Pierce County. The units budget for the 2025 fiscal year is $824,000, Faulk said. Their staff consists of one AGO supervisor investigator, four AGO senior investigators and one victim advocate/case navigator. Faulk said he could not say much else about Adreannas case since the cold-case unit is actively looking into it. Attorney General Pam Bondi doubled down on her desire to seek the death penalty for accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione on Sunday, telling Fox News that President Donald Trumps administration is going to seek the death penalty whenever possible. The AG stopped by Fox News Sunday this weekend, where host Shannon Bream asked her what she thought about Politico saying that using capital punishment against 26-year-old Mangione is how Trump loses Gen Z. The presidents directive was very clear: we are to seek the death penalty, when possible. It hasnt been done in four years. I was a capital prosecutor, I tried death penalty cases throughout my career. If there was ever a death case, this is one, Bondi said. This guy is charged with hunting down a CEO, a father of two, a married man, hunting him down and executing him. I feel like these young people have lost their way. I was receiving death threats for seeking the death penalty on someone who was charged with an execution of a CEO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were going to continue to do the right thing, were not going to be deterred by political motives, she continued. Ive seen a protester walking down the street here Free Luigi this guys charged with a violent crime and were going to seek the death penalty whenever possible. Indeed, Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in December 2024. Following a five-day manhunt, the Ivy League grad was found at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He faces 11 charges in New York including murder in the first degree and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism and four federal charges including stalking and murder through use of a firearm as well as three lesser charges in Pennsylvania. The Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement last week. [He] is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young mans life. Mangione has a federal court hearing scheduled for April 18 and a state court hearing set for June. The defense has until April 9 to submit pretrial motions, with prosecutors ordered to respond by May 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No word on if Bondi cares about the much larger number of deaths that have stemmed from the acts of CEOs in the healthcare industry. The post AG Pam Bondi Says Trump Is Going to Seek the Death Penalty Whenever Possible Including for Luigi Mangione appeared first on TheWrap. Frank Hernandez, a 57-year-old father of five and grandfather to three, woke up the morning of April 2 ready to continue a career he began while in high school maintaining equipment, overseeing the harvest hulling crew, welding platforms for new shelling equipment and installing irrigation for new orchards at Vermeulen Almond Hulling just west of Modesto. Hes kind of the soul behind all of us, said owner Paul Vermeulen. Hernandez pocketed $3,000 as the Stanislaus County Farmworker of the Year, an award started by the Modesto Rotary Club, AgSafe and the Stanislaus Farm Bureau during COVID to thank and acknowledge farm workers in Stanislaus County who continue to show up and work every day to bring food to our tables. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion Stanislaus County isnt alone in putting the spotlight on farm laborers. The Fresno County Farm Bureau, in partnership with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, launched its Ag Employee of the Year award five years ago. It holds its award ceremony in late October or early November. Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, had mulled the idea of honoring a farm worker when he noticed a press release from Stanislaus County soliciting nominations for its award. We cant do what we do without farm employees, Jacobsen said. They allow us to bring in the harvest. (It is) appropriate to honor those who are out in the fields on a weekly basis that allows us to have this incredible agricultural backyard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What Stanislaus and Fresno counties have done should be duplicated in other top agricultural counties in the state. After all, state Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross speaking at the farm worker award ceremony at Modestos Centre Plaza noted that 478,000 farm workers are an essential part of Californias $59.4 billion agricultural industry in 2023. Stanislaus and Fresno counties have gone beyond mere platitudes by honoring the men and women (Maribel Cortes of Wulf Farming won in 2023) who toil in the fields. These essential workers are just as worthy of awards as actors, athletes or philanthropists, especially because they brave the cold of winter to prune vines and the heat of summer to harvest the crops. Frank Hernandez, who has worked for Vermuelen Almond Hulling near Modesto while still in high school, was named Stanislaus County Farm Worker of the Year during an April 1, 2025 ceremony at Modesto Centre Plaza. Among those honored in Modesto: Alfred Gomez, a 50-years-plus worker with Cox & Perez Farms near Westley, who was described as the type of employee who looks for an opportunity, not a handout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jorge Mercado, an equipment foreman who has worked for three generations of the Bays family farm near Westley. He has guided four children through college. Jesse Camarena, a Dave Wilson Nursery worker in Hickman for 42 years, who was described as a tireless problem solver. Award program support has blossomed In total, there were 11 farm workers who shared $9,500 in cash awards. The first three ceremonies each honored five workers. It was a Rotary Club idea during COVID when essential workers were being recognized, it felt like ag workers were not getting the same attention, said Anna Genasci, executive director of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Central Valley Opportunity Center, which provides services to farm workers, has joined in organizing the awards. This year, there were 36 sponsors. Jacobsen is not aware of other counties with similar farm worker awards. Hernandez, who lives in Ceres, has parlayed his job into raising three daughters and two sons with his wife, Sylvia. The Modesto High graduate credits his parents, Frank Sr. and Rosie, for instilling his work ethic. His father worked in construction and was always jumping around jobs. His mother worked in the canneries. His first boss at Vermeulen Almond Hulling, 100-year-old Paul Dunlop, was at the awards ceremony. Hernandez said he learned about the electrical and mechanical parts of the almond hulling business from Dunlop. I picked up a lot from him. Hes an awesome guy, really respectful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are many other stories like Hernandezs that need to be heard in other counties where agriculture values workers like him. These farm workers, if they are lucky, get perhaps one day of recognition for a career of hard work. When we sit down to eat, we reap their benefits each and every day. This worthy recognition program, which deserves to be expanded throughout the Valley, only scratches the surface of the value of these workers to the region, nation and world. Fresno County desperately needs more housing to treat mentally ill people | Opinion San Joaquin Valley children will be first impacted by politicians slashing Medi-Cal | Opinion A South Korean website called GenNomis went offline this week after a researcher made a particularly alarming discovery: tens of thousands of AI-generated pornographic images created by its software, Nudify. The photos were found in an unsecured database, and included explicit images bearing the likeness of celebrities, politicians, random women, and children. Jeremiah Fowler, the cybersecurity researcher who found the cache, says he immediately sent a responsible disclosure notice to GenNomis and its parent company, AI-Nomis, who then restricted the database from public access. Later, just hours after Wired approached GenNomis for comment, both it and its parent company seemed to disappear from the web entirely. GenNomis is far from the only AI startup peddling tools to generate pornography. It's a small part of a worrying trend enabled by unregulated generative AI across the world. Often known as "deepfakes" because of their lifelike nature, fake porn images and videos based on real people have exploded throughout the internet as consumers get their hands on ever-more convincing generative AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The consequences of deepfake porn can be devastating, especially for women, who make up the vast majority of victims. Beside the obvious lack of consent when a person is digitally undressed, this stuff has been used to tarnish politicians, get people fired, extort victims for money, and generate child sexual abuse materials. Beyond sexual violence, non-pornographic deepfakes are responsible for a huge increase in financial and cyber crimes and no small amount of blatant misinformation. It's also no surprise that GenNomis is based out of South Korea. A 2023 report on Deepfake porn found that South Korean women made up 53 percent of individuals victimized by the practice by far the most targeted group. For comparison, the US women made up the second most targeted group, ringing in at 20 percent. The rise of generative AI enabling the rampant exploitation of women coincides with a meteoric rise in sexist rhetoric and gender-based violence in South Korea, as reactionary politicians and influencers blame feminism for the rising rate of male suicide. Overall, it's a strong argument for lawmakers to take a tougher approach to regulating generative AI, though this seems unlikely due to the AI industry's current freedom to regulate itself. For comparison, China has mandated that all AI-generated media be labeled as such from the drop. Though slower to the party, western lawmakers are catching up on criminalizing deepfake porn creation and distribution, though laws and penalties vary from state to state in America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, for thousands of women around the world, the fact that companies like GenNomis existed at all means it's too little, too late. More on AI ethics: All AI-Generated Material Must Be Labeled Online, China Announces Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said he will bring articles of impeachment against President Trump in the next 30 days, telling protesters at an anti-Trump rally in Washington that he does not deserve to hold the executive office. We need a Senate that will convict him this time, and I want you to know, from my heart, from my heart, I understand that he is a Goliath. He is a Goliath. He has control of the generals in the military. He has control of the Justice Department. He has control of the Republican Party, but my friends, my friends, for every Goliath, there is a David, Green said while addressing demonstrators at D.C.s Hands Off! rally on Saturday. And I want you to know, Mr. President, this David is going to bring articles of impeachment against you within the next 30 days. Within the next 30 days, Im bringing articles of impeachment. Im coming for you. Mr. President, this David is coming for you, the Texas Democrat said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green, who vowed to bring articles of impeachment against Trump roughly two months ago, argued that Trump does not deserve the office he holds. You cant be entrusted with liberty and justice for all. You cant be entrusted with government of the people by the people for the people. Im coming for you. Im your David. God bless you, Green said. White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston told The Hill in an emailed statement that Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors, Huston said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 5, Green said during a speech on the House floor that he would file articles of impeachment against Trump after the commander in chief suggested that the U.S. should take over the Gaza Strip. Injustice in Gaza is a threat to justice in the United States of America, Green said at the time. He reiterated a similar message on Saturday, saying that the war-torn enclave is not going to become a resort. There must be a home for the Palestinian people. Green spearheaded several long-shot impeachment attempts during Trumps first White House term that did not go far. The Texas Democrat was censured by the House on Feb. 2 for disrupting Trumps Feb. 4 joint address to Congress. The House adopted the measure with a 224-198-2 vote, and Green became the 28th House member to be rebuked by the lower chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated at 5:56 p.m. ET. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (The Hill) Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said he will bring articles of impeachment against President Trump in the next 30 days, telling protestors at an anti-Trump rally in Washington that he does not deserve to hold the executive office. We need a Senate that will convict him this time, and I want you to know, from my heart, from my heart, I understand that he is a Goliath. He is a Goliath. He has control of the generals in the military. He has control of the Justice Department. He has control of the Republican Party, but my friends, my friends, for every Goliath, there is a David, Green said while addressing demonstrators at D.C.s Hands Off! rally on Saturday. And I want you to know, Mr. President, this David is going to bring articles of impeachment against you within the next 30 days. Within the next 30 days, Im bringing articles of impeachment. Im coming for you. Mr. President, this David is coming for you, the Texas Democrat said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green, who vowed to bring articles of impeachment against Trump roughly two months ago, argued that Trump does not deserve the office he holds. You cant be entrusted with liberty and justice for all. You cant be entrusted with government of the people by the people for the people. Im coming for you. Im your David. God bless you, Green said. The Hill has reached out to a White House spokesperson for comment. On Feb. 5, Green said during his speech on the House floor that he would file articles of impeachment against Trump after the commander-in-chief suggested that the U.S. should take over the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Injustice in Gaza is a threat to justice in the United States of America, Green said at the time. He reiterated a similar message on Saturday, saying that the war-torn enclave is not going to become a resort. There must be a home for the Palestinian people. Green spearheaded several longshot impeachment attempts during Trumps first White House term that did not go far. The Texas Democrat was censured by the House on Feb. 2 for disrupting Trumps Feb. 4 joint address to Congress. The House adopted the measure with a 224-198-2 vote, and Green became the 28th House member to be rebuked by the lower chamber. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. James Brooks Alaska Beacon A federal judge in Anchorage has ruled in favor of Alaskas state-owned investment bank in a lawsuit that could clear the way for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In an order published Tuesday, Judge Sharon Gleason wrote that the U.S. Department of the Interior acted illegally when it canceled oil and gas leases held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority on land within the refuge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having reviewed the parties arguments, the court concludes that DOI was required to obtain a court order before canceling AIDEAs leases, Gleason said in her 22-page decision. AIDEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Cori Mills, Alaskas deputy attorney general, called the decision a victory. The state looks forward to working with the current federal administration on fully realizing the vast potential of ANWR to grow Alaskas economy and help Americas energy independence, she said by email. It is unfortunate we have lost a significant amount of time litigating, instead of moving forward with field studies and development. We will continue to review the decision in more detail but its definitely a victory. Tuesdays order was the result of a lawsuit filed by AIDEA against the federal government last year, when the Biden administration canceled oil and gas leases that AIDEA won in a January 2021 sale. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two other companies also won leases during the sale but later surrendered them to the federal government, leaving AIDEA as the only company holding leases within the refuges coastal plain, which is believed to hold significant oil and gas reserves, just as nearby state land does. The Biden administration claimed that the sale conducted under the auspices of the first Trump administration was flawed and thus illegal. It first suspended, then canceled the leases, prompting AIDEA to sue in 2024. Gleason had upheld the Biden administrations suspension order, but when it came to the cancellation, she ruled in AIDEAs favor, citing a provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that enabled the ANWR leases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That act said in part that the Interior Department shall manage the oil and gas program on the Coastal Plain in a manner similar to the administration of lease sales under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976. Gleason wrote: Among the NPRPAs implementing regulations is a regulation that provides that (p)roducing leases or leases known to contain valuable deposits of oil or gas may be canceled only by court order. But the Interior Department didnt obtain a court order, Gleason noted. Accordingly, federal defendants cancellation of AIDEAs leases was not in accordance with law because it failed to seek a court order, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several environmental and tribal groups sided with the federal government during the course of the lawsuit and had requested the ability to offer alternative solutions if Gleason ruled in favor of AIDEA. She turned them down, writing, DOIs error is serious: DOI cancelled AIDEAs leases without following the congressionally mandated procedure for doing so. In light of that finding, she vacated the departments lease cancellation decision, saying the department now back in the hands of the Trump administration may decide what to do next. In a statement released last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said he intends to open the refuges entire 1.56 million-acre coastal plain to development, indicating that AIDEA will be given a free hand on its leases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For its part, AIDEA has said in multiple court filings that if allowed to proceed, it will conduct seismic testing and other preliminary work necessary to determine how much oil and gas lies within its leases. Among the various environmental and tribal groups that stood with the federal government in opposition to AIDEA was the Gwichin Steering Committee, represented by attorneys from Trustees for Alaska. This disappointing ruling ignores the destruction oil drilling will do to our communities and only deepens our resolve in fiercely defending the coastal plain from oil and gas extraction, said Kristen Moreland, executive director of the Gwichin Steering Committee. We will always protect the caribou, our way of life, and future generations. The Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government, Arctic Village Council, and Venetie Village Council, represented by the Native American Rights Fund, said in a statement that they will continue to oppose drilling in ANWR and that multiple legal and administrative pathways remain to ensure proper environmental review before any ground-disturbing activities could occur. An alleged member of the MS-13 street gang was recently arrested in Minnesota and indicted in connection with a 2015 murder in Florida. Hugo Adiel Bermudez-Martinez, 30, was arrested in St. Paul last month, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday. He's charged with murder in aid of racketeering. Bermudez-Martinez is one of three suspected members of the gang indicted in the 2015 Florida murder of 22-year-old Gerson Vilelio Vasquez-Portillo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Bermudez-Martinez was apprehended in Minnesota," Bondi said. "Found this guy in Minnesota. He thought he got away with this crime, and he did not." Bermudez-Martinez was indicrted along with Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla and Wilber Rosendo Navarro-Escobar, who have also been charged with first-degree murder. Hugo Adiel Bermudez-MartinezSherburne County Jail "We will be reviewing them to see if we will seek the death penalty," Bondi said. "The victim in this case was brutally, brutally murdered. Stabbed approximately 100 times by multiple gang members before he was shot in the head. He suffered tremendously." Bondi said the three men were in the U.S. illegally at the time of the arrests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The murder is believed to be connected to three other murders involving alleged MS-13 gang members in Oakland Park, Florida, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In total, nine alleged MS-13 gang members have been arrested and charged in connection to the killings. The other victims include an 18-year-old who was found dead in January 2015 from "machete strikes to his head and neck;" a 25-year-old who was fatally stabbed a short distance away in October 2015; and an 18-year-old who was stabbed and shot dead in 2014, though his body was found until 2021. The six others arrested for the three aforementioned killings have all been convicted. These indictments are a warning to all criminals. We dont care how long ago you committed the crime. We dont care where you go, Bondi said at a press conference. We will find you. We will arrest you. And we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Bermudez-Martinez is being held at the Sherburne County Jail. Records show that he was taken into custody on March 12. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam, Circumspice. The latin phrase adorns Michigans coat of arms, which was adopted back in 1835, two years before Michigan was granted statehood. It translates to, If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you. The motto has been part of the states framework from the very beginning. But did you know that what we know as Michigan wasnt always a peninsula? 132-year-old shipwreck discovered in Lake Superior Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Research shows a land bridge, now buried under the depths of Lake Huron, once connected Michigan and Canada and was even home to some Paleoindians. A bathymetric map showing the depth of Lake Huron. The stretch of elevated land that runs from north of Thunder Bay to western Ontario is called the Alpena-Amberley Ridge. (Courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) The stretch is called the Alpena-Amberley Ridge, named for the two cities closest to the connecting points: Alpena, Michigan, and Amberley, Ontario. John OShea is a professor at the University of Michigan and the curator of Great Lakes Archaeology at the U-M Museum of Anthropological Archaeology. He has been studying the ridge for nearly 20 years and has been able to piece together a lot of information about the people who lived and hunted there. Are submarine cables through Lake Michigan the best way to help Michigan go green? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The basins of the Great Lakes were formed when the glacial ice sheets moved south in the last ice age and then filled them as those glaciers melted away. But according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the boundaries we are familiar with today only settled to form about 3,000 years ago. At the end of the ice age, you get this weird fluctuation where you get very high levels of water in the lakes, and then you get these very low levels as the openings shift, OShea told News 8. Around 11,000 years ago, the lake levels all dropped precipitously, more than 100 meters lower than their modern level. And this exposed huge areas of whats modern lake bottom for settlement. Illinois presses pause on critical invasive carp project, cites federal funding concerns It stayed open for several thousand years, he continued. So what we see then is we see that area being occupied by the resident plant and animal communities, by the local human populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OShea said the ridges outcropping of limestone allowed it to stand taller compared to the surrounding areas that were dug out deeper by the receding glaciers. It also became a bit of a haven of Arctic animals and a fertile hunting ground. A research diver searches the Alpena-Amberley Ridge on the floor of Lake Huron along with an ROV, a remotely operated vehicle. (Courtesy John OShea/University of Michigan) A research diver searches the Alpena-Amberley Ridge on the floor of Lake Huron along with an ROV, a remotely operated vehicle. (Courtesy John OShea/University of Michigan) A research diver searches the floor of Lake Huron along the Alpena-Amberley Ridge. (Courtesy John OShea/University of Michigan) A research teams ROV and a marker sit at a drop point along the Alpena-Amberley Ridge in Lake Huron. (Courtesy John OShea/University of Michigan) The other thing that was really curious about (the Alpena-Amberley Ridge) is the climate, OShea noted. Because you had this really cold, cold glacial meltwater on both sides, it stayed much colder out there than on the mainland of Michigan or Ontario. The early Holocene (epoch) is seen as a time of warming. So this place actually became really attractive for those ice age animals and plants. A pilots fateful flight under the Mackinac Bridge Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caribou were likely around much longer on the Alpena-Amberley Ridge than in southern Michigan and were a key food source for the local inhabitants. OSheas research team has found evidence of more than 60 hunting structures along the ridge, similar to those found in other areas of the Arctic in that time frame. As it started narrowing, the caribou migrations became really predictable. So we found the hunters actually started building hunting blinds and building different kinds of hunting structures to channel the migratory caribou into kill zones. A lot of them only work if the animals are moving in one direction, he explained. Because the ridge is buried under frigid water, the land and the artifacts it holds are well preserved. Paleoindians and beyond: West Michigans history goes back millennia Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There has been no further development. There hasnt been any farming, the stones havent been moved. And because we are so far offshore, about 50 miles offshore, theres also no sediment, OShea said. Everything is left pretty much the way it was when the water finally came and drowned this landscape. Its a really interesting kind of preserved 3,000-or-so-year-old window that we have to look at this very early occupation of the Great Lakes. A piece of a small tool is one of many artifacts recovered along the Alpena-Amberley Ridge by researchers. (Courtesy John OShea/University of Michigan) Aside from evidence of hunting structures and tools and other artifacts, OShea said his most fascinating find is some pieces of obsidian. We found a couple of obsidian flakes, which are volcanic glass. And whats neat about this volcanic glass is it is very unique to its source. You can chemically source it very accurately. And the obsidian that we recovered from our first site out there actually comes from Central Oregon, he said. So roughly 10,000 years ago, in some way, shape or form, our guys that are hunting on Lake Huron are connected to the Northwest Pacific Coast, which is kind of mind-blowing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just this last year, we found a second site that also has obsidian that is at a distance. So, it suggests that whatever this kind of connection, this east-west connection, wasnt just a one-off deal. The other mounds: Lost history is a part of West Michigans story But after more than 15 years of researching the Alpena-Amberley Ridge, OShea may have to walk away. Late last year, his team was notified that the National Science Foundation was pulling its funding, declaring it too risky to support. OShea noted that the decision was announced before the 2024 presidential election and should not be chalked up to the rash of federal funding cuts. But given the current political climate, he doesnt expect the NSF to reverse its decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I kind of suspect, and this is just a gut-level feeling, that federal support for archaeology is not going to be a very, very high funding priority, he said. Still, his team has at least one more bite of that apple. Earlier this year, Michigan alum Stephen Klinsky announced he wanted to fund archaeological research at the university, and OSheas proposal was selected. He was effectively our white knight. I mean, he appeared out of nowhere, OShea said. Its our chance to prove that it all really works. Theres no guarantee of anything in the future. Study: PFAS building up in 3 of 5 Great Lakes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Michigan professor hopes that peoples love of history and love of the Great Lakes will help keep his project afloat. Theres a tremendous amount of public interest in knowing what happened in the Great Lakes, OShea said. People are really invested. People that have cottages or work on the lakes are really invested, in understanding. Theyre fascinated by how the lake changes over time. How it fluctuates. Thats our best hope. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) need to pull their collective economic power to effectively respond to the U.S.-initiated trade disruptions, following a slew of tariffs imposed on most economies worldwide, according to the president of a Malaysian business group. These tariffs are likely to significantly affect Malaysian exports, particularly in electrical and electronics, palm oil derivatives, rubber-based products and textiles and garments, as these are among the key contributors to Malaysia's trade with the United States, Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia President William Ng recently told Xinhua. "The higher tariffs will lead to increased costs for both importers and exporters, reduce our competitiveness not only in the U.S. market, but in other markets as well, and potentially affect jobs and investments among SMEs," he said. "We can expect a short period of uncertainty as economies across the region and other impacted economies readjust their strategies to counter or mitigate these series of tariffs. Domestically, the impact will range from minimal to moderate, with goods imported from the United States likely to cost more in the mid-term," he explained. Calling the tariffs a "wake-up call" for ASEAN member states, Ng said Malaysia, as the current ASEAN chair, should push to reboot talks on creating a single ASEAN market, allowing for some form of customs union, and further reducing non-tariff barriers. "This intra-region cohesion is essential, given the relatively small size of individual markets. Collectively, ASEAN is on track to become the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2030," he said. Ng also urged SMEs to adapt in order to face the new challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that will inevitably result from such disruptions, noting that with the right strategies, businesses can adapt to and even benefit from this shift in global trade dynamics. "We urge the government and SMEs to take actions to mitigate risks and seize new opportunities. Businesses must learn to diversify both their source of raw materials and customers, i.e. making sure their supply chain risks are mitigated. This is a good practice regardless of the impact of this round of tariff," he said. "At the ASEAN level, the urgency to lower non-tariff barriers is greater than ever. The discussion on creating a single ASEAN market must be re-opened immediately, with the aim of creating some semblance of customs union that can benefit us as both an exporting bloc and as a large regional market," he added. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff for imports from all trading partners and higher rates on certain ones, with the decision provoking sharp criticism from economists, trade experts and foreign governments who see it as a misguided attempt to use tariffs as a blunt instrument in addressing complex trade imbalances. Marcus Betts, 52, and his wife, Tawana Carter, 51, pose for a portrait in the remnants of their family home that was destroyed during the Eaton fire. Philip Cheung for HuffPost LOS ANGELES Marcus Betts and his family lived in Altadena for generations, so the 52-year-old was no stranger to the blazes that plague the Golden State. But as the Eaton fire broke out on the evening of Jan. 7, it was whipped up by staggeringly powerful Santa Ana winds. A friend of Betts mother first texted them that the fire was just a few miles away. I went upstairs to my moms room and looked out her east-facing window, and I could see a red glow. And thats when I knew that this is different, said Betts, who works as an analyst in the baking industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That began a scramble to check on friends and elderly relatives, warning them they might need to evacuate, and helping some pack bags. By around 9:30 p.m., they still hadnt gotten an evacuation order from the city. But Betts and his household which includes his wife, his two teenage daughters, his brother and his mother, decided to pack up some of their belongings anyway. When the power went out, they officially made their exit. After giving a family friend a ride to safety, Betts, along with some other friends and relatives who lived in the area, gathered at an uncles house near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for refuge. He estimated that about 16 people and five dogs were there. But it was a sleepless night for many of them. Around 3:30 a.m., Betts, two uncles and a cousin jumped into action. They drove back toward the flames, as hurricane-level winds pushed against them, and hosed down at least six homes. There was times that we were hosing down the houses, and the water literally was coming directly back at us, like, literally we were soaked from the strength of the winds. The water was coming straight back into our faces. But we persisted, Betts said. Once we felt we put as much water as we could without us then freezing as well, we decided to head out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite their best efforts, hours later, Betts discovered that all but one of the houses they hosed down had burned to the ground when he returned to the scene that morning. The house that remains standing belongs to Betts uncle. As he and other family members drove through the area to assess the damage, he snapped photos along the way of houses belonging to people he knew. He knew theyd want to see proof of the incinerated remains of their homes. Fortunately, we all made it out, and we all got what we could, he said. But other than that, everything is gone. Fortunately, we all made it out, and we all got what we could, Betts said. But other than that, everything is gone. Philip Cheung for HuffPost Roughly three months after the Eaton fire started, which burned 14,021 acres, destroyed over 9,400 structures and killed at least 18 people, many Altadena residents like the Betts family are still without a permanent home, starting over as the national news has largely slowed its coverage of the calamity. Now, with scorched ruins across much of Altadena, Betts and others are voicing concerns about rebuilding. As the Betts familys hectic evacuation night of helping friends and relatives shows, the unincorporated Los Angeles County community is a tight-knit one, with a history and appeal that would be hard to reproduce. Excluded from other neighborhoods for decades because of racist practices, Black families like Betts achieved home ownership in West Altadena and often passed those homes down to their children. As Southern California property values skyrocketed, the area, nicknamed Beautiful Altadena and considered an architectural mecca,remained relatively affordable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As wealthy developers set their sights on the area and as the chaos of President Donald Trumps second administration brings new economic uncertainty, staying true to the heart of Altadena and its history presents a daunting challenge, particularly for families who are just starting to navigate insurance claims, debris removal and restarting their lives from scratch. I dont think theres anybody who was in Altadena that night that could see that it was going to be this, Betts said. I do find it hard to receive, hard to accept that we lost so many houses, so many structures, and we lost life. Though wildfires have always been part of the ecosystem in Southern California, an unusually dry fall and winter primed the region to be a tinderbox. Then came the windstorm, knocking down trees and power lines. Sparks became conflagrations, most notably the Palisades fire, which burned 23,707 acres in the coast and canyons between Santa Monica and Malibu concurrent with the Eaton fire on the other side of LA County. Before entire neighborhoods were decimated, displacing thousands of people, Altadenas population was nearly 42,000, about 18% of whom were Black, according to 2024 census data. Altadena also had a large Hispanic population, at around 27%. By comparison, around 42% of the population was white, 5% was Asian and 7% was of mixed ethnicity, according to The Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remarkably, though, more than 80% of the regions Black residents were homeowners, nearly double the rate of Black homeownership nationwide, according to AP. Thats due in part to redlining. Between the 1930s and 1960s, the east side of North Lake Avenue in Altadena was reserved for white residents, while the western side of the street was where nonwhite residents had to live. Though those restrictions were officially lifted with the Fair Housing Act in 1968, many Black residents stayed in their homes or passed them down to younger generations for decades, creating a community rooted in family and neighborly ties. That is, until the Eaton fire disrupted it. Marcus Betts points to the mountains where he saw the fire moving towards his family home that was destroyed during the Eaton fire. Philip Cheung for HuffPost Residents in western Altadena, where 17 of the 18 Eaton fire deaths occurred, did not receive an evacuation order until eight hours after the residents in eastern Altadena. Those east of North Lake Avenue received one just an hour into the fire popping up. The western Altadena alert came around 3:30 a.m., around the same time that Betts said he and some family members were hosing down their houses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, some residents said that they didnt receive an alert at all. Betts told HuffPost that he doesnt recall ever receiving an evacuation order. The Los Angeles Times reported on March 12 that county fire or sheriffs officials were responsible for failing to send the evacuation order to western Altadena residents in a timely manner, citing two unnamed county officials. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called foran outside investigation into the evacuations and emergency notification systems, with a progress report due at the end of April. The Los Angeles County Coordinated Joint Information Center declined HuffPosts request for comment. Likewise, Los Angeles County, the LA County Fire Department and the LA County Sheriffs Department did not immediately respond to HuffPosts requests for comment. Adam Frankel, who lost the home he rented with his husband in western Altadena in the fire, told HuffPost the disparity in the evacuation orders is disturbing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cant get out of my mind that the wealthier white section of Altadena was immediately evacuated before the fire was even in proximity to a lot of those neighborhoods, but the historically Black and Latine neighborhoods of working-class people were not told to evacuate until it was, frankly, too late, and dozens of people died as a result of those decisions, he said. Adam Frankel, 32, and his husband Erich Martinez, 32, pose for a portrait in the remnants of their rental home that was destroyed during the Eaton fire. Philip Cheung for HuffPost Like other residents of Altadena, Frankel said that wealthier fire-impacted areas have received more support and attention than his community. Systemic racism pervades every realm of our society, including disaster relief efforts, and the kind of support and resources that middle and working-class people of color receive in a situation like this versus wealthy white people is profoundly immoral and unacceptable, Frankel said. After an Altadena Town Council meeting in January that left many residents questions unanswered, Frankel and Martinez sent an email to Chair Victoria Knapp, Vice Chair Nic Arnzen and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger demanding relief for the unique needs of the communitys renters, low-income residents and marginalized groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was extremely disappointing to realize that neither of you, at any point during your planned remarks today, would so much as even mention Altadenas rich and unique history as a historically Black, ethnically diverse, majority working and middle-class community nor of the disproportionately severe harms that this so-called natural disaster has already and will inevitablycontinue to cause low-income residents and BIPOC residents in particular, their email said. This unfortunate reality is made even more acute by our dangerous political climate and the daily barrage of vitriolic attacks on the rights and human dignity of migrants, trans and queer people, poor people, people with disabilities, and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color communities. The council never responded to Frankel and Martinez. Knapp, Arnzen and Barger also did not respond to HuffPosts request for comment. I didnt have a very high opinion of my elected officials before this, but it really just obliterated any sense in my mind that government not even talking about the federal administration but that even local and state government in Los Angeles, California, is here to help the public in an emergency, Frankel told HuffPost. That just went out the window for me, because they utterly, epically failed, and it was completely within their control to have not handled it that way. Months later, Frankel, who concentrates primarily on hazardous waste issues as an environmental justice attorney, continues to be embroiled in the fallout of the fires both in his personal life and through his work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its really painful and really challenging, both in the sense of, you know, its basically impossible for me to avoid coming in contact with or thinking about [the impact of the fires], whether its through my work or through how its impacting me personally, he said. Frankel and Martinez had packed up their dogs and enough for a two-night hotel stay. All their other belongings were destroyed. Philip Cheung for HuffPost The night that the fire broke out, Frankel and his husband, Erich Martinez, and their two dogs, Frida and Phoebe, had already checked into a hotel in Hollywood becauseof the dangerous winds. Theyd brought two nights worth of items with them, thinking theyd soon return to the back house theyd rented for a couple of years. I couldnt have fathomed the scale of what was about to happen, Frankel said. We lost all of our belongings and a lot of sentimental belongings. It was very upsetting and traumatic. The day after the fire started, unsure of how bad the damage was, Frankel and Martinez decided to go check on their home themselves. The scene was chaotic, he said, with traffic backed up at police checkpoints seemingly without any coordinated response. They spent 45 minutes zigzagging around the horrific destruction because Martinez had left his wallet at the house, and they feared not having his ID would complicate getting through a checkpoint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because my partner is Indigenous and has himself experienced police abuse, we were really concerned about interacting with [the police], Frankel added. Finally, they made it to their street. What they found reminded Frankel, who is from New York, of ground zero after Sept. 11. Our entire block and everything surrounding it was completely razed and still smoldering, Frankel said, adding that there was one exception. Somehow the house next door, just about eight feet from where theirs had been, was still standing. It just was surreal, the feeling of being in that space in that moment, and seeing, of course, our home, Frankel said. But, he added, Our deepest pain and sadness in the immediate aftermath was for all the people who had lived there for generations and had such deep ties to the land and the community and everything that it represented because we were relative newcomers. The scope of destruction reminded Frankel of ground zero after Sept. 11. Philip Cheung for HuffPost While national news coverage of the fires has largely slowed, the residents of Altadena have been left with the difficult task of moving forward. Like many Altadena residents, Frankel and Martinez and the Betts family have set up fundraisers on GoFundMe to cover everything from day-to-day essentials like furniture, technology and pantry items to finding a place to live. Betts described the grueling process of trying to provide an itemized list of belongings per room for insurance purposes. All thats doing is really driving us crazy, Betts said, calling for insurance companies to simply pay fire victims the highest amount possible without itemization. I think it would be so helpful for everyone, every victim of the fire, to not have to do that because its really tortuous with regards to having to replay that. And the longer you owned the home, the older you are, the more agonizing and torturous its going to be. Outside of insurance issues, people recovering from natural disasters face more inescapable challenges on a day-to-day basis, Frankel said. Every day continues to be a struggle. Theres not really any avoiding confronting the impacts and the magnitude of the situation. You know, whether its seeking medical care or dealing with something as basic as getting your mail, and the many things that are required to go through the mail when youre a victim of a natural disaster, Frankel said. Frankel, Martinez and their dogs are staying in an Airbnb in Los Angeles as they get back on their feet. And the two wont be so quick to move back to Altadena, as they hope to save space for the residents who have more established ties to the community, Frankel told HuffPost. Many of the members of the historic Black community in Altadena and of immigrant communities in Altadena are wanting to stay and often dont have a choice, frankly, to go elsewhere, particularly if they owned their multi-generational home, or they had access to somewhat affordable housing, he said. Meanwhile, Betts and his household which includes his wife, Tawana Carter; their two teenage daughters, Addisyn and Rebekayh; his mother, Bunny Betts; and his brother, Todd Betts are living in a rental property in the Lakeview Terrace area, about 18 miles away from Altadena. He said hes eager to rebuild, but he hasnt seen the progress he has expected. One issue has been the right of entry form. The form, when approved, allows for the Army Corps of Engineers to clean up the often toxic debris left from the fire. But Betts said the form for his home, filed on Jan. 30, has yet to be accepted. Army Corps of Engineers data shows work has begun at more than 7,900 properties affected by the Eaton fire, but more than 13,500 are eligible for debris clearing. The process will be lengthy: Clearing debris took seven months to complete after the Maui fires and a year after Northern Californias Camp fire, according to an Urban Institute report. Now, the Trump administrations policies and associated economic uncertainty could further complicate the rebuilding process. Trump has said recent executive orders related to the lumber industry will increase domestic production, but tariffs threaten to raise construction costs, as local outlet Fox 11 reported. Correspondingly, lumber prices, which make up about 15% of a typical homes construction costs, hit a 2 1/2-year high in early March, the outlet said. Faced with the lengthy, costly and stressful rebuilding process, some homeowners will inevitably feel their best option is to sell their burned-out lots and start over elsewhere. NBC News reported in late March that at least 14 properties in Altadena have been sold so far, and at least half were purchased by developers or investors. But many locals fear that developers will gentrify the area, lowball marginalized residents and fail to retain Altadenas charm. Surrounded by the Arroyo Seco, the Angeles National Forest and Eaton Canyon, architects came to the community for more than a century to build their own homes, leading to a distinctive, non-cookie-cutter landscape, the Pasadena Star News reported in 2017. Now residents have propped up signs proclaiming Altadena is not for sale all over town and held demonstrations. Betts said he's eager to rebuild in a way that preserves the community's legacy. Philip Cheung for HuffPost There is at least one alternative, though: selling to a nonprofit known as Greenline Housing Foundation, LAist reported. Greenline seeks to combat racial housing discrimination. It has already bought at least one property for $520,000 earlier in March, promising the home that is rebuilt there will be sold below market value to a first-time buyer. Even as he hopes the rebuilding process is simplified, Betts noted that its just as necessary for officials to find long-term solutions to climate change. It just needs to be more done, and it needs to be long-term resolutions and solutions to avoid from happening in the future, Betts said. He then warned: If you keep just closing your eye and looking the other way, is only going to get worse and worse, and its going to destroy your home eventually. Betts, the son of a carpenter, said hes willing to do whatever it takes to restore Altadena to its original beauty. I havent swung a hammer for real in a long time since, probably, I was in my 20s or something with my dad, but Ill do whatever I can to help the community come back, Betts said. I really want to see Altadena maintain its legacy, and maintain its uniqueness in its design, Betts continued. My fear is that theres going to be these large corporations, these large developers that buy blocks at a time and change the landscape of Altadena to make it look like its in all other cities. And Altadena is totally different from any other city Ive ever lived in or have visited, and I would hate to see that end up being Altadenas future, because thats most important to me, is the legacy and the character. Related... NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) In contrast to the mass mobilization effort, state and national leaders held a round table discussion on Saturday in Luzerne County. The goal was to discuss workforce development, but other topics concerning controversial Trump administration policies came up for discussion. 28/22 News Reporter Gianna Galli was the only TV news reporter to join the US Labor Secretary on a tour of the union building in Nanticoke, where the discussion took place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congressman Rob Bresnahan and US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joined other republican leaders for the round table at the IBEW building in Nanticoke. The discussion aimed to show support for American workers and hear their concerns. United States Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deemer visited Nanticoke to host a round table for the first stop on her America at Work listening tour. I believe in the American workforce, and we are going to create more jobs than we have ever seen before, Secretary DeRemer stated. She and Congressman Rob Bresnahan were hands-on with equipment, technology, and items used by union workers in the trades, including the electrical industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Jersey military unit removes explosives from Luzerne home The important thing to take away is these are family-sustaining careers. These are people contributing back to our local economy, Congressman Bresnahan said. PPL workers, carpenters, and local leaders listened for a message of infrastructure investment, bringing more manufacturing jobs to northeastern Pennsylvania, and growing the next generation of workers. What was not originally on the table of topics: Tariffs and other Trump administration policies getting major pushback. We need to build in this country and export our goods and services, thats all weve been doing with services. Now we need to export our goods to make our country dominant, Secretary DeRemer continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crowds gather in Wilkes-Barre for Hands Off! protest Secretary Deremer responded to reporters questions about tens of thousands of doge cuts to the federal workforce by contrasting what is happening in other sectors. So we are seeing that workforce increase, and then its parallel, the federal workforce to the private sector, and we are seeing the private sector jobs increase. Thats great, Secretary Deremer added. The round table comes as protests circle nationwide and right here in northeastern Pennsylvania over these issues, plus others like potential Medicaid and Medicare cuts. Ive said this time and time again that under no circumstances will we reduce the benefits to the Americans that deserve these benefits, Congressman Bresnahan added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary Deremer is reminding those on hand Saturday what their stated focus is. And thats what this was about today to tour these facilities and make sure we are on the right track and that we are staying focus on that, Secretary Deremer said. This was the first stop of the Secretarys America at Work Listening Tour. The secretary says the people here in NEPA can expect to see growth in apprenticeships. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden may not agree on much, but there is one issue on which they have been united: The need to blunt a powerful weapon that federal judges have been deploying at a quickly rising clip. Top lawyers for each president separately urged the U.S. Supreme Court to limit the authority of judges to issue nationwide - or "universal" - injunctions that can stop a government policy in its tracks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This court should declare that enough is enough," Sarah Harris, serving at the time as the Trump administration's acting U.S. solicitor general, told the justices in a March 13 filing seeking to unshackle his executive order to restrict automatic U.S. birthright citizenship. Elizabeth Prelogar, the solicitor general under Biden, less than three months earlier in a New Year's Eve bid to unblock an anti-money laundering law frozen by a federal judge, told the justices that these orders are causing "substantial disruption." The power of a single judge to issue a nationwide injunction has become pivotal in the question of whether Trump can quickly implement his aggressive agenda, pushing the limits of presidential power. Several cases either already awaiting action by the Supreme Court or heading toward nine justices involve such a judicial order. "No president likes them, whether that's a Democratic president or Republican president, because they're really a method of cabining executive power," said University of Virginia law professor Amanda Frost, who has studied these judicial remedies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pressure on the Supreme Court or Congress to limit these injunctions is building. Trump on March 20 called the situation "toxic" and urged the Supreme Court to act. Trump and fellow Republicans have escalated their attacks on judges who have impeded his executive actions - to purge federal workers, shutter agencies, slash federal funding, bar transgender people from military service, target perceived enemies and broadly roll back workplace diversity programs, among others. The president's call for Congress to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who issued an order to halt the swift deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members after Trump invoked a little-used 1798 law, drew an extraordinary rebuke from U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. The stakes are escalating, with Boasberg on Thursday suggesting Trump's administration had violated his order. The validity and origins of nationwide injunctions are hotly debated by legal experts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of granting an injunction that offers relief to a specific plaintiff who sued - the more common scenario - these nationwide orders halt the government from executing a policy against everyone, extending beyond the parties in a specific case. Judges often justify their use to address what they perceive as broader harm and to maintain uniformity of the law nationally. Republicans and Democrats alike have railed against the ability of a single federal judge to exert such power, claiming it distorts the litigation process and politicizes the judiciary. Yet such injunctions have proven useful to members of the opposition party in curtailing what they see as presidential overreach. According to a tally by Georgetown University law professor Stephen Vladeck, since Trump returned to office in January federal district courts have issued preliminary orders and injunctions - both universal and more limited - in 69% of cases in which plaintiffs requested such relief. 'A BIPARTISAN SCOURGE' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans in Congress, controlling both the House of Representatives and Senate, have introduced legislation intended to curtail universal injunctions. "They are a bipartisan scourge," University of Notre Dame law professor Samuel Bray told the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing on the issue on Wednesday. "In the long term, the real loser from the universal injunction is our democracy." Frost said in an interview that universal injunctions are not appropriate in every case. And yet Trump is the "poster child" for why they should remain available, Frost added, because he is unilaterally issuing sweeping changes to the law. Eliminating these injunctions, Frost said, "would allow the president to blatantly violate constitutional rights" for the months or years it takes to get to the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three different judges blocked nationwide Trump's executive order that would deny citizenship to babies born on U.S. soil based on the immigration status of their parents, agreeing with the various plaintiffs that Trump's order likely violates the citizenship clause of the Constitution's 14th Amendment that provides that anyone born in the United States is a citizen. Limiting injunctions to protect only the individuals who sue would force other parents to prove their own lawful status in order for a baby to be deemed a citizen, and some "kids would be born without status" until a Supreme Court decision on the matter comes, Frost said. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, dissenting in 2018 to the court's endorsement of a travel ban Trump imposed in his first term targeting several Muslim-majority countries, said the nationwide injunction in that matter was necessary to provide complete relief to the plaintiffs. In the past, Democrats expressed dismay when judges used these injunctions or similar orders to frustrate Biden's policies, including on a path to citizenship for immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens and on student debt relief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal judge in Texas also attempted to order the abortion pill mifepristone - approved by federal regulators in 2000 - off the market, a decision Biden's administration successfully appealed at the Supreme Court. At Wednesday's Senate hearing, Democrats said that any limits on such injunctions imposed by Congress should take effect in four years when the next president takes office, lest the legislation be used simply to insulate Trump's actions. 'A RELATIVELY NEW PHENOMENON' The origins of universal injunctions in the U.S. legal system is contentious. "As best I can tell, universal injunctions are a relatively new phenomenon," conservative Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a 2024 decision that let Republican-governed Idaho enforce a ban on transgender care for minors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some legal scholars contest this conclusion. "Justice Gorsuch is viewing the history too narrowly," said Stanford Law School professor Mila Sohoni, who wrote an academic paper on the topic. Sohoni cited a handful of cases in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s in which courts offered universal relief or relief that applied beyond the plaintiffs in a case. "In 1913, the Supreme Court itself issued an injunction that protected non-party newspaper publishers nationwide," Sohoni said. It is undisputed that nationwide orders have been accelerating in the past two decades. A 2024 Harvard Law Review study found that they were overwhelmingly issued by judges appointed by presidents of the party opposite to the one in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's administration in filings to the Supreme Court has complained that more universal injunctions were imposed against his policies in February alone than against Biden's administration during the first three years of his presidency. Sohoni said that is "not all that surprising given the breakneck speed and sweeping scope of (Trump's) executive orders and other diktats." Trump has signed more than 100 executive orders in just 10 weeks, compared to 162 during Biden's four-year term. Monica Haymond, an expert in legal procedure at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, said nationwide injunctions can efficiently stop executive actions that are deemed likely unlawful, but they also can be misused and delay rules passed by democratically accountable institutions. "Taking that power away from the courts will mean they have fewer ways to prevent harm. But nationwide injunctions can also cause harm," Haymond said. "I think the answer to the question whether courts should have the power to issue nationwide injunctions comes down to whether you trust the judicial process writ large." (Reporting by Andrew Chung in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham and Amy Stevens) Apr. 5More than 1,000 people marched through downtown Anchorage on Saturday, carrying signs and rallying against actions taken by President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk to reshape the federal government. The gathering was part of the nationwide Hands Off! demonstrations, which were organized in more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states. The protesters in Anchorage gathered at Town Square Park shortly before noon, and marched five blocks to the offices of Alaska's congressional delegation. Passing vehicles honked enthusiastically as sign-waving crowds filled both sides of L Street outside the offices of U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demonstrators were pushing back on the Trump administration for all kinds of reasons, including the president's sweeping tariffs, cuts to the federal workforce and slashed federal grant funding, with impacts continuing to ripple through the state. People were still arriving from Town Square at 1 p.m. as some of the first demonstrators to arrive began to leave the area. [Alaska Department of Health eliminates 30 positions, dissolves a public health program after federal funding cuts] [Alaska's US senators split on Canada tariffs with Murkowski opposed, Sullivan in support] [Alaska elections chief 'reviewing' Trump order that clashes with state voting deadlines] TYRONE, Ky. (FOX 56) Anderson County fire crews spent Saturday morning carrying out a water rescue for Tyrone residents who were trapped due to rising water levels from Gilberts Creek. The Anderson County Fire Protection District said the road the four trapped residents would normally be able to take to leave had become impassable. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A boat was reportedly taken to the residents front porch, where the water was 44 feet deep. (Anderson County Fire Protection District) (Anderson County Fire Protection District) (Anderson County Fire Protection District) (Anderson County Fire Protection District) (Anderson County Fire Protection District) The Versailles Fire Department was also helping Anderson County crews with the rescue, the fire protection district wrote. Crews reportedly dropped off supplies for Tyrone residents who did not want to evacuate. The entire rescue procedure took about three hours. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) The third annual Charley Clayton Memorial Peep Festival was back on Saturday at Fairmont State University, where the proceeds will benefit the Charley Clayton Memorial Scholarship Fund. Organizers said the day long festival that ends with a party in Morgantown was created in honor of Clayton, who died in 2022 at 26 years old. The Fairmont native was described as a multi-faceted individual with a passion for pageantry, music and much more. And all those passions were in full display at Saturdays festival, which was originally inspired by a pageant question according to Claytons best friend and board member of the festival, Corinne Garnier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And her onstage question was, If you could thrown your own fair and festival what would it be? And obviously thats a very tough question because the state of West Virginia has over 500 fairs and festivals, so Charley would say that she choked, she blanked, and the only thing she could think of was how much she loved marshmallow peeps, Garnier said. So she said, I would throw a Peeps festival, it would be during the time of Easter, it would be a springtime celebration, sweet and colorful. And then she walked off and she placed first runner up with that answer. Morgantown holds Knit-a-thon to fight against hunger Claytons answer then became an inside joke amongst her friends and loved ones who would then bring her Peeps when she continued competing in other pageants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cait Patterson, the 2025 Charley Clayton Memorial Peep Festival Queen, whos had lots of experience in the pageantry world, said it was important for her to take part in this special pageant. You dont come across a Peep festival every day, but also because I want to embody what Charley was all for, Patterson said. She was a free-spirit, she wanted to focus on individuality and just share who everyone was as an individual and I think thats what I truly want when I look for titles to hold. To learn more about the festival and scholarship, you can go here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. Chicago Democrat Emil Jones III was made a state senator in 2008 in a classic Illinois way, on a path paved by his powerful father that left little to chance. Now, Jones is rolling the dice with a federal jury that could send him packing in equally time-honored Illinois fashion: as a convicted felon. Jones, 46, whose father, Emil Jones Jr., led the state Senate for years before orchestrating having his son replace him, goes on trial Monday on bribery charges alleging he agreed to help a red-light camera company alter legislation in exchange for $5,000 and a job for his legislative intern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the younger Jones case lacks the blockbuster billing of the recent trials of Democratic powerhouses like ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, its the first case from the sprawling red-light camera probe to go before a jury, and will feature testimony from FBI mole Omar Maani, a founder and executive at SafeSpeed LLC who has so far avoided the witness stand. Maani made a number of undercover recordings that will be seen and heard for the first time at Jones trial. Among them: a video of Jones dining with Maani and then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, the influential Transportation Committee chair, at Gibsons Steakhouse on Rush Street. Another video taken by Maani allegedly shows him and Jones eating at another downtown restaurant when Maani asked point-blank how much Jones wanted in exchange for his assistance. You can raise me five grand. Thatd be good, Jones allegedly told Maani over that dinner in July 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones trial will also be the first of a sitting politician at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse since then-Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson was convicted in 2021 on counts of tax fraud and lying to banking regulators. If convicted, Jones would be forced to resign under Illinois law and would almost certainly forfeit any future pension. Jones, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence. His lawyers have indicated they intend to argue his actions were business as usual and that the government is trying to stretch political give-and-take into bribery. Everyday events involving elected officials must be placed in an honest and fair context, Jones lead attorney, Victor Henderson, told the Tribune last month. The Senator is looking forward to his day in court. Targeting key witness At a pretrial hearing last month, Henderson said the defense will go after Maani, painting a picture of him as a practiced cooperator who knows how to get targets to say what the FBI wants to hear something Henderson says comes across loud and clear on the recordings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was not a one-off thing, Henderson said. (Maani) works with the government and has done this to countless other elected officials. Its two sides of the same coin. Theyre involved in a dance, and Maani is the lead dancer. Jones was charged in September 2022 with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery, and lying to federal agents. The most serious charge carries up to 10 years in prison, while the others have a five-year maximum term. Jury selection is set to begin before U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Wood has said opening statements in the trial will not begin until Tuesday at the earliest. Other than Maani, the list of witnesses is short and the case is expected to last only about a week. Jones trial comes as the fallout from Maanis cooperation continues. Sandoval, a Chicago Democrat whose Senate district overlapped with Madigans district in the House, had pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to be SafeSpeeds protector in the Senate and was cooperating with authorities when he died unexpectedly of COVID-19 complications in December 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A host of others have already been convicted, including suburban Mayors Louis Presta and Tony Ragucci, former McCook Mayor and Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski, his then-chief of police, the sons of a deceased mob-connected businessman, and several suburban Democratic political operatives. Maani began cooperating with authorities after he was implicated in a real estate fraud scheme unrelated to SafeSpeed. In exchange for his undercover efforts, Maani secured a deferred prosecution deal with the U.S. attorneys office and will have no felony conviction on his record as long as he testifies truthfully, records show. Jones, who was the last to be charged in the investigation, resigned from his leadership post and position as chairman of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee, and some Democratic leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, called on him to resign from his $72,906-per-year Senate seat entirely. We need to demonstrate in our state that we are acting appropriately, that we have people following the rules appropriately, Pritzker said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, Jones remained on the ballot in the November 2022 election, where he was running unopposed, and was reelected to a fourth term that expires in January 2027. Jones 14th District covers parts of the citys South Side as well as near south suburbs such as Riverdale, Calumet Park, Blue Island and Robbins. While the case has been pending, Jones has served largely as a back-bencher at the Capitol, rarely speaking on the Senate floor, including during debates. When the Senate reconvened last week in Springfield, Jones was nowhere to be seen. Political legacy As old-school Chicago political pedigree goes, Jones could hardly have higher status. His well-known father, Emil Jones Jr., the son of a Democratic precinct captain, began his career in politics campaigning for John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election and spent decades on the city payroll as a sewer inspector, even as his own political star rose. Jones Jr. was first elected as a state representative in 1973 and then a decade later moved to the state Senate. Known for his throwback style, Jones Jr. was an unapologetic supporter of political nepotism and made no bones about helping friends and family get state jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The elder Jones served as Senate president from 2003 to 2009, a period where he became known as the political godfather to a young Democratic state legislator named Barack Obama. He also was a political nemesis to then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, and one of the staunchest allies to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was later impeached and convicted on federal corruption charges. Jones III, meanwhile, began his own career on the state payroll in May 1999, when he was hired a day after his 21st birthday to a $27,600-a-year job in the state Department of Employment and Training. After his father became Senate president, Jones III took a job as a regional manager at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, where he received a significant pay raise to nearly $60,000, the Tribune reported. Other family members fared even better. When Jones Jr. rewed after his first wife died of cancer, his new bride, Dr. Lorrie Rickman Jones, whod taken a new job heading the states mental health agency, was given a nearly $70,000 raise. The 60% hike was so big, in fact, that the Blagojevich administration had to create a special salary class for her position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the accusations of nepotism rose to a new level in 2008 when the elder Jones made the surprise announcement he was stepping down from office, months after winning the Democratic primary. In announcing he would push for his son to get on the ballot that November a decision controlled by Democratic committeemen from Chicago and Cook County, where Jones Jr. had considerable sway the then-Senate president shrugged it off, pointing to other famous political dynasties from Chicago and beyond. I recall John F. Kennedy, president of the United States, when he became president, he recommended his brother. Right? And his brother was elected, Jones said, in an apparent reference to Sen. Ted Kennedy, who followed his brother as a senator from Massachusetts. Mayor Richard M. Daley begot Richard J. Daley, Jones continued, inadvertently reversing the order of the Daley mayors. I respect fathers who take care of their children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones also mentioned Madigan, whod helped daughter Lisa Madigan become first a state senator and then the states attorney general. Michael Madigan was convicted of bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges in February and is awaiting sentencing. Less than two weeks after his fathers announcement, Jones III was officially on the ballot, a decision that came after a meeting at the South Side offices of then-Ald. Carrie Austin who is now facing federal corruption charges of her own. In his nomination speech, Jones III said he hoped to continue his fathers legacy of fighting for health care and education funding reform. He touted his economic development experience in the south suburbs and pledged to work diligently. Records show Jones III beat his Republican opponent by nearly 50,000 votes, winning 79% of the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes run unopposed ever since. In his 15 years in the state legislature, Jones has proved to be capable but hardly a standout. Early in his Senate tenure, Jones was involved in the legislative response to the scandal at Burr Oak Cemetery in his district, where it was revealed that bodies were being buried on top of each other amid shoddy recordkeeping. Hes also been an advocate for safety-net hospitals and public libraries, and was a sponsor of the Aug. 4 Barack Obama Day holiday in honor of the former president and his fathers onetime political protege. When his son was charged in 2022, Jones Jr., to no ones surprise, rose to his defense. The charges brought against my son, Emil Jones III, do not reflect the man he is, the elder Jones said in a statement at the time. Everyone knows he is an honest, hardworking legislator. I intend to fight with him and stand alongside him throughout this process. Jones Jr. could not be reached for comment for this story. Red-light camera scandal Jones III is among a handful of politicians to be charged in the sweeping federal investigation centered on red-light cameras installed by SafeSpeed LLC, a once clout-heavy camera company that secured contracts to run red-light cameras in nearly two dozen Chicago suburbs that generated millions of dollars in fines from motorists annually. SafeSpeed and its president, Nikki Zollar, have not been accused of wrongdoing and said Maani was operating without the companys knowledge or approval. The U.S. attorneys office charged Jones in a bare-bones, six-page criminal information, rather than a formal grand jury indictment, which is usually a signal that a guilty plea is in the works. Instead, however, Jones changed legal teams and demanded a trial. According to the charges, Jones had introduced a bill in the Senate in February 2019 that would have required the Illinois Department of Transportation to conduct a statewide study of automated traffic law enforcement systems, including red-light cameras such as those operated by SafeSpeed. The charges alleged Jones agreed with Maani to protect SafeSpeed by limiting any traffic studies to the city of Chicago, excluding the suburbs where the company does much of its business. On July 17, 2019, Maani and Jones were dining at Steak 48 on North Wabash Avenue, where Maani allegedly recorded Jones asking for a $5,000 campaign donation in exchange for his assistance, according to a recent prosecution filing laying out the evidence in the case. Jones also told Maani it would be nice if he could secure a part-time job for his legislative intern. Maani, who was secretly recording the meeting for the FBI, told Jones that he needed to think of a creative way to get the money to him. We have reporting requirements and everything and I just dont want to go down that path, Maani said, according to prosecutors Also at that dinner, Maani allegedly told Jones he was worried an unnamed legislator, identified only as State Representative A, would try to use Jones study to cast the red-light-camera industry in a negative light. I got you, Jones said, according to the filing. And Ill protect you from (State Representative A). A few days later, Jones sent an email to Maani thanking him for the dinner and attaching his interns resume, the filing alleged. Looking forward to the many more good times my friend, Jones allegedly wrote. Jones also appeared to make fun of Maani in a text to his intern that day, writing, LMAO trying to make sure i dont file my red light camera bill anymore. He thinks (dinner) will do it, according to the filing. Three weeks later, Maani and Jones had another dinner at Steak 48, where they allegedly discussed having Jones intern work directly for Maani instead of SafeSpeed to hide their corrupt relationship, according to the prosecution filing. Maani agreed to pay the intern $15 an hour, based on 20 hours worked per week. Later in that dinner, Jones allegedly suggested Maani hide the $5,000 payment to Jones by sponsoring an event for him, saying the payment would not show up on his campaign finance reports. Maani again said he needed to conceal his involvement in any exchange. I feel you, Jones allegedly responded. I will help (Jones intern) 100 percent, Maani said. And like I said before, if you could just help me with the, ah, the study, to make it to (just) Chicago. Youre good, Jones allegedly said, later adding: If I do file that bill it will only be for Chicago. A few days after that dinner, Maani called Jones to let him know he didnt have any real work right now for the intern, but would still pay him, obviously for you helping me out with all this stuff with the bill and (State Representative A), the filing stated. Jones allegedly replied that he understood. Maani eventually paid Jones intern a total of $1,800 over six weeks even though hed performed no work for Maani or SafeSpeed, the prosecution filing stated. The intern has not been charged with any wrongdoing. At another meeting in August 2019, Jones told Maani that if he contributed $5,000 by sponsoring an event, they would not have to report that contribution on state campaign funding reports, the charges alleged. On Sept. 24, 2019, the day the FBI raided Sandovals offices, Jones was interviewed by agents. According to the charges, he lied by saying he had not agreed to protect SafeSpeed in exchange for Maani hiring or paying Individual B and had not discussed any plan with Maani to skirt campaign financing disclosures. Prosecutors intend to play the bulk of Jones recorded FBI interview for the jury. Records from the Illinois General Assembly show that Jones proposal was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee on Nov. 19, 2019, which at the time was no longer being headed by Sandoval because he had stepped down as head of the panel in October of that year amid the federal investigation. In all, prosecutors have said they plan to show nine recordings to the jury in Jones trial, along with a handful of text messages and other communications. Among them is an email from Zollar from 2016 about E. Jones senate resolution, prosecutors said. Records from the General Assembly show that on the same day as Zollars email, May 24, 2016, Jones introduced a Senate resolution calling for an audit of automated traffic enforcement systems, noting that data showed they did not reduce crashes and that municipal officials and camera company executives have been arrested in red light camera corruption schemes. The resolution, which came three years before Maanis alleged agreement to bribe Jones, died in committee and was never voted on, legislative records show. Chicago Tribunes Jeremy Gorner contributed. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. A fatality has been reported in Little Rock in connection with the ongoing severe weather throughout Arkansas. The deceased was a five-year-old child located in a home in the 8500 block of Mablevale Pike. Little Rock Police Department responded to assist with a medical call for service at the address. In addition to the childs passing, two others were reported injured in Miller County. This brings the total number of reported injuries to 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. TOKYO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he plans to speak to U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone as early as next week to discuss Trump's tariff hike. "I will talk logically about how much Japan will benefit (the United States)," Ishiba said on a TV program on Saturday, adding that Japan will consider new investments in the United States. Ishiba also indicated that Japan has no plans to impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States, saying, "We will not go tit-for-tat." Trump announced a new set of levies on Wednesday, imposing a 10-percent baseline tariff on imports from all trading partners and higher rates on certain ones. With Japan being slapped with a harsher-than-expected 24-percent levy, Tokyo has been lobbying for an exemption. Ishiba plans to ask Trump to reconsider the tariffs by highlighting Japan's contributions as the largest investor in the United States, local media reported, with the prime minister saying Friday that new U.S. tariffs had triggered a "national crisis." TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A man was arrested Saturday following a shooting that occurred in Riverview earlier in the morning. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, deputies responded to a call at 1:22 a.m. about a woman who had accidentally shot herself at a residence in the 11800 block of Dumaine Valley Road. Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office At the scene, deputies said they found Leroyce Durham, 43, who directed them to the victim, who had sustained a gunshot wound in her lower back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman was taken to the hospital, where she remains in critical condition, according to deputies. An investigation was launched, and detectives determined that Durham had shot the woman following an altercation the evening prior. Durham was taken into custody, and the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office has charged him with aggravated battery, attempted second-degree murder, and possession of a firearm by a felon. This tragic incident highlights just how quickly lives can be changed by violence, said Sheriff Chad Chronister. No one should ever fear for their life in their own home. I commend our deputies and detectives for acting quickly to arrest the suspect and begin the process of seeking justice for the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Avelo Airlines has expanded its service in Music City by adding three new nonstop flights out of Nashville International Airport. According to the airline company, the three new routes will provide travelers nonstop service from Nashville to Rochester, New York and Charlotte and Wilmington, North Carolina. Dolly Parton supporters gather 45K signatures in push to rename Nashville airport Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the new routes, Avelo Airlines said it will continue to offer nonstop flights from BNA to Philadelphia, Orlando and New Haven. Were excited to inaugurate our affordable, convenient and reliable service from Music City to Rochester, Wilmington and Charlotte. Traveling to Coastal North Carolina, the Queen City and Upstate New York has never been easier, said Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy. Additionally, as Middle Tennessee continues to grow and flourish, were excited to be part of its journey, connecting even more people and opportunities to this region. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County Flights to Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) will launch twice weekly on Thursday and Sunday in April, and Monday and Friday beginning in May. Meanwhile, the flights to Wilmington International Airport (ILM) will operate on Thursday and Sunday; the service to Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) will take place Monday and Friday weekly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Avelo serves 55 cities spanning 23 states and Puerto Rico, as well as four international destinations: Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The one-way flights, starting at $39, can be booked here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) said crews have fully extinguished a four-alarm blaze at a residential building in the citys Lower Nob neighborhood. SFFD said one woman in a wheelchair was removed from the building and two other individuals were helped down the stairs. Deadly car and motorcycle crash probed by CHP Santa Cruz The incident was first reported at 5:52 p.m. Saturday as fire coming out of a window on the second floor before quickly progressing to four alarms, said SFFD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Francisco Fire had told residents to avoid the area of Washington Street and Larkin streets due to the then large working fire. In a social media post, SFFD wrote all three floors have been burned inside the wood-frame building, and neighboring buildings also sustained fire damage. It is not clear how many tenants have been displaced. Photo courtesy of San Francisco Fire Department. There have been three injuries reported, and the individuals were treated by medics at the location, said SFFD. Officials said the victims are being evaluated to see if they need additional care at a nearby hospital. It is not yet known what sparked the blaze. SFFD said 120 firefighters responded to the scene, and an arson investigation has started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management posted an original alert at 6:36 p.m. on X (formerly Twitter) of fire activity in the area, and that residents should expect traffic delays and take alternate routes. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie provided a statement Saturday night about the blaze in which he said, I am closely monitoring the 4-alarm fire in Nob Hill. I thank Fire Chief Crispen and all of our first responders for their brave work tonight helping the victims and containing the fire. Stay with KRON4 for more on this developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. The AXE Ceremonia festival, which was taking place this weekend at an ecological park in Mexico City, was suspended by local authorities following the death of two people on Saturday (April 5) when a crane transporting a decorative metal object collapsed. The cancellation was confirmed on Sunday (April 6) in a message on X by the Miguel Hidalgo mayors office, the borough where the event venue is located. More from Billboard Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The teams from the Miguel Hidalgo Government and Legal Affairs, along with the boroughs Civil Protection department and the Administrative Verification Institute of Mexico City, completed the inspection and placed suspension seals at the entrances to AXE Ceremonia in Bicentennial Park, the mayors office stated in its message. Mexican newspaper El Universal confirmed the identity of the victims, Miguel Angel Rojas, 26, and Berenice Giles, 28, of structure collapse. They were photographers. Music portal Mr. Indie also confirmed this on Sunday, through a statement. With deep sadness we say goodbye to our friends and colleagues, Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernandez, who lost their lives while doing their journalistic work. Both were an essential part of Mr. Indie, a media that exists thanks to the passion of people like them, the document states. From our space, we want to honor their dedication, their love for music and photography, and their commitment to this project that was also theirs. The festival corroborated the incident through an Instagram story. Following the events, the Mexico City Prosecutors Office announced that it has launched an investigation to determine the corresponding responsibilities. TARJETA INFORMATIVA: INFORMA GOBIERNO DE LA CIUDAD SOBRE COLAPSO DE ESTRUCTURA DECORATIVA EN EVENTO PRIVADO EN EL PARQUE BICENTENARIO. Para mayor informacion da clic en el enlace https://t.co/XL5T4qKJRk#TrabajandoJuntos #LaPrevencionEsNuestraFuerza pic.twitter.com/rNas5gshI3 Secretaria de Gestion Integral de Riesgos y PC (@SGIRPC_CDMX) April 6, 2025 The festival also confirmed the deaths on their Instagram stories. With deep sadness, we confirm the passing of the two people who were injured during todays incident, AXE Ceremonia published. We are deeply heartbroken by this loss. We are reaching out to their families to support them during this incredibly difficult time and to provide them with all our care and solidarity. The safety of our community has always been our priority, and we continue, as from the very beginning, to maintain close collaboration and complete transparency with the authorities. We will continue to share official updates about the event through our social media channels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company ECO Live, the festivals producer, had not responded to a request for information from Billboard Espanol. The accident occurred around 5:30 p.m. (local time) when a gust of wind shook a metal structure that fell on two people, according to a statement from the Mexico City Government, issued through the Secretariat of Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection. TARJETA INFORMATIVA: INFORMA GOBIERNO DE LA CIUDAD SOBRE COLAPSO DE ESTRUCTURA DECORATIVA EN EVENTO PRIVADO EN EL PARQUE BICENTENARIO. Para mayor informacion da clic en el enlace https://t.co/XL5T4qKJRk#TrabajandoJuntos #LaPrevencionEsNuestraFuerza pic.twitter.com/rNas5gshI3 Secretaria de Gestion Integral de Riesgos y PC (@SGIRPC_CDMX) April 6, 2025 The mentioned structure fell on two people who received pre-hospital care at the scene, and were later urgently transported to the hospital, where they unfortunately passed away, authorities wrote in the statement. A photojournalist who captured images of the metal structure collapse shortly after it happened told Billboard Espanol that, following the crash, several attendees near the point where the crane fell tried to move it to assist the victims trapped beneath it. Paramedics and police officers quickly arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area, as attested by Billboard Espanol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paramedics from the company hired by the event organizers provided medical attention to a man and a woman for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and various fractures at the site of the collapse, detailed the Mexican Government on Saturday night in an informational statement through the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) Bienestar program. Lamentamos los hechos ocurridos durante el evento privado "AXE CEREMONIA 2025" en el Parque Bicentenario y expresamos nuestras condolencias a los familiares de las personas fallecidas.#IMSSBienestar #ServiciosPublicosDeSalud pic.twitter.com/DXkklFjgbv IMSS Bienestar (@IMSS_Bienestar) April 6, 2025 The Head of Government of Mexico City, Clara Brugada, addressed the incident in a message on X, where she expressed her sorrow over the events and extended her solidarity to the families and friends of the victims. She also thanked the quick and efficient response of the relevant personnel who acted diligently to secure the area and request immediate medical attention. We will closely monitor the corresponding investigations by the Mexico City Prosecutors Office to determine responsibilities, added the local leader. Atentos de los lamentables hechos ocurridos esta tarde en el Parque Bicentenario. Mi solidaridad con familiares y amigos de las personas que desafortunadamente perdieron la vida tras el accidente. Agradezco la rapida y eficiente respuesta del personal de la @PBI_SSC, de la Clara Brugada Molina (@ClaraBrugadaM) April 6, 2025 The mayor of Miguel Hidalgo, Mauricio Tabe, also addressed the incident and expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims. I deeply regret what happened today during a private event at Bicentennial Park. My deepest solidarity goes out to the families of the victim, the mayor wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a statement issued by the Miguel Hidalgo mayors office, the incident may have been caused by the installation of additional cranes by the organizers, which had not been included in the program submitted to authorities for the pre-festival inspection. Local authorities stated that, as this was a private event, the project director and the official in charge of Civil Protection, both hired by the festival organizers, will be subject to the investigation initiated by the Mexico City Prosecutors Office. TARJETA INFORMATIVA: INFORMA GOBIERNO DE LA CIUDAD SOBRE COLAPSO DE ESTRUCTURA DECORATIVA EN EVENTO PRIVADO EN EL PARQUE BICENTENARIO. Para mayor informacion da clic en el enlace https://t.co/XL5T4qKJRk#TrabajandoJuntos #LaPrevencionEsNuestraFuerza pic.twitter.com/rNas5gshI3 Secretaria de Gestion Integral de Riesgos y PC (@SGIRPC_CDMX) April 6, 2025 Following the crane collapse and the two fatalities it caused, AXE Ceremonia continued on Saturday with headline performances by corridos tumbados superstar Natanael Cano, British pop diva Charli XCX, and South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together, according to Billboard Espanol. The festivals director, Diego Jimenez, had stated in a prior interview that an attendance of 55,000 people was expected on the first day. On Sunday (April 6), the second day of the festivals activities, the highly anticipated return of British trip-hop group Massive Attack to Mexico City had been expected, along with performances by American rapper Tyler, The Creator, Argentine duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Argentine-Spanish artist Nathy Peluso, and California-based indie pop band The Marias, among others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Festival organizers confirmed on a social media post that those performances have been canceled and that ticket buyers will be automatically refunded via Ticketmaster. Best of Billboard Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Trump administration officials and lawmakers are considering aid for farmers as retaliation looms against U.S. tariffs. China and Canada have already levied duties on some of the top U.S. agricultural exports. During Trump's first term, farmers got $23 billion after an earlier round of tariffs. Trump administration officials and lawmakers have begun exploring a relief package for U.S. farmers as agricultural trade groups warn of economic repercussions from tariffs. Thats as retaliation against President Donald Trumps sweeping import taxes could harm U.S. exports of farm products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are setting up the infrastructure that if, in fact, we have some economic consequences in the short term to our farmers and perhaps our ranchers, that we will have programs in place to solve for that, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters last week. On Sunday, she told CNN the administration must be prepared in case of longer-term damage by lining up funds with lawmakers. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) confirmed discussions about a farm bailout and said he spoke with Rollins. The USDA did not immediately respond to Fortunes request for comment. On Wednesday, Trump announced a minimum 10% levy on all imports and even higher rates on certain trading partners. Some countries have retaliated with their own levies against specific industries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, Chinaa major export market for farmersannounced a 34% tariff on U.S. imports, after previously imposing an added 15% tariff on U.S.-grown chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton and a 10% levy on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. In addition, Canada has levied 25% duties on goods worth $30 billion including peanut butter, orange juice, and coffee. The country also threatened to expand its tariffs to $155 billion worth of imported goods, including poultry, produce, and dairy products, if the U.S. maintains its trade policy. The European Union has threatened to retaliate against soybean, beef, and poultry farmers in the blocs effort to target red states. Trade groups have warned that retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural exports could harm the prices of corn, soybeans, cotton, and other crops. The price of soybeans sank more than 3% Friday and are down almost 17% since a year ago. Roughly 60% of soybeans, meal, and soy oil produced in the U.S. are exported. We hope there will be a bailout, Barry Evans, a sorghum and cotton farmer in Texas who sits on the board of directors for a sorghum grain trade group, told The Wall Street Journal. If we dont get something, it will be quite a disaster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The farming industry relies on exports for more than 20% of its annual income, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In 2024, the U.S. exported $176 billion in agricultural products, with 47% going to three countries: Mexico (17.2%), Canada (16.1%), and China (14%). According to the USDA, soybeans, livestock products, tree nuts, fruits, vegetables, grains, and feeds are among the top U.S. exports. Tariffs in Trumps first term triggered retaliation that caused a reduction of more than $27 billion in agricultural exports, according to USDA. The government gave farmers $23 billion in economic aid to help offset the loss. Retaliatory tariffs add obstacles to an already struggling industry. Last year, Congress approved a $10 billion relief package to farmers to help reduce the impact of increased input costs and lower commodity prices and recently began dishing out the aid. The new package could be larger as the industry is faced with broad-ranging challenges, a congressional aide told WSJ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We share the administrations goal of leveling the playing field with our international partners, but increased tariffs threaten economic sustainability of farmers who have lost money on most crops for the past three years, president of the Farm Bureau, Zippy Duvall, told the WSJ. In addition to the impact of retaliatory tariffs on agricultural exports, U.S. tariffs on imports could also increase prices that farmers pay for equipment, pesticides, and fertilizer. Meanwhile, farmers are also suffering from the Department of Government Efficiency dismantling USAID. In 2020, the U.S. government purchased roughly $2.1 billion in food aid from American farmers. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A wave of resistance swept across the country this weekend as thousands gathered in more than 1,200 cities to protest policies and actions taken by the Trump administration. Baton Rouge was no exception. On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators marched to the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol for the Hands Off! protest, demanding what they describe as protection for democracy and calling on lawmakers both Democratic and Republican to act. The very bedrock of this nation is at risk, said Connor Welch, an organizer with Indivisible Baton Rouge. Right now, we are in a constitutional crisis, and were demanding our Democratic leaders and Republican leaders alike to take action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chants of This is what democracy looks like and This is what love looks like echoed through the capital grounds as participants held signs high, protesting a wide range of federal decisions from the rollback of transgender protections and immigration crackdowns to threats against healthcare funding and the firing of federal workers. Welch accused the administration of bypassing the legislative process altogether. Weve seen that Trump does not legislate the way our founding fathers intended. He governs through executive order, ignores court orders, and is acting like a total king right now, Welch said. For many, the protest was deeply personal. Lessie Burnett-Freeman, a Baton Rouge resident, said she showed up because of what she believes are attacks on basic rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What I see happening is voting rights being attacked, said Burnett-Freeman. Civil rights are being attacked. People are losing their jobs, and care that has been deserved and earned by the elderly is being taken away. Though the White House has responded to similar protests by reaffirming President Trumps commitment to preserving key social programs, many remain unconvinced. Among those criticizing the administrations approach was former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He has taken, as you can see, a chainsaw to the very foundation of American government. And in the process, hes cutting vital services like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid putting our seniors in harms way, Landrieu said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers in Baton Rouge said Saturdays event is just the beginning. They plan to hold a town hall with Louisiana state senators to continue pushing for accountability and action. Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A man accused of robbing an acquaintance at gunpoint and later selling the stolen vehicle on Facebook Marketplace has been arrested. On March 1, detectives launched an investigation into an armed robbery that occurred at Extended Stay America on Corporate Boulevard. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, the victim reported that he was in his hotel room with an acquaintance, later identified as 24-year-old Darius Gaines. Gaines allegedly brandished a firearm, took the victims car keys and cell phone, and fled the scene in the victims vehicle. Detectives later discovered that Gaines had sold the stolen vehicle through Facebook Marketplace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An arrest warrant was issued for Gaines on the charge of armed robbery with a firearm. Police: Woman wanted in connection to fatal hit-and-run crash in Baton Rouge Police said Gaines, who has a lengthy criminal history including possession of a stolen firearm, robbery and drug-related offenses, was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Task Force on April 2. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Over 300 Bay County residents gathered in front of the Social Security office on Highway 77 on Saturday to take part in the National Hands Off protest. The demonstrators are part of a larger, nationwide mobilization that pushes back against what organizers call the Trump/Musk administrations attack on democratic institutions. This includes mass firings and efforts to dismantle core government functions. Our government, our economy, and our freedoms are under attack, Democratic Executive Committee Chair Laura Bjorkland said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Panama City hosting Earth Day celebration at Oaks by the Bay Park The Bay County rally was one of more than 1,200 coordinated protests held across the country. Organizers say the movement is about defending democracy, protecting the rights of everyday Americans, and holding leadership accountable during a time of national crisis. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Apr. 5With hailstorms and spring weather events impacting Texas communities, Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas reminds residents to use caution when hiring contractors for repairs. Scammers often appear in the aftermath of severe weather, hoping to exploit homeowners dealing with storm damage and insurance claims. While many reputable contractors respond to hard-hit areas to assist with repairs, some lack proper licensing, offer quick fixes, or make promises they don't keep. These businesses may solicit door-to-door, pressure homeowners into signing contracts, or demand a full payment upfront before disappearing. In 2024, Texans reported more than $200,000 in losses to home improvement scams, according to BBB Scam Tracker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BBB recommends the following tips to avoid falling victim: Review your insurance policy. Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to report damage and learn how your claim will be handled. Take photos or videos of all damage. Research contractors. Visit BBB.org to find trusted roofing companies, auto body shops and other repair services. Look for businesses that are licensed, insured and have verified customer reviews. Get multiple written bids. BBB recommends securing at least three bids. Avoid contractors who request large payments upfront or insist on cash-only deals. Establish a timeline. Ask how long repairs will take and whether the company helps such as rental vehicles or temporary accommodations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Insist on a written contract. Ensure all agreements are in writing, including scope of work, payment terms, cleanup plans, and start and end dates. Add any verbal promises to the contract. "Scammers thrive in chaos," said Heather Massey, vice president of communications for BBB Serving the Heart of Texas. "If your home or vehicle is damaged, take your time choosing a contractor, and don't feel pressured into quick decisions. Doing your homework now can save you from costly problems later." For more information on preparing for or recovering from a natural disaster, visit BBB.org/Storm. To report suspicious activity or a scam, go to BBB.org/ScamTracker. DHAKA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi expatriates in March sent home 3.29 billion U.S. dollars, largely buoyed by the Eid-al-Fitr festival. The amount was the highest monthly inflow since 1971, the latest central bank data showed. Officials attributed the rise to steady growth ahead of the festival. According to the latest data, remittances from Bangladeshis increased 27.6 percent year-on-year to 21.78 billion dollars in the July-March period of fiscal year 2024-25 (July 2024-June 2025). Bangladesh's remittances grew 10 percent to 23.91 billion dollars in fiscal year 2023-24. Remittances mainly come from Middle East countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. What you're seeing isn't Photoshop, or heaven forbid AI slop. That's a real rhino, weighing over 2,800 pounds and suspended from the bottom of a helicopter by its legs, upside down. This isn't the giant herbivore's idea of thrill seeking. And it's okay to laugh. What you're seeing is called "translocation," and it's become a favored way of rescuing the critically endangered creatures from poachers, the BBC reports. That it looks like some hilarious circus act is just an added bonus. It wouldn't be a stretch to call this a miracle in the animal conservation world. In the wilderness of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, where these black rhinos roam, transporting a creature that can weigh more than a ton overland isn't always practical. Roads don't reach everywhere, and the long, bumpy rides are far from comfortable for the rhino passengers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But helicopter airlifts sidestep those problems. Using them has "revolutionized the world of rhino conservation," according to Ursina Rusch, population manager for the World Wildlife Foundation's South Africa Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The project shelters over 400 black rhinos across eighteen sites. For reference, black rhinos have a total population of just 6,500 globally, which is more than double what it was three decades ago, per the BBC. "Really none of this would be possible without helicopters, both in terms of darting and transferring rhinos out of inaccessible areas," Rusch told the broadcaster First, the rhino is immobilized with a tranquilizer dart. After microchipping the behemoth to track it, a ground team ties straps around each of its four ankles, which connect to a single rope dangling beneath a chopper, usually an Airbus AS350 Astar, or an old UH1-H Huey. Then the rhino's ready to fly, usually for a duration of ten to thirty minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As precarious and ridiculous as it looks, the intervention is pretty safe. Conservationists have spent years experimenting with multiple methods, including using nets, but Rusch says that hanging the rhinos upside down has proven the most dependable. One reason why is that the rhinos can still breathe properly in that position. Amazingly, with their horns acting as a "tail feather or wind vane," the rhinos are also surprisingly well-suited to being suspended in the air. "The great thing about lifting the rhinos upside down by their feet is that they're aerodynamic themselves," Robin Radcliffe, associate professor of wildlife and conservation medicine at Cornell University, told the BBC. Since it began, the WWF project has translocated 160 rhinos via airlift, per the BBC's reporting. And it's not just to save them from poachers, either. "If we don't translocate rhinos and create new populations, they will inbreed enough that they crash, or run out of resources and stop breeding," Rusch said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We said this was a miracle in the world of conservation. From the perspective of a rhino, which is high on an opioid while this is all happening and isn't used to seeing the landscape rush by hundreds of feet below them, it's literal deus ex machina a term that originates from ancient Greek theater, in which god was brought in, poetically, with a crane. More on wildlife: It Turns Out Sharks Make Noises, and Here's What They Sound Like Thousands of people gathered at Bellingham City Hall on Saturday to protest the actions of President Donald Trump, his administration and Elon Musk. The protest is one of hundreds across the nation called Hands Off! that took place Saturday. Speakers included people from various groups that warn theyre under attack by the Trump administration, including teachers, doctors, Planned Parenthood staff, climate activists transgender individuals and immigrants. Bellingham City Council members also addressed the crowd, which displayed hundreds of handmade signs and chanted throughout. The crowd at Bellingham City Hall for Saturdays Hands Off! protest, organized by Indivisible Bellingham. The protest targeted a wide range of actions and stood in defense of immigrant rights, transgender rights, due process and the U.S. Constitution. Many also were there to protest the recent implementation of widespread tariffs and the dismantling of the federal government that is being conducted under the supervision of billionaire Elon Musk on behalf of the Trump administration. Tens of thousands of federal employees have been fired since Inauguration Day, and many health-related departments have been decimated. Seth Mangold, community engagement specialist at RE Sources, addresses the crowd Saturday. Im sure many of you know that this is a dark few months for the environment, for science, public lands and environmental justice, said Seth Mangold, community engagement specialist at RE Sources. The cuts on funding on science, research, staffing at land management agencies have been relentless and far reaching. These attacks have immediate impacts and they are putting people out of work and putting communities in danger. Communities impacted by climate disasters cannot rely on the federal government for aid and support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bellingham protest came days after 37 allegedly illegal immigrants were arrested by ICE at Mount Baker Roofing in Bellingham, and just over a week after ICE arrested political activist and union organizer Alfredo (Lelo) Juarez Zeferino. To them we say: Hands off! said Kevin Leja with Indivisible Bellingham, a grassroots group that organized the City Hall protest and secured a permit with the city for the event. A protest participant displays a handmade anti-Trump sign Saturday at Bellingham City Hall. Leja called for the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to get their hands off workers rights, civil rights, voting rights, our bodies, free speech, veterans, postal workers, public lands, public safety and security, our wallets, Medicare, schools, immigrants, health care and U.S. democracy. If we dont fight now, there wont be anything left to save, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other speakers including Bellingham City Councilor and longtime community organizer Jace Cotton; Michael Barres, a former teacher, principal and school district administrator who currently is part of the Bellingham Indivisible leadership group; Sharon Camblin with the Whatcom Faith Community for Immigrant Support; Selene Etherige, a transgender woman who spoke about the violence she has experienced from transphobia; Brenda Howell, who has been involved in HIV care and services for over 40 years; Jade Phillips, community organizer and data manager at Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood; local business owner Homero Jose Garrido, an immigrant to the U.S. who served on the city of Bellinghams Immigrant Advisory Board; and Bellingham City Councilor Skip Williams, a former public school teacher. This administration is carrying out (attacks) on worker immigrants and their families, but let me tell you who we are, Garrido said. We are your neighbors. We are your friends. Jade Phillips, community organizer and data manager at Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood, addresses the crowd at City Hall during Bellinghams Hands Off! protest Saturday. I am deeply concerned for the future of reproductive rights, said Phillips of Planned Parenthood. And also for the rights of other marginalized and intersecting communities and identities. I am concerned for health care, for social services, for public lands, for fair elections and more than I can name today. I am angry, angry that this fight is not over. I am angry that this fight has just begun. Another group of protesters gathered outside of the Federal Building in downtown Bellingham, and many of them made their way to City Hall. Speeches at City Hall lasted about 90 minutes. Two Bellingham Police officers in the vicinity as people dispersed said there were no reports of violence or any altercations related to the protest. Patrons on the second floor of the Bellingham Public Library watch protesters gather at City Hall on Saturday. A protest participant walks away from the Hands Off! gathering at Bellingham City Hall with a Resist flag in tow. People gather near Bellingham City Hall on Saturday, April 5, 2025, prior to a Hands Off! protest. Advertisement Advertisement 27,523 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? 27,523 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? As thousands came together on Saturday in nationwide protests to denounce President Donald Trumps administration, several rallygoers held noteworthy signs emblazoned with clever phrases and imagery to relay messages of defiance. Dubbed the Hands Off protests, rallies cropped up across the U.S. and the globe, with the sole purpose of putting a stop to the most brazen power grab in modern history, according to organizers. While many attendees marched empty-handed, others displayed handmade signs featuring fighting words aimed at Trump, JD Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk, leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has cut tens of thousands of government jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Below is a selection of some of the best signs spotted at the protests. One Wisconsinite held a sign that read: Wisconsin hates Elon Musk so much it could be one of his kids. The message, in reference to the Tesla CEOs strained relationship with his estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, appeared to entertain The Handmaids Tale actor Bradley Whitford, who shared a picture of the woman and her sign on X. 'Wisconsin hates Elon so much it could be one of his kids,' read the sign held by a Wisconite (bradleywhitford/X) Hundreds of miles away, in New York City, another woman showed off a sign with the words: Super callous fragile racist sexist nazi potus a pun on the nonsensical word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, popularized by the 1964 childrens movie Mary Poppins. A photo of the epic sign was featured in a carousel of snaps taken by Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon at the New York City protest. Cynthia Nixon attended the NYC Hands Off protest, where she took photos of some of her favorite signs (Cynthia Nixon/Instagram) Nixon also included a picture of a man holding a sign with the all-capped phrase: TURD REICH NO! Illustrations of Trump, Vance, and Musk were featured underneath. Hands Off NYC, Nixon captioned her Instagram post (cynthianixon/Instagram) Across the country, a trio in California posed with a sign declaring: Abort unwanted presidencies. 'Abort unwanted presidencies,' read a sign at the Hands Off protest in California (ArtCandee/X) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another sign that made one X user spit out [their] drink was one that read: Were all the couch now. At first glance, the sign might not make sense, but for those aware of the false rumors that circulated last summer claiming Vance had sex with a couch, youll likely understand the underlying message. Bwahaahha. I spit out my drink. JD Vance isn't gonna like this sign at a Hands Off! protest. pic.twitter.com/P6A3jEfAl2 Art Candee (@ArtCandee) April 5, 2025 Orlando Weekly reporter McKenna Schueler covered a local rally where one woman proudly held a sign warning people to know your parasites. Below, two illustrations of a dog and deer tick were pictured, alongside a third image of Trump labeled: Luna tick. A woman in Florida proudly holds a sign denouncing the acts of the Trump administration (SheCarriesOn/X) Honk if you never drunk texted war plans was also a popular quip seen on numerous signs. The message was in reference to the recent controversy in which a group of Trump advisers inadvertently added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat containing a detailed account of war plans. Favorite sign so far. pic.twitter.com/MlTRAp22Xs Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) April 5, 2025 An ex-couple, who had been married 30 years, teamed up at the Los Angeles event with signs proclaiming: You know times are bad if you partner with your ex-husband/ex-wife to a protest. A divorced couple, who had been married for 30 years, share a laugh together during a 'Hands Off!' protest against the Trump administration in Los Angeles (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Los Angeles to London, tens of thousands marched to advocate for civil rights, healthcare, democracy, workers rights and LGBTQ+ rights that have been under assault by the Trump administration and GOP Congress members, organizers said. What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures, and our democracy are under attack, Rahna Epting, executive director of advocacy group MoveOn, said in a statement. This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people nurses, teachers, students, parents who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started. A Bible story about Jesus ancestor Josiah, the last good king of Judah, could be true, according to a study. In the Book of Revelation, the apocalyptic final clash between good and evil takes place at Armageddon before a new world is born. Today known as Tel Megiddo, located in current-day northern Israel, the site is believed to be where the ancestor of Jesus, King Josiah, was killed by the Egyptian pharaoh Necho II, according to the Bible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, excavations reveal that there was an Egyptian presence at the site during Josiahs time, the first archaeological evidence to support the Biblical tale. Assaf Kleiman of Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, Israel, who co-authored a study about the discoveries, said the findings were a big surprise for archaeologists. He said: Our recent excavations near the administrative quarter of Megiddo revealed the remains of a large structure dated to the late seventh century BC. Within this building, we have found high quantities of crude and straw-tempered pottery vessels imported from Egypt, as well as a few East Greek vessels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exposure of these findings was a big surprise for our team, as these were not unearthed thus far at Megiddo. The Greek vessels are considered to represent Greek mercenaries who may have worked in the Egyptian army, according to the studys co-author, Prof Israel Finkelstein of the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University He said: The Greek pottery is usually considered as representing Greek mercenaries. From sources such as Herodotus and the Assyrian King, Ashurbanipal, we know that Greeks from Anatolia served as mercenaries in the Egyptian army. This scenario may be linked to the biblical account about the killing of King Josiah of Judah by Pharaoh Necho at Megiddo in 609 BC. Prof Israel Finkelstein at the excavation site for Tel Megiddo - Israel Finkelstein via Pen News Josiah is described in the Bible as a religious reformer who ended the worship of any god but Yahweh (the Hebrew name for God). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is also listed as a ancestor of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. But the Old Testament gives varied accounts of his death. Dr Finkelstein said: The Bible recounts the death of Josiah at Megiddo in two places. Hes killed by Necho during an encounter at Megiddo in the Book of Kings, and killed in a battle with the Egyptians in the Book of Chronicles. Kings gives close to real time evidence while Chronicles represents centuries-later thoughts. On this background, the new evidence for an Egyptian garrison, possibly with Greek mercenaries, at Megiddo in the late seventh century BC, may provide the background to the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, in two places in prophetic works, Ezekiel and Jeremiah, the Bible hints that west Anatolians Lydians were involved in the killing of Josiah. The sites Hebrew name, Har Megiddo meaning Mount Megiddo was rendered as Harmagedon in Greek, leading to the modern name, Armageddon. There is debate amongst experts as to why Josiah was killed there. Some believe that his army blocked the path of the pharaoh, who was en route to Syria with his troops. Others think he might have been summoned as a vassal and was executed for failing to pay sufficient tribute to Egypt. Its also been suggested Josiahs death there created its apocalyptic reputation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would make sense to place the [final] battle out there due to Israels history of that location, Hope Bolinger said at Christianity.com. Dr Kleiman, Dr Finkelstein, and their colleagues Matthew Adams and Alexander Fantalkin published their study in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Madison Hands Off protest on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) Thousands of Wisconsinites joined rallies in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay Saturday, taking part in a national day of action with simultaneous events in more than 1,200 cities across all 50 states, according to the organizers of the Hands Off! The protests targeted President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Trump administrations deep cuts to federal funding for health care, science, the Social Security administration, education and other public goods. Indivisible, one of more than 150 participating civil rights, labor, LGBTQ and other groups, put out a statement saying the rallies were an effort to let Trump and Musk know they cant intimidate us into submission. In Madison, a massive crowd filled the lawns, sidewalks and streets on the State Street corner of the Wisconsin State Capitol, then marched the one-mile stretch to Library Mall on the University of Wisconsin campus. Organizers estimated more than 10,000 people participated. Madison resident Jason and Aubrey at the Madison Hands Off! protest on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) Madison residents Jason and Aubrey, who declined to give their last names, said they were looking for a community with like-minded people. We can be angry but its also fun to be out with people and its important to have joy in your life, Aubrey said. She said she is concerned with rising income inequality and billionaires having control over social media and society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im scared for democracy and for the people I love who are going to be targeted by [Trumps] immigration policies, his hatred of LGBTQ+ people. I felt kind of powerless and I think just being out here protesting, being in a really welcoming community its what I can do right now, Jason said. Our next few years will be tough, Charlene Bechen, a leader with the Oregon Wisconsin Area Progressives said. MAGA leaders will launch attack after attack, perpetuate outrage after outrage, commit injustice after injustice with the goal of keeping us disoriented, demoralized and demobilized. We cannot allow that. Madison Hands Off! protest on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) A Forward band played several songs in the time leading up to the official start of the rally at noon. One of the band members seen holding the megaphone told rallygoers that they were there to express our outrage at our current political situation. Weve got some songs for you. You know what helps sometimes when youre scared and youre angry dancing, he said. Jim from Mazomanie at the Madison Hands Off! protest on April 5, 2025. He said the country should be taxing the rich instead of cutting everything. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) Jim from Mazomanie said his chainsaw with Hand Off written on it was getting a little heavy, but it was fun to bring some smiles to faces. He said it represented Elon Musk and his idiocy, and said that Musk has worn out his welcome in Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we didnt produce Tuesday, Jim said, referring to the state Supreme Court election, in which liberal candidate Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, whom Musk supported by pouring more than $25 million into the race, [it] would be a whole different deal. Luis Velasquez, an organizer for Voces de la Frontera, highlighted the attacks against immigrants by the Trump administration and the issue of local law enforcement being pushed to assist with deportation efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Velasquez told the crowd that he is a DACA recipient whose parents brought him to the U.S. as a child from El Salvador, but that no pathway to citizenship exists for him. Luis Velasquez speaks at the Madison Hands Off! protest on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) Im proud of being an immigrant myself and we know that there are plenty of good stories stories that have been ignored and abandoned that have been systematically discarded, Velasquez said. Here in this space today, we can say that migration is beautiful, and that here is our home for the millions of immigrants who have been here in the U.S. Milwaukee protest In Milwaukee, organizers estimated 5,000 people gathered in front of the Federal Building as police blocked the road. Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore told the crowd I feel like Ive been born again, and compared the protest to the civil rights marches of the 1960s. We fought for voting rights back then. We fought for health care rights then. We fought for the right for our elders to live in decency. We fought for educational opportunity. And guess what yall, when we fought, we won. And thats one of the things that thats the good news. Right now were fighting, and we are winning. Congresswoman Gwen Moore speaks during the Hands Off! protest in Milwaukee. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner) The Trump administration, Moore told the crowd, is actively trying to dismantle Medicaid. Next week, as the Republicans move to push through their budget reconciliation bill with steep cuts to programs, they need to hear from the public, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the immigrant workers rights group Voces de la Frontera, told the crowd, This administration has made it clear from the beginning that they are taking a page from the fascist playbook, and treating immigrants as the scapegoat for the economic hardship that they are causing. They are trying to desensitize us to their cruelty, and to the humanity of others. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, speaks during the Hands Off! protest in Milwaukee on April 5. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner) Neumann-Ortiz talked about recent ICE arrests inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse, and called on county leaders to make the courthouse a safe zone from ICE arrests. People will be afraid to come to the courthouse if that is not a protected zone, she said. And we know that these local fights are our frontline battles. This is where we have the most power she added, saying it is imperative to win local struggles. Calling out Trump administration detentions of political activists and deportations without due process to a notorious prison in El Salvador, Neumann Ortiz said, I know youre as clear as I am that this is not just what they are doing to immigrants. They are paving a path, because thats what they want to do to us. Cesar Hernandez of Voces spoke in support of unions and attacked Trumps claim that undocumented immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy. In 2022 alone, undocumented folks contributed $2.2 trillion to our economy, not to mention paying $96.7 billion (with a B) in federal, state, and local taxes. Vaun Mayes speaks at the Hands Off! protest in Milwaukee (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner) Community activist Vaun Mayes told the crowd, Right now food pantries for the poor and in need are losing funding in cities like this one right here, where food deserts are prominent. Social Security and health care are being gutted in front of our eyes, he said. He denounced the erasure of Black history in schools and the rise of white supremacist ideology. Fight back we will. Defend one another we shall, Mayes declared. cause we are the true patriots. And we seek a new day and a place for all Americans in this nation to thrive. Green Bay protest Protesters in Green Bay, Wis. on April 5, 2025 | Photo by Jason Kerzinski for Wisconsin Examiner In Green Bay an estimated 1,500 demonstrators gathered at Leicht Park with signs protesting tariffs, the stock market crash, and Trump administration downsizing of federal agencies, threats to Medicaid and cuts to education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it's a staple snack for many people today, jerky is far from new. In fact, the meaty snack has had a long history. Some historians believe that humans have been eating dried meat since the days of the Inca Empire (back then, it wasn't called jerky, but "ch'arki"). Others claim the meat snack was a Native American invention. But either way, over the centuries, we went from eating plain dried meat for sustenance to eating the jerky we know today basically sticks of meat flavored with everything from teriyaki to barbecue in plastic packaging. Today, the jerky industry is huge (like nearly $6 billion huge) and can be made from everything, from beef to bison to elk to ostrich to mushrooms. But while most types of jerky are protein-packed, there are a few things to consider before you start scoffing down this popular meaty snack. Like all foods, jerky can be caught up in major recalls for many different reasons. Sometimes, jerky is recalled because it contains undeclared allergens, like soy or fish, and other times, it's a foodborne bacteria risk. On rare occasions, jerky has even been recalled because it was produced in a rodent-infested facility sadly, we're not joking. Intrigued? Keep reading for more details on some of the biggest jerky recalls ever in the United States. Read more: False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually Believes Hickory Hollow Jerky Recalled More Than 6,200 Pounds Of Jerky Due To Lack Of Federal Inspection (2024) pile of Jamaican jerky from Hickory Hollow Jerky - Hickory Hollow Jerky / Instagram In 2024, Alabama brand Hickory Hollow Jerky recalled more than 6,200 pounds of jerky products including its Jamaican Jerked Beef Jerky, its Sweet Heat BBQ Beef Jerky, its Honey Mustard Bacon Jerky, and its Honey Original Beef Jerky because they had been produced and distributed without being inspected first. It is a legal requirement that all meat and poultry products are inspected before they are sold across the U.S. Jerky is, of course, a meat product, so it should always be inspected before distribution. This helps to keep the food system safe, by ensuring that food processing facilities are clean and hygienic. If they're not, this can increase the risk of harmful foodborne bacteria entering the food system and making people sick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Hickory Hollow Jerky's case, the FSIS discovered that the brand had been selling products without inspection under the supervision of two different owners. The branding and appearance of the jerky had remained the same throughout this time. Luckily, there were no reports of sickness associated with the uninspected jerky, which at the time of the recall, had been shipped to retailers not just in Alabama, but also Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. The jerky had also been sold to customers online through the Hickory Hollow Jerky website. As a precaution, anyone who had purchased the jerky was urged to throw it away or return it to the store for a refund. Tennessee Brown Bag Recalled More Than 4,500 Pounds Of Beef Jerky Because They Weren't Inspected (2022) closeup of Tennessee brown bag original - Tennessee Brown Bag / Facebook Hickory Hollow Jerky is far from the only brand to be in hot water due to a lack of federal inspection. In 2022, two years before the Alabama brand's recall, Tennessee Brown Bag had to pull more than 4,500 pounds of its beef jerky off the shelves for the same reason. The products implicated in the recall included Tennessee Brown Bag Original, Tennessee Brown Bag Peppered, Tennessee Brown Bag Dill Pickle, and Tennessee Brown Bag Spicy. Again, at the time of the recall, the products had already been sold online via the brand's website. They had also been shipped to retailers in Tennessee, as well as Alabama, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. It was the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that first picked up the issue and reported it directly to the FSIS. Fortunately, despite the lack of inspection, there were no reports of foodborne bacteria in the jerky products. To be on the safe side, the FSIS urged anyone who had already bought jerky from Tennessee Brown Bag, and had not yet consumed it, to throw it away or return it to the store for a refund. This is because, like most products, jerky can harbor many different types of potentially dangerous bacteria, including listeria and E. coli, if it is produced in unhygienic conditions. Boyd Specialties Recalled More Than 1,600 Pounds Of Jerky Due To Listeria Concerns (2022) packets of Rebel One Farms Gourmet Brisket Beef Jerky - Rebel One Farms / Facebook When products are pulled from the shelves due to a lack of inspection, this is usually due to the threat of potential bacteria, rather than any actual bacteria being discovered. However, in some cases, jerky is recalled because dangerous pathogens have actually been found. This was the case in 2022, when California brand Boyd Specialties had to pull more than 1,600 pounds of jerky off the shelves of retailers in eight states. Routine testing from FSIS had uncovered listeria bacteria lurking in Boyd Specialties products. The recalled items were sold under a number of brand names. They included Rebel One Farms' Gourmet Brisket Beef Jerky Straight Whiskey, Killer Chill Vibes Carne Asada, Genie Gourmet Brisket Beef Jerky Teriyaki, and many more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If consumed, listeria can cause listeriosis, a potentially serious and life-threatening illness. For many, listeriosis will not cause any major problems, but for vulnerable individuals, including the very young and the very elderly, it can be fatal. Every year in the U.S., around 1,600 people develop listeriosis. Of them, around 260 people will die as a result of the infection. On top of this, listeriosis can also lead to miscarriages and stillbirths. This is why it is imperative that companies act fast to pull their products off the shelves as soon as listeria is found. Fortunately, in the case of Boyd Specialties, there were no reports of sickness associated with the contamination. Legacy Food Company Recalled More Than 67,800 Pounds Of Beef Jerky Due To Misbranding (2021) close-up of Vua Kho Bo jerky - Vua Kho Bo / TikTok Misbranding is another common driver behind food recalls in the U.S. In 2021, California company Legacy Food Company recalled more than 67,800 pounds of beef jerky, including Formosa Brand Hot Peppered Beef Jerky and Vua Kho Bo Hot Beef Jerky, because they were mislabeled. The error meant that sesame oil, a known allergen, was not declared on the label. The FSIS discovered the packaging mistake during an inspection of the company's products. This is another reason that underscores why FSIS inspection is so necessary when it comes to keeping the food system safe. Sesame is in the top nine allergens in the U.S., which means it should always be declared on food labels, even if the risk of contamination is deemed to be very low. This is because, for some people, even a tiny trace of sesame can lead to an allergic reaction. For some, this will be mild, but others could develop full-blown anaphylaxis, which involves life-threatening symptoms like tongue swelling and difficulty breathing. If not treated promptly, anaphylaxis can be fatal. Fortunately, there were no reports of anyone having any allergic reactions to the jerky produced by Legacy Food Company. This was lucky, because at the time of the recall, the products had already been sold to consumers online and shipped to retailers across California. People's Sausage Co Recalled More Than 13,500 Pounds Of Jerky And Meat Sticks Due To Lack Of Inspection (2018) wooden bowl of jerky - Fabian Montano Hernandez/Shutterstock Another jerky company was forced to recall its products in 2018 when an FSIS investigation found that it was selling jerky in the U.S. without a grant of inspection. People's Sausage Co, which is based in California, had to recall more than 13,500 pounds of its jerky and meat sticks from stores in Montana as a result of the error. All of the recalled products were produced by bison and elk jerky company Montrail Bison they included Elk Jerky Lemon Chile, Elk Jerky Teriyaki, Bison Jerky Sweet and Spicy, and Bison Jerky Teriyaki. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Companies cannot sell products like jerky in different states without a grant of inspection from the FSIS. Again, this is to ensure that the food system is safe from foodborne bacteria, but also to ensure that there are no hazards or dangerous practices in the facilities where food is produced for American consumption. It also helps to reduce the risk of packaging mistakes, for example. There were no issues or health problems associated with the recall. But, again, to be on the safe side, the FSIS urged anyone who had already bought the jerky from Montrail Bison to throw it away or return it to the store they bought it from for a refund. Anyone who was worried about experiencing illness as a result of consuming the recalled products was also encouraged to contact their healthcare provider. Whiskey Hill Smokehouse Recalled More Than 22,400 Pounds Of Beef, Ostrich, And Venison Jerky Due To Undeclared Soy (2017) close-up of the jerky hut golden nuggets - The Jerky Hut / Facebook In 2017, undeclared allergens were behind another jerky recall. This time, Oregon-based Whiskey Hill Smokehouse announced a recall of more than 22,400 pounds of jerky products because the packaging they were contained in did not declare soy. Again, like sesame, soy is one of the main nine allergens in the U.S., and should always be listed on product packaging to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Other common allergens include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, shellfish, and fish. They are not the only foods that Americans are allergic to, but they are thought to account for most of the allergies in the U.S. A number of brands' products were implicated in the Whiskey Hill Smokehouse recall, including The Jerky Hut's Peppered Golden Nuggets Beef Jerky, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse's Trophy Series Ostrich Jerky, and Mauinui Venison Gourmet Jerky. This particular recall was given Class II status, which means that the FSIS determined the health risk associated with the mislabeled products to be low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time of the recall, all of the affected products had been shipped to retailers across the U.S. Fortunately, there were no reports of allergic reactions associated with the recall. However, anyone who was concerned about the possibility of an allergic reaction was urged to contact their healthcare provider. The FSIS also encouraged consumers not to eat the mislabeled jerky. Prime Snax Incorporated Recalled Roughly 90,000 Pounds Of Beef Jerky Due To An Undeclared Allergen (2014) close-up of a packet of Arizona Jacks beef jerky - Torrance Certified Farmers Market / Facebook Research suggests that around 0.4% of children in the U.S. are allergic to soy. If a child with a soy allergy consumes soy by accident, they could experience everything from hives to stomach upset to anaphylaxis, which, as mentioned earlier, if not treated quickly, can be fatal. This is why it's a big problem when mislabeled products that contain allergens like soy hit the market particularly products that are popular with children, like jerky. Like Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, Utah-based company Prime Snax Incorporated had to act quickly when FSIS inspectors discovered that a number of its jerky products had been mislabeled and did not declare soy as an allergen on the packaging. This was despite the fact they had been processed with soy lecithin, a common food additive that is often added to products as an emulsifier or flavor protector. The processing plant was apparently unaware that it needed to declare the use of soy lecithin on its products. As a result of the finding, 90,000 pounds of beef jerky products were pulled from the shelves from stores across the U.S. A number of brands, including Arizona Jacks, Desert Star, Southwest Trail, Terrell, and Kettle Creek, were caught up in the recall. Again, it was very fortunate that nobody reported any allergic reactions as a result of consuming the mislabeled products. Yuak's Specialty Meats Recalled 90,000 Pounds Of Meat Products, Including Jerky, Due To Unsanitary Conditions (2013) close-up of beef jerky - Lecker Studio/Shutterstock Nobody wants to eat any food that may have come into contact with rodents. Not only is it an unpleasant thought, but it's also incredibly unhygienic and potentially dangerous. In fact, rodents, like mice and rats, can spread a number of different diseases, including salmonellosis, leptospirosis (which can lead to meningitis), and rat-bite fever (a very serious disease with flu-like symptoms). These diseases can be spread to people through bites or scratches, but also through contaminated food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is why, when rodents were found in one of Yuak's Specialty Meats processing plants by the FSIS during a safety assessment, a recall was immediately issued for a number of meat products that had been manufactured there. Roughly 90,000 pounds of products, including Horned Beef Jerky and Rocky Plains Meats Jerky, were pulled off the shelves in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, in a bid to keep people safe from foodborne diseases. At the time of the recall, nobody reported any signs of illness associated with any products produced in the rodent-infested plant. Yuak's Specialty Meats is not the only company to issue a recall due to rodents. In 2022, nearly a decade after this incident, Canadian companies Bistak Enterprises and Bistak Groceries recalled multiple food products from stores amid fears they had been contaminated by rodent droppings. In this case, the companies were concerned that the rodents could have spread salmonella. Yants Beef Jerky Recalled 6,200 Pounds Of Beef Jerky Because It Contained Undeclared Fish (2011) packets of yants beef jerky - Yants Snack Foods / Facebook In 2011, Ohio-based brand Yants Beef Jerky failed to label its products correctly, and in doing so, put people at risk of allergic reactions. A number of its jerky products, including Yants Hot Beef Jerky and Yants Southern BBQ Beef Jerky, were made with Worcestershire sauce that contained anchovies, but this was not specified on the label. According to the brand, the error occurred due to a change in ingredient suppliers. As a result, it had to recall around 6,200 pounds of jerky from stores in Ohio and Indiana. Unlike soy allergies, which are more common in children, finned fish allergies are more common in adults. In fact, between 40% and 60% of fish allergies develop in adulthood. A finned fish allergy is different to a shellfish allergy sufferers will usually experience a reaction to fish species (like halibut, anchovies, cod, and catfish) only, rather than shrimps or prawns, for example. Again, this is why it's important that all food companies label their products appropriately, and always declare when there may be even a small trace of fish inside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem with the labeling at Yants Beef Jerky was discovered during an FSIS inspection of the brand's products. Fortunately, there were no reports of allergic reactions occurring as a result of the mislabeled jerky. Bach Cuc Beef Jerky Recalled More Than 3,800 Pounds Of Teriyaki Beef Jerky Due To Undeclared Wheat (2010) pile of beef jerky - Faiza Saboor/Shutterstock Wheat is another common allergen in the U.S., and again, it seems to affect adults more than it does children. In fact, up to 1.2% of American adults have an allergy to wheat, while around 0.5% of children have the same allergy. On top of this, wheat is also a trigger for celiac disease, an autoimmune condition that affects around one in 133 people in the U.S. Accurate food labeling helps to keep all of these people safe from adverse reactions, but as you now know from reading this list, sometimes, mistakes are made when products are manufactured and processed. In 2011, California brand Bach Cuc Beef Jerky recalled more than 3,800 pounds of its Teriyaki Beef Jerky as it contained wheat that was not properly listed on the product label. At the time of the recall, the jerky had already been sent to retailers across the U.S. As with most allergen-related recalls, it was given a low Class II status. Class I status is often reserved for incidents where the FSIS determines there is a reasonable chance that the product could lead to serious health consequences or fatalities. Luckily, nobody fell ill or had an allergic reaction from consuming any of the recalled Bach Cuc Beef Jerky products. Read the original article on Mashed. Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) began as a small troop dedicated to teaching young girls practical skills. At a time when women couldn't vote and were expected to adhere to traditional roles, the organization offered a space for girls to develop community, confidence, and independence. Over the decades, Girl Scouts grew into a nationwide movement, empowering millions through outdoor adventures, diversity campaigns, and educational programs. Of course, we can't forget about the Girl Scouts' iconic cookies. From fans expressing excitement over new cookie releases to hoping that a discontinued favorite will return, the nonprofit has captivated cookie lovers nationwide for over 100 years. What started as a high school fundraising effort evolved into a cultural phenomenon, with Girl Scout cookies becoming a household name and a key part of the institution's identity. Beyond its famous cookies, Girl Scouts has built a strong reputation for fostering entrepreneurship in young girls. Its marketing strategies (including limited-edition cookie flavors and popular snack collaborations with companies like Yoplait and General Mills) have kept the organization relevant in an ever-changing market. Despite Girl Scouts' legacy of empowerment and success, the group and its famous cookies have seen their share of controversy, including cases of alleged embezzlement and more recent concerns over potential toxins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The 7 Lowest And 6 Highest Quality Ice Cream Brands To Look Out For Girl Scouts Allegedly Made Misleading Claims About Trans Fats In Its Cookies Samoa Girl Scout cookies on white surface - Karen Culp/Shutterstock For years, Girl Scouts has claimed its cookies contain no trans fats, but past labeling practices may have been misleading. Under FDA guidelines, foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving could be labeled as having zero grams of trans fats, even if they contained partially hydrogenated oils. This allowed food manufacturers, including Girl Scouts, to manipulate serving sizes to meet labeling requirements. This means cookies like Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and Samoas once contained small amounts of trans fats while being labeled as trans fat-free. This concern, however, is outdated. In 2015, the FDA began phasing trans fats out of the U.S. food supply after determining that they were broadly unsafe. Manufacturers nationwide were required to comply fully by January 1, 2020, meaning that Girl Scout cookies no longer contain hydrogenated oils today. While the organization has always followed legal guidelines, given its reputation for integrity, Girl Scouts might have benefited from greater transparency about the cookies' contents. The cookies, of course, still contain natural trans fats like butter and milk, but these are not affected by the FDA ban. Girl Scouts Was Called Out For Unsustainable Environmental Practices And Child Labor Palm oil plants on Malaysia plantation - Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images Girl Scouts has faced repeated criticism for using palm oil in the nonprofit's cookies, an ingredient linked to deforestation and child labor. Despite years of advocacy from members within the institution including two Girl Scouts who launched a petition in 2011 after learning about palm oil's environmental impact Girl Scout cookies still contain palm oil. Investigations have found that the palm oil supply chain often involves unsustainable practices that contribute to rainforest destruction, endangering species like orangutans. Additionally, a 2020 report uncovered child and forced labor in the palm oil industry, raising ethical concerns about the sourcing of this ingredient. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This controversy is particularly damaging because it contradicts Girl Scouts' values of ethical decision making, responsibility, and supporting local communities. However, the nonprofit has taken steps toward more sustainable routes. Girl Scouts has pledged to source "sustainable" palm oil through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), though critics argue that this certification does not fully prevent environmental harm or labor exploitation. One reason why Girl Scouts relies so heavily on palm oil is because the organization needed a replacement for hydrogenated oils and trans fats after the FDA determined them to be unsafe. Given Girl Scouts' emphasis on empowering young girls and fostering social responsibility, the organization's unwillingness to fully address these concerns has led to growing frustration among members and activists. Girl Scout Leaders Have Stolen From The Organization Multiple Times Girl Scout holding platter of Girl Scout cookies - Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock In 2018, Patricia Cascione, a former Girl Scouts troop treasurer in Santa Clarita, California, was charged with embezzling more than $58,000 from Girl Scouts of the USA's troops and a Girl Scouts service unit. Cascione volunteered as a treasurer for various LA County Girl Scout troops over the course of 20 years. In 2019, she was found guilty of embezzling over $93,000 over a four-year period from GSUSA and the Beverly Hills Cancer Center. The case concluded with Cascione pleading no contest to the charges, resulting in a sentencing of one year of jail time, followed by five years of probation in addition to an order to repay the stolen funds. This incident is among several in which Girl Scout leaders have been accused of misappropriating funds. In 2023, a Girl Scout troop treasurer from Delaware was arrested for allegedly stealing over $12,000 from her former troop. Similarly, a former Girl Scout troop leader in Oklahoma was accused of embezzling more than $5,000 from her troop back in 2010. The funds taken were earned from cookie sales and donations intended to honor a Girl Scout leader who had died. Though the motivations varied, these repeated incidents display the need for more financial checks and balances within Girl Scout troops. A Girl Scout Leader Was Accused Of Stealing $26,000 Worth Of Cookies Sleeves of Girl Scout cookies pulled halfway out of boxes - Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock Money isn't the only asset being stolen from the Girl Scouts. In 2017, Leah Ann Vick, a 26-year-old Girl Scout troop leader from Kentucky, was indicted for allegedly stealing over $26,000 worth of Girl Scout cookies. Over the course of a few months, Vick reportedly collected more than 6,000 boxes. However, when the time came to disperse the cookies to troops and collect the proceeds, Vick was unresponsive, leading to failed attempts by the organization to recover the funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was unclear whether Vick had kept the cookies, sold them herself and kept the cash, distributed some to troops and pocketed the proceeds, or a combination of all three. This prompted the nonprofit to involve law enforcement, resulting in her indictment on felony theft charges. The outcome of the legal proceedings remains uncertain from available reports. Girl Scout cookie sales are essential to the financial health of a troop, as the profits allow the young girls to fund educational trips and events. Girl Scouts Is Being Sued Over Alleged Toxins In Its Cookies Stack of Toast-Yay Girl Scout cookies on white plate - Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock In March 2025, Girl Scouts of the USA faced a class-action lawsuit alleging that its cookies contain harmful substances, including heavy metals and pesticides. This lawsuit, filed by New York resident Amy Mayo, asks for $5 million in damages and for future cookie packaging to clearly disclose the discovered substances. The lawsuit references a 2024 study conducted by Moms Across America and GMO Science, which tested several varieties of cookies. The study reportedly found traces of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury in all samples. The study also found glyphosate, a type of pesticide, in 13 cookies. Girl Scouts responded by affirming that the organization's cookies are safe and comply with all food safety regulations. The organization noted that trace amounts of heavy metals and glyphosate can occur naturally and are commonly found in many varieties of food products. Food safety experts, however, have questioned the study's validity, citing its small sample size and lack of peer review. Time will tell the results of the lawsuit, but rest assured, the cookies still follow FDA guidelines. Read the original article on Mashed. Imagine your spark bird is the bald eagle. You thought you were applying for a summer internship with the Student Conservation Association, thesca.org, during college. But what you were really getting was a lifelong addiction to birdwatching, an eventual doctorate in agroforestry, and work in research and education that takes you to places like Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, South Africa and Chilean Patagonia. Ryan Dibala, the guest speaker at the March Cheyenne Audubon meeting, still keeps up with the bald eagle restoration project with the Institute for Wildlife Studies, iws.org, he worked with through SCA and later. Many of you know the history of the bald eagle in the U.S., how exposure to the pesticide DDT put them on the verge of extinction. Heres how it worked: pesticides killed pests at the bottom of the food chain on farmlands. Poisoned insects and other small critters were eaten by the next trophic level, poisoning those animals. The top of the food chain, animals like eagles, gets the combined doses, the biggest dose, of poison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this case, for years DDT was dumped or flushed out of sewer systems into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California, near the Channel Islands, where bald eagles nested. Being the top trophic level eating poisoned fish, they were soon wiped out. By 1963, only 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles were found in the continental U.S. bald eagles in Alaska were living in a more pristine environment. The accumulation of DDT caused eggshell thinning, and brooding eagles smashed their own eggs. Biologists decided to restore bald eagles to the Channel Islands, first on Catalina Island and then the islands that make up Channel Islands National Park. They transplanted adult eagles from up north, who promptly paired up and laid eggs, usually two per nesting attempt. Egg decoys were substituted and the real eggs incubated in a lab. The hatchlings were later substituted for the decoy eggs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That sounds simple enough, unless you know how eagles like to build their nests on the tops of trees and cliffs in nearly inaccessible locations where youd need a helicopter to get to them. Ryan showed us great video footage of helmeted biologists in rock climbing gear climbing to nests or dangling from a 100-foot cable attached to a helicopter. The good news is that eagle nests are big enough and strong enough for a person to sit on. The bald eagles are so strongly wired to care for young that within seconds of two young being placed in the nest and the human leaving, the parent was snuggling down over the eaglets to brood them. Over the years, the restoration crew was able to increase their percentage of hatching success by establishing a lab on one of the islands, so the eggs didnt have the longer trip back to the mainland. They also found that an incubator that provided heat through contact with the egg had a much better success rate than an incubator blowing hot air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bald eagles are now successfully reproducing all over the lower 48. I saw one over Curt Gowdy State Park last month. Ryan showed a graphic designed by Jillian Ditner that tells the story by number of nests with breeding pairs in the lower 48: * 1963, 417 nesting pairs, all time low * 1967, bald and golden eagles listed as endangered * 1972, DDT banned in the U.S. * 1980, 1,188 pairs * 1990, 3,305 pairs * 2000, 6,471 pairs * 2007, bald eagle delisted * 2009, 30,568 pairs * 2019, 71,467 pairs, regular survey plus data from eBird collected by community scientists. And where is Ryan now? He is the man behind Birding Man Adventures, gobirdingman.com. Last spring, he donated a day-long birding trip in Rocky Mountain National Park for Cheyenne Audubons 50th anniversary celebration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ryan offers half-day, day-long and multi-day birding/nature trips geared for any level of birdwatching expertise and comfort level with backcountry travel, mostly in Colorado. He also offers international trips. This fall starts with Ecuador, then the Galapagos and finally Costa Rica. Ryan speaks Spanish and works with local farmers who attract birds to their land. When he signed on as a Student Conservation Association intern years ago, Ryan probably didnt picture where it would lead him. Since 1957, the SCA has influenced the careers of more than 100,000 young people, including me (Rocky Mountain and Canyonlands national parks). In 2024, 2,036 participants partnered with federal land agencies and nonprofits to complete conservation projects at 363 sites across the U.S., and possibly unknowingly, to change their lives. LONDON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Israel's detention of two British Members of Parliament (MPs), calling it "unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning." Lammy made the remarks in a statement on Saturday night following the detention. Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, from the governing Labour Party, were part of a parliamentary delegation to Israel. According to British news outlet Sky News, citing a statement from Israel's immigration ministry, they were rejected because they were suspected of plans to "document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred." Lammy said he had made it clear to his counterparts in the Israeli government that "this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians." "The UK government's focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza," he added in the statement. According to media reports, the two MPs left Israel on Sunday and are on their way back to Britain. Students at Tennessee State University, a public HBCU, greet Oprah Winfrey at a 2023 commencement ceremony. In recent months, university officials have warned that they could run out of cash by May. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images) The nations historically Black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, are wondering how to survive in an uncertain and contentious educational climate as the Trump administration downsizes the scope and purpose of the U.S. Department of Education while cutting away at federal funding for higher education. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing federal grants and loans, alarming HBCUs, where most students rely on Pell Grants or federal aid. The order was later rescinded, but ongoing cuts leave key support systems in political limbo, said Denise Smith, deputy director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a left-leaning think tank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leaders worry about Trumps rollback of the Justice40 Initiative, a climate change program that relied on HBCUs to tackle environmental justice issues, she said. And theres uncertainty around programs such as federal work-study and TRIO, which provides college access services to disadvantaged students. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX People are being mum because were starting to see a chilling effect, Smith said. Theres real fear that resources could be lost at any moment even the ones schools already know they need to survive. Most students at HBCUs rely on Pell Grants or other federal aid, and a fifth of Black college graduates matriculate from HBCUs. Other minority-serving institutions, known as MSIs, that focus on Hispanic and American Indian populations also heavily depend on federal aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its still unclear what these cuts will mean for HBCUs and MSIs, even though theyre supposedly protected, Smith said. States may be unlikely to make up any potential federal funding cuts to their public HBCUs. And the schools already have been underfunded by states compared with predominantly white schools. Theres real fear that resources could be lost at any moment even the ones schools already know they need to survive. Denise Smith, deputy director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation Congress created public, land-grant universities under the Morrill Act of 1862 to serve the countrys agricultural and industrial industries, providing 10 million acres taken from tribes and offering it for public universities such as Auburn and the University of Georgia. But Black students were excluded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 1890 Morrill Act required states to either integrate or establish separate land-grant institutions for Black students leading to the creation of many HBCUs. These schools have since faced chronic underfunding compared with their majority-white counterparts. None of them are equitable In 2020, the average endowment of white land-grant universities was $1.9 billion, compared with just $34 million for HBCUs, according to Forbes. There are other HBCUs that dont stem from the 1890 law, including well-known private schools such as Fisk University, Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College. But more than three-fourths of HBCU students attend public universities, meaning state lawmakers play a significant role in their funding and oversight. Marybeth Gasman, an endowed chair in education and a distinguished professor at Rutgers University, isnt impressed by what states have done for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions so far. She said she isnt sure there is a state model that can bridge the massive funding inequities for these institutions, even in states better known for their support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think North Carolina or Maryland have done a particularly good job at the state level. Nor have any of the other states. Students at HBCUs are funded at roughly 50-60% of what students at [predominately white institutions] are funded. Thats not right, said Gasman. Most of the bipartisan support has come from the U.S. Congress and is the result of important work by HBCUs and affiliated organizations. I dont know of a state model that works well, as none of them are equitable. Under federal law, states that accept federal land-grant funding are required to match every dollar with state funds. But in 2023, the Biden administration sent letters to 16 governors warning them that their public Black land-grant institutions had been underfunded by more than $12 billion over three decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tennessee State University alone had a $2.1 billion gap with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. At a February meeting hosted by the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, Tennessee State interim President Dwayne Tucker said the school is focused on asking lawmakers this year for money to keep the school running. Otherwise, Tucker said at the time, the institution could run out of cash around April or May. Thats real money. Thats the money we should work on, Tucker said, according to a video of the forum. In some states, lawsuits to recoup long-standing underfunding have been one course of action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Maryland, a landmark $577 million legal settlement was reached in 2021 to address decades of underfunding at four public HBCUs. In Georgia, three HBCU students sued the state in 2023 for underfunding of three HBCUs. In Tennessee, a recent state report found Tennessee State University has been shortchanged roughly $150 million to $544 million over the past 100 years. But Tucker said he thinks filing a lawsuit doesnt make much sense for Tennessee State. Theres no account payable set up with the state of Tennessee to pay us $2.1 billion, Tucker said at the February forum. And if we want to make a conclusion about whether [that money] is real or not youre going to have to sue the state of Tennessee, and I dont think that makes a whole lot of sense. Economic anchors There are 102 HBCUs across 19 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, though a large number of HBCUs are concentrated in the South. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alabama has the most, with 14, and Pennsylvania has the farthest north HBCU. Beyond education, HBCUs contribute roughly $15 billion annually to their local economies, generate more than 134,000 jobs and create $46.8 billion in career earnings, proving themselves to be economic anchors in under-resourced regions. Homecoming events at HBCUs significantly bolster local economies, local studies show. North Carolina Central Universitys homecoming contributes approximately $2.5 million to Durhams economy annually. Similarly, Hampton Universitys 2024 homecoming was projected to inject around $3 million into the City of Hampton and the coastal Virginia region, spurred by increased visitor spending and retail sales. In Tallahassee, Florida A&M Universitys 2024 homecoming week in October generated about $5.1 million from Sunday to Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their significance is especially pronounced in Southern states such as North Carolina, where HBCUs account for just 16% of four-year schools but serve 45% of the states Black undergraduate population. Smith has been encouraged by what shes seen in states such as Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee, which have a combined 20 HBCUs among them. Lawmakers have taken piecemeal steps to expand support for HBCUs through policy and funding, she noted. Tennessee became the first state in 2018 to appoint a full-time statewide higher education official dedicated to HBCU success for institutions such as Fisk and Tennessee State. Meanwhile, North Carolina launched a bipartisan, bicameral HBCU Caucus in 2023 to advocate for its 10 HBCUs, known as the NC10, and spotlight their $1.7 billion annual economic impact. We created a bipartisan HBCU caucus because we needed people in both parties to understand these institutions importance. If you represent a district with an HBCU, you should be connected to it, said North Carolina Democratic Sen. Gladys Robinson, an alum of private HBCU Bennett College and state HBCU North Carolina A&T State University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took constant education getting folks to come and see, talk about what was going on, she recalled. Its like beating the drum constantly until you finally hear the beat. For Robinson, advocacy for HBCUs can be a tough task, especially when fellow lawmakers arent aware of the stories of these institutions. North Carolina A&T was among the 1890 land-grant universities historically undermatched in federal agricultural and extension funding. The NC Promise Tuition Plan, launched in 2018, reduced in-state tuition to $500 per semester and out-of-state tuition to $2,500 per semester at a handful of schools that now include HBCUs Elizabeth City State University and Fayetteville State University; Western Carolina University, a Hispanic-serving institution; and UNC at Pembroke, founded in 1887 to serve American Indians. Through conversations on the floor of the General Assembly, and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Robinson advocated to ensure Elizabeth City State a struggling HBCU was included, which helped revive enrollment and public investment. Im hopeful because weve been here before, Robinson said in an interview. These institutions were built out of churches and land by people who had nothing, just so we could be educated, Robinson said. We have people in powerful positions across the country. We have to use our strength and our voices. Alumni must step up. Its tough, but not undoable. Meanwhile, other states are working to recognize certain colleges that offer significant support to Black college students. California last year passed a law creating a Black-serving Institution designation, the first such title in the country. Schools must have programs focused on Black achievement, retention and graduation rates, along with a five-year plan to improve them. Sacramento State is among the first receiving the designation. And this session, California state Assemblymember Mike Gipson, a Democrat, introduced legislation that proposes a $75 million grant program to support Black and underserved students over five years through the Designation of California Black-Serving Institutions Grant Program. The bill was most recently referred to the Assemblys appropriations committee. Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE House Ways and Means Chair Trey Lamar estimated that the Mississippi income tax will be phased out in 14 years under legislation passed this session and touted by members of the states Republican political leadership. Nobody was crowing louder about the phase-out of the income tax than Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. He even went on Fox News to brag about it. There are moments in a states history that mark a turning point, Reeves said on social media. A moment where the past gives way to the future The elimination of the income tax is not just a win for our economy. Its a win for freedom. A win for families. A win for the idea that Mississippi can lead that we will lead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reeves claimed victory even though he originally proposed just before the 2025 legislative session began to eliminate the income tax much quicker. But if Lamar is right, the income tax cut that the Legislature eventually passed and the governor signed into law will be fully eliminated just as the now 50-year-old Reeves nears retirement age. This is at least a little ironic since for years, Mississippi has not taxed retirement earnings. But many of those retirees who do not pay an income tax under state law and other Mississippians as well will face a tax increase under this newly passed legislation touted by Reeves and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same legislation that Reeves touts for eliminating the income tax increases the excise tax on a gallon of gas by 9 cents to 27.4 cents per gallon. This will surely represent a tax increase for many seniors, who as stated earlier, pay no income tax. But it also will result in a tax increase for some lower income Mississippians, who pay a limited tax on their earnings because the states income tax already is so low. Supporters of the legislation argue that a reduction in the tax on groceries from 7% to 5%, which also is included in the new law, will offset the 9-cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax. Each persons situation is different, based on how far they have to drive, the amount and type of food they buy and the income they earn. But in general, according to information released by legislative leaders, the gasoline tax will bring more revenue to the state $212 million per year than the grocery tax cut will take from the state at $128 million per year. It stands to reason more Mississippians will pay more, not less, from the combined increase in the gasoline tax and the cut in the grocery tax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group that will receive a windfall from the legislation is the states most wealthy. For Mississippians earning more than $365,000 annually, they will save more than $40,000 per year, according to the national nonprofit Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy. The savings for the wealthiest Mississippian will be as much as the annual earnings of average Mississippians according to Kyra Roby, a policy analyst for the advocacy nonprofit One Voice. But these assumptions are based, in part, on another assumption: that the income tax will be eliminated. Much could happen after Reeves leaves office. A new Legislature and governor facing possible declines in revenue could halt or repeal the tax cuts if they faced the option of having to make significant cuts in health care, education and other public services. And then there is the issue of the bills flaws. The legislation calls for the income tax to be reduced from a flat rate of 4% to 2.9% on taxable income by 2030. But the rest of the income tax phase-out will be determined by growth triggers placed in the legislation by the Senate to ensure that the income tax cuts would be slowed or even halted for a year if revenue did not meet certain levels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But typos in the bill, the House leadership and Reeves reasoned, left the triggers at low levels and thus would lead to a quicker elimination of the tax cut. By contrast, some cautioned the language creating those triggers could be interpreted as only reducing the income tax by a minuscule amount each year, meaning it might take much longer to completely phase out the income tax. In the past, such complex language would go to conference, where House and Senate leaders would take time to ensure the language was correct and did what was intended. But Reeves and House leaders eschewed that process. They believed it was more important to pass what may be a flawed bill and tout the elimination of the income tax while leaving the possible consequences for perhaps a whole new group of state leaders. This column was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is the editor of Mississippi Today Ideas. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Sunday pushed back on the idea that President Donald Trump might ignore future rulings decided by the Supreme Court, spurring constitutional discord. The real crisis, she argued, is the barrage of lawsuits the White House faces as it tries to move quickly on its agenda. "Just since January 20th, we've had over 170 lawsuits filed against us. That should be the constitutional crisis right there, 50 injunctions," Bondi told host Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday." "They're popping up every single day, trying to control his executive power, trying to control where he believes our tax dollars should be allocated." Several judges have played a key role in blocking elements of the President's agenda, with rulings standing in the way of efforts to cut $11 billion in Covid-19, mental health and substance abuse funding to states and mandating the return of a Maryland man illegally deported to El Salvador both hitting the fore last week. Most of those rulings are temporary in nature, pending fuller court proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has responded to the judicial disruption by attacking judges seen to be stifling his powers, contending that they are overstepping their authority. Republican backers have also launched efforts to impeach federal judges who have attracted Trump's ire. Bondi pointed to the administration's difficulty in standing up its planned ban on transgender troops serving in the military. A second federal judge in late March blocked the effort, calling it blatantly discriminatory. "It's basically a game of whack-a-mole with these District Court judges around the country who have a tremendous amount of power, they believe they do," she said. "But that's why we're appealing all of these cases of course up to the Supreme Court." As for Trump? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The President is going to comply with the law," Bondi told Bream. "He was overwhelmingly elected by an overwhelming majority of the United States citizens to be our commander-in-chief," exaggerating his margin of victory from a plurality of voters. She added: "And that's what he's been doing." TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Britain expressed outrage after Israeli authorities prevented two lawmakers from entering the country in order to visit the occupied West Bank. Israel accused the members of parliament of supporting boycotts against it. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said late Saturday that it was unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning that two British members of parliament were detained and refused entry to Israel. I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang said they were astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank." It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness firsthand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory," they said, adding that they had planned to visit humanitarian aid projects and local communities. Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity that helped organize the visit, said the two were questioned upon arrival at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport before being denied entry and deported. A statement from Israeli authorities accused the two lawmakers of having called for boycotts of Israel and said they were not visiting as part of an official delegation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli law prohibits the entry of non-citizens and non-residents who support the Palestinian-led international boycott movement, known as Boycott, Divest and Sanctions, or BDS. Supporters portray BDS as nonviolent activism based on a similar campaign against apartheid South Africa. Israel views the movement as an attack on its very legitimacy and accuses some organizers of antisemitism, allegations they deny. In February, Israel denied entry to two European Union lawmakers, accusing one of promoting boycotts of the country. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Our political parties, or at least the traditional ones, are in a mess. Labour and Conservative membership is in freefall. This has led them to become ever more reliant on an ever-decreasing number of donors, and in turn, this dependency on big money means that the need to galvanise mass support to their respective causes becomes less urgent. They can become less responsive to public concerns, further putting off potential recruits. Offering tax breaks for individual donations to political parties, perhaps capped at 50,000, could offer a way out of this doom spiral. It would incentivise our parties to recruit and tailor their message to the publics concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labours membership is now reported to stand at 309,000, down more than 11pc since last years General Election and from nearly 565,000 in 2017 at the height of Corbynism. The Islington messiah preached a truly toxic creed but he did manage to recruit and galvanise a mass membership, bringing in a torrent of small donations. Among young supporters the situation is now especially dire. The partys youth membership stood at around 100,000 when Keir Starmer became leader; it is now 30,000. The Conservative Party is literally dying off. In 2001, over 250,000 members voted in the leadership election; by 2005, it was just under 200,000; in 2022, it was down to 140,000. Last year, Kemi Badenoch received 53,806 votes against Robert Jenricks 41,388 just over 95,000 had cast a ballot. Membership is 40pc of what it was at the start of this century. By contrast, Nigel Farage and Reform UK do understand the value of recruiting a mass membership. By Friday, it claimed to have signed up 221,212 and now sets its sights on overtaking Labours numbers. This would be quite something for a party that is barely six years old, compared to the socialists 125-year heritage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mainstay of Labours financial backing has always been the unions. Tony Blair had a genius for recruiting super-rich supporters, and even Starmer has brought some 1m-plus donors on board. But this does not change the overall picture; over time union power has been concentrated in fewer hands. In the 1970s heyday of their power, dozens of unions were affiliated to Labour. Now there are only 11 left, and only three of them really matter. Huge influence, indeed power, is now in the hands of this handful of general secretaries. The 11 affiliates include organisations of largely historic interest. The National Union of Mineworkers remains tied to Labour, but at the end of 2022 it only had 194 members, of which 91 paid their dues. Its general secretary was paid 40,127, or 440 for each person paying to be represented. With a base that size, it is not contributing much to Labours coffers 1,828 in 2022. The affiliates that matter are the large general trade unions Unite, Unison and the GMB. Electoral Commission figures show that since 2001, Unite has paid Labour over 70m, and Unison and the GMB both around 40m. Is it any wonder that so many of the demands of these unions have been met over the past nine months? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The picture with the Tories is not much better. In the run-up to the last election, the Conservatives became hugely dependent on one donor. Frank Hester the man who notoriously made obnoxious remarks about Labour MP Diane Abbott donated 20m, in part as an individual and in part via his company, the Phoenix Partnership, during 2023 and 2024. This amounted to roughly 40pc of all Tory support. Whatever Mr Hesters merits or otherwise, this is clearly not a healthy situation. Offering tax breaks for political donations could offer a way out of both the Labour and Tory funding predicament. The move would not be unprecedented. Legacies to political parties are already exempt from inheritance tax, provided that the party elected two MPs at the last election or one MP plus receiving at least 150,000 votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This rule must be most tiresome to the Communist Party of Britain, which receives a steady stream of 50,000-plus bequests from passing comrades, but has thankfully obtained no MPs and negligible votes in recent decades. There is an oven-ready model that could be adopted for applying tax relief: that already pertaining to charitable donations. Gift Aid, or its political equivalent, could be applied to all donations made by a UK taxpayer. This would mean that if an individual donated 8,000 to Labour, or the Tories, Reform, or whatever, that party could then claim back an additional 2,000 from HMRC. This basic rate relief it is 25pc of the size of the actual donation rather than 2pc, as the system treats the gift as the gross amount would then be augmented for higher and additional rate taxpayers. They would claim the difference on their tax return, as is the case with charitable gifts. The cost of donating 10,000 to a political party would be 6,000 for a higher rate tax payer and 5,500 for a 45pc additional rate payer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current model of funding in the UK means it is all too easy for parties to be captured by vested interests. Offering tax reliefs with a cap is not a panacea, but it would at least offer a potential escape. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Is Brock Horner the best charter captain you'll ever meet in your (expletive) life? He may be the most obscene, and he's about to be the most famous. Horner, the owner of Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda, is going viral after a young fisherman, Gage Towles, posted video of the older captain yelling at him across the water, apparently mistaking him for another boater involved in an earlier near-collision. Horner berated Towles for several minutes before jumping from his boat into Towles' and taking off with the younger man still aboard. Towles, who had been steadily trying to calm the irate man down during the exchange, offered panicky apologies until Horner allowed him to take the wheel again. Boat captain arrested, faces felony and charge Horner was arrested Friday night, days after the video of his threatening behavior went viral. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Horner, 40, of Punta Gorda, was charged with burglary with assault or battery, a felony. He was released from the Charlotte County Jail on Saturday morning on $20,000 bond. But that's just one case Horner is involved in. The United States Coast Guard and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are also investigating the incident, Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith said in a press conference Saturday morning, and additional charges could be forthcoming. Brock Horner apologizes in released statement Horner has apologized. In a statement released to Gulf Coast News, his attorney, Scott Weinberg, said, "First and foremost, Brock sincerely apologizes to Gage, to Gages family, and to anyone who was frightened or upset by what they saw. He is deeply sorry. What began as a moment of frustration and concern escalated in a way it simply should not have. "Gage handled the situation with impressive composure and class, and that level-headedness helped prevent things from becoming far worse," Weinberg said, and added that Brock's business and reputation have been destroyed and his family harassed. Capt. Brock Horner, 40, of Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda, yells at Gage Towles, 22, for nearly three straight minutes before boarding his boat and hitting the throttle, terrorizing the fisherman. Here's what we know. What did Captain Brock Horner do? In the video titled "Charter captain jumps on my boat and tries to fight me for no reason" posted to social media this week, Towles, 22, was fishing alone under the Barron Collier Bridge in the early hours of Tuesday, April 1. In the video, Horner, 40, and four other men in a boat pulled up nearby. Horner called over to Towles, asking if he was the kid who "cussed at him" earlier and Towles said no. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Horner, unconvinced, continued to scream at Towles for not having his lights on earlier. Towles replied calmly that Horner had him confused with someone else but that Horner can't come "flying through the bridge area," which apparently infuriated Horner even more. At one point, Horner asked the younger man if he "wants to (expletive) go." Towles responded, "I don't wanna go ... I want you to get the (expletive) out of here." He reminded Horner that he was the one who pulled up on Towles, when he was just trying to fish. Towles asked if Horner was trying to "act like a tough guy in front of your buddies," and Horner said that he and his friends are veterans. Still calm, Towles thanked him for his service and tried to go back to fishing. But Horner continued swearing and yelling at Towles for not having his lights on and ignoring Towles' repeated denials. "I'm sorry, I don't know if that's what you want to hear, bro," he told Horner, and pointed out that the other boater cursed at Horner for almost hitting him when he came through. But Horner didn't stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Horner's boat moved closer, he yelled at Towles, saying he was the "best charter captain you will ever meet in your (expletive) life," a line that has now gone viral on social media. And then he escalated. Brock jumps onboard and takes over Towles' boat When Horner's boat got close enough, he jumped from one to the other and hit the throttle, sending Towles' boat racing off with both men in it. Towles, who had remained calm and mostly conciliatory during the encounter, finally started to panic. "Chill bro, chill bro please!" he yelled repeatedly, as he quickly moved as far as he could away from Horner in the small craft, followed by "I'm a kid bro, I'm a kid." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Horner continued yelling and telling him to apologize which Towles did, repeatedly and a bit frantically until Horner let him take the wheel and head back to Horner's boat. "Do it (expletive) again, and watch what happens," he said. Throughout the encounter, the other four men on Horner's boat remained stone-faced, with one man facing away during the entire incident. Boat rage captain goes viral Since the video was posted on Facebook it has been watched more than 12 million times as of Friday morning, with over 41,000 comments. Towles also posted it on YouTube Thursday, where it's gotten 216,000 views as of Friday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I never wanted to post this video in the first place because it made me feel so weak," Towles wrote in the description. "But I was already having a horrible day and this iced the cake. I look at it now like I possibly can save another person from Brock Horner or possibly someones life by getting this captain off the water." Parody accounts have been created for Horner and internet sleuths are digging into his criminal background. The Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda announced it has severed ties with him, and Pathfinder Boats, makers of the craft Horner uses, distanced themselves from him, saying his actions did not reflect their values. The North Port Fire Rescue Fire Chief Scott Titus, responding to reports that one of their firefighters was aboard Horner's boat, said Friday morning that Firefighter Johnny Riggs would be addressed appropriately after an investigation. Who is Brock Horner? Captain Brock Horner is the owner of Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda. According to an archived copy of his company's website, now offline, he was born in Port Charlotte and is a 6th-generation Florida native and a saltwater fishing tournament champion, with over 25 years of experience in fishing. Brock pilots a 2024 27 2700 Pathfinder Hybrid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brock's page said he is a Florida Gulf Coast University graduate and was a U.S. Army Ranger Veteran (Paratrooper) in Iraq certified in CPR, AED and Pediatrics. "Brock is a decorated combat veteran who was severely injured in Afghanistan," Weinberg said. "He served honorably, earned multiple medals, and suffered a traumatic brain injury in combat. He is recognized as 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Thats not an excuse but it is part of his story. He stood up when this country asked him to, and that service deserves to be respected." Where is Punta Gorda, Florida? Punta Gorda is the county seat of Charlotte County on the west coast of the state, on the south bank of the Peace Riover and the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor, an arm of the Gulf of America (until recently the Gulf of Mexico). It's about 24 miles northwest of Fort Myers and 52 miles southeast of Sarasota. (This story was updated with new information.) This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida boat rage video goes viral. Who is Brock Horner? Almost 4,000 years ago, a Mesopotamian man named Nanni was so disappointed with the copper he bought from a trader named Ea-nasir, that he decided to write a formal complaint. Today, this Bronze Age clay tablet is the oldest customer complaint we know of and it's a doozy. Writing and trade have an inseparable history. Some of the oldest surviving examples of written language are stocktakes and ledgers recorded in the ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform script. Since copper is a key ingredient in the very bronze the age was named for, it's no surprise that business surrounding this resource sometimes got heated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But letting a business know you weren't satisfied with your order was not so easy in those days. Without a customer help line or an unblinking AI bot to rant at, the outraged customer Nanni had to etch his gripes in earth, and then send it to Ea-nasir via messenger (as in, a person who physically carries messages between people, not an app that sends them across the internet). Wasting no inch of his clay, Nanni's complaints cover both front and back of a small tablet measuring 11.6 by 5 centimeters (that's 4.6 by 2 inches). It was translated from its original Akkadian language by assyriologist Adolf Leo Oppenheim, and published in his 1967 book Letters from Mesopotamia. Nanni had quite a bit to say about the transaction. ( Geni/Wikimedia Commons "You put ingots [of copper] which were not good before my messenger and said, 'If you want to take them, take them, if you do not want to take them, go away!'" Nanni writes. Presumably, he had already given Ea-nasir the money for an agreed amount of copper, which, as he seems to have discovered soon after, may not have been a wise move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In spite of being, by all accounts, a terrible copper merchant, it seems that Ea-nasir was a meticulous record-keeper. During 20th century excavations of the city of Ur (in modern-day Iraq), this clay tablet was found alongside multiple others addressed to the same hapless businessman, in what was presumably his own dwelling. Nanni's was not the only complaint among these records Ea-nasir seems to have ticked off more than just a handful of his clients but it's the oldest, and most scathing. "I have sent messengers, gentlemen like ourselves, to collect the bag with my money (deposited with you) but you have treated me with contempt by sending them back to me empty-handed several times," Nanni continues. "Is there anyone among the merchants who trade with [Tilmun] who has treated me in this way? You alone treat my messenger with contempt!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'Tilmun' traders are thought to have brought several hundred kilograms of copper to Southern Mesopotamia during the 3rd millennium BCE, which includes Ur. It's unclear whether Tilmun describes the copper's origin, or a renowned trading post for the metal, but Tilmun copper was so dominant that transactions in Ur were conducted using the 'Tilmun standard' of weight. Yet, by the time Nanni wrote his complaint in 1750 BCE, Tilmun copper had been on a long and steady decline, overtaken by Magan competitors. If Ea-nasir was indeed a crooked businessman, it may have been because of his supplier's dwindling stocks. "It is now up to you to restore (my money) to me in full," Nanni concludes. "Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept here any copper from you that is not of fine quality. I shall (from now on) select and take the ingots individually in my own yard." We will never know if Nanni got his money back, but he certainly had the last word. Related News JERUSALEM, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Two British Labour Party members of Parliament, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, were denied entry to Israel and deported on Saturday at Ben Gurion International Airport, by decision of Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel. Israel's Population and Immigration Authority said in a statement Saturday night that an investigation revealed the purpose of the two and their two assistants' arrival was to document security forces and spread "hate speech" against Israel. According to the statement, the four who arrived in Israel on a flight from London claimed to be part of an official parliamentary delegation, but no Israeli officials were aware of the arrival of any such delegation. Following the incident, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy released a statement saying that "it is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities." He stated, "I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support." ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) The City of Albuquerque is cracking down on problematic rental properties across the metro. It comes after Mayor Keller signed a resolution this week that directs the city to prioritize tenant complaints about unsafe living conditions. Everybody deserves a place to live that is safe, said Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. Its the citys latest effort to hold neglectful landlords to address tenant needs and be held accountable. They can find people who are not running good properties, said Dan Mayfield, a spokesperson for the City of Albuquerque. It can be up to $500 a day, per violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Albuquerque mayor files complaint against city council over AFR staffing ordinance According to the resolution, the city plans to hire a full-time position to receive tenant complaints and get them fixed. The person behind the push, Councilor Fiebelkorn, says many of those problems are a lack of basic living necessities, such as a lack of heating and cooling, no running water, and units without locks. The city says that the new position would be responsible for prioritizing complaints based on severity and the health or safety risk it poses to the tenant. The resolution also directs the employee to address complaints in a timely manner, even accelerating the process for urgent cases. We get calls every single week from a tenant who has a landlord who hasnt fixed something thats vital to their health and wellbeing, Councilor Fiebelkorn explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Albuquerque City Council passes nuisance property ordinance, guaranteed income initiative Through the resolution, tenants can submit complaints through the 311 number or online. According to city documents, the employee would also need to track and report the number and types of complaints and how long it took to fix. Most of the landlords in our city are doing the right thing, and so we do have a handful that are bad apples, and we want to make sure that those folks, those bad actors, are being held accountable, Councilor Fiebelkorn added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) A new cafe has opened on Main Street in Northampton, serving acai bowls and Belgian waffles loaded with flavorful toppings. Six Flags New England opens this weekend with new coaster coming this summer Berry & Batter, located at 76 Main Street, held its grand opening on Saturday. Owned by siblings Salim and Fatema Abdoo, the shop combines ingredients from a variety of cultures and includes both healthy and dessert options for whatever you may be craving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The menu was created by co-owner Fatema Abdoo, who was inspired to start the business after traveling around the world and trying many unique flavors in different countries. Our hopes with opening this shop is to just honestly build more community, Fatema Abdoo said. Obviously with this space, its pretty small. We werent able to execute the complete vision, but its still a quaint space. So its really just contributing to the grand idea of bringing people together, new people sharing dessert. The co-owners said they hope to franchise their business and expand with more locations. For more information, visit berrybatter.com. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. In the wake of Januarys devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and as federal action on climate change has slowed to a standstill, Californians recognize that our state must lead on climate solutions. Indeed, one of the bright spots in the November 2024 election which was otherwise not great for climate action was Californias approval of a $10 billion climate bond. But were still missing important opportunities to simultaneously reduce emissions and improve climate resilience by investing more robustly in climate-smart agriculture practices on our states farms and ranches. Opinion A decade ago, California led the nation by creating a suite of state programs that help farmers transition to climate-friendly methods, many of which also improve farm resilience to extreme weather. These methods include strategies like planting perennials at the field edge or using cover crops in the off-season, both of which boost soil carbon and improve farmers ability to capture and store winter moisture for our increasingly long dry seasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farmers ultimately see economic benefits from many of these practices. For example, hedgerows pay for themselves with pest control and pollination services after seven to 16 years. But state programs are essential to help farmers cover upfront costs while they wait for long-term returns on investment. The problem, however, is that the California legislature hasnt funded these programs adequately or consistently. In recent grant cycles, farmer demand for these incentives has outstripped available funding by two or three times. Failing to adequately fund climate smart agriculture programs is a huge missed opportunity. These are some of the states most cost-effective climate programs: Out of 90 climate programs in the state that are funded with cap-and-trade revenue via the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the four main climate smart agriculture programs are all among the top twenty in terms of cost effectiveness. Just one of these programs the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program is responsible for 15% of total emissions reductions achieved with the states cap and trade revenue, even though this program only receives 2% of the total funding. These programs also benefit Californians in myriad ways that go above and beyond their climate benefits: Improvements made with support from these programs save farmers thousands of dollars per year on energy, water, fertilizers and pesticides. Consequently, they also reduce dust, pesticides, nitrates and other sources of pollution that impact farm workers and rural communities. A recent Cal Poly analysis found that 71% of farmers who received grant money through these programs planned to continue using the climate smart practices they were funded to adopt even after their incentive period sunsets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California must also invest in climate solutions in other sectors, such as energy, transportation and buildings. But agriculture is underfunded relative to its impact. While agriculture accounts for 8% of California emissions and has the potential to not only mitigate emissions but also sequester carbon, the sector has received only 5% of cap-and-trade funds to date. Even this number is a bit misleading, as most of this funding has been one-time discretionary funding, not stable support that farmers can count on. In terms of continuously appropriated cap-and-trade revenue (the long-term support that farmers need to make long-term plans) agriculture has received just 2%. Fortunately, the legislature has a once-in-a-decade opportunity this year to reallocate our states climate funding, arguably our last chance to get this formula right before the worst impacts of climate change take hold. I urge the legislature to commit 15% of the states Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, on a continuous basis, to fund climate smart agriculture programs. Our states farmers and ranchers are ready to lead on climate action. Lets have their backs. Liz Carlisle is a public voices fellow of the OpEd Project and an associate professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Barbara. She is the author of three books about regenerative and organic agriculture: Lentil Underground, Grain by Grain (with Bob Quinn) and Healing Grounds. DES MOINES, Iowa The Cambodian New Year is just a week away and here in Des Moines communities gathered to celebrate and learn. The Cambodian New Year, also known as Khmer, is a traditional celebration of the solar new year in Cambodia. The celebrations lasts three days, falling at the end of harvesting season, allowing farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labor. This year the holiday goes from April 14 to 16. On the first day, people dress elegantly and offer incense, flowers and gifts at their temples of worship. On the second day, people perform acts of charity and some travel to pay homage to ancestors. Finally on the last day, people bid goodbye to the year and cleanse themselves for the new year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Toney Chem, Angkor Wat Friendship Association, Inc Vice President, says it means everything to bring the celebration to the greater Des Moines area and share the tradition while keeping it alive. WHO 13+ streaming app now available on Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV We grew up as small kids, always wanting to do something like this, its a dream come true and to see everyone we know, and the Cambodian community come out to support us is absolutely amazing, said Chem. Cambodia has an amazing story, and we are here to let everyone know we are ready to be seen and heard. This is the third year that the Angkor Wat Friendship Association, Inc has hosted a Khmer celebration and each year the party grows. During the celebration traditional dance, music, games, and food help share the holidays history and prepare families for the new year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We hope that we raise awareness among others and fundraise for the community so that we may continue the traditions, celebrations, and culture of the Cambodian people. Most of our families immigrated to Iowa in the late 1970s and early 1980s as refugees, said Emily Frimml, Board President of the Angkor Wat Friendship Association, Inc. Since then, the older generation of Cambodians set a good foundation for our community, it is time for other generations to carry on the culture and heritage. Frimml says the organization hopes to start educational programs for younger generations and eventually establish a community space that resembles the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. In a parenthetical buried in his new memoir, Graydon Carter recounts the story of how his 1984 GQ cover story of Donald Trump which sold well on newsstands convinced Conde Nast owner Si Newhouse to publish The Art of the Deal. That book led to The Apprentice, which led to the second half of Trumps career as media personality and then president. As they say, a butterflys wings, Carter writes. The longtime editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair has a legendarily combustible relationship with Trump. Over the past several decades, the two men have both been fixtures of New York City social life and have at times been something close to friendly. Carter even attended Trumps 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. But Carters SPY Magazine coined the term short-fingered vulgarian to describe the then-New York City real estate developer in the 1980s, and in turn, he was one of Trumps favorite targets on X for years back when it was known as Twitter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carter has lived in the United States for almost 50 years, but spent his youth in Ottawa. Its clear from his new book When the Going Was Good: An Editors Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines he still feels real fondness toward his Canadian roots and remains deeply impacted by his childhood and young adulthood there. That puts Carter in an interesting position: able to understand both Trump and his outsize impact on Canadas upcoming election in a way that most outside observers cant. Since he was elected last year, Trump has threatened to turn Canada into the 51st state and levied significant tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles from the country. I asked Carter for his take on Trumps Canada threats, given what hes observed of the man over the years, and the growing backlash to them thats flipped the countrys April 28 election on its head. Napoleon and Hitler made the mistake of blithely marching into another cold-weather nation, Carter said in an interview with POLITICO Magazine. You dont get through those brutal winters without building up a sturdy resilience. And Canadians can fight and skate at the same time. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You describe in the book your relationship with Trump. You famously had all his 43 tweets about you framed and put up outside your old office. What did the years of sparring with him teach you that other journalists might miss about him? I think that inside every bullying strongman is a coward who is easily manipulated and frightened. As a born and raised Canadian yourself, how should Canada understand Trump's threats? I think Canadians should take this lunatic threat seriously. By the same token Trump should take Canadian resistance every bit as seriously. Napoleon and Hitler made the mistake of blithely marching into another cold-weather nation, when they tried to take Russia. Look how those adventures turned out. Beneath that affable, welcoming exterior, Canadians are remarkably tough. You dont get through those brutal winters without building up a sturdy resilience. And Canadians can fight and skate at the same time. The polls show a quick shift away from Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives and toward Mark Carney and the Liberals since Trump began to hammer Canada with 51st state rhetoric. But Carney himself doesn't seem like an obvious example of a pro-Canada fighter; he's spent much of his professional life abroad. What do you think of Carney, and what do you make of the shift in polling? Ive met Mark once. And I found that he has a disarming and completely charming dry sense of humor. Given his experience, I think Trump would be wise not to underestimate him. How about Pierre Poilievre? What is his appeal to Canadians, and why does it seem to have diminished since Trump returned to the White House? I do think that Trump is giving strongman populism a bad name. In his own way, hes been a gift to liberal democracies everywhere. Perhaps its just that seeing what is going on in the U.S. right now that makes them appreciate the freedoms and sanity that surround them. You also write in the book about how six months working on the railroad in Canada as a child changed the course of your life. What specifically did that experience teach you about the politics and culture of your homeland, and how does it inform how you look at Canada's current political moment? I wasnt a child. I mean this wasnt 19th century England. I was a late teen. I lived with 11 other men in a bunk car out on the Canadian prairie. I grew to like these men most of whom had had their brushes with the law. Having worked summers at blue-collar jobs was a useful guide in understanding how the average working man or woman thinks and how they view authority figures, especially politicians. How is Canadas media doing at covering both the Trump threats and the upcoming election? What can both American and Canadian media do better right now? I think that what the far right derisively calls the mainstream media has been doing a remarkable job during one of the most challenging times for anyone involved in delivering balanced but pointed coverage of what is going on. You dont have to give all sides to every issue. If youre discussing the roundness of the earth, you do not need to get the opinion of the spokesperson from the Flat Earth Society. From you to Vice co-founder Shane Smith, there are lots of Canadians who have left their mark on American media. Why is that, and why doesnt that seem to happen to the same extent in Canada itself? Well, Shane is more American in a way than Canadian. My, but that fellow can talk. I prefer Canadians like Lorne Michaels, Martin Short, Catherine OHara, the late Robbie Robertson and Victor Garber. They came here and made their marks in America, but without losing any of their cheerful, generous, Canadianness. They are my friends and idols. In the book, you describe in detail a golden age of American journalism. Does a lack of the same kind of towering media institutions now make it more difficult to cover President Trump? These first few months must have been brutal for reporters. Given the flurry of executive orders flying out of the White House, for them it must be like trying to grab a cup of water from a fire hose. I do think the New York Times has been exceptional through all of this. And the fact that a nearly 175-year-old magazine like The Atlantic can so dominate the news cycle the way it has, should give everyone hope. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Community members held a candlelight vigil Saturday evening to honor the life of Patrick Lyoya, show support for the family and press for change. Friday marked exactly three years since Lyoya, 26, was killed in southeast Grand Rapids. Former officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed Lyoya after a traffic stop the morning of April 4, 2022. Video released by police shows Lyoya running away from Schurr and the two struggling over Schurrs Taser. Ultimately, Schurr, who was on top of Lyoya trying to hold him down, shot him in the back of the head. Inside woodtv.com: Patrick Lyoya Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, community members gathered at Griggs Street SE and Nelson Avenue SE, where Lyoya died, to remember his life. Attendees held candles, and several people spoke. Patrick Lyoya is a human being who had dreams. Hes a human being that had children. Hes a human being that had brothers and sisters. Hes a human being that has parents, organizer and Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack said. Hes a human being that has aspirations, and all of that was took. All of that was took because of a bullet in the back of the head. A sign that reads Justice for Patrick in southeast Grand Rapids. (April 5, 2025) A memorial to Patrick Lyoya in southeast Grand Rapids. (April 5, 2025) Peter Lyoya, Patrick Lyoyas father, spoke about the familys suffering and thanked attendees for supporting the family. An undated photo of Patrick Lyoya (Courtesy of Lyoya family) I say thanks to come today to this candlelight to remember Patricks life, said Peter Lyoya, whose native language is Swahili. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patrick Lyoyas brother, a high school student, said he wanted justice for his brother. He said though his brother was killed three years ago, the pain was still fresh. Patrick Lyoyas passenger: Struggle and shooting happened so fast Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in Lyoyas death and then fired. Policy changes around use of force and de-escalation were later made inside the Grand Rapids Police Department. Since a judge ruled in late 2022 there is enough evidence to send the case to trial, Schurrs attorneys have spent years appealing the decision all the way up to the Michigan Supreme Court. The high court denied their final appeal in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jury selection is scheduled to begin April 21 and the trial is set for April 28. Prosecutors say Schurrs decision to use deadly force was unnecessary, while Schurrs attorneys have argued the shooting was justified. Trial date set for ex-GRPD officer Christopher Schurr At Saturdays vigil, Womack and other attendees chanted justice for Patrick and called for change. If we dont stand up, then itll continue for the next 20 years that young people have to walk in fear of the people that are here to protect us, he said. The vigil ended with a prayer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Apr. 5WILKES-BARRE At an event at the Lehigh Valley International Airport this week, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll joined the officials from the airport and the American Automobile Association (AAA), to remind Pennsylvanians of federal REAL ID enforcement starting May 7. Getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning May 7, travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification such as a valid passport or military ID to board a domestic commercial flight, and enter a military base or other federal facilities that require ID at the door. More than 2.6 million Pennsylvanians have gotten a REAL ID driver's license or ID card since they became available in the state in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Pennsylvanians have options available to apply for a REAL ID-compliant product mailed to you when you apply at a driver license center or issued over-the-counter at a REAL ID center," said Secretary Carroll. "With federal REAL ID enforcement beginning on May 7, your travel planning should include making sure you have proper ID to fly, especially if you have flights planned for the summer." Rep. Meuser co-sponsors legislation to impose maximum pressure on Iran U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, this week co-sponsored H.R. 2570 the Maximum Pressure Act to impose the toughest sanctions yet on Iran and cut off its ability to fund terrorism across the Middle East. Rep. Meuser said that for years, Iran has fueled instability by financially supporting terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. He said weak enforcement of existing sanctions has encouraged its aggression, leading to deadly events, including the Oct. 7, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed over a thousand victims, including Americans, and triggered further strikes on U.S. forces and commercial vessels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Meuser said the Maximum Pressure Act would codify President Trump's maximum-pressure strategy by strengthening sanctions and blocking Iranian funds used for terrorism. He said it authorizes the U.S. government to seize Iran's $6 billion ransom payment and redirect it to compensate American victims of terrorism. Rep. Meuser said the bill also expands rewards for capturing those responsible for the Oct. 7 attack, cracks down on Iran's missile and drone programs, blacklists all unsanctioned Iranian banks, and mandates a full investigation into Iranian intelligence activity within the United States. Additionally, Rep. Meuser said it requires a report on how past sanctions relief may have benefited terrorist groups backed by Iran and prevents future administrations from lifting these sanctions without congressional approval. Rep. Meuser said sanctions on Iranian oil have historically been a highly effective tool in limiting the regime's financial power. Rep. Meuser said strict sanctions reduced Iran's foreign reserves to just $4 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Maximum Pressure Act is a critical step in cutting off the Iranian regime's ability to bankroll its proxy terror networks, including Hamas and Hezbollah," Rep. Meuser said. "By codifying strong, enforceable sanctions, we're sending a clear message the United States will not tolerate attacks on our allies, our service-members, or our interests. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2570 to protect U.S. national security, support our allies in the Middle East, and prevent further Iranian aggression." H.R.2570 has been referred to several committees for further consideration. Saving Penn State Schuylkill: Roundtable presents data against potential closure Students, educators, employers and concerned citizens filled the John E. Morgan Auditorium at Penn State Schuylkill this week to share their strong opposition to Penn State's plan to potentially close the campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hosted by Sen. Dave Argall (R-Pottsville) and Reps. Tim Twardzik (R-123), Jamie Barton (R-124), JoAnne Stehr (R-107) and Dane Watro (R-Hazleton), the event described how Penn State Schuylkill has changed lives throughout Schuylkill County and beyond. Argall opened the hearing by noting that the goal was to provide Penn State with as much information as possible about Penn State Schuylkill's impact on the community to guide their final decision. During the first panel, Dr. Cory Scherer, the interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill, shared that despite the news of the potential closure, applications and acceptances have increased compared to last year. He also discussed how the significant wait to hear Penn State leadership's final decision has taken a serious toll on students, educators and administrators. The second panel featured elected officials and employers from Schuylkill County, who discussed how the campus has positively impacted local communities and the regional economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robert Carl, the president of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, discussed the success of Penn State Schuylkill's recently created nursing program, which serves as a direct workforce pipeline to local healthcare systems. He also referenced a report indicating that Penn State Schuylkill was a local anchor institution that contributed $33.9 million to Pennsylvania's economy. The final panel featured students, who shared their perspectives on how Penn State Schuylkill has changed their lives. Seth Hubler, a Penn State Schuylkill alumnus, discussed his Penn State Schuylkill experience, including traveling internationally, serving as the Student Body President, and participating in the co-op program. At the conclusion of the event, members of the public shared their stories about the value of the campus to Schuylkill County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barton said, "If Penn State needed any evidence as to why this campus cannot close, this roundtable is all the proof needed. So many people are fighting to keep this campus open." Argall closed the hearing with a warning, saying, "I have supported Penn State's appropriation each and every year in my time in the House and the Senate. If they close this campus down, I will never support this funding again." Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. It was a busy week 12 of the 95th Arkansas General Assembly, after returning from an off-week for spring break. Capitol View host Roby Brock met with State Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), architect of many bills this session, and sat down to talk about prison funding and the current state of the economy. Roby then talks with State Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) concerning his opposition to the appropriation bill for a new state prison in Franklin County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Capitol View airs on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Captain Brock Wagner says he and his wife try to live a simple life. Im 55 and I dont really follow the internet a lot. Maybe a little Facebook presence, but thats about it. I guide in the Everglades and am kind of a one-trick pony, the inshore-based captain Wagner explained. But the couples lives got chaotic in an unfortunate way following a viral video that surfaced Wednesday afternoon. My phone rang at 10:30 or 11 oclock that night. My dads been in the hospital for a few weeks, so my stomach kind of sank when it was ringing that late worried about the reality of that phone call. But the message had nothing to do with my father. It was basically some guy from Arizona who said Are you the captain who was cussing out that kid? He called me a few choice names then hung up on me, recalled Wagner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My wife Maureen said, Honey, what is going on? She started looking around a bit and found the video he was talking about, he added. We see it and I say, Oh sh, this is going to destroy me. Mistaken identity in viral video In the video, which has already been shared and seen by millions in a short amount of time, a fishing captain jumps from his boat onto the boat of a self-described kid who was recording the interaction while fishing. The captain yells in a threatening manner many physical threats leaving the young angler, who is alone, feeling quite threatened. Three men from the captains original boat watch on. Strong language is used by both parties in the bizarre interaction, but the general consensus from those who have seen the video is that the captain was way out of line jumping onto another persons boat, knowing it as an extremely aggressive action bordering on life-threatening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The captains name, Brock Horner, has since become infamous across the internet for his actions. Many threats of violence were made toward him in comment sections in a retaliatory nature for his actions. The captain was completely wrong, said Wagner. But I feel bad for him, you dont know the demons hes living through. After watching the video Wagner and his wife were not aware of the backlash that was about to occur in their own lives. People were mixing up captain Brock Wagner with captain Brock Horner. The next morning multiple messages and posts were made demeaning Wagners business. The couple quickly took action on Wagners webpage to address the issue. There is a negative viral video about a Captain Brock with an aqua boat out of Punta Gorda. This is NOT ME, the message displayed under the word Attention: I have the unfortunate luck of sharing the same first name and I have the same color boat. I am Captain Brock Wagner and fish in the Everglades and not the one in the video. I am a hard-working family man and this is affecting my business and family. Unfortunately, we are also getting threats. Please help us to spread the word! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as much negative attention as they have received, the Wagners have been able to also get backing from friends and others in the fishing community. All of the sudden there are people now supporting us, sharing that we arent the one. Ive been brought to tears with the outpouring of support, said Maureen Wagner. Im so humbled and shocked. As soon as I put it on our webpage the support started to come. People that know us, people that dont know us. People are sharing to help us out. On Friday night, the Punta Gorda Police Department announced that Brock Horner had been arrested on burglary and assault charges due to his actions in the video. Cassie plans on testifying during Diddy's upcoming trial -- and it won't be anonymous, TMZ has confirmed. "Victim 1" is "prepared to testify under her own name" during the upcoming trial, where Diddy will defend himself against charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Cassie and Diddy -- Together Photos - Click image to open gallery Cassie is the person known as "Victim 1." There are three other alleged victims who have requested their identities remain secret during the trial. Prosecutors say using pseudonyms instead of real names will prevent harassment and other adverse consequences for the alleged victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just last month, prosecutors in the case finally handed over the names of the three anonymous women to Diddy's legal team ... so, he's aware of who is leveling accusations against him. A 2016 surveillance video obtained by CNN shows Sean "Diddy" Combs violently grab, shove, drag and kick his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura during an altercation in a hotel in California. https://t.co/qgD40mRPtQ pic.twitter.com/1u7qJgn3mC CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) May 17, 2024 cnnbrk (@cnnbrk) Cassie's identity had already become public ... because the indictment references a hotel beating video -- obviously the one CNN published last year, then apparently destroyed the tape of. Diddy's Arrest Caught on Video, Marched Out of NYC Hotel in Handcuffs As you know, Diddy was arrested and charged in September 2024 ... months after his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal agents. He's currently locked up in MDC Brooklyn -- a notorious federal prison -- awaiting his trial ... which is supposed to begin on May 5. Diddy has pleaded not guilty, and he's denied all allegations of wrongdoing made against him. TMZ Presents | The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview Cassie originally sued Diddy in November 2023 for alleged rape, abuse, and human trafficking. The two sides settled their lawsuit within days of the filing ... though it seemingly opened the floodgates and led to numerous other lawsuits against the mogul. Getty Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We've reached out to Cassie and Diddy ... so far, no word back. Japanese fishing vessel expelled for unlawfully entering waters of China's Diaoyu Dao Xinhua) 13:19, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesperson on Sunday said that a Japanese fishing vessel had been expelled for unlawfully entering into the territorial waters of China's Diaoyu Dao. The CCG has taken necessary control measures in accordance with the law, issued warnings and drove the Japanese fishing vessel away after it illegally entered the waters between Saturday and Sunday, according to spokesperson Liu Dejun. Emphasizing that Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands are China's inherent territory, Liu urged the Japanese side to immediately cease all illegal activities in these waters. The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement operations in the territorial waters of Diaoyu Dao to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, he added. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in dozens of cities across the United States and Europe on Saturday to protest the controversial policies of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, including the imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs," the shutdown of federal agencies and the deportation of immigrants. In the United States, around 600,000 people joined over 1,400 protests across all 50 states under the theme of "Hands Off," according to the organizers. Organized by a coalition of more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions and veterans' associations, demonstrators gathered at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security Administration headquarters, city halls and public parks. "This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people -- nurses, teachers, students, parents -- who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started," said Rahna Epting, executive director of the activist group MoveOn. "We're here fighting for the soul of America," Angela C, a protester in Los Angeles, told Xinhua. "Do we remain the guiding light for progress, compassion, and fairness in the world as funding fathers dreamt of? Or follow Trump to become another pathetic bully with a big stick out to exploit all the other countries in the world?" Some elected officials joined the campaign as well. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she doesn't want her children and others to live in a world where threats and intimidation are the means of government and values such as diversity and peace are under attack. In response to the protests, the White House said in a statement that "President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country who overwhelmingly re-elected him," according to USA Today. Protests were also held in European cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, London and Lisbon. In Berlin, hundreds of people gathered outside a Tesla showroom to protest against Tesla's owner, Elon Musk, who is also a close ally of Trump. In London, protesters rallied at Trafalgar Square, holding signs reading "Proud American Ashamed" and chanting "Hands off Canada" and "Hands off Greenland." The marches in Europe came just days after Trump imposed a 20 percent "reciprocal" tariff on EU imports, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended his first NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels earlier this week -- widely viewed as an effort to manage tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic ahead of the NATO leaders' summit in June. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Cedarville Universitys senior professor of history and law, Dr. Marc Clauson, died on Thursday, April 4. Dr. Thomas White, the schools president, shared a letter about the life of Dr. Clauson. This year, we have been reminded of the fleeting nature of life on this side of eternity and the very real pain of suffering and loss. It is with a heavy heart that I come to you again and share the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. Marc Clauson, senior professor of history and law, in the Department of History and Government, said Dr. White. Dr. Clauson went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, April 3, after a brief illness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cedarville mourns, remembers student killed in DC plane crash Dr. Clauson started working at the university in 2002. He had a deep love for learning, theology, church history and political thought. He had multiple degrees, including a doctorate in history from the University of the Orange Free State, a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University School of Law, and masters degrees in church history and theology from Liberty University. Dr. Clauson was a devoted Christian who promoted wisdom and kindness. As we grieve this profound loss, we take comfort in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. We do not mourn as those without hope, for we trust that one day, we will see Dr. Clauson again in glory, said Dr. White. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. White asked people to lift up and pray for Dr. Clausons wife, Jennifer, and their daughters, Heather, Natalie, Caroline and Elaina. He also asked for prayers for Dr. Clausons students, close friends and colleagues. The school will share service arrangements when they are available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Cass Countys population has continued to decline, according to the most recent estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau. The organization estimated Cass Countys population was at 37,559 people as of July 1, 2024, marking a 0.6% decrease from July 1, 2023, when the Bureau predicted the population was 37,802. It marked the first year since 2021 that Cass Countys population estimate showed decline. How does Cass County compare? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cass Countys decline in estimated population wasnt as steep as bordering Fulton Countys, which declined by 315 people, marking a 1.6% decrease from 2023. However, the decline also wasnt as short as neighboring Pulaski County, which saw a decline of 13 people, or a 0.1% decrease. Miami and Howard counties saw their estimated populations increase by 136 (a growth of 0.4%) and 225 people (a 0.3% increase) respectively. Statewide, Indianas population grew by 44,144 people to reach 6.92 million last year. According to an analysis by the Indiana Business Research Center at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, thats the largest annual increase since 2008. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Research Center cited international migration as the leading cause of population increase. Back in 2008, natural increase or the difference between births and deaths accounted for 77% of Indianas growth. In 2024, by contrast, a net international migration of 30,852 residents accounted for 70% of the states growth, Matt Kinghorn, senior demographer at the Research Center, wrote in the report. Indiana still saw some natural increase, though. The state had roughly 9,160 more births than deaths in 2024, marking the states highest level of natural increase since 2020. However, Kinghorn noted the natural increase is still well below pre-pandemic rates. Prior to the pandemic, from 2010 to 2019, the average natural increase was roughly 21,140 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, Cass Countys international migration brought in more people than the Countys natural population increase. The county brought in 135 international migrants, while the natural growth (the difference between the deaths and births) came out to a growth of 21 people. In terms of domestic migration, Indiana saw a total of 4,268 move to the Hoosier state from other parts of the country. Comparatively, Cass Countys population declined by 401 people due to domestic migration. The states 0.64% growth rate last year fell behind Kenuckys 0.83%, but saw more growth than other neighboring states Michigan (which has a 0.57% growth), Illinois (0.54%) and Ohio (0.5%). Nationally, Indiana saw the 31st largest growth rate. Local officials share thoughts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the estimated countywide population decline, Logansport mayor Chris Martin said he was pleased to share the city is experiencing exciting growth. This year, we are announcing multiple housing projects that will further enhance our communitys infrastructure and provide new opportunities for residents, Martin wrote in an email to the Pharos-Tribune. In addition, weve seen recent growth in restaurants and retail, contributing to the vibrancy and economic development of our city. With these developments underway, I dont see any immediate concerns at this time, the mayor added. Our community is thriving, and we remain committed to ensuring Logansports continued success and progress. Mike McCord, who is a member of the Logansport Redevelopment Commission, hypothesized the slight decline in Cass Countys population had to do with a change in international migrants working at the Tyson factory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He explained there was a time in the near past when Tyson bussed Burmese employees who lived in Fort Wayne to Logansport and back everyday. He estimated the Burmese employees have since found jobs in Fort Wayne as the citys economy grows stronger. To fill those positions, McCord guessed, Tyson began hiring Haitians who live in Logansport. So, the employee headcount at Tysons did not change but now there are more workers and their families living here, McCord wrote in an email to the Pharos-Tribune. McCord noted Haitians who live in Logansport and Cass County should bring a larger economic impact than Burmese workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, McCord also pointed out the Temporary Protected Status of Haitian migrants is set to expire Aug. 3. In theory, McCord wrote, that could mean Haitian migrants working at the Tyson factory will lose their jobs and the factory will need to find new workers to take their place. Attempts by the Pharos-Tribune to contact the factory went unanswered. According to the National Immigration Forum, there were roughly 863,880 people who had Temporary Protection Status in the United States as of Sept. 23, 2024. Indiana had the 12th highest population of people with the status, sitting at 18,775 people. Johnsonville, a Sheboygan Falls-based sausage company, recalled about 22,672 pounds of cheddar bratwursts that were sold in 10 states, including Wisconsin. The recall, announced Saturday, comes after two consumers found hard plastic material in the brats. No injuries have been reported from consuming the product. The product was produced Feb. 5, 2025, at Johnsonville's plant in Momence, Illinois. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service encourages consumers to check their freezers for the product. Recalled brats should not be eaten. Instead, throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Recalled products have the package code B9FOD and establishment number Est. 1647 on the front of the label. The product is a 19-ounce, sealed tray package with five cheddar brats. Affected brats were shipped to retailers in Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. A list of retailers who sold the product will be published here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Journal Sentinel has reached out to Johnsonville for additional information. More information can be found on the USDA's recall website. Consumers with food safety questions can call a toll-free hotline at 888-674-6854. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Johnsonville recalls cheddar brats in 10 states, including Wisconsin A 37-year-old Chicago man was in custody Saturday after a gun incident in Davenport, according to Scott County Court records. Winston Wilbanks (Scott County Jail) Winston Wilbanks faces three felony charges of a controlled-substance violation, three felony charges of failure to affix a drug stamp; a felony charge of going armed with intent; a felony charge of dominion/control of a firearm/offensive weapon by a felon; and an aggravated misdemeanor of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, according to Scott County Court documents. Shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, Davenport Police responded to Relax Inn, 6310 Brady St., for a disturbance involving a firearm. Wilbanks was there when a co-defendant was engaged in an altercation with the victim, according to arrest affidavits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilbanks, affidavits show, produced a firearm from a backpack and intentionally pointed it at the victim, Davenport Police say in affidavits. A struggle ensued over the firearm at which point a round was discharged. The victim was able to disarm (Wilbanks,) who then fled the scene. Affidavits say Wilbanks is a convicted felon. A witness saw part of the altercation and said Wilbanks was fighting to maintain possession of the gun, according to affidavits, which show a second witness saw Wilbanks run off, hop a fence and get into a light blue or gray newer style Ford Bronco parked to the southwest of the hotel. Officers found the Ford Bronco parked in the rear of the 600 block of West 61st Street. Wilbanks was at a residence in the area, affidavits show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the execution of a search warrant on the 600 block of West 61st Street, police found a light brown Carhartt coat Wilbanks had been described as wearing, affidavits say. In the coat pocket were the keys to the Ford Bronco. Detectives executed a search of the Bronco and found: 845.5 grams total package weight of methamphetamine contained in multiple packages for the intent to distribute, according to affidavits. This substance field tested positive for methamphetamine. There was no tax stamp affixed to the packaging. 513 pills of suspected ecstacy contained in multiple packages with different counts for distribution. These pills field tested positive for methamphetamine, affidavits show. There was no tax stamp affixed to the packaging. 68 grams total package weight of marijuana contained in multiple packages for distribution. There was no tax stamp affixed to the packaging, according to affidavits. Wilbanks, who was being held Saturday on a $50,000 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 15 in Scott County Court. , Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Apr. 6OREGON A Chicago man charged with four felonies, including unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon and possessing oxycodone with the intent to deliver, will remain in the Ogle County Jail as his case proceeds through the court system. John D. Carew, 26, was denied release March 26 following a detention hearing in front of Ogle County Associate Circuit Judge Anthony Peska. Carew is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon as a felon, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm a semi-automatic pistol, possession of less than 50 grams of a substance containing oxycodone with the intent to deliver, possession of a substance containing alprazolam, a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, and driving with a revoked license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carew was arrested on the charges following a traffic stop by the Illinois State Police on I-39 south of Lindenwood at 9:40 p.m. March 25. According to tickets issued by state police, Carew's driver's license expired in October 2022. Assistant State's Attorney Matthew Leisten told Peska that Carew was on mandatory supervised release for a Cook County charge when his vehicle was stopped and subsequently searched. "He [Carew] had a gun in his vehicle and oxycodone," Leisten told Peska. "There are no conditions to mitigate the risk. We do believe he is specifically a danger to residents in Cook and Ogle County." Leisten said Carew has another pending charge in Cook County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Most of his criminal background includes gun charges," Leisten told Peska. Assistant Public Defender Eric Morrow argued Carew could be released from custody while his case proceeds. "He has had no issues of failing to appear in his former cases," said Morrow. "He has two job interviews this week. Conditions could be set to allow his release." Morrow said a family friend had agreed to transport Carew to his court appearances in Ogle County if he were to be released. Peska denied Carew's release, noting he had scored 11 out of 14 on a risk assessment for release. "There are allegations that he was in possession of a stolen firearm. One of the conditions of his parole was not to violate any law or have a firearm. There are multiple things here," Peska said. "There aren't any additional conditions that could be imposed. There is a real and present threat here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, oxycodone is a semi-synthetic narcotic analgesic that is a popular drug of abuse among the narcotic abusing population. It is also known as "Hillbilly Heroin, Kicker, OC, Ox, Roxy, Perc, Oxy." "Oxycodone is abused orally or intravenously. The tablets are crushed and sniffed or dissolved in water and injected. Others heat a tablet that has been placed on a piece of foil then inhale the vapors," the DEA says on its website. "Euphoria and feelings of relaxation are the most common effects of oxycodone on the brain, which explains its high potential for abuse." Alrazolam is a benzodiazepine that is only legally available through prescription. "Many users maintain their drug supply by getting prescriptions from several doctors, forging prescriptions, or buying them illicitly. Alprazolam and clonazepam are the two most frequently encountered benzodiazepines on the illicit market. Common street names include Benzos and Downers," the DEA website says. Carew was remanded to the Ogle County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court at 10 a.m. April 9 for a preliminary hearing. Chisholm Trail 100 Club members recognized several Cresson and Benbrook firefighters during a Thursday dinner hosted by the organization. Firefighters whose actions earlier this year helped save several peoples lives. Firefighters from both departments responded to a report of an unconscious person in a vehicle at the lake. Tarrant County Sheriffs Office deputies already on scene were unable to revive the man. Cresson firefighters found the man had suffered significant trauma upon arrival but also was still breathing with a pulse and blood pressure. Cresson firefighters relayed that information to a Benbrook Fire Department EMS unit in route and a decision was made to request a medical helicopter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cresson paramedics Richard Ward and Traci Becker assisted by Cresson EMT Valarie Steen and firefighters Ethan Merrick and Cooper Waindel removed the patient from the vehicle and and began assisting with ventilation. Benbrook paramedics David Harold, Matthew Borchardt and Matthew Bridges arrived soon after and helped move the patient into a Benbrook FD ambulance. They successfully intubated the patient and continued ventilations. Cresson Fire Chief Ron Becker directed Cresson firefighers Matthew Vaughn, Aydan Hoket, Jonathan Davis and Blake Martin to position their vehicles to secure a landing zone for the incoming CareFlite helicopter. The helicopter had to fly into a dark, unlit position, Becker said. Once the helicopter landed safely, firefighters transported him onto the helicopter and ventilations continued while he was flown to an area Level 1 trauma hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two days later the patient, whose name has not been released, died. The patient was an organ donor and his bilateral lungs, liver and kidneys were recovered for transplant. The lungs were recovered for a 67-year-old female and the liver for a 49-year-old male. The patients right kidney went to a 65-year-old female while his left went to a 74-year-old female. An official with Lifegift Donation System said that while the situation was tragic for the patient, his selfless generosity through agreeing to be an organ donor helped save several other lives. Becker agreed. This is a good example of the coordination of first responders and EMS providers, Becker said. Calls like this take additional manpower fast. This one involved exceptional paramedic work and a relatively dangerous helicopter landing. I dont have to tell you, given recent events elsewhere, that medical helicopter transport is one of the most dangerous aviation tasks in the country, especially at night. Apr. 5MORGANTOWN Whether it's the city's comprehensive plan or the local MPO's metropolitan transportation plan, removing the never-ending procession of heavy trucks from downtown Morgantown has been identified time and again as a headline wishlist item. So, what's being done to make it happen ? Perhaps a better question is what can be done ? This past week, members of the Morgantown Traffic Commission said they'd like to take a closer look and return the once-controversial topic to the public forum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission tasked its chair, Brennan Williams, with putting together a scope of work for a study that would be distilled into a report presented to Morgantown City Council. "I think this would start with an assessment of where we are today, since the last time there was a big push to accomplish this, and really have discussions between the city, the public and stakeholders who are involved with the actual truck traffic and see if there are any feasible alternatives, " Williams said. The city says it's willing to prioritize any solutions that make sense while supporting local commerce and community interests. The truck issue last came to the fore in September 2014, when Morgantown City Council officially defined "heavy truck " and banned their use in the city's downtown business district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A trio of companies immediately filed suit, claiming the streets used by trucks are state routes and therefore not the city's to govern. Three months later, a Kanawha County Circuit Court judge agreed, ruling the city overstepped its authority in restricting access to state routes. That ruling was ultimately upheld by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in April 2016. While the direct approach was shut down in the courts, a more roundabout effort was taking shape. Going back nearly a decade, local officials have pushed an overhaul of Green Bag Road with the hopes that truck drivers would one day choose that route as an alternative to the shorter trip through downtown traffic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first of two projects likely needed to achieve that goal is finally ready to proceed. Mountaineer Contractors was awarded an $18.3 million contract in December to widen a segment of the road and build roundabouts at the Kingwood Pike and Mississippi Street intersections. The work is expected to stretch into late 2027, according to the DOH. The second phase of improvementswhich would address the rest of Green Bag Road as well as its intersection with Don Knotts Boulevardis anticipated to follow at some point. In the meantime, the wheels keep on turning. According to numbers generated by the West Virginia Division of Highways, there are portions of Pleasant Street and University Avenue (between Fayette and Pleasant) that see more than 700 trucks daily. The segment of Walnut Street between High Street and University Avenue sees an average of 552 trucks daily according to the DOH. That's 10 % of the average daily traffic on that section of road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morgantown Staff Engineer Drew Gatlin described the truck issue as "a place where there's general communal unrest and frustration, " but nobody really working on the issue in a comprehensive mannerdespite the air and noise pollution, as well as impacts to road conditions and traffic. As an example of those impacts, Gatlin said one full dump truck is the equivalent of 10, 000 personal vehicles in terms of pavement degradation. It was suggested that if the commission takes the initiative to study the truck issue it may spur movement from the city and /or the DOH. "You all have asked the city to look at this. You've asked the DOH to look at this. It hasn't happened. It may actually require you, if you do want it to happen, to actually do it. I believe that's the implication, " Gatlin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement provided to The Dominion Post, the city said commercial truck traffic is a complex issue that affects residents as well as the local economy, and that it is "currently working to develop strategies that limit the negative impacts caused by through-truck traffic." "The MPD [Morgantown Police Department ] is actively ensuring that all trucks utilizing routes within city limits are securing and covering whatever they might be hauling, which has helped decrease debris issues. We look forward to discussing other options that prove to be beneficial for everyone as we move forward and will provide additional information as it becomes available." There's significant turmoil in the industrial sector right now. Companies are navigating a foggy horizon rife with actual and potential tariffs, and the economy is more uncertain than it has been since the height of the coronavirus pandemic. As of April 3, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta project the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 2.8% in the first quarter of 2025 (adjusting for gold imports and exports). Industrial stocks tend to fluctuate with the economy because they are typically vulnerable to recessions. That doesn't necessarily spell doom and gloom. Many high-quality industrial companies have shown an ability to navigate economic cycles and produce for shareholders over the long haul. The best evidence of this is dividend growth. Investors should look for companies that have paid and raised their dividends over time, through the ups and downs. Here are three excellent industrial dividend stocks investors should consider buying this month. 1. Lockheed Martin For all the headlines over the past several months about efforts to trim spending in the U.S. government, defense contractors have mostly avoided the chopping block. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is one of the government's largest defense contractors, with mission-critical equipment and technologies for sea, land, air, and space. Instead, defense spending could remain strong amid geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle East. Just days ago, the U.S. Army awarded the company a contract worth up to $4.94 billion for precision-strike missiles. The long-term growth in U.S. military spending has made Lockheed Martin a dependable dividend stock. Whereas commercial customers can go bankrupt in a recession, selling to the U.S. government is great because the checks are highly unlikely to bounce. Lockheed Martin has paid and raised its dividend for 22 consecutive years. The dividend yield is currently 2.85%, so investors get meaningful income from Day 1. Plus, the dividend is only about half of 2025 earnings estimates, so investors don't need to worry much about Lockheed Martin's ability to pay. Lockheed's F-35 Lightning II program is the company's cornerstone project. The U.S. government estimates the F-35 program will cost over $2 trillion over several decades. Analysts estimate Lockheed Martin will grow earnings by an average of about 13% annually over the long term, making the stock a smart buy at its current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20. 2. Union Pacific The railroad industry is a wide-moat business in North America, where a small handful of established companies dominate. Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) is among them. The company operates 32,693 miles of rail across 23 states and several border crossings. Union Pacific transports bulk goods and commodities, like ethanol, coal, and grain, which can't be efficiently moved across land any other way. CLEARFIELD, Pa. (WTAJ) An employee at McDonalds in Clearfield was arrested after his employer called the police about his erratic behavior which police later determined was caused by drugs. Ronald Wisor Jr., 49, of Clearfield, was arrested April 3, after Clearfield Regional police were dispatched to the McDonalds on S. 2nd Street at around 8:40 a.m. Upon arrival, they said Wisor had left the building. Police said they were told by other employees that Wisor was being disorderly and was suspected to be under the influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the police report, Wisor was soon found at a CNB parking lot where he allegedly continued to act disorderly. Police said they confirmed he was under the influence and he was taken into custody. Police noted he was found with methamphetamine, buprenorphine, THC and drug paraphernalia. Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices. Wisor was placed in Clearfield County Jail on a probation detainer. Charges for this incident are currently pending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. By Luis Jaime Acosta PASTO, Colombia (Reuters) -Colombian armed group Comuneros del Sur, which has broken away from the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, handed over war material and signed two agreements with President Gustavo Petro, the government and the group said on Saturday. During an event in Pasto city in the southwestern Andean region, Comuneros del Sur said the delivery of explosives, grenades and other devices was a sign of the group's desire for peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We consider that the armed fight is obsolete, that there are new times and new needs. We refuse to return to war," said Royer Garzon, one of the leaders of the armed group. The move paves the way for eventual disarmament and reincorporation of some 300 Comuneros del Sur fighters into civilian life. The deal is the most significant step toward peace since Petro assumed the presidency in 2022 with plans to end Colombia's internal conflict. Analysts said Petro's other peace efforts -- with ELN, FARC factions and criminal gangs -- show little progress. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Editing by David Gregorio and Cynthia Osterman) A Colorado artist denies trying to distort Donald Trump's likeness in a portrait that hung until recently in the state Capitol and says the president's criticisms are hurting her business. She also disputed that the work drew a lot of complaints before Trump weighed in. Trump called the portrait by Colorado Springs painter Sarah Boardman purposefully distorted in a March 23 post on Truth Social. Trump added that Boardman must have lost her talent as she got older and posted that he preferred having no portrait in the Colorado Capitol to that one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislative leaders announced the next day that they would take the portrait down. It was gone from a wall of past presidents' portraits the next morning, relegated to museum storage. In an emailed statement Saturday, Boardman denied intentionally distorting Trump. While Trump posted that many people from Colorado had complained about the portrait, Boardman wrote she got overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback over the six years it hung in the Capitol. That has changed for the worse since Trump's comments, Boardman wrote. President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I purposefully distorted' the portrait, and that I 'must have lost my talent as I got older' are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years which now is in danger of not recovering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Colorado Capitol advisory committee commissioned the portrait, approved the reference photo for the portrait and approved her work in progress, Boardman wrote. I completed the portrait accurately, without purposeful distortion, political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied. I fulfilled the task per my contract, Boardman wrote. She would not be commenting further, Boardman concluded. Boardman also painted the portraits of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in the state Capitol. Trump posted that Obama looks wonderful in his portrait but that his own painting paid for with $10,000 raised by Colorado Republicans is truly the worst. Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, has said that the Trump portrait should be replaced with one that depicts his contemporary likeness. The process of commissioning a replacement has not yet begun. By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The 36 new special patrol officers announced last month by Columbia University were appointed by the New York Police Department and will be subject to the orders of the police commissioner, a Columbia spokesperson confirmed this week. Columbia's leaders applied to the city's police commissioner for peace officers last year after they had twice called in NYPD to arrest pro-Palestinian student protesters who had set up an unauthorized tent encampment on a campus lawn last spring and barricaded themselves inside an academic building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Columbia spokesperson Samantha Slater said the new officers had gone through the NYPD's application process under New York state's Peace Officers law, which allows individuals and corporations to apply to the NYPD commissioner to appoint their employees as special patrol officers. If approved, the appointed officers acquire the same powers of arrest and to use physical force as police officers. "These laws give Columbia the authority to have Special Patrol officers, with the police commissioner's appointment," Slater wrote in an email in response to Reuters' queries. "Columbia has individuals that meet the other requirements in the law such as a lengthy training program and have gone through the NYPD's application process." She said the special patrol officers were authorized under the New York City administrative code that states they will "be subject to the orders of the commissioner and shall obey the rules and regulations of the department and conform to its general discipline." Under city law, Columbia pays for the training and the salaries of the officers appointed by NYPD, and they remain Columbia employees. But they will also "possess all the powers and discharge all the duties" of regular NYPD patrol officers. The Columbia officers must report any summonses they issue and bring anyone they arrest to the local NYPD precinct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People they arrest will be detained and processed in an office on a Columbia campus about 20 blocks uptown from the main Manhattan campus until they can be handed over to the precinct, Columbia said. After publication of this article, Slater, the Columbia spokesperson, disputed the characterization of the laws and emphasized that the officers were employees of Columbia. "They are hired, selected, employed, and funded by Columbia," Slater wrote in an email. Reuters could not independently establish full details of how Columbia's officers have gone through the hiring and NYPD appointment process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the NYPD said the patrol officers would be unarmed, but declined to respond to other questions. The new officers must complete 162 hours of state-certified training, Columbia said, and under the law be sworn in by the police commissioner. They will then be able to patrol Columbia's privately owned buildings and gated plazas and lawns, which regular NYPD officers are generally not able to do. Last spring, Columbia became the epicenter of a pro-Palestinian student protest movement that has roiled campuses around the world, drawing criticism from both Democratic and Republican politicians, donors and some students and faculty. Columbia's board of trustees and the 111 students, staff and alumni who make up the University Senate have frequently been at odds over the best way to handle the protests. The board of trustees appointed its co-chair, Claire Shipman, as interim university president last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Columbia's new officers have the same powers of warrantless search and arrest as any other police officer under New York's peace officer law. The state law permits the officers to use "physical force and deadly physical force in making an arrest or preventing an escape." Slater said that the officers will work with the university's public safety office, but unlike Columbia's 117 civilian safety employees will have powers to "remove individuals from campus, issue citations and make arrests, if necessary and appropriate." The plan was underway months before U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House. His administration, citing what it described as antisemitic harassment on and near the campus, demanded last month that Columbia tighten its protest rules or permanently lose federal funding. One of the nine demands was that the school deploy peace officers with arrest powers. This week, Columbia's Office of Public Safety updated its website to say the new officers will allow Columbia "to respond more effectively and promptly to campus disruptions, while reducing our reliance on the NYPD." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the Senate, the rule-making body that shares university governance with the trustees, said the trustees and president's office had informed them Columbia was seeking to recruit peace officers, but has not told them that NYPD has any involvement in the patrol officers they have hired. Dr. Jeanine D'Armiento, a professor of medicine and the chair of the Senate's executive committee, and two other senators who asked not to be named, told Reuters that the president's office had repeatedly declined to tell them who in New York's government was authorizing the officers. Columbia's Slater said the university was complying with all its bylaws and in the post-publication letter said "the fact that Columbia was looking to expand its safety team with peace officers has not been a secret." (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; editing by Donna Bryson and Nia Williams) ATMORE, Ala. (WKRG) A former corrections officer trainee was arrested Friday, April 4th, after he attempted to smuggle drugs into Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. Shots fired near Langan Park in Mobile; police heavily patrolling area 51-year-old Thomas Middleton was arrested after ADOC K-9 officers found him with 212 grams of marijuana and two cell phones, according to a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Middleton was arrested and charged with first-degree possession of marijuana, second-degree promoting prison contraband, attempting to commit a controlled substance crime, resisting arrest and obstructing government operations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 5: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) attends a Town Hall at Bergen Community College on April 5, 2025, in Paramus, New Jersey. Earlier in the week, Sen. Booker spoke on the Senate floor for over 25 hours, protesting President Trumps agenda, breaking a record set by Sen. Strom Thurmond's 24-hour, 18-minute filibuster against the Civil Rights Act in 1957. (Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images) PARAMUS Sen. Cory Booker urged a crowd of about 1,000 people at a town hall in this Bergen County town Saturday to speak up against the Trump administration, days after Booker won attention nationwide for a record-breaking, anti-Trump speech he delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Appearing at Bergen Community College on a day of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump, Booker spoke to people gathered in the schools gym about funding threats to Medicaid, attacks on the LGBTQ community, and stronger leadership within the Democratic Party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the greatest lessons from history that Ive learned is that the only thing necessary for bad things that happen in any democracy is for good people to say nothing, said Booker, a Democrat. Audience members told the New Jersey Monitor that Bookers Senate floor speech which started Monday night and lasted for 25 hours and 5 minutes was the first concrete action they had seen any Democrat take against the Trump administration, and they came to hear more from the senator. He just stood there and would not give up. Thats why Im here today: to support him. Hes supporting America. We need more of that, said Deborah Brown from Hackensack. Saturday marked Bookers first public event since the attention-grabbing speech, which surpassed a previous record when South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The town hall, and Bookers speech, come as voters have pushed Democratic Party officials to take more action against plans by Trump and congressional Republicans to slash funding to social services, deport scores of undocumented immigrants, and implement tariffs that will push consumer prices skyward. As Booker walked out to I Wont Back Down by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, the crowd applauded and chanted Cory, Cory, Cory. Booker opened by saying that hes heard from thousands of constituents telling him to help protect social services and the countrys democratic freedoms. At one point, several protesters asked him to do more for Palestinians in Gaza. As law enforcement escorted them away, Booker said he respects their right to free speech but that he did not want others to be disrupted from sharing their stories. He later said he wants more members of the public to stand up for their rights, encouraging them to do a little bit more by posting on social media or attending rallies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Find out what you can do. Do not let your inability to do everything undermine your determination to do something, he said. Courtnay Johnson-Suffern, president of the Bergen County NAACP, asked Booker what he would say to young people who feel disenfranchised and discouraged from running for office. Booker responded by saying Democrats are unfairly accused of being alarmists. When our country is taking on the tactics of authoritarian leaders in authoritarian countries, when you see books being band from libraries across the country those [are] tactics of authoritarian countries, he said. After the town hall, Booker spoke to reporters about what Democrats can do in this moment, as more young voters and voters of color express their disappointment in the party and in the political system at large. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The partys going to do great if they make the center of their focus the people and people struggling, people suffering right now, he said. He also said he recognized his party needs to take more action, but also highlighted the importance of convincing Republican politicians to vote against Trumps policies. All of us have to be asking us right now, what can I do to help to appeal to the conscience of people who are many of them are in districts that are purple, districts that many of them its clear that what Donald Trump is doing is wildly unpopular amongst their voters, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at Myrtle Beachs Chapin Park as part of a nationwide protest against the policies of President Donald Trump. America is our country too, and we object and protest to what the Trump regime is doing, said attendee Joan Furlong. The demonstration was part of 50501, a nationwide movement that sought to have protests on a single say in every state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many who turned out Saturday said Trumps new policies and tariffs are threatening the countrys economic stability. They are making up the numbers on why theyve established these tariffs. Its back of the envelope calculations. Its nonsense, she said. Some retired veterans who took part worried about potential cutbacks to their federal benefits and future relations with traditional U.S. allies. I mean, Ive been in the facilities. Those people are working really, really hard. And they come in and say, you can cut 80,000 jobs out of the VA indiscriminately,' said protestor Tom Robison. I shed blood for my county. I bled out twice when I was wounded. Trump hasnt done squat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melanie Wagner, a retired school teacher, said shes upset about potential national security risks. Wouldnt this be a great time to attack America, when were all so divided? United we stand, divided we fall. And were falling, she said. U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-7th District, was in nearby Surfside Beach to dedicate a local post office as the protest was taking place. News13 asked him about the protests, but he declined to comment. Some counter-protestors said theyre thankful for Trumps aggressiveness on issues including border security. You know, we dont need men in girls locker rooms. You know, boys playing girls sports, illegals coming across the border, said Doug Roberts. We dont need all that. And Trump stopped that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * * * Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. COVENTRY Student members of the Future Business Leaders of America at Coventry High School demonstrated their passion and skills during a conference where they competed against other high school students. Thirteen students spent the day at Southern Connecticut State University for a conference organized by the Connecticut FBLA. During this conference, students participated in a different competitive event where they had to showcase leadership skills, business insight and knowledge. They go to seminars and classes that are offered at the conference that help them learn a little bit more about business and just any life skills, said Tracey Bennett, instructor for the CHS FBLA chapter. The city of Covington has urged some of its residents to leave their homes amid the risk of potential flooding. Residents in the area of Virginia Avenue and 45th Street are being encouraged to take shelter at Latonia Elementary School in response to National Weather Service models showing possible flooding near the intersection of Banklick Creek and the Licking River, city officials said in a Facebook post on Saturday night. The city of Covington has urged some of its residents to leave their homes amid the risk of potential flooding. Officials said anyone wishing to stay at the shelter should head for the school's rear entrance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Licking River near Visalia was last observed Sunday morning at a little more than 57 feet, according to the National Weather Service. At Falmouth, Kentucky, the Licking River is forecast to reach a major flood stage by Sunday night, with numerous streets there expected to be covered with water. This story has been updated to add a gallery. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Covington urges some residents to leave homes amid flood concerns NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The threat of severe weather in Nashville Saturday afternoon did not deter hundreds from gathering in Centennial Park to protest against the Trump administration. Protesters held signs reading Hands off Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and CTRL + ALT + Delete DOGE, chanting The power of the people is stronger than the people in power. Vanderbilt University Poll: Education, safety, immigration remain top priorities for Nashvillians (Courtesy: Molly Secours) (Courtesy: Molly Secours) (Courtesy: Molly Secours) (Courtesy: Molly Secours) (Courtesy: News 2 viewer) (Courtesy: News 2 viewer) (Courtesy: News 2 viewer) (Courtesy: News 2 viewer) (Courtesy: News 2 viewer) (Courtesy: News 2 viewer) The event was part of the Hands Off! National Day of Action, protesting against recent policies and actions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that have impacted the economy, human rights, and resulted in cuts to federal jobs and programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters from New York to Alaska assail Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies Protests took place in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and internationally, according to the organizations website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Kevin Carter / Getty Images Key Takeaways Delta Air Lines is scheduled to post its first-quarter fiscal 2025 results before the opening bell Wednesday amid rising uncertainty in the economy. Analysts are still largely bullish on Delta's stock, bit its shares have tumbled in recent weeks on increasing concerns about travel demand. Bank of America analysts said they expect Delta and other airlines to be conservative in their Q2 and full-year forecasts. Delta Air Lines (DAL) is set to report fiscal 2025 first-quarter results before the opening bell Wednesday as analysts have grown more cautious about air travel demand amid rising economic uncertainty. Analysts are largely still bullish on Delta's stock, with nine "buy" and one "hold" rating held by the analysts tracked by Visible Alpha. However, that's down from all 13 analysts with a "buy" rating last quarter, and the average price target for Delta has also declined to $67.30 from $76.85 prior to last quarter's report. That consensus target has fallen as Delta shares have tumbled 46% to $37.25 through Friday from a record closing high of $69.06 in early February, including a nearly 11% drop during Thursday's tariff-fueled sell-off. For its March quarter, Delta is projected to report adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.41, down 4 cents year-over-year, on revenue of $13.90 billion, up 1% from a year ago, per Visible Alpha. Analysts Expect Challanging Earnings Season Amid Uncertainty Last quarter, Delta topped estimates and CEO Ed Bastian said the carrier expected consumer demand for travel and "premium products and experiences" to continue into 2025. However, consumer sentiment has worsened during Q1, leading Delta and other airlines to trim their outlooks. "There is no place to hide from softening demand trends, and we expect a 1Q25 earnings season characterized by weak 2Q25 outlooks and lower 2025 earnings guidance," Bank of America analysts wrote Thursday. "The stocks have anticipated this, and we believe airlines should be conservative in outlooks given the uncertainty." The analysts cut their price target for Delta to $56 from $65, also trimming their targets for rivals United Airlines (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL), among others. They said they expect Delta to kick off the quarterly earnings season by lowering full-year profit forecasts, with other airlines possibly following. Read the original article on Investopedia Related video: Police address viral confrontation leading to Florida charter captains arrest PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) A mother who booked a fishing trip with charter captain Brock Horner allegedly wants a refund after seeing his viral confrontation with another boater. The video, which has racked up millions of views across multiple social media platforms, shows Horner, 40, arguing with another boater before jumping onto his boat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NBC affiliate WBBH reported the woman, Shalon Smith, booked the trip for her sons 16th birthday, which is coming up on April 14. Police address viral confrontation between Florida charter captain, fisherman Their family is from California, but Smith said she heard about the video through the mother of one of her sons friends. WBBH reported that Smith had already paid $1,800 for a down payment and would have made another $1,800 payment on the day of the trip. Since the video of the incident went viral online, Horner has deleted many of his online profiles and shut down most communication. Smith posted on Facebook looking for some advice on how to get in touch with him. She reached out to his attorney, who didnt have an answer but told her to follow up if she didnt hear back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He wasnt responding to calls, texts, emails, his website was shut down, his social media was shut down, she told WBBH. Horner has since been arrested by the Punta Gorda Police Department. Watch the full video of the confrontation here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) One person was injured and another was displaced after a ten-story apartment fire Saturday, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department. According to a post on X, crews responded to reports of an apartment fire around 4:45 p.m. in the 300 block of P Street SW. Hands Off rally: Hundreds of thousands of people gather at National Mall to protest Trump administration There, flames could be seen coming from the tenth floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. Individuals have until May 7 to get a REAL ID to be able to board domestic airline flights or access federal buildings. Beginning May 7 the new high-security form of identification might be needed to conduct personal or professional business. Bethany Swinford, Muskogee Tag Agency office manager, said the REAL ID is mainly for federal use. You will use it mainly to fly, go into federal buildings that require a federal ID and military bases, Swinford said. A non-real ID can be issued as a state ID or drivers license. Just a regular state ID will be used for identification purposes only. A regular drivers license will be used as normal just without the federal privileges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most common use for the REAL ID will be for airplane travel. It will be required to board a domestic flight. Service Oklahoma says on its web site that as of April 2 over two million READ IDs have been issued in the state. If you take a trip within the US, and you fly, you will be required to have a REAL ID after May 7, Swinford said. If you are flying internationally you will need a passport. The appearance of a REAL ID is not that different from a non-REAL ID. The one major difference is the REAL ID is marked with a gold star in the upper right corner. A REAL ID can be obtained at any Service Oklahoma location or license operator in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several forms of identification will be needed when applying for a REAL ID. Documents that are needed would be current passport if you do not have a current passport you will need to provide a birth certificate, Swinford said. You will need any name change documents. This would include marriage license, divorce decrees if you went back to a previous name and legal name changes through the court system. You will also need to provide two pieces of mail with your name and current physical address no P.O. boxes. Swinford said people coming to the tag agency are asked in advance if they are there for a REAL ID. If you dont provide the documents needed or ask about the real ID, it may have just got missed, Swinford said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also said the fees for the new card is the same as the old one, $38.50 to renew or $25 to replace and then you get your discounts when you turn 62. Those reduced rates to renew are $21.25 for 62, $17.50 for 63 and 13.75 for 64 and, of course, 65 is free. If you are needing to replace and you are 62-64 that is still $25. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's mighty pen hasn't seen much action since the end of the 60-day session last month. Of the 195 bills the Legislature passed, only 22 have been signed into law, one reluctantly and another with line-item vetoes. With an April 11 deadline for the governor to take action on bills whether it be signing or vetoing it's all hands on deck at the Governor's Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The governor's review process for legislation is thorough and deliberate," spokesperson Jodi McGinnis Porter said in a statement Friday. "Each bill undergoes a comprehensive evaluation by policy experts who analyze its implications, potential benefits, and any concerns," she said. "The governor personally reviews each piece of legislation with senior policy staff, discussing the nuances and considering stakeholder input." As the deadline approaches, the governor's team "is indeed working diligently to ensure each bill receives proper consideration," McGinnis Porter said. "This is always a busy period for the Governor's Office, with staff dedicated to ensuring the governor has all necessary information to make informed decisions," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two of the more far-reaching bills awaiting action from the governor include the budget bill and a tax package. Asked about potential line-item vetoes or the exact distribution of bills that will be signed, vetoed or "pocket vetoed" an effective veto that happens when the governor declines to sign a bill McGinnis Porter said Lujan Grisham is still in the review process for remaining legislation. "It would be premature to speculate about decisions that haven't yet been finalized," she said. "What I can tell you is that the governor approaches each bill on its individual merits, considering how it serves the interests of our state's residents and aligns with our administration's policy goals," McGinnis Porter added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chris Nordstrum, a spokesperson for Senate Democrats, said the wait is simply part of the process. "Over the 60-day session, we passed several key pieces of legislation, including measures to strengthen and improve [the state Children, Youth and Families Department], provide tax incentives for medical providers and foster families, protect our waters and environment in response to climate change and an uncertain federal landscape, and many other bills aimed at improving the lives of all New Mexicans," he said. "While waiting for the signing deadline is never easy, it also gives people the chance to review the legislation that was passed and reach out to the Governor's Office to encourage her to sign the bills that matter most to them," Nordstrum added. Bills that go unsigned by the deadline are considered "pocket vetoed" and won't become law although that could change if voters in November 2026 approve a constitutional amendment to take away the governor's ability to pocket veto legislation by refusing to sign it. New Mexico is among 11 states where the governor has pocket veto power; in other states, bills the governor declines to sign become law anyway, and New Mexico would join their ranks if voters approve the amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bills the governor has already signed into law include a public safety package that combined six public safety bills into one, including reforming criminal competency laws, prohibiting devices to transform semiautomatic firearms to fully automatic and measures to crack down on shooting threats, fentanyl trafficking and drunken driving. That measure House Bill 8 as well as Senate Bills 1 and 3, which have also already been signed into law, were top priorities of the first half of the session. SB 1 establishes a trust fund for spending on behavioral health initiatives while SB 3 creates an organizational framework for the states revamped behavioral health system, requiring region-specific plans to address local needs. Funding for those changes is now in the states budget bill, House Bill 2. "Some bills move through this process relatively quickly when they align clearly with established priorities or have straightforward implementation paths," McGinnis Porter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Others require additional scrutiny, particularly when they involve complex policy considerations or significant fiscal impacts. Our team also carefully analyzes bills that may interact with or potentially conflict with other legislation, as the sequence of signing can sometimes be important for proper implementation," she added. Camille Ward, a spokesperson for House Democrats, said the caucus focused on passing legislation to address public safety, improve the well-being of children and families and make life more affordable for everyone. That legislation included the public safety package, as well as "a responsible budget that raises pay for teachers and police officers and invests in key areas of impact" and a tax package that will cut or eliminate state income taxes for hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans and provide tax credits for foster parents and guardians. "We are grateful that the governor has already signed several of these important bills into law and we look forward to seeing many more of these critical bills signed by Friday," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor has vetoed two bills. The first, House Bill 65, would have specified the power of local school boards and charter school governing bodies to determine "the total number of instructional days per year." The bill was a direct legislative response to the Public Education Departments so-called 180-day rule, which the governor supported and clashed with the Legislature over during the 2024 session. The House unanimously voted to override the governor's veto. But the Senate didn't take up the matter, inaction Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, attributed to a lack of time. And now were all very tired [from] getting two hours of sleep a night, Stewart told reporters during a news conference after the Legislature adjourned. The second vetoed bill, Senate Bill 17, sought to modernize the metrics the State Parole Board uses when considering inmate applications but which the governor said created an unnecessary set of obstacles to remove a board member. Police are investigating a deadly shooting at a Gwinnett County sports bar early on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, detectives announced theyd made an arrest and identified the victim as 21-year-old Jeffrey Gibson of Atlanta. Marcus Robinson, 26 of Dacula, was arrested and charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Police were called out to Dillons Sports Bar at 850 Dogwood Road around 2:30 a.m. in unincorporated Lawrenceville. Channel 2s Bryan Mims spotted multiple shell casings and evidence markers on the ground at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers arriving on the scene found two areas with shell casings on the ground, including the parking lot in front of the bar. The call that came in to police said they were taking a shooting victim to a local hospital with a gunshot injury. TRENDING STORIES Police told Mims that a man in his early 20s died at the hospital after his friends drove him there. Officers have one person detained for questioning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers announced the update to the case on Sunday afternoon, identifying the victim and murder suspect. Robinson is being held in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail with no bond. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A sign held by a protester at the Arizona Capitol on April 5, 2025. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against President Donald Trump and his administration, which has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Thousands of angry Arizonans, including thousands at the state Capitol, rallied across the state on Saturday to send a message to President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk: Keep your hands off vital government services, the economy and civil rights. Im upset at our government, specifically our president, and all these executive orders hes taken to destroy what I believe are core values of what America should be, said Cathryn Artwon, a student at ASU who voted for the first time in November and joined a protest in Tempe. I feel like weve lost our empathy as a country. A sign held by a protester at the Arizona Capitol on April 5, 2025. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against President Donald Trump and his administration, which has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror The protests in the Grand Canyon State were part of a national day of protest that saw more than 1,300 events across the country many in heavily GOP areas that backed Trump by a large margin in the last election. The Hands Off protests included nearly 30 in Arizona alone, from Yuma to Flagstaff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 600,000 people had registered in advance to attend protests, but final participation was unknown. In many locations, however, crowds dwarfed expectations: A march in Washington, D.C., saw five times more than the 10,000 that were anticipated, while the New York City protest stretched for nearly 20 blocks and overwhelmed city streets. Ive been to several protests throughout the years, but its really important for all of us, especially in the East Valley, to come out, Gilbert resident Barbara Esquivel-Garcia, who is a nurse, said as she joined more than 1,000 people at a protest in Mesa. Its super inspiring to see how many people came out. In Sedona, organizers said more than 900 people turned out to protest Trump and Musk, the worlds richest man, who has led the charge to gut federal agencies and unilaterally end a slew of federal programs, from scientific research to international aid to funding for American libraries and museums. We are fighting back with what I call the three Cs: courage, crowds, and the courts, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told the Sedona crowd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some 150 liberal and progressive advocacy groups worked under the Hands Off mantel to organize individual local protests. They were supported in part by 50501, an anti-Trump group that has been organizing protests of the administration since Trump began his second term in January. The Arizona Department of Public Safety said that they estimated the crowd size at the state Capitol to be between 2,000 and 3,000 people. The agency, which oversees the Capitol grounds, flew a drone over the rally and was seen patrolling the area on bikes. An estimated 3,000 people crowded the Arizona Capitol grounds on April 5, 2025, to protest President Donald Trump and his administration. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against Trump, who has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror The peaceful Capitol protest included a number of speakers, among them Democratic elected officials like Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, state Rep. Sarah Liguori and representatives from progressive organizations. I am actually the acting governor today, Fontes told the amped up crowd from the back of a pickup truck parked in front of the Capitol building complex that organizers were using for speakers. Gov. Katie Hobbs is out of state, making Fontes, the No. 2 elected official, acting governor until she returns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fontes told the large crowd that they embodied the true meaning of the First Amendment: the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Those grievances are growing larger and larger, Fontes said, adding that his office had to let six librarians go because the Trump administration abruptly ended federal grants this month. (Democratic attorneys general, including Arizonas Kris Mayes, filed a lawsuit on April 4 challenging the funding cuts.) A sign held by a protester at the Arizona Capitol on April 5, 2025. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against President Donald Trump and his administration, which has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Fontes said Trumps executive order targeting how states can run elections makes his job harder and our elections more vulnerable. I cant talk to the Department of Homeland Security anymore to keep your elections safe, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arizona is one of several states that is currently suing the administration over that executive order, arguing it is unconstitutional for the administration to usurp local control over elections. U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Phoenix, speaks to an estimated 3,000 people who gathered at the Arizona Capitol on April 5, 2025, to protest President Donald Trump and his administration. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against Trump, who has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Ansari, a first term Democrat from Phoenix, told the crowd that she believes that Trumps policies are already being shown to be wildly unpopular with the majority of voters, pointing to recent victories for Democrats in Wisconsin. Your voice matters in all of this, Ansari said, adding that Republicans have been advised against town hall events due to concerns raised from constituents. Would they do that if their priorities were popular? A sign held by a protester at the Arizona Capitol on April 5, 2025. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against President Donald Trump and his administration, which has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Many of the speakers focused on telling those in attendance to organize or join local organizations, encouraging them to register to vote or persuade others to do so. Progressive organizations with goals such as ranked choice voting or getting more women elected to office had a presence at the Capitol rally, and a large number of the signs focused on issues of reproductive health and LGBTQ rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ongoing war in Gaza was also a major point among speakers as well. Israel recently restarted ground operations and the Trump administration has begun deporting foreign-born students who have voiced support for Gaza or opposition to Israels military response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks. This week, eight ASU students had their visas revoked. A sign held by a protester at the Arizona Capitol on April 5, 2025. The protest was one of more than 1,300 across the nation aimed at galvanizing people against President Donald Trump and his administration, which has sought to expand executive power to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and the fabric of America. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror The Arizona Mirror observed one altercation with a counter protester who carried a sign saying God saved Trump to save our decaying people and country and mentioned a Bible verse that states those in positions of authority are there as theyve been put there by God. Organizers encouraged those in attendance to leave the counter protester alone as he had free speech rights as well. Emily Holshouser contributed to this story. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Around 5,000 people gathered in front of San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Saturday with a message for President Donald Trump: Hands off! Hands off is about respecting the rule of law, thats really the main gist, protest organizer and second-year Cal Poly student Talie Krantz told The Tribune. Were seeing this overreach of government, particularly in our federal government between Trump and Musk, and were seeing them taking advantage of their power and overstepping. Thats resulting in harm. Krantz, who is an officer for the Cal Poly Democrats Club, noted cuts to social services like medicare, social security and veterans benefits were just some of examples of overreach that would be unacceptable because they are services who help people in particular people in vulnerable populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protest, which was part of a national day of action by 50501, was aimed at taking a stand against the Trump administration. Philip, one of the founders of 50501s Central Coast branch who declined to give his last name, told The Tribune he and the other founders wanted to help people feel empowered as democracy faces a crisis. The important thing for people to understand is that if they are feeling powerless, they are not, he said. The fundamental reason that 50501 exists is as a peoples movement. Anyone can step up and find a role for how they can help resist the current government. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. He said 50501 is a national grassroots movement born out of a social media call out to have at least one protest against the current presidential administration in all 50 states on the same day. He said he expects more organizing to take place in the future. Indivisible San Luis Obispo County and San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party also helped organize the demonstration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Signs carried by demonstrators throughout the protest demanded hands off from various issues, including social security, public lands, the courts, the health department and our democracy. San Luis Obispo Police Department closed Monterey Street from Osos to Santa Rosa streets during the rally. Thousands of protesters lined the sidewalks on both sides of the streets surrounding the courthouse. Another Hands Off! rally was expected to be held in Cambria on Saturday as well at the corner of Cambria Drive and Main Street. Around 5,000 people surrounded the San Luis Obispo Superior Court during the Hands Off! rally on April 5, 2025, to protest President Donald Trumps administration. Protest is start of a movement, SLO County supervisor says San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson called the demonstration the start of a movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a movement to reestablish the crucial nature of American values that we treasure, Gibson told the Tribune, adding that the rule of law and freedom of speech are just two crucial values under attack that need to be upheld. This is like the start of the protest against war in Vietnam, Gibson said. That may seem like ancient history to some number of people in this crowd, but that movement changed history and it is that similar presence of people on the street speaking out thats going to change things now. Surprise speaker California congressman Salud Carbajal, D-24, told the crowd, We are here today because our democracy is under siege. Not by a foreign power, but from within, he said during his speech. From a reckless wannabe dictator who has returned to the White House with vengeance, Donald Trump. United States Congressman Salud Carbajal was a surprise first speaker at the Hands Off protest in San Luis Obispo. Thousands of people gathered at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Carbajal claimed Trumps movement wants to gut the rule of law, dismantle public institutions and centralized power in the hands of corrupt, few autocrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The congressman denounced Trump and Elon Musks efforts to slash social services from a number of federal departments, including the Department of Education, Health and Human Services Department and Housing and Urban Development Department. Theyre stripping down the Department of Education, undermining our childrens education, teachers and rewriting history to serve and agenda of fear and division, he said. He encouraged those in the crowd to organize more demonstrations and to become more politically involved on the local level, encouraging people to show up at school boards, city councils and the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. When the time comes, vote like your rights, your freedoms and your future depend on it. Because they do, Carbajal told the crowd. This is all hands on deck. Congress cannot do this alone. The courts cannot stand alone. We need every voice, every vote every ounce of energy. We need all of you to continue to stand up and to resist this ridiculous bulls--t. Around 5,000 people cheer as California congressman Salud Carbajal speaks at the Hands Off! rally at San Luis Obispo Superior Court on April 5, 2025. People want to defend California, assemblymember says during rally Other speakers included San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart; state Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay: founder of Mujeres en Accion and local activist Yesenia Echevarria; Planned Parenthood Central Coast public affairs manager Mariam Shah; GALA board president Julia Thompson; San Luis Obispo Democratic Party chair Tom Fulks; and biologist Ben Vizzachero, who was fired by the Department of Government Efficiency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Retired San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Steve Crandall and a retired federal administrative law judge Alex Karlin also attended the rally. Echevarria told the crowd she felt it was important for her to represent her community at the protest. She is the proud daughter of immigrant parents, she said, and a lot of immigrants are terrified at what is happening under the current administration. She told the crowd that democrats, independents and republicans who hopefully by now realize theyve been lied to, need to come together to fight the current administrations policies and protect the rights everyone in America is afforded under the Constitution. Not only did we lose the election, we have also lost a sense of understanding of what it means to be together, Echevarria said. That our struggle is tied to one another, whether youre undocumented, whether you are a woman, a man, queer, trans, children, the working poor. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Addis, who helped lead the Womens March in 2017, told The Tribune she was elated to see people come together again to speak out against the Trump Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think we knew that he was going to come back and it was going to get worse, she said. Hes not alone and he is moving with a swiftness that we have to stand up to. And people are angry. They want to defend California, Californian values and Californian people. When the enormous crowd broke out to surround the courthouse as a visual representation of protecting our courts, Vietnam veteran Paul Worsham sat in the back of his car parked on Osos Street with a sign that read Hands off my VA. Its disgusting to me, because any large organization can and should be able to tolerate reorganizations, but reorganization with a chainsaw makes absolutely no sense, he said, referring to recent layoffs and cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Worsham was a radio operator during the Vietnam War, and said the VA helped him get his hearing aids. He said hes worried on the impacts to younger veterans who rely more heavily on the VA as they are not yet old enough to receive medicare or social security benefits. Vietnam veteran Paul Worsham attended the Hands Off! rally at San Luis Obispo Superior Court on April 5, 2025. Protest gives Cal Poly student hope for the future Meanwhile, the event was 21-year-old Cal Poly student Joshua Mathews first protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he decided to attend because he isnt happy with how the Trump administration has affected the country. Just seeing the state this country is in, it hurts me, he said. The mindset these people have and just how clouded everything has become and how willing they are to throw away basic humanity against other people with no empathy I think it needs to stop. He said he didnt expect such a large turnout it San Luis Obispo, and it made him more hopeful for the future. He said he doesnt see a lot of voices against Trump online, so it was good to be a part of the crowd. It makes me feel proud, because I have not been feeling very happy to be an American recently, he said. This is making me feel better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mathew encouraged more young people to organize and attend protests. Honestly, Im not sure what we can do except just make our voices heard, he said. Strength in numbers. If theres enough people that want to make a change, then it will have to happen. Cal Poly student Joshua Mathew attends the Hands Off! rally at San Luis Obispo Superior Court on April 5, 2025. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. Thousands of people gather at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. LMUSD Board President Colleen Martin holds her sign and friend Mike Miller, of Arroyo Grande joins her. Thousands of people gathers at San Luis Obispo Superior Court in California as part of the Hands Off! rally to protest President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Demonstrators took to the streets to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Saturday, but it wasnt the only event that took place in the Tampa Bay area. From Tampa to Lakeland, the Hands Off rallies were organized to protest federal workforce and spending cuts that organizers say are impacting seniors and veterans. I am not alone in knowing that there are plenty of other people who feel the same way, and its time to speak up, said protester Ross Gottstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands blame Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. I had a wife who was a veteran. I have two daughters-in-law who are veterans, one of whom is still active in the military. I just cant believe were doing this to the people who have served us, the people who have protected us. Demonstrators said theyre standing up for democracy and sending a message to leaders in Washington to stop DOGE. So I think that those of us who are sitting at home talking to each other about how terrible things are need to come out and say something, because if not, you know, our elected officials arent really doing it for us right now, one demonstrator said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some protesters fear that free speech has been threatened under the Trump administration. They dont agree with his administrations policies on managing illegal immigration. Some even said theres unfair treatment because of their religion. I represent Muslim Americans in our agency, and we have had to recommend to permanent residents and green card holders not to travel at all because theyre being stopped by border protection. Theyre being stopped by TSA. Theyre being questioned, detained for hours on end when they have every right to be in this country, demonstrator Mary Marks said. When asked about the protests, in an email to NBC News, the White House said President Trump plans to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for those who are eligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. We recently published a list of 10 Small Cap Stocks with Huge Upside Potential. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN) stands against other small cap stocks with huge upside potential. In times when everyone is chasing high-cap powerhouses, knowing the right stock to invest in at the right time and the right price is highly essential. In this race for Wall Street giants, one must slow down and ask if the stock is really worth it. Or better is it set to yield the same returns as a high-growth small-cap stock? As Francis Gannon, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Royce Investment Partners, says: Small-cap stocks are a forgotten group that present lucrative opportunities for investors seeking diversification amid market uncertainties. Small-cap stocks have a market capitalization between $300 million and $2 billion. Although generally more volatile and risky, history shows that small-cap stocks have often outperformed large-cap stocks. During the tech bubble of the 1990s, large-cap stocks were everyones favorite, until the bubble burst in March 2000, when more and more small-cap companies witnessed better performance. In general, the performance of the stock doesnt entirely depend on whether the stock is large-cap or small-cap but more on where the macro and micro environments are taking the business. However, since the small-cap stocks are usually away from the analysts eyes, they are more undervalued, and so can provide a solid return on the investment. Since there is a high growth potential for such a stock, small-cap stocks are highly valued by analysts. As the business itself is in an early stage of growth, there is more room for a stock boom. Volatility is another reason for holding these stocks. There is an increased likelihood of short-term trading and price swings that an investor can capitalize on. Additionally, many such stocks operate in specialized or niche markets, allowing the analysts to leverage interesting and unique business models, and that too, if successful, can return immensely. The fact that small-cap stocks are common targets for mergers and acquisitions is another reason to believe in these stocks. Analysts keep track of these stocks with the expectation of buyouts, which often leads to a premium in share price. A research report by John Hancock Investment Management on understanding the performance of small-cap stocks indicated that, historically, small-cap stocks have had higher average returns than large-cap stocks. As small-cap stocks work well in diversified portfolios, they behave differently than large-cap stocks. The study examined the existence of size premiums in the United States, emphasizing the historical performance of Fama/French U.S. Small and Large Cap portfolios. The findings show that since the 1920s, small-cap stocks have outperformed large-cap stocks. Another research by Invesco in 2020 revealed that small caps have outpaced large caps from the past four recessions in all but one of the following 1- and 3-year periods. DENVER (KDVR) A Denver man who admitted to killing a 26-year-old in 2017 was sentenced to prison on Friday. Jesus Jurado-Lugo took a deal and pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault in January this year. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox On Friday, the Denver District Attorneys Office announced that Jurado-Lugo was sentenced to 42 years in the Department of Corrections for second-degree murder and 12 years in prison for first-degree assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two sentences will run concurrently. The charges stem from a shooting that killed 26-year-old Lydia Coronado on July 16, 2017 near Huston Lake Park. The DA said Jurado-Lugo was identified as a suspect a few days after the shooting, however, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in Mexico in August 2023. He was extradited to Denver in December 2023. Coronado was a mother of two boys, three and five years old, at the time of the shooting. The DA thanked local law enforcement agencies as well as the Mexican government for cooperating in the investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Four University of Michigan students have had their visas revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and at least one has left the country at the recommendation of school officials amid a nationwide crackdown on international college students in the United States. The visa revocation occurred Friday and follows a recent decision from federal officials to strip some international students across the country of their legal residence and subsequent orders from the Department of Homeland Security for these students to leave the country. One student at U-M, whose location and identity is being protected by university officials, fled the country after their visa was revoked, according to emails obtained by the Detroit Free Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday night, Jonathan Massey, the dean at U-M's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, sent an email to his colleagues regarding the student's departure. "Yesterday, as a result of government action, a Taubman College M.Arch student left the country in consultation with the U-M International Center recommendation," Massey wrote. Massey did not offer many details about the student or the departure but indicated that Taubman College is "committed to ensuring this affected student will complete their degree." More: Thousands protest Trump, Musk across Michigan Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: University of Michigan caved to Donald Trump on DEI programs A student at the University of Michigan's architecture school, Taubman College, fled the country on Friday, April 4, 2025, following orders from federal officials directed at international students at universities across the country. Massey could not be reached for comment. Kay Jarvis, the director of public affairs at U-M said in an emailed statement to the Free Press that four students had their visas revoked by DHS. "Administrators have contacted these students to advise them of potential consequences of this action," Jarvis said. Officials at U-M did not clarify Sunday if the architecture student who left the country was the only student to leave following the decision from DHS to revoke their visas. International students at U-M are not the only students targeted in the federal crackdown. On April 4 the day the U-M architecture student left the country reports emerged that the Trump administration had stripped legal residencies of international students at universities across the country, including the University of Minnesota, University of California Davis and Central Michigan University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to BridgeMichigan, several students at CMU saw their visa status quietly revoked by federal agencies on Friday. Ari Harris, a spokesperson for CMU, told Bridge that it seems students affected by visa revocation are left with two choices: they can leave the country or reapply to regain their visa and hope they are approved. The move comes amid a two-month spree by federal agencies at the behest of the Trump administration seeking to remove international students from the country. In the last two months, several international students at colleges nationwide have been detained or deported by federal officials. At first, the crackdown seemed to be aimed at politically active students especially pro-Palestine protesters. Now, as more students receive orders from federal officials to leave the country, the scope is widening to include international students who are suspected of committing infractions other than protesting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that his office was revoking visas "every day." "If you are in this country on a student visa and are a participant in (protest) movements, we have a right to deny your visa ... We are not going to be importing activists into the United States. Theyre here to study. Theyre here to go to class. Theyre not here to lead activist movements that are disruptive and undermine the our universities," Rubio said. Rubio expanded what constitutes a visa-revokable offense: "Some are unrelated to any protests and are just having to do with potential criminal activity." It is unclear if the students who lost their visas Friday were involved with recent protest movements at the university. Contact Liam Rappleye: LRappleye@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 4 U-M international students visas revoked, 1 leaves country FRANKLIN COUNTY, GA (WSPA) The Franklin County Sheriffs Office is responding to a crime scene where one person was found dead. Authorities said that they are at Grady School Road after receiving a report about one man found dead, and two women found with non-life-threatening-injuries. Both women were transported to a hospital and are expected to recover from their injuries. The identity of the deceased has not been released yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies believe that, after investigation, the two women were injured while trying to mediate an incident involving a male subject, which ultimately resulted in his death. 7NEWS will continue to follow this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Three bodies burnt beyond recognition were found inside of a smoldering vehicle on Detroit's west side early Sunday morning, Detroit police say. Deputy Police Chief Jacqueline Pritchett said in a video press release that the city Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire near 30th Street and Milford Avenue around 5:50 a.m. and discovered the bodies inside. Pritchett said the police department's Homicide Task Force is investigating the deaths. More: Detroit Land Bank sues owner of 'castle' complex over 'blighted' property Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hands Off movement: Thousands protest Trump, Musk across Michigan The police department is seeking assistance from the public as it investigates the fire. Pritchett on Sunday morning was unsure about the circumstances leading up to the fire, and could not specify the make and model of the vehicle. DPD asks that anyone with information contact the tipline at 1-800-SPEAKUP, or submit information via the website DetroitRewards.tv. Contact Liam Rappleye: LRappleye@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 bodies found in vehicle fire in west Detroit HEBRON The regional school district 8 budget proposal for the next fiscal year will go before tri-town citizens at a public hearing Wednesday. The 2025-2026 budget draft for RHAM Junior/Senior High School has a bottom line of $33.1 million, an increase of 3.55%. The school serves the district towns of Andover, Hebron and Marlborough. The school board is also proposing $848,277 in capital improvements, an increase of $348,500 largely due to the proposed replacement of the 20-year-old track. Living in the Midwest exposes us to all sorts of weather, from heat and rain to snow and tornadoes. Despite best man-made efforts from bridges, levies, floodgates, dams and locks, the weather can still cause river levels to rise and occasional flooding. The National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey monitor the water levels of five area rivers and creeks: the Ohio River, the Great Miami River, the Little Miami River, Mill Creek and the Licking River. These rivers and creeks have gauges installed that provide data and current water levels several times an hour to the weather service, which is available to see online. The data show the water levels and warn of current or potential flood stages in different areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download today: Get the Cincinnati.com/Cincinnati Enquirer news app In addition, the National Weather Service's Wilmington office monitors the Ohio River at five points: Portsmouth, Maysville, Meldahl Dam, Cincinnati and Markland Lower. Here's where the areas are monitored locally, and what high water and floods could mean for the homes, businesses and people there. Ohio River flood levels The Ohio River's level is monitored from the Roebling Bridge near downtown Cincinnati. The river's action stage, or when flooding begins, is at 40 feet, and the flood stage is reached at 52 feet. At 42 feet, flooding encroaches the PNC Pavilion and floods the stage area at 45 feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By 52 feet, increasing sections of Kellogg Avenue from east of Delta Avenue upstream to near Coney Island and Eight Mile Road are flooded, as well as parts of Humbert Avenue in Cincinnati's East End. Most of Public Landing is flooded, and so is Riverside Park off of River Road. The moderate flood stage begins at 56 feet. Impacts from flooding only increase as water levels rise. By 66 feet, Many riverfront streets are flooded, such as Pete Rose Way, Delta Avenue and Congress Avenue. The East End and California will experience major flooding, and homes and businesses will be severely flooded. At that point, major flooding will occur in areas near Route 52, from the East End through much of southern Ohio Township in Clermont County. Major flooding will occur in Aurora, Indiana, and in Ludlow and Bromley, Kentucky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The major flood stage begins at 65 feet. The Ohio River is above the FEMA 1% flood at 70 feet. With it, widespread flooding occurs between the river and Fort Washington Way. Downstream of Cincinnati, most property between Route 50 and the river is flooded. In Kentucky, flooding occurs in unprotected areas between Route 8 and the river, and near Route 56 and the river in Indiana, including Aurora. At 80 feet, a flood will exceed the highest stage on record. It will cause widespread property damage, with devastating backwater flooding occurring along the Ohio River tributaries. Cincinnati will become flooded at low areas near the river, and many Ohio River communities will be flooded. Thousands of evacuations will be necessary, and backwater flooding along the Little Miami, Great Miami and Licking Rivers will results in major damage. Click here to check the Ohio River's level today. Great Miami River flood levels The Great Miami River is monitored at several points as it travels from Middletown to Hamilton and through western Hamilton County. The river's depth can vary greatly based on the location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Hamilton, the action stage begins at 73 feet and the flood stage is at 75 feet. By 74 feet, lowland flooding begins about a mile north of High Street in Hamilton and near Ross, about five miles downstream. Low-lying homes near New Miami and other low-lying areas along the river channel will be impacted. The city of Hamilton is protected from river levels up to 89 feet for locations in the southern part of the city, and most of the city is protected at stages up to 90 feet. The moderate flood stage begins at 82 feet. Areas along the river near Ross, lowland areas in southern Butler County between Ohio 128 and the Great Miami River will become flooded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The major flood stage begins at 89.5 feet. At 90 feet, water would overtop trees on the south side of Hamilton, and water levels exceeding 90 feet will top all levees protecting the business district, resulting in major flooding near the river channel through the city. Major flooding will occur especially near New Miami and Ross, and homes and businesses along the river will be severely impacted. Click here to check the Great Miami River's level at Hamilton today. The river is also monitored in Miamitown, where it is much shallower. There, the action stage begins at 14 feet and the flood stage is 16 feet. At 16 feet, flooding of lowland areas along the Great Miami River in Hamilton County can be expected. Lawrenceburg Road would be flooded between Miamiview Road and U.S. 50, and so will the area between Suspension Bridge Road and Stephens Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The moderate flood stage begins at 24 feet. By 26 feet, water covers Harrison Pike in and near Miamitown, affecting several businesses east of the bridge in Miamitown. Moderate flooding also continues along the river in lower spots through southwest Miami Township. Significant flooding continues downstream of Miamitown in Miami and Whitewater townships. The major flood stage begins at 30 feet. If the river reaches 35.5 feet, it is similar to the FEMA 1% flood. About 20% of Cleves will be flooded, mainly around Route 50. Click here to check the Great Miami River's level at Miamitown. Little Miami River flood levels The Little Miami River is monitored at several points: Milford, Perintown and Kings Mills in Warren County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Kings Mills, the flood action stage begins at 13 feet and the flood stage begins at 17 feet. Once the river reaches 19 feet in that area, floodwaters begin to approach low-lying roads in Foster and South Lebanon, and there is flooding along Front Street in Morrow, Stubbs Mills Road and stretches of Mason Morrow Millgrove Road. The moderate flood stage begins at 24 feet, and portions of South Main Street, South High Street and King Avenue in South Lebanon will be a foot deep in water or more. Basement flooding of several feet also occurs in riverfront homes of South Lebanon, and flooding occurs along Front and Miami streets in Morrow and becomes worst along portions of Mason Morrow Millgrove Road. The major flood stage begins at 31 feet, and major flooding will occur in South Lebanon, especially in buildings between McKinley Street and the river. Water will be several feet deep in many homes, floodwaters are several feet deep along Mason Morrow Millgrove Road and on Front Street in Morrow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here to check out the Little Miami River's level at Kings Mills. Mill Creek flood levels The water level for Mill Creek at Evendale is often under eight feet. The action stage begins at nine feet; the minor flooding stage at 12 feet and the moderate flooding stage at 14 feet. At 12 feet, lowland flooding of Mill Creek floodplain occurs, with water approaching some buildings along the creek. By 14 feet, floodwaters begin to enter some businesses near the creek in Reading, Evendale and Sharonville. By the major flood stage of 16 feet, significant street flooding will occur around the Mosteller, Kemper and Canal Road areas, with flooding also in some areas of Evendale and properties between Mill Creek and Reading Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here to see the Mill Creek water levels at Evendale. Licking River flood levels The Licking River is monitored in Falmouth, where the depth is typically under 10 feet. It runs north through Pendleton County as the boundary between Kenton and Campbell counties. The river's action stage begins at 23 feet, at which point low-lying areas along the river near Falmouth begin to flood, including Max Goldberg park. The flood stage begins at 33 feet, where basement flooding will begin along Water Street in Falmouth, and flooding begins along a low area of Route 22. Lowland flooding will be expected in Butler and Falmouth. By the moderate flood stage beginning at 37 feet, flooding of low-lying streets near the river in Falmouth will worsen, and flooding will be the worst along Kentucky 22, east of Falmouth. Properties along Water Street, Wagners Ferry Road and numerous streets in Falmouth will be covered in water by the major flood stage of 41 feet. Flooding only continues from there, and if the Licking River reaches 52 feet at Falmouth, it is the flood of record. About 80% of Falmouth will be underwater, even as high as 10 feet in some portions of town. Click here to see Licking River levels at Falmouth. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What do flood stages mean for Ohio River, area rivers and creeks? The Department of Justice (DOJ) placed one of its senior immigration lawyers, who criticized the Trump administration over mistakenly deporting a Maryland man to a prison in El Salvador, on leave. Erez Reuveni, who represented the U.S. government in court on Friday in the deportation case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvador in March over a clerical error, was placed on indefinite leave Saturday, a DOJ official told The Hills sister network, NewsNation. At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia was sent to a high-security prison in El Salvador last month, in spite of an order from the court saying that he not be deported to the Central American country. On Friday, Reuveni told U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis that our only arguments are jurisdictional he should not have been sent to El Salvador, according CNN. Reuveni asked Xinis to give the government one more chance to do this. Thats my recommendation to my client, but so far that hasnt happened, he said. Xinis ordered on Friday that the government should return Abrego Garcia, who resides in Maryland, by Monday night. The administration has filed an emergency stay to halt the judges order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, the administration admitted it mistakenly sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center because of an administrative error. The news of Reuveni being placed on leave was first reported by The New York Times after obtaining a letter from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who told Reuveni he was suspended for failing to follow a directive from your superiors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (The Hill) The Department of Justice (DOJ) placed one of its senior immigration lawyers, who criticized the Trump administration over mistakenly deporting a Maryland man to a prison in El Salvador, on leave. Erez Reuveni, who represented the U.S. government in court on Friday in the deportation case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvador in March over a clerical error, was placed on indefinite leave Saturday, a DOJ official told The Hills sister network, NewsNation. At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia was sent to a high-security prison in El Salvador last month, in spite of an order from the court saying that he not be deported to the Central American country. On Friday, Reuveni told the U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis that our only arguments are jurisdictional he should not have been sent to El Salvador, according CNN. Reuveni asked Xinis to give the government one more chance to do this. Thats my recommendation to my client, but so far that hasnt happened. Xinis ordered on Friday that the government should return Abrego Garcia, who resides in Maryland, by Monday night. The administration has filed an emergency stay to halt the judges order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, the administration admitted it mistakenly sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center because of an administrative error. The news of Reuveni being placed on leave was first reported by The New York Times after obtaining a letter from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who told Reuveni he was suspended for failing to follow a directive from your superiors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. We recently published a list of the 10 Best Copper Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD) stands against other best copper stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The U.S. stock market has changed rapidly since the new president took control of the Oval Office. In the list of commodities that are recently surfacing as standout performers in the market, copper holds a significant place. The commodity has captured the attention of investors across the globe. According to The Wall Street Journal, by the end of March 2025, the U.S. copper future saw a 26% increase, reaching $5.02 per pound. The extraordinary growth, in addition to surpassing global prices, has set unprecedented records in the industry. The recent tariff implementations from the U.S. administration stand among the heavy contributors to this surge. The U.S. president has recently announced a series of tariff increases, targeting the major trading partners of the U.S. Accordingly, the EU imports will be charged a 20% tariff. Chinese goods have the most impact at a 34% tariff. Similarly, a minimum 10% hike is imposed on all imports globally. Because of these measures, the average tariff rate has risen to 23%, the highest in over a century. The WSJ calls it the most significant shift in the United Statess approach to global trade. READ ALSO: Why These Energy Stocks are Gaining This Week. These new tariffs affect the import and export of various goods in the U.S. concerning copper. A rush has been noted to import the commodity into the U.S. before the new import tax rates take effect. This influx has resulted in a notable rise in physical deliveries, causing domestic copper prices to surge. Income-seeking investors in the market, however, need to look past these immediate market reactions and focus on the long-term outlook for copper. Even in the long run, the value of copper remains robust. An article by CNBC noted that the worlds leading mining companies anticipate a 70% growth in the global demand for copper by 2050. The surge is expected to be driven by the adoption of copper-intensive technologies, such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. With constant growth in several customers shifting to renewable energy-based technologies, such an increase in demand for the commodity is inevitable. On the other hand, the industry will likely face significant challenges in meeting this rise in demand. The mining industry, for instance, faces constraints like declining ore grades and the need for substantial capital investments to develop new projects. Owing to these factors, the growth in supply and the industrys ability to sustain high copper prices in the future could take a hit. CoreCivic, the second largest private prison company in America, is seeking to reactivate a shuttered facility in Leavenworth as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. As a private prison CoreCivic had a long and troubled history of mismanagement and unsafe conditions before closing in 2021 with the cancellation of their private prison contract. CoreCivics record speaks for itself. In 2017, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson described conditions at its Leavenworth facility as an absolute hell hole. A federal audit found that 25% of staff positions were unfilled, leaving inmates unsupervised while guards scrambled to monitor multiple units at once. Weapons and contraband were commonplace. The companys failures werent just administrative they were violent. William Rogers, a former CoreCivic employee, was stabbed and had his head split open because of short staffing. Another guard was beaten and stabbed so brutally she required 16 surgeriesonly for CoreCivic to cut off her health insurance while she was on workers comp. She now lives in poverty but still came out to testify of CoreCivics negligence and mismanagement, to the Leavenworth City Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even before its closure, CoreCivic engaged in deception according to the U.S. Department of Justice, removing beds to hide overcrowding from inspectors. This is not a company that makes mistakes. It is a company that commits fraud and prioritizes profits over people and it has no place in Leavenworth. CoreCivics CEO Damon Hininger reportedly makes close to $6 million per year, but cant adequately staff his private prisons and detention facilities. In 2023, the Leavenworth County Commission voted unanimously to halt discussions with CoreCivic to reopen the facility as an ICE detention center. CoreCivic persisted and filed for a special use permit with the city to reopen the facility. Again, public opposition flared and CoreCivic faced with three brutal public hearings, and a City Commission that could reject their bid declared that it could open the facility without a permit by right. The land in question is zoned for industrial, not prison use. Since 2012, detention centers have required a special use permit in that location. Thats the law. But CoreCivics new argument? That its empty, nonoperational facility which hasnt held a single detainee going on four years somehow counts as continually in use. Because it kept one staffer around to keep the lights on? Thats the companys case. And its ridiculous. After hours of passionate testimony from opponents to CoreCivic and the lawless nature of our present immigration policy, the Leavenworth City Commission rejected this argument. It passed a resolution declaring CoreCivic needed a special use permit to operate, and that it would use every legal means to protect its right to regulate land use in Leavenworth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city of Leavenworth has filed a suit in district court to enforce its land use regulations. It has requested a declaratory judgment rescinding the designated special use. It requests a temporary restraining order and an injunction against CoreCivic from housing detainees without obtaining a special use permit. Now is the time to reach out to the Leavenworth City Commission to thank its members for their bold defense of the rule of law, and to encourage them to stand strong in the face of an unaccountable corporation trying to run roughshod over our local community. Whether CoreCivic is allowed to open in clear defiance of the law, massive public disapproval and two unanimous votes by local elected officials will ultimately be determined by the courts. But heres the bigger picture: This isnt just CoreCivic. This incident is part of a disturbing national trend giant corporations deciding that laws dont apply to them. That they can bully communities into submission. That they can use their size, their money and their lawyers to steamroll local governments, dodge accountability and dare us to stop them. Its not just about zoning. Its about who runs our towns the people who live here, or the billion-dollar companies that think they are above the law. Leavenworth isnt for sale. Mike Trapp is the founder of the federal hybrid PAC New American Community in Leavenworth, and a partner in stormwater management consultancy Clear Creek Solutions. As political tensions rise between the U.S. and Canada, partly fueled by President Donald Trump's tariff policies, some people are caught in the middle. Denise Amato, who currently lives in Tonawanda, New York, is a dual citizen of both countries. She says the current political climate has been challenging to navigate with her family and friends. Don't miss Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I've noticed there's some strain," Amato told WKBW TV in a story published March 24. "I'm a little concerned with that because we've been allies for so long." Born in Niagara Falls, New York, and raised in Welland, Ontario, she has deep roots on both sides of the border. She says recent conversations with family and friends increasingly revolve around politics. Tensions beyond trade policy Early in March, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on most imports from Canada, with an exemption for products that are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). On March 12, he placed 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada. On April 3, the president imposed 25% tariffs on imported vehicles with some exemptions. Trump has also threatened further tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber products. Canada, for its part, has responded by issuing retaliatory tariffs of its own on U.S. goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But these aren't the only actions that have caused friction between both nations. Trump has repeatedly suggested making Canada the 51st state of the U.S. even mockingly referring to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "governor" comments Canadians perceived to be a threat to the country's sovereignty. Regardless of whether or not Trump's quips were simply playful jabs, current Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled that the old relationship between Canada and the U.S. is over. "It's clear the U.S. is no longer a reliable partner," he said at a press conference on March 27. "It is possible that with comprehensive negotiations, we could re-establish an element of confidence, but there will be no going backwards." Despite the turmoil and economic uncertainty between both countries, Amato insists shes optimistic that the long-standing relationship between the U.S. and Canada will endure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are friends, and we will be friends forever, she said. So, lets please not allow the political climate to affect that. Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a disturbance in America use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP How international relations can affect your wallet International tensions aren't just another headline for American consumers they can have real-world impacts on personal finances. In the case of Canada and the U.S., individuals living near the border particularly those with income or assets in both countries can feel financial strain beyond the effects economic tools such as tariffs have on sticker price. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar (USD) and Canadian dollar (CAD) can significantly impact purchasing power, investment returns and the cost of living. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, when tariffs escalate tensions, investor confidence may fall, causing currency volatility. If the CAD weakens, Canadians who earn income in Canadian dollars but have expenses or investments in the U.S. face reduced spending power. Conversely, a stronger CAD could mean Americans pay more for Canadian goods and services. Here are some ways to manage your personal finances in this time of uncertainty: Don't stop contributing to your 401(k) if you're more than 10 years away from retirement. Market fluctuations can make contributing to retirement feel risky, but long-term investing can weather these swings. Look for ways to spend less so tariffs don't impact your budget as much. For example, now is not the time to invest in a new vehicle unless you must. If you have funds in both countries, pay attention to exchange rates and identify favorable times to transfer funds between countries. Limit large cross-border purchases when exchange rates aren't in your favor this includes everything from appliances to real estate. Diversify your assets by holding investments or accounts in both currencies and spending from whichever account is more favorable. While politicians debate policy, consumers on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border are left navigating the ripple effects making it more important than ever to stay informed and financially flexible. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. While heavy rainfall has ended in Greater Cincinnati, the downpours have brought flooding and high water to the region after a turbulent week of storms. Scattered showers are expected to persist throughout Sunday, although flooding and high water will linger even after the rain stops, according to the National Weather Service. Sunday morning, the National Weather Service issued a flood statement saying the flood warning continues for the Ohio River at Cincinnati until further notice. The Ohio River has reached moderate flooding levels for the first time since 2021, the National Water Prediction Service says. The river had risen to 56.55 feet at 5 a.m. Moderate flooding occurs at 56 feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this level, the National Weather Service says to expect significant flooding in the California area. Backwater flooding along the Little Miami River affects basements and some first-level flooding of businesses and homes, with low-lying areas from California to Newtown also experiencing this flooding. The East End experiences flooding of some streets, basements of homes and businesses, as well as low-lying areas near New Richmond in Clermont County. At this stage, State Route 8 in Kentucky floods in low areas, as well as State Route 56 in Indiana and Route 52 in Ohio. Forecasters say showers are likely before 5 p.m. Sunday, with more showers possible Sunday night and throughout Monday. The region is expected to see a break in the bad weather on Tuesday. Here's a list of rainfall accumulations over the last 72 hours: Butler County Regional Airport 4.51 inches. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport 3.79 inches. Clermont County Airport 3.14 inches. Lunken Airport 4.15 inches. Middletown Regional Airport 2.55 inches. Addyston 4.13 inches. Blue Ash 3.30 inches. Cincinnati 2.14 to 4.30 inches. Cleves 3.39 inches. Delhi Township 3.48 inches. Fairfield 3.16 inches Florence 3.48 inches. Fort Wright 3.41 inches. Goshen 2.22 inches. Hamilton 4.50 inches. Lawrenceburg 7.24 inches. Lebanon 3.95 inches. Liberty Township 4.13 inches. Mason 2.79 inches. Milford 3.17 inches. Monroe 3.51 inches. Morrow 2.73 inches. Oxford 2.82 inches. Sharonville 2.40 inches. Trenton 3.33 inches. Union 3.11 inches Walton 2.71 inches. West Chester 3.66 inches. West Harrison 2.93 inches. Source: National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati rainfall: See local totals as region experiences flooding SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) Several early morning fires in Spartanburg are under investigation. The Spartanburg Police Department and Spartanburg City Fire Department are investigating four to five fires which happened around the same time and in the same area. Were working closely with the police department in the area, gathering information, gathering witness statements, William Smart, fire marshal for the City of Spartanburg, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smart said each fire caused damage, some more severe than others. A home on Brawley Street was severely damaged, police said the property was vacant while undergoing renovations. According to police reports, shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday, a Spartanburg police officer was called to the scene of a fire on Brawley Street which had been put out by firefighters. A woman living near the scene of the fire reportedly told police she saw a fire at the front door of the house at around 3 a.m. The woman told police that when firefighters arrived at the scene she saw a silver sedan with what appeared to be a group of juveniles inside drive towards Howard Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While firefighters were still at the scene on Brawley Street, another fire was reported at a home on Howard Street, approximately one mile away. We had several units working several of the fires in the area, so our response time was significantly reduced, in some ways because we had trucks in the area working, that was a big help for suppression efforts, Smart said. When police arrived at the second fire, Spartanburg Fire Department was still attempting to put the fire out. Reports said the house was unoccupied, but the fire appeared suspicious and was believed to have started on the front porch and spread quickly. No one in the area reported any vehicles matching the one seen at the first fire or any suspicious individuals at the scene of the second fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Spartanburg Fire Department said they are actively investigating the cause of these fires and if any of them are linked. If anyone with any information on this case is encouraged to reach out to either the Spartanburg Police Department or Spartanburg Fire Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Sheriff Jeff Travis announced that an East Feliciana Parish jury returned guilty verdicts on Thursday, April 3, against Deandre Lemond Galmon, 38, of Clinton, for two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. The verdicts came after just under two and a half hours of deliberation. The case was prosecuted by the 20th Judicial District Attorneys Office and stemmed from a violent crime spree that began in April 2020. Galmon was originally arrested on April 28, 2020, in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He was taken into custody on an arrest warrant issued by East Feliciana Parish Sheriffs Office detectives, charging him with the first-degree murder of Darold Williams, 64, of Ethel, and the attempted murder of Charles Slack, 48, of Centreville, Mississippi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following his extradition back to Louisiana, Galmon was also charged with the first-degree murder of Teyhones Elliott, 37, of Clinton. The investigation began on April 24, 2020, when first responders discovered the charred remains of Williams inside a burned mobile home on W. Lakeshore Drive in Ethel. Around the same time, EFPSO was notified that Charles Slack had arrived at a Mississippi hospital with a gunshot wound. Baton Rouge man accused of armed robbery, selling stolen car on Facebook arrested The following day, Elliotts burned vehicle was discovered on Rattlesnake Road. On April 29, his body was found nearby at the intersection of Old Liberty Road North and Gilead Road. Autopsy results confirmed that both Williams and Elliott died from gunshot wounds to the head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement EFPSO detectives, working with the Louisiana State Fire Marshals Office, led the multi-agency investigation that ultimately resulted in the arrests of Galmon and Herbert Collins, 43, also of Clinton. Collins pleaded guilty to his role in the crimes prior to Galmons trial. Sheriff Travis thanked investigators and prosecutors for their diligent work and affirmed the Parishs continued commitment to justice and public safety. Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) People across East Tennessee and the nation turned out in droves on Saturday to protest a slew of recent actions taken by the Trump administration. Hundreds lined Western Avenue and Summit Hill Drive in Knoxville in protest of cuts to federal funding and staff, the implementation of widespread tariffs, and Elon Musks influence on government through his Department of Government Efficiency. HHS staff cuts jeopardize program that helps Knox County seniors pay utilities Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Picketers were seen in downtown Chattanooga while WJHL reported demonstrations in Johnson City, Kingsport, Greeneville, and Morristown. 6 News also received images of protesters outside the Blount County Courthouse in Maryville. Protesters in downtown Knoxville on Saturday, April 5 as part of the nationwide Hands Off! demonstrations Protesters in downtown Knoxville on Saturday, April 5 as part of the nationwide Hands Off! demonstrations Protesters outside the Blount County Courthouse in Maryville, TN on April 5, 2025 as part of the nationwide Hands off! demonstrations. Credit: Janette Kennedy Protesters outside the Blount County Courthouse in Maryville, TN on April 5, 2025 as part of the nationwide Hands off! demonstrations. Credit: Janette Kennedy Hands Off! demonstrators in Kingsport, Tennessee on April 5, 2025. Credit: Jessie Bellamy Hands Off! demonstrators in Kingsport, Tennessee on April 5, 2025. Credit: Jessie Bellamy End of USDA funding for fresh local produce hits Grainger County Schools According to the Associated Press, the so-called Hands Off! demonstrations took place in more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states. The protests were organized by over 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. President Trumps position is clear: He will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries, the White House said in a statement responding to the protests. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. Homelessness in Chicago is a crisis. More housing is needed, and fast, which this page has addressed more than once. But there are few easy answers to the problem in the short run. On the border of Hyde Park and Kenwood, city officials have provided a stark example of what not to do. With next to no notice to the affected community, city and state officials decided late last year to make a former Best Western hotel, located amid lakefront high-rises, into a permanent shelter housing up to 750 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shuttered hotel previously was used on an emergency basis to house migrants during the surge that occurred as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was busing Venezuelan and other asylum seekers in large numbers to Chicago. At the time, the idea (or at least the neighborhood assumption) was that once the migrant crisis was past, the use of the hotel for a shelter would end. Instead, the state of Illinois, which has been operating the Best Western shelter, now plans to transfer it to the city on June 30. Since December, the city and state have worked together to convert this former migrant facility to a homeless shelter. In February, city officials acknowledged to irate neighbors of the facility that theyd failed to keep the community informed of those plans. It had taken 5th Ward Ald. Desmon Yancys entreaties on behalf of constituents to make city officials realize there was a big, big problem, a big misstep here, Chicago Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto said back then, according to Block Club Chicago. Yet another meeting took place March 31, this one attended by more than 200 people, most of them still irate about what they had thought was a temporary shelter apparently becoming permanent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yancy promised then to try to close the facility; he suggested community members file a zoning challenge. State Rep. Curtis Tarver, who represents the area and also wants the facility closed, pinned the blame squarely on the mayor, describing the lack of communication and solicitation of community input as ineptitude on the fifth floor. Where have we heard that before? Were two years into Mayor Brandon Johnsons term and city officials still make amateur mistakes like thinking a 750-person homeless shelter located without warning in a stable, densely populated neighborhood wont generate an uproar. As if to reinforce the communitys view that the mayor doesnt care about them, Soto was invited but didnt attend the most recent meeting. These issues are emotional no matter what. They strike at deep-seated and valid concerns like property values, public safety and orderliness and cleanliness. But lets be real: They also surface prejudices. The people in the Best Western shelter all are families with young children the most vulnerable homeless population we have. Theres a real debate to be had about what responsibility better-off neighborhoods like Hyde Park have to help solve humanitarian problems that often are laid at the feet of poorer areas. But once youve sown such distrust by appearing to make such a momentous decision a fait accompli, as city officials have done here, engaging in productive dialogue with affected neighbors becomes almost impossible because of lack of trust. Will this administration ever learn? Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) defends a bill on solar energy from Republican amendments during an April 4, 2025, floor session, with his vice chair, Del. Brian Crosby (D-St. Mary's), standing by. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters) The House passed a potentially transformative package of energy reform bills Saturday that are aimed at hastening new power generation in Maryland and curtailing costs for ratepayers. The move tees up the three-bill package, backed by General Assembly leadership, for final passage, even if it may come on the 90-day sessions final day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate, which previously approved the energy bills, is likely to concur with amendments made in the House, sending the bills to the governors desk, said Sen. Brian Feldman (D- Montgomery), chairman of the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee. Weve been in pretty close consultation, he said. Unless theres some surprise, I would anticipate that wed be concurring. The legislation, which will spur in-state power generation, came as a response to escalating electric bills for Maryland consumers. In the run-up to the General Assembly session, new transmission line projects also stirred frustration from rural parts of the state, which will bring energy through Maryland from other states, spurred by coal plant retirements and increased power demand from data centers and other users. Together, the bills would create uniform siting standards for solar arrays, replacing a patchwork of local policies, and set up a new state office focused on energy planning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They would also establish expedited procedures for new power facilities in Maryland, potentially including nuclear and natural gas, as well as battery energy storage. In an effort to reduce costs for power customers, the bills would also limit certain utility spending and ratemaking practices, and hand out an electric bill rebate averaging $80 per household. We are an energy desert because the policies of the Maryland General Assembly do not like and do not promote anything but green energy, and green energy in the year 2025 cannot meet the needs of Marylands population, said Del. Jason Buckel (R- Allegany), the chambers minority leader, on the House floor Saturday. In response, Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D- Montgomery) took to the microphone to list off provisions in the bill she expects to save power customers money. Under the bill, Marylands utility regulator wouldnt be able to approve multiyear rate plans, which can lock in successive rate increases over a period of several years, unless there is a benefit to customers. The bill also wouldnt allow utilities to use a reconciliation process to recoup additional spending through rates. The bill also places new limits on using ratepayer dollars to replace gas pipelines, requiring utilities to show a safety need. And it restricts other spending of ratepayer dollars, Charkoudian said, including on trade association memberships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These things, over the next years and decades, will save hundreds of millions of dollars for our ratepayers, and we should be proud to vote green for that, Charkoudian said. Oh, and as a bonus, ratepayers arent going to be paying for private jets for Exelon. The broadest bill (House Bill 1035 and Senate Bill 937), focused on utility regulation and power generation, has garnered pushback from environmental groups, who argue that natural gas plants would get a fast track, flying in the face of the states ambitious climate change goals and burdening nearby communities with air pollution. The bill does require that any new natural gas plants approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission under the bill have the ability to convert to hydrogen or zero-emissions biofuel when feasible. It also requires the Commission approve renewable projects at a 4 to 1 ratio. After Del. Brian Chisholm (R-Anne Arundel) slammed the legislature as hostile to business with excessive regulations, Del. Brian Crosby (D-St. Marys) pushed back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not an attack on a way of life. It is creating an opportunity for some of these farmers that simply do not wish to farm anymore. Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles), chair of the House Economic Matters Committee Much to the chagrin of some of the environmental groups, it promotes gas. There has not been, nor is there, a cap on gas in this bill. All it does is streamline a permitting process to cut down costs, Crosby said. The packages bill focused on solar energy (House Bill 1036 and Senate Bill 931) also stirred considerable pushback from Republicans. The bill prevents local governments from adopting certain laws that block solar developments and sets statewide standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Solar farms are allowed to occupy up to 5% of any one countys priority preservation area, which is agricultural land. After that ceiling is hit, counties can restrict solar on the remaining 95% of farmland. Republican members of the House argued on Friday that the 5% cap was set too high. They argued that solar companies, bolstered financially by the governments backing, could offer large sums to lease or buy farmland for massive solar arrays. The associated loss of farm acreage could destroy the fabric of the Eastern Shores agriculture industry, said Del. Jefferson L. Ghrist (R- Upper Shore). And if acres of grain production are lost, the Shores poultry houses could be forced to import chicken feed, undermining their business as well, he said. This bill doesnt explicitly hurt farmers. I want to make that crystal clear, Ghrist said. It does make an attempt to reduce the acreage to improve this, but the reason why Im so adamantly against it, is because it just doesnt go far enough. We could potentially lose up to 54,000 acres on the Eastern Shore front from grain production. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Del. C.T. Wilson (D- Charles), chairman of the House Economic Matters Committee, which approved the energy bills, said that farmers should have the choice to bring solar onto their land, and shouldnt be blocked by local governments. In turn, the panels will bolster the states energy generation goals, Wilson said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Its [the bill] not an attack on a way of life, Wilson said. It is creating an opportunity for some of these farmers that simply do not wish to farm anymore. But Ghrist argued that counties werent stepping out of bounds by restricting solar, but rather exerting their proper zoning authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If somebody wants to put a nudie bar next to a church or a school, and the county says: No, you cant do that, I dont think anybody in this chamber will say: You know what? The countys taking away their property rights,' Ghrist said. Del. April Miller (R-Frederick) pushed back against the funding mechanism for the packages new Strategic Energy Planning Office (House Bill 1037 and Senate Bill 909). I still am struggling with setting up this office on the backs of ratepayers, Miller said Saturday. But Crosby said that all three of the energy bills, when taken together, are likely to yield ratepayer savings that go beyond the $5 million cost of setting up the planning office. And the data provided by the office will allow Maryland to be less reliant on the regional grid operator to answer its own queries. We think its money well spent, Crosby said. Virginia Giuffre has dropped another bombshell after previously revealing that she was involved in an accident. The victim of accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has now claimed that she suffered years of physical assault from her husband, Robert Giuffre, and "can no longer stay silent." Reports have also revealed that Virginia Giuffre reported the assault to the police as recently as January 9, but Robert was not charged with any crime. Virginia Giuffre Says She 'Can No Longer Stay Silent' About Being Abused By Her Husband Instagram | Virginia Giuffre After previously revealing her involvement in an accident and claiming she was dying soon, Giuffre has made an unexpected revelation about being a victim of physical assault by her husband, Robert Giuffre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was able to fight back against Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, who abused and trafficked me," the 41-year-old wrote in an exclusive statement to People Magazine. She added, "But I was unable to escape the domestic violence in my marriage until recently. After my husband's latest physical assault, I can no longer stay silent." Although Giuffre did not confirm when the "latest physical assault" occurred, a rep for her informed the outlet that the 41-year-old had reported an assault to the authorities on January 9, 2025. Giuffre's brother's wife, Amanda, has also confirmed that the incident occurred and that the sexual abuse victim advocate "almost died" from the injuries she sustained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think the last incident that they had, she almost died," Amanda told the outlet. "And we had to speak that truth with her on the phone. And I think she had acknowledged that if she had one more instance with him, she wasn't making it out of there." Virginia Giuffre's Injuries May Be From Husband's Assault, Brother Claims Instagram | Virginia Giuffre Prior to making the shocking domestic violence revelation, Giuffre had revealed that she had only a few days to live due to her involvement in an accident that led to kidney renal failure. Now, her brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife have claimed that there may be more to the injuries Giuffre suffered, suggesting that these injuries could have been partly caused by the recent beating she allegedly endured at the hands of her husband. "Let's be clear, she never stated in the bus accident the cause of all her other injuries," Sky told People. "But I do think that the bus crash in some way, shape, or form saved her life. It could have been a blessing in disguise." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then added that the damage to his sister's organs was from years of alleged abuse rather than the bus crash. "You got to think, she's been allegedly being abused for over 10 years. Anyone's body is going to take a toll over a course of time," the auto claims adjuster shared. Virginia Giuffre Has Faced Backlash Over Her Bus Crash Post Instagram | Virginia Giuffre After Giuffre made a post on Instagram claiming she had only "four days to live" after a bus accident, the severity of the incident has been contested, mainly after reports emerged suggesting it was a "minor crash" with "no reported injuries." Her family has since stated that Giuffre had "thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also shared more details about the crash, including the exact time it occurred (March 4) and that the bus that hit Giuffre's ride was full of "distraught children." "The police were called but said that there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital," the family noted, per People. Virginia Giuffre's Brother Claims She Isn't Trying To Avoid Court Appearance About Restraining Order Violation Instagram | Virginia Giuffre Currently, Giuffre and Robert have been living apart for a while and are bound by a restraining order that prevents them from contacting each other. The order was obtained by Robert, who told authorities that Giuffre had become violent with him during a trip organized to celebrate the birthday of one of their kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While speaking with People Magazine, Giuffre's brother claimed that Robert was actually the abuser during the incident and was just lucky to "put his" restraining order "in place first," which forced his sister to be "on the defense." He also shared that Giuffre's revelation about her domestic violence situation wasn't intended to avoid a court appearance regarding her recent violation of the restraining order. "Is it going to take her to die for people to believe her? Or can you just simply be a human and look at the facts and understand this is somebody that legitimately got into an accident, legitimately had underlying issues?" he said to Giuffre's critics. Virginia Giuffre's Fight Against Jeffrey Epstein And Prince Andrew MEGA Giuffre first made headlines when she revealed that she was a victim of sex trafficking by the late sex offender Epstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, she has been involved in a number of lawsuits against EEpstein'sestate and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is known to have been his right-hand woman. Giuffre also accused British royal Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, of being one of the individuals she was sex trafficked to by Epstein. She subsequently sued the prince, but the lawsuit was later settled for an undisclosed but substantial amount. By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries will seek to present a united front in the coming days against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, likely approving a first set of targeted countermeasures on up to $28 billion of U.S. imports from dental floss to diamonds. Such a move would mean the EU joining China and Canada in imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States in an early escalation of what some fear will become a global trade war, making goods more expensive for billions of consumers and pushing economies around the world into recession. The 27-nation bloc faces 25% import tariffs on steel and aluminium and cars and "reciprocal" tariffs of 20% from Wednesday for almost all other goods. Trump's tariffs cover some 70% of the EU's exports to the United States - worth in total 532 billion euros ($585 billion) last year - with likely duties on copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and timber still to come. The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, will propose to members late on Monday a list of U.S. products to hit with extra duties in response to Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs rather than the broader reciprocal levies. It is set to include U.S. meat, cereals, wine, wood and clothing as well as chewing gum, dental floss, vacuum cleaners and toilet paper. One product that has received more attention and exposed discord in the bloc is bourbon. The Commission has earmarked a 50% tariff, prompting Trump to threaten a 200% counter-tariff on EU alcoholic drinks if the bloc goes ahead. Wine exporters France and Italy have both expressed concern. The EU, whose economy is heavily reliant on free trade, is keen to make sure it has wide backing for any response so as to keep the pressure up on Trump ultimately to enter negotiations. Luxembourg will earlier on Monday host the first EU-wide political meeting since Trump's announcement of the sweeping tariffs when ministers responsible for trade from the 27 EU members will exchange views on the impact and how best to respond. EU diplomats said the main aim of the meeting was to emerge with a united message of a desire to negotiate with Washington a removal of tariffs, but a readiness to respond with countermeasures if that failed. "Our biggest fear after Brexit was bilateral deals and a break of unity, but through three or four years of negotiations that did not happen. Of course, here you have a different story, but everyone can see an interest in a common commercial policy," one EU diplomat said. We recently published a list of the 10 Best Copper Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) stands against other best copper stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The U.S. stock market has changed rapidly since the new president took control of the Oval Office. In the list of commodities that are recently surfacing as standout performers in the market, copper holds a significant place. The commodity has captured the attention of investors across the globe. According to The Wall Street Journal, by the end of March 2025, the U.S. copper future saw a 26% increase, reaching $5.02 per pound. The extraordinary growth, in addition to surpassing global prices, has set unprecedented records in the industry. The recent tariff implementations from the U.S. administration stand among the heavy contributors to this surge. The U.S. president has recently announced a series of tariff increases, targeting the major trading partners of the U.S. Accordingly, the EU imports will be charged a 20% tariff. Chinese goods have the most impact at a 34% tariff. Similarly, a minimum 10% hike is imposed on all imports globally. Because of these measures, the average tariff rate has risen to 23%, the highest in over a century. The WSJ calls it the most significant shift in the United Statess approach to global trade. READ ALSO: Why These Energy Stocks are Gaining This Week. These new tariffs affect the import and export of various goods in the U.S. concerning copper. A rush has been noted to import the commodity into the U.S. before the new import tax rates take effect. This influx has resulted in a notable rise in physical deliveries, causing domestic copper prices to surge. Income-seeking investors in the market, however, need to look past these immediate market reactions and focus on the long-term outlook for copper. Even in the long run, the value of copper remains robust. An article by CNBC noted that the worlds leading mining companies anticipate a 70% growth in the global demand for copper by 2050. The surge is expected to be driven by the adoption of copper-intensive technologies, such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. With constant growth in several customers shifting to renewable energy-based technologies, such an increase in demand for the commodity is inevitable. On the other hand, the industry will likely face significant challenges in meeting this rise in demand. The mining industry, for instance, faces constraints like declining ore grades and the need for substantial capital investments to develop new projects. Owing to these factors, the growth in supply and the industrys ability to sustain high copper prices in the future could take a hit. A memorial service was held on Sunday to commemorate the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp near the central German city of Weimar 80 years ago. Music and documents produced in secrecy by its inmates were presented at the service. In his address, former German president Christian Wulff drew a comparison between the Nazis and today's right-wing radicalism. "Based on the coarsening and radicalization, and a global shift to the right, I can now and this makes me uneasy imagine more clearly how this it could happen at the time," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wulff called for active engagement in favour of democracy. The current generation bore permanent responsibility for ensuring that evil should never again be victorious, he said. The former president expressed direct criticism of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the far-right party that came second in recent elections and continues to surge in opinion polls. "Those who play down the AfD are ignoring the fact that the AfD is preparing the ground through its ideology for people in Germany to feel uncertain and are in fact concretely in danger," he said. Survivors of the camp were invited to attend the service at the Weimarhalle, along with relatives and descendants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the afternoon, a wreath-laying ceremony is planned at the former roll call square of the camp. Naftali Furst, the president of the International Committee of Buchenwald-Dora and Commandos, was also scheduled to speak at the memorial. Furst, 92, survived the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps as a child. In the run-up to the memorial service, a dispute came to light between the memorial site and the Israeli embassy over a planned speech by a philosopher who is viewed critically by the embassy. Starting in the summer of 1937, the Nazis deported more than 280,000 people to the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar and its 139 subcamps. Some 56,000 people were murdered or died of hunger, disease, forced labour or medical experiments. Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated. An overnight Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv killed one person and wounded three people, the local authorities reported on April 6. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that the body of the victim had been found on the street near the epicenter of an explosion in Kyiv's Darnytskyi District, and that the person was being identified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two of the wounded in the Darnytskyi District, located on the capital's southeastern edge, have been hospitalized, Klitschko said. Ukraine's State Emergency Service said that the attack affected Kyiv's Darnytskyi, Obolonsky, and Solomyansky districts. A fire broke out at an unspecified non-residential building, and another building was severely damaged, causing three nearby parked cars to catch fire as well, according to the State Emergency Service. It added that the fire was extinguished. Another fire broke out at a furniture shop and a warehouse building, and a five-story office building sustained "partial destruction" across several floors, the State Emergency Service added. The fire was extinguished at these sites too, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A round of explosions occurred in Kyiv around 5:00 a.m. local time on April 6, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground. Paramedics throughout the city are responding on the scene, Klitschko reported. Earlier, explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 2:12 a.m., a Kyiv Independent journalist reported. Poland mobilized its jets and air defenses in response to the massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine, the Polish Armed Forces said in a post on X. Russian attacks have been ongoing throughout the country overnight. The Air Force earlier mentioned missiles approaching Southern Ukraine at 1:43 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia has regularly targeted civilian infrastructure since the onset of its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022. The U.S. has been in talks with Ukraine and Russia to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine. Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Moscow has refused. Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. How do you live when Vladimir Putin wants you dead? Thats the dilemma facing Christo Grozev, a man often described as a rock star investigative journalist. The story of how he became persona non grata , if you prefer with the Kremlin is told in the documentary Antidote, directed by James Jones, which just made its world premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Someone asked me the other day, how many people are on Putins kill list? And I was like, I have no idea, Jones says as he and Grozev join Deadline at a cafe at the CPH:DOX hub. But it is interesting that if you end up on their criminal wanted list thats a pretty good sign youve crossed some kind of line. Director James Jones (left) and Christo Grozev attend the Tribeca Festival premiere of an earlier iteration of Antidote in New York on June 7, 2024 The line Grozev crossed was to expose the identities of hundreds of Russian spies and would-be assassins operating in the West, as part of his work for Bellingcat, the open-source investigative journalism outfit. He played a key role in Bellingcats investigation of the 2018 poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the U.K., establishing the Kremlin link to the crime. That was mere prelude to his most consequential investigation identifying the Russian officials behind the near-fatal poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020. Christo Grozev (left) with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Navalny No one who has seen the Oscar-winning documentary Navalny can forget the scene where Navalny, recuperated from the poisoning, phones a Russian scientist Grozev has fingered as central to the plot. Impersonating a high-ranking Russian official, Navalny gets the man to admit details of the scheme. Grozev is right there in the room with Navalny as the stunning conversation unfolds. It is absolutely the subtext to this film, Jones observes, that moment of humiliating them [the Kremlin]. That target on Christos back got etched in pen in that moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, it was while he was making appearances for the documentary Navalny on its Oscar run that Grozev learned the Kremlin had declared him a wanted man. Antidote I called it a fatwa, the Bulgarian-born journalist tells Deadline. And I called it that on purpose because of that being the closest analogy at the time. Because the way it was announced by Russia, it had no other pragmatic purpose than to make others that would like to deliver a favor to Putin, to potentially go after me. This was no mere idle threat. Grozev was visiting New York in 2023 when U.S. intelligence officials warned him not to return to his home in Vienna, because a red team was anticipating his arrival in Austria with plans to kill or kidnap him. Not long after, authorities in the U.K. got wind of three Bulgarians following Grozev around Europe with the intent to snatch him. Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev Bulgarian nationals based in London were apprehended in February 2023 and charged with espionage. L-R Convicted Bulgarian spies Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev There was so much volume of evidence, 200,000 text messages between the commissioners [of the plot] from Moscow and the spy team, that it took the prosecutors and the police almost a year to go through them, Grozev notes. After the arrest, [investigators] were discovering new things and calling me occasionally, Oh, did you know that this happened? Or Where were you on this date? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just last month, Ivanova, Gaberova, and Ivanchev were convicted in a British court of conspiracy to spy. This was a high-level espionage operation with significant financial rewards for those involved in the spy ring, said Frank Ferguson, chief of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division. The group acted together, under the leadership of [confessed Bulgarian spy] Orlin Roussev, to spy on prominent individuals and locations on behalf of Russia using sophisticated methods. [An earlier iteration of Antidote premiered at the Tribeca Festival in New York, but the final version of the film couldnt be completed until the trial of the Bulgarian spies was over]. That plot against Grozev failed, but he may never learn the full circumstances of his fathers sudden death in Austria. His body was discovered in his home outside Vienna; cause of death undetermined. Towards the end of shooting on Antidote, Grozev says, I was confronted with photos and messages from the spy ring [Ivanova, Gaberova, and Ivanchev and associates] where it became abundantly clear that they had been tasked to surveil my father as well, he says. And there was a photo of the spies taking a selfie in front of my fathers apartment with an arrow pointing to the balcony saying, Enter from here. Director James Jones introduces Antidote at the films world premiere at CPH:DOX There are comedic elements to the spy craft practiced by the Bulgarian conspirators beyond failing to delete incriminating text messages, that selfie, and other evidence from their phones. It was also in a way surreal, almost funny, how we could match their text messages which were only available to the prosecutors to public data that they had left, like breadcrumbs, Grozev observes. Some of the spies were leaving Google reviews to the places that they went and complaining about the quality of hotels or cafes or food as they were literally breathing down my neck at the same time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moments of levity may help Grozev cope with the ongoing threat to his life. It does get normalized after time, he says. So, you no longer are shocked, youre no longer stressed. You can sleep normally. After Austrian authorities told Grozev they couldnt protect him, he took up residence in New York. That was fine while Biden was president. But with Trump back in office his safety in the U.S. can no longer be taken for granted. The new shock comes, which is, well, suddenly the country that gave you asylum and a safe space is now aligning itself with the enemy and is it safe anymore? And what is the next destination? Of Antidote, he says, Its kind of like a fugitive film in a way but involving a journalist. Journalist Christo Grozev (center) participates in a panel discussion at CPH:DOX with moderator Sameer Padania (left) and SVTs Axel Arno Grozev now serves as head of investigations for The Insider. At a Q&A following the world premiere of Antidote in Copenhagen, he said he would keep pursuing his investigative work so long as he continued to enjoy the support of his wife and two children. They have backed his journalistic mission despite the grave risk it presents to his wellbeing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At CPH:DOX, the location of the world premiere of Antidote was not disclosed until just before the event. A security measure. It is just weird how relative safety is because six months ago I had doubts whether I should be in Copenhagen, Grozev tells Deadline. But now theres no question the U.S. is not safe anymore. Everything, all assessment of risk, is relative. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is officially seeking re-election. On Saturday, the 40-year-old held her re-election campaign in Bostons South End at an event at the Cyclorama on Tremont Street. As mayor, I promise you that Boston will never back down from fighting for our families and our future, Wu said in front of supporters in the crowd. Wu has been the mayor since 2021, and this year, shes facing opposition from Josh Kraft, son of the New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wu outlined her vision for the city while taking jabs at Kraft, saying, We face serious challenges in this moment, and now is not the time for a mayor who needs on-the-job training. The next mayoral election begins in November. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW I have been thinking a lot about agency lately. Politics in America over the last decade has felt designed, scripted even, to rob people of their own sense of agency. I think many people feel as if our politics is happening to themaffecting their livelihood, their relationships, their neighborhoodsand is beyond their reach or influence. But agency is not only essential for a healthy democracy, agency is an essential aspect of what it means to be human. John Kasichs new book, Heaven Help Us, is an effort by the former Ohio governor and presidential candidate to renew citizens sense of agency and responsibility to contribute to the well-being of their neighbors and communities. It is a relentlessly positive book, though its affirmations offer implicit critiques. The book, which was written with Kasichs longtime collaborator Daniel Paisner, offers vignettes of modern, faith-motivated Americans who have made a significant difference in their communities. The stories are the message, and Kasich offers them all as positive, inspiring examples to spark an imagination in readers for what they could do, how they could serve, now. That is to say, there is not much diagnosis in this book. While a number of recent books have cataloged religious disrepair and hypocrisy, and conclude with limited gestures toward a better way, Kasich argues that were missing the role faith is playing in real peoples lives today, for the good of others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kasich focuses on faith because of his concern regarding growing skepticism and cynicism toward religion, and the great capacity he believes religion has to contribute. We are living in perilous times. People are adrift, divided, conflicted young people especiallyand Im struck by the ways many are stepping away from organized religion, he writes. After expressing his understanding for some reasons for this, he continues, And yet Ive come to realize that the ordinary people doing extraordinary things I looked to celebrate in my first book are out there today in even greater force, and that their noble acts of goodwill and community building are being strengthened by the support theyre receiving from their religious institutions. Kasich is less animated by convincing the non-religious that religion has something to offer than he is in convincing the religious of that factand getting them to act on it. Kasich describes a meeting he called with religious leaders and theologians. I was becoming increasingly concerned at what I was hearing about all of these ministers around the country who were under fire from their congregations, with members trying to get them to take a political stand or endorse a particular candidate or issue, he writes. They were being knocked off balance because of it. I didnt believe these types of discussions belonged inside the church, so I thought Id bring together a group of faith leaders to see whether we could come up with a statement these ministers could rely upon you know, a patch of firm ground on which they all might stand. But it wasnt as fruitful as Kasich had hoped. Well, sometimes what seems like a great notion is not so great after all, because it turned out that we couldnt get these religious thinkers to agree on much, he writes. They were all brilliant, make no mistake, but they all had their own ideaswhich, looking back, I might have anticipated. But trying to get this group to produce a single declarative statement to articulate our shared view of contemporary Christianity was even harder than herding cats, because these cats each had their own deeply held convictions, their own agendas. We went round and round and never really got anywhere. It is frustrating enough when the good work that religion promotes and makes possible is left out of media coverage or popular narratives. But its bewildering when religious leaders themselves cant get past their own parochial issues in order to say and do good, true things. I should know: I worked in the White House during the Obama administration helping to form partnerships between the federal government and religious communities and other nonprofits to serve those in need. I saw the best of religious life in America, and I left government in 2012 both more hopeful and more aware of the tremendous good religion already motivates in this country, and the transformative potential of religious goodwill in action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kasich seems to share this awareness, telling the stories of people like Sister Mary Scullion, who moved mountains (and institutions) to serve the unhoused in Philadelphia; Bob Freeman, a former president of a synagogue in Omaha who, while he wasnt very religious by his own description, spearheaded the creation of a remarkable interfaith collaboration; Dr. Nadeem Khan and Dr. Nasser Hajar, two of the founders of the Halim Clinic in Kasichs home state, who provide medical care to those who could not otherwise afford or access it; and Jillana Goble and Ben Sand, who are reimagining child welfare in Oregon. In total, Kasich highlights 15 initiatives, led by people of all faiths. Remarkably, I could not find one instance of Kasich referencing the politics of those he highlights. Kasich does not seem to be seeking to advance religious contributions for the sake of a partisan end, or even to show his magnanimity as a politician. Indeed, the diversity of stories he tells reflects, I think, a desperation for religious people themselves to stop allowing politics and its logic to prevent and distract them from taking action themselves to address the problems we face as a society. There are things you can contribute that are more powerful and meaningful in our civic life than your vote. Kasich shows a disregard in this book for partisan ends, but aims to inspire people to do good, regardless of their political disposition. That does not mean politics is absent from this book. The second thing readers will notice is how the narratives often weave together individual initiative, the power of community, and the capacity of philanthropy and government to partner with, clear pathways for, and scale these projects and initiatives for the common good. Instead of viewing the charitable initiatives of individuals and communities as at odds with the government, Kasich promotes a vision of mutuality. In this way, politics is indeed presentbut its politics as service, as one way communities solve problems together. Kasich himself is a serious Christian, and his book opens with a quote from Dallas Willard, the Christian philosopher. Still, while Kasich commends faith in this book, he does not press sectarian convictions as essential. He writes as someone who served and represented diverse people in a diverse country, asking citizens to bring the best they have to offer, from whatever source they feel is accessible to them, and to use what they have to help others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we can allow for the possibility that faith, and people of different faiths, can help to heal our communities and our politics; if individuals were willing to stop grousing about all that is wrong in our shared life, and instead do their share to make things better, it would actually reduce the room the cynics and the bullies have to operate. Wed be less likely to think we need them to get things done. Kasichs book is a timely provocation to take responsibility in our communities and national life. And its not a hypotheticalpeople are already doing this all across the country. We could use more of it, and we could use more people like John Kasich who are willing to encourage it. And perhaps if we do our part, even with all of our flaws and differences, heaven will help us, too. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) Fallscon is back for another year, uniting gamers of both the video and tabletop variety at the Wichita Falls MPEC. The convention is home to all things gaming, hosting gamers of all types. Boardgames and other tabletop games are available either in casual play or in tournament play. Vendors are also selling art, dice and anything else a gamer might need to take their game to the next level. Board member Dustin Echols hopes the convention can be a place where gamers both new and experienced can find a new hobby, growing the Wichita Falls gaming scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to help the community expand into some of the other hobbies that we have, Echols said. You know, the board gaming communities, the minis communities, the RPG communities, because its different when you come and you can sit down with people and play games, even if its video games. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the gaming industry has changed dramatically and is continuing to grow. While videogaming is the side of the gaming industry in the limelight the most, many tabletop faithfuls, like Jarred Garcia, believe Fallscon provides the kind of stage both media can thrive on. So, theres a little bit of like, something for everyone, Garcia said. Its not just like, yeah, I could you know, spend the weekend watching a movie or playing a video game, or you can go out and interact with someone else. So thats kind of like the most important part of it all. Fallscon has been at the MPEC since Friday, April 4, and if you missed the events on Saturday, the convention will still be active on Sunday, the 6th. Tickets are $15 apiece. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com. The worried family of an immigrant hospital cleaner were on their way to an NYPD stationhouse to report him missing when they came upon the scene where he was fatally struck by a Bronx driver. Inza Fofana, 52, had just wrapped up his shift at Lincoln Hospital when he was struck midblock about 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday by a man driving a 2019 Ford Transit van. He was going to buy socks. Thats why he crossed the street, the victims sister-in-law Nanssira Cisse, 34, told the Daily News. And normally he just come from work and he will walk straight, but that day he had to go buy socks. Thats what landed him on the other side of the street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 48-year-old driver was making a left turn off E. 149th St. onto Morris Ave. when he struck Fofana, according to police. The victims wife, Mabradje Cisse, was concerned when Fofana didnt make it home to Harlem by 4 p.m. like usual. The family went to file a police report at the NYPD stationhouse close to the hospital, his last known whereabout, when they stumbled upon the crash scene. Fofana was on the phone with a friend who told the family the two were talking about the cost of socks near Fofanas job when the victim suddenly stopped speaking and the friend heard only background noise, the friend told the family. Medics rushed Fofana back into Lincoln Hospital, but he couldnt be saved. Fofana immigrated to New York in his 30s from the West African country of Ivory Coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was fasting that day, Diabate Mamadou, his brother-in-law, said of Fofana, who was Muslim. Can you believe, the whole day, no eat, no food, no drink, no anything and then this happened? He was a very kind person, he added. Very, very sweet person. Because we live together for so long, so we miss him a lot. The driver stayed at the scene and faced no immediate charges, according to police. We need to [have] safety in New York City because too many accidents, Mamadou added. People are losing their life. The family was told by police that three car eventually struck Fofana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was crossing the street. One car hit him, Nanssira Cisse said. He landed on the other car. The other car hit him and there was a third car that was on him. We need to have a safeguard over there. Its a big intersection. Its very busy, she added. There has to be a cross guard over there for the pedestrian to cross the street safely and for the loved one of everybody to get home with no problem, for something like Inza to never happen again. The family is struggling to come to grips with the loss. He spent his life very shy. He wasnt a showoff person. Very gentle, very kind, Nanssira Cisse said. Its very hard for us right now to just accept that hes gone. For weeks, US airstrikes have pounded Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting oil refineries, airports and missile sites, with President Trump vowing to use overwhelming force until the US achieves its goal of stopping the Houthis from targeting shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis began the campaign in solidarity with Palestinians when Israel went to war in Gaza in October 2023. The group has carried out more than 100 attacks and have sunk two vessels. The result: 70% of merchant shipping that once transited the Red Sea now takes the long route around southern Africa. The US says the campaign is working. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that multiple Houthi leaders had been killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But every round of strikes provokes more defiance. The Houthis are what one veteran Yemen-watcher calls the honey badgers of resistance, referring to the belligerent mammal known for its fearless attitude toward predators. Bitten by a cobra, they get up minutes later and attack the snake. While as many as 80 Houthi military officers may have been killed, according to analysts, the senior echelon of its military and political leadership appears intact. So are at least some of its missile-launching sites. Since mid-March, the Houthis have launched a dozen ballistic missiles at Israel, and barrages of drones and missiles at US navy ships. While none caused major damage, the threat remains. CNN reported on Friday that the total cost of the US militarys operation against the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen is nearing $1 billion in just under three weeks, according to three people briefed on the campaign, but the attacks had so far had limited impact on destroying the groups capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are burning through readiness munitions, fuel, deployment time, said one official. Far from being cowed, the Houthis have threatened to extend their range of targets to the UAE, which backs the rival government to the Houthis in Yemens Civil War. Similarly, Saudi officials say the Kingdoms air defenses are on high alert. Men check the damages in an area struck by a US airstrike in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, Yemen on March 20. - Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images The dozens of airstrikes on Yemen will not deter the Yemeni Armed Forces from fulfilling their religious, moral, and humanitarian duties, said a Houthi spokesman earlier this week. Theres no doubt that the US campaign has degraded the Houthis capabilities. Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, says he suspects the Houthis have lost a lot of drone manufacturing capability, and there does seem to be more effective interdiction of resupply shipments coming via the sea and via Oman. So the Houthis are not comfortable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But history shows that the Houthis have an extraordinarily high tolerance for pain. And the Trump administrations determination to eradicate the threat they pose may ultimately require a ground offensive. The Houthis are just inured to being at war with a first world military, Knights says.Theyre ideological, but theyre also very tough tribal fighters from northern Yemen. The Houthis ability to survive is helped by an elaborate smuggling network that brings in missile parts and other equipment. Last year, hidden among cargo on one intercepted ship, air frames and fins for artillery rockets, small turbojet engines and hydrogen fuel cells were discovered, according to an investigation by Conflict Armament Research (CAR). Such equipment could enable Houthi UAVs to carry larger payloads and to travel for far longer periods. That would greatly extend the potential threat posed by the Houthis, CAR reported. Flames and smoke rise from the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which has been on fire since August 23, on the Red Sea, on August 25, 2024. - Eenavfor Aspides/Reuters The Houthis survived several offensives during the long presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen, then a Saudi offensive ten years ago, followed by more recent Israeli, UK and US airstrikes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst on Yemen at the International Crisis Group, says Israel and western powers lack a deep understanding of the Houthis. Their opaque leadership and internal structure have created persistent gaps in intelligence. Another Yemen expert, Elisabeth Kendall, questions the endgame of the US campaign. The Houthis have been bombed tens of thousands of times over the past decade and remain undeterred. So one is left thinking that the bombing is largely performative: lets show the world - well do it because we can. Coercing the Houthis, Knights told CNN, is really, really difficult. They are an extremely aggressive movement. The best way to end them permanently is to overthrow them, remove them from the capital, remove them from the Red Sea coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regional diplomatic sources, as well as analysts, say that ultimately only a ground offensive can dislodge the Houthis, who currently control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, its major port, Hodeidah, and much of northern Yemen. Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst on Yemen at the International Crisis Group, says the US is wrong to believe that airstrikes can compel the Houthis to back down. This approach failed under the Biden administration and is unlikely to succeed under the Trump administration. Their logic is shaped by years of war; they see resilience as a form of strength and are driven to prove they are not easily deterred. The only times Ive ever seen the Houthis go to the negotiating table or compromise has been when theyve been threatened with the realistic prospect of defeat on the ground: territorial loss, loss of control of populations and loss of access to the Red Sea coastline, said Knights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That briefly happened in 2017 when forces backed by the United Arab Emirates threatened Houthi access to the Red Sea, critical for the Houthis revenue and military supplies. The Houthis, if anything, may actually be relishing US strikes. They are a direct answer to the Houthi prayers to have a war with the US, said Farea Al-Muslimi, a Yemeni research fellow at Chatham House. The group wants to drag the US into a larger regional escalation. A ground offensive The Houthis are fighting for control of Yemen against the internationally recognized government that controls part of the south and is supported mainly by the UAE. The unanswered question is whether forces loyal to that government can take the fight to the Houthis. Theyre already trained and equipped, says Knights. But there are doubts about their unity. Analysts do not expect the US to put any troops on the ground, beyond a handful of special forces to help direct airstrikes. The US would perhaps provide [Yemeni forces] with a bit of logistics, certain key munitions, Knights says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UAE would be quietly supportive as it has long supplied the Aden-based government, he adds. A man stands amidst the rubble of a collapsed building at the site of a reported US air strike on Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on March 24. - Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images The Saudi perspective is less clear. Knights believes Riyadh is apprehensive about the Houthis retaliating with long-range drones and missiles against its infrastructure. But the US has accelerated deliveries of anti-missile defenses to Saudi Arabia in recent months. The US will have to say to Riyadh: We are going to protect you in the same way that we protected Israel in 2024 from the two rounds of Iranian strikes, says Knights. Regional diplomatic sources say preparations are underway for a ground operation that would be launched from the south and east, as well as along the coast. A coordinated offensive could also involve Saudi and US naval support in an attempt to retake the port of Hodeidah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether such an operation is feasible remains unclear, as the past decade has shown mixed outcomes, successes in some areas and failures in others, Nagi told CNN. The Iran link From day one, President Trump and other US officials have linked the campaign against the Houthis to Iran. Trump said he would hold Iran responsible for every shot fired by Houthi rebels and it would face dire consequences for any attacks by the Yemeni militants. So far it hasnt, and its unclear whether Tehran can simply order the Houthis to stop firing. While very much part of Irans axis of resistance, the Houthis retain considerable autonomy. Trump continues to warn Iran that it will face a massive bombing campaign if it doesnt do a deal to limit its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. For the administration, the Houthi campaign and the maximum pressure campaign on Tehran are two sides of the same coin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Iranians are treading carefully, offering moral support to their ally in Yemen. Former Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaee hailed the barefooted resistance forces of Yemen, who will bring advanced American warships to their knees. But the Iranian leadership does not want to be seen providing further military support for the Houthis right now as it tries to work out Trumps mixture of small carrot and large stick. The US appears ready to expand its campaign. B-2 bombers and KC-135 refuelling planes have arrived on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. That may presage strikes on hardened targets in Yemen but may equally be a signal to Iran. The next few weeks may be a crucial test of the honey badgers resilience. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FARMINGTON, N.Y. (WROC) Deputies with the Ontario County Sheriffs Office say a 36-year-old woman from Farmington has died after a crash in Geneva on County Road 4 overnight Sunday. When deputies arrived to the scene they found Alyssa Coleman deceased. According to deputies, the investigation suggests that Coleman was driving east and began veering to the south side of County Road 4, causing her vehicle to strike a tree. Deputies say excessive speed and alcohol involvement appear to have been components of the crash. The Ontario County Sheriffs Office Accident Reconstruction Team and the Criminal Investigation Division responded and investigated the crash. County Road 4 was closed for approximately 3.5 hours. The incident is still under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Yuriko Nakao / Getty Images Key Takeaways Bitcoin prices rose slightly Friday, offering a measure of respite after falling in the wake of this week's tariff news. Shares of some crypto-related stocks continued to slide, including Robinhood Markets and Coinbase Global. Shares of Strategy were higher in recent trading. Bitcoin remains well below the six-figure prices it enjoyed in February, when investors were optimistic that cryptocurrency would fare well under Trump. Bitcoin prices ticked up Friday, reversing a slide that began when new tariffs were unveiled earlier this week. Prices for the leading cryptocurrency crept toward $84,000, after sinking below $81,500 Thursday. Bitcoin plunged Wednesday when President Donald Trump announced a package of reciprocal tariffs, shocking the markets and sapping investors appetite for risk. The recovery did not extend to several other crypto-related stocks. Shares of Robinhood Markets (HOOD), which facilitates crypto trades, were recently down 11% from Thursdays close, while shares of Coinbase Global (COIN), a crypto exchange operator, were off by 7%. Crypto mining company Mara Holdings (MARA) shares lost about 1%. Shares of Strategy (MSTR), a Bitcoin buyer previously known as MicroStategy, were recently more than 3% higher on the day. Bitcoin remains well below the six figure prices it fetched in February when investors were optimistic that Trumps policies would bolster cryptocurrency. The total market cap of cryptocurrency is around $2.6 trillion, having shrunk from more than $3.7 trillion in late 2024, according to CoinMarketCap data. Read the original article on Investopedia UC Davis crackdown on free speech UC Davis dissolves law student group after it implemented boycott of Israel, (sacbee.com, March 26) My father, George S. Grossman, was the UC Davis Law School librarian from 1993 until 2006. He was a Holocaust survivor from Hungary and the past president of the American Civil Liberties Union chapter in Utah. He passed in 2018, but would have been alarmed and horrified at the dissolving of the Law Student Association for merely expressing an opinion. This crackdown on free speech is making UC Davis Law School Dean Jessica Berg directly complicit in the dissolving of our constitutional democracy. It should be reversed immediately. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zoltan Grossman Olympia, Wash. Opinion Causing harm to end harm California Democrats were called soft on sex trafficking. This could make it worse | Opinion, (sacbee.com, March 25) Every year, the California legislature and news media push anti-trafficking bills focused on policing and criminalization, approaches that have harmed survivors and failed to prevent exploitation. This recent column is a necessary reminder that real solutions require more than punitive laws. They require a public health approach. For 25 years, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) has provided services to survivors in Los Angeles. Our data shows the impact of criminalization: Nearly half of the 250 survivors in our long-term services disclosed criminal records, often due to being forced into crimes by traffickers or misidentified as offenders, which creates significant and lasting barriers to jobs, housing and stability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Survivors are not a monolith, but one principle is clear: We cant cause harm to end harm. Instead of continued criminalization, lawmakers must invest in housing, healthcare and economic opportunities real solutions that prevent human trafficking. Kay Buck CEO, CAST Constituents deserve better Rep. Kevin Kileys staff defends recent tele-town hall, (sacbee.com, March 30) Rep. Kevin Kileys communications director recently said in a Sacramento Bee letter to the editor that Kiley has never voted to cut Medicaid. While the budget that Kiley voted for doesnt cite Medicaid by name, it does cut 10% of the funding from the department that operates Medicaid, which will have the same result as cutting the program directly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stating that Kiley didnt vote to cut Medicaid is deceitful, and his constituents deserve better. Jonathan Halterman El Dorado Hills Progress is being made Two career Democrats prove why theyre terrible leaders for Sacramento | Opinion, (sacbee.com, March 31) Demonizing Sacramento County Supervisors Phil Serna and Patrick Kennedy is vindictive and ignores the gains the region has made. I see changes in my Upper Land Park neighborhoods homeless population. Theres a mental health center there now. The streets are cleaner. I can call 311. Theres a shelter on Broadway and homeless navigators. Serna got them off the Parkway. Kennedy has been involved in tiny homes. We cannot let perfection be the barrier to progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theresa Lown Sacramento Supervisors should listen to criticism Two career Democrats prove why theyre terrible leaders for Sacramento | Opinion, (sacbee.com, March 31) Kudos to Sacramento County Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez and City Council Member Karina Talamantes for speaking truth to power and publicly pointing out that the homeless situation in our county is not solved (and likely to get worse). The current plan is not working, and its time for county supervisors to take serious action to remedy the problem. Children and families living in cars is a humanitarian crisis that demands action now. The county supervisors have failed to do their jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a sad situation when Supervisors Patrick Kennedy and Phil Serna cant get their political egos under control and accept responsibility for their own inaction. The county has millions of dollars for homeless services. Its time for the county supervisors to listen, even when they dont like the message, and then do the work we elected them to do. Deborah Franklin Sacramento Bad parking proposal Channel 24 to use city lots to ease off-street parking concerns. Where are they? (sacbee.com, March 28) The city proposal to increase restrictions to help mitigate the potential parking issues posed by Channel 24 will only burden the residents who live in the surrounding four block radius. Reducing non-permitted parking from two hours to one hour from 8 a.m. to midnight makes no sense: Channel 24 events begin at 7 p.m. or later and do not take place every evening. Sylvia Navari Sacramento On April 30, 1975, the most divisive war in American history came to an end. Or so we thought at the time. The war's painful schisms were personal for me. I am the son of the late Robert S. McNamara, Defense secretary under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Though I loved my father then and for the rest of his life, I was so distraught during the war years that I dropped out of college and fled on my motorcycle 6,000 miles through Latin America. I exiled myself in Chile and Mexico for more than two years, searching for relief from the anguish of knowing my fathers intense involvement in an unjust war. I was not dodging the draft, though I hold no contempt for the tens of thousands of draft-age men and soldiers who sought asylum in Canada and Sweden. The severe case of ulcers that afflicted both my mother and me disqualified me from serving in our military. Advertisement Advertisement In recent years I have learned that, for the people of Vietnam, the war has never ended. Millions of the unexploded bombs and land mines we left behind still kill and maim children and farmers throughout the country. I recently traveled for three weeks in Vietnam, to better understand why the United States entangled itself in this misbegotten war, and why an unsophisticated yet ingenious armed force was able to defeat the most powerful military in the world, led by my father. 'Fog of War' and my father, Robert S. McNamara Craig McNamara circa 2006 in Marthas Vineyard, Mass., with his father, former Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara, who passed away at home in Washington, D.C., in 2009. He was 93. I had been invited by a Vietnamese film team to participate in a documentary, based in part on my book, "Because Our Fathers Lied: A Memoir of Truth and Family, From Vietnam to Today." Before I left for Vietnam, the crew filmed me in conversation with four prominent U.S. historians and speaking with several American artists, veterans and poets. I interviewed the eminent filmmaker Errol Morris, who won an Academy Award for his 2003 documentary feature with my father, "The Fog of War." And I spoke with my father's top Pentagon aide and with former New York Times journalist Philip Taubman, co-author of a definitive biography of my dad, to be published later this year. Advertisement Advertisement The consensus was that, as Frances Fitzgerald wrote in her 1972 history, "Fire in the Lake," our countrys leaders simply didn't make the effort to study the history and culture of the Vietnamese people and their millennium-long struggle for independence against imperial powers, including China, France and Japan. Opinion: 50 years after fall of Saigon, Vietnam can't heal by erasing half its past Once in Vietnam, I met the soldier who first spotted U.S. troops landing on Danang's China Beach in April 1965. I had lunch with an American government official, whose U.S. Marine officer father was with one of the first landing parties. Advertisement Advertisement I met Vietnamese men and women who, in their teens, served as lookouts in their villages' rice paddies to warn their parents about our troops and bombers. 'McNamara Line' just one of many US failures in Vietnam War During the last days of my visit, I met with an elderly man and woman who were instrumental in foiling one of my father's most notorious battle strategies. Known as the McNamara Line," the strategy involved equipping a broad swath of land running across the middle of Vietnam with electronic sensors to help detect enemy actions, including movement of arms supplies. Craig McNamara meeting in 2025 the Vietnamese villagers who were instrumental in foiling one of his father's most notorious battle strategies, the McNamara Line." During the Vietnam War, the McNamara Line" named for then-Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara equipped a broad swath of land across the middle of Vietnam with electronic sensors to help detect enemy actions. But those fighting for the communist Vietnamese had strung aluminum plates, cups and canteens, stuffed with live frogs and mice, to confound the U.S. sensing systems. My dad was convinced that, if he applied the same kind of strategic analysis to this war that he had used in World War II and as president of Ford Motor Co., the United States would achieve a victory that had eluded the Chinese, the Japanese and the French. Advertisement Advertisement But these two elderly peasant warriors showed me how they had strung aluminum plates, cups and canteens, stuffed with live frogs and mice, to confound our sensing systems. As a result, the bomb squads that were summoned destroyed harmless animals, not weapons from North Vietnam. Opinion: HBO miniseries 'The Sympathizer' proves Hollywood has come a long way It took only two years to begin repairing Europe after the end of World War II. But two postwar decades passed before the United States opened diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and for the Americans and Vietnamese to begin locating missing troops from both sides and addressing the legacies of the Vietnam War. Sadly, just as these programs have begun bringing relief and promoting reconciliation, they have been abruptly paused, bringing untold hardship to a country that is now a major trading partner and ally. Advertisement Advertisement Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. During my visit, I pledged to continue supporting efforts to eradicate the legacies that continue to kill and maim children, 50 years after the war ended. In this way, I found my visit and participation in the documentary personally healing. I wish my father were alive today to read my memoir and travel with me. Like so many of our wartime veterans, he was haunted to the end of his life by the crimes we committed in Vietnam. Craig McNamara owns and operates Sierra Orchards, an organic farm raising sheep and growing walnuts, olives and almonds in Northern California. He's the author of the memoir "Because Our Fathers Lied." Advertisement Advertisement You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US is still killing in Vietnam. 50 years on, we must stop it | Opinion Just in the first few months of 2025, Robert Boos Pride Center discovered four people in Broward County who had HIV through its free testing at churches, festivals, pharmacies and nightclubs. If we werent testing, those four people could spread to four more, and it could quickly start spreading out of control, Boo said. The people spreading it arent even going to know they are doing it. The Pride Centers $350,000 grant for HIV testing runs through June and funding hasnt been renewed yet. With so many federal cuts, it may not be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it isnt renewed, there will be an impact in South Florida, Boo said, adding that he fears a surge of new cases in Broward County. South Florida, an area with the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the country, is already starting to feel the effects of the Trump Administrations federal cuts to funding for research, prevention, and access to treatment for the disease. Since January, the states large universities have lost nearly $30 million remaining on terminated federal research grants for studies that include scaling interventions locally to end HIV, reducing risk among Hispanic youth, and increasing prevention (PrEP) enrollment in Latino gay men. The Florida Department of Health has eliminated positions in its HIV program, including the statewide AIDS drug assistance program patient care director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disease surveillance at the state level also is threatened. These are the people who oversee statistical reporting of HIV, said Dr. Elizabeth Sherman, a member of HIV Medicine Associations board of directors and an associate professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University. Its important to know what populations are seeing upticks of HIV rates so we can focus interventions to those folks. When they cut people who oversee surveillance, it hampers our ability to limit transmission before it starts to spread. As of March 24, the Florida Department of Health had been slated to lose $495 million in budgeted funds provided to the state to detect, prevent, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, including HIV. A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administrations move to cut that public health funding after 23 states and the District of Columbia sued to keep the funding intact. Local clinic directors say its not just funding cuts affecting HIV care: Their foreign-born patients are asking for 90-day prescriptions, telehealth calls, and postponements of blood tests to avoid coming in out of fear of being deported even when they are in the U.S. legally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is going on with deporting people and making people afraid already has impacts that we are seeing in the clinic, said Sherman, who helps at a Broward clinic. People are not picking up their medications. They are not coming to get their labs drawn. That is how HIV becomes uncontrolled and how it spreads. Every day, Sherman talks to people living with HIV who are worried that they will lose access to their life-sustaining medications or insurance should the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program or Medicaid experience funding cuts. People who have been living with HIV for decades are afraid of returning to the 1980s era when they saw friends dying of AIDS, which occurs at the most advanced stages of infection. Theres a lot of panic and confusion, she said. Once you break any link in the chain, cut any funding for doctor visits, lab appointments, medications, the whole chain becomes undone and now you have uncontrolled transmission. Meanwhile, federal actions do not bode well for eradicating HIV/AIDS or curbing new diagnoses. As of early 2024, more than 128,000 people in Florida are living with HIV about 59,000 of them in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the Trump administration laid off thousands of federal health workers, including teams leading HIV surveillance, prevention, and research and a group of global health researchers working to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child. Days earlier, the Administration dismissed the entire staff of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV Policy, which directed initiatives within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, such as the initiative to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The loss of staff and initiatives will trickle down to states like Florida that rely heavily on federal funding for public health initiatives. Florida is one of six states awarded CDC funding dedicated to lowering HIV infections, which helps pay for medicine like pre-exposure prophylactics (PrEP) for at-risk patients. Right now, we dont know what cuts will occur at the state level, but Im sure thats coming soon, said Joey Wynn, chairman of the South Florida AIDS Network. It has everyone on edge. A deadline looms Many community programs with HIV services in South Florida are funded through June 30, the end of their fiscal year. Boo at the Pride Center is just one of the organizations uncertain of their future source of funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, we are all still operating on money allocated a year ago, Wynn said. The first wave of what we feel here will be in July with the loss of new money. Von Biggs, Holy Cross Health Community Health & Well-Being Community Outreach coordinator, said Broward advocates who work to curb HIV transmission regularly battle a lack of education about prevention, the stigma associated with getting tested, and the red tape required to see a doctor and access medication. He still sees young people with new HIV diagnoses, sometimes advanced HIV. Our goal is 95-95-95, he said. That means 95% of people who are living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 95% of these people on antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of those on treatment being virally suppressed. We havent attained our goal yet. Biggs believes that private funders and nonprofits will need to step in to fill the void created by any loss of public grants. We just need to figure out how to get information into their hands, he said. It has to be a multi-faceted approach, and we have to work it from all angles. Some promising research is still underway Even with turmoil at the federal level, Biggs is hopeful that pharmaceutical companies will continue to progress in their trials to eliminate the symptoms of HIV or find a cure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope in my lifetime to see the end of the HIV epidemic, he said. Trials for long-acting injectable medications are promising, including Gilead Sciences lenacapavir, an injectable drug that protects people for six months with each shot. In addition, seven people had been cured of AIDS following a stem-cell transplant from a donor carrying genes that are partially resistant to HIV. In Boca Raton, progress in HIV detection is advancing. Despite federal cutbacks, researchers at Florida Atlantic University received phase 2 of a $1.3 million federal grant in February to develop a low-cost, at-home disposable HIV test. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FAU researcher Waseem Asghar said a challenge in combating HIV is the lack of a self-test that can detect new infections during the first two weeks or identify a rebound in patients on antiviral drugs. If the test is easy to do at home, we might be able to fight back and limit transmission, Asghar said. It could be particularly helpful in communities far from a doctors office. Unlike expensive HIV tests today, FAU researchers expect theirs to cost less than $5 each. Asghar said one in four people in Florida infected with HIV are not on suppressive treatment, so the test could play a significant role in helping them learn their status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acknowledging the recent cuts to federal research funding, Asghar said his grant shows HIV is still an important area of study. South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com or on X @cindykgoodman. Just in the first few months of 2025, Robert Boos Pride Center discovered four people in Broward County who had HIV through its free testing at churches, festivals, pharmacies and nightclubs. If we werent testing, those four people could spread to four more, and it could quickly start spreading out of control, Boo said. The people spreading it arent even going to know they are doing it. The Pride Centers $350,000 grant for HIV testing runs through June and funding hasnt been renewed yet. With so many federal cuts, it may not be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it isnt renewed, there will be an impact in South Florida, Boo said, adding that he fears a surge of new cases in Broward County. South Florida, an area with the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the country, is already starting to feel the effects of the Trump Administrations federal cuts to funding for research, prevention, and access to treatment for the disease. Since January, the states large universities have lost nearly $30 million remaining on terminated federal research grants for studies that include scaling interventions locally to end HIV, reducing risk among Hispanic youth, and increasing prevention (PrEP) enrollment in Latino gay men. The Florida Department of Health has eliminated positions in its HIV program, including the statewide AIDS drug assistance program patient care director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disease surveillance at the state level also is threatened. These are the people who oversee statistical reporting of HIV, said Dr. Elizabeth Sherman, a member of HIV Medicine Associations board of directors and an associate professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University. Its important to know what populations are seeing upticks of HIV rates so we can focus interventions to those folks. When they cut people who oversee surveillance, it hampers our ability to limit transmission before it starts to spread. As of March 24, the Florida Department of Health had been slated to lose $495 million in budgeted funds provided to the state to detect, prevent, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, including HIV. A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administrations move to cut that public health funding after 23 states and the District of Columbia sued to keep the funding intact. Local clinic directors say its not just funding cuts affecting HIV care: Their foreign-born patients are asking for 90-day prescriptions, telehealth calls, and postponements of blood tests to avoid coming in out of fear of being deported even when they are in the U.S. legally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is going on with deporting people and making people afraid already has impacts that we are seeing in the clinic, said Sherman, who helps at a Broward clinic. People are not picking up their medications. They are not coming to get their labs drawn. That is how HIV becomes uncontrolled and how it spreads. Every day, Sherman talks to people living with HIV who are worried that they will lose access to their life-sustaining medications or insurance should the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program or Medicaid experience funding cuts. People who have been living with HIV for decades are afraid of returning to the 1980s era when they saw friends dying of AIDS, which occurs at the most advanced stages of infection. Theres a lot of panic and confusion, she said. Once you break any link in the chain, cut any funding for doctor visits, lab appointments, medications, the whole chain becomes undone and now you have uncontrolled transmission. Meanwhile, federal actions do not bode well for eradicating HIV/AIDS or curbing new diagnoses. As of early 2024, more than 128,000 people in Florida are living with HIV about 59,000 of them in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the Trump administration laid off thousands of federal health workers, including teams leading HIV surveillance, prevention, and research and a group of global health researchers working to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child. Days earlier, the Administration dismissed the entire staff of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV Policy, which directed initiatives within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, such as the initiative to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The loss of staff and initiatives will trickle down to states like Florida that rely heavily on federal funding for public health initiatives. Florida is one of six states awarded CDC funding dedicated to lowering HIV infections, which helps pay for medicine like pre-exposure prophylactics (PrEP) for at-risk patients. Right now, we dont know what cuts will occur at the state level, but Im sure thats coming soon, said Joey Wynn, chairman of the South Florida AIDS Network. It has everyone on edge. A deadline looms Many community programs with HIV services in South Florida are funded through June 30, the end of their fiscal year. Boo at the Pride Center is just one of the organizations uncertain of their future source of funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, we are all still operating on money allocated a year ago, Wynn said. The first wave of what we feel here will be in July with the loss of new money. Von Biggs, Holy Cross Health Community Health & Well-Being Community Outreach coordinator, said Broward advocates who work to curb HIV transmission regularly battle a lack of education about prevention, the stigma associated with getting tested, and the red tape required to see a doctor and access medication. He still sees young people with new HIV diagnoses, sometimes advanced HIV. Our goal is 95-95-95, he said. That means 95% of people who are living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 95% of these people on antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of those on treatment being virally suppressed. We havent attained our goal yet. Biggs believes that private funders and nonprofits will need to step in to fill the void created by any loss of public grants. We just need to figure out how to get information into their hands, he said. It has to be a multifaceted approach, and we have to work it from all angles. Some promising research is still underway Even with turmoil at the federal level, Biggs is hopeful that pharmaceutical companies will continue to progress in their trials to eliminate the symptoms of HIV or find a cure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope in my lifetime to see the end of the HIV epidemic, he said. Trials for long-acting injectable medications are promising, including Gilead Sciences lenacapavir, an injectable drug that protects people for six months with each shot. In addition, seven people had been cured of AIDS following a stem-cell transplant from a donor carrying genes that are partially resistant to HIV. In Boca Raton, progress in HIV detection is advancing. Despite federal cutbacks, researchers at Florida Atlantic University received phase 2 of a $1.3 million federal grant in February to develop a low-cost, at-home disposable HIV test. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FAU researcher Waseem Asghar said a challenge in combating HIV is the lack of a self-test that can detect new infections during the first two weeks or identify a rebound in patients on antiviral drugs. If the test is easy to do at home, we might be able to fight back and limit transmission, Asghar said. It could be particularly helpful in communities far from a doctors office. Unlike expensive HIV tests today, FAU researchers expect theirs to cost less than $5 each. Asghar said one in four people in Florida infected with HIV is not on suppressive treatment, so the test could play a significant role in helping them learn their status. Acknowledging the recent cuts to federal research funding, Asghar said his grant shows HIV is still an important area of study. _____ (The Hill) A federal judge, in a scathing decision on Sunday, said the Trump administration had no legal grounds to arrest, detain, and deport a Salvadoran national living in Maryland to a prison in his home country, saying the decision was wholly lawless. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in a 22-page decision ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States. Neither the United States nor El Salvador have told anyone why he was returned to the very country to which he cannot return, or why he is detained at CECOT, Xinis wrote, referring to the El Salvador prison now holding Abrego Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That silence is telling. As Defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere. DOJ lawyer who criticized admin over Maryland mans deportation placed on leave To avoid clear irreparable harm, and because equity and justice compels it, the Court grants the narrowest, daresay only, relief warranted: to order that Defendants return Abrego Garcia to the United States. The decision includes a number of new details about Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xinis wrote that in 2019, an immigration judge granted Garcia withholding of removal that protected him from being returned to El Salvador. This protection was meant to protect a non-U.S. citizen, in this case Garcia, from being sent to a country where, more likely than not, he would face persecution risking his life or freedom. The protection was granted to Abrego Garcia because the judge concluded that El Salvadors Barrio 18 gang had been targeting him and threatening him with death because of his familys pupusa business. DHS did not appeal this decision, which was finalized in 2019, during the Trump presidency. But on March 12, Abrego Garcia, while driving home from work with his son, was stopped by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officers had no warrant for his arrest and no lawful basis to take him into custody; they told him only that his status had changed, the judge wrote. Abrego Garcia was first sent to an ICE facility in Baltimore before being sent to detention facilities in Louisiana and Texas, and then to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador, which the judge described as a notorious supermax prison known for widespread human rights violations. Abrego Garcia was one of dozens of men sent to the prison from the United States, but Xinis argued his case was unique. Abrego Garcias case is categorically different there were no legal grounds whatsoever for his arrest, detention, or removal. Nor does any evidence suggest that Abrego Garcia is being held in CECOT at the behest of Salvadoran authorities to answer for crimes in that country. Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration has argued that Xinis lacks the power to hear the case, but Xinis rejected all of their arguments, writing that defendants are wrong on several fronts in part because Abrego Garcia is not challenging his confinement in the United States but his deportation to the prison in El Salvador. She accused the administration of clinging to the stunning proposition that they can forcibly remove any person migrant and U.S. citizen alike to prisons outside the United States, and then baldly assert they have no way to effectuate return because they are no longer the custodian, and the Court thus lacks jurisdiction, Xinis wrote. As a practical matter, the facts say otherwise. Xinis argued the administration is effectively saying that it does not have the power to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, but she wrote that their argument rings hollow. First, Defendants can and do return wrongfully removed migrants as a matter of course, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the end, Defendants redressability argument rings hollow. As their counsel suggested at the hearing, this is not about Defendants inability to return Abrego Garcia, but their lack of desire, Xinis wrote. Xinis quoted a lawyer for the U.S. government, Erez Reuveni, who has since been suspended. Reuveni in a previous appearance in court said he had asked DHS why it could not return Abrego Garcia and had not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory. Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement said any attorney at the Justice Department who fails to abide by an order to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States would face consequences. Xinis said Abrego Garcia should be returned because he had demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of his argument that he should not have been deported and that there was a likelihood of severe harm if he wasnt given relief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defendants effectuated his detention in one of the most notoriously inhumane and dangerous prisons in the world, Xinis wrote of Abrego Garcia. Defendants even embrace that reality as part of its well-orchestrated mission to use CECOT as a form of punishment and deterrence. She noted that Noem had been videoed in front of caged prisoners at CECOT warning imprisonment there was the consequence people would face for entering the United States illegally. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. (The Hill) A federal judge, in a scathing decision on Sunday, said the Trump administration had no legal grounds to arrest, detain, and deport a Salvadoran national living in Maryland to a prison in his home country, saying the decision was wholly lawless. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in a 22-page decision ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States. Neither the United States nor El Salvador have told anyone why he was returned to the very country to which he cannot return, or why he is detained at CECOT, Xinis wrote, referring to the El Salvador prison now holding Abrego Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That silence is telling. As Defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere. DOJ lawyer who criticized admin over Maryland mans deportation placed on leave To avoid clear irreparable harm, and because equity and justice compels it, the Court grants the narrowest, daresay only, relief warranted: to order that Defendants return Abrego Garcia to the United States. The decision includes a number of new details about Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xinis wrote that in 2019, an immigration judge granted Garcia withholding of removal that protected him from being returned to El Salvador. This protection was meant to protect a non-U.S. citizen, in this case Garcia, from being sent to a country where, more likely than not, he would face persecution risking his life or freedom. The protection was granted to Abrego Garcia because the judge concluded that El Salvadors Barrio 18 gang had been targeting him and threatening him with death because of his familys pupusa business. DHS did not appeal this decision, which was finalized in 2019, during the Trump presidency. But on March 12, Abrego Garcia, while driving home from work with his son, was stopped by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officers had no warrant for his arrest and no lawful basis to take him into custody; they told him only that his status had changed, the judge wrote. Abrego Garcia was first sent to an ICE facility in Baltimore before being sent to detention facilities in Louisiana and Texas, and then to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador, which the judge described as a notorious supermax prison known for widespread human rights violations. Abrego Garcia was one of dozens of men sent to the prison from the United States, but Xinis argued his case was unique. Abrego Garcias case is categorically different there were no legal grounds whatsoever for his arrest, detention, or removal. Nor does any evidence suggest that Abrego Garcia is being held in CECOT at the behest of Salvadoran authorities to answer for crimes in that country. Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration has argued that Xinis lacks the power to hear the case, but Xinis rejected all of their arguments, writing that defendants are wrong on several fronts in part because Abrego Garcia is not challenging his confinement in the United States but his deportation to the prison in El Salvador. She accused the administration of clinging to the stunning proposition that they can forcibly remove any person migrant and U.S. citizen alike to prisons outside the United States, and then baldly assert they have no way to effectuate return because they are no longer the custodian, and the Court thus lacks jurisdiction, Xinis wrote. As a practical matter, the facts say otherwise. Xinis argued the administration is effectively saying that it does not have the power to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, but she wrote that their argument rings hollow. First, Defendants can and do return wrongfully removed migrants as a matter of course, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the end, Defendants redressability argument rings hollow. As their counsel suggested at the hearing, this is not about Defendants inability to return Abrego Garcia, but their lack of desire, Xinis wrote. Xinis quoted a lawyer for the U.S. government, Erez Reuveni, who has since been suspended. Reuveni in a previous appearance in court said he had asked DHS why it could not return Abrego Garcia and had not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory. Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement said any attorney at the Justice Department who fails to abide by an order to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States would face consequences. Xinis said Abrego Garcia should be returned because he had demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of his argument that he should not have been deported and that there was a likelihood of severe harm if he wasnt given relief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defendants effectuated his detention in one of the most notoriously inhumane and dangerous prisons in the world, Xinis wrote of Abrego Garcia. Defendants even embrace that reality as part of its well-orchestrated mission to use CECOT as a form of punishment and deterrence. She noted that Noem had been videoed in front of caged prisoners at CECOT warning imprisonment there was the consequence people would face for entering the United States illegally. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A federal judge in a scathing decision on Sunday said the Trump administration had no legal grounds to arrest, detain and deport a Salvadoran national from the United States to a prison in his home country, saying the decision was wholly lawless. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in a 22-page decision ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States. Neither the United States nor El Salvador have told anyone why he was returned to the very country to which he cannot return, or why he is detained at CECOT, Xinis wrote, referring to the El Salvador prison now holding Abrego Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That silence is telling. As Defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere. To avoid clear irreparable harm, and because equity and justice compels it, the Court grants the narrowest, daresay only, relief warranted: to order that Defendants return Abrego Garcia to the United States. The decision includes a number of new details about Garcia. Xinis wrote that in 2019, an immigration judge granted Garcia withholding of removal that protected him from being returned to El Salvador. This protection was meant to protect a non-U.S. citizen, in this case Garcia, from being sent to a country where, more likely than not, he would face persecution risking his life or freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protection was granted to Abrego Garcia because the judge concluded that El Salvadors Barrio 18 gang had been targeting him and threatening him with death because of his familys pupusa business. DHS did not appeal this decision, which was finalized in 2019, during the Trump presidency. But on March 12, Abrego Garcia while driving home from work with his son was stopped by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The officers had no warrant for his arrest and no lawful basis to take him into custody; they told him only that his status had changed, the judge wrote. Abrego Garcia was first sent to an ICE facility in Baltimore before being sent to detention facilities in Louisiana and Texas, and then to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador, which the judge described as a notorious supermax prison known for widespread human rights violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia was one of dozens of men sent to the prison from the United States, but Xinis argued his case was unique. Abrego Garcias case is categorically different there were no legal grounds whatsoever for his arrest, detention, or removal. Nor does any evidence suggest that Abrego Garcia is being held in CECOT at the behest of Salvadoran authorities to answer for crimes in that country. Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless, she wrote. The administration has argued that Xinis lacks the power to hear the case, but Xinis rejected all of their arguments, writing that defendants are wrong on several fronts in part because Abrego Garcia is not challenging his confinement in the United States but his deportation to the prison in El Salvador. She accused the administration of clinging to the stunning proposition that they can forcibly remove any person migrant and U.S. citizen alike to prisons outside the United States, and then baldly assert they have no way to effectuate return because they are no longer the custodian, and the Court thus lacks jurisdiction, Xinis wrote. As a practical matter, the facts say otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xinis argued the administration is effectively saying that it does not have the power to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, but she wrote that their argument rings hollow. First, Defendants can and do return wrongfully removed migrants as a matter of course, she wrote. In the end, Defendants redressability argument rings hollow. As their counsel suggested at the hearing, this is not about Defendants inability to return Abrego Garcia, but their lack of desire, Xinis wrote. Xinis quoted a lawyer for the U.S. government, Erez Reuveni, who has since been suspended. Reuveni in a previous appearance in court said he had asked DHS why it could not return Abrego Garcia and had not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement said any attorney at the Justice Department who fails to abide by an order to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States would face consequences. Xinis said Abrego Garcia should be returned because he had demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of his argument that he should not have been deported, and that there was a likelihood of severe harm if he wasnt given relief. Defendants effectuated his detention in one of the most notoriously inhumane and dangerous prisons in the world, Xinis wrote of Abrego Garcia. Defendants even embrace that reality as part of its well-orchestrated mission to use CECOT as a form of punishment and deterrence. She noted that Noem had been videoed in front of caged prisoners at CECOT warning imprisonment there was the consequence people would face for entering the United States illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Bowing to bipartisan political pressure, President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have reinstated the head of the World Trade Center Health Program yet 16 members of the pivotal program for 9/11 first responders and survivors still face the chopping block, legislators and advocates said. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-L.I.) announced Saturday that the Health and Human Services Department had reversed its decision to terminate John Howard as it planned to lay off two-thirds of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health staffers. Howard oversees the World Trade Center Health Program and certifies health conditions for 9/11 first responders and survivors. His departure would have brought the program to a virtual halt, advocates said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garbarino and other New York legislators immediately reached out to the White House, demanding Howards reinstatement. Howard was brought back into the fold Friday, advocates said. The firing of Dr. Howard and the subsequent impact on the World Trade Center Health Program was an unfortunate mistake, and we are deeply grateful for [the Health and Human Services Departments] swift action to reinstate him as administrator of this critical program, Garbarino said in a statement Saturday. The administrations continued support of the program is encouraging, and we look forward to working together to address any remaining issues. According to an email seen by the Daily News, WTC Health Program officials paused all enrollment and certification letters in Howards absence as they figured out who was responsible for certifying applications and conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howard may be saved, but Health and Human Services gave 16 of the programs 86 staff members pink slips, informing them that their positions would be terminated, advocates said. The staffers are from Cincinnati and Morgantown, W.Va. The layoffs of WTC Health Program staffers was first reported by Newsday. With the exception now of Howard, the Health and Human Services Department has repeatedly said no members of the WTC Health Program would be terminated. [We] want to thank Congressman Garbarino and the New York Republican members of Congress for working to convince the Trump administration to reinstate Dr. Howard. They know that it is critical that Dr. Howard be able to continue his work on behalf of the 137,000 9/11 responders and survivors, said Ben Chevat, executive director of Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that Congressman Garbarino has been working furiously since it was disclosed that Dr. Howard had been removed to get this reversed. While their announcement is good news and we are grateful for it, this is only the first step. Program members, 9/11 responders and survivors are facing immediate and real denial of care because of the Trump administrations actions despite Secretary Kennedys assertions that his reorganization is not impacting services, Chevat added. That is a lie. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) held a news conference in Manhattan on Sunday to denounce the cuts. Even with the apparent return of Dr. Howard, President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are effectively working to shut the World Trade Center Health Program down, he said. Some of the Trump supporters who care about the 9/11 program are saying its a mistake. It seems clear its on purpose, so today we are demanding real action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also spoke out Sunday. The uncertainty surrounding the [World Trade Center Health Program] is dangerous and unacceptable, she said. The Trump administration is using our nations heroes as political pawns while critical questions surrounding the programs funding and staffing cuts remain. Kennedy told ABC News on Thursday that studies and staff cut this past week that should not have been eliminated will be reinstated. Legislators on both sides of the aisle, outraged over the cuts, fired off a letter Friday to Trump and Kennedy demanding that the services be restored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tens of thousands of responders and survivors rely on the WTC Health Program to get treatment and medication and monitor injuries and illnesses caused by the toxins that swirled around Ground Zero during 9/11 and the weeks that followed. Drastic cuts to the 9/11 program were reversed earlier this year after Republican lawmakers sounded the alarm. The rare reversal from Trump in February saw him restore two research grants and the jobs of 16 employees. The program was also threatened under the previous Trump administration. In 2018, the White House proposed reshuffling the agency to put it under the purview of just the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its estimated that more than 400,000 people were affected by the toxins swirling over Ground Zero. More than 137,000 people have been enrolled in the WTC Health Program. Of that number, more than 83,000 have at least one certified 9/11 illness from their exposure during and after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as the hijacked plane crashes near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, according to the programs website. Over two-thirds of the 83,000 have more than one condition and suffer from multiple injuries and illnesses, officials said. Fast-acting firefighters cut a line around Samuel Aragons ancestral home as the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire blazed around it three years ago, just in time to save the nearly 200-year-old structure from destruction. His winery, Las Nueve Ninas named after his nine granddaughters and located above 7,000 feet in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Mora and Angel Fire was also spared. He and his wife, Elisa Aragon, are grateful to be alive. But their lives have been inextricably changed by the wildfire and subsequent floods, which sent 10-foot-high walls of water raging down the arroyo past their home and through their outbuildings, cutting them off from hungry livestock on the other side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had flooding like we had never seen in our lifetime, said Samuel Aragon, who at 81 has lived the majority of his life in the same adobe home where he was born. The Aragons are among more than 1,000 people who have filed lawsuits over the Federal Emergency Management Agencys pace of providing compensation for losses tied to the massive wildfire the largest in New Mexicos recorded history and the floodwaters that struck in the fires aftermath. The federal government accepted blame for the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire which ignited from two separate U.S. Forest Service-conducted burns gone awry in April 2022 and Congress approved a total of nearly $5.5 billion for victims, vowing full compensation for a wide range of losses. 111822_JG_FEMA4.jpg (copy) (copy) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angela Gladwell with the Federal Emergency Management Agency speaks about the claims process to an audience full of attorneys and victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in Las Vegas, N.M., in November 2022. FEMA says it has paid out more than $2 billion so far for over 15,000 claims, with a March 14 deadline to file an initial claim. But many residents are still waiting for funds. Among them are the Aragons. Weve done everything With no trees left in the surrounding watershed to slow it down, waves of water washed out roadways, tore down fences and swept away a stone wall Samuel Aragon had spent nine years building by hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The floodwaters changed how the couple felt about rain. Now we start to get anxiety when the monsoon season comes, Elisa Aragon said, recounting how she would lie awake in bed, listening to the rumbling sound of water moving massive boulders down the drainage next to their home. Theyve since moved to higher ground, in a modular home on another piece of property nearby. They spend each day rebuilding their lives no thanks, they say, to the federal government, which still hasnt settled the bulk of their damage claims. The couple said they initially planned to file claims with FEMA to obtain compensation for damages from the government-caused fire themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But they opted to seek legal assistance after encountering a complicated and costly system that would have required them to quickly complete a seemingly insurmountable amount of work to prove their damages. Facing the prospect of having to secure the assistance of experts in high demand to help them prove the value of their lost trees, soil and fences, or to complete repairs within the short time frame required for reimbursement, they said, they decided to hire lawyers from the Singleton Schreiber law firm to help them navigate the process. Still, they wait. We have filed our notice of loss and proof of loss, Elisa Aragon said. Weve done everything we can do. I dont know why its taking so long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Retraumatized by FEMA failures Singleton Schreiber managing partner and former State Auditor Brian Colon said the Aragons are among 1,200 people the law firm has helped file their claims, many of whom are waiting to be compensated because of what he says is FEMAs failure to develop a comprehensive system for distributing money set aside for fire victims. The problem is FEMA systems and staffing has failed miserably. In fact, the victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire have literally been retraumatized by FEMAs process and its failures, Colon said. 111822_JG_FEMA1.jpg (copy) Danielle M. Lucero, a San Miguel firefighter, speaks at a public meeting in November 2022 for victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire to meet with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not processing claims within 180 days, as required by the federal Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, refusing to compensate victims for noneconomic damages such as emotional distress and not paying claims within 30 days are just some of the ways FEMA has failed, Colon said. A U.S. district judge ruled in December noneconomic damages were eligible for compensation under the law. FEMA has filed a motion seeking clarification on that opinion, however, according to a spokesperson. Once the Court issues a ruling on that motion, FEMA will be in a position to evaluate its position on noneconomic damages and determine whether there is a path forward to provide compensation or whether it will appeal the ruling, External Affairs Officer Dianna Segura wrote in an email Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colon said his firm has filed dozens of lawsuits on behalf of hundreds of claimants to force the government to comply with the rules. There are a substantial number of families still hurting right now, and it doesnt seem the federal government has increased its urgency to put these families in a position to move on with their lives, Colon said. Were not going to let up. We are going to file more lawsuits until the federal government rightfully compensates these victims, he added. Segura disputed Colons characterization of the agencys performance, writing its not true. The Claims Office is proud of the more than $2 billion dollars we have compensated Northern New Mexicans since March of 2023 when our Claims Office began its work to compensate those who suffered losses due to the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and cascading events, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Friday, about 75% or 15,496 of 20,644 of the claims filed have been paid out, according to Segura. Within six months of the signing of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Act, when FEMA began management of compensation requests from Northern New Mexicans, we opened offices and hired staff, she said. We have consistently added staff over the last two years, until the recent hiring freeze across federal agencies, which includes the Claims Office. Some of the claims have been slowed by residents inability to obtain documentation of ownership, which has put another strain on the process, Segura said in an interview Friday. For example, in some cases residents were living in homes that had been gifted to them by a family member years prior without documentation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recognizing many in the community didnt know or understand how to go about getting this paperwork, FEMA offices have hosted workshops and equipped advocates to educate claimants on that issue. We recognize this has been a long process, Segura said. WESSINGTON SPRINGS, S.D. (KELO) People in Wessington Springs are still mourning the loss of two people killed in a house fire. The fire started on March 27th, and the bodies of Assistant Fire Chief Michial Brodkorb and his partner Tiffany Knipfer were found by authorities the next day. Wildlife photographer Jim Brandenberg dies At Brodkorbs funeral Saturday, the community honored the fallen firefighter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was a long line of fire trucks along 2nd Street in Wessington Springs. There were also Jerauld County Sheriff vehicles as well as a county ambulance. It didnt matter whether the first responders had to travel a few minutes or even two hours. To them, it was the right thing to do. The reason were all here is were here in remembrance, knowing that hes a brother. He would be here for us if it was reversed, Michael Namanny of the Miller Fire Department said. I think its very important for all the departments, the cops, the sheriffs, ambulances, first responders, anybody to just come out and support the fire family and any of the first responder families, Todd Intermill of the Bruce Fire Department said. The support also meant a lot to the Wessington Springs Fire Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was awestruck, Wessington Springs Fire Chief Eric Schroeder said. It means the world to us. It would mean the world to Michial that we have that amount of support from fire departments from all corners of the state. And it was all for a man who made his mark as both a first responder and as a member of the community. Michial was a truly an amazing person. He meant the world to this department. He gave us 110% every time he had the chance. He responded to every call. Hes going to be deeply missed, Schroeder said. Schroeder also says that Michials partner, Tiffany, was heavily involved with the fire department. She even spent time helping remodel the fire house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Cerity Partners has announced its merger with Cook Wealth, a wealth management firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina. This collaboration aims to broaden Cerity Partners' range of integrated wealth advisory services, which include financial planning, investment management, and tax planning and preparation. Cook Wealth provides financial advising, tax advising, and investment management services tailored for professionals, business owners, and retirees across the country. Cook Wealth executive chairman Brian Cook said: A partnership with Cook Wealth has always been a partnership for life. Joining Cerity Partners allows us to continue delivering on that promisehelping clients navigate the big decisions, beautiful milestones, and everything in between. The merger will facilitate the expansion of Cerity Partners' services into the North Carolina market, enhancing its ability to serve clients in the region. As a result of this move, Cerity Partners will incorporate 27 new team members from Cook Wealth into its workforce. Cerity Partners partner development head and partner Claire O'Keefe said: Cook Wealth's talented team and deep client relationships reflect a clear commitment to holistic, client-first service. This merger not only expands our footprint in the Raleigh market but also deepens our ability to serve private and corporate clients with personalized solutions. Stradley Ronon offered legal counsel to Cook Wealth for . Established in 2009, Cerity Partners is a full-service wealth management firm that caters to high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, their families, businesses, and nonprofit organisations. In October 2024, Cerity Partners announced its merger with Denver-based Janiczek Wealth Management, integrating its services under the Cerity Partners name. Cerity Partners' merger with Janiczek Wealth Management follows its integrations with Wealth Legacy Institute and Keating Wealth Management in Denver. These acquisitions added approximately $1.4bn in assets under management. "Cook Wealth merges with Cerity Partners" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. NUUANU, Hawaii (KHON2) Honolulu firefighters have found a hiker who went missing in Nuuanu on Saturday, April 5. HFD rescues ill hiker from Diamond Head Crater Trail According to the Honolulu Fire Department, a man in his 20s was hiking with his group on the Lulumahu Falls Trail when they got separated. Officials said they received the 911 call around 8:40 p.m. on Saturday when the group noticed he was missing while descending from the falls. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You About 10 minutes later, firefighters began searching the trail on foot and in the air. The search was suspended two hours later and resumed at first light the next day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HFD started another search on Sunday, April 6 shortly after 6 a.m. Check out more news from around Hawaii The man was safely located off the trail about three hours later, uninjured. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. LONDON (AP) Firefighters in Northern Ireland were mopping up after a significant fire swept through forest land in the southeastern corner of the province overnight as concerns grow about unseasonably warm, dry weather across the United Kingdom. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident at 11:53 p.m. Saturday and more than 100 firefighters and 14 pieces of equipment were deployed in a rural area outside the community of Hilltown. The blaze was under control by the early hours of Sunday. The fire is believed to have been deliberately started, the fire service said. Authorities in Northern Ireland on March 28 decried a recent spate of deliberately set wildfires across the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People lighting these fires may be putting their own and others lives at risk including the fire service personnel and other emergency services tasked to deal with them, Andrew Muir, minister for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, said in a statement. Firefighters across the U.K. are on alert this weekend due to the increased risk of fires following a spate of warm spring weather. Police in Scotland advised people to avoid the Loch Down area of East Ayrshire because of a wildfire burning in the southwestern part of Scotland. A number of fires were also burning on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, southwestern England. Devon and Cornwall police advised travelers to avoid the area as they have closed a number of roads in the Bolventor area to assist firefighters. GREENE COUNTY, Mo. Its been a busy 48 hours for first responders in Southwest Missouri, as communities continue to be impacted by flash flooding and severe weather. [The water is] running over the Highway 125 here this morning, and Im sure were up around four or five inches, Richard Stirts, the Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District Fire Chief, said. In Ozark, city officials closed the Finley River Park as water continues to flow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In rural Greene County near Republic, rushing floodwaters have impacted roadways near Farm Roads 99 and 186. On Farm Road 103 near Willard, one man says the floods have been so consistent that his driveway has been covered since the storms began, and he hasnt been able to leave his home. Flooding closes part of US Highway 63 north of West Plains In Rogersville, Stirts says theyve been so busy with calls, fire crews had to form a response during the interview with Ozarks First. This is just another example of whats going on, Stirts said. Stirts says theyve had a mixed variety of calls, all a result of the recent weather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the calls weve had are related to lightning strikes more than water rescues, Stirts said. We did deploy a task force to Troop G, Willow Springs area, and theyre on their way back. They all left here from Region D and went to Region G to stand by because of the flooding in West Plains, but its been extremely busy. Missouri firefighter killed in crash while responding to water rescue call On Friday, the Deputy Director of the Greene County Office of Emergency Management, Darren White, talked about how busy theyve been since the flood began. Its not really anything that we didnt expect. Any time something like this happens, it can be a little hectic at the time anyway, no matter what, White said. Were staying pretty busy with everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a reminder, if you are driving and see water over the roadway, the best recommendation is to turn around and find another route. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) Some men and women might have sore feet after participating in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes movement hosted by First Step Wichita Falls. The event, geared towards supporting sexual assault survivors, was supposed to be an outdoor walk at Sikes Lake Center, but due to Saturdays inclement weather, the Bill Bartley YMCA was gracious enough to host. This is the first time the movement has been held in Wichita Falls, but outside of Texoma, its an international movement. With the event taking root in cities around the world, First Step Outreach Coordinator Kiawa Chambers thought now, at the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month was a perfect time to bring it to Wichita Falls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes has been going on since 2001, Chambers said. We wanted to bring it to Wichita Falls because it is in the bigger cities like Boston, Chicago and big cities like that. So, we thought, you know, why not bring it to Wichita Falls, raise awareness in a fun way. While wearing heels was optional for the walk, a pair of heels should at least be carried by each walker. Chambers explained what carrying or wearing the heels is meant to represent. It represents walking a mile in somebody elses shoes, walking a mile in a survivors shoes, Chambers said. A lot of the times survivors have a hard time speaking on what has happened to them. And you dont know what somebodys gone through until you walked in their shoes. First Step invited representatives from the WFPD and Crime Stoppers to the walk as well. Chambers hopes the walk helps encourage survivors of sexual assault to seek the help that they need whether it comes from the police department, Crime Stoppers, or First Step. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com. LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Firefighters were dispatched to a house fire that displaced five people in Lebanon County today. According to the Mount Zion Community Fire Co. Fire Chief, firefighters were dispatched to the 800 block of Greble Road in Bethel Township for reports of a house fire this morning. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania The Fire Chief says upon arrival, fire crews encountered a fire in the houses mechanical room, which caused heavy smoke damage throughout the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chief said no one was injured, but five people were displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. UPDATE 4/6/25 (4:00 PM) Nortbound US Highway 63 north of State Highway 14 has been partially reopened, according to Howell County Sheriff Matt Roberts. Roberts says they are using pumps from MoDOT to clear the floodwater from the roadway. The southbound lanes of US-63 are still closed until further notice. Original Story (4/5/25): WEST PLAINS, Mo. The Howell County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) says they have decided to close a portion of US Highway 63 because of flooding in the area as of 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The road closure is north of State Highway 14 near the Silver Spring RV park north of West Plains. Flash floods in West Plains leads to OFallon man drowning HCSO says a detour has been set up from State Highway N in Pomona to south State Highway 17 and west US-160 into West Plains. Howell County deputies also remind drivers not to drive in high water and to be cautious while driving. For more information on road closures and conditions in Missouri, you can visit MoDOTs website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) Campers from the Camp Nelson RV Park can be seen lined up to Highway 27, as residents living there have been forced to leave, with water taking their place. Sheryl Mastin came into Lancaster after leaving the campgrounds Friday, not knowing what to do next. RELATED l Kentucky flood map shows where water is rising to dangerous levels amid historic rainfall I dont know what my plan is yet. I slept in the camper on the hillside last night, so, uh now, I dont know, I dont know, Mastin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, neighbors are doing what they can to help each other, but Mastin still worries about her safety and her future. A lot of these people like me are disabled; we dont have the money to go out here and rent a place because rents too expensive; thats the reason why were down there in the first place, Mastin said. Garrard County Emergency Management is working hard to keep everyone safe, but it is a difficult task with the amount of rainfall. Two campers that got underwater, a car, a trailer is going underwater, Mastin said. Emergency Management also said a jet ski went flowing down the river. Multiple roads have also been shut down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dustin Price, deputy director and public information officer of Garrard County Emergency Management, said, Flooding has definitely taken advantage of Old Danville Road. The road that connects Garrard and Lincoln counties is reportedly breaking apart. The state highway department is aware and has been on the scene. So, of course, all the people that live on both the Lincoln and Garrard side utilize it to get to either Stanford or Lancaster, so there are several cars that pass that roadway every single day, Price said. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City officials and Mastin urged people to stay safe and take these storms seriously. Water is not forgiving, people think just a little bit of water is safe to drive through, its not, just please adhere to our caution, Price said. Mastin said, Dont go to the water. Its too dangerous; I mean, it is way too dangerous. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Kentuckys state capital has been hit hard by flooding, following days of heavy rain across the state. Residents in parts of Frankfort were evacuating on Sunday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear said on social media, and all state offices in the Frankfort area will be closed Monday. The Kentucky River is projected to crest at 49.5 feet on Monday, according to the National Weather Service, one foot higher than the all-time record set in 1978. NWS considers 40 feet or higher a major flood in Frankfort. The Kentucky River floods in Frankfort, Ky., on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Herald-Leader reporter Taylor Six spent Sunday morning in Frankfort. Heres what she saw: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some downtown business owners were boarding up their storefronts and moving equipment to higher ground in anticipation of further flooding along the fast-rising Kentucky River. Businesses along Main Street were packing up their food inventory, moving it to indoor dining areas. Sandbags lined several blocks that had direct access to the Kentucky River. Water was continuing to rise, covering traffic signs, lower levels of parking garages and mailboxes downtown. The traffic lights on Main Street were not operational, with police directing traffic. Access to the War Mothers Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown Frankfort to the State Capitol Building, had been shut down. Some residents began evacuating, though many people were outside, walking up and down Main Street and taking photos and videos. Others drove with their windows down, taking photos of the damage. Kentucky, there is record flooding across our state, with over 500 road closures. Rivers have not yet crested, so we still have a day if not more of rising waters. Weve already lost two of our people, both children of God loved by many. pic.twitter.com/KwHBcjZpM9 Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) April 6, 2025 Rain is expected to end on Monday, followed by freezing temperatures over the next several days. But rivers around the state will continue to rise, bringing additional flooding. The foundation of a child's future success begins long before they enter a traditional classroom. High-quality preschool programs are one of the most effective investments we can make in our children, our workforce and our economy. This legislative session, our state representatives have an opportunity to further enhance our states commitment to this high yield investment by funding preschool for a full day. Research shows Pre-K programs shape a childs cognitive and social development, setting the stage for lifelong learning and achievement. A study known as the Perry Preschool Project provides compelling evidence that children attending Pre-K have higher high school completion rates, increased college enrollment and better academic performance compared to those who did not attend Pre-K. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the benefits extend well into adulthood: participants of the project were found to have higher employment rates and earnings, reduced criminal activity and better health outcomes in their later years. These findings underscore the lasting impact of early childhood education on an individual's life trajectory. Beyond the classroom, the benefits extend to families, businesses and the economy as a whole: access to affordable child care allows parents to stay in the workforce, reduces absenteeism for employers and strengthens the long-term labor market. The escalating costs of child care have become a significant barrier for many families, often consuming a substantial portion of household income. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of full-time child care in Florida for a four-year-old is $7,287. This financial strain can lead to reduced workforce participation, particularly among mothers, thereby limiting family earnings, stability and economic growth. Employers also feel the repercussions of inadequate child care support which can contribute to employee turnover and decreased productivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The return on investment in early education is undeniable: Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman has demonstrated that every dollar invested in high-quality preschool yields an average ROI of $7 through increased earnings, reduced crime and lower reliance on social services. These savings benefit taxpayers and contribute to a healthier, more prosperous society. Florida has made significant investments in early childhood education through programs like the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK), which offers free Pre-K to all four-year-olds in the state. This program aims to enhance children's readiness for school by focusing on foundational skills in literacy, math and social development. Members of the ELC of Sarasota County Childcare Business Task Force are calling on Florida's lawmakers to support full-day Voluntary Prekindergarten education programs. However, the school year VPK program provides instruction for only three hours a day, leaving parents with a difficult choice: either pay for aftercare, which is often unaffordable, or forego employment opportunities so they can pick up their children in the middle of the workday and care for them. As members of the ELC of Sarasota County Childcare Business Task Force, we believe that investing in full-day VPK at adequate reimbursement rates is not only beneficial for individual families but is also essential for sustaining economic vitality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Affordable child care supports parental employment, enhances productivity and yields substantial returns that strengthen our economy. We call on our local delegation to prioritize funding for early education programs, including full-day VPK, in order to foster a robust future. This piece was jointly authored by the following: Sarasota County School Board Member Liz Barker Ashley Brown, CEO, Womens Resource Center Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor Sarasota County School Board Tom Edwards Janet Kahn, CEO, Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County Brittany Lamont, CEO, Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Kirsten Russell, vice president/community impact, Community Foundation of Sarasota County This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Invest in Florida's preschool programs | Opinion PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) A charter captain has been arrested after a viral video showed him fighting with another Florida boater last week, according to authorities. Around 7:30 p.m. on April 1, 40-year-old Brock Horner pulled his boat alongside the victims boat and boarded it without permission, police in Punta Gorda said. In the video, which has since gone viral, the fisherman, Gage Towles, tells Horner he cant go flying underneath the 41 bridge in Punta Gorda, roughly 10 feet from the other boat. Horner appears to be upset about an incident that happened early on March 30 regarding Towles and others fishing in the dark without their lights on in the same area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previous coverage: Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation with fisherman, police say The charter captain is heard screaming and cursing and appears to become aggressive toward Towles before he jumps aboard the victims boat. Horner threatened Towles and grabbed him by the shirt, demanding him to apologize for the prior incident. The event has garnered significant attention on social media, and we are receiving numerous calls to dispatch requesting that the department take action, the police department wrote in a Thursday Facebook post. After police conducted several interviews with the victim and witnesses, they established probable cause to arrest Horner on Friday in connection with the unlawful boarding and threats under Florida Statue 810.02(2)(A) Burglary with Assault or Battery (non-forced entry). Charlotte County Sheriffs Office As of Friday night, Horner remained in the Charlotte County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Punta Gorda Police Department addressed the viral confrontation Saturday morning. Previous coverage: North Port firefighter was with charter captain caught on camera berating boater, chief says This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterwaysor anywhere else in our city, Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith said. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water. To watch the entirety of the video, click here. Along with the police departments investigation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Coast Guard are conducting separate investigations given the nature and location of the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Punta Gorda police said further details will be released as the investigation continues. In a statement shared with media outlets last week, Horners attorney Scott Weinberg said the charter captain was deeply sorry. First and foremost, Brock sincerely apologizes to Gage, to Gages family, and to anyone who was frightened or upset by what they saw, the statement read in part. What began as a moment of frustration and concern escalated in a way it simply should not have. Gage handled the situation with impressive composure and class, and that level-headedness helped prevent things from becoming far worse. You can read the rest of Weinbergs statement below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brock is not proud of how he acted. But its important to remember: we are not the sum of our worst day. That video captured one momentnot the whole of who he is. Since the video went viral, Brocks business has been destroyed, his reputation damaged, and his family including his wife and motherhave been harassed and even threatened. Some have gone so far as to question his military service and accuse him of stolen valor. Let me be clear: Brock is a decorated combat veteran who was severely injured in Afghanistan. He served honorably, earned multiple medals, and suffered a traumatic brain injury in combat. He is recognized as 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Thats not an excuse but it is part of his story. He stood up when this country asked him to, and that service deserves to be respected. We live in a time when online outrage can quickly spiral into personal destruction. But just as Gage showed grace in the moment, I ask others to do the same now. Lets hold people accountable but also give them room to grow and make amends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brock is committed to doing exactly that. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) A charter captain has been arrested after a viral video showed him fighting with another Florida boater last week, according to authorities. Around 7:30 p.m. on April 1, 40-year-old Brock Horner pulled his boat alongside the victims boat and boarded it without permission, police in Punta Gorda said. In the video, which has since gone viral, the fisherman, Gage Towles, tells Horner he cant go flying underneath the 41 bridge in Punta Gorda, roughly 10 feet from the other boat. Horner appears to be upset about an incident that happened early on March 30 regarding Towles and others fishing in the dark without their lights on in the same area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previous coverage: Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation with fisherman, police say The charter captain is heard screaming and cursing and appears to become aggressive toward Towles before he jumps aboard the victims boat. Horner threatened Towles and grabbed him by the shirt, demanding him to apologize for the prior incident. The event has garnered significant attention on social media, and we are receiving numerous calls to dispatch requesting that the department take action, the police department wrote in a Thursday Facebook post. After police conducted several interviews with the victim and witnesses, they established probable cause to arrest Horner on Friday in connection with the unlawful boarding and threats under Florida Statue 810.02(2)(A) Burglary with Assault or Battery (non-forced entry). Charlotte County Sheriffs Office As of Friday night, Horner remained in the Charlotte County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Punta Gorda Police Department addressed the viral confrontation Saturday morning. Previous coverage: North Port firefighter was with charter captain caught on camera berating boater, chief says This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterwaysor anywhere else in our city, Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith said. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water. To watch the entirety of the video, click here. Along with the police departments investigation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Coast Guard are conducting separate investigations given the nature and location of the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Punta Gorda police said further details will be released as the investigation continues. In a statement shared with media outlets last week, Horners attorney Scott Weinberg said the charter captain was deeply sorry. First and foremost, Brock sincerely apologizes to Gage, to Gages family, and to anyone who was frightened or upset by what they saw, the statement read in part. What began as a moment of frustration and concern escalated in a way it simply should not have. Gage handled the situation with impressive composure and class, and that level-headedness helped prevent things from becoming far worse. You can read the rest of Weinbergs statement below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brock is not proud of how he acted. But its important to remember: we are not the sum of our worst day. That video captured one momentnot the whole of who he is. Since the video went viral, Brocks business has been destroyed, his reputation damaged, and his family including his wife and motherhave been harassed and even threatened. Some have gone so far as to question his military service and accuse him of stolen valor. Let me be clear: Brock is a decorated combat veteran who was severely injured in Afghanistan. He served honorably, earned multiple medals, and suffered a traumatic brain injury in combat. He is recognized as 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Thats not an excuse but it is part of his story. He stood up when this country asked him to, and that service deserves to be respected. We live in a time when online outrage can quickly spiral into personal destruction. But just as Gage showed grace in the moment, I ask others to do the same now. Lets hold people accountable but also give them room to grow and make amends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brock is committed to doing exactly that. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. NAPLES, Fla. (WFLA) A suspected drug trafficker was arrested Tuesday after detectives seized enough fentanyl from him to potentially kill over 30,000 people, according to the Collier County Sheriffs Office. In a social media post, CCSO revealed that around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, detectives arrested Kevin Dylan Jensen, 31, and seized more than 60 grams of the deadly opioid that they say was in his possession. Jensen was pulled over for a traffic stop at the intersection of Pine Ridge Road and Napa Boulevard in Naples. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A CCSO K-9 alerted authorities to the presence of narcotics after conducting a free-air examination around his vehicle. In a probable cause search of Jensens vehicle, Collier County deputies found 47.5 grams of fentanyl, $2,357 in cash, an unspecified amount of cocaine, and other drug paraphernalia. Credit: Collier County Sheriffs Office Deputies with the Collier County Sheriffs Office arrested Jensen and charged him with trafficking in fentanyl and possession of cocaine. We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to fentanyl trafficking in Collier County, said Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. This poison continues to take lives, and we will continue to target dealers who put lives at risk. Through our Laced & Lethal initiative, we are not only aggressively enforcing the law but also working to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jensen was also served with additional warrants at the Collier County Jail regarding incidents in February and March, where Jensen was accused of selling a total of 13 grams of fentanyl to undercover CCSO detectives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. The Florida Senate on Thursday passed a wide-ranging education bill that includes eliminating a requirement that high-school students pass algebra and language-arts tests to earn standard diplomas. Senators unanimously approved the measure (SB 166), which would represent a major change after years of Republican leaders saying test requirements are an important part of evaluating student performance and holding schools accountable. Some senators, however, said Thursday it was time to move away from high stakes testing. If all they (students) learn how to do is take a test, then I think we have failed in our education system, Senate Education Pre-K-12 Chairman Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican who is sponsoring the bill, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Halfway through this years legislative session, it remains unclear whether the House will take up the proposal. Under current law, students must pass Algebra 1 and English-language arts standardized tests to earn standard diplomas. The bill would require that a students performance on the English-language arts assessment make up 30 percent of the students course grade similar to an already-existing requirement for Algebra 1. Among other things, the bill would make a change in requirements for third-grade students to be promoted to fourth grade. It would expand what are known as good cause exemptions for students who do not meet a test requirement. Many Republican leaders, dating back to when Jeb Bush was elected governor in 1998, have said testing is a critical part of measuring student and school performance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Simon pointed to changes that have occurred in recent years, including a decision in 2022 by lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis to use what is known as a progress monitoring system that tests students three times a year to measure how they are advancing. That decision eliminated the Florida Standards Assessments standardized tests. Simon said the progress-monitoring system gives educators years to evaluate students, as opposed to relying on individual tests to determine whether they should get diplomas. He said progress monitoring provides accountability. Senators pointed to easing what Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, described as so much stress and anxiety around these standardized tests. Simon said the bill would bring balance. Its focus is the total child, not just the child whos going to be able to take a test, Simon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as the bill moved through Senate committees, the Foundation for Floridas Future, an influential education group that Bush founded, opposed the measure. Public school deregulation remains a worthy goal, but reducing high school graduation requirements and weakening the states fourth grade promotion policy isnt the way to get there, Patricia Levesque, executive director of the foundation, said in a February statement. These proposals will make it harder for parents and teachers to know if kids are reading at grade level or if theyre ready to take the next step after high school. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WalletHub has released its findings on states where unemployment claims are decreasing the most. Florida just missed the Top 10 and landed with an overall rank of 11th best. The job market is still in good shape, as new unemployment claims decreased by 2.7% week-over-week on March 24. There are currently 7.1 million Americans unemployed in total, though, and its important to look at some key stats for the latest week to get the complete picture: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To identify where unemployment claims are decreasing the most, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on changes in unemployment claims for several key benchmark weeks. They also considered the number of claims per 100,000 people in the labor force. CHECK OUT THE INTERACTIVE MAP WITH ALL STATE RANKINGS: Source: WalletHub YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE WALLETHUB ARTICLE WITH DETAILED STATISTICS HERE Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WASHINGTON (AP) After hiding in Thailand for seven years, two Cambodian journalists arrived in the United States last year on work visas, aiming to keep providing people in their Southeast Asian homeland with objective, factual news through Radio Free Asia. But Vuthy Tha and Hour Hum now say their jobs and legal status in the U.S. are at risk after President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order gutting the government-run U.S. Agency for Global Media. The agency funds Radio Free Asia and other outlets tasked with delivering uncensored information to parts of the world under authoritarian rule and often without a free press of their own. It fell out of sky, Vuthy, a single father of two small children, said through a translator about the Trump administration's decision, which he says threatens to upend his life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am very regretful that our listeners cannot receive the accurate news, Hour said, also through a translator. Both men said they're worried about providing for their families and being allowed to stay in the U.S. They say it's impossible to return to Cambodia, a single-party state hostile to independent media where they fear being persecuted for their journalistic work. The administration has been dismantling or slashing the size of federal agencies, leading tens of thousands of government workers and contractors to be fired or put on leave. But the targeting of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, whose decades-old networks aim to extend American influence abroad, means journalists who have defied authoritarian regimes to help fulfill a U.S. mission of delivering pro-democracy programming could be deported and face harassment and persecution in their homelands. Eleven journalists associated with the U.S.-funded media outlets are behind bars overseas, including RFA's Shin Daewe, who is serving 15 years in Myanmar on a charge of supporting terrorism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 84 U.S. Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, journalists in the United States on work visas could face deportation, including at least 23 at serious risk of being immediately arrested upon arrival and potentially imprisoned," according to the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders and a coalition of 36 human rights organizations. It is outrageous that these journalists, who risk their lives to expose the extent of repression in their home countries, might be completely abandoned," said Thibaut Bruttin, director general of Reporters Without Borders. The U.S. Congress must take responsibility for protecting these reporters and all USAGM-funded outlets, funded by Congress itself, Bruttin said. This responsibility is not just moral it stems from the United States commitment to defending the principles of democracy and press freedom. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee did not respond to requests for comment. The White House did not comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State Department said it is coordinating with USAGM on imprisoned journalists and that it condemns unjust detentions of journalists for exercising their freedom of expression. Journalists sue over Trump's order A number of journalists for Voice of America, a news service also overseen by USAGM, have sued in a federal court. That includes two unnamed foreign journalists on temporary visas. If deported, one could risk imprisonment for 10 years for his work for VOA, and the other, a member of a persecuted minority in his home country, could be in physical danger," the lawsuit said. The court has temporarily halted contract terminations, preventing the visa holders from being forced to leave for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both RFA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, another USAGM-funded media outlet, also have sued seeking restoration of funding. Trump's cuts come after the U.S. last year helped free Alsu Kurmasheva a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and journalist with RFE/RL in a high-profile prisoner swap that included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. In February, the Trump administration announced the release of Andrey Kuznechyk, a Belarusian journalist with RFE/RLs Belarus service. The network still has four journalists jailed one each in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea. Voice of America has a contributor jailed in Myanmar and another in Vietnam, said Jessica Jerreat, VOA's press freedom editor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Vietnam, four RFA reporters are in jail and another is under house arrest, according to Tamara Bralo, the outlet's head of journalist security. She said she's concerned that American support in seeking their release could diminish if RFA folds. Vietnam consistently ranks near the bottom in the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, which says about 40 journalists are held in Vietnam's prisons where mistreatment is widespread. Reporters fear being sent back Khoa Lai, a Vietnamese journalist who joined RFA in Washington on a work visa only days before Trump took office, said returning to Vietnam is risky for him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I could face prosecution or be in prison, said Lai, who produces video stories on freedom of speech, freedom of religion and political corruption for RFA's Vietnamese service. I don't know for sure, but it won't be good." Both Vuthy and Hour began working for RFA in Cambodia but had to leave in 2017 when Cambodia's top court dissolved the main opposition CNRP party, authorities arrested their colleagues and RFA closed its office. In neighboring Thailand as refugees, both continued to report for RFA, but with their identities hidden. They still risked getting sent back to Cambodia until RFA brought them to the U.S. on work visas last year. They have reported on issues ranging from politics, corruption and human rights to climate change and environment. Cambodias autocratic former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ruled his country for nearly four decades and passed power to his son Hun Manet, praised Trump in a Facebook post for having the courage to lead the world to combat fake news by cutting funding to USAGM. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vuthy says he's still hopeful that RFA might survive, adding that it is fighting for its existence." ___ Associated Press writers Kanis Leung in Hong Kong, Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Elsie Chen in Washington contributed to this report. VIENNA (AP) Germany marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazis' Buchenwald concentration camp on Sunday as one of the country's former presidents warned against radicalization and a worldwide shift to the right. The governor of the state of Thuringia, Mario Voigt, and former German President Christian Wulff spoke at a ceremony in the city of Weimar, near Buchenwald, attended by scores of people, including several Holocaust survivors from across Europe. Voigt, whose state includes Buchenwald, called it a place of systematic dehumanization and said that everything that happened at the death camp was designed to break the human spirit and its dignity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Buchenwald concentration camp was established in 1937. More than 56,000 of the 280,000 inmates held at Buchenwald and its satellite camps were killed by the Nazis or died as a result of hunger, illness or medical experiments before the camps liberation on April 11, 1945. Voigt also said that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel showed that the intention to exterminate Jews is not a thing of the past. He was referring to the attack by the Palestinian militant group that left some 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage, sparking the war between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 50,695 Palestinians and wounded 115,338, according to Gazas Health Ministry. In his speech, Wulff issued a stark warning about the current global political situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the brutalization and radicalization and a worldwide shift to the right, I can now and this makes me uneasy imagine more clearly how this could have happened back then, Wulff said, referring to Nazi terror and the developments leading up to it. He called for active commitment to democracy and the preservation of humanity. He said: We bear a permanent, ongoing, eternal responsibility from this because evil must never be allowed to prevail again. Wulff also criticized the anti-immigrant and far-right Alternative for Germany party. He said that those who trivialize the party are ignoring the fact that the Alternative for Germanys ideology is creating a breeding ground for people to feel uncomfortable in Germany and that they are actually in real danger. Holocaust survivor Naftali Furst, now 92, spoke at the wreath-laying ceremony held at the camps former roll call area. He spent ages 9 to 12 in four different concentration camps, including Auschwitz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To this day, the image is etched in my memory: carts pushed by prisoners loaded with corpses that were collected from the barracks and taken to the crematorium, reduced to ashes, Furst recalled. Addressing the dwindling number of Holocaust survivors, Furst remarked, There are by now only very few of us left. Soon, we will pass the baton of remembrance on to you for good. In doing so, we are entrusting you with a historic responsibility. Remember on our behalf what you have learned from us. Because you are the witnesses of the witnesses. Furst concluded: Keep coming back to this place, to Buchenwald, where civilization was reduced to zero. Remain vigilant in our name, and in memory of us, recognize when human rights, womens rights, childrens rights, and minority rights are being violated. And when and where democracy is under threat, act and remain, each of you, a human being. In the run-up to the memorial event, Israeli officials objected to a planned commemoration speech by philosopher Omri Boehm, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and a known critic of the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza. This prompted organizers to withdraw the invitation. Some 6 million European Jews were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. HONOLULU (KHON2) KHON2 would like to send a special birthday to Tiger Tom Metcalf, who turned 100 years old on Thursday, April 3. Metcalf was surrounded by family and friends at a birthday bash to celebrate the milestone. Happy 100th Birthday, American Savings Bank! Originally from New York, Metcalf was a member of the Army Air Corps Cadet Program in the 1940s, before it became the Air Force. He would then move to Vermont to attend college, but would also meet a special someone along the way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While he was in school, Tiger met his wife of 73 years. They would then move to Hawaii so Tiger could teach at Punahou School. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news His two-year contract turned into a 40-year career as a beloved dean at Punahou. Metcalf has four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He said the secret to a long life is staying in touch with youth. Check out more news from around Hawaii From the entire KHON2 ohana, Happyy 100th Birthday, Tiger Tom Metcalf! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Bob McManus, the wry and eminently fair voice of the New York Post for over a decade, died Saturday at NYU Langone Hospital. He was 81. McManus was a Postie for 29 years the last 12 as the influential editorial page editor, where government waste, public and private corruption, and hypocrisy in all its forms felt the pain of his withering gaze, as the paper noted when he retired in 2013. He was a journalists journalist, said former Post state editor Fredric U. Dicker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McManus died three days short of his 82nd birthday of complications from bile duct cancer, his family said. Robert LaVelle McManus Jr. was born in Buffalo, the oldest of nine siblings to Robert L. McManus Sr. and Jeanette Manning. He was introduced to journalism early in life by his father, an award-winning reporter at Binghamton and Albany newspapers who went on to become a top aide and press secretary for the late Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. Bob had memories of going to work with his dad on Saturdays, said Mary McManus, his wife of 24 years. Newspapers were in his blood. McManus was raised in Binghamton and, after a bout with polio at 12, moved to Albany with his family. He graduated Vincentian Institute high school, where by his own admission he was academically undistinguished, his wife said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was always a hard worker in high school he finagled a full-time job as manager of the pets and plants department at W.T. Grants department store while a student. After graduation he enlisted in the US Navy and served four years first on a destroyer, the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., and then on a submarine, the USS Sablefish. He was proud of his time in the highly-selective silent service, and was a member of the NYC Base of the United States Submarine Veterans. He returned to Albany, and got his first crack at the news business, as a copy boy at the morning Times Union, while he took classes at Siena College. Former New York Post editorial page editor Bob McManus (left) died Saturday at the age 81. Here hes honored at his 2013 retirement party by then-Editor-in-Chief Col Allen. Anne Wermiel/New York Post He quickly moved up the ranks to become an award-winning investigative reporter, exposing corruption and malfeasance on topics like snow removal and Medicaid, friends and family recalled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime friend EJ McMahon, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, described McManus writing style as pithy amalgam of Damon Runyon, Raymond Chandler and Red Smith. He was the last of a dying breed in whats left of journalism underneath the editorial writer and columnist was an old-school, no-nonsense reporter, a stickler for accuracy and fairness. He became the Albany papers city editor and projects editor in the 1970s before being persuaded in 1984 by Dicker to move to Manhattan and join the New York Posts editorial page. In 2000, he was named editorial page editor. Bob McManus is joined roughly 15 years ago by fellow editorial writers Mark Cunningham and Eric Fettman (left to right) interviewing then-Lt. Governor Richard Ravitch. Caitlin Thorne Hersey for NY Post Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg shakes McManus hand after leaving an editorial board meeting. Robert Miller for NY Post McManus was always after the truth, and never let his personal views, or his abiding cynicism, get in the way of that pursuit, Dicker said. Then-Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice met with Bob McManus and other members of the Post Editorial Board in 2006. Tamara Beckwith/New York Post The month before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, McManus ran an editorial thundering that Washington was fundamentally ignoring al Qaeda despite escalating attacks. With Ground Zero still burning, he felt obliged to postpone his wedding for a month, recalled his successor, current Post Editorial Page Editor Mark Cunningham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bob was a pro; a sharp classic dresser; an avid reader all across his ridiculously wide range of interests; a guy who loved to craft a good line; a man who cared about the truth and despised phonies; always aware that our mission is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, recalled Cunningham. He especially loved giving opinions about George Patakis 12-year tenure as governor, and was sometimes quick to needle Pataki by inserting blah, blah, blah whenever writing editorials discussing the administrations rationale on state policy issues, recalled his wife. Col Allan, Bob McManus and Lachlan Murdoch (left to right) meeting with then-President George W. Bush. Bob loved politicians, Mary McManus said. He found them very interesting, whether theyre Democrat or Republican, and people did consider him to be fair even though he wrote editorials. Longtime Post editor and columnist Steve Cuozzo called McManus his Irish rabbi.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He knew every living and no-longer-living soul in Albany, including Nelson Rockefeller, and his deep knowledge of government at all levels informed his every editorial and opinion piece, he said. His time on a U.S. Navy submarine instilled in him a profound strength and discipline, but he was also a kind and witty man beloved by his colleagues. . . . Well miss him terribly. Bob McManus died of complications from cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer that develops in the bile ducts. Don Halasy for NY Post McManus (pictured) was introduced to journalism by his father Robert Sr., an award-winning reporter who became a top aide for the late Gov. Nelson Rockerfeller. Don Halasy/New York Post Even though he retired, McManus never really left The Post, continuing to pen common-sense columns. Hed usually accept the assignment with a shrug, I guess I could do it, only to call back 15 minutes later to say, Im very worked up, can I have more room? one staffer recalled. Former GOP mayoral candidate Joe Lhota and former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly greeting McManus at his 2013 retirement party. Anne Wermiel/New York Post His last New York Post piece in March 2024 called Gov. Hochuls decision to deploy National Guard troops into the citys subway system to address rising crime a political stunt undertaken to divert attention from her unwillingness to confront the core problem: the hammerlock crime-tolerant progressivism has on public policy in New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Life was interesting with him, said Mary McManus He just knew so much and put the pieces together so well. . . . His memory was phenomenal. Besides his wife, McManus is survived by his daughter Kathleen McManus, three sisters and four brothers. The family is planning to hold a memorial service honoring him sometime next month. Fourteen people were displaced and six to eight apartment units were destroyed in a fire early Saturday, officials with the Fort Worth Fire Department said. Fire crews were dispatched to the apartment complex in the 2800 block of Las Vegas Trail at around 2:30 a.m., according to a post on the fire departments Facebook. Heavy fire was coming from the first and second floors of the apartment complex and a working fire was declared, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time crews were battling the blaze, overnight storms intensified, bringing heavy rains and wind along with lightning, officials said. The weather conditions led the incident commander to call a second alarm on the fire, according to the post. More top stories from our newsroom: Family faces legal fight over services for daughter with Down syndrome Blue Cross Blue Shield drops coverage at North Texas hospitals Woman attacked, killed outside Arlington apartment [Get our breaking news alerts.] During fire suppression operations, an overhanging roof fell on top of a Fort Worth firefighter, who was quickly pulled from the wreckage and taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to the post.The firefighter was discharged from the hospital later Saturday, officials said. A resident of the complex was also injured, but was treated on the scene by paramedics. The American Red Cross responded to the scene to provide aid to the displaced residents, officials said. Getty Images Key Takeaways Investors are looking for clues as to the health of the U.S. economy heading into the next earnings season, set to kick off next week. Analysts pulled back their earnings estimates to a larger-than-usual degree in the first three months of 2025, according to a FactSet analysis released Friday. More S&P 500 companies have been turning in first-quarter outlooks below analysts consensus projections, FactSet found. First-quarter earnings season is almost upon us. And Wall Street analysts have been taking a knife to their earnings estimates. Its typical for analysts to pull back their earnings estimates for the companies they follow during a quarter, according to a FactSet analysis released Friday, but they did so to a larger-than-usual degree in the first three months of 2025. Investors are looking for clues as to the health of the U.S. economy amid tariff-driven market turmoil. More S&P 500 companies have been turning in first-quarter outlooks below analysts consensus projections, FactSet has found. A fresh round of earnings starts next week, with results from big banks on tap. The bottom-up earnings per share estimate for all the companies in the S&P 500which aggregates the median estimate for all the companies in the indexfell by 4.2% between the start and end of the quarter, according to FactSets Senior Earnings Analyst John Butters. That translated to a drop from $62.89 to $60.23 per share. That percentage decrease is more than the averages for the past five, 10 and 15 years, Butters wrote, though in line with the 20-year average. Analysts full-year estimates fell 1.6%, to $269.67 from $274.12 per share, also marking a bigger retreat than the averages in the past five, 10 and 15 years, though smaller than the 20-year average. The S&P's financials sector is the only one to see its full-year EPS estimate rise during the first quarter, FactSet said. Read the original article on Investopedia By John Irish ALGIERS (Reuters) -France's foreign minister said on Sunday that ties with Algeria were back to normal after he held 2 1/2 hours of talks with Algeria's president following months of bickering that have hurt Paris' economic and security interests in its former colony. Ties between Paris and Algiers have been complicated for decades, but took a turn for the worse last July when Macron angered Algeria by recognising a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A poor relationship has major security, economic and social repercussions: trade is extensive and some 10% of France's 68 million population has links to Algeria, according to French officials. "We are reactivating as of today all the mechanisms of cooperation in all sectors. We are going back to normal and to repeat the words of President (Abdelmadjid) Tebboune: 'the curtain is lifted'," Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement at the presidential palace in Algiers after 2 1/2 hours of talks. His visit comes after a call between President Emmanuel Macron and his counterpart Tebboune on March 31, during which the two agreed to a broad roadmap to calm tensions. French officials say Algiers had put obstacles to administrative authorisations and new financing for French firms operating in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nowhere was that felt more than in wheat imports. Traders say the diplomatic rift led Algerian grains agency OAIC to tacitly exclude French wheat and firms in its import tenders since October. OAIC has said it treats all suppliers fairly, applying technical requirements. Barrot said he had specifically brought up the difficulties regarding economic exchanges, notably in the agrobusiness, automobile and maritime transport sectors. "President Tebboune reassured me of his will to give them new impetus," Barrot said. AUTHOR ARRESTED Beyond business, the relationship has also soured to the point where security cooperation, including over Islamist militancy, stopped. The detention by Algiers in November of 80-year-old Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal also worsened the relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has since been sentenced to five years in prison. Barrot said he hoped a gesture of "humanity" could be made by Algiers given his age and health. With Macron's government under pressure to toughen immigration policies, the spat has fed into domestic politics in both countries. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has called for a 1968 pact between the two countries that makes it easier for Algerians to settle in France to be reviewed, after Algiers refused to take back some of its citizens who were ordered to leave France under the "OQTF" (obligation to leave French territory) deportation regime. Barrot said Retailleau would soon go to Algiers and that the two sides would resume cooperation on judicial issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The relationship between the two countries is scarred by the trauma of the 1954-1962 war in which the North African country, which had a large settler population and was treated as an integral part of France under colonial rule, won independence. (Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Alexandra Hudson) PARIS (AP) Convicted of embezzling public funds and banned from running for office, far-right politician Marine Le Pen stood unshaken before a sea of French flags in Paris on Sunday. For 30 years I have fought against injustice, she told the crowd. And I will continue to fight. Thousands of supporters gathered at Place Vauban, near the golden dome of Les Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon, for what was billed as a protest but observers said it had all the markings of a campaign rally. The National Rally, Le Pen's party, organized the event in response to what it calls a politically motivated verdict. But with chants of Marine Presidente! and They wont steal 2027 from us, the message was clear: this was more than a protest. It was a show of populist defiance aimed squarely at Frances institutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bardella sharpens the attack At the heart of that charge stood Jordan Bardella, Le Pens 29-year-old protege and president of the National Rally. His speech was fiery, accusing Frances judges of trying to silence the opposition. March 29 was a dark day for France, he said, referencing the date of Le Pens conviction. The people must be free to choose their leaders without interference from political judges. Though he claimed the party would respect democracy, Bardella denounced magistrates unions and warned of a system determined to crush dissent. Supporters carried signs reading Justice taking orders and Stop the judicial dictatorship. Others wore Je suis Marine ("I am Marine") shirts or compared Le Pen to U.S. President Donald Trump, who was convicted of civil fraud: Trump can run why not Marine? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The systems not broken its rigged, said Alice Triquet, a 26-year-old bartender. If they can do this to her, what stops them from coming after anyone who doesnt think like them? One woman raised a handmade scale of justice, its arms bent and broken a symbol of what Le Pen's supporters see as a justice system turned against the people. A nation divided over justice and power Le Pen was found guilty of using European Parliament funds to pay party staff in France a scheme the court described as a democratic bypass. She was sentenced to four years in prison, including two under house arrest and two suspended, and banned from public office for five years, effective immediately. Her appeal is expected next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reaction has been sharply divided. While National Rally supporters denounce the ruling as politically motivated, many outside the party see it as legitimate accountability. I challenge the notion that there is a tsunami of support for Le Pen on this issue, said John Goodman, Ph.D., director of Syracuse Universitys flagship program in France. He also criticized the unusually rapid pace of Le Pen's appeal. Her appeal has been fast-tracked so it can be heard in the summer of 2026, well before the 2027 presidential election, and significantly faster than a typical criminal case, Goodman said. Warnings of a Trumpist turn On the other side of the Seine, hundreds gathered for a counter-rally led by left-wing parties, warning that Frances far right is embracing U.S.-style authoritarianism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is bigger than Marine Le Pen, said Green Party leader Marine Tondelier. Its about defending the rule of law from people who think justice is optional. Placards read No Trumpism in France and Anti-fascist response. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal addressed supporters at a meeting of the center-right Renaissance party in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, calling the moment a test of the Republic. Former PM Edouard Philippe stood by his side. Though police were out in force, only minor clashes were reported. The real message: trust the people, not the courts Beyond the legal battle, Sundays gathering of the National Rally revealed a deeper strategy. Party leaders have spent the week accusing judges of plotting a judicial coup. Theyve called the sentence a political execution. The goal is not just to overturn the ruling its to convince voters the legal system itself cant be trusted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a page from the Trump playbook: paint the courts as biased, the system as broken, and frame any legal setback as an attack on democracy. The ballot box becomes the only authority that matters. The judges wear robes, but theyre just politicians in disguise, said Claude Morel, 68, a pensioner from the southern city of Marseille. Let the people decide. What comes next Le Pen may be barred from running for now but her political machine is far from finished. Bardella, long seen as her polished understudy, is stepping into the spotlight with growing confidence and sharpened rhetoric. We will be here tomorrow, he told the crowd. And we will be stronger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sundays rally was more than a show of strength. It was a test: can the far right convince enough French voters that justice is no longer neutral, and that only they can return power to the people? How that question is answered may shape not only the 2027 presidential race but the future of French democracy. Keep the umbrellas close, Kentucky: More rain is coming. Thats unwelcome news for many in the commonwealth already overwhelmed by the days-long deluge of rainfall that has soaked their backyards, flooded their sewer systems and turned placid creeks into roaring rivers. Here in Central Kentucky, Franklin County is bearing the brunt of four consecutive days of rain and thunderstorms. On Friday, a 9-year-old boy died after being swept away in floodwaters on the way to his school bus stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, the Kentucky River the central vein that defines Frankforts historic downtown is threatening to rise to nightmarish levels. The Kentucky River floods in Frankfort, Ky., on Sunday, April 6, 2025. The downtown Frankfort section of the river is projected to crest at 47 feet Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service, just 1.5 feet shy of its all-time record set in 1978. It would be the third-highest crest recorded in Frankfort in more than 200 years of keeping track. It rivals a historic 1937 flood, which covered most of the town and led to the creation of the citys flood wall. A major flood in Frankfort is when the water hits the 40-foot mark. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Frankfort area, and downstream from Frankfort, is the one thats really, really under the gun. The worst of the flooding on the major rivers, its centered right on top of the Bluegrass region, northern and western parts of Kentucky, WKYT Chief Meteorologist Chris Bailey said Saturday. The Kentucky River floods in Frankfort, Ky., on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Franklin County Magistrate Sherry Sebastian lives along the banks of the Kentucky River and has already moved all of her items from her flooded basement. She said the main source of anxiety for her and her neighbors is the continually rising river crest projection. Theres a heightened sense of concern here because the flood level continues to increase. It was 41.5 feet, then it was 46 and now its 47, Sebastian said. This is going to be really insane. The dark is falling and the river keeps coming up. We dont have a clear picture of what daybreak is gonna bring and the needle continues to move north. A screenshot from the National Weather Services flood projection for the Kentucky River at Frankfort. She said Frankfort will likely shut down several downtown roads if the flood hits the expected mark. Chunks of neighborhoods could be cut off. Though not projected, if the river hits 51 feet, a majority of the downtown could be threatened, as thats the height of the flood wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sebastian herself spent 12 hours moving items up from her basement on Saturday, which was already starting to flood, to the main floor, on Saturday. That included moving a lot of heavy equipment. Its got a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen, then one room with a barber chair, some pinball machines, a slot machine thats full of stuff like that that is really heavy, Sebastian said. She said she could only do so with the help of her neighbors, a silver lining thats been evident through the tough circumstances circumstances made tougher by the passing Friday of Gabriel Andrews, a widely beloved nine-year-old caught in the floodwaters near his home. The Kentucky River floods in Frankfort, Ky., on Sunday, April 6, 2025. That is just hanging over everyone right now. Those of us who have had to move, that pales in comparison to what the family, the friends, the teachers, everyone who knew Gabe, has felt. Its unfathomable, its unimaginable, Sebastian said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Saturday evening, the National Weather Service forecast for Lexington called for a little more than two inches of rain through Sunday. Frankfort is expecting roughly the same amount. One of the most exhausting elements, Sebastian said, is the fact the river hit a historic high just two months ago. Her husband, who runs an excavation business along Old Lawrenceburg Road, has had to move equipment twice in that span. Well clean up and get everything back to normal so we can live in all of our house. Many of us have been through it before, but no one thought that this was going to happen again this year at all and this ones going to be worse than the last one that we just had, Sebastian said. Franklin County isnt the only place hit hard by the rain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Woodford County, officials have told residents to avoid using their dishwashers or washing machines, as the citys sewer system has reached full capacity and was overflowing. Planned power outages also are taking place in other parts of the county. Powell County has seen the Red River overwhelm much of Clay City and other parts of the county. About 20 roads have been closed there. Residents in Falmouth, in Pendleton County, just south of Cincinnati, have been forced to evacuate due to the rising Licking River. Everyone in the central and western Kentucky regions should be on alert, Bailey said. The big thing is this: Theres another two, in some cases three or four inches of rain tonight, which is just going to worsen the already major flooding thats underway. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) Officials in Franklin County and the City of Frankfort came together on Saturday to declare a joint state of emergency as the community braces for flood waters to continue rising. Right now, were in the safety phase where we want to make everybody aware and see whats going to happen. And then afterward, there will be a lot of work to come in the coming weeks to make sure that we get everybody back on their feet, said Blair Hecker, communications manager for the City of Frankfort. This flooding is not something were dealing with just right here downtown in the city. We are dealing with it across our entire community. Mandatory evacuation issued for northern Kentucky cities: Now is the time to leave Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the Kentucky River running through Franklin County, those in the area are no strangers to floods. The rivers water levels are expected to crest at 45 feet by Monday. This is familiar to many who were around the area nearly 30 years ago. Hecker said, This is projected to be the fourth highest historic flood and is on par with the flood of 1997. City officials took precautionary steps to help protect homes and businesses, like Rebecca Ruth Chocolates, that are located along the river by installing flood walls. Those are something Hecker (who lived in Frankfort at the time) said were not in place during the 1997 flood and could have been helpful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flood walls were also installed behind Rebecca Ruth Chocolates. Other riverside businesses also prepared for the flood. Bourbon on Main employees were seen moving their inventory up from the basement to higher ground. WesBanco Bank had workers pumping water out of its underground parking garage, trying to get ahead of the impending high water levels. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: For those in the area every day though, the outpouring of support is just one example of how this community that seems big on a map, comes together for each other when they need it the most. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You think Frankfort being the capital city of Kentucky, its just a small community, said Rebecca Ruth employee, Leslie Cheatham, Yes, granted, weve got state government that comes in during the day. But, you know, they go all go back to their homes or whatever. So, the community is more on the smaller side, and they do come together. Theres going to be a lot of cleanup, no doubt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Video note: Despite this articles time stamp, the above video is the latest forecast from The Weather Authority. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) Since Wednesday, April 2, Frankfort leaders said that the Franklin County area has received over six inches of rain, with that number expected to increase to nearly a foot by Monday. In a news release on Saturday, Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson announced that the Kentucky River is projected to rise to 45 feet by the time it crests on Monday, April 7, according to the National Weather Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That high of a crest would put it at the fourth-largest flooding event in the countys history, approximately 0.2 feet below the flood of 1997, Mayor Wilkersons office said. Kentucky officials fear deadly floods will linger as over 300 roads close Elkhorn Creek is also reportedly at a major flood stage after rising above 14 feet, city officials said. Stillhouse Hollow, Schoolhouse Road, North Scruggs Lane including Elkhorn Campground, Switzer, Indian Gap Road, and Jones Lane are all affected by creek flooding. In response to the flooding, the Frankfort floodwall was reportedly activated on Saturday, protecting the southern and downtown areas of the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Wilkerson and Franklin County Judge Executive Michael Mueller reportedly issued a joint emergency declaration on Saturday, granting more resources to help anyone impacted by the flood. The mayor and the judge executive met with city and county staff Saturday afternoon to prepare emergency action plans for the flooding event, per a news release. City and county emergency response crews and the Office of Emergency Management have been working diligently to keep our community safe and plan for the days ahead, Judge Executive Michael Mueller said. We ask that the public stay home if possible, and use caution in any flooded areas. We thank our first responders for all their hard work, and we continue to make the safety of our residents our top priority. What to do if you need weather-related, non-emergency help LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: According to a news release, Franklin County Emergency Management officials set up a hotline on Saturday for residents who need help during the flooding. If you have an emergency, dial 911, but if you need non-emergency weather-related help, officials asked that you call (501) 352-2252. Officials also asked residents to follow Ready Frankfort, Frankfort, KY City Government, and Franklin County Fiscal Court on social media and to download the Ready Frankfort App for alerts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remember to observe safety precautions during this weather event, Mayor Wilkersons office wrote. Utilize caution when you travel, and avoid flooded areas, especially for observation purposes. If you see water, remember to turn around, dont drown. Dont drive at night unless necessary, as flood waters are more difficult to see after dark. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Buildings housing the editorial offices of the state-owned International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine were severely damaged in a Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv on the night of 5-6 April. Source: Dim, a Ukrainian TV channel Details: The channels of this company are Freedom, Dim, UATVEnglish, The Gaze, UATVEspanol, UATVArabic, UATVPortugues, a digital editorial office and service offices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The staff members were not injured. The new newsroom for the Freedom TV channel has been destroyed by the Russian missile strike The top three floors of the business centre, which housed the foreign broadcasting channels, were destroyed. A crater was left near the building and the lower floors were also damaged, rendering them unusable. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The French far-right party of Marine Le Pen has called for a protest rally in Paris on Sunday after a court barred her from standing in France's next presidential election. The National Rally party expects between 8,000 and 10,000 participants, media reported, citing party officials. Two counter-demonstrations are also planned for Sunday. France's left-wing France Unbowed party and Greens have called for a protest against the far right at the central Place de la Republique square. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, supporters of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party plan to demonstrate outside a scheduled party meeting on the outskirts of the city. The police said they will be out in full force during the protests. On Monday, a court convicted Le Pen, her party and other party officials of embezzling EU funds. She was handed a partially suspended prison sentence and banned from running in elections for five years. While the prison sentence is suspended due to an appeal by Le Pen, the election ban takes effect immediately. The next presidential election is in 2027. Le Pen fears that even if she wins on appeal, a lengthy legal process could prevent her from standing in two years' time. The Paris Court of Appeal has however stated that it intends to rule by the middle of 2026. The National Rally protest is scheduled to begin at 3 pm (1300 GMT). The rightwing conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer has expressed interest in joining the Trump administration. Loomer took to X on Saturday to say, I really want to work for President Trump. There is honestly nothing I want more than that. Loomers comments come after Trump fired several members of the National Security Council following a meeting with the conspiracy theorist during which she pressed the president to remove those she deemed disloyal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The director of the U.S. National Security Agency, Gen. Timothy Haugh, who also heads the US Cyber Command, was dismissed on Thursday with NSA deputy director Wendy Noble. Donald Trump and Laura Loomer pose at an LIV golf event in August 2023 (Laura Loomer / X) Following the news, Loomer posted on X: NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired. Democrats voiced alarm over the firing of the cyber professional, who has more than 30 years of military service. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said: At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyberthreats... how does firing him make Americans any safer? The New York Times initially reported that Loomer met with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and others in the Oval Office on Wednesday. She came with research she thought was to the detriment of several of the staffers. During the meeting, she pushed Trump to fire several members that she felt were disloyal to the president, condemning two members in front of their boss, Mike Waltz, The Times noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, in a lengthy post on X, Loomer said she woke up this morning to learn that there are still people in and around the West Wing who are LEAKING to the hostile, left-wing media about President Trumps *confidential* and *private* meetings in the Oval Office. Im going to decline [to divulge] any details about my Oval Office meeting with President Trump, she added. It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings. I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of STRONG VETTING, for the sake of protecting the President of the United States of America, and our national security. Following the Signalgate scandal, Loomer claimed on social media that Waltz had been set up to embarrass the Trump administration by insufficiently vetted hires who are secretly working against Trump and his agenda. Loomer met with Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday and encouraged him to fire high-ranking national security staff members she deemed disloyal (Getty Images) In response, Trump admitted meeting with Loomer, calling her a patriot and a good person, but playing down her influence in his decision to fire the national security staff members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told reporters he had listened to her, like I do with everybody. I listen to everybody and then I make a decision. And he said of the firings: "Always we'll let go of people people that we don't like or people that we don't think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else. Loomer denied that a power struggle was going on between her and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, calling it fake news. I have nothing but respect for @SusieWiles and I get along with her great. I always have. I like Susie very much, Loomer said on X on Saturday afternoon. There is no power struggle. I dont even work for the administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Susie Wiles is doing a great job as Chief of Staff to President Trump, she did a great job on the campaign, and I hope I get the opportunity to work alongside her someday. I admire Susie, she added. Loomer raised eyebrows when it was discovered she was traveling with Trump during the 2024 election campaign (REUTERS) Loomer, who says shes an investigative journalist, rose to fame during the first Trump administration when she filmed herself yelling at top Democrats. She has shared the baseless claims that the 9/11 terror attacks were an inside job and that Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, lied about having breast cancer. There was shock among some Trump supporters during the 2024 campaign when it emerged that she was accompanying the Republican candidate on his plane. Given her publicly-expressed views on 9/11, she raised eyebrows by joining Trump at a memorial event for the terrorist attacks in New York. Rep. Natasha Hill, D-Spokane, speaks to Austin Jenkins during a TVW interview. (Photo courtesy of TVW) This article was first published by TVW. Two new eastern Washington lawmakers from opposite sides of the political aisle paused just before the Legislature turned its attention to hammering out a budget to reflect on their first term. They told Inside Olympia host Austin Jenkins that it has been a whirlwind of learning, pressure, and unexpected appreciation for the work under the Capitol dome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Natasha Hill, D-Spokane, and Rep. Brian Burnett, R-Wenatchee, bring vastly different life experiences to Olympia, but both describe their early days in office with humility and intensity. Its not like anything that Ive ever experienced before, Hill said. Youre really just getting your feet wet, learning from the folks around you, and learning as you go. Hill, an attorney and longtime advocate for equity in eastern Washington, said entering the Legislature during a time of fiscal crisis added weight to her role. Its been a very ominous experience, honestly. We know things are not good, she said. Coming in, it didnt feel good at all. It felt like were not gonna be able to get anything new done, especially as a new member. Despite the challenges, Hill said shes encouraged by the opportunity to serve and emphasized the importance of public input. I didnt realize how important it was people to share their stories, to sign in pro and con on bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Burnett, a former Chelan County sheriff with 23 years in law enforcement, the shift from executive leadership to being one of 98 House members was jarring but ultimately rewarding. The first three, four weeks was just unbelievably [like] drinking from a firehose, he said. Burnett, who serves on committees including Community Safety and Appropriations, said hes found purpose and a sense of community despite a steep learning curve. Oh my goodness, I absolutely could say that I think I really love it. I can see that I fit in here, and I think I have something to provide, both legislatively, across both aisles. Burnett remains humble about what lies ahead. I feel like Im barely scratching the surface of what I have to learn, he said. You eat humble pie, and you learn from other people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both lawmakers said they hope to continue building relationships and delivering results as their first term unfolds. This article was first published by TVW, Washingtons Public Affairs Network, providing unedited coverage of the state legislature and state government, on statewide cable TV and online at tvw.org. It also produces original interview shows, including Inside Olympia and The Impact. A media nonprofit, it exists to give Washingtonians access to their state government, increase civic access and engagement, and foster an informed citizenry. Friedrich Merz is racing to strike a migration deal with the Social Democrats ahead of a looming Easter deadline to form a government. The incoming German chancellors Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party has held several rounds of coalition talks with the SPD since he comfortably won last Februarys elections but they remain in deadlock over the vexed issue of migration. On the campaign trail, the CDU vowed to take drastic action against mass migration including, turning away asylum seekers en masse at Germanys land borders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But CDU negotiators are facing pressure from the centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD) to water down those measures, amid concerns that they would be a clear breach of EU migration law. At the same time, Mr Merz is rumoured to be holding secret talks with Germanys EU neighbours to coordinate his migration plan, which would require them to take back asylum seekers. More security measures To make matters more tense, Mr Merz is negotiating against the clock, having set himself a deadline of forming a government by Easter. European leaders, meanwhile, are desperate for the incoming chancellor join their united front against the aggression of Russia and the economic threat increasingly coming from the United States. Germany under Mr Merz has already introduced historic reforms which unlock potentially unlimited defence spending for projects, before he has even sworn in a government. But EU leaders are eager to see even more security measures from him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sources in the Bundestag, the German parliament, have suggested to The Telegraph that he is likely to miss that deadline due to disagreements over migration, among other areas. They predicted he would instead secure a coalition deal in early May. German political experts suspect the bold pledge to turn away asylum seekers on a large scale at all German borders will have to be watered down in order to get the negotiations with the SPD over the line. Credit: Social Media One possible compromise, they suggest, could be fast-tracking the process of sending asylum seekers back into a neighbouring country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jens Spahn, a senior CDU MP, has insisted that German leaders will not make ourselves dependent on other countries and says they do not need approval from a neighbouring country, such as Austria, before rejecting an asylum seeker at that border. However, the SPD is reportedly insisting that the border rejections are only carried out with the consent of Germanys neighbours, which would be extremely difficult to secure by the deadline of Easter, just two weeks away. Austria has already flatly rejected Mr Merzs plan, adding to the uncertainty about whether it will be passed into law once the next German coalition government is sworn in. Basically incompatible with EU law Switzerland has also denied reports that it held talks with Mr Merz on the rejection of asylum seekers at land borders, casting further doubts on whether EU member states would cooperate with the next German government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raphael Bossong, a senior analyst at the German policy institute SWP, said the pledge to turn away asylum seekers en masse was basically incompatible with EU law, unless Germany declared a state of emergency on migration, which is an unlikely prospect. To cut a long story short, you would need agreement from neighbouring European countries [to send back migrants] and even then its not going to be instant returns its more likely to be fast-tracking the process of sending people back to the neighbouring country, he added. A potential compromise could be the CDU and SPD agreeing to fast-track returns of asylum seekers at one or two of Germanys nine land borders, he said. He also stressed that the conservatives have bigger issues on their hands now, referring to the crisis over the United States imposing sweeping tariffs on Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recent figures have shown that asylum applications to Germany actually decreased in 2024 by around 30 per cent - a result of tough border measures already introduced by Olaf Scholzs outgoing coalition. But the push to toughen German border security follows an unprecedented election result for the anti-migrant, far-Right Alternative for Germany [AfD] party, which came second place in Februarys elections and is now the de facto opposition. Free itself from old ways of thinking The campaign was also roiled by a string of terror attacks committed by foreigners, including asylum seekers, just before the polls opened. The timing of the attacks has led German authorities to suspect a possible attempt by Russia to influence the election in the AfDs favour, as revealed by the Telegraph last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Merz is not just facing pressure from voters and the AfD for major reform: this week, the head of Germanys migration office, Hans-Eckhard Sommer, said the country needed to free itself from old ways of thinking. In a highly unusual intervention, the senior civil servant said that Germany should no longer allow asylum seekers to enter the country by land, and instead they should only fly in. Our cynical asylum system does not permit restrictions on migration and it invites outright misuse, said Mr Sommer, who insisted he was speaking in a personal capacity. His remarks caused controversy in Germany as Mr Sommer is a public official, though the CDU backed them as a valuable intervention in the debate. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. J.P. Morgan analyst Zach Parham shared his view on Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) ahead of the earnings release on May 1st. The analyst maintained a Neutral rating on the stock with a price forecast of $24 after updating for first-quarter commodity prices. Parham writes that Magnolia Oil & Gas remains on track with its 2-rig/1-frac crew program and is committed to keeping capex below 55% of EBITDA. Despite commodity price volatility, the analyst expects capital expenditure to stay under 50% of EBITDA due to MGYs natural gas exposure. Also, Parham sees positive productivity trends in Giddings and Karnes wells, which could provide a modest production upside to his production estimates. For FY25, the analyst estimates total volumes of 96.1 MBoe/d (+7% YoY) and oil volumes of 39.4 MBo/d (+3% YoY), aligning with company guidance. Also, Parham sees FY25 capex of $478 million (in line with consensus) and FCF of $458 million. Meanwhile, for the first quarter, the analyst expects cash flow per share (CFPS) to be $1.20 and EBITDA to be $251 million (3% above the estimates at $244 million). The analyst projects first-quarter oil production of 39.0 MBo/d and total production of 94.0 MBoe/d (both on top of consensus). Moreover, Parham sees a cash return of $77 million for the quarter, including a dividend per share of $0.15 and a share buyback of $48 million. Price Action: MGY shares are down 10.9% at $20.94 at the last check Friday. Read Next: Photo via Shutterstock. Latest Ratings for MGY Date Firm Action From To Mar 2022 Keybanc Maintains Overweight Mar 2022 Keybanc Maintains Overweight Jan 2022 Keybanc Maintains Overweight View More Analyst Ratings for MGY View the Latest Analyst Ratings UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article What To Expect From Magnolia Oil & Gas Q1 Earnings In Volatile Commodity Environment? originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) The 26-year-old man who was killed while riding his motorcycle in Fond du Lac on March 28 is being honored by his friends, who are also raising money to cover expenses. Eli Sowin was riding his motorcycle on March 28 when a vehicle struck him, resulting in life-threatening injuries, which he unfortunately succumbed to at St. Agnes Hospital that night. The driver who hit him faces charges for allegedly causing the crash on purpose. Jackson Elementary hosts Quilting Blessing & Celebration, sewing life skills through quilting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, Elis friends hosted a car and bike meet in memory of him from 1 to 8 p.m. along Howard Litscher Drive in Fond du Lac, paying homage to their late friend. In addition, the group sold memorial stickers, with proceeds going to help the family with expenses. Elis friends Kierra Ramthun and Emilie Campagna were among the leaders of planning the event, and said the idea for the meet came from Elis love of cars and bikes. Hes had so many, Emilie said. Eli is the kindest person youve ever met, and brightest soul. Hed sell a car part and make a friend. Countless people and groups showed up to pay their respect and show their appreciation for the late Eli Sowin, as he made an impact on the community he lived in. Hailing from Eden, many knew him through his part in the car and bike community. Posters with Photos of Eli and friends/family Posters with Photos of Eli and friends/family If you were having the worst day ever, he would just give you the best advice and smile and youd no longer be sad, Kierra said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amidst an unimaginable tragedy, Eli Sowins friends and people from all over Wisconsin spent their Saturday keeping his memory alive by paying homage and celebrating his life. This event is overwhelming with joy; his family is so overwhelmed because they see how much people loved Eli and what he meant, Emilie said. Kierra and Emilie said they originally got 50 brats, 50 burgers and a bunch of chips to plan, but when they posted it on Facebook, they realized they needed to get more stuff. Fortunately, multiple businesses helped pitch in, from Johnsonville to Red Bull and some trucking companies. People were reaching out left and right asking, how can we help, what can we bring, what can we do?' Emilie said. This is so much bigger than we expected, were appreciative of everybody who has shown up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boy in Wisconsin recognized by police for heroic efforts, protected brother from severe injury Emilie added that people from all over Wisconsin showed up, from Green Bay to Milwaukee, to even a friend of Elis from Texas who flew in. Its exactly what Eli and his family would have wanted, both Emilie and Kierra said. He wanted everybody to come together and enjoy each others company and time, Kierra said. Hes up there smiling ear to ear. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Frisco police are investigating a series of fake social media posts made this week after the killing of a 17-year-old student at a track meet, Police Chief David Shilson said. One post shared by a Facebook account using Shilsons name stated that the killing was not unprovoked, and that the homicide victim, Austin Metcalf, initiated the confrontation, according to a copy of the post. Frisco police responded to the post in a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post is NOT from an official source and may contain information that is false or misleading, officials said. Rely only on FPDs verified social media accounts. An image of a false autopsy report from the Collin County Medical Examiners Office was also circulating online, Frisco police said in a post on X. At this time, the report has NOT been released, the statement reads. Therefore, any information currently found online is FALSE. More top stories from our newsroom: Family faces legal fight over services for daughter with Down syndrome Blue Cross Blue Shield drops coverage at North Texas hospitals Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman attacked, killed outside Arlington apartment [Get our breaking news alerts.] Frisco police are investigating and will pursue criminal charges against anyone who made the social media posts, Shilson said in a statement. The offense is a third-degree felony. I ask everyone to be cautious of the inaccurate information that is circulating related to this incident, and to only trust information that comes from official releases and verified sources, Shilson said. Beware of those taking to social media to deliberately spread misinformation, hate, fear and division. Karmelo Anthony, 17, has been arrested on a murder charge in the case and is being held in the Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond, the Star-Telegram reported. Anthony told police that he stabbed Metcalf in an act of self-defense after Metcalf put his hands on me, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. GALLUP, N.M. (KRQE) A former Gallup firefighter who was arrested for downloading child pornography will be behind bars after taking a plea deal. Andres Garcia was arrested last year after police said he was found to have downloaded the content while at his workplace. Gallup High School student accused of bringing gun on campus The Gallup sheriff confirmed at the time, only authorized employees could use the fire departments wifi. Garcia took a plea deal in October, pleading no contest to possession of a visual medium of child sexual exploitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February, he was sentenced to three years in the department of corrections and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Concentration camp survivors were joined by several hundred people on Sunday in commemorating the liberation of Nazi Germany's Buchenwald concentration camp 80 years ago. At the tribute to Holocaust victims, the use of the word "genocide" to describe the Israeli military's conduct in Gaza sparked a backlash from some in attendance. When a young participant spoke in English of a genocide in Palestine, boos could be heard from the crowd and the memorial's director stepped in to criticize the speaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historian and memorial foundation director Jens-Christian Wagner said it was necessary to be able to also mourn the innocents killed in Gaza, but to describe the war as a "genocide" - especially in a place like Buchenwald - was not appropriate. The killings of more than 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to figures from Hamas-led health workers, have prompted genocide accusations from rights bodies like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the UN's Special Committee. Israel denies the accusations and says it is targeting Hamas fighters in response to their October 7 attacks in Israel which killed 1,200 people. Divisions over the war in Gaza, which are strongly felt across Germany, were also present in the run-up to the memorial events, after a conflict between the Israeli Embassy and the foundation behind the memorial had become apparent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The foundation had cancelled a planned speech by philosopher Omri Boehm from the memorial programme and announced that Boehm would be invited another time. Boehm, the German-Israeli grandson of a Holocaust survivor, had in the past been critical of the Israeli memorial Yad Vashem and of Israeli politics. The Israeli Embassy in Berlin had written on Facebook that it was outrageous and a "blatant insult to the memory of the victims" to invite Boehm, whom the embassy accused of relativising the Holocaust. Foundation director Wagner had explained that by postponing Boehm's speech, he wanted to prevent the survivors from being drawn further into the conflict. The survivors should be the focus, not the debate about the speech, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starting in the summer of 1937, the Nazis deported more than 280,000 people to the Buchenwald concentration camp near the central German city of Weimar and its 139 subcamps. Some 56,000 people were murdered or died of hunger, disease, forced labour or medical experiments before the camps were liberated in April 1945. Ex-president hits out at German right Former German president Christian Wulff drew a comparison between the Nazis and today's right-wing radicalism. "Based on the coarsening and radicalization, and a global shift to the right, I can now and this makes me uneasy imagine more clearly how this could happen at the time," he said, referring to Germany's Nazi past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wulff called for active engagement in favour of democracy. The current generation bore permanent responsibility for ensuring that evil should never again be victorious, he said. The former president expressed direct criticism of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the far-right party that came second in recent elections and continues to surge in opinion polls. "Those who play down the AfD are ignoring the fact that the AfD is preparing the ground through its ideology for people in Germany to feel uncertain and are in fact concretely in danger," he said. Survivors of the camp were invited to attend the service at the Weimarhalle, along with relatives and descendants. In the afternoon, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the former roll call square of the camp. Appeal from survivor: 'Stay human' Naftali Furst, a 92-year-old survivor of the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps, spoke at the memorial events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his speech, delivered in Hebrew, he described a daily image that had been etched in his mind from his time at the Buchenwald concentration camp: prisoners pushing carts loaded with corpses collected from the barracks to the crematorium. "There are only a few of us left, and soon we will finally pass the baton of remembrance on to you, and with that we are giving you a historic responsibility," he said. Furst, who was still a child when imprisoned in the camps, appealed to the audience: "Stay human each and every one of you." When US troops reached Buchenwald on April 11, 1945, Nazi commanders and guards had already fled and armed resistance groups made up of prisoners had taken control. Some 21,000 prisoners were freed, including more than 900 children and adolescents. Just a short time before, the SS paramilitary force had forced tens of thousands of prisoners to go on so-called death marches. Three bodies have been found in the German village of Weitefeld some 60 kilometres east of Bonn, with a crime suspected as the cause, police told dpa on Sunday. Police urged motorists not to pick up any hitchhikers in the region as they conducted a search for possible perpetrators. A large number of officers were called to the scene. A dpa correspondent reported that special tactical police units with firearms and protective gear had been deployed to cordon off the area, and all cars travelling into and out of the area were being checked. A helicopter was also being sent. Police said there was no immediate threat to residents. A police spokesman declined to provide any further details beyond saying that a crime in the early hours of Sunday morning was suspected. By Tassilo Hummel COGNAC, France - Christophe Fillioux's family estate in the cognac region of southwest France has survived for five generations, through wars and financial crises. Now, though, he has started to tear up some of his vineyards by the roots. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision this week to slap 20% tariffs on all European goods is deepening the pain for France's nearly $3 billion cognac industry, which was already being buffeted by global trade tensions. In October, the region's 4,000 growers were targeted by Beijing with tariffs following the European Union's levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Since then, cognac sales to China, its second-largest market by volume, have plunged by more than half. With the U.S. - the world's top cognac consumer - accounting for one out of every two bottles sold, Trump's tariffs have left many growers apprehensive. Fillioux, the 45-year-old owner and master blender of the Jean Fillioux cognac house, founded in 1894 by his great-great-great grandfather, had already torn out half a hectare of old vineyards. He plans to uproot another hectare-and-a-half next year as part of an industry-wide plan to help growers through the crisis. "The situation is very hard to navigate. We've got a huge visibility problem," Fillioux said, standing in a vineyard planted by his father in 1980 - the year he was born. Worse may be to come. Trump has threatened 200% tariffs on European wine and spirits if Europe hits US bourbon with additional duties. Cognac exports to the U.S. last year roughly amounted to 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion). And the U.S is also France's top export market for wine: sales rose 8% last year to $2.3 billion last year, according to the Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters, partly as buyers stocked up in anticipation of Trump's policies. Fillioux's estate is working with its distribution partners to try to develop new markets in countries including Thailand, Vietnam, and Nigeria. But he counts himself more fortunate than some other producers: he has little debt and owns his brand, making him less reliant on contracts with big houses such as LVMH-owned Hennessy, the largest cognac maker. "Problems are part of a vintner's life, with all the good and bad surprises", he said. GLOBAL SLOWDOWN Even before the trade tensions with China and the United States - which comprise well over three-quarters of cognac revenues - cognac sales had been falling over the last two years due to a global slowdown in luxury spending. Three bodies have been found in the German village of Weitefeld some 60 kilometres east of Bonn, with a crime suspected as the cause, police told dpa on Sunday. Police urged motorists not to pick up any hitchhikers in the region as they conducted a search for possible perpetrators. A large number of officers were called to the scene. A police spokesman declined to provide any further details beyond saying that a crime in the early hours of Sunday morning was suspected. German public sector workers and employers in the federal and local governments have struck a deal following mediation, dpa learnt on Sunday from sources close to the negotiations. Details were not revealed. The two sides meeting in Potsdam near Berlin in their fourth round of talks were considering a compromise proposal on a pay rise in two stages: by 3% from April 1 this year, with at least 110 ($121) per month increase, and a further 2.8% from May 1 next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The compromise deal was to run for 27 months and to include more flexible working hours, larger shift allowances and other details. While the outlines had been clear beforehand, the fourth round focused on the details, with one point of conflict being a proposal to increase working hours to 42 hours per week on a voluntary basis. Workers feared they could be pressured into this arrangement. The negotiations involve 2.5 million workers in key areas, such as child daycare centres, refuse collection, commuter services and airports. Repeated brief strikes were called from January by the Verdi and dbb unions. Talks broke down after the third round in mid-March, when mediation was called in while strike action was suspended. A German steakhouse heiress has been accused of hiring Israeli spies to kidnap her children from their father in Denmark, in a long-running custody battle. Christina Block, heiress of the Block House steak chain, which has 53 restaurants across Europe, hired Cyber Cupula, a private security firm run by former Israeli soldier David Barkay and around 20 others, to snatch her two children on New Years Eve 2023 from the Danish town of Grasten, Die Zeit reported. It followed a bitter legal battle between Ms Block and Stephan Hensel, the childrens father, sparked by their refusal to return to their mother during a visit to their father in Denmark. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple had agreed that the four children would live with their mother and see their father every other weekend. But that arrangement began to unravel, with the two younger children telling a judge their mother was violent towards them and expressing a wish to live with their father. The court initially ruled against Ms Block, but was overruled by an appeal court. During a visit to Denmark in 2021, the children refused to return to their mother in Germany, Mr Hensel said. They again claimed that Ms Block had been violent towards them, which she denies. Abducted during fireworks display Citing thousands of pages of court documents, the newspaper reported that the children were abducted during a fireworks display after a long operation that involved the security company following the Hensels. A company log lists 300 hours of work between Sept 22 2021 and Oct 2 2021 totalling 40,000, Die Zeit reported, with Ms Block invoicing a total of 1.4 million on the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Hensel was knocked down by masked men during the display and the children bundled into a car and transported to the border. From there they were transferred into a van and taken to a farm in southern Germany owned by the security company and later handed over to Ms Block. The plan was hatched with the involvement of Ms Blocks new German partner, Gerhard Delling, a former TV presenter, and several former members of Hamburgs elite criminal police, the court heard. Shortly after their kidnapping, the children were sent back to their father at the order of a Hamburg court. The German newspaper Bild reports that the Hensel family now live under false names in Denmark and are said to have moved several times for fear of another kidnapping. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A memorial service is to be held on Sunday to commemorate the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp near the central German city of Weimar 80 years ago. The Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation expects some 10 survivors to attend the service at the Weimarhalle. Relatives and descendants have also been invited. Former German president Christian Wulff is expected to give a speech. In the afternoon, a wreath-laying ceremony is planned at the former roll call square of the camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the memorial sites, Naftali Furst, the president of the International Committee of Buchenwald-Dora and Commandos, is also set to speak at the memorial. Furst, 92, survived the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps as a child. In the run-up to the memorial service, a dispute came to light between the memorial site and the Israeli embassy over a planned speech by a philosopher who is viewed critically by the embassy. Starting in the summer of 1937, the Nazis deported more than 280,000 people to the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar and its 139 subcamps. Some 56,000 people were murdered or died of hunger, disease, forced labour or medical experiments. (KRON) The Gilroy Police Department warns residents of the consequences of participating in sideshows. The department said they recently responded to a sideshow in an undisclosed parking lot. Police said a truck was seized and impounded for 30 days, which can cost around $3,000, according to Gilroy PD. Loaded gun found in convicted felons car: PD The department said as a result of participating in a sideshow, the driver could face up to 90 days in jail, an additional $1,000 fine and two points on their driving record. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reckless driving results in serious consequences. Its not worth it, the department posted on its social media. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. The girlfriend of the Elyria man who escaped police in handcuffs in February was taken into custody Thursday morning, according to our news partner WOIO in Cleveland. Donte Parker, 23, was last seen running from police in handcuffs outside an apartment building in the 200 block of Washington Ave. just before 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, WOIO says. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Parkers girlfriend, 20-year-old Petra Pintar, was reported missing by family members on Feb. 11. She was last seen Feb. 3, according to WOIO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 16, authorities in Michigan announced they believed Parker and Pintar were in Genesee County. Pintar arrived voluntarily at the Elyria Police Department Thursday morning. Detectives confirmed she was unharmed, WOIO says. TRENDING STORIES: Due to her outstanding warrants from other agencies, she was taken into custody and transferred to the custody of the Lorain Police Department, according to WOIO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elyria Police told WOIO the circumstances of Pintars disappearance are still under investigation. Parker remains at large, according to WOIO. According to WOIO, officers responded to the apartment for a welfare check on Feb. 3 and found Parker hiding inside the apartment. Parker had several outstanding felony warrants for his arrest and was also in possession of a firearm, so he was placed in custody, WOIO says. Parker escaped from officers as he was led outside the building, according to WOIO. Multiple officers on foot, with drones, and K-9 units searched the area for several days, WOIO says. Parker is considered armed and dangerous by authorities, according to WOIO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information on Parkers whereabouts is urged to contact the Elyria Police Department at (440) 323-3302 or the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A Goodlettsville man died in a single-vehicle crash on Murfreesboro Pike early Sunday morning. A Metro Nashville Police Department news release identifies the crash victim as Cordae Robison, 24, of Goodlettsville. The crash occurred at 2 a.m. on Murfreesboro Pike at the intersection of Una Antioch Pike. According to the release, a preliminary investigation shows that Robison was driving a 2014 Nissan Maxima west on Murfreesboro Pike when he lost control of the car in the intersection and struck a utility pole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release says that according to witnesses, Robison was traveling at a very high rate of speed prior to the crash. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died. There was no evidence of drug or alcohol involvement at the scene, according to the release. Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Goodlettsville's Cordae Robison dies in single-vehicle crash Sunday When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Jerry Hildenbrand / Android Central It looks like Google is doing it again, and of course, it's all about AI. The company's Google Cloud hosting program is reportedly facilitating a hare-brained scheme to use AI to catch "mules" and smugglers on the southern U.S. border. While Google's own AI services aren't being used, it's right in the thick of things where all the money is. Advertisement Advertisement Google should know better. Android & Chill Android Central mascot One of the web's longest-running tech columns, Android & Chill is your Saturday discussion of Android, Google, and all things tech. What's going on here? Credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central I'll start with a short explainer for people who aren't in the U.S. and might wonder what all this fuss is about. People coming illegally into the U.S. across the southern border is one of the most polarizing issues in the United States. Half the country hates it, and half of those people hate even the legal immigration of people from another culture. The other half knows it's a problem but hates the first half of the people enough to pretend it's not. Yeah, it's stupid, but it is what it is. Advertisement Advertisement With that out of the way, here's what's happening and how Google is reportedly involved. According to The Intercept, U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to revamp some old surveillance towers around Tucson, Arizona. They want to install equipment that will use AI to identify every person and vehicle that approaches the border. That's OK, and even my cheap-ass Nest camera can do it. But there's always a but they want to use IBM's Maximo inspection software, which is usually put in factory machines to do quality control inspections, to ferret out people with backpacks or otherwise look like they want to do some crimes or something. Google (and Amazon, of course) is allegedly facilitating this by providing hosting services for data streams and tools to train AI. There is surely a lot of money involved, and Google is thirsty for it. A few years ago, Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO, said the company wasn't going to do anything to help create a "virtual border wall," but that was then, and this is now. Android Central has reached out to Google for a comment on its involvement with the project and will update this article when we hear back. Advertisement Advertisement But let's be clear: Google is not providing any of its own AI tools to make any of this happen, so even if it is involved, it's not directly being evil. It's just profiting from it. Google knows better Credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central You might be asking, "Jerry, why is protecting the border something evil?" It's not. It's 100% definitely not evil in any way, shape, or form. A country needs to be able to control how people come in and out and what they carry through. I'm not part of the half who hate the other half enough to hide my head in the sand. But there is a right way and a wrong way. First, you can't dehumanize people who just want a better life. This is the biggest point of contention among the U.S. populace, and you have to admit the current political administration has said and done some pretty dehumanizing things. Doing anything to help here is a bad PR move for any company, let alone one the size of Google. The optics of this are terrible, and most of the people working for Google and using its products aren't going to like it. Best of all, internet tech websites will make sure everyone knows about it; it's what we do best. It's probably not going to work, because AI The other issue is that Google knows this isn't going to work but is probably still salivating to get involved and collect a huge amount of taxpayer money for hosting services. Sure, it doesn't have to be responsible for the problems and directly do evil shit, but it gets to sit back and watch, pass Go, and collect their money. Advertisement Advertisement AI can be trained to find people wearing backpacks. That's probably simple to do; tedious and time-consuming, but training an AI for this is possible right now. Then what? Credit: Future You aren't naive enough to think some bad stuff isn't going to happen to anyone targeted by an AI super-robo-border-camera. Google definitely isn't. Google uses AI to monitor YouTube (along with other things), and even that is a bona fide mess that Google can't control. If AI can't learn to spot what is copyright protected and what isn't, it's not good enough to do anything to a human being. The best thing that could happen is that a truck filled with real human agents intercept the target. I won't speculate on the worst-case scenario. Still, bad guy will be caught. Innocent people will also be caught. I wouldn't go hunting or backpacking around Tucson if I were you. Advertisement Advertisement Assuming Google really is involved, it isn't really in the wrong and is simply fulfilling another government cloud hosting contract. It's just one that's tied to a deeply politically dividing issue, and the company should know better. It would be the same if Google were to develop an online repository to help register and track every gun in America: half the country would go crazy, and the other half would say it's great. It's not great it's stupid, and there are plenty of different ways to get that government money. Republicans are growing anxious about an emerging Texas primary engulfing one of their longest-serving senators, fearful that a hugely expensive intraparty feud will have major ramifications across the map in next years midterms. And they want President Donald Trump to stop it. Behind the scenes, Senate GOP leaders have personally asked Trump to back Sen. John Cornyn, who has occupied his seat for more than two decades and narrowly lost his bid to become Senate majority leader last fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, is sending loud signals that he plans to enter the race, endearing himself to MAGA loyalists who want Trump to back the controversial firebrand. Adding to Cornyns challenges: Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt is now also making moves to enter the GOP primary and has privately contended to White House political advisers that hes the only one who can win both a primary and a general election, according to a person involved in the discussion. All that has added up to one overriding fear: that a Texas Senate GOP primary could end up costing their party at least $100 million, siphoning money from other critical battlegrounds, according to several Senate GOP sources. Plus, they worry that a wounded GOP nominee could end up giving Democrats a chance in what would otherwise be a long-shot pickup opportunity as former Rep. Colin Allred weighs another Senate run. Top Hill Republicans hope Trump can help clear the field with a Cornyn endorsement. Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed to CNN that hes spoken to Trump about it in recent weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im hoping that in the end, he can, Thune said when asked about Trump supporting Cornyn. Obviously were supporting Sen. Cornyn. Hes done a great job for Texas and for the country. And we need him back. Exposing a GOP divide The battle puts Trump at the center of the simmering feud between the partys insurgent and establishment wings that has dominated GOP primary politics since the 2010 midterms, forcing him to pick sides and risk angering some of his most loyal supporters. Cornyn, 73, a longtime fixture in Texas politics with deep ties to the business and donor community, has taken steps to try to align himself closely with the president, including a launch video featuring footage of Trump praising him from 2019 and even posting a photo on X of him reading The Art of the Deal. In an interview last week, the Texas senator told CNN he is prepared for a primary fight, but he would not comment on Paxton or Hunt until they formally enter the race. (He said he would speak endlessly about Paxton if he jumps into the race.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked about Trump, Cornyn said he speaks to the president regularly and believes he will make an endorsement when hes ready. I have a very good relationship; look forward to supporting him and his agenda as I always have, Cornyn said of Trump. Asked whether the presidents backing could make a difference in the race, Cornyn said: I think his endorsement would be important, yeah. But both Paxton and Hunt have tried to show daylight between Cornyn and Trump. In perhaps the clearest sign of his intentions to run against Cornyn, Hunt argued the senior senator was ready to move on from Trump after the 2020 elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, hes scrambling to rewrite history hoping voters will forget he ever turned his back on the very movement that built our momentum and delivered the majority for Republicans, specifically the Senate, Hunt, a hard-right Republican and combat veteran, told CNN. The United States Senate is not a retirement community. Its a battleground for the soul of this nation, said Hunt, 43, who won his Houston-area House seat in 2022. And in times like these, President Trump doesnt need fence sitters he needs warriors. Rep. Wesley Hunt at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images And Hunt is now benefiting from a seven-figure ad buy from an outside group looking to bolster his name ID across the state, something that will be critical given how infrequently House candidates win statewide in Texas. Behind the scenes, multiple conservatives are making the case to Trumps political team to ditch the long-serving senator some equipped with private polling showing Cornyn losing in a primary, according to three people familiar with the outreach. They argue Cornyn has lost the GOP base in recent years, after voting with most Republicans and all Democrats to certify Joe Bidens election win and partnering with Democrats to pass a major gun safety bill, a move that came in the wake of the Uvalde school massacre in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are high-level people who are behind Paxton in a way theyre generally not in primary challenges, said one Senate GOP operative. But this person also outlined a scenario that is worrying national leaders, describing Paxton as a very rough general election candidate in what looks like could be a bad cycle. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on February 23, 2024, in National Harbor, Maryland. - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images After previously criticizing Trump over the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, Cornyn worked through the last election cycle to rebuild his ties with the president, appearing with him at a campaign event in Nevada and waiting on the tarmac last October when the president arrived in Austin for a podcast interview with Joe Rogan. Cornyn often points to his work as the Republican whip during Trumps first term to help usher through the 2017 tax law and many of his nominees, including to the Supreme Court, and boasts of voting with Trump more than 90% of the time in his first term. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and his team have made this case to White House officials, according to a person familiar with the discussion. And Scott has made clear to Hunt that they are fully behind Cornyn as their nominee when the pair met in recent weeks, according to two people briefed on that meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal: curtail GOP primaries and focus the partys limited resources on critical pickup opportunities such as Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire while defending Republican seats in places like Maine and North Carolina. We worked hard to try to clear primaries to try to minimize the amount of money spent in Republican primaries, and that strategy proved effective and allowed us to pick up the United States Senate in the last cycle, Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, who led the NRSC in the 2024 cycle, told CNN last week. So any time we can try to minimize the impact of a primary like in Texas, thats going to help us win the general election. Cornyn, for his part, recently told CNN he can defeat any possible challengers: Theres a reason why Ive won 19 contested elections: Always be prepared. Allred prepares for a run as hardliners woo Paxton Democrats, meanwhile, are salivating at the idea of running against Paxton, who is a lightning-rod figure in Texas. Paxton, 62, was nearly removed from office by fellow Texas Republicans less than a year ago amid a long-running federal corruption probe. (Those charges were dropped by the Biden administration in its final weeks in office, and Paxton has denied wrongdoing.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the cloud of allegations will undoubtedly give Paxtons opponents ample fodder in a Senate campaign, according to GOP and Democratic operatives. Allred, a former congressman who lost by 8 points to GOP Sen. Ted Cruz last year, is seriously considering another run and will make a decision this summer, according to a person familiar with his thinking. In a recent memo obtained by CNN, the Texas Democratic Party praised Allreds race against Cruz, in which Allred overperformed the 2024 presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, in nearly every county, demographic and metric and did particularly well in the competitive turf along the Texas border that would be critical to a 2026 race. Rep. Colin Allred speaks during a campaign event October 3, 2024, in San Antonio. - Brandon Bell/Getty Images New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who leads the Senate Democrats campaign arm, said her party is building a blue wave because of anger toward Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A large blue wave can affect any state, she told CNN when asked last week about her partys chances to pick up the Texas seat. But many conservatives discount talk that Allred could win in a state that hasnt elected a Democrat statewide since 1994. And given that, they argue Texas should elect an unyielding conservative firebrand like Paxton, dismissing his political baggage. Indeed, as conservatives flocked to Washington in February for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, a small band of MAGA supporters arrived early to hear Trumps longtime political ally Caroline Wren talk about the rights potential 2026 primary targets. In her view, moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins wasnt a worthy target because of Maines blue tilt: Lets just leave her alone. Dont waste your time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then she turned to Texas. But how about John Cornyn in Texas? Hes up. Who would like to see a Sen. Ken Paxton? she said as the crowd cheered. Texas GOP, Cruz silent on Cornyn Its that burst of right-wing enthusiasm that has put Republicans on Capitol Hill in an awkward spot when asked about Cornyns reelection bid. A number of Republicans in the delegation refuse to say whether they will back Cornyn, with some clearly waiting for Trump to tip his hand and others unsure how the primary fight will shape up. Im gonna stay out of that minefield, Rep. Keith Self, a Texas GOP member of the House Freedom Caucus, told CNN. Cruz has been noticeably silent even though Cornyn raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Cruzs reelection bid last year. Cruzs initial silence is reminiscent of Cornyns 2014 reelection, when the senior senator faced a tea party-inspired challenger whom he vanquished in the primary. Cruz stayed neutral in the primary before backing Cornyn in the 2014 general election. Twice in recent weeks, Cruz refused to respond when asked whether hed back Cornyn. Asked by CNN last week whether he would endorse Cornyn, Cruz said: Call the press office. And then he let the elevator doors close when asked whether he had spoken to Paxton or Hunt about their potential bids. But a Cruz spokesperson didnt respond to requests for comment. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com We recently published a list of the 10 Best Copper Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) stands against other best copper stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The U.S. stock market has changed rapidly since the new president took control of the Oval Office. In the list of commodities that are recently surfacing as standout performers in the market, copper holds a significant place. The commodity has captured the attention of investors across the globe. According to The Wall Street Journal, by the end of March 2025, the U.S. copper future saw a 26% increase, reaching $5.02 per pound. The extraordinary growth, in addition to surpassing global prices, has set unprecedented records in the industry. The recent tariff implementations from the U.S. administration stand among the heavy contributors to this surge. The U.S. president has recently announced a series of tariff increases, targeting the major trading partners of the U.S. Accordingly, the EU imports will be charged a 20% tariff. Chinese goods have the most impact at a 34% tariff. Similarly, a minimum 10% hike is imposed on all imports globally. Because of these measures, the average tariff rate has risen to 23%, the highest in over a century. The WSJ calls it the most significant shift in the United Statess approach to global trade. READ ALSO: Why These Energy Stocks are Gaining This Week. These new tariffs affect the import and export of various goods in the U.S. concerning copper. A rush has been noted to import the commodity into the U.S. before the new import tax rates take effect. This influx has resulted in a notable rise in physical deliveries, causing domestic copper prices to surge. Income-seeking investors in the market, however, need to look past these immediate market reactions and focus on the long-term outlook for copper. Even in the long run, the value of copper remains robust. An article by CNBC noted that the worlds leading mining companies anticipate a 70% growth in the global demand for copper by 2050. The surge is expected to be driven by the adoption of copper-intensive technologies, such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. With constant growth in several customers shifting to renewable energy-based technologies, such an increase in demand for the commodity is inevitable. On the other hand, the industry will likely face significant challenges in meeting this rise in demand. The mining industry, for instance, faces constraints like declining ore grades and the need for substantial capital investments to develop new projects. Owing to these factors, the growth in supply and the industrys ability to sustain high copper prices in the future could take a hit. Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to dismiss reports that Canadians will stay away from Florida as a backlash to President Donald Trumps tariffs and threats to annex Canada. During an appearance Monday at the Florida Realtors organization in Orlando, DeSantis recounted a recent trip with his family to Legoland in Winter Haven as he tried to dispel the notion that Canadians were scaling back vacation plans. Im with my kids, you know, we were down at spring break, and were at Legoland, and all these people are coming up to me for pictures, which is fine. I normally do that. And Id say, like, 80 percent of them were Canadians, DeSantis said. And Im like, I thought you guys werent coming to Florida anymore. Oh no, we love Florida. So, were going to continue to be a destination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While at the Capitol on Tuesday, DeSantis repeated the Legoland anecdote and added he expects Florida to continue to be a tourist hotspot. Canadians account for about a quarter of the international travelers to Florida. The estimated 3.271 million Canadians who made their way to Florida in 2024 was 1.2 percent more than in 2023 and about 20 percent below the number in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the tourism industry. The Miami Herald reported Monday that demand for flights from Canada to South Florida are down about 20 percent from a year ago. Also, the research firm Tourism Economist altered its forecast for travel to the U.S. this year from nearly 9 percent growth to a 5.1 percent decline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visit Florida, the states tourism marketing agency, which typically releases tourism figures for the first quarter of the year in mid-May. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The News President Donald Trumps baseline 10% tariffs on all US imports went into effect Sunday, as the countrys biggest trading partners braced for further shocks later this week. So far, the reaction to the duties has been mixed: China retaliated with 34% tariffs on all US exports, while others like Israel prepared to negotiate. Some, including Indonesia and Taiwan, said they had no plan to push back. According to Trumps National Economic Council chief, more than 50 countries have already contacted the White House asking for talks. The range of responses, market volatility, and ballooning trade war underscore the unprecedented nature of Trumps attack on the global trade system, with the consequences for Washington planned and unplanned still unclear. SIGNALS The motivations and risks of retaliation Sources: The New York Times, Paul Krugman, Financial Times Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donald Trumps tariffs may not end global trade, but it is certainly a retreat from unfettered free trade, which is the way the world seemed to be going, one economist told The New York Times. While some free trade proponents have argued against retaliation, that has never worked politically, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman told Ezra Klein. Rather, leaders like Canadas Mark Carney should respond, Krugman said: You have to do something that appeals to Canadian national pride, which very much exists. And past periods of protectionism have shown that trade barriers can take far longer to come down than to erect, the Financial Times wrote. When duties fail to extract quick concessions, tariffs can stay on the books for decades. Pressure and pride dash hope of US-China rapprochement Source: The Wall Street Journal Chinas swift retaliatory measure 34% tariffs on all US imports marked a departure from Beijings long-time policy of restraint in the face of Washingtons past protectionist moves. And with virtually no open lines of communication between the two, a cycle of tit-for-tat retaliation is likely inevitable, at least in the near term, The Wall Street Journal wrote. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump are locked in a paradox of pressure and pride, one analyst said, with neither willing to appear weak amid a new great-power competition to define the world economic order. Some analysts believe Trump is trying to crush Chinas global influence, but his aggressive trade moves and the backlash they inspire among US allies and adversaries alike could ultimately boost Beijing, analysts said. Rising public discontent could pile pressure on Trump Sources: BBC, Politico, Financial Times The tariffs took effect the same weekend tens of thousands of Americans protested against the administration in the biggest national show of opposition since Donald Trump returned to the White House: Rallies were held across 1,200 locations Saturday, the demonstrations organizers said, with protesters voicing broad frustration with Trumps agenda and the economic turmoil that has marked the past month. Polls have shown rising discontent with Trumps trade policies: In one recent survey, 54% percent of voters disapproved of the tariff strategy. A mix of pressure from households, business, markets and Republicans could force Trump to backtrack sooner rather than later, the Financial Times Tej Parikh argued. Using green methanol to power shipping could cut CO2 emissions in the sector by as much as 96%, according to a study by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) commissioned by environmental organization Greenpeace. "Green methanol can point the way for shipping to a climate-friendly future," Greenpeace spokeswoman Clara Thompson told dpa ahead of a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London on Monday. The IMO, a UN agency made up of 176 countries, aims to discuss measures for implementing its greenhouse gas strategy with a view to making shipping carbon-neutral by 2050. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The study by the DLR's maritime energy unit found methanol easily manageable, by contrast with hydrogen or ammonia, and technically ready for use. It can be produced using renewable forms of energy, and marine engines can easily be converted to burning it. Shipping is thought to generate around 3% of all greenhouse gases, as well as large amounts of the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. These pollutants would be almost entirely absent with the use of methanol. The study notes however that producing methanol is still expensive "in particular the operation and acquisition of electrolysers." The fuel also needs tanks that are twice as large as current fossil fuel tanks. Little green methanol is currently available on the market. For comparison, German shipping would need up to 5.73 million metric tons per year, against 2.94 million tons of diesel. Thompson said the IMO needed to implement binding targets to speed up conversion to alternative fuels. Greenpeace backed a CO2 price that reflected the benefits for the climate of methanol over fossil fuels, she said. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Saturday, the Greenville Town Common turned into a sea of pirates. One of the biggest celebrations in the city, PirateFest brings people all across Eastern N.C. together. Live music, pirates, canon demonstrations, and hundreds of vendors including food and drinks, lined First Street and the Town Common. Its super cool because people come from all over North Carolina and probably beyond, and just to come celebrate like being a pirate, Jaelyn Woods said. I know its not necessarily tied to East Carolina, but I mean, we are the pirates, so its a little bit of that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. By Emily Rose and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Palestinian militant group Hamas said it fired a barrage of rockets at cities in Israel's south on Sunday in response to Israeli "massacres" of civilians in Gaza. Israel's military said about 10 projectiles were fired, but most were successfully intercepted. Israel's Channel 12 reported a direct hit in the southern city of Ashkelon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli emergency services said they were treating one person for shrapnel injuries, and teams were en route to locations of fallen rockets. Smashed car windows and debris lay strewn on a city street, videos disseminated by Israeli emergency services showed. Meanwhile, Gaza local health authorities said Israeli military strikes killed at least 39 people across the Gaza Strip on Sunday. Shortly after the rocket firing, the Israeli military posted on X a new evacuation order, instructing residents of several districts in Deir Al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip to leave their areas, citing earlier rocket firing. "This is a final warning before the attack," the military warning statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later, it said it struck the rocket launcher from which projectiles were launched earlier from the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on a flight to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, was briefed on the rocket attack by his Defense Minister, Israel Katz. A statement issued by his office said Netanyahu instructed that a "vigorous" response be carried out and approved the continuation of intensive activity by the Israeli military against Hamas. Israel's Channel 12 television said at least 12 lightly injured people have been treated as a result of the rocket firing from Gaza, quoting officials at the Bazilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into force on January 19 after 15 months of war and involved a halt to fighting, the release of some of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners. However, Israel said on March 19 that its forces resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip. Both parties blamed one another for a stalemate in the ceasefire talks. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Palestinian officials say. Israel began its offensive after thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. (Reporting by Emily Rose, Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Chizu Nomiyama) Editors note: The article has been changed to remove reference to the protest moving to Acacia Park. (COLORADO SPRINGS) Over a thousand people gathered in front of Colorado Springs City Hall on Saturday, April 5, to protest against President Donald Trumps policies as a part of the nationwide Hands Off! movement. Thousands of people gathering in cities across the country on Saturday protesting President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The Hands off protest is expected to be the largest single-day demonstration since President Trump began his second term in January. Courtesy: FOX21 News Photojournalist Cora Mitchell Im embarrassed, Im embarrassed with whats happening in America right now, said Dan Kice, a community member who joined Saturdays rally, just one of the thousands of people who lined the streets in downtown in an effort to denounce the President. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a FOX21 News crew on the scene, crowds flooded the steps of City Hall, carrying signs, chanting, singing the national anthem, and even drumming. Signs included protests against various Trump policies, as well as actions by Elon Musk. Courtesy: FOX21 News Photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News Photojournalist Cora Mitchell I am so angry and so upset at the assault that is going on at the federal level against public education, against the social security system, against the social safety net, and frankly, against working people, said John Mikos, a community member who also joined the rally. Saturdays event in Colorado Springs drew various groups, including civil rights organizations, Labor Unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and election activists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im just really embarrassed that we have a so-called leader that doesnt appear to be competent or intelligent or thoughtful or empathetic, said Karry Kice another community member who joined the conversation. Photo by: Fox21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Many of them also protesting Elon Musk, who has played a key role in the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. This has become just a power grab among the elite rich people So, this is the only power we have other than the voting booth, said Ann Bernhard, another community member. Many of the protesters proudly waived they handmade signs which expressed their opinions. Photo by: Fox21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Pro-Trump supporters drove by honking and displaying signs in support of the president on their cars, including a Tesla Cybertruck sporting a Trump sign and American flag. Roads were backed up surrounding the area, but the protest remained peaceful. Photo by: Fox21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Its just kind of sad that they feel like they have to drive up and down in front of a protest against Trump, but if thats what they feel, I mean, it is their right, said Bernhard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protest is just one of the twelve-hundred demonstrations that were planned across the country. Many of the protesters said they showed their support again the administrations actions to downsize the government, the economy, human rights and other issues. What Im concerned is how working people are going to be able to make it when their social safety net is being cut underneath them, when the Department of Education is being abolished, when public employees are being kicked out after years of service then we have these ridiculous tariffs that are only going to drive up prices and theyre going to hit the poorest and the most needy amongst us first and hardest, said Mikos. Photo by: Fox21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Dan Kice says that if he could speak to the president, he would ask him for empathy. Not everybody has it as good as you do, and a lot of people that voted for you dont have it as well off as you as you. So, please have some empathy for those people, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pueblo community members also joined the Hands Off march on Saturday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Protesters turned out in the thousands in Santa Fe on April 5, 2025 as part of the national Hands Off demonstration. (Julia Goldberg/Source NM) Amid brisk temperatures and steady snowfall Saturday afternoon, hundreds turned into thousands as protesters converged at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, one of a dozen protests planned in New Mexico as part of a nationwide Hands Off movement in opposition to the Trump administration. In Santa Fe, attendees sang parodies of folk songs (Hey, Mr. Tangerine Man); chanted (Hey/hey/ho/ho fascists presidents have to go); and cheered on speakers such as U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Democrat representing New Mexicos 3rd Congressional District. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hands off everything we love, Leger Fernandez said, pointing at the myriad signs in the crowd. Hands off our democracy. Hands off trans-life, hands off our union, hands off our youth, hands off our fireman, hands off our womens health, hands off immigration, hands off elections, hands off diversity. We want our country back! Leger Fernandez told Source the message she came to give is indeed we are in a moral moment, and everybody here today is rising to the occasion and is showing that this is love in action: When we show up, when we stand up, when were in the streets, on the feet, at the town halls, making calls, at the ballot box, in the courtroom, in the classroom, standing up for what is right and standing against the Musk/ Trump extreme Republicans agenda thats hurting everything we love. Leger Fernandez noted some small signs victories in Congress, such as a Democratic-backed Senate resolution bucking the presidents Canadian tariffs, supported by four Republicans, and House Republicans recent failure to use a procedural move to block a resolution, in which nine Republicans bucked their party leadership. Its a small victory, Leger Fernandez told Source, but it shows that when we can get just a few Republicans to vote with us, we can defeat the Trump agenda. Thats why were holding town halls, were showing up at places like this. Were holding town halls in Republican districts because we just need three Republicans to have the courage to stand with their constituents and with the Constitution and not with Trump. This kind of mass movement puts pressure on the Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters turned out in the thousands in Santa Fe on April 5, 2025 as part of the national Hands Off demonstration. (Julia Goldberg/Source NM) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protestors line the street around Las Cruces City Hall for the "Hands Off" protests against the Trump administration. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Protestors line the street around Las Cruces City Hall for the "Hands Off" protests against the Trump administration. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protestors line the street around Las Cruces City Hall for the "Hands Off" protests against the Trump administration. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Protestors line the street around Las Cruces City Hall for the "Hands Off" protests against the Trump administration. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Protestors line the street around Las Cruces City Hall for the "Hands Off" protests against the Trump administration. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Protestors line the street around Las Cruces City Hall for the "Hands Off" protests against the Trump administration. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) TUPELO Hundreds gathered Saturday afternoon to protest against the actions of the Trump Administration, brandishing signs admonishing cuts to social benefits and demanding action on the part of state leaders. Indivisible Northeast Mississippi held a protest at U.S. Rep. Trent Kellys office in downtown Tupelo Saturday as part of the national The Hands Off! mass mobilization event. The organization reported that more than 250 people attended the event. Now is the time that ordinary citizens must stand up and say, 'hands off," Teresa Roberts, leader of Indivisible NEMS Hands Off! mass mobilization, said in a press release. It is critical to show 'social proof' to others that we are fighting the hostile takeover of our government by billionaires." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal of Saturday's protest, Roberts said, is to be seen. This helps motivate onlookers to pay attention and to join in," she said. "Given the speed of the gutting and plundering of our government by those utterly blind to the needs and wants of everyday Americans, this kind of urgent public saying is that 90% of life is showing up. We will show up, speak out and will raise our voices. The protest comes in response to President Donald Trump's and billionaire advisor Elon Musk's, through the actions of his Department of Government Efficiency, and the restructuring of the federal government in the name curbing what the Trump Administration has deemed as wasteful spending. Over the past few weeks, hundreds of governmental employees have been furloughed or fired and funding cut to multiple programs, including the United States Agency for International Development, Medicaid, the Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. Residents of the region and visitors from far away as Texas joined the local organization's push to pressure area legislators to resist changes brought by DOGE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are dismantling our democracy at a frightening pace, Derek Cook of Manatee, Mississippi, said. Watching the cuts unfold, he said he didnt know what to do. He said the goal of the protest was to push legislators to put governmental guard rails back on the administration. Tupelo resident Leah Headings has been a part of Indivisible since the first Trump Administration when the local chapter was formed. She said there were many reasons she and others were standing outside of Kellys office. However, she noted how many aspects of her life were changed or subject to change with plans from DOGE, including that she is on Social Security, her father is a veteran who relies on his benefits to survive, and that many of the children she works with as a therapist would not be able to receive treatment without Medicaid coverage. Landon Huey of Denton, Texas, said he was in Tupelo for business and to visit family when he saw the protest and wanted to join. He noted that a lack of heavy media presence was concerning. He called the federal cuts a miscarriage of democracy. Kelly was not in his office as of Saturday with Congress currently in session in Washington D.C. If youve been online or out in any American city this weekend, then chances are youve seen people protesting President Donald Trump and Elon Musks authoritarian overreach as part of the nationwide Hands Off protests. On Saturday, millions of citizens came together across all 50 states at over 1,300 peaceful protests organized by MoveOn to combat the president and the DOGE heads agenda, according to internal data. In fact, more than 600,000 people had even signed up to take part in the protests ahead of time. What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures and our democracy are under attack, MoveOn executive director Rahna Epting said in a statement. This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people nurses, teachers, students, parents who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plus, by some estimations, the actual number of participants could have been as high as 5.5 million-6 million people or about 2% of the U.S. population. Dubbed the National Day of Action, which notably came three days after Trumps inaugural Liberation Day, events took place in major cities such as Chicago, Asheville, Topeka, Boston, Columbus, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle and even internationally in London and Paris. This marks the largest day of collective action since Trumps inauguration, with everyday people turning out in record numbers to defend their healthcare, wages, education, civil rights and democracy, MoveOn noted. Organizers and attendees cited moves Trump has taken to gut workers rights, dismantle our healthcare and constantly increasing prices for all Americans as major contributors to the increased enthusiasm. With Trump and congressional Republicans doubling down on their agenda to gut essential services, everyday Americans are sending a clear message: Take your hands off our healthcare, our Social Security, our civil rights, our freedom and our education, their message continued. The outpouring of energy was fueled by widespread outrage at efforts to dismantle programs that serve working families and middle-class communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And despite Musk implying the protests are inorganic on X due to puppetmasters at work, the organizers in question have ensured that a commitment to non-violent action is a core principle behind all Hands Off events, adding: All hosts and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with their values. TheWrap has reached out to MoveOn for further comment. The post Hands Off Organizers Unite Millions Against Authoritarian Trump Policies Across 1,300 Protests Nationwide appeared first on TheWrap. We recently published a list of the 10 Best Copper Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Hudbay Minerals Inc. (NYSE:HBM) stands against other best copper stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The U.S. stock market has changed rapidly since the new president took control of the Oval Office. In the list of commodities that are recently surfacing as standout performers in the market, copper holds a significant place. The commodity has captured the attention of investors across the globe. According to The Wall Street Journal, by the end of March 2025, the U.S. copper future saw a 26% increase, reaching $5.02 per pound. The extraordinary growth, in addition to surpassing global prices, has set unprecedented records in the industry. The recent tariff implementations from the U.S. administration stand among the heavy contributors to this surge. The U.S. president has recently announced a series of tariff increases, targeting the major trading partners of the U.S. Accordingly, the EU imports will be charged a 20% tariff. Chinese goods have the most impact at a 34% tariff. Similarly, a minimum 10% hike is imposed on all imports globally. Because of these measures, the average tariff rate has risen to 23%, the highest in over a century. The WSJ calls it the most significant shift in the United Statess approach to global trade. READ ALSO: Why These Energy Stocks are Gaining This Week. These new tariffs affect the import and export of various goods in the U.S. concerning copper. A rush has been noted to import the commodity into the U.S. before the new import tax rates take effect. This influx has resulted in a notable rise in physical deliveries, causing domestic copper prices to surge. Income-seeking investors in the market, however, need to look past these immediate market reactions and focus on the long-term outlook for copper. Even in the long run, the value of copper remains robust. An article by CNBC noted that the worlds leading mining companies anticipate a 70% growth in the global demand for copper by 2050. The surge is expected to be driven by the adoption of copper-intensive technologies, such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. With constant growth in several customers shifting to renewable energy-based technologies, such an increase in demand for the commodity is inevitable. On the other hand, the industry will likely face significant challenges in meeting this rise in demand. The mining industry, for instance, faces constraints like declining ore grades and the need for substantial capital investments to develop new projects. Owing to these factors, the growth in supply and the industrys ability to sustain high copper prices in the future could take a hit. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) Demonstrators let their voices be heard and displeasure with the Trump Administration known Saturday through the nationwide Hands Off Protest. Were fed up, said T.J. Dementriou. We got another protest. Were back out here. I said, I wasnt going to stop. Im not stopping. This protest was put on by different advocacy groups across the country. Theres over a thousand across the country, Dementriou added. All here to rally against the administration and all the things that theyre doing to us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices Michael Fogg of Dauphin County believes President Trump has messed up everything that made America great. Fogg said he recently retired, And now Im seriously thinking about going back to work because my retirement account has been devastated in the last three months by the reduction in the stock market. Fogg and other protesters also expressed concern for the future generations. You should grow up with something like the America that we grew up in, because things are changing and its not for the best, said Jeremy Lopez of Dauphin County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some people like republican Analyst Christopher Nicholas disagree. Donald Trump continues to be the best organizer for Democrats as well as Republicans, he said. So many republicans, obviously are strong supporters of his and like what he does and in his first 75 days in office, hes also helped to re-energize the Democratic base as well. Over 1,000 people were in Harrisburg for the protest organizers say it was the biggest turn out yet! He better pay attention, Dementriou said. I bet they wont, and thats fine because were going to keep coming out until they do notice us. Organizers are already planning out next Hands Off Protest. Get the latest Pennsylvania politics and election news with abc27 newsletters! abc27 News was told it should be on April 22nd but be sure to stay tuned for when we find get that date confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. DES MOINES Over 2,000 protestors gathered Saturday morning outside of Congressman Zach Nunns Offices in Des Moines to protest against the Trump Administrations actions. The protest moved from Cowles Commons to the Capital. Organizers of the protest had a message for Congressman Nunn. WHO 13+ streaming app now available on Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV Our demands here in Iowa are for representative Nunn. We are asking him to reverse his support for the House bill that just passed, outlining massive cuts to the budget. Were asking him to stop the scapegoating and introduce lobbying for legislation that attacks his most vulnerable constituents. Michaelyn Mankel, a Senior Organizer with Food and Water Watch Iowa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congressman Nunn responded to the protest saying, Iowans stick to a budget and the federal government should too. We must reform D.C.s spending habits while protecting critical programs Iowans rely on, like Medicare, Head Start, Social Security, USDA programs, veterans benefits, and more. My mission remains the same as it did on day one: to deliver Iowa common sense. Ill always fight for bipartisan compromise to support our community while cutting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. Rep. Zach Nunn Protesters against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the US Similar protests took place across the county and across Iowa including Sioux City, Davenport, Iowa City, and Carroll. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. A nationwide protest of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk came to Stockton this weekend. Stockton's rally against what organizers call the "most brazen power grab in modern history" began at 10 a.m. Saturday at one of the city's hot corners: West March Lane and Feather River Drive. The protest was scheduled to last until 6 p.m. The protests were named "Hands Off! National Day of Action," and organizers said participants would "call on Trump and Elon Musk to take their hands off the programs that the middle class and working families rely on." See the 'Hands Off!' protest photos in Stockton Who organized the 'Hands Off!' protests? Mary Huttner of Sacramento, Calif. and her Boston terrier-mix Sadie joined more than 1,000 people who participated in the 50501 protest on the west steps of the California State Capitol building in Sacramento, Calif. on Feb. 5, 2025. 50501 stands for 50 protests in 50 states on one day and thousands of people gathered across the nation to protest President Donald Trumps administrations policies. There were expected to be more than 1,000 rallies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The protests were organized by a coalition of over 150 grassroots organizations and progressive groups and nonprofits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With more than 250,000 people registered to take the streets, organizers said April 5 would be the largest single day of action since Trump was sworn in for a second term. What's Hands Off, 50501? Anti-Trump administration protests set for April 5 across California Terri Hurst holds up signs while attending the Hands Off protest on the corner of March Lane and Feather River Drive in Stockton on Apr. 5, 2025. Hundreds of people peacefully participated locally in the nationwide protest against the Trump administrations policies and actions. What was the purpose of the 'Hands Off!' protests? Organizers cited moves Trump has taken to "gut workers' rights, dismantle our healthcare, and constantly increasing prices for all Americans" as reasons for the rallies. "With Trump and congressional Republicans doubling down on their agenda to gut essential services, everyday Americans are sending a clear message: Take your hands off our healthcare, our Social Security, our civil rights, our freedom, and our education," organizers said. "On April 5 events ranging from rallies and protests to empty chair town halls and digital campaigns will underscore the real-life consequences of these policies and show how communities are fighting back." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information, visit handsoff2025.com. Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow. This article originally appeared on The Record: Hands Off! protest in Stockton takes aim at Trump, Musk SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Thousands of demonstrators marched through downtown San Diego on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest against the Trump administrations tariffs and proposed cuts to government services. The rally began at Civic Center Plaza, where protesters voiced frustration over what they described as attacks on unions, healthcare, and vulnerable communities. Make no mistake Trumps goal is to decimate all of our unions, one demonstrator said. Hes starting with federal unions, postal workers, nurses at the VA. Next, its going to be our public unions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another protester added, Theyre cutting health and human services for the most vulnerable people in our society. Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the US Local and state leaders joined the protest, expressing concern over the administrations policies and their impact on their constituents. I represent a lot of immigrant and refugee communities that are right now living in absolute fear and terror about being ripped away from their families, said San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn also criticized the tariffs, noting the financial strain they place on working families. So many of my constituents are struggling right now with the cost of living. They cant afford a price increase because of Donald Trumps tariffs, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Assemblymember Chris Ward said the administration is hurting marginalized groups while diverting California taxpayer dollars to programs that benefit the wealthy. Hes using the LGBTQ+ community, communities of color, and disabled individuals as distractions to give our money to Elon Musk and his programs, Ward said. San Diegans once again rally outside Tesla dealerships across the county Hands off protests take place in downtown San Diego and across the country (FOX 5/KUSI) Hands off protests take place in downtown San Diego and across the country (FOX 5/KUSI) Hands off protests take place in downtown San Diego and across the country (FOX 5/KUSI) The crowd included veterans like Navy veteran Andy Kopp, who is concerned about potential cuts to veterans housing and services. Its the whittling away at housing subsidies and funds for homeless services the ability to get veterans off the street and into permanent supportive housing, Kopp said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some protesters have fears about the economy, referencing the declining stock market and its effect on retirees and working families. I turn 70 next month. I live off Social Security and the money in my IRA, said Cita Walsh. Ive done the calculations, and I run out of money in five years. This is not what I hoped for America. Protesters rally in Point Loma over proposed housing project Supporters of the administration were also at the march. Joel McCormick called for patience, saying the tariffs were a long-term strategy. Now that hes doing all these tariffs, its going to take a while to return our country to where we get jobs and fix things, McCormick said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some congressional leaders warned the tariffs are doing more harm than good. The stock market fall was worse than the day of COVID, said Rep. Scott Peters, who represents Californias 50th Congressional District. Its just insane what hes doing. Its definitely not what people expected. San Diego rally supports recently fired National Park Rangers Rep. Sara Jacobs of the 51st District said the protests are a sign that Americans are ready to push back. Were not going to take this lying down, she said. Were going to stand up, make our voices heard, and make sure they understand the power of the people is stronger than whatever power they think they have unilaterally to do these things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The San Diego rally was one of many held across the country, all sending a unified message to Washington: Hands off. Demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists, the Associated Press reports. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/AP) In addition to a Hands Off rally that attracted at least 4,000 people against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk in Raleigh, several other Hands Off protests drew hundreds in several other towns and cities across North Carolina on Saturday. Protesters at the so-called Hands Off rallies were criticizing the administrations actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues. A large crowd was seen in downtown Raleigh at the North Carolina Capitol on Saturday. Some estimates had the size at thousands of people, who were chanting and carrying signs against Trump, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Rallies were also seen in downtown Fayetteville and in Chapel Hill on Saturday. Protesters holds hands during a Hands Off! demonstration, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco) A crowd of at least 1,200 attended a Charlotte rally near the Mecklenburg County Social Services Department on Billingsley Road starting around 11 a.m. Saturday, CBS-affiliate WBTV reported. The Charlotte group blocked Wendover Road for hours and marched to the nearby Mint Museum and back, according to the TV station. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A large crowd also protested in Asheville at Pack Square, where speakers appeared on a stage to address the crowd, according to Blue Ridge Public Radio. Protesters also sang songs and spoke against cuts to funding, the radio station reported. RELATED: Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the US More than 300 people also protested in Sylva, a North Carolina mountain town in Jackson County, the radio station reported. Protesters shouted and had signs against Trumps spending cuts and policies regarding immigration and voting rights, Blue Ridge Public Radio reported. Protesters carry signs in protest to the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon during a Hands Off! demonstration, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco) Other protests in the North Carolina mountains were seen in Brevard and Hendersonville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Triad area, there were protests at the Old Courthouse in Greensboro and in Winston-Salem. NC DHHS expects to lose more than 80 jobs, $100 million in funding from federal cuts In eastern North Carolina, more than 500 people protested at a Hands Off rally at Wright Plaza on the East Carolina University campus in Greenville, according to the Daily Reflector. Juli Tipton, left, and her daughter Chloe Smalley, carry signs in protest to the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon during a Hands Off! demonstration, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco) In Wilmington, a protest that drew about 1,100 Hands Off protesters was held near the N.C. Azalea Festival, according to the Star News. Hands Off protests were also seen in Beaufort and in Brunswick County, south of Wilmington. So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crowds at the rallies are upset at the way Trump is running the country marched and rallied in scores of American cities Saturday in the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of the Republicans first weeks in office. The Associated Press contributed to this report Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) On Saturday, April 5, Utahns across the state took part in a nationwide day of protest against President Donald Trump and his administration. One of the largest protests in the Beehive State took place at the state capitol, with an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 participants, according to Sarah Buck, the leader of the local group Salt Lake Indivisible. Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) Utahns protest at the State Capitol on April 5, 2025. (KTVX/MJ Jewkes) It was not just impressive, it was moving, Buck told ABC4.com. It brought me to tears several times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buck said local organizations partnered with the national group 50501 to organize the local protests over the course of about a month. According to a press release, Saturdays nationwide events were considered the largest single-day protest since President Trump was inaugurated, with more than 1,300 cities expected to participate. How to protect (and delete) your DNA data after 23andMe bankruptcy filing Today was America standing up and recognizing, This is not OK, we are not accepting what this administrations putting forward,' Buck told ABC4.com. Events took place across the state on Saturday: In Salt Lake City, Cache Valley, St. George, Kanab, Moab, Bluff, Monticello, Wasatch County, and an event specifically for rural Utah, according to event organizers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our message is simple: Hands off our services. Hands off our rights. Hands off our communities, organizers said in a press release. Mary Amanda Fairchild with the Salt Lake Liberal-Minded Community Seekers told ABC4.com that the protests were all about community. People from all walks of life, all colors its an opportunity for all of us to get a look at each other and say, Im on your side,' Fairchild said. In Provo, protestors gathered outside the Provo Police Department, holding signs showing their disapproval of the Trump administration. Courtesy: Kim Costella Courtesy: Kim Costella Courtesy: Kim Costella Also on Saturday, residents of a senior living home called Legacy Village held a rally in front of the Sugar House facility. The protest outside the facility was organized to make it easier for the residents in their walkers and wheelchairs, organizers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were out here to spread the word that what we think the administration is doing in healthcare is not right, Legacy Village protester Tom Taylor told ABC4.com. Across the country, communities protested to speak out against what was referred to as the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and an unprecedented power grab. We are standing up, we are here, and you should fear us because we are America, we are the people of America, and whats happening is very un-American, Buck said. Jeff Hunter contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its second day of the 195th annual general conference from the Conference Center in Downtown Salt Lake City on Sunday. Here is a breakdown of the Sunday sessions of the general conference: Sunday morning session Prior to the morning session of the conference, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed its weekly broadcasted show of Music and the Spoken Word. The weekly show has been running uninterrupted for almost 100 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his address to those in attendance, Derrick Porter, the host of Music and Spoken Word, spoke about the power found in Jesus Christs name. He stated that Christ is known by many names Prince of Peace, the advocate in heaven to Heavenly Father, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls. LEARN MORE: How general conference has evolved over the past two centuries Whats in a name? Porter asked the audience, speaking about the name of Jesus Christ. Everything, he said. Directly following the live broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, the morning session got underway. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke first on Sunday. He spoke about the restoration of what members believe is Christs Church on Earth today. He told those listening around the world that anyone can receive the message of the restored gospel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elder Steven D. Shumway followed Bednar. Shumway taught laboring with God helps members grow in their measure of their creation. When we say yes to Christ, we are saying yes to the most abundant life possible, he said to those attending and listening. Shumway was followed by Sister Tamara Runia. Sister Runia spoke about the path away from spiritual pain. Sometimes I have to remember, like a Post-it note on my forehead, that the commandments are the path away from pain, she said. Repentance is too. Our prophet said, The Savior loves us always but especially when we repent. She was followed by the presiding bishop Gerald Causse, who told members the Lord loves them personally and knows their struggles. He also said that members can contribute to blessings through work for ancestors that have passed by going through the temple. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elder Gerrit W. Gong also spoke of a visit to the temple in his talk. Including the Kirtland Temple, I recently visited sacred places in Ohio where the Prophet Joseph and others saw in vision God our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, Gong told members. The Prophet Joseph saw what heaven is like. In heaven, Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, saves all the works of his hands in a kingdom of glory. The only exceptions are those who willfully deny the Son after the Father has revealed Him, Gong finished. Elder John A. McCune of the Seventy and President Dallin H. Oaks were the last two speakers of the session. McCune said that Jesus Christ is the way to happiness, while Oaks taught about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who atones for the sins of the world. In Oaks talk, he also said that ordinances and covenants are part of the path to eternal life. Sunday afternoon session Elder Ulisses Soares opened the afternoon session of general conference by speaking reverence in sacred things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reverence for sacred things is the greatest manifestation of a vital spiritual quality; it is a byproduct of our connection to holiness and reflects our love for and proximity to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, he taught. He also warned that sacredness cant be simulated by AI. Soares was followed by Elder Michael B. Strong, who spoke on discipleship. Brothers and sisters, discipleship of Jesus Christ is the only way to obtain enduring happiness. It is a path filled with deliberate and purposeful acts of love towards others, he taught. Elder Scott D. Whiting, also of the Seventy, followed Strongs remarks by speaking to newer members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The adversary knows that you may be vulnerable to his subtle attacks. He will make your past life, which left you unsatisfied in so many ways, now seem unrealistically attractive, he said. The accuser, as he is called in the book of Revelation, will tempt you with thoughts that sound like this: You arent strong enough to change your life; you cant do this; you dont belong with these people; they will never accept you; you are too weak, he continued. Elder Christopher H. Kim came after Whiting. Whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive. Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, taught: Repenting is the key to progress. Pure faith keeps us moving forward on the covenant path, he taught. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery Start today to experience the joy of putting off the natural man. The Savior loves us always but especially when we repent, he said. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles then addressed the congregation. He implored those listening to receive Christ and Heavenly Fathers gifts. Moroni exhorts us to deny not the gifts of God, but to come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift. You can come to Christ with confidence in His loving kindness and receive all His gifts of joy, peace, hope, light, truth, revelation, knowledge, and wisdomwith your head held high, arms outstretched, and hands open ready to receive, he said. You can receive these gifts because you are secure and grounded in the knowledge that you are a beloved daughter of God, you are a cherished son of God, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prophet and President Russell M. Nelson was the final speaker of the 195th annual general conference. Nelson spoke of a previous talk he gave in a general conference and told church members to be peacemakers amidst all the contention on social media. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should lead the way as peacemakers, he said. He also exhorted members to worship in temples. Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both charity and virtue. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Nelson also announced 15 new temples, which will be placed in the following locations: Nelsons announcement on Sunday brings the total number of temples he has announced to an even 200 out of the religions 382, which are at various stages of development and construction. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. An Arizona judge sentenced two Russian men to prison for sending aircraft parts to Russia in an illegal export scam. U.S. District Court Judge Dominic Lanza handed Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya an almost six-year sentence on April 2, while Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin was handed a two-year sentence. The two Florida residents presented themselves to U.S. companies, including one in Arizona, as brokers seeking aircraft parts on behalf of clients in other countries. However, they intended to send the parts to Russia, in violation of heightened export controls in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two were charged with violating the federal Export Control Reform Act. Patsulya's sentence also reflected his guilty plea to money laundering. He agreed to forfeit more than $4.5M in assets, including a luxury vehicle and a boat, to compensate for the money he made off of the scheme. In a statement, Lanza identified Patsulya as the leader of the plot, which Patsulya hatched after he had been granted a visa to be in the U.S. legally. Its hard to imagine a bigger betrayal of the United States than what you did, Lanza said. In his plea agreement, Patsulya acknowledged that by pleading guilty it was "a virtual certainty" that he would be deported from the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The duo's efforts to obtain parts for a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737s led them to an Arizona firm, identified in court documents as "Arizona Company 1." During a Sept. 8, 2022 visit, the two said they were interested in buying brake parts for a Turkish client and signed forms indicating the transaction complied with export rules. Both actions were lies, court documents stated. The Arizona deal never went through, but the two pursued other companies and ultimately were able to ship some of the brake systems to Russia, records show. The case was investigated by the Phoenix field office of the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security and Phoenix-based FBI agents. They were aided by federal investigators in Boston and Miami. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on social media @maryjpitzl. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona company targeted in scheme to export aircraft parts illegally JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Signage and fencing are posted outside a plot of land owned by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in Kapolei. DHHL broke ground in July 2023 on infrastructure for homestead lots in the II-C increment of Ka uluokaha i East Kapolei II master-planned community. 1 /3 JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Signage and fencing are posted outside a plot of land owned by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in Kapolei. DHHL broke ground in July 2023 on infrastructure for homestead lots in the II-C increment of Ka uluokaha i East Kapolei II master-planned community. COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries were awarded 655 leases for future lots at two homestead projects in Kapolei on Oahu during a ceremony in March. Some lots at one of the projects, Ka uluokaha i, are being funded by $600 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2022, but others are dependent on additional funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 /3 COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries were awarded 655 leases for future lots at two homestead projects in Kapolei on Oahu during a ceremony in March. Some lots at one of the projects, Ka uluokaha i, are being funded by $600 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2022, but others are dependent on additional funding. COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS The 161-lot Pu uhona homestead project on Maui was made possible by $600 million appropriated to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in 2022. On Saturday, DHHL awarded 91 leases to beneficiaries after making 52 lease awards in June for Pu uhona, where completion is expected next year. 3 /3 COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS The 161-lot Pu uhona homestead project on Maui was made possible by $600 million appropriated to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in 2022. On Saturday, DHHL awarded 91 leases to beneficiaries after making 52 lease awards in June for Pu uhona, where completion is expected next year. JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Signage and fencing are posted outside a plot of land owned by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in Kapolei. DHHL broke ground in July 2023 on infrastructure for homestead lots in the II-C increment of Ka uluokaha i East Kapolei II master-planned community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries were awarded 655 leases for future lots at two homestead projects in Kapolei on Oahu during a ceremony in March. Some lots at one of the projects, Ka uluokaha i, are being funded by $600 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2022, but others are dependent on additional funding. COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS The 161-lot Pu uhona homestead project on Maui was made possible by $600 million appropriated to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in 2022. On Saturday, DHHL awarded 91 leases to beneficiaries after making 52 lease awards in June for Pu uhona, where completion is expected next year. On July 11, 2022, a historic bill to reduce the number of Native Hawaiians waiting for homesteads became law, but nearly three years later it can be hard to grasp how many homesteads will be produced from the $600 million Waitlist Reduction Act. A somewhat nebulous picture of homestead production by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands using the appropriation may be jeopardizing an effort by the agency to obtain another $600 million from the Legislature this year despite heavy backing in the House of Representatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You are asking us to just blindly trust the department, Sen. Samantha DeCorte (R, Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha ) told DHHL leaders during a March 11 hearing on House Bill 606, intended to make the additional $600 million appropriation. I need proof on what you guys have already done. After the hearing, Senate committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Housing recommended that an additional appropriation be $50 million instead of $600 million. On Thursday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee amended the bill to provide DHHL with $25 million for mercantile projects including retail stores, and $25 million for repair and maintenance. Part of DHHLs difficulty showing how many beneficiaries will come off its waitlist due to the 2022 funding, which Gov. Josh Green signed into law as Act 279, is that much of the money is being spent on backbone utility and road infrastructure supporting homestead lot construction dependent on additional funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Other portions of Act 279 funding have gone to buy land for lot development also subject to more funding, while some of the current funding is being used to produce lots at existing DHHL homestead projects. The 279 funding does more than just put people on the land, DHHL Director Kali Watson said in an interview. Its a long process. Its not something that happens overnight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watson said some of the $600 million is being invested in real estate because it will lead to less-costly lot development that should help deliver more homesteads to beneficiaries in the long run compared with pursuing more costly near-term projects serving fewer beneficiaries. Big goals Over the next 10 years, the agency expects to move about 6, 000 beneficiaries off its waitlist by providing homestead leases. But DHHL leaders havent always presented clear information at legislative meetings when describing planned lot production at specific projects funded by Act 279. DHHL spending plans have been hard to follow in part because the agency has repeatedly shifted gears over the last three years, adding some new projects and putting off others after the Hawaiian Homes Commission approved an original strategic plan in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watson, who led DHHL from 1995 to 1998 and later headed a nonprofit affordable-housing development company, said he has tried to take advantage of new opportunities to expand DHHLs lot development pipeline. As a developer, I think I know what Im doing, he said. Im always pivoting depending on the situation. Its not like were spending money inappropriately. I want to use (Act 279 funding ) in the most effective way. At a March 25 rally at the state Capitol, Watson said DHHL is working on 29 projects involving more than 3, 000 homesteads. A list of projects provided by the agency since then projects delivering 2, 283 lots using Act 279 funding. DHHL received the 2022 appropriation to mainly help reduce its list of nearly 30, 000 beneficiaries waiting for homesteads. Initially, the agency estimated it could produce 2, 727 lots largely in already planned or partially developed subdivisions using most of the $600 million under its strategic plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Act 279 provided DHHL wide spending latitude without legislative control, though the agency was required to return any portion of the appropriation not encumbered, or obligated for use, within three years. This deadline was later extended by a year to June 30, 2026. Moving targets DHHL leaders have briefed lawmakers on Act 279 spending plans several times over the last three years but havent always been clear about what the money will produce. During an August presentation to a House working group established in 2023 to monitor implementation of Act 279, DHHL officials couldnt clearly answer a question about what $39 million from the agencys Act 279 budget was going to be used for at an existing multi-phased project on Hawaii island called Villages of La i Opua. In printed materials, the agency suggested the $39 million was for 635 La i Opua lots. But when asked by one working group member what exactly the $39 million was for, Watson didnt give a precise answer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More recently, DHHL has estimated the cost to produce 580 lots at La i Opua at $120 million to $150 million, while $39 million from Act 279 would fund a portion of that. Another project where spending plans have been difficult to follow is Waiehu Mauka on Maui, where DHHL used $12 million in Act 279 funding to buy land and said in early 2024 that it expected to spend another $82 million to produce 161 lots, followed by a 150-lot second phase subject to additional funding. DHHL later indicated that all 311 Waiehu Mauka lots would be produced with the $82 million. More recently, DHHL reallocated $59 million from the Waiehu Mauka project to buy land in Kunia positioned for faster lot development if additional funding can be obtained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Troy Hashimoto (D, Wailuku-Kahului-Waihee ) criticized DHHL leaders for the funding shift during the March 11 hearing on HB 606. I know you guys are trying to play around with the money, Hashimoto said. If theres a strategic plan, we should be following the strategic plan. Watson said in an interview that developing the 311 Waiehu Mauka lots was expected to take 10 years because of heavy infrastructure needs, and that development there shouldnt slow if DHHL can obtain additional funding. A significant amount of Act 279 funding under Watsons leadership has been used to buy land for developing homestead lots with future funding. This includes $2 million for a 168-lot project site on Hawaii island, $2 million for a 108-lot project site on Oahu, $8.8 million for a 296-lot project site on Hawaii island, $12.3 million for a 207-lot project site on Maui and $20.7 million for a 1, 100-lot project site on Kauai. The Kauai project, according to Watson, is far off because a sewage treatment plant needs relocation. But he said the site is great because it borders urban parts of Lihue. DHHL anticipates being able to develop an initial 250 lots there with $120 million in additional funding. Paper lease awards Although many lots in DHHLs development pipeline are subject to future funding, the agency has begun to award leases to beneficiaries for some of those sites. Such leases give beneficiaries an undivided interest in land that has yet to be subdivided into lots. On March 22, the agency held a ceremony to award 665 such paper leases for two projects on Oahu at least partially funded by Act 279. At one of the projects, Ka uluokaha i in Kapolei, slated for 700 lots, DHHL intends to use $143 million of Act 279 funding to produce 500 lots between 2026 and 2031, while another 200 lots are subject to $60 million in additional funding. At the ceremony, 605 paper leases for Ka uluokaha i were awarded. Herman Mahelona, 80, received one of those leases. But his son, Dave, who accompanied his father to the event, said no one explained when an actual lot might be ready. Diamond Badajos, a DHHL spokesperson, said this depends on how many lease recipients who have been on the waitlist longer than Mahelona opt to receive one of the 500 initial lots. Some paper lease recipients may not be ready to accept a lot lease, which costs $1 a year but requires that a beneficiary pay for or build their own home. Dave Mahelona said his father typically doesnt show much emotion but was grateful. I seen his smile, he said. Yeah, he finally get one place to call home. He was really, really happy. The homestead program was established in 1921 by Congress to return Hawaiians to their ancestral lands after the U.S. annexed the islands. The program, administered by the state since 1959, offers residential, agricultural or pastoral land leases to DHHL beneficiaries, who must be at least 50 % Hawaiian. Over the past century, about 10, 000 homesteads have been created, or 100 per year on average, largely due to meager funding and a large land base not well-suited for residential development. One reason why DHHL has begun to issue paper leases is so that a recipient can pass a paper lease to a successor who is at least 25 % Hawaiian. A beneficiary who dies on the waitlist cannot have a successor take their place unless the successor is at least 50 % Hawaiian. At least 2, 100 DHHL beneficiaries have died while on the agencys waitlist, which recently reached 29, 543 applicants. Watson said his goal is to award a minimum of 7, 500 paper leases, which promise a lot lease at specified projects and remove a recipient from the waitlist. DHHL also has awarded some lot leases for homesteads nearing completion under Act 279. In June, the agency made 52 lease awards for a 161-lot project called Pu uhona on Maui where 137 of the lots will have homes sold to beneficiaries. On Saturday, DHHL awarded 91 more leases for Pu uhona, the agencys first project delivered with Act 279 funding. DHHL used $5.5 million from Act 279 to buy the Pu uhona site and is spending $17 million more to create the subdivision. A developer is building the homes using private financing. Several of the homes are close to being finished, and completion of Pu uhona is expected next year. Sen. Tim Richards, chair of the Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee, said he has confidence in DHHL leadership and would like to see the agency receive another $600 million for homestead development. But Richards (D, North Hilo-Waimea-North Kona ) also said the uncertain financial outlook for the state this year makes such an appropriation difficult. Rep. Luke Evslin, who helped introduce HB 606, acknowledged that the agencys plans can be confusing. But he said DHHL is doing a good job balancing near-and long-term homestead production for an overwhelming need. Any way that you dice the numbers, I think to me the general takeaway is that the need is so great, and essentially we need to figure out a way to get them as much money as possible, said Evslin (D, Wailua-Lihue ). I dont judge them on the way that they have tried to straddle investing in the future at the same time as investing in infrastructure necessary to hand over (lots ) to beneficiaries. We recently published a list of 11 Best Marine Shipping Stocks to Invest in Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) stands against other best marine shipping stocks to invest in now. According to Dr. Shashi Kumar of the US Naval Institute, geopolitical developments tend to have a greater impact on the highly volatile shipping market compared to market forces. Since the 200708 financial crisis, the broader global shipping market continues to face a series of new challenges. However, the challenging conditions this industry faced in 2024 were unmatched over the past decade and a half, says Kumar. The years challenging conditions included the prolonged war in Ukraine, wanton Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as well as increased tensions in the South China Sea. Kumar also noted that container ships decided to avoid the Suez Canal and chose to transport goods around southern Africa, which increased transit time and greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, the owners of these container ships saw a profitable year. What Lies Ahead for Marine Vessels Market? The marine vessels market is expected to reach US$133.63 billion by 2030 from US$111.10 billion in 2024, as per Research and Markets. While global trade continues to fuel the demand for different types of ships, the military navy growth has also been lending support to expand the market. Notably, the requirement for larger and more versatile vessels stems from the demand for efficient transportation of goods. Also, increasing passenger and tourism needs continue to fuel fleet expansion and technology upgrades. The firm believes that several cruise lines have been adding more ships to cater to the needs of travelers focusing on unique experiences. Overall, the strategic fleet renewal remains critical for market improvement. New and fuel-efficient vessels have been supporting to meet environmental standards and lower costs, says Research and Markets. The transition towards sustainable shipping practices continues to become more critical to obey the international rules targeting reduced emissions. READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. Cargo Vessels Segment Is Expected to Lead Growth Research and Markets believes that cargo vessels continue to become a critical part of commercial shipping. Such vessels tend to play a vital role in global trade by transporting numerous goods across the seas. With the demand for faster and more reliable shipping increasing, the broader industry remains focused on adopting new technologies. Notably, modern navigation systems, eco-friendly fuels, and automation tend to enhance efficiency, improve safety, and reduce the environmental impact. Therefore, as global trade has been expanding, cargo vessels remain critical when it comes to international commerce and economic growth. This article was originally published in Wisconsin Examiner. Head Start child care providers in Wisconsin and five other Midwestern states were stunned Tuesday to learn that the federal agencys Chicago regional office was closed and their administrators were placed on leave throwing new uncertainty into the operation of the 60-year-old child care and early education program. The Regional Office is a critical link to maintaining program services and safety for children and families, said Jennie Mauer, executive director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association, in a statement distributed to news organizations Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The surprise shutdown of the federal agencys Chicago office and four others across the country left Head Start program directors uncertain about where to turn, Mauer said. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter We have received calls throughout the day from panicked Head Start programs worried about impacts to approving their current grants, fiscal issues, and applications to make their programs more responsive to their local communities, Mauer said. The regional offices are part of the Office of Head Start in the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview, Mauer said there had been no official word to Head Start providers about the Chicago office closing. Some program leaders learned of the closing from private contacts with people in the office. We have not seen official information come out to local Head Start directors, who operate on the federal grants that fund the program, Mayer said. Its just really alarming. For an agency that is about serving families, I dont understand how this can be. The National Head Start Association issued a press release Tuesday expressing deep concern about the regional office closings. Related Poverty Wages, Staffing Crisis: New Federal Rule Looks to Sustain Head Start In order to avoid disrupting services for children and families, we urge the administration to reconsider these actions until a plan has been created and shared widely, the association stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Katie Hamm, the deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development at HHS during the Biden administration, posted on LinkedIn shortly before 12 noon Tuesday that she had learned of reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to employees in the Administration for Children and Families earlier in the day. RIF notices appear to have gone to all employees of the Office of Head Start and the Office of Child Care in five regional offices, Hamm wrote, in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle in addition to Chicago. Staff are on paid leave effective immediately and no longer have access to their files, Hamm wrote. There does not appear to be a transition plan so that Head Start grantees, States, and Tribes are assigned to a new office. For Head Start, it is unclear who will administer grants going forward. Hamm left HHS at the end of the Biden administration in January, according to her LinkedIn profile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mauer said regional office employees are our key partners and colleagues, and their departure has left Head Start operators incredibly saddened and deeply concerned. Regional employees work with providers to ensure the safety and quality of services and to meet the mission of providing care for the most vulnerable families in the country, Mauer said. The regional offices provide grant oversight, distribute funds, monitor Head Start programs and advise centers on complying with regulations, including for child safety, she said. They also provide training and technical assistance for local Head Start programs. The Regional Office is a critical link to maintaining program services and safety for children and families, Mauer said. These cuts will have a direct impact on programs, children, and families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to Wisconsin, the Chicago regional office oversees programs in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. Head Start supervises about 284 grants across the six states in programs that enroll about 115,000 children, according to Mauer. There are 39 Head Start providers in Wisconsin enrolling about 16,000 children and employing about 4,000 staff. The federal government created Head Start in the mid-1960s to provide early education for children living in low-income households. Head Start operators report that the vast majority of the families they serve rely on the program to provide child care so they can hold jobs. The regional office closings came two months after a sudden halt in Head Start funding. Head Start operators get a federal reimbursement after they incur expenses, and program directors have been accustomed to being able to submit their expenses and receive reimbursement payments through an online portal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over about two weeks in late January and early February, program leaders in Wisconsin and across the country reported that they were unable to log into the system or post their payment requests. The glitches persisted for some programs for several days, but were ultimately resolved by Feb. 10. Mauer told the Wisconsin Examiner on Tuesday that so far, there have not been new payment delays. But there has also been no communication with Head Start operators about what happens now with the unexpected regional office closings, she said. No plan for who will provide support has been shared, and the still-existing regional offices are already understaffed, Mauer said. Im very nervous to see what happens. With no transition plan this will be a disaster. In her statement, Mauer said the regional office closing was another example of the Federal Administrations continuing assault on Head Start following the earlier funding freeze and stalled reimbursements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said closing regional offices was undermining the programs ability to function. We call on Congress to immediately investigate this blatant effort to hamper Head Starts ability to provide services, Mauer stated, and to hold the Administration accountable for their actions. Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Friday announced that Marina del Rey deputies had arrested a Louisiana man suspected in the double murder of his parents. Joshua Brocato, 34, was wanted by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office on suspicion of fatally shooting his elderly parents, Priscilla and Marc Brocato, in their southeastern Louisiana town of Amite. Brocato was apprehended in Los Angeles a day after the Louisiana sheriff's office announced it was searching for him after a welfare check at his parents' home. Authorities say they found the bodies of his 66-year-old mother inside the house and his 75-year-old father on the property. Louisiana officials issued an arrest warrant for two counts of first-degree murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Trump administration orders national parks to remain open amid staffing shortages In a news release, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that deputies arrested Brocato after conducting a traffic stop, having noted a parked white Ford E-150 van in the 5400 block of Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. The car "matched the description of a wanted homicide vehicle out of Louisiana," the department said. "During the course of the deputies investigation, they discovered Suspect Brocato was in possession of body-armor and several loaded firearms including an assault rifle," the department said. Brocato probably fled to California within three days of the killings, the department said. Louisiana officials estimate Brocato's parents died either on March 31 or April 1. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office confirmed Brocato's arrest in Los Angeles in an updated news release on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The reason for the crime is still unknown," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department news release said. Although it's unclear why Brocato fled to California, the department said the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office had "alerted several law enforcement agencies in Southern California." Brocato also was booked on suspicion of multiple gun offenses, including possession of a loaded unregistered firearm and possession of an assault weapon, the Sheriff's Department said. Brocato was booked at the Marina del Rey station without bail and has a Tuesday court date, the department said. Los Angeles officials are working with Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office on transferring Brocato back to Louisiana, according to the news release. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BENSONHURST, Brooklyn (WPIX) A heroic 11-year-old called the police after she and three other children were stabbed in Brooklyn, police said. The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. at a home on 84th Street between 16th and 17th Avenues, according to fire officials. The 11-year-old, hiding in a room while calling 911, told police she and her three sisters, ages 8, 13, and 16, had been stabbed by their uncle, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a Sunday update to reporters. Tisch explained that when police arrived on the scene, they found a man holding a large meat cleaver covered in blood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California town reports third fatality related to rare virus linked to death of Gene Hackmans wife Another uninjured child had also gone to the neighbors for help, then led police into the building when they arrived, Tisch said. Once in a hallway, police could hear screams from behind a closed door. Police kicked down the door to find a horrific, bloody scene and the suspected attacker. Officers told the man to drop his weapon several times before two officers shot at him seven times, striking him at least once, Tisch said. The suspected attacker, she added, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Tisch, all four girls had serious slash and stab wounds and received care on scene before being transported to an area hospital. They are all expected to survive. There was five children in there, four hurt and a young man who so bravely went to the neighbors to alert the neighbors to call us. Also, that 11-year-old who made that [911] call quite heroic on their behalf, Chief of Department John Chell said Sunday. Second child died from measles-related causes in West Texas Police found a second knife on the scene, while the mans relationship with the girls and the motive remain under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family members told police the suspected attacker has a history of mental illness, but there is no reported history of domestic violence at the home, authorities said. No additional details were immediately available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. As parts of Greater Cincinnati experience flooding from the storms and heavy rainfall that swept through the region over the past week, some Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio roadways are blocked on Sunday. The heavy rain has stopped, but the National Weather Services says scattered showers are expected throughout the day. High water and flooding are also expected even after the rain ends. [4:55 AM] Although the heavy rain has ended, additional light rain is expected through the day today. Some river flooding will linger well into the start of the workweek, with road closures due to high water possible for several days. Remember -- turn around, don't drown! pic.twitter.com/4hEuzq5Mu5 NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) April 6, 2025 Sunday morning, the National Weather Service issued a flood statement saying the flood warning continues for the Ohio River at Cincinnati until further notice. The Ohio River has reached moderate flooding levels for the first time since 2021, according to the National Water Prediction Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Transportation officials are urging motorists to check travel conditions before they hit the road and to never drive through flooded roadways. Here's a list of weather-related road closures in Greater Cincinnati: Riddles Run Road (KY 2852) between Beaver Road (KY 338) and Hathaway Road (KY 536) in Boone County. Three Mile Road (KY 2238) between Johns Hill Road (KY 2345) and the nearby pump station in Campbell County. Pond Creek Road (KY 1936) at the corner Visalia Road in Campbell County. River Road (KY 445) between Delta Avenue and Mary Ingles Highway (KY 6635) in Campbell County. Oneonta Road (KY 1566) near Truesdell Road in Campbell County. Mary Ingles Highway (KY 6335) between River Road (KY 445) and Tower Hill Road due to a mudslide in Campbell County. Decoursey Pike (KY 177) at Conley Road in Kenton County. Pike Street (KY 8) between Lagoon Street and Pleasant Street in Kenton County. Locust Pike (KY 1930) near Locust Pike Park in Kenton County. Decoursey Pike (KY 177) near Washboard Road in Kenton County. River Road (KY 8) between Amsterdam Road (KY 371) and the 1.20 mile point due to a mudslide in Kenton County. Fowler Creek Road (KY 1486) between Senour Road (KY 2047) and Sycamore Creek Drive in Kenton County. Rich Road (KY 14) between Hempfling Road and Cruise Creek Road in Kenton County. All lanes are closed on U.S. Route 52 to Kellogg Avenue due to flooding in Hamilton County. Eastbound State Route 32 from Signal Hill Lane to beyond Turpin Lake Place is closed due to flooding in Hamilton County. State Route 749 is closed in both directions beyond Alpine Terrace due to debris in Clermont County. All lanes on State Route 232 East at U.S. 52 and SR-232 West at Big Indian Road are closed due to flooding in Clermont County. Lawrenceburg Road between U.S. Route 50 and Miamiview Road in Whitewater Township. Lawrenceburg Road between Rosetta and Suspension Bridge in Whitewater Township. Lawrenceburg Road at Suspension Bridge in Whitewater Township. Kilby Road between U.S. 50 and Suspension Bridge in Whitewater Township. Jordan Road at East Miami in Miami Township. East Miami Road between the Cleve corporation line and Jordan in Miami Township. East Miami Road between Buffalo Ridge and Gum Run in Miami Township. East Miami Road between Gum Run and Harrison Avenue in Miami and Colerain townships. Lakeridge Drive between McKelvey Road and Lochcrest Drive in Springfield Township. Miles Road between Covered Bridge and Southshore Drive in Springfield Township. Sutton Road from Kellogg Avenue to Two Mile Road in Anderson Township. Kellogg Avenue from Sutton Road to Five Mile Road in Anderson Township. Four Mile Road from Kellogg Avenue to Gwendolyn Road in Anderson Township. Eight Mile Road from Hopper Road to U.S. 52 in Anderson Township. Debolt Road at Center Street in Anderson Township. This story may be updated. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati road closures: Flooding, high water impacts commutes This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Dailys Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals whats keeping them entertained. Todays special guest is Annie Joy Williams, an assistant editor who has written about the end of Hooters and the Republican leaders who once thought January 6 was tragic. Annie Joy enjoys listening to Michael Martin Murphey with her father, recommends watching Vengeance for some proper honey-butter-chicken-biscuit appreciation, and is a proud Alex Cooper apologist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But first, here are three Sunday reads from The Atlantic: The Culture Survey: Annie Joy Williams A musical artist who means a lot to me: Michael Martin Murphey. I have to thank my father for introducing me to him. My father was a pilot, so he was constantly traveling when I was growing up outside of Nashville. When he was in town, it was a special treat for me and my sisters to get picked up in his GMC truck, which was equipped with crank windows and decorated with enough bumper stickers to cause some serious fights with my mom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was always a Michael Martin Murphey tape in the cassette player. His song Wildfire brought my dad to tears. My personal favorites were Vanishing Breed and Children of the Wild World. When he played Pilgrims on the Way, my dad would slap his Wrangler jeans in time with the lyric The cowboy slaps the dust away. Some combination of hay, dirt, and dust would fly into the air (he moonlighted as a farmer), and I thought it was hilarious. He and I went on a trip to Montana this past winter, and Murphey was once again our soundtrack, for the first time in about 15 years. We both cried as we looked out the window. My favorite movies: La La Land, Greta Gerwigs Little Women, and (500) Days of Summer are all top films for me. A less widely known film that I just adore is B. J. Novaks Vengeance. I find that many films about the South are offensive to those of us who hail from there. And I get it, its easy to make southerners the butt of the jokewe really tee it up for people sometimes. Rarely do I find a film that adequately captures both the good and the bad of a place so storied and complex. Novak spent substantial time in West Texas before filming to better understand its people. I want this to be Texans favorite movie, he told Texas Monthly. The film is hilarious. I saw it in D.C. with a group of friends I once lived with in Texas, and we kept saying how its portrayal of the North-South disconnect is spot-on. Plus, it pays proper homage to the honey-butter chicken biscuit, which I appreciate. [Related: The podcast spreading the love of cowboy culture] The last museum or gallery show that I loved: The Alvin Ailey exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in New York City. As a dance teacher, Ive always admired the contributions Ailey made to modern dance. He was a gay Black man from rural Texas who used choreography as a form of protest during the civil-rights movement. He eventually became a household name in New York, showcasing routines inspired by the river baptisms and gospel music of his Texas childhood. My favorite part of the exhibit was the collection of notes he wrote to himself, a mix of manifestos and eight-count choreography. I visited the exhibit with my mother, who sacrificed a lot to put me through dance classes and endless competitions, so experiencing that together was sweet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A quiet song that I love, and a loud song that I love: Im more of a quiet-song person myself, so Ill give you three: Boyhood, by the Japanese House; Bathroom Light, by Mt. Joy; and Into the Mystic, by Van Morrison. A loud song that I love is Love It if We Made It, by the 1975. Also, You and I, by Lady Gaga. Makes me wish I was from Nebraska. A cultural product I loved as a teenager and still love, and something I loved but now dislike: It wasnt so much a cultural product as it was a cultural moment, but Id like to think I grew up in the era of peak Disney Channel. My sisters are firmly Millennials, so I got to bear witness to the greats of their generation, such as Lizzie McGuire and Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, as well as those of my generationHannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, and, perhaps most notably, Disney Channel Games. I might have been too cool to love this stuff by my teenage years, but Ive recently returned to these classics. My best friend and I discovered a Disney Channel Original Hits dance class at a studio in Brooklyn. Weve gotten really close with the instructor, and its quickly become the highlight of our week. Now, the concealer lips, ultra-thin eyebrows, and extreme side parts from that era? We can leave those in 2005. [Related: What tween TV teaches kids] A favorite story Ive read in The Atlantic: Jenisha From Kentucky, by Jenisha Watts, and The Day I Got Old, by Caitlin Flanagan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An online creator whom Im a fan of: Look, say what you will, but Alex Cooper is a mastermind. I used to be a skeptic. The first time I listened to Call Her Daddy, I was stunned. It was 2019, and she was still tag-teaming the podcast with Sofia Franklyn. The episode was truly one of the most vulgar things Id ever heard. Now I know she was scheming from the start. Cooper grabbed the worlds attention through her sex-forward crassness, and right when the public was ready to cast her out as a buxom blonde with little more to her than sex tricks and a pretty face, she showed her smarts. In the new, sans-Franklyn version of her show, she often gets rare sit-downs with pop-culture phenomenons, political candidates, and renowned actors. And they actually share revealing things with her because theyre thinking: This girl was just detailing her sex life in front of the whole worldshe cant judge me. Her unconventional openness invites openness from anyone sitting across from her. Not every interview is groundbreaking, but at least shes getting every interview. Is her approach my style? Maybe not, but Im a proud Alex Cooper apologist. A poem that I return to: Id like to think that Im above bias here, but my sister is a poet, and I have spent my life trying to be half the writer she is. I always come back to this one poem she wrote about our experience as girls in church. Now we watch our nieces grow up and discover God. God was not a girl. The earth he made with apples seeds, the heavens with half-priced glitter. We danced, and God smiled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drop the crayon, take a tampon. Sundays are for silver crosses and Im sorry, prayer groups circling rumors. God is purity vow and camp deposit. God is a one-piece swimsuit. God is not a girl. Our hips he made with hunger, our tongues with minty silence. We kneel, and God tells us to smile. The Week Ahead Warfare, a film based on the co-director Ray Mendozas experiences during the Iraq War (in theaters Friday) Season 7 of Black Mirror, a satirical sci-fi series (premieres Thursday on Netflix) Authority, an essay collection by the Pulitzer Prizewinning critic Andrea Long Chu (out Tuesday) Essay Why You Should Work Like Its the 90s Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By Chris Moody One Friday afternoon 10 years ago, Andrew Heaton, then a cable-news writer, joined his colleagues for a meeting. The shows producer asked the staff to keep an eye on their email over the weekend in case they needed to cover a breaking news event. No one seemed to mindworking full days in person while remaining on call in the evening and on weekends has always been a standard practice in the news businessbut Heaton had a simple request. He said he would be happy to go in but asked if his boss could call him on the phone instead of emailing him. He didnt want to spend his time off continually monitoring his inbox for a message that might not even come Heaton was onto something. Read the full article. More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic Photo Album Followers of the Layene Sufi Order, dressed in white, gather to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer at the tomb of Seydina Limamou Lahi, the founder of the Layene Order. (Cem Ozdel / Anadolu / Getty) Take a look at these photos of the week, showing Eid al-Fitr celebrations around the world, a new volcanic eruption in Iceland, the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Myanmar, unrest at a town hall in Indiana, and more. When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Article originally published at The Atlantic A story in the Newark Advocate, published March 26, 1908, stated that U.S. Rep. William Ashbrook introduced a bill to authorize the secretary of war to provide Newark with a cannon for the Grand Army of the Republic to place in Cedar Hill Cemetery's Civil War Soldiers lot. As a result of the bill's passage, the newspaper published details of the cannon April 25. The cannon, which weighs 820 lbs., arrived here this week from the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. The carriage which is to come from Watervliet Arsenal in the east (New York) is expected to arrive within a few days when the cannon will be mounted at the summit of Cedar Hill on the GAR grounds owned by the Lemert Post (of Civil War Veterans) and will guard the north gate of the cemetery. Superintendent A.J. Crilly of the cemetery paid the charges on the freight and sent the bill to Congressman Ashbrook who has actively interested himself in securing the cannon for Cedar Hill without a cent of cost to Newark and Licking County. Records from the Rock Island Arsenal archives obtained by Ken Oswalt with the Licking County Commissioners Office indicate that the cannon is a 3-inch ordinance rifle designed by John Griffen. A serial number search on the cannon reveals that it was cast in 1865 at the Phoenix Iron Co. in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On May 23, the carriage for the cannon tube arrived in Newark, where the cannon was placed in the cemetery in time for the Memorial Day service. Sixty-one years later, in July 1969, the cannon's wooden carriage needed repairs, which cost $700. In 1996, repairs were once again required. Dan Applegate, then-director of Cedar Hill Cemetery Director, stated in an Advocate article dated Nov. 8, 1997, that the cannon was completely overhauled, including a rebuild of its carriage and wheels. That restoration cost $7,000 and lasted 27 years. In 2024, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Ohio Cmdr. Steve Ball approached Cedar Hill Superintendent Chance Patznick about restoring the cannon. In cooperation with the Licking County Commissioners, Licking County Veterans Service Office and the city of Newark, the cannon has once again been restored. A new aluminum carriage replaced the wooden carriage, just like the cannons in the Gettysburg National Military Park, ensuring this restoration will last for many years to come. The cannon will be commemorated by a memorial marker, which Patznick plans to install in the coming months. A rededication ceremony will take place Saturday at Cedar Hill Cemetery. At 10:30 a.m., the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental Band will begin playing music. A program will begin at 11 a.m. and features speakers, as well as the firing of a rifle salute by the 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. As part of the ceremonies, reenactors from Battery M of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery will display and fire the Sherman Cannon from Lancaster. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs to the event, which is free. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug Stout is the local history coordinator for the Licking County Library. You may contact him at 740-349-5571 or dstout@lickingcountylibrary.org. His book "Never Forgotten: The Stories of Licking County Veterans" is available for purchase at the library or online at bookbaby.com. This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Historic Newark canon rededication ceremony to take place April 12 AUSTIN (KXAN) The Texas Department of Public Safety said a Honduran immigrant, who the agency said was in the U.S. illegally, was arrested in Austin Tuesday. DPS had placed 25-year-old Anderson Ronaldo Reyes Giron on Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. According to the department, Reyes Giron was arrested on charges of deadly conduct for discharging a firearm and theft of property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DPS said Reyes Giron was taken into custody outside a game room in central Austin. DPS Special Agents, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and Austin Police Department North Metro Tactical Unit Officers assisted in the arrest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. HONOLULU (KHON2) Honolulu Fire Department officials extinguished a fire at a single-story house in Waianae that left two people hospitalized. The fire was first reported at approximately 5:30 p.m., and firefighters were soon on the scene. The blaze was extinguished just before 7 p.m. HDOE, partners look to enhance traffic safety following deadly year According to paramedics, two patients were treated and transported to a nearby hospital. There were no other patients identified at the scene, EMS says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the patients, a 62-year-old male, was reportedly hospitalized in serious condition. The other patient, a 71-year-old male, was reportedly hospitalized in stable condition. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The two victims are both residents of the house, and were found outside of the building upon the arrival of HFD. There were no individuals inside the house otherwise. There were no other injuries to residents or HFD. The American Red Cross has been contacted to provide assistance to five residents who are displaced as a result of the blaze. HFD has initiated an investigation to determine the fires origin and to provide damage estimates. The investigations finding will be available upon conclusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman reiterated the Neutral rating on Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) on Thursday, raising the price forecast from $65 to $66. Goldman cited medium-term risks tied to an ongoing supply and demand imbalance in the French fry market. Yesterday, the company reported third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.10, beating the analyst consensus estimate of 87 cents. Quarterly sales of $1.521 billion (up 4% year over year) outpaced the street view of $1.492 billion. The analyst noted that while the industry holds long-term growth potential, current conditions present uncertainty, and visibility beyond the near term remains limited. Also Read: JPMorgan Raises Recession Risk To 60% As Largest US Tax Hike In 60 Years Hits Global Economy Goldman also projects that the company will continue adjusting prices to regain market share, but expressed doubts about whether demand will grow fast enough to match supply in the coming years. Still, the analyst acknowledged the long-term appeal. The analyst highlighted the difficulty in forecasting Lamb Weston's performance beyond the upcoming quarter due to several uncertainties surrounding fiscal year 2026. Goldman noted potential upside factors such as new customer contracts, lower potato input costs in North America, greater-than-expected cost savings, and increased share repurchases. Additionally, the analyst pointed out that FY26 will include an extra week, which could positively affect results. Meanwhile, Goldman also flagged several risks, including ongoing pricing initiatives to win business without guaranteed cost deflation, persistent challenges in the quick-service restaurant sector, a possible rise in overall fry supply, and uncertainties tied to tariffs. Price Action: LW shares are trading lower by 0.55% to $59.25 at last check Friday. Read Next: Photo via Shutterstock. Latest Ratings for LW Date Firm Action From To Oct 2021 Jefferies Maintains Buy May 2021 Stifel Upgrades Hold Buy Apr 2021 Goldman Sachs Downgrades Buy Neutral View More Analyst Ratings for LW View the Latest Analyst Ratings Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Lamb Weston May Keep Cutting Prices To Win Back Market Share, But Demand Recovery Remains Uncertain originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. House Republican leaders told their members Sunday they still plan on muscling a reworked Senate budget blueprint through the House this week, according to multiple people briefed on the plans, even as fiscal hawks say there is enough opposition to tank the measure should it come to a vote. Several House Republicans have vowed in recent days to oppose the Senate framework, including Rep. Chip Roy of Texas a leader of the hard-right bloc and some other members of the House Freedom Caucus. With a 220-213 majority, Speaker Mike Johnson can lose only three Republicans on a party-line vote if all members are present and voting. The Senate plan that passed will easily fail on the House floor, one House Republican said Sunday afternoon as GOP leaders tried to rally the rank and file on a conference call with their members. The fiscal hawk was granted anonymity, as were the other people, to speak candidly about private conversations and the state of play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the call, GOP leaders argued that House Republicans desperately need to advance the Senate-approved plan without changes or else trigger another month of delays in the process, according to two other people with direct knowledge of the conversation. The uncertainty over the budget plan comes amid the market carnage sparked by President Donald Trump's new tariff announcement, which has privately rattled many Hill Republicans in recent days. As the market losses pile up, some lawmakers are griping that the administration is failing to provide them with enough information about its plan before the tariffs go into effect this week. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee did hold a private call Friday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to five people granted anonymity to describe the private call. Greer is set to testify before the panel this Wednesday, as well as the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. But Republicans beyond the panel are growing increasingly anxious that they don't have more information. After members raised concerns on the Sunday call, Johnson said he would ask for an administration official to brief the conference. POLITICO first reported that Johnson planned to force the reworked Senate budget resolution through without changes. With their eye on a vote as soon as Wednesday, he and other GOP leaders know they will need Trump's help in pushing it through. But, according to the three people, leaders want to get the number of holdouts down before they ask for more reinforcement from Trump and White House officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GOP hard-liners, meanwhile, are digging in against the plan, with the public whip count of Republican nos growing at what aides consider an alarming rate. Besides Roy, Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland, Andy Ogles of Tennessee and Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania have expressed outright opposition. Others, including Budget Chair Jodey Arrington of Texas, have registered dismay without explicitly promising to vote against it. And Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, the only GOP holdout on a prior budget vote last month, is expected to oppose the revised plan as well. The new budget plan combines the House GOP's original framework of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts with the bare-bones Senate plan, which guarantees only $4 billion in spending cut targets and more room for tax cuts that aren't fully paid for. Adopting the fiscal framework is a necessary step for Republicans in passing their sweeping tax, border and energy package; without it, Republicans won't be able to sidestep a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. If the vote is poised to fail this week, senior Republicans are discussing whether to make changes to the plan and send it back to the Senate for approval requiring burning more floor time with a grueling vote-a-rama or sending GOP leaders and committee chairs from both chambers to a conference meeting to hammer out an agreement. Harris on Saturday floated another option: simply moving forward with the drafting of the final megabill without having a budget blueprint in place. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A dueling piano bar known for cocktails served by the bucket has closed its Downtown location after less than four years of business. Howl at the Moon at 504 Park St. permanently shuttered on Monday, the brand announced on social media. The live-music bar had opened in November 2021 and marked the Chicago-based chains only Ohio location. Columbus hotel that hosted U.S. presidents under new ownership after $10 million sale Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After four incredible years in the Arena District, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who visited us week after week, as well as our dedicated staff for their unwavering support, the social media post. The dueling piano bar was known for cocktails served by the bucket. (Courtesy Photo/Howl at the Moon) The abrupt closure came shortly after the bar posted a list of events that were scheduled to take place throughout the next several months, like a 2000s Party and 80s Night set for April, along with Cinco de Mayo night and 90s Weekend in May. The bar was home to collection of fruity cocktails served in 32 ounce and 86 ounce buckets, like the Malibu Barbie bucket with Pink Whitney Vodka, Malibu Strawberry Rum, grenadine and lemon sour. Another bucket, the Spill The Tea, included Deep Eddy Iced Tea Vodka, Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka and Liquid Death Grim Leafer. Seven central Ohio strip malls sold to Florida company for $21 million Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howl at the Moon operates several other locations across the U.S., including bars in Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, and abroad several Norwegian cruise ships. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Hundreds of protesters lined Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick midday Saturday for the volunteer-organized Hands Off! Kennewick Fights Back demonstration. They protested the Trump administrations actions, calling out the falling stock market since tariffs were announced and high consumer prices. They called for free speech, fair elections and hands off Medicaid, Medicare, LGBTQ rights and medical research funding. Protesters lined the boulevard the length of Columbia Center mall from Quinault Avenue north to near Tapteal Loop, with additional protesters on the other side of the boulevard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crowd numbered around 1,000 by some estimates and more than that by other estimates. Traffic on the boulevard slowed and many drivers honked in support. There also were some jeers and thumbs down from passing Trump supporters. Hundreds of people lined Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick Saturday for a Hands Off! Kennewick Fights Back, to protest Trump administration policies. U.S. News reported that 500,000 across the nation were expected to come out for Hands Off protests at 1.,400 locations. Indivisible Tri-Cities WA, a chapter of the national Indivisible organization, founded in 2016 after Trumps first election victory as a social movement to guide liberal-leaning resistance, organized the Kennewick protest. They are dismantling our country, it posted online. They are looting our government. And they think well just watch. Hundreds of people lined Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick Saturday for a Hands Off! Kennewick Fights Back, to protest Trump administration policies. The Seattle Times said Hands Off! protests were also held Saturday in Bellingham, Bothell, Deming, Edmonds, Ellensburg, Everett, Everson, Friday Harbor, Kirkland, Langely, Longview, Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Orcas Island, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Pullman, Seattle, Shaw Island, Spokane, Vancouver, Whidbey Island and Yakima. A protest also was planned in Walla Walla. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The action to protest the Trump administration comes just 75 days into Trumps second term. In that short time, the Trump administrations decisions have caused upheaval in Washington, D.C., and virtually every foreign capital, as it pushes major changes to the nations immigration and trade policies and wades into conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, according to media reports. Hundreds of people lined Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick Saturday for a Hands Off! Kennewick Fights Back, to protest Trump administration policies. Washington state has been far from immune to Trumps work. Tariffs enacted this week by Trump have Washingtons food and agricultural industry bracing for a trade war. The resulting plunge of stock markets has taken many retirement account balances down with them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following Trumps tariffs and his threats to Canadian sovereignty, border crossings from Canada to Washington state have plummeted, and in March the U.S. paused Columbia River water-sharing negotiations with Canada. Hundreds of people lined Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick Saturday for a Hands Off! Kennewick Fights Back, to protest Trump administration policies. Hundreds of people lined Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick Saturday for a Hands Off! Kennewick Fights Back, to protest Trump administration policies. The Seattle Times contributed to this report. Demonstrators held a rally in Kansas Citys Country Club Plaza as part of nationwide protests Saturday, marking the second consecutive weekend of local protests against the Trump administration. Organizers said the protest aimed to call on President Donald Trump and senior adviser Elon Musk to take their hands off programs that working families rely on. Those in attendance voiced concern for health care access, Social Security, First Amendment rights, prices of everyday goods and other causes. Donning stocking caps and bundled up in winter coats against an April chill, hundreds of protesters held picket signs along the sidewalks of Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Main Street. People stationed throughout the crowd with megaphones led chants as cars passing by honked. Protesters expressed their views during a rally called Hands Off! Kansas City Fights Back, a peaceful pro-democracy rally that takes aim at Elon Musk and the Trump administrations policies on Saturday, April 5, on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. The rally brought together people of varying political affiliations, including Republicans, Democrats and independents who take issue with federal policies affecting local people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One protester, a Marine Corps veteran, flew an upside down American flag as she joined in the chants. The veteran, Amanda Sontag, 39, said she completed two combat tours in Iraq. Among other issues, seeing layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs leaves her concerned about access to her veteran health care benefits, she said. To see people deported with without due process, to see judges bullied, to see our Congress really just crippled, its beyond partisan politics, Sontag said. These issues are fundamental to our Constitution, and Im not going to let it go silently. Protesters including Vicki Ryder of Lees Summit and Michele Markowitz of Kansas City, joined hundreds for the Hands Off! Kansas City Fights Back on Saturday, April 5, on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Last weekend, thousands marched from downtown Kansas City to Union Station in what organizers called a March for Democracy. Several attendees, who identified themselves as both Republicans and Democrats, voiced concerns about what they see as federal government overreach in citizens rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before this weekends rally at The Plaza, the sanctuary at Community Christian Church overflowed with people as organizers of the rally shared ways to take action. By mid-morning, a sign on the front door of the church read We are at capacity per fire codes, turning dozens away. People were packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the sanctuary balcony. Protesters lined the street during Hands Off! Kansas City Fights Back, a peaceful pro-democracy rally that takes aim at Elon Musk and Trump administrations policies. Attending the rally with her neighbor Saturday was Ann Zimmerman, 60, who said emailing representatives has become part of her regular routine. Zimmerman said she has conservative values, but disagrees with federal layoffs, tariffs and cuts to thousands of grant programs. My whole life has been in the nonprofit world, Zimmerman said. When you know how much... nonprofits are doing each day to improve the lives of other people, and then... (the Department of Government Efficiency) is just arbitrarily cutting people, cutting grants, its like they havent even evaluated whats working. A protester held a sign reading No Kings during Hands Off! Kansas City Fights Back in response to some of the policies and actions of Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Ronda McCrary, 68, lives next to Zimmerman in Shawnee. McCrary said she supports limiting federal spending, but views the DOGE initiative as harmful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve been saying for years, figure it out. You know, quit throwing money away, McCrary said. But this is not how to do that. Around 1,000 people attended the Kansas City Hands Off protest Saturday, and hundreds more attended similar protests in Lenexa, Overland Park, Leawood and Leavenworth. The demonstrations were peaceful as attendees made their grievances known. Pro-democracy demonstrators gathered near West 87th Street and Maurer Road in Lenexa on Saturday, April 5, to protest the policies of the Trump administration. The protest was part of an organized nationwide effort called Hands off! Roger Lake, 63, came to the rally on the Plaza with his Local 124 chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Kansas City. Lake said he is concerned about labor union battles against the Trump administration during job cuts and what implications they might have on trade unions. Lake is a wireman by trade, he said, and knows people who work for federal agencies around Kansas City. He has friends at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) who have been laid off, or are being told they can no longer do their job as it was before, he said. Protesters lined the street and expressed their views during Hands Off! Kansas City Fights Back on Saturday in Kansas City. I have one friend that is labor liaison for the Department of Labor that used to come speak to us about the policies and stuff, Lake said. Hes been told to stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were under attack. Just a few years ago in Missouri, they... tried to turn us into a right to work state, and we fought that back, Lake said. So we cant stand idle and let the government take down others, because theyll come after us next. Over 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups across the nation, the Associated Press reported. Protest sites spanned all 50 states and convened at well-known government landmarks including the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and at state capitol buildings. Apr. 5Hundreds of Flathead Valley residents marched through downtown Kalispell on Saturday to protest the Trump administration. Four local groups, Flathead Democracy, 50501MT, Indivisible and Flathead Democrats, organized the event to coordinate with more than 1,300 other Hands Off! protests across the U.S. According to Leanette Galaz, an organizer with Flathead Democracy, about 750 individuals had registered for the Kalispell event by Friday afternoon. On Saturday, participants swarmed around the gazebo in Depot Park. Many held cardboard signs urging the federal government to take its "hands off" social services, education and public lands. Others held American flags turned upside down to signal distress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While participants cited various reasons for attending the protest, all expressed frustration and discomfort with actions President Trump has taken during his first few months in office. Eleanore Eberts is a fifth-generation Montanan with a farm on the Flathead River. Several of her elderly relatives rely on Social Security benefits, and Eberts doubts she will be able to make up the financial deficit as the recently imposed tariffs have stalled the sale of her grain crop. "I don't know how I'm going to feed my family," said Eberts. Bigfork resident Heidi Goldsberry said she was protesting on behalf of her daughter, who is married to a military serviceman. She worries about the benefits the family receives through the Department of Veterans Affairs, especially as the couple has already faced challenges accessing services like child care on the military base where they live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the impending uncertainty, Goldsberry said she felt unusually optimistic watching the crowd of protestors pour into Depot Park. "I've never felt so good about it," she said. "It makes me feel like there's a little bit of hope." Spirits remained high as the organizers gave speeches and led songs from the park's gazebo, their voices occasionally drowned out by the horns of passing motorists. While a few drivers made their opposition to the protest known, the event peacefully dispersed around 2 p.m. Galaz said the organizations will continue to host regular events to protest the federal administration and encourage comradery among residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It just shows how much people care about their community," Galaz said about the attendance at Saturday's event. "The big challenge ahead of us is channeling this energy into community building." Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4433. Demonstrators gather for a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park after making their way up the length of Main Street in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Demonstrators walk along Main Street toward Depot Park during a "Hands Off" protest in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Casey Kreider Demonstrators walk along Main Street toward Depot Park during a "Hands Off" protest in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Demonstrators walk along Main Street toward Depot Park during a "Hands Off" protest in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Demonstrators gather for a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park after making their way up the length of Main Street in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Demonstrators gather for a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park after making their way up the length of Main Street in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Casey Kreider Demonstrators gather for a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park after making their way up the length of Main Street in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Demonstrators gather for a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park after making their way up the length of Main Street in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Demonstrators make their way up Main Street in Kalispell for a "Hands Off" protest in Depot Park on Saturday, April 5. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake) Motorists shout at demonstrators attending a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake) Motorists shout at demonstrators attending a "Hands Off" protest at Depot Park in Kalispell on Saturday, April 5. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake) Apr. 6---- The Willmar town hall hosted by the Congressional District 7 was standing room only. Attendees packed the cafeteria of Lakeland Elementary on Saturday evening, with many wrapped around corners leaving little view of the stage where invited speakers answered questions. "The chaos and confusion coming out of Washington really has people concerned, and I think scared. What they are doing is they're finding a space and a place where they can come together and talk to one another about what is going on and how to make sense of it," Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said in an interview with the West Central Tribune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The town hall in Willmar, also held in conjunction with one of many Hands Off! demonstrations across the country, was described by organizers as a response to U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach not appearing at in-person town halls in the Minnesota 7th District she represents. According to event organizers, they had personally reached out to Fischbach, a Republican from Regal, to invite her. "She is making decisions in Washington that are incredibly hurtful to the people of Willmar. She refuses to show up and explain herself when she chooses to vote to support Medicaid cuts," Carlbom said in an interview. Fischbach in denied that the House budget resolution cuts any provisions to "Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, or anything else." She called it a "blueprint instructing committees to identify better investments and more savings." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican budget resolution calls for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees Medicaid, to find $880 billion in spending cuts. Democrats and others say that figure cannot be reached without cutting Medicaid. A projected the budget outlays for those 10 years, excluding Medicaid, would total $581 billion through 2034. U.S. Rep. Fischbach has hosted a telephone town hall with 14,000 people tuned in, according to from her office, saying constituents by and large agree with efforts to "eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse from the federal government and think that this country is headed in the right direction." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The absence of in-person town halls by the congresswoman was not the only grievance discussed at the event Saturday in Willmar. Speakers included Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish and Carlbom. These three took time to talk about the impact of the current administration. In their speeches, they argued that the actions of President Donald Trump have weakened the public services available to citizens. Calls for continued action went out to the crowd as attendees were asked to contact their elected representatives to tell them their thoughts on what is happening at both the state and federal level. "No matter what side of the aisle you are on, let them know. That helps them do their job too. Tell them your stories. A lot of times the stories make a difference in getting legislation changed or adopted. That does make a difference," Wertish said in an interview. Prior to the town hall, many gathered in the parking lot of the school in one of scores of Hands Off! rallies conducted nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement that Hands Off! organizers said more than 1,300 rallies of varying sizes took place on Saturday across the country. Hands Off! website posts described the events as a protest against "the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies." Decorated signs at the Willmar rally stood out from the crowd alongside American and Ukrainian flags. Attendees joined in chants like "hands off," which called for an end to federal interference in public funding and services. "I see a lot of damage being done to some of the programs that have benefited the kinds of farming practices that I want to have and the kind of society that I want to live in and I want my kids to be able to live in," farmer, artist and musician Malena Handeen, of Milan, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rally speakers included Dr. Kathryn Nelson-Hund, a retired doctor who said she had done research at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., and at the EPA Freshwater Lab in Duluth. Nelson-Hund called for maintaining funding for medical research. "Because of the recent slashing of money and personnel across all institutes, research has been devastated. Scientists are leaving for other countries, graduate programs are being canceled," Nelson-Hund said in her rally speech. NIH is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world. The Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division laboratory in Duluth, as it is formally known, is part of the Environmental Protection Agency. It is known for developing scientific protocols used worldwide to measure how toxic chemicals affect the environment, according to Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement about the lab's uncertain future amid proposed staffing and other cuts. Other speakers at Saturday's outdoor rally, like Minnesota DFL Senate District 16 Chair Fernando Alvarado and Morris nurse Erik Stoeckeler, called out potential cuts to federal programs like Social Security and Medicare. "You can't chase the American dream if your retirement is at risk, your health care is uncertain, your rights are under attack, or the sacrifices of our veterans and women are ignored," Alvarado said in his speech. The Willmar town hall was the third and final event of the day hosted by the 7th District DFL, which had gathered earlier in Detroit Lakes and Alexandria. Across the three events in District 7, more than 1,000 people gathered in protest and to ask questions of people in power, according to event organizers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As some 700 people like Handeen attended the event in Willmar, the Kandiyohi County DFL estimated, more than 25,000 people gathered around the State Capitol building in St. Paul, according to that attributed the figure to Minnesota Capitol Security. More protests took place across the state in several cities including St. Cloud, Bemidji and Brainerd. Hundreds of people took part in a Savannah Hands Off! rally Saturday, one of hundreds of demonstrations happening across the nation to protest recent actions by the president. Were out here to show our very obvious and genuine dismay and anger at the overreach of the government, said Kris Mecholsky an organizer. Action causes a reaction and our action is that we want them to go, said M. Peggy Quattro who was at the demonstration. They started at Forsyth Park and ended in a march to City Hall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You have people here from every age, every race, and theyre all here for different issues but theyre all here because theyre gravely concerned about the direction our country is taking right now, Katherine Williams. This is important, weve got a president who thinks hes a king, said Robert Allen. Hes hired incompetent people and we citizens are paying the price for that. People there say regardless of what issue drove them there, they say their common fight is protecting the constitution. To see people failing to use their critical thinking skills is really troubling because our country is under attack from within, said Williams. Organizers said the crowd is a combination of two simultaneous protests. They say the turnout was more than expected but not surprising to them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There has been a growing discontent, said Mecholsky. There are so many people out here who didnt show up today, theyre sad at home, theyre wondering if theyre all alone theyre not. There are many many, many people that are upset and want this to change and they just need to join us and it will. Many demonstrators were urging others to call their legislators. They say they have plans to take their fight to Buddy Carters office Wednesday afternoon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. Around 700 people gathered at Modestos Five Points intersection Saturday as part of a nationwide rally against actions taken by the Trump administration. People brought signs, their kids, their dogs, drums, walkers, wheelchairs and bottled water. Marjorie Sturdy, head of the Modesto Progressive Democrats and one of the organizers of the event, spoke through a bullhorn at Lucas Plaza at 10 a.m. Saturday about safety. She recommended that people who are undocumented leave their phones in their cars, and that if there were counterprotesters, which she thought there may be, they be ignored. The Modesto protest was organized three weeks in advance, by the Stanislaus Indivisible group, which formed during Donald Trumps first term as president. Other organizers included Modesto Progressive Democrats and United Domestic Workers Union local 3930. Several hundred people packed all the corners at the Five Points intersection in downtown Modesto on Saturday, April 5, for a Hands Off rally and march. It was part of a nationwide day of action to declare Hands off to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Lauretta Ayers of Stanislaus Indivisible was one of the organizers in neon yellow vests. In case people need anything, if they need water, they need a sign, then they know were the ones that they go to, she said. We told them that if there is an emergency episode, somebody needs an EpiPen or something like that, you can go to us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Signs showed support for many causes, including the National Park Service, veterans and the LGTBQ community. But one message repeated time and time again was that the United States was moving away from democracy and towards fascism. Anne Martin, who has lived in Modesto for 23 years, said shes especially concerned about cuts to medical care and cancer research. My sister is alive today because of our formerly excellent scientific research, she said. And cutting NIH, cutting Medicare and Medicaid, cutting peoples Social Security its just a horrible thing for our country. The response to the protest was positive from those driving through the intersection, with supportive horn honks drowning out chants of United we stand, divided we fall. Susan Robinson of Modesto was among several hundred people on all corners at the Five Points intersection in downtown Modesto on Saturday, April 5, for a Hands Off rally and march. It was part of a nationwide day of action to declare Hands off to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Alice Fotheringham, a younger member of the crowd who grew up in Modesto, said she heard about the protest through posts by her friends. I am so proud of Modesto, so proud, she said. This is exactly what democracy looks like, this is what the people are supposed to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zehl Day, who came in from Turlock after hearing about the protest on TikTok, said her intention in joining was to defend the rights of transgender people and to defend abortion rights. Im very impressed, I wasnt expecting this, she said of the large crowd. Erin Sperry, who was born and raised in Modesto, said she came out to defend democracy. Im hoping that we bring awareness and that we show the community we stand strong together, she said. Josh Kimball said he was there to protest Trump and Elon Musk. Theyre trying to crash the economy and rounding people up off the streets for protesting, he said. Though expected, no formal counterprotest materialized. Some people who disagreed pointed their thumbs down as they drove past. One white truck with flags supporting President Trump circled around the area with a passenger in an eagle mask who yelled at protesters periodically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One person, who organizers think may have been a disruptor, started yelling at another person in the crowd, but he was largely ignored and then left. Several hundred people packed all the corners at the Five Points intersection in downtown Modesto on Saturday, April 5, for a Hands Off rally and march. It was part of a nationwide day of action to declare Hands off to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. At noon, the group made its way to Tenth Street Plaza. A group of children started a chant of Hey hey, ho ho, Trump and Elon have got to go. Signs were lined up alongside the Fuzio restaurant nearby. Vice Mayor Nick Bavaro was in attendance at the plaza, and speakers included Waterford Councilmember Lupita Gutierrez and Sandy Moreno, regional manager for the local 3930 chapter of United Domestic Workers. Linda Legace, a member of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee, was signing people up to run for office or get involved in local politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were trying to get people interested in becoming more active, even if its only getting connected with our different clubs, she said. Naramsen Goriel, one of the organizers of the event, told the crowd he is concerned the administration will crack down on peaceful protests. You can build momentum so when they do try to crack down on peaceful protest, it will look incredibly inexcusable and untenable and shameful for them to be doing that, he said, because we had a peaceful protest right here right now. Editors Note: This article has been updated with a new estimate of Saturdays crowd size. AUSTIN (KXAN) Thousands of Texans gathered at their state Capitol Saturday to protest Elon Musk and the Trump Administrations actions as part of a series of protests across the nation. The protest featured lawmakers such as State Senator Sarah Eckhardt and U.S Representatives Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar. Were here to say hands off to Musk and Trump, Doggett said. We want your hands off our democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elon Musk was appointed by President Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has aimed to lay off thousands of federal workers. This past week, the Trump Administration carried out mass layoffs across the Department of Health and Human Services, aiming to slash around 10,000 full-time jobs. Wanting to get rid of regular workers, I dont get it, said Lynn Lively, who was protesting at the rally. Were going to have a bunch of unemployed people- how is that going to help anything? Some other protesters worried about how potential cuts could impact Medicaid and Medicare. I have two chronic illnesses that cost money to take [care] of, and I already spend several hundreds a month on private insurance, said Becky Reynolds, who was also protesting at the rally. If I had to spend more, I spend almost a third of my Social Security on private insurance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KXAN reached out to the Travis County Republican Party and the Republican National Committee for a statement regarding the protest in Austin. We will update this story if and when they choose to respond. The Texas Tribune provided KXAN with wide-angle photos of Saturdays crowd. Using those photos and MapChecking.com, an AI tool that estimates crowd sizes, it appears likely that 2,000 to 3,000 people were in attendance. KXAN also reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety to ask if they have a crowd size estimate. We have not yet heard back. The Austin Police Department said it couldnt confirm the total number of protesters, but that several thousands of people were in attendance. According to NBC News, in an email, White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said that Trump will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries, but also noted that the Democrats stance benefits illegal aliens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This protest was one of many across the nation. In Boston and DC, thousands also gathered to speak out against Elon Musk and the Trump Administration. Theres power in people, Lively said. We need to go to the streets and show that we are not happy with whats going on. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Time has run out for some US trade partners looking to make deals ahead of President Trump's July 9 deadline for tariffs to snap back to higher levels. Letters will start going out to countries on Friday to notify them of the tariff rates they will face on exports to the US, Trump told reporters, to go into effect on Aug. 1. The first 10 or 12 letters sent out will be followed by similar batches. By the ninth theyll be fully covered, Trump said in reference to the deadline, per Bloomberg. Theyll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs. The Trump team has so far been focused on hammering out trade deals, though it has succeeded in nailing only three pacts so far. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said around 100 partners would likely see a minimum "reciprocal" rate of 10% come next week, adding that he expects a "flurry" of deals to materialize before the deadline. Here is where things stand with various partners: China : The US has eased export restrictions on China for chip design software and ethane, a sign that trade tensions are calming between the two countries after they agreed in May to a framework to move toward a larger trade deal. Software firms like Synopsys (SNPS) and Cadence (CDNS) said they will now sell their chip design tools to Chinese customers again. The US also removed limits on ethane exports to China that it had set just weeks ago. Vietnam: Trump on Wednesday said he had reached a trade deal with Vietnam, one that will see the country's imports face a 20% tariff lower than the 46% he had threatened in April. He also said Vietnamese goods would face a higher 40% tariff "on any transshipping" when goods shipped from Vietnam originate from another country, like China. Many US goods will see no duty upon import to Vietnam. Japan: Trump earlier this week said negotiations with Japan had soured, saying he would force Japan to accept higher tariffs of "30%, 35%, or whatever the number is that we determine." Notably, that proposal is higher than the 24% "Liberation Day" level. "Theyre very tough. You have to understand, theyre very spoiled," he said. Apr. 6OREGON Several hundred people lined the north and east sidewalks around the historic Ogle County Courthouse Saturday afternoon to let everyone know how they feel about recent actions and decisions by President Donald Trump and his billionaire consultant Elon Musk. "People are showing up here today," said Mae Furman of Rochelle, one of the event's organizers. Furman and Jan Buttron of Chana organized the 2-hour event. Both are members of Indivisible of Ogle County, the local chapter of the Indivisible Project network a grassroots organization founded in 2016. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ogle County chapter is part of Indivisible Illinois, formed in 2017, and "reflects the Heart of the Midwest by promoting an equity agenda in pursuit of liberty and justice for all." Buttron said she met with officials from the Ogle County Sheriff's Office, Oregon Police Department, Oregon Fire Protection District, and City of Oregon prior to Saturday's event. "They told us we should stay off the grass, on the sidewalks, but not blocking the sidewalks," Buttron said. "They worked with us and we made sure everyone safe. Indivisible is nonviolent. We just want to protect our democracy." Attendees of Saturday's event in Oregon held a wide variety of homemade signs criticizing President Trump's policies and recent executive orders eliminating programs and agencies that he says are designed to eliminate government waste. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some held signs declaring "Hands Off Social Security" while others disagreed with the administration's policies on immigration, Greenland, Canada, and Ukraine. Others proclaimed Musk should be "fired" or "deported." Motorists who traversed the busy intersection of state routes 64 and 2 through the city's downtown were encouraged to honk their horns in support. A couple of pickup trucks with Trump flags in their beds passed through the intersection revving their engines during the event and one Tesla vehicle was booed as it drove past. Buttron, an attorney, said President Trump is breaking the laws of democracy. "We know the law and we can see clearly that he is breaking the law," Buttron said. "He is defying the law." Furman, who is also on the executive committee for the Ogle County Democrats, was pleased with Saturday's turnout. "We had 149 people sign up and more than 400 are here," Furman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joe Albright of Peoria came to the rally because he has decided to run for the 16th Congressional District a seat currently held by Republican Darin LaHood. "Everything they are saying is false," said Albright, a Princeton native who said he holds a degree in accounting and teaches economics. "The tariffs are wrong. We know they are very limited tools. And they [elected representatives] are letting Trump make all the decisions." Mary Francis, of Mt. Morris, characterized the Trump administration's recent efforts to eliminate federal programs and agencies, like the Department of Education, as alarming. "All the programs and services that come out of the federal government," said Francis, a retired educator, as she listed her concerns. "Just letting the school districts flounder without direction...and all the marginalized students. Kids with special needs not getting the help they need just breaks my heart." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indivisible Illinois is part of the locally led, people-powered Indivisible Project network, a grassroots American movement founded in 2016, with thousands of chapters across the U.S. in urban, suburban and rural communities, according to its website. The group says its grassroots power comes from working in solidarity and in coalition with others and lists its values as inclusion, respect and nonviolence. ExpandAutoplay Image 1 of 13 Around 400 people took part in the Hands Off rally held around the historic Ogle County Courthouse in Oregon on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The rally was one of many held across the United States for people wanting to speak out about recent actions and decisions by President Donald Trump. The event in Ogle County was organized by Indivisible of Ogle County. (Earleen Hinton) Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Hungary is on "Putin's team" in an interview with German outlet Rheinische Post, published on April 5. "To be divided, you would need two major parties. We have Hungary, a very weak country, that's on Putin's team. Not on our European team," Tsahkna said. Hungary maintains positive relations with Russia in contrast with other EU members. On March 26, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto visited Moscow to discuss continued economic cooperation between the two countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tsahkna called for the "coalition of the willing" to be established so that Hungary could not abuse its voting power in institutions that require unanimous consent. The U.K. and France have led the coalition and have pledged to deploy a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to enforce a potential ceasefire. Talks among the willing nations are still ongoing. Stripping Hungary of its voting power in the EU "is getting closer and closer," Tsahkna said. "Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union provides for the possibility of withdrawing a member state's voting rights if membership endangers the security of Europe and that of the other members.... (T)hat's exactly what (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban is doing," Tsahkna said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hungary has repeatedly opposed EU sanctions on Russia and has opposed EU aid for Ukraine. Germany's incoming government, led by Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU alliance, wants the EU to adopt harsher measures to punish countries that violate the bloc's core principles. Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. A retail center in Hunters Creek wants to add more space a move one expert says is necessary for the tight market. An application filed with Orange County seeks to add 6,868 square feet onto the end of the Town Center Shopping Center at 2109 Town Center Blvd. The application was filed by engineer Jeremy Anderson of Common Oak Engineering in Orlando on behalf of property own LTL Italian Design LLC. LTL Italian Design executives could not be reached. Anderson declined to comment on the project. Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) Hundreds of protestors lined the street outside the Stephenson County Courthouse in Freeport, Illinois, to voice their concerns about the Trump administration on Saturday. This is a part of a nationwide protest against the Trump administration following his announcement of a sweeping 10% tariff on all imports to the U.S. We have a nationwide protest all across the country, said the protests organizer, Jody Coss. There were 1,100 protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coss estimated that around 300 people came to the protest. Some protesters spoke out against tariffs, while others shared their concern for the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Coss is concerned about her financial and physical well-being. Im worried about my Social Security, but Im also worried about health care in the United States, said Coss. So Im worried every day that my check might not show up on the 10th. Im supposed to get a check. What if it just doesnt happen one of these months? Another protester, who served 6 years in the U.S. Navy, said he is concerned about potential cuts to veteran services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are so many people who already served their country, said Kevin Lamm. [Veterans are] behind by four, six, 20 years because they have given their time up to do this. And so now they need those benefits. Theyve earned those benefits. This is not a giveaway. We promised them, and they should be there. When we had indivisible Freeport starting in 2017 to 2020, we would never get this many people out on the street in one protest, said Coss. This is unbelievable for Freeport, and Im really proud of all the citizens that came today. Protests also took place in both Beloit, Wisconsin, and Rockford, Illinois, on Saturday. The League of Women Voters of Greater Rockford and Beloit came together to organize the protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group said the events were a commitment to nonviolent action. Around 500 people gathered in Beloit at Riverside Park, and about 200 more gathered at Haight Park in Rockford. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. An independent audit of Cantons police department was outlined by 5 Stones Intelligence during a presentation Saturday in front of residents at the towns high school. The more than 200-page report released earlier this week cited procedural missteps in certain investigations, but no signs of intentional misconduct or conspiracy by the department. After a 90-minute presentation, several Canton residents in attendance commented and asked questions regarding the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of it sounded reasonable, some of it sounded lenient to me, said one resident. Another Saturday asked, Id like to know the concrete recommendations you have for rebuilding the relationship between the police department, the community, and town leadership. 5 Stones Intelligence offered a list of recommendations after conducting dozens of interviews and looking into multiple prominent cases over the last few months. Matt Germanowski, Senior Director at 5 Stones Intelligence, explained, You have to ask yourself, What did the officers know at the time? Then, look at their actions. When we did that, there was nothing egregious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued, The current police administration embraced the audit. They welcomed the recommendations and they implemented them. Brian McKnight, Chief of Investigations at 5 Stones Intelligence, added, referring to Canton Police, I think from lessons learned, theyre in good shape. After the long presentation, some residents were still skeptical. Peter Murphy, one resident, told Boston 25, People are angry that this case wasnt investigated properly. Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty also released a statement to the media, reading in part: Over the last several years, there has been great focus and criticism around how the Canton Police Department investigated the murder of Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. I want to emphasize, while there were oversights, our investigation was conducted without bias and with a focus on collecting facts and evidence at a scene that presented unique challenges. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia will not retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump's 32% trade tariff on Southeast Asia's largest economy, its senior economic minister said on Sunday in the government's first response to the levy. Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement that Indonesia would pursue diplomacy and negotiations to find mutually beneficial solutions after Trump announced sweeping global tariffs on Wednesday. "The approach was taken by considering the long-term interest of bilateral trade relation, as well as to maintain the investment climate and national economic stability," Airlangga said, adding that Jakarta will support potentially impacted sectors, such as apparel and footwear industry. Trump's tariff on Indonesia, one of six hard-hit Southeast Asian countries, is set to take effect on Wednesday. The Indonesian government will gather inputs from businesses on Monday to help formulate strategy to address the U.S. tariff, and will find ways to increase trade with European countries as an alternative to the U.S. and China, Airlangga said. Jakarta has said it would send a high-level delegation to the U.S. for direct negotiations with the government. Indonesia posted a $16.8 billion trade surplus last year with the U.S., which was its third-biggest export destination, receiving shipments worth $26.3 billion in 2024, according to Indonesian government data. Indonesias main exports to the U.S. include electronics, apparel and clothing, and footwear. (Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by William Mallard) LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) An Ingham County Sheriffs Office deputy has traveled north to Cheboygan County to assist with the aftermath of a severe ice storm that struck northern lower Michigan last week. Kyle Gask-Wilson (Center) (Ingham County Sheriffs Office) The Ingham County Sheriffs Office shared on Facebook that Deputy Kyle Gask-Wilson will work with Cheboygan County Sheriff Todd Ross and Undersheriff Kelsey Kennedy to coordinate welfare checks on residents affected by the storm. Gask-Wilson will also assist the Cheboygan County Emergency Operations Center as they work to restore power to communities across the county. The office says that as of today, 47% of the county is still without power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office reports that over 90% of the county was without power after the storm. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer deployed the Michigan National Guard (MING) to assist with ice storm recovery efforts on April 1. (Michigan State Police) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. We recently published a list of 10 Stocks on Jim Cramers Radar Recently. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX) stands against other stocks that are on Jim Cramers radar. On Thursday, Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, addressed the growing concerns surrounding the current tariff policies. He questioned the effectiveness of these tariffs as he asked: Whats the deal with these heavy-handed tariffs? Look, Ive never been a dogmatic free trader. I believe in fair trade, a pretty fierce belief just so you know and we can only get that by lowering the boom on our trading partners who rip us off as a matter of policy. READ ALSO Jim Cramers Take on These 10 Stocks and Jim Cramers Lightning Round: 8 Stocks in Focus Cramer explained that while he has always supported the idea of tariffs in principle, especially when they are part of a well-thought-out strategy, he expressed frustration over how the new trade regime is being executed. He said he was taken aback by how poorly the administration was rolling out these changes, which he felt lacked a clear and coherent plan. Cramer then pointed out what James Surowiecki, the author of The Wisdom of Crowds, said about how the White House is calculating tariffs. The White House simply took our trade deficit with each country and then divided it by that countrys exports to America. Then they cut that number in half to determine the tariff rate wed be slapping on the country in question. Cramer noted that just hours later, an unnamed official from the White House confirmed this and described it as the sum of all unfair trade practices, the sum of all cheating. Cramer called it ill-advised. Later in the day, President Trump made a statement suggesting that he might be open to reducing tariffs if presented with phenomenal offers. However, Cramer raised an important question: Who determines what those offers are, and what do they even mean? He admitted that he had no clear answer to that question. By Parisa Hafezi (Reuters) - Iran is pushing back against U.S. demands that it directly negotiate over its nuclear programme or be bombed, warning neighbours that host U.S. bases that they could be in the firing line if involved, a senior Iranian official said. Although Iran has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for direct talks, it wants to continue indirect negotiations through Oman, a longtime channel for messages between the rival states, said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Indirect talks offer a chance to evaluate Washington's seriousness about a political solution with Iran," said the official. Although that path could be "rocky", such talks could begin soon if U.S. messaging supported it, the official said. Iran has issued notices to Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Bahrain that any support for a U.S. attack on Iran, including the use of their air space or territory by U.S. military during an attack, would be considered an act of hostility, the official said. Such an act "will have severe consequences for them", the official said, adding that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had placed Iran's armed forces on high alert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warnings by Trump of military action against Iran have jangled already tense nerves across the region after open warfare in Gaza and Lebanon, military strikes on Yemen, a change of leadership in Syria and Israeli-Iranian exchanges of fire. Worries of a wider regional conflagration have unsettled states around the Gulf, a body of water bordered on one side by Iran and on the other by U.S.-allied Arab monarchies that carries a significant proportion of global oil supplies. Spokespeople for the governments of Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Turkey's Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of a warning but that such messages could be conveyed by other channels. On Wednesday, Iranian state media reported that Kuwait had reassured Iran that it would not accept any aggressive action being directed at other countries from its soil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran's ally Russia said on Thursday that U.S. threats of military strikes against the Islamic Republic were unacceptable and on Friday called for restraint. Iran is trying to gain more support from Russia, but is sceptical about Moscow's commitment to its ally, said a second Iranian official. This "depends on the dynamics" of the relationship between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the official said. TWO-MONTH WINDOW Trump has said he would prefer a deal over Iran's nuclear programme to a military confrontation and he said on March 7 he had written to Khamenei to suggest talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first Iranian official said a first round of indirect talks could involve Omani mediators shuttling between the Iranian and U.S. delegations. Khamenei has authorised Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi or his deputy, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, to attend any talks in Muscat. Oman's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the official believed there was a window of around two months to agree a deal, citing worries that Iran's long-time foe Israel might launch its own attack if talks took longer, and that it could trigger a so-called "snap back" of all international sanctions on Iran to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran has long denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. However, it is "dramatically" accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level, the U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western states say there is no need to enrich uranium to such a high level under any civilian program and that no other country has done so without producing nuclear bombs. While Iran has said it will consider talks with the U.S. if the aim was to address concerns over its programme, it has rejected holding any direct negotiations when the U.S. is making threats and has said its missile programme would be off limits. A senior Iranian military commander, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Amirali Hajizadeh, had implied on Monday that U.S. bases in the region could be targeted in any conflict. In 2020, Iran targeted U.S. bases in Iraq after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC's Quds Force, in a U.S. missile strike in Baghdad. (This story has been corrected to fix the first name of the Revolutionary Guards commander Hajizadeh to Amirali, not Alireza, in paragraph 20) (Additional reporting by Maha Dahan in Dubai and Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul, Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Israel says some 16,500 of its soldiers have been treated for physical and psychological injuries since one of the region's bloodiest conflicts in decades began a year and a half ago. Israel's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that almost half - 7,300 - of the impacted soldiers had sustained psychological harm since its military began operations in Gaza in October 2023. Limor Luria, head of the ministry's rehabilitation department said those impacted suffered from post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety attacks and depression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel says more than 400 military personnel have died since it began operations in Gaza after more than 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attack. More than 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have meanwhile been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to local health officials led by Hamas. In light of the upcoming Jewish festival of Passover, Luria called for particular sensitivity towards mentally injured members of Israel's armed forces and for less stigmatization of mental illness. A hotline is available around the clock for those affected, but also for family members. "Suicide prevention is a joint task for all of us," Luria said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Defence Ministry says it has significantly expanded services for soldiers who have sustained psychological harm since the beginning of the Gaza war. It said more than a thousand mental health professionals have been recruited and crisis intervention teams have been formed. For urgent and short-term psychological support, three special recovery homes are available as an alternative to hospitalization, with three more to follow this month. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that if a truce is established, a strong Ukrainian military supported by the West will be capable of deterring future Russian aggression and ensuring the security of both Ukraine and Europe. Source: ISW Quote: "European and NATO officials emphasised that a strong Ukrainian military backed by European security guarantees remains the most effective deterrent against future Russian aggression to ensure long-term peace in Ukraine and Europe." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet New Voice (NV) on 5 April, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Ukraines own armed forces must form the "first level" of its security guarantees, describing them as the country's "first line of defence in deterrence". Rutte also noted that Ukraines European allies notably France, the UK and Italy are exploring mechanisms to provide security guarantees to Ukraine once a peace agreement is reached. The French General Staff also stressed that Ukrainian troops are the main guarantee of Ukraine's security for sustainable peace. The French General Staff added that France and the United Kingdom will work to identify and develop "reassurance operations" to deter Russia from future aggression after a potential peace agreement is reached. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "ISW continues to assess that a strong Ukrainian military backed by Western security guarantees remains the most vital component of a post-war European security architecture, guaranteeing a sustainable peace in Ukraine and deterring future Russian aggression. Russian demands for Ukraine's 'demilitarisation' such that Ukraine is unable to defend itself against future Russian aggression are counter to US President Donald Trump's efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine." To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 5 April: European and NATO officials emphasised that a strong Ukrainian military backed by European security guarantees remains the most effective deterrent against future Russian aggression to ensure long-term peace in Ukraine and Europe. Ukraine's European partners continue preliminary technical discussions about a possible future peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the only plant in Russia that produces fibre optic cables that are vital for Russian forces' fibre optic drones. Ukraine's European partners continue to provide technical support to Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Kupiansk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk and in Kursk Oblast. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! For a show that prides itself on being, well, live, Saturday Night Live doesnt usually thrive on engaging its in-studio audience. The machine of the long-running program doesnt lend itself to spontaneity; any participation from the crowd is typically scripted. But last nights episode had a shaggier, looser vibe. Credit that to the host, Jack Black, and, in a surprise twist, last weeks musical guest, Morgan Wallen. Wallen wasnt actually present; the country musician created headlines last week when he bucked the tradition of sharing pleasantries during the goodbyes at the end of the night and abruptly walked off-stage straight to camera. The move was perceived as rude to the cast. Shortly thereafter, he posted a photo of his private jet to Instagram with the caption, Get me to Gods country, a seeming culture-war taunt that quickly became a meme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In last nights cold open, the SNL cast member James Austin Johnson, the shows resident Donald Trump impressionist, responded to the dig. In character as the president, Johnson launched into a wandering monologue about Trumps wide-reaching tariffs, which included targets such as the unpopulated McDonald Islands. SNLs Trump envisioned the islands as a paradise inhabited by anthropomorphic Chicken McNuggets and a large, hula-skirt-wearing burgera riff on the presidents well-documented love of McDonalds. Holding up a poster of this fantasy, Johnson tossed off: Get me to Gods country, right? The crowd roared knowingly, bursting into applause. Remember that? Johnson said, egging them on, as though the reference to Wallen was an inside joke shared by everyone there. The gag almost gave permission for the assembled group to get a little rowdier than usual. Blacks monologue took up that challenge. The comic actor, who has maintained his goofy, rock-and-roll-loving persona his entire career, erupted into a guitar anthem about his return to hosting after a 20-year absence. He climbed stairs into a portion of the audience we dont usually see, the group perched high above the set. He sat on a mans lap, singing directly into his face I bet this guy did not know hed be on TV. The man looked sheepishly at the camera as if to confirm that fact. As Black traveled farther into the seats, he brought out a marching band to the delight of the guests, who started clapping along to the tune. Kieran Culkin and Bill Burr, co-stars in a new Broadway production of Glengarry Glen Ross, looked particularly charmed. They were apparently just there to enjoy the evening and suddenly ended up on-screen as if they were attending a sporting event. Blacks participatory energy extended to his sketch work too. In One Uppers, Black joined cast members for a bit about college friends trying to impress one another with their respective virtue. Every time someone would brag about, say, giving up social media, thrifting a sweater, or going to a protest, the performer would break the fourth wall, turning to the camera with an overwrought pious expression, implicating viewers in the competition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By the time Weekend Update came around, the audience seemed primed for some spontaneity. In a guest segment about the White House Correspondents Associations cancellation of the comedian Amber Ruffins hosting stint at their annual dinner, Ego Nwodim commented on how she would handle the job. Instead of roasting politicians, she told the Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, she would make fun of the food. As she strutted in front of the desk taking on the persona of Miss Eggy, she let loose with a series of intentionally hacky jokes and the swag of a Def Comedy Jam appearance. The audience was eager to play alongso eager that it actually yelled out replies when she started a call-and-response as part of her routine. When she riffed on Cory Bookers 25-hour-long filibuster, saying shed had her fill of bustas, she proclaimed, because these men aint what? The crowd yelled Shit! before the word could get bleeped out. Nwodim was clearly surprised but also seemed a little thrilled, merrily noting that the show was going to get fined as Jost and Che howled with laughter behind her. It was a classic moment of live televisionone that unexpectedly brought the performers and the audience just a little bit closer to each other. Article originally published at The Atlantic LUZERNE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) An out-of-state military unit made another trip back to our area on Saturday to remove hundreds of explosive devices. They were discovered inside a Luzerne County home Friday afternoon. Special military members with the Fort Mcguire New Jersey Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit collected more military ammunition from the home at 384 Bennett Street in luzerne. They were called in on Friday night in addition to the Scranton Bomb Squad and Luzerne Borough Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman who owns the home was cleaning Friday afternoon when she discovered the massive collection. DEP issues extension to Keystone Landfill for operation There was also uniform apparel, helmets, and swords that all belonged to the owner and will be returned to the family. 28/22 News spoke with the boroughs EMA director, who says so far the military ordnances collected by the EOD unit are inert and will be disposed of properly. He says this collection was one of the largest to be discovered in our area. Its definitely a collection that they have been working on for a very long time. None of us have ever come across anything like this in quite some time, Luzerne Borough EMA Director Jason Tarreto explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tarreto says the EOD cleared the scene with all the ordnances just before 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The woman who owns the home was able to re-enter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Joe Lake, co-founder of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals, has passed away, according to the organization. He was 82. Lake helped launch Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals headquartered in Salt Lake City with Marie Osmond, John Schneider, and Mick Shannon back in 1983. According to the organization, he had a vision of bringing people, communities, and corporate partners together to support their local childrens hospitals. Since its founding, CMN Hospitals has raised over $9 billion for 170 childrens hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what happened during the Sunday morning session of General Conference Joe Lake shares a high-five with a Champion child during Childrens Hospitals Week 2023 a joyful moment that reflects his lifelong dedication to childrens health. (Courtesy of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals) Lake was known as an innovator, launching the Childrens Miracle Network Telethon a broadcast uniting hospitals and supporters through nationally televised storytelling. He reportedly traveled over 300 days a year after the organization was founded. He would visit hospitals, creating partnerships across the U.S. and Canada. His work helped the organization grow into what it is today. Joes legacy is extraordinary, said Marie Osmond, fellow cofounder of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. He helped create a new way of charitable givingone that could continually improve childrens health care now and for future generations. I loved Joe dearly, and his passion and heart continue to inspire all of us. Reflecting on his legacy, we reaffirm our commitment to carry on our mission with the same love and decision he gave so generously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are heartbroken by the loss of Joe, said Aimee J. Daily, Ph.D., President and CEO of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. His lifelong commitment to childrens health has left an indelible mark on our organization and the many families we impact. His pioneering spirit and compassionate heart will forever be remembered. Charitable contributions in his honor can be made to Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Parishioners at Jubilee Christian Center have been waiting for this moment. Pastors Jordan and Tiffany Howard, along with parishioners, held a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday for a new church at 2529 S. York St. Our current facility doesnt hold all of us, so were doing two services right now, Jordan said. On Wednesday nights our kids ministry is overflowing so were moving here for that reason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the new church, which sits on 25 acres, will be approximately 32,000 square feet. The current church, located at 2710 S. Cherokee Drive, has approximately 16,000 square feet. It will be 209 feet by 152 feet, he said. It will hold around 1,000 people if we push it. Were looking at this as more than just a church, but honestly a movement, a harvest where this is the hub of ministry. The ceremony was a combination groundbreaking/service and gave parishioners a chance to celebrate the moving forward of the church. Tiffany Howard said the new building is an answered prayer. Its what we dreamed of ever since we moved out here, she said. God has promised us all these years and were just excited to glorify the Lord. This is His timing and His timing is always perfect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Children were allowed to dig up some dirt in ceremony then members walked around the area marked off by stakes. Associate pastor Stephen Collins, along with his wife Jennifer, walked around anointing the area with oil that signifies divine blessing and enablement. Weve waiting a long time for this, Collins said. We were given the vision for this several years ago. We started the process about two years ago. Jordan Howard told those assembled this was not a simple groundbreaking. I believe on a mission to do something for the kingdom of God, he said. Were going to start by worshiping. GREENBELT, Md. (AP) The U.S. government's decision to arrest a Maryland man and send him to a notorious prison in El Salvador appears to be wholly lawless, a federal judge wrote Sunday in a legal opinion explaining why she had ordered the Trump administration to bring him back to the United States. There is little to no evidence to support a vague, uncorroborated allegation that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was once in the MS-13 street gang, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis wrote. And in any case, she said, an immigration judge had expressly barred the U.S. in 2019 from deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs. As defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere, Xinis wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said it was eye-popping" that the government had argued that it could not be forced to bring Abrego Garcia back because he is no longer in U.S. custody. They do indeed cling to the stunning proposition that they can forcibly remove any person migrant and U.S. citizen alike to prisons outside the United States, and then baldly assert they have no way to effectuate return because they are no longer the custodian, and the Court thus lacks jurisdiction, Xinis wrote. As a practical matter, the facts say otherwise. The Justice Department has asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to pause Xinis ruling. Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national who has never been charged or convicted of any crime, was detained by immigration agents and deported last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia had a permit from DHS to legally work in the U.S. and was a sheet metal apprentice pursuing a journeyman license, his attorney said. His wife is a U.S. citizen. The White House has described Abrego Garcia's deportation as an administrative error but has also cast him an MS-13 gang member. Attorneys for Abrego Garcia said there is no evidence he was in MS-13. In her order Sunday, Xinis referenced earlier comments from now-suspended Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni in which Reuveni said: We concede he should not have been removed to El Salvador and that he responded I dont know when asked why Abrego Garcia was being held. The Justice Department placed Reuveni on leave after he made the comments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney General Pam Bondi, in an interview on Fox News Sunday, likened Reuveni's comments to a defense attorney walking in, conceding something in a criminal matter. That would never happen in this country, she said. "So hes on administrative leave now and well see what happens. Stacey Young, a former Justice Department lawyer and founder of Justice Connection, a network of department alumni that works to support employees, released a statement that defended Reuveni and said he has zealously represented the United States in some of the most high-stakes and controversial immigration cases under the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. Justice Department attorneys are being put in an impossible position: Obey the president, or uphold their ethical duty to the court and the Constitution," Young said. We should all be grateful to DOJ lawyers who choose principle over politics and the rule of law over partisan loyalty. A federal judge is sticking by her demand that the Trump administration seek the immediate return of a Maryland man erroneously sent to El Salvador, where he is being held in one of the most notoriously inhumane and dangerous prisons in the world. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis rejected the Trump administrations entreaty to back off her Friday order, which requires the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia by Monday night. The Justice Department said the court had no power to order the decision and was intruding on President Donald Trumps exclusive power to direct foreign policy. But Xinis described the erroneous deportation of Abrego Garcia who was under a 2019 court order not to be sent to El Salvador, for fear of reprisal by a violent gang as a grievous error that requires his return. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defendants seized Abrego Garcia without any lawful authority; held him in three separate domestic detention centers without legal basis; failed to present him to any immigration judge or officer; and forcibly transported him to El Salvador in direct contravention of [immigration law], Xinis wrote in a 22-page opinion issued just after 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Once there, U.S. officials secured his detention in a facility that, by design, deprives its detainees of adequate food, water, and shelter, fosters routine violence; and places him with his persecutors. Abrego Garcias case has generated enormous pushback from the courts, congressional Democrats and even roiled the Justice Department, where Attorney General Pam Bondi placed on leavethe attorney who argued in front of Xinis on Friday. That attorney, Erez Reuveni, had expressed exasperation at the Justice Departments refusal to provide more information to the court or take steps to seek Abrego Garcias return. Abrego Garcias case is a complicated one. The Salvadoran national, in the United States since 2012, was deemed a danger in 2019 as a result of a purported tie to the MS-13 gang and detained for months before a judge agreed he faced credible fear of persecution by another gang, Barrio 18, that he said had been extorting his family. As a result, Abrego Garcia was released into the United States, where he was living with his wife and son, both U.S. citizens, when immigration authorities detained and deported him last month without warning. He has long denied having links to MS-13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department admitted last week that it had erroneously sent Abrego Garcia back to El Salvador, in contravention of the 2019 court order, though officials contend they still view him as an MS-13 member who presents a danger to the United states. Xinis noted in her opinion Sunday that the Justice Department presented no evidence that Abrego Garcia belongs to MS-13, effectively abandoning that position in her court. But by labeling him a gang member publicly, the judge noted that it placed him at particular risk in El Salvadors prison, which she noted intentionally mixes rival gang members. The judge also rejected the administrations claim that it has no power to seek Abrego Garcias return because he is in Salvadoran custody. Rather, she suggests that the United States has essentially outsourced detention responsibility to El Salvador but retains some ability to seek the return of those it has transferred. Surely, Defendants do not mean to suggest that they have wholesale erased the substantive and procedural protections of [federal immigration law in one fell swoop by dropping those individuals in CECOT without recourse, Xinis wrote, referencing the name of the Salvadoran prison Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xinis noted that Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem, who recently visited the jail, described the facility as one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use. Thus, just as in any other contract facility, Defendants can and do maintain the power to secure and transport their detainees, Abrego Garcia included, Xinis said. Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Bondi asserted that Abrego Garcia was part of MS-13, although Xinis said the government gave her no proof of that. "We have to rely on what ICE says. We have to rely on what Homeland Security says," Bondi added, dismissing his lawyers claim that he was leading a quiet life in Maryland studying to be an electrician. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondi also confirmed that Reuveni, the career Justice Department immigration lawyer who argued the case before Xinis, was put on administrative leave Saturday. He did not argue, the attorney general complained, although Reuveni did argue that Xinis had no jurisdiction to consider the case. He shouldn't have taken the case. He shouldnt have argued it, if that's what he was going to do, she said. You have to vigorously argue on behalf of your client. The Justice Department appealed Xinis order on Friday to the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. On Saturday, the Trump administration asked that court for an emergency stay of her order. As of Sunday morning, the appeals court has not acted on that request or set a timeline for Abrego Garcias lawyers to respond to it. A federal judge is defending her decision to order the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from a notorious El Salvador prison by Monday and has denied the government's request to stay her order while it appeals her decision. In a new court filing, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis called the government's decision to send the 29-year-old Abrego Garcia to El Salvador's CECOT prison a "grievous error." A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official admitted in a sworn declaration on March 31 that an "administrative error" led to Abrego Garcia, who is married to a U.S. citizen, being sent to El Salvador despite a 2019 court order barring the government from deporting him to his home country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As Defendants acknowledge, they had no legal authority to arrest him, no justification to detain him, and no grounds to send him to El Salvador let alone deliver him into one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere," Xinis wrote in the court document, filed Sunday. PHOTO: Jennifer Stefania Vasquez Sura (Jose Luis Magana/AP) MORE: DOJ places senior lawyer on leave in case of mistakenly deported man In 2019, an immigration judge issued a withholding of removal order for Abrego Garcia, prohibiting the government from sending him back to his home country because he feared persecution there from gangs. Judge Xinis argued that Abrego Garcia's placement in the El Salvadorian mega-jail despite the "risk of harm shocks the conscience." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Defendants have forcibly put him in a facility that intentionally mixes rival gang members without any regard for protecting the detainees from 'harm at the hands of the gangs,'" the judge wrote. "Defendants have claimed without any evidence that Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13 and then housed him among the chief rival gang, Barrio 18. Not to mention that Barrio 18 is the very gang whose years-long persecution of Abrego Garcia resulted in his withholding from removal to El Salvador," Xinis further wrote. PHOTO: This undated photo provided by CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, in April 2025, shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (CASA via AP) Abrego Garcia's attorneys have maintained that he is neither a member of nor has any affiliation with Tren de Aragua, MS-13, or any other criminal or street gang. They also argue that the U.S. government "has never produced an iota of evidence to support this unfounded accusation." MORE: Judge orders government to return Maryland man deported in 'error' to El Salvador Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Sunday's filing, Xinis wrote that the government has not produced any evidence to suggest they cannot secure Abrego Garcia's return and said that the court retains jurisdiction in the case because Abrego Garcia challenges his removal to El Salvador, "not the fact of confinement." "They do indeed cling to the stunning proposition that they can forcibly remove any person migrant and U.S. citizen alike to prisons outside the United States, and then baldly assert they have no way to effectuate return because they are no longer the 'custodian,' and the Court thus lacks jurisdiction," Xinis wrote. "As a practical matter, the facts say otherwise," Xinis added. Citing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's own words from a video posted March 26 on X that the CECOT prison is "one of the tools in our toolkits that we will use," Xinis said the record reflects that the defendants have "outsourced part of the U.S. prison system." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Just as in any other contract facility, Defendants can and do maintain the power to secure and transport their detainees, Abrego Garcia included," Xinis wrote. Xinis also included some of the arguments made by Erez Reuveni, the U.S. Department of Justice attorney who argued on behalf of the government on Friday in a lawsuit brought by Garcia's family. Reuveni was placed on administrative leave by the DOJ over what the department alleged was a "failure to zealously advocate" for the government's interests during the hearing. "As their counsel suggested at the hearing, this is not about Defendants' inability to return Abrego Garcia, but their lack of desire," Xinis wrote. During Friday's hearing, Xinis asked Reuveni, "Can we talk about, then, just very practically, why can't the United States get Mr. Abrego Garcia back?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Your Honor, I will say, for the Court's awareness, that when this case landed on my desk, the first thing I did was ask my clients that very question. I've not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory," Reuveni responded. MORE: What we know about the foreign college students targeted for deportation Xinis claimed in Sunday's filing that, while the legal basis for the Trump administration's decision to deport over 200 alleged gang members to El Salvador "remains disturbingly unclear," there is no legal grounds for Abrego Garcia to be among them. "Nor does any evidence suggest that Abrego Garcia is being held in CECOT at the behest of Salvadoran authorities to answer for crimes in that country. Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless," Xinis wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, the Trump administration filed an emergency motion to stay Judge Xinis' order. The appellate court has given Abrego Garcia's legal team until 2 p.m. Sunday to respond. In March, Abrego Garcia was stopped by ICE officers who "informed him that his immigration status had changed," according to his attorneys. After being detained over alleged gang affiliations, he was transferred to a detention center in Texas. He was then sent to El Salvador on March 15, according to a complaint his lawyers filed last month in a U.S. District Court in Maryland. During a news conference on Friday, Abrego Garcia's wife, Vasquez Sura, demanded that the Trump administration return her husband to the United States. "If I had all the money in the world, I would spend it all just to buy one thing: a phone call to hear Kilmar's voice again," Vasquez Sura said. "Kilmar, if you can hear me, I miss you so much, and I'm doing the best to fight for you and our children." Judge says Maryland man's erroneous deportation to El Salvador prison 'shocks the conscience' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A child in an outfit inspired by the musical "Newsies," based on the 1899 New York City newsboy strike, protests at the Alaska Capitol in Juneau as part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" protests against the Trump administration on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Hundreds of people rallied at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau on Saturday, part of a Hands Off! day of action protesting the Trump administrations agenda. We face an epic struggle for democracy, for justice, for equality, for the very future of our country! said Claire Richardson, one of the event organizers with the group ReSisters, to cheers from the crowd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She read a long list of recent actions by the Trump Administration, and the crowd echoed, Hands off! A panoramic shot from the fifth floor of the Capitol building of an estimated 1,550 people protesting as part of the Hands Off! demonstration on April 5, 2025 (Photo courtesy of Skip Gray) We are here to tell Donald Trump and Elon Musk, hands off our democracy! she said. Hands off our childrens education. Hands off our jobs. Hands off our veterans. Hands off our bodies and gender choice. Hands off our elections, hands off Medicaid, hands off our libraries and museums. Hands off Social Security, hands off Greenland and hands off Canada! Many demonstrators carried Canadian flags, in a nod to support for Alaskas closest neighbor and in protest of Trump threatening economic sanctions and even annexation of Canada. Alaskans joined demonstrations across the state, including Skagway, Haines, Gustavus, Petersburg, Sitka, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Soldotna, Wasilla, Healy, Dillingham, Bethel, Nome, Homer, Seldovia and Glennallen, as well as large crowds in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mood was high spirited, with the crowd singing together some original songs by local artists cheering, and waving signs. Speakers evoked the origins of the United States and the fight for independence from an oppressive monarchy, and condemned U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and U.S. Rep. Nich Begich, R-Alaska, for allying with Trump, alleging they violated the Constitution and their oath of office. Have you no outrage at the detention and deportation of lawful residents? said Juneau resident Tristan Knutson-Lombardo to the crowd, directed at Sullivan and Begich. Have you no concern for Trumps attempts to quell freedom of the press, defy judicial orders and seek retribution toward political opponents, and supporting imperialistic land grabs? Shame on you for standing idle as our government whitewashes our history, represses scientific study, suppresses creative thought and erases the notion that anyone could identify as something other than the sex written on their birth certificate, he said. Shame on you! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lauryn Guud Giigangaa Framke, a Haida language teacher, made a powerful plea for action on behalf of youth and the next generation. We are told that children are sacred, but that is only true until they are born poor, or until they are gay, or until they are trans or brown, or until it is time for them to go to school and the right to arms will always be more important than their lives, she said. But there is one thing we can have hope in, and that is community . We can make sure that this community is a safe place for our children to grow up in. Because our youth are sacred, and they deserve better than this. Ernestine Hayes, a former Alaska writer laureate and award-winning Tlingit author and professor, addressed the crowd and focused on the history of colonization being repeated. They are taking our land. Theyre telling us we have to speak English only. They want everyone to believe in their God. Theyre removing our history and seizing our wealth. Does any of that sound familiar? she said. Its still time to decolonize. Mike Williams, a Juneau resident and small business owner, protested with a sign that towered over the crowd on a 24-foot pole reading, Weve had it up to here. He said hes most concerned about the mass federal firings and cuts by the arm of the White House named DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, coordinated by Elon Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It just blows my mind that only 4% of our federal budget is on staffing. So to cut staff at all just makes little sense I heard a really good metaphor. All of this is like cutting off your legs to try to lose weight, he said. Sure, you lost the weight, but at what cost? The outcome is much worse. He said the most difficult part is talking with close family members who continue to support Trump. He said hed like to see more people push back against blind faith in Trump and stand up against these kinds of actions of the Trump administration. Its okay to say that someones doing something wrong, he said. Like, we thought Biden has made a lot of mistakes. We thought Obama had some mistakes, and we can admit that. So, I just dont understand why we cant admit that about all this thats going on too. Demonstrators and speakers noted the large crowd size for Juneau, with families with children, seniors and friend groups attending. Crowd size estimates exceeded 1,000, with organizers saying there were 1,550 based on photos taken from the fifth floor of the Capitol. More protests and demonstrations are expected, according to organizers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protests were planned for Saturday in more than 1,200 locations across all 50 states, as well as cities in Europe, including London, Berlin and Paris. A demonstrator at the "Hands Off!" rally in Juneau on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Ernestine Hayes, former Alaska writer laureate and retired professor, addresses the "Hands Off!" protest in Juneau on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith) A Juneau resident protests at the "Hands Off!" demonstration against the Trump administration on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Demonstrators protest the Trump presidency as part of the "Hands Off!" rally on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A protest sign on a 24 foot pole reads "We've had it up to here" in Juneau on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) A protester in Juneau on April 5, 2025 (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Demonstrators pose for a photo in front of the Capitol in Juneau on April 5, 2025 (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Demonstrators rally as part of the "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump's agenda in Juneau on April 5, 2025 (Photo by Corinne Smith) Editors note: The list of communities with demonstrations has been updated. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A top immigration attorney at the Department of Justice was placed on indefinite leave Saturday after he questioned the deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador, according to The New York Times. A letter obtained by the paper which had been sent to Erez Reuveni, the acting deputy director of the immigration litigation division, states that he was suspended by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for not following a directive from your superiors. This comes after Reuveni was promoted just two weeks ago. Hes one of several career officials who have faced demotion, suspension, a transfer, or been fired for not following directions from Trump appointees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney General Pam Bondi told the Times, At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences, she added. Reuvani appeared in court on Friday, where a federal judge asked him if the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia should have taken place. The attorney conceded that Garcia, who had a court order allowing him to stay in the U.S., shouldnt have been deported, adding that he had been frustrated when he received the case. The Department of Justice has suspended one of its top attorneys (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Reuvani asked the judge for 24 hours to try to persuade the Trump administration to start the process of bringing back Abrego Garcia. But within those 24 hours, Blanche claimed that Reuvani had been engaging in conduct prejudicial to your client. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 15-year veteran of the Department of Justice was suspended with pay and blocked from his work email. The letter didnt state how long he would be placed on leave or if he would be disciplined. Judge Paula Xinis in Washington argued that officials had acted without legal basis when they detained Abrego Garcia and sent him to a megaprison in El Salvador without due process, giving the administration until the end of Monday to bring him back. On Saturday, the Justice Department requested that the federal appeals court above Xinis pause her order. That order is indefensible, the attorneys wrote. Foremost, it commands defendants to do something they have no independent authority to do: make El Salvador release Abrego Garcia, and send him to America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department has accused Abrego Garcia of being a member of MS-13, a gang active in several countries with Salvadoran roots. However, the department has put forward little evidence to support their claims, which Abrego Garcia has rejected. In a court of law, when someone is accused of membership in such a violent and predatory organization, it comes in the form of an indictment, complaint, criminal proceeding a robust process, so we can address the facts, said Xinis during a Friday hearing. I havent yet heard that from the government. GIRARD, Kans. Firefighters across southeast Kansas gathered to learn more about managing fire scenes. Its important to be continuously learning in the fire department. Its an ever-changing career path, said Cpt. Daulton Crays, Girard Fire Department. Firefighters from across southeast Kansas and the Kansas City metro attended the incident safety officers class, held at the Girard Fire Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve been learning about the role of the safety officers, of coordinating safety on the fire ground, as well as within the firehouse in ways that we can improve on our safety so that everybody goes home. At the end of the day, said Crays. Captain Daulton Crays is one of the many seasoned firefighters in command and leadership roles who attended. Others came from Mulberry, Galesburg, Overland Park, and Lewisburg. For Crays, the class is a chance to learn about the role safety plays at the scene of a fire. We need to learn to step back and get a good big picture of whats going on throughout the scene and step away from the chaos so we can keep track of everything going on and be as safe as possible, said Crays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They need to understand fire dynamics. They need to understand building construction. And they do understand the limited resources that a lot of the organizations face today, said James Zeeb, Kansas Fire and Rescue Training Institute assistant director. Zeeb says by learning ways you can practice safety is key to minimizing danger to firefighters and the people theyre saving. Were seeing a lot of lightweight construction fail very quickly, and that puts our firefighters and our citizens at danger, said Zeeb. In the class, he discussed other safety considerations like firefighter health, and following the rules of the road, as well as skills that make the work of a firefighter less hazardous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He hopes these lessons will be taken back into attendees communities and into the field. The goal of the Kansas Fire Rescue Training Institute is to educate firefighters to take that information back to their communities, back to their fire departments, to make their firefighters and their communities safer, said Zeeb. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. This elevation drawing of a prison was made by Thomas Ustick Walter, the architect who designed the U.S. Capitol dome. (Library of Congress) Leavenworth is a city of prisons. The area is home to five separate facilities, including a federal penitentiary, a state prison, and the U.S. militarys only maximum security prison. The imposing federal pen once housed Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz, who did most of his research on birds in Kansas, not on the California prison island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In popular culture the citys name has become synonymous with incarceration, a legacy of pulp magazines and old gangster movies. Prisons are among the citys major employers, and construction is underway for a new $532 million federal prison to replace the existing 128-year-old facility by May 2026. But theres one detention facility that Leavenworth city officials dont want. Its the newly (and Orwellian) named Midwest Regional Reception Center, a for-profit prison that would hold ICE detainees gathered in massive raids now undertaken by the Trump administration. The center would be located in the former Leavenworth Detention Facility, in operation from 1992 to 2021, which a federal judge once called an absolute hell hole. Owned and managed by CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America, the nations largest private prison firm, the Leavenworth Detention Facility was a nightmare of humanitarian and civil rights abuses where both guards and inmates feared for their lives, according to court documents. Operated under a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service, in 2017 the Office of Inspector General issued a 129-page audit that found chronic understaffing and mismanagement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abuses continued even after the audit. The American Civil Liberties Union and federal public defenders sent a letter to the White House documenting their concerns. Beatings and stabbings were rampant, suicides were prevalent, sexual assault reports were discouraged, and the company failed to report the death of an inmate for six days. Employees who were victims of crime were forbidden from being interviewed by police during work time, and CoreCivic staff refused to cooperate with city police on sexual assault allegations. In 2019, a federal judge found that telephone conversations between detainees and their attorneys conversations that should be confidential by law were routinely recorded. In 2021, a 39-year-old detainee, Scott W. Wilson, was beaten to death by another inmate who attacked him with a plastic food tray. The entire facility went on lockdown for weeks, with detainees kept in their cells except for showers every few days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only way I could describe it, frankly, whats going on at CoreCivic right now is its an absolute hell hole, said U.S. District Judge Julie A. Robinson during a resentencing hearing four years ago. The court is aware of it. The defense bar is aware of it. The prosecutors are aware of it. The United States Marshals are aware of it. The environment inside the facility was causing trauma to all involved. Guards have been almost killed, she said. Detainees are being traumatized with assaults and batteries, and not long ago a detainee was killed. So Im well aware of the situation at CoreCivic and very troubled by it as well. After an executive order by former President Joe Biden prohibited the Justice Department from contracting with private prisons, the Leavenworth Detention Facility officially closed on Jan. 1, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the story doesnt end there. Anticipating an opportunity to profit from the mass deportations, on Feb. 21 of this year CoreCivic applied for a special use permit from the city of Leavenworth to open a detention center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The permit was necessary under city code because the facility had been closed for more than 24 months. The application for reactivation of the detention center, which would operate as the Midwest Regional Reception Center, would allow approximately 1,000 detained noncitizens to be held on the 20-acre site. On average, detainees will be held for approximately 51 days as they are processed through the immigration system, including through removal hearings held at the facility, CoreCivic said in document supporting the application. All detainees who are processed through the facility will be transported to the nearest major transportation hub (i.e., the Kansas City International Airport) or the ICE office in Kansas City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CoreCivic, headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, would operate the detention facility through an interagency agreement with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. The city had scheduled an initial public hearing before the planning commission hearing on the permit for April 7. But on March 13, CoreCivic withdrew the application for the special use permit. It said it didnt need one. On March 25, the prison corporation asserted that the recently awarded contract with ICE necessitates a swift contract activation of the Midwest Regional Reception Center to accommodate their pressing need for capacity in the region, according to court documents. There was no time to go through a lengthy permitting process. It began advertising for correction officers and other staff needed to reopen the facility. On March 31, the city of Leavenworth filed suit in U.S. District Court to prevent CoreCivic from reopening the facility without a permit. The complaint asks for a temporary restraining order. The city is likely to suffer irreparable, irreversible, direct, and intangible harms to the health, safety, comfort, economic development, and property values of Leavenworth citizen and businesses if CoreCivic is allowed to proceed, the city argued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporting the suit was a declaration by Patrick Kitchens, Leavenworth chief of police, asserting that significant problems were encountered by the department when investigating violent felonies at the facility. Whether officers would be permitted to enter depended entirely on who was in charge, Kitchens said. Officers often were not allowed access at all and had to conduct interviews outside of the facilitys gate. CoreCivic prohibited its employees from giving interviews to police on company time, he said. Instead, these crime victims were forced to provide a written statement through the holes of the facilitys fence and then follow up on their own time, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company also routinely refused to turn over evidence, including photographs and weapons that had been used in assaults among inmates and against guards. I reached out to CoreCivic for a response to the citys lawsuit. We dont believe its right for Leavenworths taxpayers to have to pay for a lawsuit protesting efforts at the facility that would result in the creation of 300 jobs, Ryan Gustin, senior director for public affairs, wrote in an email. Weve been part of this community as a dedicated employer for more than 30 years, and our intention remains to meet the emerging needs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at our Midwest Regional Reception Center. Gustin said CoreCivic believes the site is already properly zoned. He did not address a question about allegations of past abuses at the facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leavenworth has been a prison town for more than a century, and its city leaders and residents know thats not an easy legacy. When I visited Leavenworth a few years ago, I heard from shopkeepers along its main street and the customers in a local diner that nearly everybody either had worked at one of the prisons or had a family member who did. When I learned recently the city had filed suit to stop the reopening of the Leavenworth Detention Facility, my first thought was it seemed out of character for a prison town. But the more I thought about it, the less out of character it seemed. Who better to judge the civic threat posed by a for-profit prison company with a horrifying record of mismanagement and abuse? It may also be part of the crisis of conscience the country is having about mass deportations. If the flights to a notorious El Salvadoran prison, in apparent defiance of a federal judges verbal order, dont give you pause, consider this: the Trump administration has admitted that not everyone it deported on those planes was a criminal. An oversight resulted in the deportation of a Maryland man who had been granted protected status, but the U.S. government says its unable to retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia from the custody of El Salvador. What the government of the United States did in our name was to effectively disappear a 29-year-old father. Whether he will emerge alive from his ordeal is uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite noncitizens having rights under the Constitution, hurried deportations are preventing detainees from accessing the courts. This obscene abuse of power is brought to bear not only on those who are suspected gang members, but is also being used to remove international students whose opinions the administration finds irksome. There is a name for this, and it is terrorism. Terrorism is defined in the U.S. Criminal Code is to engage in violent criminal acts that appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population. What happened to Garcia and others was violent and illegal, and there is little doubt it was meant to intimidate and coerce others. Today the deportees are those suspected of being gang members because of their tattoos and college students who have exercised their First Amendment rights with op-ed pieces about Gaza. Tomorrow it might be just about anybody the government finds troublesome or merely inconvenient. Take a look at your own tattoos, your own posts on social media and your friends or family members. There is something or someone among them that authorities could use to punish you. Have a butterfly tattoo? Some sources identify them as gang symbols. Have a cousin who did time for drugs? Youre a suspect, too. To make mass deportations more efficient, facilities such as the Midwest Regional Reception Center are needed. Organized repression at scale requires the ability to detain thousands while hearings or flights to third-world oubliettes are arranged. The manufacture of terror also requires the tacit approval of a majority of citizens. This last is perhaps easier than imagined, because as any criminal defense lawyer will tell you, there is a built-in bias among the American public that if youre arrested for something, you must be guilty. That bias can only be overcome with fact. Here is a 29-year-old Maryland man who was removed by irrevocable error. There is a Columbia University student arrested only because he was a political activist. And in Kansas, a private prison firm seeks to profit by becoming part of Americas mass deportation machine. The story of American prisons is told in the architecture of the institutions at Leavenworth, from the castle-like old federal penitentiary built in 1903 to the modular shape of the contemporary military barracks. But the building that housed the Leavenworth Detention Facility resembles nothing so much as a warehouse, a place to store the bodies and souls of noncitizens until they can be discarded. The question of whether the former Leavenworth Detention Facility should be brought back online as part of the mass deportation pipeline goes beyond the legal issue of whether it can be done without a municipal permit. Its a moral question of whether it should be done. The answer will define us. Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. JOPLIN, Mo. Kansas City University-Joplin hosted its 33rd Annual Weekend Symposium event. More than one hundred students attended this years Research Symposium one of KCUs major academic events. The symposium unites students, faculty, and researchers from different colleges to showcase their innovative research and scientific discoveries. It also brings in scientists and physicians inside and outside the KCU community, offering participants a chance to learn from professionals while gaining insights from the real world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inter professional collaboration is so important in giving that holistic care to all of our patients, so being able to display that and conduct that is so incredibly important to me and Im so incredibly honored to be able to have this opportunity, said Keaton Wilczynski, Kansas City University Joplin second-year dental student. I never really get to see what my fellow colleagues are working on and get to see all the research that people have been doing just for the benefit of patients. So, to see all of my friends all in one spot being able to present their research and see what theyve been working on is really fun, said Cortland Brown, Kansas City University Joplin second-year medical student. As the weekend-long event concluded, it was the final day for students to present their research projects. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. (Reuters) - Meta Platforms is planning on spending nearly $1 billion on setting up a data center project in central Wisconsin as part of its investment in artificial intelligence technology, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. Wisconsin in February reached an agreement with an unnamed company using an alias to develop a data center in the state with an expected multiyear investment of $837 million, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. The company behind the project is Meta, the report said. Both Meta and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp declined to comment on the report when contacted by Reuters. Investment in data centers has seen an uptick as technology giants have ramped up capex to meet the computing power needed to run generative AI applications such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Meta has earmarked as much as $65 billion this year to expand its AI infrastructure amid investor pressure on big tech firms to show returns on their investments. U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping reciprocal tariffs could hamstring Big Tech's billion-dollar efforts to build AI infrastructure in the country, likely undermining a key goal of the administration, analysts said on Thursday. (Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Maju Samuel) Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spent years promoting debunked theories and sowing doubts about the safety of vaccines, on Sunday promoted the measles shot. The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine, Kennedy wrote on the social media website X. His post comes amid a resurgence of measles cases and reports that a second child with measles died from the virus. She was not vaccinated and had no underlying health conditions, according to the Texas Department of State Health. The health department reported the first child death of the year on Feb. 26, also in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S., before this year, had not recorded a measles-related death in a decade. As of today, there are 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas, Kennedy said on social media platform X. As recently as last month, on television and in an op-Ed, Kennedy was warning people of the alleged dangers of the measles vaccine. It does cause deaths every year, Kennedy said about the MMR vaccine on Fox News. It causes all the illnesses that measles itself causes, encephalitis and blindness, etcetera. And so people ought to be able to make that choice for themselves. Medical leaders have repeatedly refuted Kennedys claims. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is extraordinarily safe and effective, Bruce Scott, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement last month, as measles spread throughout Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy has also promoted cod liver oil and other treatments he said were less risky as an alternative to the vaccine. Hospitalized measles patients are often deficient in vitamin A which cod liver oil can supplement, according to several studies. But it should be noted that vitamin A does not prevent measles, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. It is not appropriate for parents to use vitamin A as a preventative measure. Kennedys about face on the MMR vaccine vexed Trump administration supporters online who supported his confirmation because of his pledge to investigate vaccines for any connection to autism a belief that has long been debunked by scientists. Officials issued emergency evacuation orders in Pendleton County on Saturday because of flooding on the Licking River. One order directed residents to leave Butler by 4 p.m., and the other ordered residents to leave Falmouth, the county seat, by 8 p.m. Floodwaters on Kentucky Route 177 South, near Northern Elementary, on April 5, 2024. Officials in Pendleton County issued an emergency evacuation order for Butler and Falmouth as the Licking River continued to rise. Falmouth has a population of about 2,200, and about 650 people live in Butler. Officials asked people to evacuate over concerns they would be trapped in their homes with no electricity or water, and that first responders would not be able to reach them, said Rob Braun, volunteer public information officer for Pendleton County Emergency Management. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The river was projected to crest at 48 feet early Monday, though that was subject to change. At that level, it would flood houses in both cities and cut off access to Butler, Braun said. Water was already in some houses at midday Saturday, Braun said. Waters rise near a bridge heading into Butler, Kentucky, on April 5, 2024. Officials in Pendleton County issued an emergency evacuation for Butler and Falmouth as the Licking River continued to rise. Braun said volunteers were going door to door Saturday afternoon, telling people about the orders, and that most people were complying. Many people remembered the massive flood of March 1997, when water from the river inundated Falmouth. The flood caused five deaths in the county and nearly 1,000 people lost homes, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were two shelters set up in the county, and officials had arranged transportation for people who needed help. The number to call for help is 859-654-6540. Braun said officials were not forcing people to evacuate, and that some had decided not to leave their homes. In those cases, officials and volunteers were cautioning people that they might not have utilities and that emergency workers might not be able to reach them. Floodwaters on Flour Creek Road in Butler, Kentucky, on April 5, 2024. Officials in Pendleton County issued an emergency evacuation for Butler and Falmouth as the Licking River continued to rise. Workers evacuated about 80 residents from two nursing homes ahead of the expected Saturday flooding. Braun said officials that local police would be out to provide security for empty homes and that officials also had asked for help from the Kentucky National Guard. It wasnt clear Saturday afternoon when the evacuation order might be lifted, Braun said. Kentucky remains in the throes of deadly flooding from a severe storm system that has dumped torrential rain over the state since Wednesday. The continued significant levels of rainfall have resulted in historic flooding in some areas. Cities in the central swath of the commonwealth, including Lexington and Bowling Green, have higher chances of seeing impacts, meteorologists said. When will flooding in Kentucky stop? Heavy rainfall is expected until the weather system starts to move east Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville. Where are flood warnings in Kentucky? The National Weather Service in Louisville issued the following warnings: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A flash flood warning for Bullitt, Nelson and Spencer counties in central Kentucky due to expected thunderstorms producing heavy rain. Areas expected to experience flash flooding included Bardstown, Shepherdsville, Pioneer Village, Taylorsville, Mount Washington, Hillview, Lebanon Junction, Hebron Estates, Bloomfield and Fox Chase. A flash flood warning for Breckenridge and Meade counties into Sunday morning, affecting Brandenburg, Hardinsburg, Webster, Irvington, Cloverport, Muldraugh, Ekron, Basin Spring, Clifton Mills and Garfield. A flood warning for Anderson, Franklin and Woodford counties through Tuesday afternoon, impacted by the Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock where more flooding was expected due to additional rainfall expected. Kentucky River at Lockport Lock could affect Carroll, Owen and Henry counties; and Elkhorn Creek Near Peaks Mill could impact Franklin County. The flood stage was 41.4 feet Saturday evening and the river is expected to rise to a crest of 47 feet Monday morning, comparable to a crest of 47.5 feet on January 25, 1937, one of the areas most significant floods. Dustin Friend looks out at the Red River rushing over Main Street in Clay City, Kentucky Saturday morning, April 5, 2025 after heavy rains have flooded the area. The small town's main road has been cut-off due to the Red River's flooding. "I've never seen it like this since I've lived here," he said. What roads are closed in Kentucky? Many state and county roads in west Kentucky were closed Saturday as floodwaters swept over pavement. Clinton, the seat of Hickman County, was inaccessible from several directions due to road closures and some of the remaining routes into town were barely above water as of midday Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kentucky weather updates: Thunder Over Louisville 2025 canceled due to weather Kentucky flood fatalities At least two people have died in flooding-related incidents in Kentucky. A 9-year-old Frankfort boy died Friday after being swept away by floodwaters while walking to a school bus stop, Frankfort police said. A 74-year-old man was found dead inside a submerged vehicle in the 2800 block of Nelsonville Road in Boston Saturday, according to the Nelson County Sheriff's Office. Officials urge drivers to stay off roads if possible The National Weather Service is urging motorists to stay off flooded roads. Most flood fatalities occur in vehicles, according to the agency. More than half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous floodwaters, and the second-highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near floodwaters, the service said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Six inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult. Twelve inches of rushing water can sweep most cars off a road and 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks. Historic flooding possible in several KY areas Kentucky's capital city could soon see the Kentucky River crest to the highest level in more than three decades. Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson said the river is predicted to crest at more than 44 feet and could surpass the levels it reached in 1989. Since Friday, the river has risen more than 10 feet and is expected to rise an additional 5 feet by Monday, Wilkerson said in a Facebook post. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the incident could become one of the citys top 10 worst flooding events when the Ohio River crests in the city Wednesday. Most significant Kentucky floods According to weather.gov, the five most significant Kentucky floods are: The Great Flood of 1937 The Ohio River Great Flood of January 1937 surpassed all prior floods during the previous 175 years of modern occupancy of the Ohio River Valley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 70% of Louisville was submerged, forcing 175,000 residents to flee. About 90% of Jeffersonville, Indiana, was flooded with 13,000 residents forced to flee their homes. Louisville received 15 inches of rain over 12 days, from January 13-24. More than 19 inches of rain fell over the month. At Louisville, the crest of the 1937 flood is still a full 10 feet higher than the second-highest crest set in 1945. At McAlpine Lock, the 1937 flood crested at 85.4 feet. The flood stage is 55 feet. Damage was estimated at about $250 million more than $3.3 billion in 2025 dollars. The Ohio River Flood of March 1945 The flood that beset the Ohio River Valley in 1945 is the second-biggest flood at Louisville, peaking at 74.4 feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Late on March 5, the river was flowing over a sandbag dike and caused about 50,000 citizens in the Louisville area to evacuate. The bulk of the heavy rain that caused the flood fell during a three-week period leading up to the flood. The rain came in four main waves on February 2021, February 2526, March 1-2, and March 5-6. Damage was about estimated at around $2.6 million. The Flood of March 1997 Large amounts of rain fell on central Kentucky and southern Indiana from the end of February to the beginning of March 1997. Thunderstorms and large areas of heavy rain repeatedly moved over the same areas, causing record flooding along smaller streams and some of the worst flooding along the Ohio River since at least 1964, and in some places since the Great Flood of 1937. A few smaller streams set their all-time records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Water reached the rooftops in Boston in Nelson County. Barge traffic was halted on the Ohio River when the locks flooded. The Louisville area sustained about $200 million in damage from the flooding, affecting about 50,000 homes. The region saw a total of about $400 million in damages. Interstates 64 and 65 were closed, and 92 counties in Kentucky and 14 in Indiana were declared disaster areas. Nineteen deaths occurred in Kentucky, including nine due to attempts to cross flooded roadways. Great Winter Flood of December 1978 The flood that struck Frankfort saw the Kentucky River peak on December 10 at a record 48.47 feet and led to the state capital being almost completely cut off from the rest of the commonwealth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 1,000 people fled their homes. Torrential Rainfall May 1-2 2010 Strengthening low pressure moving slowly from Texas to Michigan brought Gulf moisture northward, resulting in historic rainfall across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. Parts of southern Kentucky saw 8-10 inches of rain. Bowling Green, Marrowbone, Bradfordsville, Richmond and Albany all set new records for two-day rainfall amounts and almost all streams and rivers in southern Indiana and central Kentucky experienced some sort of flooding. Stoner Creek at Paris and the Kentucky River at High Bridge attained their third-highest crests on record. The Green River at Rochester stayed above flood stage for two weeks following the rain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Damage totaled more than $30 million and there were five fatalities in central Kentucky. Contributing: Keisha Rowe, Olivia Evans, Connor Giffin, Stephanie Kuzydym and Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky floods 2025: See flood warnings, river crest timing, more SCRANTON Christine Cabets did not know what to expect when she boarded a yellow school bus for a tour of the Keystone Sanitary Landfill Saturday morning. As the tour unfolded, Cabets heard much about the landfills liner system, leachate collection, stormwater drainage and monitoring system from Operations Manager Michael Bair, who fielded questions and provided information. Cabets, a Throop resident, said it was a lot to take in at one time, but admitted it seemed like the facility was doing all it can to reduce odors coming from the site and manage its leachate, the contaminated liquid that forms from water percolating through solid waste. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She listened attentively as Bair described a process called reverse osmosis, which purifies leachate until it looks looks much like drinking water. She was even brave enough to lean over and take a sniff of the clear liquid when Bair poured it into a glass. Cabets was also impressed with how clean and organized the landfill looked, as Bair spoke of efforts to keep the grass cut and the area maintained. Still, in spite of the landfills efforts to control odor and keep the facility safe, Cabets has some concerns about the facility, which sits between Dunmore and Throop. Its a landfill between two little towns, she said. And it can be overwhelming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cabets said odors from the site make their way to her home in the upper part of the borough. Neighbors with a greater sensitivity to smell, say the odor bothers them and makes it difficult for them to enjoy their properties. She knows the landfill, which provides revenue for both Throop and Dunmore and jobs for nearly 200 people, isnt going away. I truly dont know what to think, she said. I have very mixed feelings. Christine Cabets, of Throop, smells processed water during a tour of the Keystone Sanitary Landfill Saturday. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)Keystone Sanitary Landfill Operations Manager Michael Bair addresses participants of a tour of its facilities Saturday. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)Shown is machinery which processes leachate at the Keystone Sanitary Landfill utilizing reverse osmosis. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Informing and educating The landfill held the tour as it seeks approval from Throop Borough Council and the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority to discharge its treated leachate through Throops sanitary sewer system for further treatment at the LRBSAs wastewater treatment plant on Boulevard Avenue in Throop. The landfill currently directs its wastewater to Pennsylvania American Waters treatment plant in South Scranton. As part of the project, the landfill said it would completely rehabilitate Throops sanitary sewer line, including removing root infiltration and fixing broken joints. Throop borough council President Richard Kucharski said the tour was part of the process of informing and educating residents about the facility and the impact its use of the boroughs sanitary sewer system to transfer leachate for further treatment would have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kucharski said borough officials consulted with their engineer and held a public hearing earlier this week. Saturdays tour provided residents the chance to get out and see the facility for themselves, and to ask questions of its management. Were doing our due diligence, he said. At the conclusion of the tour, Kucharski said he was impressed with the efforts the landfill was making to reduce odors and contain leachate, which includes two sealed leachate tanks expected to be operational by July. He noted the facility was very clean and well maintained, with very little odor as the tour group drove through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cooperating with officials The tour also comes after the state Environmental Hearing Board ruled this week that the Department of Environmental Protection erred in approving the landfills Phase III expansion on June 3, 2021, by issuing a permit that does not sufficiently control or mitigate issues with odors and excessive leachate generation, which the DEP was aware of prior to approving the expansion. The 42-year expansion allows the landfill to triple its volume of waste into the 2060s by adding just over 94 million tons of garbage, or about 188 billion pounds. The Department must assess on remand whether additional measures to control odors and leachate, some of which have been required by a recent Consent Order and Agreement, warrant inclusion in the landfills permit or changes to the landfills operating plans, the five-member panel of environmental judges wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grassroots group Friends of Lackawanna, which formed in 2014 to oppose the landfill and its expansion, appealed the expansion approval in July 2021, taking it to the hearing board. The DEP must now review its decisions and will likely require the landfill to implement additional measures to mitigate odor and leachate. The facility is owned by Louis and Dominic Denaples. Business manager Dan OBrien said the facility, owners and management welcome any DEP recommendations, and is confident the facility has a positive path forward. We intend to be 100% in compliance, he said. Conservative writer Andrew Dunn recently questioned whether Davidson College protects controversial speech, particularly pro-Israel views. Ive spent the past few years at Davidson looking into, reporting on and teaching about the importance of free expression. Every issue of importance is being discussed on campus. But every false claim of censorship, as YAF alleged here, further roots in the public consciousness a distorted perception of colleges, who are stuck having to play Whack-a-Mole to correct the record. A conservative student group, a chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), handed out an anti-Muslim pamphlet made available to them by national YAF to counter what they believed was an anti-Israel campus atmosphere. The group also retweeted what some considered transphobic. They then faced the usual student disciplinarian process and could choose between a hearing, where they could be found guilty or not guilty for harassment, or accept an accountability plan. They chose neither, convinced they were targeted for their beliefs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But they werent. The college was responding to complaints from other students, some of whom said they felt unsafe because of the pamphlets contents, which was handed out near the student unions entrance. Davidson is required to take seriously every student concern for legal, practical and ethical reasons. Thats what triggered the potential hearing not the groups stance on the Gaza war. I know this because I know pro-Palestinian students and others have faced the same process disciplinarian, which is necessarily opaque because of privacy laws. I know pro-Israel views are welcome because professors, students and staff shared them before the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on that country, and since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know because those voices can be so loud and persistent that they can pressure the college to cancel a Jewish speaker critical of Israel, as happened just weeks ago. (The college didnt cave.) I know because I have colleagues holding pro-Palestinian views whove rethought public presentations for fear of being falsely labeled antisemitic. I know because colleagues expert on the long-complex history of the Israel-Palestine conflict led well-attended teach-ins on the subject. They explained every side of the issue from an educational rather than ideological perspective. I know because students have shared those views in my classes during deliberative discussions and debates infused with passion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres whats also true: Students, faculty and staff often disagree about this subject, and many others. Many often feel reluctant to speak openly about this Israel-Gaza, and many other subjects. They fear the judgment of peers a human instinct not unique to college campuses. Many of us even disagree about the nature of the student disciplinary process. Should speech of any sort short of flagrant-obvious harassment like the hurling of epithets or stalking be subject to that process? Or maybe it would be better to allow students to resolve uncomfortable disputes among themselves. Many Davidson students, faculty and staff disagree about when free expression advances or hampers the colleges mission. When a student spreads misinformation on an important topic, should the college remain neutral to honor that students right to speak freely? Or point out the falsehoods and correct them? If so, how can that be done in a way that doesnt feel punitive? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What if a professors expression of personal beliefs makes it less likely students will engage in class, even if inadvertently. Should the college step in? Colleges arent gloried debate clubs who dont care about facts or the context in which they need to be grounded, the kinds of exchanges regularly on display in prime time on cable news. Free expression is a right. But it comes with responsibilities, particularly for institutions of higher education whose objective is greater than simply gathering together people to exchange words no matter if truth is cultivated or undermined. Its hard to determine where to draw the line between protected speech on a college campus, and that which should be shunned. But trying to get it right becomes more difficult each time an underinformed argument misleads the public about what we do and who we are. Issac Bailey is a McClatchy opinion writer in North Carolina and South Carolina. LONDON (AP) Britains ruling Labour Party has suspended one of its lawmakers after he was arrested in connection with an investigation into allegations of rape and child sex offenses. Labour suspended Dan Norris, 65, who was elected to Parliament during last years general election. The action means Norris, who represents North East Somerset and Hanham, will no longer be part of the Labour caucus, though he remains a member of the House of Commons. Norris is also the mayor of the West of England, a regional authority that controls issues such as planning and transportation in an area that includes Bristol, Bath and the surrounding countryside. He was elected to the post in 2017 but is due to step down after local elections in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest," the party said in a statement released on Saturday. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing. Avon and Somerset Police said that a man in his 60s was arrested on Friday and released on conditional bail. Police in England dont normally identify criminal suspects by name until they have been formally charged. In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offenses having been committed against a girl," the force said. Most of the offenses are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s but were also investigating an alleged offense of rape from the 2020s." Norris, whose arrest was first reported by the Sun on Sunday and the Mail on Sunday, previously served in Parliament from 1997 to 2010. He was an assistant whip under Prime Minister Tony Blair and a junior minister under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A show involving larger-than-life puppets celebrated immigrants and sought to educate the audience, its organizers aid. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, its artist-in-residence Kill Joy and the Kitchen Table Puppets and Press troupe teamed up for a performance Saturday evening, April 5 at the Falstaff collaborative space in South-Central El Paso. Photos by Edith Montero/KTSM Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two-week tour across Texas features larger-than-life puppets that celebrate the resilience of immigrant communities amid escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. The tour aims to educate audiences about their constitutional rights by sharing Know Your Rights materials. Performances will culminate in a night market, where audiences can support local artists, small businesses, and advocacy organizations, said a news release announcing the performance. The tour will also bring awareness to the stories of Texas families torn apart by anti-immigrant policies, according to the ACLU Texas website. After performing in El Paso, the tour will make stops in Houston (April 8), Austin (April 10), and San Antonio (April 15). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. The German port city of Hamburg is set to host large-scale military exercises in autumn, simulating a potential Russian attack on NATO countries and requiring the rapid deployment of allied forces to the east. Source: NTV/dpa, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Bundeswehr will conduct major exercises in Hamburg in September 2025, focused on the swift deployment of allied troops in the event of a potential war with Russia. Hamburg, as a port city, would play a key role as a logistics hub for moving NATO forces to Europes eastern borders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The manoeuvres, codenamed Red Storm Bravo, will begin on 25 September and last for three days, taking place both during the day and at night. The drills will include military movements through the city, organisation of medical aid, and evacuation of the wounded. Meanwhile, Romania has reported delays in road repairs needed for NATO exercises. Background: Since January 2025, German Patriot systems have been protecting a strategic Polish airport near the Ukrainian border. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The number of people injured in the 4 April Russian attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has risen to 75. Source: Oleksandr Vilkul, Head of Kryvyi Rih City Defence Council Details: The aftermath of the attack is being dealt with. Among the injured, 37 people remain in hospital, 19 of them in a serious condition, including 4 children. Two of the children in the city of Dnipro are in a critical condition. Background: On the evening of 4 April, Russian forces struck a residential area in Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles, killing 18 people, including 9 children, and injuring 74. Kryvyi Rih has declared three days of mourning from Monday to Wednesday, 7 to 9 April, for those killed in the 4 April Russian attacks. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! By Anna Tong OAKLAND (Reuters) - - Billionaire Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI will go to a jury trial in spring 2026, the federal judge presiding over the case decided on Friday. Last month, OpenAI and Musk agreed to fast-track a trial over OpenAI's for-profit shift, the latest turn in a grudge match between the world's richest person and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman playing out publicly in court. The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, had denied Musk's request to pause the ChatGPT maker's transition to a for-profit model and instead proposed an expedited trial. Musk cofounded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but left before the company took off and subsequently founded the competing startup xAI in 2023. xAI last month acquired Musk's social media company X in a deal that values X at $33 billion and allows the value of his artificial intelligence firm to be shared with co-investors in X. Last year, Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, sued OpenAI and Altman, accusing OpenAI of straying from its founding mission to develop AI for the good of humanity, not corporate profit. OpenAI and Altman have denied the allegations, while Altman alleges that Musk has been trying to slow down a competitor. At stake in the lawsuit is the ChatGPT maker's transition to a for-profit model, which the startup says is crucial to raising more capital and competing well in the expensive AI race. OpenAI is under pressure to transition quickly. The company is currently raising a funding round of up to $40 billion led by Japanese tech investment group SoftBank. SoftBank said it has agreed to fund OpenAI with $10 billion in mid-April and an additional $30 billion in December, contingent on the firm's transitioning to a for-profit by the end of the year. Altman, who has said OpenAI is not for sale, rejected a $97.4 billion unsolicited takeover bid earlier this year from a Musk-led consortium with a "no thank you." (Reporting by Anna Tong in Oakland, California; Editing by Leslie Adler) Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has described the latest Russian attack on Ukrainian cities as the Kremlin's response to US peace initiatives. Source: Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Sybiha noted that a number of Ukrainian cities had been attacked by Russian ballistic missiles, drones and aerial bombs on the night of 5-6 April. "Russia's only response to US proposals for a full ceasefire so far has been to launch more missiles, drones and bombs against Ukraine and its people. Time for more pressure on Moscow," he stressed. Background: On Sunday morning, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, causing fires and injuring three people. At 04:57, an air-raid warning was issued throughout most of Ukraine due to the activity of Russian strategic aircraft. On the evening of 4 April, Russian forces struck a residential area in the city of Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile, killing at least 18 people, including 9 children. At the time, Brink tweeted that she had been "horrified" by the attack on Kryvyi Rih but did not mention Russia in her post. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "unpleasantly" surprised by the US Embassy's reaction to the Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery) responds to questions Saturday on the bill that seeks to limit financial liability in child sex abuse lawsuits. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Lawmakers gave final approval Saturday to a bill designed to give survivors of childhood sexual abuse their day in court, while shielding Maryland from what could be billions of dollars in payouts for such claims. The rapid-fire passage of House Bill 1378 it got out of the House, through the Senate, back to the House and to the governors desk in just two days followed two weeks of often emotional and sometimes personal debate about the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill is a response to the Child Victims Act of 2023, which lifted the time limit during which people could file lawsuits against public or private institutions where they claimed they had been sexually abused as children. That bill was a victory for Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles), a child sexual abuse survivor himself who had spent years pushing for the measure. But Wilson sponsored HB1378 this year after thousands of people lined up to file claims against the state and it became clear that damages could rise into the billions of dollars, potentially bankrupting the state. Many lawmakers who voted for the bill in recent days pointed to the need to protect the state while allowing survivors their day in court. On balance, I think this is the right way to go, said Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery), chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee that passed the bill late Saturday morning. The full Senate passed it 36-7 just hours later. Opponents were divided between those who said the Child Victims Act should never have been approved in the first place and those who said the bill to fix it was either unconstitutional or wrongly hurt victims or both. This is the most knowingly unconstitutional piece of legislation this legislative body has ever passed, said Corey Stern, an attorney representing child sexual abuse survivors, in a text after Saturdays full Senate vote. The members who voted for it should be ashamed of themselves. The leadership that insisted they do should be voted out of office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Child Victims Act capped awards against public institutions, like the state, to $890,000 per incident for an abused child. It set the cap for private institutions, like the Catholic Church or scouting organizations, at $1.5 million. HB1378 would lower the cap for public institutions to $400,000 and for private institutions to $700,000 for cases filed June 1 or later, when the new law takes effect. Claims before that would be subject to the original rules. The bill would also cap fees for attorneys at 20% for cases that settle out of court and 25% for cases that result from a court judgment. The bill also narrows the scope of the term incident, so that all crimes by one abuser against one victim would count as one incident, rather than one incident for every separate assault. Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City), who spoke on behalf of Wilson during a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing on the bill Friday, said about 1,500 lawsuits have been filed since the Child Victims Act was passed, and another 4,000 cases are waiting to go forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Jack Bailey (R-Calvert and St. Marys) was one of seven Senate Republicans to vote against the bill Saturday. He also voted against the Child Victims Act two years ago. I did not feel it was appropriate that if the General Assembly allowed these current victims to receive compensation based on a decision we made, that now all of a sudden, we should change that, Bailey said after Saturdays vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Much of the Senate debate was between Smith and Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll). Ready said it was a mistake for the legislature to pass the 2023 measure that lifted previous statutory time limits and allowed survivors to sue their abusers or organizations that harbored them at any time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hindsight is always 20-20, Smith said. But there was foresight. I think people didnt want to say no to the pressures. Not do something, but slow down, Ready said. After about 25 minutes of debate, the Senate give the bill preliminary approval before suspending the rules so that the bill could go to third reading, or given final approval, on the same day. Before the final vote, Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore County) said part of the legislation could face an immediate court challenge, especially over the limited definition of incident for victims. West summarized a recent Maryland Supreme Court decision when an incarcerated person in prison was assaulted twice that occurred within minutes of each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The whole question that this bill sets up is whether our intent to now limit the cause of action to a single occurrence per claimant, whether that is constitutional, said West, who voted for the bill. This is going to be a lawsuit that will surely be filed almost immediately, and it will surely go right up to the Maryland Supreme Court. Because the Senate made a technical amendment to the bill, it had to go back the House for review. The House agreed to concur in the Senate amendment on a 92-40 vote, sending the bill to the governor. FAIRMONT Criminal charges against the person at the center of the lawsuit against the Marion County School Board alleging child assault stalled because police cannot find her. The parents of an autistic child filed a lawsuit against the Marion County Board of Education on Thursday, alleging the school district covered up an incident where Teresa Sestito, a special needs teacher, assaulted a 7th grade student at West Fairmont Middle School on Aug. 25, 2023. The child has a nonverbal form of autism. The lawsuit alleges the Fairmont Police Department signed and filed a criminal complaint on Sept. 20, 2023. The police were just unable to find her, City Communications Manager David Kirk said. They made multiple attempts to find her at her listed address and she was even one of the individuals the department sought out during the Spring Cleaning arrests, but officers were unable to find her whereabouts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirk said Sestito was charged with felony battery and assault of a disabled child. Sestito gave a statement to police on Sept. 1 while on leave from the school system. The criminal complaint was not present at either the Marion County Circuit Clerk or Magistrate Court offices. The lawsuit argues Sestitos actions fit the definition of a felony crime. Defendant Sestito has not been asked to answer her alleged crimes in criminal court, the lawsuit states. That is, the criminal process/complaint seems to have stalled out, without a warrant or execution of the same, and without any sort of progress. The lawsuit states on Aug. 25, Sestito was working with the child when an incident occured. Its not clear what the incident was, but it caused Sestito to fly into rage and retaliate against the student. She threw a binder, a Microsoft Go, a notebook and a pen at the student before shoving the student to the ground, according to the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [The child] lay in a helpless and prone position on the hallway floor, for at least 30 seconds, and presumably much longer before camera footage turns off, the suit states. The principal of West Fairmont Middle sent Sestito home in lieu of an investigation. A Fairmont Police officer created a report on the date of the incident, and on Sept. 1, 2023 Sestito gave a statement to the police. The lawsuit characterizes the statement as self-serving. Police filed the report on Sept. 20, 2023. However, the report never progressed from there. Police never arrested Sestito for the assault. The lawsuit accuses Marion County Board of Education of doing little to nothing to investigate the incident despite informing Fairmont Police they would be provided with the results of an investigation, and moreover, never notified the childs parents of what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parents only became aware after the Department of Health and Human Resources contacted them about the investigation their agency was conducting. The suit states video footage of the assault wasnt properly preserved, and the school district only allowed the parents to view footage of the assault after the parents retained legal counsel, more than one year after the incident. Minutes from a Sept. 18, 2023 board meeting show Sestito was suspended indefinitely. The suit states a press release from the Board confirmed Sestitos separation from employment. One year later, on Sept. 16, 2023, minutes show the Board approved Sestitos resignation. The lawsuit states its not clear if she was fired, suspended or allowed to resign. Its not clear if School Superintendent Donna Heston ever notified the Board of Education about the circumstances of the assault. I dont remember anything that she said to me about that in a direct way, Board President George Boyles said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boyles began his tenure on the board in 2022. Heston declined to comment on ongoing litigation, and instead referred questions to attorney Susan Llewellyn Deniker of the Steptoe & Johnson law firm. Deniker did not return a phone call by press time. The lawsuit charges the school district with negligence and recklessness, negligent hiring, training and supervision and retention, civil assault and battery, disability discrimination, intentional affliction of emotional distress and loss of filial consortium. The plaintiff asks for compensatory damages for future economic and noneconomic harm as well as for severe mental anguish and emotional distress. Chirag Desai, the plaintiffs attorney, declined to comment. The lawsuit accuses Marion County Schools of operating under a veil of secrecy. According to the lawsuit, the childs parents found bruises and cuts on their child prior to the incident that was caught on surveillance camera. The lawsuit points out that due to the childs inability to speak, and the Boards failure to investigate the full extent of Sestitos conduct, the truth regarding any additional instances may never be found out. The Marion County BOEs disingenuous response to the abuse incident reflects a system pattern of lack of the due care and protection of vulnerable, non-verbal special needs kids like [the child,] the complaint states.... Plaintiffs hereby bring this civil action because sunlight is the best disinfectant, and these defendants must be held accountable for the harm caused to their family. By Gabriel Stargardter and Yann Tessier PARIS (Reuters) -French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Sunday she would peacefully fight her five-year ban from running for office and draw inspiration from American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., as thousands of people rallied in Paris to back her. A Paris court convicted Le Pen and two dozen National Rally (RN) party members of embezzling EU funds last week and imposed a sentence that will prevent her from standing in France's 2027 presidential election unless she can get the ruling overturned within 18 months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will follow Martin Luther King as an example," Le Pen said in a video appearance for Italian Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration Lega party, which was holding a meeting in Florence. "Our fight will be a peaceful fight, a democratic fight. We will follow Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights, as an example." Le Pen supporters waved French flags and chanted "we will win" as they gathered in central Paris on Sunday afternoon for a peaceful protest, which could give an indication of how much popular backing there is for her accusations that prosecutors in the case sought her "political death". Pensioner Marie-Claude Bonnefont, 79, said she was against "this parody of a decision against Le Pen". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "One should really question the impartiality of the judges," another protester, political science student Typhaine Quere, told Reuters. There was no immediate police estimate of attendance at Sunday's protest, but organisers said about 15,000 people had gathered. LE PEN STILL AHEAD, POLL SHOWS The court's ruling was a massive blow for Le Pen, 56. The National Rally chief is one of the most prominent figures of the European far right, and a front-runner in polls for France's 2027 election. Le Pen has appealed the court's decision, and she vowed on Sunday to use all the tools and legal means to be able to run in 2027. The court has said it will issue a ruling on the appeal in the summer of 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An opinion poll by Elabe on Saturday showed Le Pen was still favourite to win the first round of the presidential vote with between 32% and 36% support, ahead of former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who was polled at between 20.5% and 24%. But attacks by Le Pen and her allies over the "tyranny of judges" have not gained traction, even among some of her supporters, particularly after the lead judge in her case was put under police protection following death threats. Most French people do not see any problem with the court's decision. Some 65% of respondents said they were "not shocked" by the verdict and 54% said Le Pen was treated like any other defendant, according to an Odoxa poll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across the city, at Place de la Republique, leftist party supporters flocked to a counter-demonstration to protest Le Pen's attacks on the French state. Centrist politicians including two former prime ministers, Gabriel Attal and Philippe, also gathered on Sunday to show a united front against the RN. "Let us maintain this commitment to the morality of political life and to our institutions at a time when they are being challenged by the far right, which is gathering today to attack our judges, to attack our institutions," Attal said. (Additional Reporting by John Irish and Keith Weir; Writing by John IrishEditing by Helen Popper) Marine Le Pen, the leader of Frances hard-Right, likened a courts decision to disqualify her from running for president to Martin Luther King Jrs civil rights struggle. The leader of the National Rally (RN) was last week found guilty of embezzling millions of euros in EU funds to pay for party staff, and barred from running for office in the 2027 election. Le Pen, 56, was given a four-year jail term, with two years suspended, and banned from public office for five years. Addressing thousands of supporters in Paris, Le Pen attacked the judges decision, claiming she was the subject of a politically motivated witch hunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To all the French people who are being poisoned, I want to say that our line of conduct will never be that of the brutalisation so dear to other political groups, but will instead be peace-loving like Pastor Martin Luther King for the civil rights of American citizens who were oppressed and disenfranchised at the time, she said. To this end, we intend to invite all French people and freedom-lovers to join us in a peaceful and democratic resistance, a popular and patriotic resistance. Credit: TF1 - LE20H It was the second time the hard-Right leader invoked the US civil rights hero on Sunday. The first came in a video discussion ahead of the days gathering of supporters with Matteo Salvini, Italys deputy prime minister and leader of the far-Right Lega party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an exercise of our sovereignty and right to self-determination, Le Pen said. But our fight, Matteo, will be like yours, a fight that will be peaceful and democratic, and we will take example from Martin Luther King who fought for civil rights. Jordan Bardella, Le Pens protege and likely successor should her appeal against the ruling fail, also called the conviction a direct attack on democracy. It is not only Marine Le Pen who has been unjustly convicted. It is French democracy that is being executed on the basis of a simple court decision, Mr Bardella told the crowd of supporters and party members gathered at the Place Vauban. But, he added, the party did not want to discredit all judges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not the first time Le Pen has tried to frame herself as a political martyr. She has also compared herself to Alexei Navalny who died a hero as Russias opposition leader in suspicious conditions. Madame Le Pen, you are not Alexei Navalny. You are one of his executioners pawns, Gabriel Attal, president of Emmanuel Macrons Renaissance party said during a counter-rally in Saint-Denis. Mr Attal also responded to the RNs attempt to downplay the conviction by saying: You steal, you pay. Le Pen invoked Martin Luther King twice on Sunday as she attacked the judges decision - AP/Thibault Camus Along with stressing that she would not give up the fight to run for president, Le Pen used expressions like political manhunt and witch hunt to air her grievances at being barred from the presidential run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her attack on Frances judicial system mirrors Donald Trumps aggression against US courts which have blocked some of the US presidents most controversial executive orders. On Friday, Mr Trump demanded that France free Le Pen, calling her ban from running for office a witch hunt. The conviction has done little to sway public opinion. A new poll found that if either Le Pen or Mr Bardella were presented as RNs presidential candidate the party would lead voting in the first round with between 31 per cent to 36 per cent of the vote. Its nearest competitors include Edouard Philippe, Mr Macrons former prime minister and founder of centre-Right party Horizons, and Francois Hollande, the former president and member of the New Popular Front, a left-wing coalition formed for the elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Elabe poll was conducted for BFMTV-La Tribune Dimanche. The RN is in prime position and in the same situation as the Formula 1 team that places two cars on the starting line. Plan B is working as well as Plan A, said Bernard Sananes, president of Elabe. He cautioned, however, that for the party to secure victory in the decisive second round, it would need to expand its current voter base. The findings of the poll will likely energise the RN party, which has called on their supporters to gather in Paris on Monday afternoon in solidarity with Le Pen, who has described the conviction as a political decision. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A four-plus year-old homicide remains under investigation as Columbus police seek assistance from the public. According to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, leads remain sparse in the case of an east Columbus homicide that occurred on Dec. 27, 2021. Police say thats when reports of an unknown complaint was received in the 1100 block of Shady Lane Drive near East Main Street. Columbus school staffer arrested in alleged murder-for-hire plot Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers arrived and discovered 22-year-old Preston Bell suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. It is believed Bell was walking outside when he was shot in the chest by an unknown suspect. A Whitehall Fire Medic unit arrived and pronounced Bell dead at 4:45 a.m. For an earlier report on this story view the video player above. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477 or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. More than 100 chemical weapons sites remain in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, according to a weapons watchdog. It is the first time such an estimate has been made by an international organisation since the fall of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is trying to enter the country to assess the remains of the military programme which until now, had remained top secret. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest estimate, reported by the New York Times, comes from external researchers, nonprofit groups and intelligence shared by its member countries. In December, Israels foreign minister Gideon Saar admitted that dozens of strikes had targeted suspected sites in the wake of Assads fall, and the government takeover by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Mr Saar said the action was taken to prevent the weapons falling into hostile hands, with Israeli troops now present in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. Thats why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they not fall into the hands of extremists, he said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minister of Defence, Israel Katz, also said at the time that the strikes would continue in order to protect Israel, saying the military would destroy heavy strategic weapons throughout Syria, including surface-to-air missiles, air defence systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets and coastal missiles. According to the latest report, the remaining sites are suspected to have been involved in the research, manufacturing and storage of chemical weapons. The decades-long dictator al-Assad had used weapons including chlorine gas, made famous during the First World War, against rebel fighters and Syrian civilians during more than a decade of civil war. The chemical burns the eyes and skin and fills the lungs with fluid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also among the cache of weapons was sarin, a nerve agent which can kill in minutes. Ending a painful legacy During a visit to the Hague in March, Syrias new foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, said the government would destroy any remains of the chemical weapons programme developed under the Assad regime and comply with international law, committing to working with the OPCW. At this historic juncture, our commitment today at the Executive Council is to destroy any remains of the chemical weapons programme developed under the Assad regime, to put an end to this painful legacy, to bring justice to victims, and to ensure that the compliance with international law is a solid one. Syria is dedicated to this task through a strong commitment and will need the support of the international community, with the OPCW, to achieve it, Mr Shaibani told the OPCWs executive council. People protest on April 4, the eighth anniversary of a deadly chemical attack by the Syrian government on Khan Sheikhoun - Anadolu Speaking to Axios after the fall of the Assad regime, an unnamed US official also confirmed that it was working to eliminate remaining weapons, including chemical weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The official told Axios that the US has good fidelity on the status of Syrias weapons inventory and that its intelligence experts believe it is still under control. We are taking very prudent measures about this ... We are doing everything we can to ensure that those materials are not available to anyone and are cared for, the official said. We want to make sure that chlorine or things that are far worse are destroyed or secured. There are several efforts in this regard with partners in the region. During the beginning of Syrias civil war, 27 chemical weapons sites were declared to the monitoring group, which sent inspectors to visit and shut them down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Mr Assad continued to use chemical weapons until around 2018 with research showing he continued to import precursor chemicals, with many sites believed to be hidden in the likes of caves, hard to detect through satellite imaging. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Cory Booker for president. Look, we have to start somewhere. And if somewhere is with a guy who can talk passionately about America for 25 straight hours without a bathroom break or a chair, then thats as good a place to start as any. Theatrics aside, what Booker did on the floor of the U.S. Senate last week was remarkable. By breaking the Senate record for the longest floor speech in history with a searing critique of the Trump administration, Booker showed the nation what passion and commitment are all about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bookers speech took direct aim at President Trump, who, in just the first two months of his second term, has used executive orders to dismantle federal agencies, upend the federal workforce and trample every initiative promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy and even our aspirations as a people for, from our highest offices, a sense of common decency, Booker said on the Senate floor. These are not normal times in America and they should not be treated as such. I cant allow this body to continue without doing something. The threats to Americas democracy are grave and urgent. Booker, New Jerseys senior senator, urged Congress to do its job and hold the Executive Branch and Elon Musk accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most powerful man in the world and the richest man in the world have taken a battle axe to the Veterans Association, a battle axe to the Department of Education, a battle axe to the only agency solely focused on protecting consumers against big banks and other factors that might abuse them, he said. What will we do in this body? What will we do in the House of Representatives? Right now the answer is nothing. Bookers speech was must-see TV. Rarely are viewers so locked into C-SPAN. In truth, Booker didnt say much more than what Trumps other critics have been saying for months. But the way Booker did it made people listen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Was it a gimmick? Of course it was. But so was renting an apartment in a public housing complex 20 years ago when Booker was running for mayor of Newark. He won. Democrats need to be thinking about their next presidential candidate right now, and Bookers name should be in the mix. If Booker, who briefly ran for president in 2020, isnt the one, hes at least making a strong case to be the one. Until now, the presumed front-runner in a race thats still more than three years away has been California Gov. Gavin Newsome. But what has Newsome done, in the months since Trump took office, to articulate the pain of Americans the way Booker has? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The record that Booker broke belonged to the late South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, a devout segregationist, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The bill, which became law despite Thurmonds protest, established voting rights protections for Black people across the country. To be candid, Strom Thurmonds record always kind of just really irked me, Booker said after his own daylong diatribe. That he would be the longest speech, that the longest speech on our great Senate floor was someone who was trying to stop people like me from being in the Senate. So to surpass that was something I didnt know if we could do, but it was something that was really, once we got closer, became more and more important to me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thurmond never made it to the White House, despite his own presidential bid. But with Trump, we got the next worst thing. Again. Dont believe it? Just ask Booker. Just give him a little time to catch his breath. By Heekyong Yang SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics is expected to forecast a 21% drop in the first quarter profit on Tuesday, hurt by sluggish sales of artificial intelligence chips and continued losses in its contract chip manufacturing business. The world's biggest maker of memory chips, in the midst of a management reshuffle following the sudden death of co-CEO Han Jong-Hee in late March, is due to report preliminary first-quarter earnings on Tuesday. Samsung has been grappling with falling chip profits since the middle of last year as it fell behind key rival SK Hynix in supplying high-performance memory chips to AI chip leader Nvidia. Its struggle in the high-end market has left the South Korean tech giant heavily reliant on customers in China looking for less advanced products that are not subject to U.S. export restrictions. Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities, estimated that AI chip demand from Chinese customers dropped in the first quarter after front-loading in the previous quarter in anticipation of more U.S. sales restrictions. "The share of HBM chips in Samsung's overall DRAM shipments may have declined slightly in the first quarter, leading to an expected decrease in DRAM profitability," he said, referring to high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used to make AI chipsets. Samsung is projected to report 5.2 trillion won ($3.62 billion) in the January-March quarter operating profit, according to LSEG SmartEstimate. It reported a 6.6 trillion won profit in the same period a year ago. While Samsung is working on a redesigned version of its most advanced HBM chips to supply key clients, its relatively heavy exposure to commodity chips has made its profitability more vulnerable to volatile prices, analysts said. Prices of some DRAM memory chips, widely used in smartphones and PCs, fell by about 25% in the first quarter over the year, and prices for NAND flash chips, used in data storage, fell around 50% during the same period, according to TrendForce data. As a result, Samsung is again expected to underperform SK Hynix, whose profit is expected to more than double from a year earlier, LSEG data showed, benefiting from robust AI chip demand. Sweeping reciprocal tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on its trading partners are also set to raise costs for Samsung's various products ranging from smartphones to TVs, laptops and home appliances. "Samsung could look to diversify its production base ... as part of its mid-to-long-term strategy. However, that isn't something that can be done within a year or two," said Jeff Kim, head of research at KB Securities. Trump, Musk make America less safe Trump administration actions are imperiling our national security. As a combat veteran, having served in airborne intelligence and special operations, Ive defended our nation for nearly four decades in the intelligence community and State Department Foreign Service. As former NSA Technical Director of Cyber Analysis, I know firsthand that effective cyber operations require both offensive and defensive strategies. Russia is the worlds worst cyber actor, having launched the largest and most destructive cyberattacks against the U.S. in history. By ceasing offensive cyber operations against Russia, were fighting with one hand tied behind our backs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vetting for top-secret access takes roughly 18 months, yet DOGE employees have had unfettered access to government databases for weeks, putting every citizens personal data at risk, and raising the prospect of a damaging national security leak. The leak of classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) data on the DOGE website is damning and indefensible. By threatening our allies, we are increasingly seen as an unstable partner, at best, if not a threat a country whose promises and guarantees hinge on the whims of voters instead of Americas longstanding principles. The fallout is far-reaching and perhaps irreparable. Trumps dismantling of USAID has severely hampered our ability to deploy foreign diplomacy. Beyond the worldwide benefits, USAID efforts win hearts and minds, opening the door to countries that became friends, while providing valuable information that informs foreign policy. Trump and Musk have run roughshod through our government, making all Americans decidedly less safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ray Bilger, State College McCormick should demand respect for our laws Sen. Dave McCormick recently wrote a commentary for The Wall Street Journal comparing wrestlings values of hard work, courage, resilience and respect to the values of our country. He noted that respect for your opponent is important on both wrestling and politics. I agree, although in politics respect toward those seen as opponents is often sorely lacking. I want to add that, in wrestling, respect for the rules and the referees are also critically important to the integrity of the sport. In the same way, respect for our laws and the Constitution and for judges (the referees, if you will) are critically important to the integrity of our democracy. This respect is clearly absent among many in the current administration, including President Trump. I urge Sen. McCormick, a former West Point wrestler, to stand up for our countrys rules and referees (laws and judges) and demand they be respected. Only then will all of wrestlings values be reflected in Americas democracy. John Dillon, State College What kind of nation are we becoming? Late last month the world saw chilling video of the seizure by masked, dark-clad ICE agents of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University doctoral student, off the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts. Ms. Ozturks co-authorship of an eloquent statement in the campus newspaper denouncing genocide in Gaza is evidently the sole grounds for her terrifying arrest, her shadowy detention, and her imminent deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here was but the latest instance of the barbaric persecution of guests in our country whose only crime is speaking out against inhumanity. It is reminiscent of the customary disappearing of activists living under totalitarian regimes. Is that the kind of nation we are becoming? Dan Letwin, State College Animal rights can unite us On Dec. 10, Science magazine published the article. Scientists fear big cuts to animal research under Trump 2.0. It cites administration appointees articulating welfare concerns for animals used in research. Given this political reality, can universities protect and promote their research infrastructure by taking steps to address these concerns? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No question these are polarized times. If there are 99 issues causing vehement polarization, is it unethical to acknowledge one issue we agree with our politicians and relatives on? What if universities recognized these concerns by promoting their efforts to advance non-animal research methods? Could universities publicize faculty promotion paths that incentivize research into non-animal alternatives? Perhaps university philanthropy need not strictly adhere to the Greek concept of love of people, but expand to encompass animals? Universities may want to showcase their animal experiments. Perhaps they could offer open-house tours to the public and legislators? Likewise, we can do our part to depolarize society during dinner discussions with relatives who politically disagree with us on all issues, save for animals. Instead of disagreeable discussions, share emails and phone number contacts of university presidents and legislators advocating this proposal. Mahatma Gandhi said, The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. The path out of polarizing times may be encouraging humankind to take steps to be kind to animals. Scott Pflumm, State College LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) As deadly flooding impacts the Commonwealth, members of the Lexington Fire Department (LFD) have answered the call to help their neighbors. Since Mayor Linda Gortons emergency declaration on Friday, six firefighters were reportedly deployed to Butler to help move seven patients from a nursing home ahead of the citys mandatory evacuation on Saturday. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters reportedly used a mobile ambulance bus to move the patients out of the facility. Six firefighters were deployed to Butler on Friday to help move seven patients from a nursing home. (Lexington Fire Department) At the same time, we continue to support response efforts in Western Kentucky, with seven firefighters still deployed and ready for potential swiftwater rescue operations, the LFD wrote. Pendleton County Emergency Management told residents living in Butler or Falmouth to evacuate by the end of Saturday. Anyone remaining in those areas in need of shelter was asked to call (859) 654-6540 for accommodations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said a Lexington man was killed in a single-vehicle wreck Saturday evening. ALEA said the wreck happened on Lauderdale County 483 near Lauderdale County 480 around 6 p.m. The agency said 67-year-old Danny W. Robinson was killed when the motorcycle he was driving left the roadway and hit a fence. According to ALEA, Robinson was thrown from the motorcycle and was pronounced dead on the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Troopers from ALEAs Highway Patrol Division will continue to investigate this incident. Nothing further is available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon is sending a strong message as the city faces unprecedented flooding. When I say stay at home, I really mean stay at home, McClendon said. This is a life-or-death situation. The flooding has resulted in dozens of early morning water rescues. Near the corner of Avalon and Jefferson Avenue, you can see how far the water has risen but this is nothing compared to the height of the water in the surrounding community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WREG spoke to the West Memphis Fire Chief, and he told us this morning theyve had to rescue more than 100 people. About 4 a.m. this morning, we got a call from dispatch that we had some families that were taking in water in their homes, said Fire Chief Barry Ealy. We began our rescue missions, our water rescue. Multiple roads in West Memphis are blocked due to flooding. Heavy flooding in West Memphis. (City of West Memphis) According to the National Weather Service, the city received up to 10 inches of rain overnight. This comes after days of severe weather. Chief Ealy said that there were no reported overnight injuries. However, first responders are on standby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Memphis rain totals reach historic levels Those needing housing were taken to the Roberta Jackson Neighborhood Center by bus. Adanna Robinson says she left her home just before water came rushing in. She said she noticed the water rising around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Everybody on Mimosa like flooded, Robinson said. Like our house flooded. Its over with. Mayor McClendon said some flooding in this area isnt uncommon, but its never to this extent. All our pumps have been working. It wasnt a wastewater or drainage stop-up, McClendon said. It was just an unprecedented flood for our city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the evacuations are voluntary. Midtown residents express concern as flooding stops them from leaving home However, he wants people to use caution. According to Chief Ealy, an adult and three children had to be rescued from their vehicle. He said the driver was attempting to drive through a flooded roadway near the intersection of Mimosa and Maple Drive. I know its going to frustrate and inconvenience some of the people in our city, but they just got to understand right now that we just cant keep going back and forth through this water, McClendon said. As we are making evacuations, we dont need to create more evacuations by people going and getting stuck in this water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor McClendon said crews are on standby using a drone to fly through the neighborhood in case anyone wants to evacuate. He could not give a timeline on when the water may recede. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. (KRON) A loaded firearm with an extended magazine was found in a convicted felons vehicle, said the Benicia Police Department. On Friday, Benicia police officers learned of a vehicle involved in a warrant due to participating in a sideshow by an automatic license plate reader. Officers said they noticed a loaded weapon with an extended magazine protruding under the drivers seat after pulling the car over. Photo: Benicia PD Photo: Benicia PD 4 Stanford University students, 2 graduates visas revoked Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said officers arrested the driver, who was a convicted felon, for multiple gun charges, including possession of a firearm, being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition and the concealment of a weapon. The vehicle, according to police, was seized and placed on a 30-day hold. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Apr. 5During the Vietnam War era, two or three tours to one man's name would have been considered unusual. Retired Col. Robert Graham, 90, served four tours, and they are the main focus of his new book, "One of the Few: A True Account of Courage and Stepping into the Fight." After initially enlisting in 1953, Graham went through basic training and then flight school. He then spent the next 26 years as a fighter pilot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The book begins in 1961, years before the United States military became directly involved in Vietnam. But Graham was there in 1962 with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and he began to understand the people of the region. From there, the story escalates dramatically. The Vietnam War Graham described the situation in the skies of North Vietnam during the war as being more complicated than that over Berlin during World War II. Over the course of his four tours, Graham saw more combat than the average pilot, and even participated in Operation Rolling Thunder. "That particular time frame was incredibly active. Four combat tours gives you counting hospital time almost four years of being shot at, so there's a lot of action throughout those stories, as the stories were developing," Graham said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graham knows that the Vietnam War was not especially popular, so, in "One of the Few," he aimed to clarify a few of the war's points through his very unique perspective. "I tried to write the book from the standpoint of my vision from the cockpit. It's not a military history," Graham said. In addition to his time in Southeast Asia, Graham was in the Middle East in the early 1970s at the height of Black September. The book coincides with a hectic time in world history, with upheaval occurring across the globe from Indonesia to Greece. While others are able to view this time period from the safety of thousands of miles and decades away, Graham's experience was far more immediate and intense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Everybody talked about the Cold War, but from my perspective, the Cold War wasn't very cold. The coldest it ever got was lukewarm," Graham said. Graham would change a lot during his time in war. In 1962, he was in his late 20s. By the end of the book's events, he was pushing 40. Indeed, he spent a transformative period of his adult life in brutal combat. And then, he needed to come back home. "When you get on the airplane and fly back from Vietnam to your family in the States, essentially, two days later, you're going to have to convert yourself to whatever you were when you were in a gunfight to whatever you need to be when you go back to a more normalized life in the United States. You have to make that transition," Graham said. "If you spend your life living in the past, and you don't make that transition, you end up in a rubber room." Reflection in retirement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graham expects "One of the Few" to be his one and only book. Mining through the memories of his service so many years later was a challenge in some spots, especially considering the difference between his combat and civilian lives. "When I became a civilian, my younger self got put away in a closet along with the uniforms, and I became a much different person," said Graham. At the conclusion of his service which officially came in 1982 Graham entered the investment business. He also began recording some of his wartime memories on audio tape, which would go on to serve as the basis for "One of the Few." Still, his stories were too aplenty to be captured within an oral history, especially during his time of active service. Graham's service and its nature was additionally difficult to explain to his children, which is why he wanted to capture his memories in audio form in the first place. The book, in a sense, is serving as "almost a letter of apology" to his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From his family's perspective, an apology is unnecessary. "When my dad was in Vietnam and Turkey and doing his thing, we understood as a family that what he was doing was important," Graham's daughter, Liz, stated. "He always instilled in us that you had to leave the world a better place than you found it." In addition to the heaviness of the material, Graham needed to make the stories accessible and interesting, which proved easier said than done. Many of his stories are graphic, and others are classified. Editing notes from outside the Grahams' immediate circle proved to be valuable. These notes encouraged him to reconsider the framing of some stories and find the levity and humor in some of the moments that were no laughing matter in the moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, of course, he needed to make the writing engaging in order to separate his work from something more dry or coldly academic. "They don't capture the spirit, the emotion, all of that," Graham said of many Vietnam War books. "And the reason they don't is because the people who are writing the books weren't there." Book release A launch party for "One of the Few" was held at Helen's Collective in Kingston, where a hard copy of the book can be purchased. The launch ended up being a bigger gathering than expected. The positive response to the book has been more all-encompassing than anticipated as well, though some readers have a hard time picturing the Bob they know now as the fighter pilot he was 60 years ago. That part has even been hard for Bob. He said that while he likes and admires his younger self for living on the survival level, he probably wouldn't invite him over to a cocktail party. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon. Readers can also visit www.colonelrobertjgraham.com to read cut content from the book. CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) The Hindu festival of Holi was celebrated Saturday evening in the city of Chicopee. The Indian Association of Greater Springfield organized this special event. Holi is both a religious and cultural festival, characterized by singing, dancing, and the throwing of colored powders and water. Lowell man wins $4 million prize on lottery ticket It is rooted in Hindu traditions, particularly through the stories of Krishna and Radha. The festival promotes unity and love while marking the start of new beginnings as winter ends and spring begins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a community, you know, like in the winter, we are inside, said Saritha Rakasi, President of the Indian Association of Greater Springfield. We want to step out and meet each other to celebrate, like eat, drink, enjoying dance. Those who missed out on the event are encouraged to take part in their festival of lights, happening in the fall. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Heres a first look at meetings of our South Dakota state governments boards and commissions, as well as the Legislature, that are open to the public during the new week starting Monday, April 7, 2025. Click on the name (highlighted in blue) for meeting details. Please note that any could be postponed because of adverse weather or other reasons. Monday, April 7 Optometry Examiners Board, 8 a.m. CT, business meeting and public hearing on proposed rule changes, teleconference and 312 Island Drive, Fort Pierre. Tuesday, April 8 Conservation Commission, 8:15 a.m. CT, 523 E. Capitol Avenue, Pierre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislature, Rules Review Committee, 10 a.m. CT, teleconference and room 414, Capitol. Housing Development Authority, 11 a.m. CT, teleconference. Aging Council, 1 p.m. CT, teleconference. Massage Therapy Board, 1 p.m. CT, teleconference. Wednesday, April 9 South Dakota Retirement System Trustees, 9 a.m. CT, 222 E. Capitol Avenue, Pierre. Soybean Council, 9 a.m. CT, 1030 N. Campus Drive, Brookings. Economic Development Finance Authority, 9:30 a.m. CT, teleconference and 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre. Economic Development Board, 10 a.m. CT, teleconference and 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre. Weed and Pest Control Commission, 1 p.m. CT, Capitol Lake Visitors Center, 650 E. Capitol Avenue, Pierre. Thursday, April 10 Investment Council, 8:30 a.m. CT, 4009 W. 49th Street, Sioux Falls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soybean Council, 8:30 a.m. CT, 5000 S. Broadband Lane, suite 224, Sioux Falls. Transportation Commission, 9 a.m. CT, teleconference and 700 E. Broadway Avenue, Pierre. Medical and Osteopathic Examiners Board, Physician Assistant Council, noon CT, teleconference. Public Utilities Commission, 1:30 p.m. CT, room 413, Capitol. Friday, April 11 No meeting is currently scheduled. Monday, April 14 Education Standards Board, 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT, teleconference and Holiday Inn Downtown, 505 N. Fifth Street, Rapid City. Freedom Scholarship Board, 11 a.m. CT, 500 S. Minnesota Avenue, Sioux Falls. KELOLAND Capitol Bureau Reporter Bob Mercer in Pierre assembled this information on Sunday, April 6, 2025. State law requires state government boards and commissions to post public meeting notices 72 hours in advance, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and official state holidays. The Legislature isnt subject to that public notice law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement *Please check boardsandcommissions.sd.gov and sdlegislature.gov for any meetings of state boards and commissions and legislative meetings that were posted after this weekly listing was assembled. Livecasts of some meetings are available at sd.net. Many meetings are available by teleconference. Check agendas and sd.net for audio availability. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Loved ones are searching for a 29-year-old Los Angeles County man who has been missing for over a week. Marcus Clark was reported missing on March 28, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. He was last seen on the 1600 block of West Avenue J in Lancaster at around 9 a.m. Clark, who is considered at risk, requires daily medication, his family said. He is described as a Black man who is 6 feet tall, 190 pounds with black short afro hair, brown eyes, and a beard. He was last seen wearing a multi-colored jacket, blue jeans and blue Jordan sneakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clarks family and loved ones have not heard from him since his disappearance and are concerned for his well-being. Marcus Clark, 29, was reported missing on March 28, 2025. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department) Anyone who may know Clarks whereabouts or has information on his disappearance is asked to call the LASDs Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. By Gus Trompiz and Florence Loeve PARIS (Reuters) - Shipping giant CMA CGM and tech startup Mistral AI expect rapid productivity gains from a 100 million euro partnership unveiled on Sunday, which the French firms also touted as a commitment to their home country amid the global trade tensions. The five-year partnership, which will bring CMA CGM's AI-related spending to 500 million euros ($550 million), will focus on customer service in shipping and logistics and factchecking at its French media businesses that include news channel BFM TV. In a joint interview with Mistral's co-founder and CEO Arthur Mensch, CMA CGM's Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saade declined to give financial targets for return on investment. But Saade said "the implementation of initiatives should not exceed 6 to 12 months" and would slash response times for customer advisers receiving 1 million emails a week, including requests on routing of vessels. After drawing massive funding, the AI sector is under pressure to deliver gains, with the emergence of low-cost Chinese AI model DeepSeek unsettling investors. Mistral gained huge exposure at an international AI gathering in Paris in February, feted by President Emmanuel Macron as a European champion to compete with American giants such as OpenAI, which produces ChatGPT. It has this year notched up partnerships with leading French groups including car maker Stellantis. Mistral, which counts CMA CGM among its investors, expects a 10-fold increase in sales between December 2024 and December 2025, Mensch said. But AI regulation has been among subjects of discord between the U.S. administration and Europe, and relations soured further after President Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariffs. "In this period of uncertainty, I think it's a good thing for two French groups to announce this partnership," Saade said, while adding he believed in investing worldwide in open markets. CMA CGM, the world's third-biggest container shipping line, was hailed by Trump last month for pledging to invest $20 billion in the United States. The group has also teamed up with U.S. tech names, including Alphabet's Google, with which CMA CGM last July announced a five-year AI partnership worth $150 million. ($1 = 0.9101 euros) (Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Florence Loeve; Editing by Alison Williams) Last winter, cold snaps across the U.S., including in Tennessee, put thousands of people at risk. Now, as summer approaches, little will change. Because of rising home energy bills, many households are forced to choose between staying warm in the winter and cool in the summeror paying for rent, food and life-saving medications. Carbon credits, a market tool used to help companies reduce their climate impact, could help low-income Tennesseans afford proper home heating and cooling. This would occur by helping pay for energy efficiency upgrades that will significantly reduce household utility bills. (Read more on the definition of carbon credits below.) The stakes are high. 13 million U.S. households face energy cost burdens (ECBs) so high that they forego essential heating and cooling. Low income households face some of the highest ECBs in the country, spending 8.1% of their income on energy costs, compared to 2.3% for non-low-income households. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, many of these households are renters who lack the authority to fix poorly insulated homes or replace energy-thirsty appliances. Tennessee nonprofits can work to make low-income homes energy efficient Carbon credits are generated by projects that reduce carbon emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere projects like rooftop solar panels and home weatherization. Such emission reductions are measured, bought and sold on markets around the world. Brendan Fellenz, left, and Amanda Frick Keiser, right, of Rebuilding Together Nashville, speak with Lillian Williams about replacing the wheelchair ramp at her home with a lift, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. By participating in carbon credit projects based on energy efficiency, or distributed energy resources, like electric heat pumps, Tennesseans could take part in a global voluntary carbon market valued at $2.97 billion in 2023, and projected to reach $24.0 billion by 2030. Doing so can in turn help keep Tennessee homes at healthy, seasonally appropriate temperatures while also lowering household utility bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Companies looking to reduce their environmental footprints can partner with nonprofits working in housing, energy, and health-equity. Nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis, and Rebuilding Together Nashville, for example, can work with local contractors like Energy Electives to implement energy efficiency upgrades in low-income homes. Carbon credit verifiers like Watt Carbon the leading provider of measurement and tracking for carbon credits generated by distributed energy resources will round off the partnership by underwriting verified and transparent transactions in environmental credits. Companies purchasing carbon credits make housing accessible to low-income families When companies purchase the carbon credits generated by energy efficiency, upgrades that were prohibitively expensive like purchasing a heat pump or insulating an attic become attainable for low-income owners and renters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Households can suddenly afford the upgrades because companies are paying the upfront costs of making these upgrades by purchasing the carbon reductions. This is a win-win because people can access funding that helps protect them from extreme heat and cold by making home heating or cooling more affordable; as the burden of energy costs lessens, people can afford to take better care of their health and save, all while air quality and climate change benefit from lower emissions. The corporate money spent on purchasing the upgrades is the new source of funding for low-income residents. This funding pays for energy efficiency upgrades and the upgrades, in turn, reduce the energy (and energy cost) of keeping a home at seasonally appropriate temperatures. The companies investing in carbon credits generated through energy efficiency upgrades are, in turn, reducing their climate impact by improving public health and climate resilience in the region, and preferably in the communities where they locate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the Climate, Health and Energy Equity Lab at Vanderbilt University, we design economic and health-equity interventions with environmental co-benefits, especially for marginalized communities. Our Nashville study found that using carbon credit income to lower heating bills by improving energy efficiency is a viable option. We are now piloting this practice with our community partner Westwood Baptist Church, who runs a Housing Ministry providing lower-income households with below-market rentals in North Nashville. Taking this study from a pilot to a statewide practice could help Tennesseans stay warm and healthy without breaking the bank. Carol Ziegler, FNP-C, DNP and Zdravka Tzankova, Ph.D., are professors and co-founders of the Climate, Health and Energy Equity Lab, Vanderbilt University. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Carbon credits make housing accessible to low-income people | Opinion Apr. 5DEMING The campaign for a proposed Mimbres Peaks National Monument faltered last year after local governments rejected it, but contention and mistrust over the prospect still simmer in Luna County. The county's three elected commissioners held a public work session Thursday to discuss a non-binding proclamation, supported by two of them, calling for limits on presidential powers to proclaim federal lands as national monuments. Similar to local resolutions recently approved in other states, the proclamation would decry alleged "misuse" of the Preservation of American Antiquities Act, the 1906 federal law allowing presidents to designate national monuments on federal land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want to represent our community," Commission Chairwoman Colette Chandler said. "That's why we had this meeting: so that we could hear what it was the people that live here want done." The draft resolution provoked two hours of debate among county residents and a few representatives of conservation groups. Hundreds of people attended, applauding, jeering and shouting questions at the commissioners, while two dozen people offered comments from the podium. Most comments debated the merits of national monuments, framed by some as a federal intrusion and a threat to ranchers' livelihoods, while others defended monuments as a tool for economic development that brings resources into rural communities while allowing for continued grazing, hunting and private development. Many expressed a mistrust of federal agencies aligning with President Donald Trump's rhetoric as his administration makes sweeping cuts across agencies. In January, Trump ordered a nationwide review of monuments and other limits on mineral extraction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I cannot believe, especially with the waste, fraud and abuse that's being exposed in D.C., that anyone thinks the federal government can foster land better than the people who live on or near that land," said Carol Ness, head of American Magnesium, which is developing a dolomite-magnesium quarry in the Florida Mountains south of Deming. An earlier draft of the proclamation explicitly opposed any new designations on Luna County's federal lands, which encompass 40% of the southwestern New Mexico county's acreage. State land accounts for another 39%. The draft included language supporting a repeal of the Preservation of American Antiquities Act, but Commissioner Christie Ann Harvey, a Republican, rejected that version. Eliminating monuments was not her intent, she argued, but they should be designated by Congress, not presidents. Two states, Alaska and Wyoming, are protected by federal law from new monuments unless they are enacted by Congress. Congressional Republicans from Utah and Nevada introduced legislation this year extending that protection to all states. Chandler, a Republican and a rancher in the area, endorsed that legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner Ray Trejo, the lone Democrat of the trio and a leading proponent of the Mimbres Peaks proposal, suggested the proclamation represented a push from interests outside the county. "We talk about local, but this is not a local movement," he said. Defenders of monuments said the designations and management plans involve years of review and local input, not executive fiat. "The Antiquities Act requires public support. You saw that in action in this county," Wesley Light, a county resident and leader of the Friends of the Floridas Association, told the commissioners. "This commission passed a resolution opposing Mimbres Peaks National Monument. The people locally here who are concerned about that issue have already had their wishes known and have been successful. ... The people I talk to in this community think that the Antiquities Act could benefit our economy and that it would not be a detriment to continuing traditional uses." The debate promises to continue, as Harvey and Chandler pledged a new draft would be prepared for more public input. GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said Sunday that she has reached an agreement with Speaker Mike Johnson in their standoff over allowing proxy voting for new parents, which had paralyzed the House last week. Luna wrote on X that she and Johnson have agreed to formalize a centuries-old procedure called live/dead pairing, allowing members to vote by proxy when they are unable to be physically present to vote, including those who are new parents, bereaved or experiencing emergencies. Thanks to POTUS and his support of new moms being able to vote when recovering from child birth as well as those who worked hard to get these changes done. If we truly want a pro-family Congress, these are the changes that need to happen, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNN has reached out to Johnsons office about the agreement. There has been a flurry of calls in recent days between President Donald Trump, Johnson and Luna to seek a path forward on the issue, which halted all House floor action last week, CNN previously reported. Johnson sent members home on Tuesday after suffering an embarrassing defeat when a group of nine GOP rebels, led by Luna, tanked a procedural vote, despite a fierce pressure campaign from Johnson and his allies to support it. There was a ton of disinformation surrounding why the floor was shut down either way Im glad to see this resolved, Luna wrote on X on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If GOP leaders did nothing to address this standoff, Luna wouldve been able to force her bill to the floor this week using the leadership-bucking tool known as a discharge petition. But GOP leadership, as well as many Freedom Caucus members, had fiercely opposed changing House rules to allow for proxy voting for new parents leading to a standstill. Johnson and Luna have battled for months over the Florida congresswomans push to allow proxy for parents of newborns an effort that began after she gave birth last year and was unable to vote for weeks. But the institutionalist Republican speaker fiercely rejected the effort, forcing Luna to choose the more contentious approach of working with Democrats. Trump on Thursday said he is in favor of proxy voting for new parents, publicly splitting with Speaker Johnson on the issue, though the president conceded its ultimately the speakers decision. Im gonna let the speaker make the decision, but I like the idea of being able to, if youre having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote. Im in favor of that. I understand some people arent, and Im not involved in the issue, but I did. I spoke to [Rep.] Anna [Paulina Luna] yesterday. She and some people feel strongly about it, and I would agree with them, the president said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson personally used proxy voting during the pandemic when it was allowed under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But he has since argued including in court that it is unconstitutional. CNNs Sarah Ferris contributed to this story. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Investing.com -- Surrogates of U.S. President Donald Trump took to the airwaves on Sunday to reassure the public of his tariff policies despite stocks seeing a brutal sell-off on Thursday and Friday. There were two big takeaways from the discussions. First, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dashed hopes that the reciprocal tariffs, scheduled for April 9, could be delayed. Next, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the President is negotiating with 50 nations. There is no postponing, Lutnick said. They are definitely going to stay in place for days and weeks. That is sort of obvious. The President needs to reset global trade. The countries of the world are ripping us off, and it's got to end. And the President has made it crystal, crystal clear. This is the policy we are going to protect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that over 50 countries have begun talks with the U.S. since last Wednesdays announcement, giving Trump a strong negotiating advantage. "Hes created maximum leverage for himself," Bessent said during an NBC News Meet the Press appearance. He also downplayed the recent stock market decline, saying there was "no reason" to expect a recession due to the tariffs, pointing to stronger-than-expected U.S. job growth as a positive sign. In addition to the comments from Lutnick and Bessent, there were several positive developments related to U.S. trading partners. On Sunday, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te proposed zero tariffs as a foundation for negotiations with the U.S., committing to eliminating trade barriers instead of enforcing retaliatory measures. He also stated that Taiwanese companies plan to increase their investments in the United States. Meanwhile, a senior economic minister said that Indonesia will not respond with retaliation to Trump's 32% trade tariff on the country, the governments first official reaction to the measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, Trump said Vietnam wants zero percent tariffs with the U.S. and is willing to talk. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss tariffs and Gaza. Israel has dropped its tariffs on U.S. goods, and it is expected to become the first country to announce a free trade deal with the U.S officially. Related articles Carney says chances of US recession has shot up, will hit Canada No Fed 'put' when it's unclear which way the economy may pivot Fed's priority should be to keep inflation in check: Kugler LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department hosted its eighth annual Hidden Heroes Black & White Gala Saturday, recognizing 37 members of the Honor Guard. Sheriff Kevin McMahill and nearly 300 others gathered to raise funds for the police departments community engagement initiatives. Held for the first time at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the night was led by Metros Executive Director, Karen Marben. Each of the Honor Guard members will be congratulated personally by Undersheriff Andrew Walsh and Sheriff Kevin McMahill on stage, Marben shared with 8 News Now. Honor Guard works behind the scenes in honoring fallen officers, presenting various colors around town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro Traffic Officer and Honor Guard member, Michael Lemley told 8 News Now that it doesnt just end with the fallen officers, but the focus then shifts to those left behind. We take care of the family. We walk them through every step of the process and then once the honors are all rendered, we meet up in May in Carson City to put their names on the state memorial. Then we travel to DC to put their names on the national memorial as well, Lemley said. Honor Guard members received certificates from the LVMPD Foundation and Senator Jacky Rosen in addition to a proclamation from Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his condolences to Ukrainians over the tragedy caused by the Russian strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih and noted that the Kremlin is mocking peace proposals through its actions. Source: European Pravda, citing Macrons post on X (Twitter) Details: Macron informed his followers that Russia had again launched numerous airstrikes on Ukrainian cities overnight, in addition to the strike on Kryvyi Rih on 4 April, which killed many children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "On this day of national mourning in Ukraine, my thoughts are with the children and all civilian victims of Russia's deadly strikes," he said. Macron recalled that Ukraine had unconditionally agreed to the Trump-proposed 30-day ceasefire, yet Russia continues the war with the same intensity and with no regard for civilian casualties. Quote: "These Russian attacks must stop. A cease-fire must happen as soon as possible. And firm action will be necessary if Russia continues to try to buy time and refuses to accept a truce. How much longer will Russia insult US and Ukrainian peace proposals while killing children and civilians?" Background: Several Western embassies in Ukraine lowered their flags on 6 April in memory of those killed in Kryvyi Rih. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, commenting on Russias large-scale missile attack on Ukrainian cities on the night of 6 April, described it as the Kremlins response to US peace initiatives. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Columbias school newspaper published an incendiary op-ed from graduate student Mahmoud Khalil in which he mocks his classmates for manufactured fears of anti-Semitism and likens the universitys administration to Nazi collaborators. Khalils commentary dictated from ICE custody in Louisiana accuses Columbia of laying the groundwork for my abduction and accused the Morningside Heights institution of suppressing student dissent under the auspices of combating antisemitism. Mahmoud Khalil is currently in a Louisiana ICE facility. REUTERS The situation is oddly reminiscent of when I fled the brutality of Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria and sought refuge in Lebanon, Mahmoud said in the letter published late Friday in the Columbia Daily Spectator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mahmoud explicitly called out University President Minouche Shafik, former interim University President Katrina Armstrong, and the deans of the school for cooperating with the federal government. Last year, Columbia turned over student disciplinary records to Congress and created the Task Force on Antisemitism that broadly categorized anti-Israel sentiment as hate speech to condemn protests, he wrote. Mahmoud Khalil also tears into his fellow Columbia students in his commentary. REUTERS Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated, Khalil wrote, then listing Leqaa Kordia, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, and Rumeysa Ozturk as other political prisoners. Mahmoud Khalil also tears into his fellow Columbia students dismissing the fear his protests have sparked among Jewish Columbia students as manufactured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a cruel irony, the students who publicize manufactured safety concerns regarding antisemitism are the same ones who repeatedly show up at your events looking for provocation, leaving only disappointed, he wrote of his Jewish peers at Columbia. Mahmoud explicitly called out University President Minouche Shafik, former interim University President Katrina Armstrong, and the deans of the school for cooperating with the federal government. AFP via Getty Images I cant help but think that if I were in Palestine, some of these students would be the ones stopping me at checkpoints, raiding my university, piloting the drones surveilling my community, or killing my neighbors in their homes, Mahmoud added. In one shocking line, he compared the leadership of Columbia to World War II Nazi collaborators. Who can still pretend this is an educational institution and not the Vichy on the Hudson?he wrote, referring to the Vichy French leaders who worked with Hitler after the nations conquest by Germany during the war, and who sent thousands of Jews to their deaths in concentration camps. In one shocking line, he compared the leadership of Columbia to World War II Nazi collaborators. Anadolu via Getty Images Khalil dictated the fiery letter through his lawyers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reps for the school newspaper could not immediately be reached for comment. The paper has a history of writing both pro and anti Israel op-eds, having roughly an equal number of each so far this school year. The foreign graduate student was taken into custody on the night of Mar. 8 in the lobby of his apartment building after his student visa was revoked by the Trump administration. The 30-year-old Syrian of Palestinian descent who is a citizen of Algeria arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after he helped fuel back-to-back anti-Israel protests at Columbia-affiliated Barnard College last month. LAKE ST. LOUIS, Mo. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has been activated to assist with the investigation of an elderly womans death in Lake St. Louis. The victim, a 79-year-old woman, was found deceased at a home around 11 a.m. Saturday as the Lake St. Louis Police Department responded to a welfare check. Before that, a neighbor had informed police that the woman had not been seen for nearly two weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former teacher in Triad School District accused of grooming student When police arrived at the home, it was locked and secured. A neighbor who had a key allowed police to enter, where they found the woman dead inside. The Major Case Squad notes that the exact cause of the womans death has not been determined, though the case is currently being investigated as a homicide. The victims identity has also been withheld pending family notification. The Major Case Squad is following up on several leads and says this is an ongoing, active investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. A 34-year-old man accused of shooting and killing his parents in Louisiana was arrested in Los Angeles on Friday evening, the L.A. County Sheriffs Department announced. According to an LASD release, deputies with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office (TPSO) were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a residence on Eastwood Drive near Amite City, Louisiana on Thursday. Amite City (pronounced ay-meet) is located about 75 miles north of New Orleans in southeastern Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 3 teens, 2 adults killed in single-vehicle crash in Santa Ana; 4th teen remains in critical condition Upon arriving at the Eastwood Drive home, the deputies found two people deceased, one inside the residence and one on the property. They were identified as 75-year-old Marc Brocato and 66-year-old Priscilla Brocato, a husband and wife. Their son, Joshua Brocato, was unaccounted for and initially sought as a person of interest, LASD said in a press release issued early Sunday afternoon. Following autopsies of the couple, an arrest warrant for two counts of first-degree murder was issued for Joshua Brocato by TPSO. Joshua Brocato as seen in a photo released by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office. TPSOs preliminary investigation determined that Marc and Priscilla Brocato were shot to death between March 31 and April 1, and that within three days of the homicides, Joshua fled to California. Thus, TPSO reached out to their Southern California law enforcement counterparts to be on the lookout for Brocato and his vehicle, a white Ford E-150 van. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A van matching that description was located in the 5400 block of Fairfax Avenue in Ladera Heights on Friday around 5:45 p.m., according to LASD, and deputies subsequently conducted a traffic stop and detained the sole occupant of the van, which was Brocato. California town reports third fatality related to rare virus linked to death of Gene Hackmans wife Deputies confirmed Joshua Brocato was a wanted person out of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office for two counts of first-degree murder, LASD said. Marina Del Rey station deputies arrested Brocato for TPSOs murder arrest warrant without incident. While Brocato was being arrested, deputies discovered he was in possession of body armor and several loaded guns, including an assault rifle. He was hit with several other charges, including possession of a loaded unregistered firearm, possession of an assault weapon and altering or removing a serial number on a firearm. LASD deputies discovered body armor and several loaded guns, including an assault rifle, when arresting Joshua Brocato, a man wanted for murdering his parents in Louisiana. (LASD) Brocato was booked at the Marina Del Rey Sheriffs Station on no bail. His court date is set for Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason for the crime is still unknown, authorities said. The minke whale trapped in a Long Beach harbor has died, officials confirm Anyone with information surrounding Joshua Brocato or the murders of Marc and Priscilla Brocato are encouraged to contact TPSO Criminal Investigations by calling 985-902-2088 or calling Louisiana State Police Suspicious Activity Hotline at 1-800-434-8007. Information can be submitted to authorities anonymously, by calling Tangipahoas tip line (1-800-554-5245) or visiting www.tangicrimestoppers.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. (Fox40.com) The Sacramento County Sheriffs Office arrested a man for kidnapping in South Sacramento Saturday night. Around 9 pm Saturday, deputies responded to a call of an assault in progress near Stockton Boulevard and Orange Avenue. The initial call reported an assault in progress with a man hitting, pushing, and dragging a woman on the street. Video above: Feds say MS-13 gang leader arrested in Virginia When officials arrived, they saw a man who wrapped his arm around a naked womans neck as he was attempting to drag her through a nearby canal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies arrested the man, later identified as 40-year-old Mitchell Green, and rescued the victim. The woman reported that she had never seen Green before, who approached her while walking through the park. He initially tried to grab her, but she got away, according to officials. Green continued to chase her, grab her from behind, and tore her dress partially off while wrapping his arms around her neck. The victim was dragged for around 100 feet before deputies arrived and took Green into custody. According to the Sacramento Sheriffs Office, she didnt sustain any injuries. Green was arrested for kidnapping and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on $100,000 bail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News. Brands Matthias Baumer German sportswear company Puma has appointed Arthur Hoeld as CEO and chairman of the management board, effective July 1. Pumas current CEO, Arne Freundt, is stepping down, effective April 11, following a mutual decision with the supervisory board for the 14-year-tenured executive to exit. Matthias Baumer, vice president of Pumas business unit, Teamsport, has been appointed chief commercial officer. In this new role, Baumer will oversee the companys sales subsidiaries, global direct-to-consumer and go-to-market organizations. Between now-July 1, the management board will consist of chief product officer Maria Valdes, chief financial officer Markus Neubrand and Baumer. As of July 1, Hoeld will join Pumas management board. More from Sourcing Journal Swiss running brand On announced co-CEO Marc Maurer has left the company. On will transition to a single-CEO structure, with co-CEO and chief financial executive Martin Hoffmann assuming the role of sole chief executive officer, effective July 1. Following 12 years in leadership, Maurer will stay in his role until June 30, to ensure a smooth transition and continue advising the board through March 2026. On also announced the appointment of four senior hires. Scott Maguire was named chief innovation officer, Adib Sisani was named chief communications officer, and Craig Jones was named chief supply chain officer. Katarina Berg was named chief people officer, effective August 1. Global lifestyle brand Guess announced that Alberto Toni, current group managing director and chief financial officer of Flos B&B Italia Group, has been appointed CFO of Guess. Toni will succeed interim CFO Dennis Secor, who will remain with the company as executive vice president through Sept. 12 to support the transition. Toni will be based in Lugano, Switzerland, and will lead Guesss finance team globally. Luxury group Capri Holdings Limiteds executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Thomas Edwards, is leaving the company to pursue another opportunity (detailed below). Rajal Mehta, CFO of Michael Kors, will assume the role of interim CFO for Capri. Edwards joined Michael Kors in 2008 and has held roles of increasing responsibility since, serving as the brands chief financial officer since last December. He will stay with the company until June 20. OAK PARK, Ill. A man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a deadly shooting in Oak Park that happened early Friday morning. Oak Park officials said 20-year-old Jabari McGee of Chicago was charged with first-degree murder on Saturday in connection with the shooting death of 54-year-old Corey Gates of South Holland, Illinois. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 6 in custody following fatal shooting in Oak Park: police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just before 1:30 a.m. Friday, officers with the Oak Park Police Department were sent to the 600 block of South Boulevard after receiving multiple shots fired calls. When officers arrived, they found Gates unresponsive and lying in the street, according to investigators. Police said Gates was taken to Loyola Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at around 2 a.m. Six suspects, including McGee, were taken into custody Friday morning. Three of the suspects were minors and were released without charge on Friday. Two other adult suspects were released Saturday without being charged, according to officials. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McGee is currently being held for a bond hearing and the investigation remains active and ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. (Fox40.com) After an 11-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict Thursday against 45-year-old Zimano Salah, convicting him of strapping a backpack around the toilet of a Christian church in Roseville, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Eastern District of California. Saleh intended to convey a hoax bomb threat and obstruct the free exercise of religion to those who worshipped there. The jurys verdict included a special finding that makes this incident a hate crime. Video above: Police investigate fatal shooting at Sacramento Church From September to November of 2023, Salah traveled to four Christian churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado wearing black backpacks. He placed the backpacks at two of those churches, spreading fear to congregants. He was stopped by security before he was able to plant the other two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a search of Salahs storage unit, an FBI Bomb Technician seized items that an FBI Bomb Expert testified at the trial served as parts of an improvised explosive device capable of fitting inside a backpack. Salahs social media records also revealed that he consumed extremist propaganda online. His search history included videos of Infidels dying, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. He also watched videos depicting ISIS terrorists murdering people. This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith, said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment. The efforts of federal, local law enforcement, and attorneys were commended during the trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sacramento Division of the FBI is proud of our collaboration with our local partners in bringing Mr. Salah to justice. His deliberate targeting of multiple places of worship and calculated efforts to spread panic were intended to terrorize people of faith and disrupt the peace of our communities, Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel said. Salah is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins and faces a maximum statutory penalty of six years in prison with a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account many variables. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Roseville Police Department, the San Diego Police Department, and the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A Goodlettsville man died following a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning on Murfreesboro Pike in South Nashville. According to Metro Police, around 2 a.m. Sunday, 24-year-old Cordae Robison was driving a Nissan Maxima westbound on Murfreesboro Pike when he lost control of the car and crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of Una Antioch Pike. 2 teens charged with drag racing on Bell Road in Antioch Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robison was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died. Witnesses reportedly told investigators the Maxima was traveling at high speeds before the crash. Metro Police said no evidence of drugs or alcohol was found at the scene. No additional information was immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Police in the District are investigating after a man was shot and killed in Northeast D.C. on Saturday night. Just before 9:30 p.m., officers responded to the report of a shooting in the 1100 block of Eastern Avenue NE. Cockpit door rips off small plane in Loudoun County during flight, Virginia State Police say There, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was unconscious and not breathing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite lifesaving efforts, the man died at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact MPD at (202) 727-9099 or text the departments tip line at 50411. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. A man was killed Friday night in a shooting in Fresno County. Deputies responded just after 8:45 p.m. after receiving shots fired on Ormus Avenue, south of Bowles Avenue in Raisin City. Deputies arrived and found a man in his late 30s with a gunshot wound on the street, deputies said. He was pronounced dead. Detectives are interviewing people in nearby homes to try and learn what may have led to the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No suspect has been identified and the name of the victim is unknown, deputies said. Anyone with information is asked to please call Detective Juan Galindo at 559-600-8215 or CrimeStoppers at 559-498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org and remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case # 25-3518. Authorities are investigating after a man was found shot to death in East Los Angeles. On April 4, L.A. County sheriffs deputies responded to a shooting on the 4000 block of East Cesar Chavez Avenue at around 10:07 p.m. Arriving deputies found the victim, identified only as an adult male, with gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. No suspect was located at the scene and the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting remain under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victims identity was not released. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the LASDs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Police said a man was fatally shot overnight in Northeast D.C., making for a violent weekend in the District. At about 12:50 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the 4200 block of Dix Street NE for the report of a shooting. There, they found a man suffering from numerous life-threatening gunshot wounds. He was unconscious and not breathing. Two women hurt in shooting in Southeast DC Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC Fire and EMS responded, but despite life-saving efforts, the man died at the scene. This was the second deadly shooting that happened between Saturday night and Sunday morning in the District, with four shootings confirmed throughout D.C. At about 9:30 p.m., MPD responded to the 1100 block of Eastern Avenue NE, where another man was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. At 11:15 p.m., MPD responded to the 3700 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. There, a man was found suffering from a gunshot wound. He was conscious and breathing and was taken to a hospital for treatment. In Southeast D.C., two women were shot shortly before midnight at the intersection of Capitol Street and Anacostia Drive. One woman was treated at the scene for a graze wound, while the other woman was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. PALM COAST, Fla. (WFLA) A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the fatal shooting of an 18-month-old in 2023, according to the State Attorneys Office. In a hearing Thursday, C.J. Nelson Jr. was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to manslaughter with a firearm in February. On Sept. 3, 2023, Nelson, 21 at the time, was handling and posing with a rifle for social media pictures at a Palm Coast house when he inadvertently pulled the trigger, shooting a bullet through the wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, an 18-month-old toddler was playing in the hallway with her mother when the bullet struck her in the head, killing her. According to the State Attorneys Office, Nelson was on probation at the time of the shooting and prohibited from possessing, carrying, or owning firearms. The mother witnessed her daughters death at the hands of the toddlers uncle and the mothers brother, State Attorney R.J. Larizza said. It is hard to imagine a more heart-wrenching scenario. A release from the State Attorneys Office said the sentencing was carried out by Judge Dawn Nichols. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Apr. 6A 38-year-old Missouri man was sentenced Friday to 6 1/2 years in prison after he was found with almost 350 grams of cocaine following a high speed chase last September on Interstate 35 in a stolen car. Kevin Eugene Jordan, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty last month to one count of second-degree drug possession as part of a plea agreement. He initially faced charges of first-degree drug possession, receiving stolen property and fleeing police in a motor vehicle. The other charges were dismissed. Court documents state Jordan was driving a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee without its lights on in the early morning hours of Sept. 8 on Interstate 35 near Geneva. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A deputy attempted to pull him over, but the vehicle did not stop and began to switch lanes as it varied in speeds from 70 to 120 mph. Officers deployed stop sticks, and the vehicle drove over the stop sticks near the junction between Interstate 35 and Interstate 90. Court documents state the vehicle began to lose a tire and slowed down a couple times but then quickly sped up again. A deputy ultimately used a maneuver to intervene and brought the vehicle to a stop in the west ditch after an 11-mile pursuit. Authorities searched the vehicle and found a large amount of white powder inside a backpack found in the front passenger seat. The powder, weighing 348 grams, field-tested positive for cocaine. Also in the backpack were two packs of cigarettes and a digital scale. Jordan received credit for 208 days already spent in jail since his arrest and was ordered to pay $8,555 in restitution and $155 in fines. We recently published a list of Top 10 Stocks to Watch as Investors Brace for Potential Recession. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) stands against other top stocks to watch as investors brace for potential recession. President Donald Trumps new reciprocal tariff announcement is hammering stock markets around the world as countries face a new reality and trade dynamics. The rising volatility has increased recession risks. Goldman Sachs recently said that it sees a 35% chance of a recession in the next 12 months, up from 20% previously. The bank also cut its 2025 GDP forecast to just 1% and raised its year-end unemployment rate outlook by 0.3 percentage points to 4.5%. China and key European countries are beginning to respond to the latest tariffs and will likely impose retaliatory tariffs on US products, causing a further downturn in consumer sentiment. Kara Reynolds, an economist at American University, told ABC News that a pullback in spending from consumers and businesses due to these uncertainties can tip the US into a recession. READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. For this article, we picked 10 stocks currently on Wall Streets radar. With each stock, we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A professional banker providing consultation to a customer in the security of his office. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 98 Steve Weiss, Founder and Managing Partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, said in a recent program on CNBC that hes bullish on Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) and buying more of the banks shares. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A Richmond man was sentenced in the U.S. District Court Friday in connection with a vandalism incident that took place during a July 2024 protest, according to the United States Attorneys Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia. The USAO said 26-year-old Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi will serve 10 days in jail with six months of supervised parole upon release. He will also serve 80 hours of community service and pay $1,500 in restitution. Cockpit door rips off small plane in Loudoun County during flight, Virginia State Police say Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mahdawi pleaded guilty in January to misdemeanor destruction of government property. According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted permission to demonstrate near Columbus Circle, directly in front of Union Station. The USAO states that from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators pulled flags down from flagpoles, burned the flags and other objects, sprayed graffiti on multiple statues and structures and prevented law enforcement from arresting people. During the demonstration, court documents say Mahdawi lowered a United States flag from one of the flagpoles before it was stolen by another person. Shortly after, he could be seen on surveillance footage climbing the monument in the center of Columbus Circle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There, he could be seen using red spray paint to write HAMAS IS COMIN on the Columbus statue and drew a red triangle above it. The National Park Service estimates the cleaning and repair costs to total $11,282.23. A monument was vandalized during a July protest (US Attorneys Office for DC) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. SPRINGVILLE, Utah (ABC4) A man was shot and killed by police after he attacked and stabbed an officer with a large knife, according to Springville Police. Shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, Springville Police responded to a report of a woman screaming and crying, a press release states. Neighbors reportedly made the call to police. The officers arrived at the home and were speaking with the woman when a man abruptly exited the residence and attacked an officer with a large knife, the release states. Officers at the scene drew their guns and fired at the man, shooting him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utahns gather to remember Mia Love and her legacy Police rendered aid to the man at the scene until paramedics arrived and took him by ambulance to the Utah Valley Hospital, where he died. The officer who was attacked was also taken to the hospital where he was treated for a stab wound and released. The officers injuries are reportedly not life-threatening. The identity of the deceased is not being released at this time. This incident is being investigated by the Utah County Metro Officer Involved Critical Incident team. No further information is currently available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. A man will spend the next 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child, according to the US Attorneys Office of the Southern District of Indiana. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Moises Bojorquez, 29, pleaded guilty on March 31 to sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of matter containing child sexual abuse material. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bojorquez sexually abused a child who was in his custody, according to the US Attorneys Office. Bojorquez also sent images and videos to a woman via Telegram, a cloud-based messaging service. The US Attorneys Office says they had a months-long conversation where they shared child sexual abuse material. Bojorquez had over 1000 images and videos on his phones that depicted infants and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct, or other depictions of violence, according to the US Attorneys Office. Bojorquez has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervision after release. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Hundreds gathered in Bradenton Saturday afternoon to protest President Donald Trumps policies as part of a nationwide Hands Off protest. As cars whizzed past the protestors standing along Cortez Road West near Walmart, some honked and gave a thumbs-up in approval. Other drivers flashed vulgar hand gestures. In Bradenton, a large crowd waved signs criticizing Trumps controversial approach in his second term. Organizers say they counted about 800 people around 1 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps tariffs will raise prices, one sign said. Stop the billionaire coup, said another, referring to Elon Musks direct involvement in the reduction of the federal governments workforce and budget. Save democracy. Fire Musk. The Hands Off protest is described as a national day of action to push back against the Trump Administration. Organizers say there are hundreds of protests taking place across all 50 states. This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights, the Hands Off website says. Hands Off protest in Bradenton Strains of Buffalo Springfields call to attention song, For What Its Worth, played from a speaker while others chanted, This is what democracy looks like. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local organizers say they are especially concerned about federal government cuts that could directly impact Manatee Countys ability to bounce back from another powerful hurricane. Can you imagine if Trump cuts off Florida from the National Weather Service and FEMA, too? We would have such a human crisis on our hands if we face another hurricane like our last three. Its unthinkable, Mary Ann Toal, an organizer with Indivisible Manatee, said in a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald. Local organizers planned a similar protest Saturday along University Parkway near the Mall at UTC. According to the website, Hands Off protests were also set to be held in Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando and several other Florida cities. Take a look at the scene in Bradenton. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Hundreds of protestors gathered Saturday, April 5, 2025, on Cortez Road West in one of the many national Hands off protests against President Donald Trumps policies. Advertisement Advertisement KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith carries what are believed to be the remains of a fallen Marine killed in 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands during a repatriation ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. 1 /3 KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith carries what are believed to be the remains of a fallen Marine killed in 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands during a repatriation ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Marines hold folded American flags during a Friday night repatriation ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for what are believed to be the remains of World War II service members killed during the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 /3 KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Marines hold folded American flags during a Friday night repatriation ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for what are believed to be the remains of World War II service members killed during the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith receives a Joint Service Achievement Medal on Friday night at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for his work clearing explosives to reach what are believed to be the remains of Marines killed in 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. 3 /3 KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith receives a Joint Service Achievement Medal on Friday night at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for his work clearing explosives to reach what are believed to be the remains of Marines killed in 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith carries what are believed to be the remains of a fallen Marine killed in 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands during a repatriation ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Marines hold folded American flags during a Friday night repatriation ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for what are believed to be the remains of World War II service members killed during the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. KEVIN KNODELL / KKNODELL @STARADVERTISER Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith receives a Joint Service Achievement Medal on Friday night at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for his work clearing explosives to reach what are believed to be the remains of Marines killed in 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Late in the dark hours of Friday night, a Marine Corps C-20G gray ghost jet landed on the tarmac at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. It was returning from the Solomon Islands with a special assignmentbringing back what are believed to be the remains of Marines killed fighting on Guadalcanal more than eight decades ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plane was greeted by more than 100 Marines and sailors at the base as it pulled near the air terminal. They saluted as service members wearing white gloves carried boxes of the remains, each topped with a folded American flag, from the tarmac to a van that would take them to the Defense POW /MIA Accounting Agency at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The DPAA sends teams around the world to find the remains of missing serv ice members and bring them to Hawaii where experts at the worlds largest forensic skeleton lab work to identify them using a mixture of science and historical detective work. On the island of Guadalcanal alone, the U.S. military lists about 374 service members still unaccounted for since the end of World War II. Marine Staff Sgt. Stephon Smith, an explosives expert, was part of the team and carried one of the boxes of remains as he exited the plane. An Okinawa-based Marine, he is trained in identifying and disposing of World War II-era U.S. and Japanese explosivesskills that proved critical in retrieving the remains he held from the former battlefield. Even 80 years after the war ended, as many as 20 people are killed or seriously injured in the Solomon Islands per year by unexploded ordnance left behind by Japanese and Allied forces that fought each other across Pacific archipelagos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The DPAA team was searching for Marines believed to have died during the Battle of Edsons Ridge, where Marines repelled an attack by Imperial Japanese forces trying to retake the strategically important Henderson Airfield from the Americans. An estimated 111 Americans and as many as 800 Japanese troops are believed to have died in the fightingsometimes also called the Battle of Bloody Ridge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The service members who came to greet the remains Friday night stood still and silent as the boxes containing them were brought one by one to a van. The chaotic nature of historic battles and the amount of time that has passed make it hard to know for sure who the bones recovered actually belong toor if theyre even human bonesbut they are treated with reverence regardless until DPAA knows for sure. One thing thats really impressive about all the Marines (is that ) all the Marines know their history, said John M. Figuerres, the DPAAs acting deputy director for operations. They are schooled in their history, theyre schooled in their battles whether its Guadalcanal, whether its the Chosin River, whether its Khe Sanh in Vietnam. So for us to tell these Marines, there are Marines potentiallywe have to ID themthat are coming back from Guadalcanal, they know the struggle that their brother Marines did. As the ceremony concluded, Lt. Gen. James Glynn, commander of Marine Corps Forces Pacific, told the service members in attendance that while many regard the Marine Corps motto Semper Fidelis Latin for always faithful as a slogan, what you demonstrate tonight is that its a way of life, its a family, that there actually, truly is faith between Marines. As the van drove away, Smith and Staff Sgt. Zachary Bailey, an Army medic and mountaineer, were awarded Joint Service Achievement Medals for their roles in retrieving the remains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith worked with the DPAA team but is not officially assigned to the agency ; he had been brought on to help as a member of an investigative team that was on Guadalcanal searching for potential remains. The team began its mission in February. The scientific research experts, the anthropologists, the amount of brains and research and work that goes into really finding out where these guys are, and then going in to actually get them, its a lot of work, Smith told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. But it just tells me, and it sure made me feel great, because the country and this agency is committed to bring us home, even if its many, many years after, you know, we have passed away. Smith said that helping to retrieve the remains was an honor, noting that investigation teams arent typically digging. But when they found the site, they realized a nearby river was washing it away and potentially moving the remains. They decided to work fast, and Smith got to work identifying and clearing World War II-era munitions, identifying both American and Japanese explosives in the vicinity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, Smith said, We were able to do digging and bring our guys back home. The DPAA has been both a mission to bring fallen American troops home and also a diplomatic mission. It was through the programs operations that the United States reestablished relations with Vietnam, ultimately leading to normalization and paving the way for friendly relations and trade. The agency also has worked in North Korea and China retrieving and identifying war dead. A mission in China is planned for this summer to look for the remains of World War II American service members. As the assembled troops who came to welcome the remains to Kaneohe prepared to leave, Lt. Col. Jeremy Smith, the DPAAs deputy director for Indo-Pacific operations and senior Marine officer at the agency, told them that every one of you also participated in this mission because you are here tonight, on a Friday night when you could be anywhere else, telling the American people and telling the families that we will never stop searching for their missing service members. MANCHESTER, N.H. (WWLP) A Danvers man is facing multiple charges after driving over 100 mph in New Hampshire and resisting arrest on Saturday. New Hampshire State Police said that at approximately 3:45 a.m. on Saturday, a trooper in Manchester observed a black Cadillac XTS driving recklessly at 111 mph. The trooper conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and spoke to the driver, identified as 21-year-old Kevin Mwaura of Danvers, Mass. Springfield man charged for DUI following crash in Vermont Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trooper proceeded to tell Mwaura that he was going to be arrested for reckless operation, and Mwaura allegedly became noncompliant, physically resisting the troopers efforts to arrest him. However, the trooper was able to successfully arrest him. State Police said that during the booking process, Mwaura continued to be uncooperative and noncompliant, and he declined bail. He was charged with reckless operation and resisting arrest. Mwaura is being held at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections in Manchester and is scheduled to be arraigned in Manchester District Court on Monday. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Mayor Eric Adams and a slew of New York pols were lampooned at the 101st Inner Circle dinner held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom Saturday night but Hizzoner had the last laugh. The annual show, put on by the City Hall press corps, was dubbed Beg Your Pardon, as it centered around Mayor Adams legal troubles and the help he got avoiding them from the Trump administration. I cant stand most of you, Adams joked to members of the media in his show-closing remarks. NYC Mayor Eric Adams appears on stage with a fake New York Post front cover of himself. Craig McCarthy Thank you all for having me at Inner Circle tonight my least favorite night of the year, he ribbed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor took the opportunity to issue some shots at other 2025 mayoral candidates breaking out Trump-esque nicknames in his monologue including Scott Stranger for perennial candidate Scott Stringer and Brad Pander for NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. Adams also took aim at Andrew Cuomo and the unfounded rumors that the former governor has pierced nipples. I wonder what else he has pierced, the mayor said while looking downwards, adding, Man Im going to get in trouble tonight. Mayor Adams even had some fun with a self-made front page of The Post bearing a shirtless beach picture of himself accompanied with the headline SEXY IN THE CITY: Inside mayors SPICY new PSA campaign. The 101st Inner Circle dinner was held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Saturday. Craig McCarthy Michael Nagle The show, dubbed Beg Your Pardon, centered around Mayor Adams. Craig McCarthy I look forward to coming back to this for the next four years, Adam said at the end of his bit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before Adams had his chance to run the show, the press corps doled out heaping servings of roast to the newly minted Independent candidate for mayor. I turned my swagger into MAGA, an actor playing Mayor Adams joked in a sketch about the potential jurors who might have heard his corruption case, had the Department of Justice not agreed to drop it this year. That pretend pool of jurors included actors playing the roles of former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, radio host John Catsimatides, and NY state rep Jenifer Rajkumar. That pretend pool of jurors included actors playing the roles of former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, radio host John Catsimatides, and NY state rep Jenifer Rajkumar. Michael Nagle NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch attended the dinner. Michael Nagle NY City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams arrives at the Inner Circle on April 6, 2025. Michael Nagle In another act, Adams character misses the entire first act of the play due to a colonoscopy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did they find up there, Adams character asked upon waking. Looks like Tom Homan kept true to his word, the doctor responded, in a reference to the head of ICE telling Adams early this year that he would be up the mayors butt. Other butts of the joke included Governor Kathy Hochul, MTA CEO Janno Lieber and mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo. Local leaders in attendance included NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, former mayor Bill deBlasio, and former New York congressman Anthony Weiner. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell was at a loss when it came to the presidents bizarre staffing moves in his second term. The former Senate majority leader made his exasperation apparent after President Donald Trump this week canned National Security Agency Director Timothy Haugh and six National Security Council officials at the urging of far-right influencer Laura Loomer. If decades of experience in uniform isnt enough to lead the NSA but amateur isolationists can hold senior policy jobs at the Pentagon, then what exactly are the criteria for working on this administrations national security staff? he told The New York Times on Saturday. I cant figure it out. Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025 in Washington, D.C. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to the Daily Beasts request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While McConnell didnt name the amateur isolationists he was referring to, he has previously indicated concern about a pair of Pentagon staffersMichael DiMino and Dan Caldwellfor statements expressing reticence for the American military to support Israel. Its alarming that people can clear vetting after claiming U.S. interests in the Middle East are minimal to nonexistent, suggesting that America should militarily retrench from the region, or claiming that providing Israel even defensive assistance against Iran-backed terrorists is escalatory, McConnell, 83, told Jewish Insider in January shortly after Trump was inaugurated. DiMino is a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, and Caldwell is a top adviser to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Timothy Haugh speaks during a Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing on March 25, 2025 in Washington, D.C. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images Haughs firing was widely denounced by Democrats. He was a four-star general who had served in his role since February 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move made clear the influence that fringe figures can hold over White House decision-making. Loomer, 31, a MAGA activist who has claimed that 9/11 was an inside job, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday. She brought a list of top national security officials whom she believed were disloyal, including Haugh. The next day, the six NSC officials were out. The day after that, Haugh was gone too. President Donald Trumps Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has said he visited Texas after it was revealed a second child had died of measles in the state. Kennedy reportedly attended the child's funeral on Sunday. The eight-year-old girl identified by Kennedy as Daisy Hildebrand died early on Thursday morning from "measles pulmonary failure" while she was being treated at a hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her death is the second tied to a measles outbreak in West Texas and the second tied to the disease in the U.S. in a decade. Dozens of residents in the region including in bordering states have been infected. Kennedy wrote on X: My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief. Despite his past as a vocal vaccine skeptic, Kennedy acknowledged that the MMR vaccine was the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles. The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the M.M.R. vaccine, he wrote. Ive spoken to Governor Abbott, and Ive offered HHS continued support. At his request, we have redeployed CDC teams to Texas. We will continue to follow Texas lead and to offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UMC Health System said on Sunday that the girl had not been vaccinated against the disease and had no underlying health conditions that contributed to her death. Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium in Seminole, Texas. A second child in Texas died from measles on March 3 (Getty Images) The first death in the region was also an unvaccinated child who died in February. There may be a third death an unvaccinated individual in New Mexico who tested positive for measles. Health officials are still trying to confirm if measles was the individual's cause of death. West Texas has reported 480 cases of measles, resulting in 56 hospitalizations, since the outbreak began in January. Infections have sickened 54 people in New Mexico and another 10 in Oklahoma. Public health officials in the region are predicting that the outbreak will continue for a year, putting the area's measles elimination status which it earned in 2000 at risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles is extremely contagious. It can linger in the air for up to two hours after someone infected has left a room and can spread through breath, coughs, or sneezes. In most cases, measles symptomslike rashes, high fevers, coughs, runny noses, and red eyeswill subside in a few weeks. But in rare cases, it can cause pneumonia, which is especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. The disease can also cause brain swelling, which can cause blindness, deafness, and intellectual disabilities. Kennedy has faced criticism for his handling of the outbreak, especially considering the HHS boss is a vocal vaccine skeptic. He has been broadly supportive of the measles vaccine but has also emphasized alternative and untested treatments to combat the disease, like using cod liver oil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doctors in Texas told the Times that Kennedy's endorsement of alternative treatments has contributed to some patients waiting to seek medical care while also consuming toxic levels of vitamin A. Experts are concerned that the Trump administration's decision to pull funding from local health departments will also increase the likelihood of large, multi-state outbreaks. In an X post on Sunday, Kennedy said he would ensure that Texas health officials are supported in their battle to contain the measles outbreak. I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy. I got to know the family of 6-year-old Kayley Fehr after she passed away in February. I also developed bonds with and deep affection for other members of Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 6, 2025 On Sunday, Dr Peter Marks, who resigned from his position at the Food and Drug Administration where he oversaw the agency's vaccine program, blamed Kennedy and his staff for the child's death. This is the epitome of an absolute needless death, Marks told the Associated Press on Sunday. These kids should get vaccinated thats how you prevent people from dying of measles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said that he warned the Senate that more measles-related deaths would occur if the Trump administration refused to take more aggressive action to curb the outbreak. The Senate health committee has called Kennedy to testify on Thursday. Director of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy reportedly attended the funeral of the latest child to die in the Texas measles outbreak (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) One of the members of that committee is Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor and a vaccine proponent. Though he joined his Republican colleagues in confirming Kennedy during his hearing, he has taken a stronger stance on the need for vaccinations than the HHS head. On Sunday, Cassidy issued a statement saying that "everyone should be vaccinated." He said there was "no benefit to getting measles" and that "top health officials should say so unequivocally [before] another child dies." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Friday, the U.S. has more than 600 measles cases this year, more than double the number of cases in all of 2024. Lubbock's public health director, Katherine Wells, told NBC News that the actual number of infected individuals is likely much higher than what has been reported, as many who are infected may not be getting tested for the illness. She said that she and other health officials are begging families to have their children vaccinated against measles. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed for vaccination, and it is 97 percent effective. The MMR vaccine is safe and has been safely administered to children for decades. By Echo Wang, Charlie Conchie and Milana Vinn (Reuters) -From Wall Street to Israel and Sweden, U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariffs -- and the global equities sell-off they sparked -- have rapidly scuttled acquisitions and IPOs. The additional U.S. tariffs, which range from 10% to 50%, announced on Wednesday sparked fears of a recession and spiraling trade war, reinforced by China's announcement on Friday of its own new tariffs on U.S. goods and export controls. Among the deals, Swedish fintech Klarna pulled its IPO, and San Francisco fintech Chime is also delaying its initial offering, according to people familiar with the deals. A London private equity firm pulled out of buying a European mid-cap tech company at the last minute on Thursday after the tariff news, a person close to the deal said. StubHub was set as recently as Thursday to start its investor roadshow next week for its already delayed IPO. But by the end of the day, executives decided to push those plans back for at least another week, Israeli-based financial services company eToro also delayed investor presentations for its IPO on Wall Street from Monday until after April 20 due to market conditions and volatility, according to someone familiar with the deal. "It will be very tricky to get any deal to the finish line as cost of debt is expected to go up and it will be harder to ascertain valuations of companies, a senior banker said. If the trend continues, it could stifle companies' ability to raise funds and to invest, further slowing economic growth. Even before Trump's latest tariff announcement, new U.S. tariffs and worries about trade contributed to a 13% decline in U.S. mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter, Dealogic data compiled for Reuters showed. It's not the tariffs, per se, that are the problem," said Antony Walsh, corporate M&A partner at law firm Eversheds Sutherland. It's the level of uncertainty that's coming with them that's having the most impact on C-suite confidence." The trade war has sent global markets spiraling, with the S&P 500 and other U.S. indices marking their worst losses since 2020 on Thursday and falling further on Friday after China's announcement. Investment bank JP Morgan raised the odds of a recession by year's end to 60%, up from 40%. The London private equity investor who canceled the European tech company purchase said Thursday's market turmoil deterred the firm from proceeding. 'PIPELINE MORE CHALLENGING' "We just couldn't pull the trigger... We just don't know how Europe is going to react, what this all means for the macro environment, trade wars, etcetera," he said, asking not to be identified because the deal isn't public. HONOLULU (KHON2) Oahu residents celebrated the sweetest bundle of joy on the North Shore, welcoming the first Hawaiian monk seal pup of the 2025 season. The Hawaii Marine Animal Response introduced Kailani, named by the 5th-grade class at Kahuku Elementary, on its social media page. Safeguarding Hawaiis monk seals: Safe distances and pet owner tips HMAR said the pups name reflects the deep connection between Hawaiis land, sea and sky and how special the pup truly is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first part of his name, Kai, means sea and the second part, Lani, means sky to symbolize the beauty and wonder he brings to the islands. First Hawaiian monk seal pup of the 2025 season, Kailani. (Courtesy: HMAR) First Hawaiian monk seal pup of the 2025 season, Kailani. (Courtesy: HMAR) First Hawaiian monk seal pup of the 2025 season, Kailani. (Courtesy: HMAR) Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You If you see Kailani wandering North Shores beaches, officials said beachgoers should remain cautious as monk seal mothers are known to be highly protective and may become aggressive if someone gets too close. Beachgoers are also advised to maintain a 150-foot distance or more from seals to prevent the pups from becoming accustomed to human interaction. Pet owners should also keep their dogs on leashes at the beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check out more news from around Hawaii If you are interested in volunteering with HMAR to help protect Hawaiian monk seals like Kailani, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram to learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Last week, we counted down the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list. The list includes traditional restaurants as well as a pop-up, a pair of bakeries and a breakfast diner. The full list is below, for quick reference. Want to dig deeper? Check out our all-time list here. No. 10: Lincoln Yard, Birmingham Adrian Smothers, 28, of Eastpointe, and the front of house manager at Lincoln Yard in Birmingham, takes a couple orders of food to customers on Friday, March 28, 2025. From Union Joints, the hospitality group behind eateries, such as Vinsetta Garage, Union Assembly and Moms Spaghetti, Lincoln Yard joins the roster with its little sister, Little Yard. The side-by-side establishments come as a twofer: Little Yard, with an all-day breakfast menu, soups and coffee; and Lincoln Yard, offering brunch, lunch, dinner and spirited beverages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full review here. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] No. 9: Savoy, Detroit Chef and co-owner Melba Dearing prepares food in the kitchen at Savoy Restaurant in Detroit on Thursday, March 20, 2025. For many years, the east side of Detroits culinary scene has been driven by fast food and fast-casual restaurants. When it opened last summer, Savoy offered an upscale dining experience for the Cornerstone Village neighborhood. Led by chef Melba Dearing, the restaurant delivers an amalgam of Southern dishes and Creole flavors, plus a few fun riffs in between. Full review here. No. 8: JP's Makes and Bakes, Detroit Ube cookies at JP Makes and Bakes in Detroit on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. JP Makes and Bakes might be new to the New Center neighborhood, but the bakerys breads, cakes and cookies are well established among the Detroit dining scene. Pastry chef Jonathan Peregrino first introduced the bakery as a pop-up concept back in 2021 and quickly wielded his Filipino foodways as his superpower. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full review here. No. 7: Vesper Books and Wine, Detroit A glass of NON5, a lemon marmalade & hibiscus non-alcoholic wine at Vesper Books and Wine in Detroit on Friday, March 21, 2025. One of the most highly anticipated openings of 2024, Vesper made a splash with its collection of wines by the bottle or glass. The new wine bar is operated by Rob Wilson, an alum of Kiesling in Detroits North End, and partner Symantha Duggan. The duo has established a space that defies the traditional expectations of a stuffy wine bar. Full review here. No. 6: Forest Bakery, Oak Park Some of the many bakery items for sale at Forest Bakery in Oak Park on Friday, March 21, 2025. On a frigid Saturday morning just after 10 a.m., when the bakery opens, a line snakes around Forest Bakery, the 488-square-foot shop in Oak Park. Guests, largely families with friendly dogs on leashes and small children in tow, are there to nab the bakerys selection of sweet and savory pastries before theyre gone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full review here. No. 5: Ayiti Spaghetti, Detroit pop-up Chef Franchesca Lamarre cooks Haitian spaghetti at a celebratory popup for the one year anniversary of Ayiti Spaghetti at Florian East in Hamtramck on Saturday, March 15, 2025. The finishing touch on each plate created by Franchesca Lamarre is a toothpick flying the Haitian flag. As if the dishes themselves arent indication enough, the garnish reaffirms the Haitian American chefs cultural pride. Full review here. No. 4: La Fonda, Detroit People walk into La Fonda St. restaurant in Detroit on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. The coffees at sister shop Encarnacion Cafe remind me of the cups I sipped at my Puerto Rican grandmothers house when I was well below the standard drinking age for caffeine. The food at La Fonda is equally nostalgic. Ive long lamented the lack of Latin American cuisine beyond Mexican in the Detroit area. La Fonda Street has managed to bring many of the classics under one roof. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full review here. No. 3: Norm's Diner, Detroit The bustling Norms Diner in Detroits West Village neighborhood on Friday, March 14, 2025. Theres something endearing about a retro diner. Maybe its the simplicity of those ubiquitous diner foods thick, whipped milkshakes, malts and floats, patty melts and all-day pancakes. Or, maybe its the old-fashioned decor the counter-service stools, leatherette-backed banquettes and vintage accessories like jukeboxes plucked from before your time, and soda machines from an era youd give anything to relive. Whatever the reason for the gravitational pull, everyone longs for a neighborhood diner, and Norms has all the makings of a great one. Full review here. No. 2: Lena, Detroit The dining space at Lena in Detroit on Friday, March 28, 2025. When a restaurant draws inspiration from a particular country or region, it can be difficult not to veer into kitschy territory. Lena, the new Brush Park neighborhood restaurant with Spanish influence, strikes a beautiful balance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full review here. No. 1: Puma, Detroit It is not hyperbolic to say that you can feel the heat at Puma, Detroits Argentine street food newcomer. At the request of chef-owner Javier Bardauil, contractors carved a gaping hole into the facade of the former Core City neighborhood auto garage for a live fire that would burn during service. The heat from the flames toasts your ankles as you approach the front door. Full review here. Save the Date: On Tuesday, May 27, Puma, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Full Top 10 schedule and ticket information at Freep.com/top10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 10 new restaurants in metro Detroit for 2025 In the years after the U.S. entered what was called the Great War, federal officials didnt merely seek the publics support for the new military venture; they enforced it. Anyone who publicly questioned the beating of war drums during World War I in the U.S. risked punishment, if not by mob violence then by the federal government. The erosion of free speech posed by wartime laws targeting so-called disloyalty came just a few years after New Mexico gained statehood. The archives of The New Mexican show the paper chronicled many of the federal prosecutions against the states residents for alleged disloyal public statements that deviated from the national pro-war line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crimes of disloyalty were prosecuted under the Espionage Act, a law passed by the U.S. Congress in June 1917 that made it illegal to willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States, along with causing insubordination and mutiny or obstructing the military draft. Penalties included steep fines and prison sentences of up to 20 years. The following year, an amendment to the Espionage Act called the Sedition Act broadened the law to prohibit any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States ... or the flag of the United States, or the uniform of the Army or Navy. New Mexico had played a role in the countrys entry into the war, which was attributed partly to a 1917 telegram sent from a German official to Mexicos embassy in Germany and intercepted by British intelligence officers. The message proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico if the U.S. were to enter the war, including help in recovering Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, which had been lost in the Mexican-American War. Among the most prominent to be charged under the Espionage Act at the time included socialist presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs and socialist writer Emma Goldman, who was deported to Russia after the war. More recently, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and government whistleblower Chelsea Manning were also charged under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the years after the law was passed, people around the country including in New Mexico found themselves behind bars over allegations of making public statements in support of the countrys enemies, critical of the U.S. military draft or merely in opposition to U.S. involvement in the war. Indictments A rancher from Weed was indicted on an Espionage Act charge in 1919, with prosecutors alleging he had said in public the draft was for cowards. During a hearing on the charge in Santa Fe, the rancher told the court he believed the proper way to raise an army of real fighters was not to draft them but to select based on animal killing instinct and to pay them $150 per month, The New Mexican reported. A 19-year-old man from Santa Fe was jailed in 1918 after a police officer said he made offensive remarks about the armed forces. Felix Sena was at the citys train depot when several men who were leaving for El Paso called out to him to join the Navy, and he started a commotion with remarks about the Navy and the Army, according to a report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A historian of the period in New Mexico, David Holtby, noted the great wave of anti-German sentiment on which the U.S. had entered the war and which also set the stage for the Espionage and Sedition acts. German Americans and socialists made up a large portion of those charged under the laws. At that time, the largest immigrant group in the United States were Germans, he said. Its not clear how many were in New Mexico, but they certainly were present here, and occasionally they got cross-wise at bars. Several reports of disloyal statements from Germans in New Mexico stemmed from bar fights, such as a man who was arrested in a Socorro saloon in August 1918 on an allegation he violated the Espionage Act by telling others he was for the kaiser, The New Mexican reported. The news item noted the man was knocked down by others at the bar in response to the statement. A German-born National Guard captain and machinist from Clovis, Frank Charles Blumlein, was prosecuted and sentenced in May 1918 to three years in prison after his fellow soldiers reported him for saying the English [had] cannibals fighting on the battlefront and that the U.S. had no business going to war and drafting men, according to a report in The New Mexican. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blumlein who had been born in Germany but moved to the U.S. at the age of 10 told the court during his trial an antagonism toward England had been planted in his heart as a child, that he was loyal to the U.S. but that he believed the country should have done everything possible to avoid going to war with Germany, the newspaper reported. News reports noted Blumlein had been instrumental in growing a National Guard company in Clovis in the years before the war. Allegations of disloyalty in those years were often met not only with criminal prosecution, but also with mob violence. The National Civil Liberties Bureau the precursor to the American Civil Liberties Union counted 158 convictions under the Espionage Act or treason in a two-year span beginning in April 1917. Over the same time, the organization counted 123 cases of mob violence based on alleged disloyalty. Among the closest-followed disloyalty cases by The New Mexican was a charge against Maj. John Birkner, a physician at Camp Cody in Deming who was accused of violating the Espionage Act in 1918. Prosecutors alleged during trial that Birkner had said in the presence of other soldiers we should have peace, and financial barons brought on this war, according to The New Mexican. A prosecutor argued his statements were calculated to excite opposition to the government and to lead to insubordination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In statements to the newspaper, Birkner called the prosecution spite work by subordinates he had disciplined in the past. In the week after he was arrested, Birkner was being held in the state penitentiary when several other inmates cornered him in the prison yard and tarred and feathered the former officer. Prison guards came upon the inmates leading Birkner around the yard with a rope tied around his neck, the newspaper reported. The attack was one of many examples of extralegal mob violence at the time that was tied to charges under the Espionage Act. Other accounts include men being forced to kiss American flags and even an accused traitor left hanging from a pinon tree at the end of a barbed wire noose who died, according to an article written by Richard Melzer for the New Mexico Historical Review. With twenty-two cases from July 1, 1918, to June 30, 1920, New Mexico ranked as high as fifth among the 48 states in the number of cases per capita prosecuted under the infamous Espionage and Sedition Acts, Melzer wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More committed to law Holtby acknowledged the years of World War I represented a particularly dark time in the countrys history for civil liberties, but he also noted many Espionage Act cases in New Mexico in those years were thrown out or dismissed, unlike in neighboring Texas, which he characterized as certainly less constrained by courts looking dubiously on the act. New Mexico, in that sense, was a little more committed to law over just the politics and hysteria of the moment, Holtby said. The historian described Summers Burkhart, the U.S. attorney for New Mexico during the war, as one of the more judicious federal prosecutors of the era, perhaps saving New Mexicans from the most repressive excesses of the era. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He used [the Bureau of Investigation] very judiciously and ensured that they got thorough examinations, Holtby said. In general, those inquiries led to a peaceful resolution, so New Mexico ... had from this one man, the U.S. attorney, a kind of model for how people in law enforcement should behave during times of kind of hyper-public patriotism. A New Mexican story in late 1918 noted a federal grand jury found sufficient evidence to forward 97 cases Espionage Act as well as bootlegging and illegal liquor sales and that 82 such cases were declined. The report stated the large number of declined prosecutions was due to the governments decision not to prosecute any but flagrant violations of the Espionage Act at this time. The newspaper like many across the country stood in support of prosecutions against disloyalty in spite of the implications for freedom of speech. A notable example was a column that supported federal action against Hearst Publications for disloyalty and sedition. The newspaper chain owned by William Randolph Hearst had in 1918 sued the New Mexico Council of Defense for suppressing its publications by distributing signs to an honor roll of news sellers that proudly stated Hearsts Papers Not Sold Here, along with allegations the papers were anti-British, un-American and pro-German since America entered the World War. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In court arguments, the council described Hearsts papers as poisonous, evil and deadly for printing pro-German sentiment. We do not defend Hearst, The New Mexican wrote, but it cannot be assumed that treatment of Hearst publications can be any different than that necessary in the case of any other alleged disloyal publications. The state council of defense of New Mexico should file charges with the federal government against the Hearst newspapers and periodicals if it believes them disloyal and seditious. The newspaper submitted in all patriotism and justice, with no sympathy for Hearst that the question of loyalty or disloyalty of the press was a matter for the federal courts. A woman and two children sitting in an SUV were ambushed and shot by a group of people early Saturday morning in Miami-Dade, deputies said. The gunfire killed her and injured an 11- and 12-year-old. Around 1 a.m., the trio were sitting inside the dark-colored SUV in the area of Northeast 141 Street and Northeast Second Court when several people approached them, the Miami-Dade Sheriffs Office said. The group opened fire and hit all three of them before running away. When deputies were called, they discovered Desiree Chanel Brown, 36, and the two children suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the sheriffs office said. Desiree Chanel Brown, 36 (pictured), was fatally shot, and two children were injured when they were sitting in an SUV and were ambushed. The three were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospitals Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition. Brown succumbed to her injuries; the 11-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy are still hospitalized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities did not reveal if there are familial ties or information on who may have shot them. The sheriffs office is asking for the communitys help in providing any information regarding the shooting by calling Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-472-8477. A tip that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward up to $5,000. Hundreds of protestors gathered across the Miami Valley to take part in the nationwide movement against the Trump administration on Saturday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Community members gathered outside the Dayton Courthouse Square and Xenia Courthouse to participate in the Hands Off protests. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These movements were organized by LGBTQ+ advocates, civil rights organizations, veterans, labor unions, and election activists. The AP reports that the protests took place in more than 1,200 locations across all 50 states. >>PHOTOS: Miami Valley communities join in nationwide Hands Off protests In Xenia, people chanted as cars drove by and held signs that read The power of the people is greater than the people in power and hands off our democracy. Ohioans gathered to voice their opinions in other cities, including Columbus, Cincinnati, Akron, Toledo and Cleveland. All protests seemed peaceful, as there were no immediate reports of arrests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demonstrators voiced anger over the administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut funding for health programs. Musk, a Trump adviser who runs Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in the downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He said he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, criticized the administrations treatment of the LGBTQ+ community at the rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where Democratic members of Congress also took the stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attacks that were seeing, theyre not just political. They are personal, yall, Robinson said. Theyre trying to ban our books, theyre slashing HIV prevention funding, theyre criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Police found a missing 2-year-old child in a ditch near I-94 in Jackson County on Saturday. The Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety reports that they responded to a call regarding a missing 2-year-old child from Pheasant Run Dr. in Blackman Twp. The child was reported last seen watching TV in the familys home at around 8:43 p.m. Police were notified of the disappearance about an hour later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Blackman-Leoni K-9 unit, Michigan State Police (MSP) K-9 unit, and an MSP helicopter were all deployed to search for the child. Attending officers and volunteer community members searched the area for nearly two hours. Nearly three hours after the child went missing, an MSP trooper located a heat signature in a ditch near I-94 and Airport Rd. at 11:33 p.m. while searching from a helicopter. The department reports that the child was found curled up, wearing only a diaper. Police say the child was not injured but was taken to an ambulance and transported to Henry Ford Hospital by Jackson Community Ambulance for evaluation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without the collective efforts of all these agencies, this incident would have undoubtedly ended in tragedy, said the Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety in a news release sent to 6 News. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Throughout the day, our Team Three Weather Coverage continues as flooding has occurred across the Mid-South. In Midtown, residents of an apartment complex said that flooding is preventing them from leaving their homes. One tenant spoke with WREG and said her concerns have been growing since Thursday. Trying to maneuver and step through it, Im gonna be wet before I even get to work, she said. Its just horrible. I couldnt even get a Lyft. A Lyft driver wouldnt even come this way. When I tried to order a Lyft, it was $70. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LIVE: Severe storms and tornado risk She said the floodwaters also entered her apartment. Its flooded inside my home. When I literally tried to sweep the water out, it dont do no good, the resident said. Because if Im sweeping it out, its still gone come back in, because it has nowhere to go. The resident told WREG she brought her concerns to management, but nothing has been done to fix the issue. In addition to the flooding, shes also concerned about the stairway above her. Earlier this week, an apartment complex across the street had a stairway collapse that resulted in evacuations. Stairs collapse at Medical District apartment complex Collapsed stairs at a Medical District apartment. The resident said shes afraid something similar could happen where she lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im extremely concerned about that. Thats whats really blowing me, she said. Because hey, whats up, comes down. Im down and I could just be normally walking and strolling and boom, boom, boom. Thats my head. WREG reached out to FP Memphis LLC, the company that manages and owns that apartment complex. Well let you know if we hear back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Military chiefs are preparing to plough 200m into a state-owned microchip factory as the UK races to shore up its defence industry and stave off the threat of Donald Trumps trade war. Taxpayer funding has been pledged as part of the Ministry of Defences 10-year investment programme in Octric Semiconductor, the County Durham chip plant it nationalised last year in a rescue deal. The scheme forms part of Britains attempt to create a national semiconductor champion, which could prove crucial as the US presidents tariffs risk wreaking havoc across global supply chains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funding, which is part of a plan to create hundreds of jobs at the Newton Aycliffe facility, will ensure the supply of crucial parts used in Typhoon jets. The 200m package includes the initial 20m spent to nationalise the plant last year, and comes after Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to boost defence spending. An MoD spokesman hailed the move as a clear signal of us backing British defence firms long-term and prioritising production here in the UK. The investment is designed to put the facility, one of Britains biggest semiconductor plants, on a stable financial footing. It is understood that the MoD is also leaving the door open to outside investors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Octrics website describes the company as a foundry for the next frontier that is focused on developing the next generation of semiconductors. The Newton Aycliffe factory was the worlds most advanced when it opened in 1991, but has been through a succession of owners and only part of the site is used today. It currently employs around 130 people, but once boasted a workforce of 700. Its future, as well as crucial supplies of military components, was put in doubt two years ago when Apple cancelled a supply deal with Coherent, the facilitys former US owner. This led to the MoD nationalising the factory in September last year, before later renaming it Octric. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senior job listings advertised for the facility reveal that the company has recently drawn up a 10-year investment plan, to which the Ministry of Defence has committed over 200m of investment. They say that Octric represents an opportunity to create a national semiconductor champion in the North East. The company has signed up Graham Love, the former chief executive of British defence group Qinetiq, as its chairman, and hired Kelly Jones, a turnaround expert, as its chief executive. The facility currently specialises in gallium arsenide semiconductors, rather than the silicon chips widely used in computing applications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gallium arsenide is prized for its role in components such as radar and communication systems. Octric is planning to upgrade the facility to manufacture more advanced gallium nitride chips. Semiconductors made using gallium nitride are increasingly being used to develop cutting-edge radar systems used in military platforms. For instance, it is understood that the latest version of the European common radar system going into the Royal Air Forces Typhoon fighter jets will use a combination of both gallium arsenide and gallium nitride chips. Gallium nitride chips are used in the radar system of Typhoon fighter jets - Cpl Nathan Edwards/Ministry of Defence Gallium nitride chips are also useful in high-speed power electronics such as rapid electric car chargers, and Octric is believed to be seeking commercial customers alongside the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A defence industry source said: This is the kind of advanced technology that is very important to have onshore. That is why the MoD is investing in it. Mark Stead, of Leonardo UK, which makes radar and electronic warfare equipment for the Typhoon, said: As the UKs defence electronics champion, we use specialised semiconductors, including from Octric, across our portfolio of advanced radar and electronic warfare products. Investment by the UK Government to maintain and enhance a UK onshore source for this technology is welcomed by Leonardo. It supports the resilience of our national supply chain, boosts the UKs defence and commercial semiconductor industrial capacity, and assists UK companies like ours to design and build world-class products for the UK Armed Forces and international export. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sir Keir has outlined plans to raise defence spending to 2.5pc of GDP by 2027. An MoD spokesman said: This is a clear signal of us backing British defence firms long-term and prioritising production here in the UK. Semiconductors are a crucial part of leading technology across the globe, including for military equipment, and we are protecting our supply chain at home. One hundred jobs in the North East have already been secured and our investment commitment covers at least the next decade driving UK defence innovation as an engine for economic growth. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. NEW YORK (AP) Sending children back to school in new sneakers, jeans and T-shirts is likely to cost U.S. families significantly more this fall if the bespoke tariffs President Donald Trump put on leading exporters take effect as planned, American industry groups warn. About 97% of the clothes and shoes purchased in the U.S. are imported, predominantly from Asia, the American Apparel & Footwear Association said, citing its most recent data. Walmart, Gap Inc., Lululemon and Nike are a few of the companies that have a majority of their clothing made in Asian countries. Those same garment-making hubs took a big hit under the president's plan to punish individual countries for trade imbalances. For all Chinese goods, that meant tariffs of at least 54%. He set the import tax rates for Vietnam and neighboring Cambodia at 46% and 49%, and products from Bangladesh and Indonesia at 37% and 32%. Working with foreign factories has kept labor costs down for U.S. companies in the fashion trade, but neither they nor their overseas suppliers are likely to absorb new costs that high. India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also got slapped with high tariffs so aren't immediate sourcing alternatives. If these tariffs are allowed to persist, ultimately its going to make its way to the consumer, said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Another trade group, Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, provided estimates of the price increases that could be in store for shoes, noting 99% of the pairs sold in the U.S. are imports. Work boots made in China that now retail for $77 would go up to $115, while customers would pay $220 for running shoes made in Vietnam currently priced at $155, the group said. FDRA President Matt Priest predicted lower-income families and the places they shop would feel the impact most. He said a pair of Chinese-made childrens shoes that cost $26 today will likely carry a $41 price tag by the back-to-school shopping season, according to his groups calculations. Preparing for a moving target The tariffs on the top producers of not only finished fashion but many of the materials used to make footwear and apparel shocked U.S. retailers and brands. Before Trump's first term, U.S. companies had started to diversify away from China in response to trade tensions as well as human rights and environmental concerns. They accelerated the pace when he ordered tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018, shifting more production to other countries in Asia. Lululemon said in its latest annual filing that 40% of its sportswear last year was manufactured in Vietnam, 17% in Cambodia, 11% in Sri Lanka, 11% in Indonesia and 7% in Bangladesh. The minerals deal between Ukraine and the U.S. is a "win-win," but has been thrown off by Ukrainian leadership, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed in an interview released on April 4 with U.S. far-right political commentator Tucker Carlson. "It's a genuine economic partnership... we don't make any money unless they make money, and you know who doesn't like that? People with their hand in the till," Bessent claimed. "(T)he Russians didn't like the look of this deal because they thought it was actually something durable for the U.S. people and the Ukrainian people," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bessent said on April 2 that a Ukrainian delegation would arrive in the U.S. in the coming days to work on the mineral agreement. The deal was previously set to be signed on February 28 with a visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House. "We're expecting a Ukrainian technical team (at the) beginning of next week, and I'm hopeful we can get this thing signed and go back to a win-win situation," Bessent said, confirming his earlier remarks. Read also: Putin issued a decree. Now, millions of Ukrainians face an impossible decision U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to use the deal as a signal that the U.S. stands with Ukraine as an economic partner, Bessent said, adding that it would incentivize Russia to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The sequencing has been thrown off, but I think we can fix it," Bessent said, referring to the steps the U.S. plans to take in establishing a peace plan. Bessent said the deal will bring the U.S. and Ukraine "closer together," prove the U.S. is not abandoning Ukraine, and show the American people the U.S. has an economic stake in Ukraine. "Ukraine...because of various kleptocracy aspects, has been held back. So hopefully with U.S. assistance and President Trump engineering this peace deal, Ukrainian people can have a better future," Bessent claimed. Throughout his interview with Carlson, Bessent repeatedly claimed that the deal would benefit the U.S. and Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Ukraine succeeds, we succeed, and it could be a long-term partnership," Bessent said. "If this deal works (the aid the U.S. has provided to Ukraine) could end up being small change," he said. Bessent claimed Zelensky said he would sign the minerals deal at the February Munich Security Conference, but never did. Bessent visited Zelensky in Kyiv on Feb. 12, where a deal was never signed. "I thought it was important to take the agreement to Kyiv and present it to President Zelensky," Bessent said. Bessent criticized Zelensky and his inner circle for failing to sign the minerals deal on several occasions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He got to the Oval Office and blew up what should have been the easiest thing to do in the world," he said. Zelensky "assumed a high-handed tone" with U.S. officials, Carlson claimed in his interview with Bessent. "He (Zelensky) is not getting the best advice... His advisors are not perfect," Bessent said. Ukrainian and U.S. officials have met in Saudi Arabia several times, where Ukraine has agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire. Russia has not. Read also: Inside Ukraines desperate race to train more soldiers Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A man covers his face with his hands and peeks through his fingers. Noticing somebody fidgeting can be distracting. Vexing. Even excruciating. But why? According to research, the stressful sensations caused by seeing others fidget are an incredibly common psychological phenomenon, affecting as many as one in three people. Called misokinesia meaning 'hatred of movements' this strange phenomenon had been little studied by scientists until recent years, but was noted in the context of a related condition, misophonia: a disorder where people become irritated upon hearing certain repetitious sounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Misokinesia is somewhat similar, but the triggers are generally more visual, rather than sound-related, researchers say. "[Misokinesia] is defined as a strong negative affective or emotional response to the sight of someone else's small and repetitive movements, such as seeing someone mindlessly fidgeting with a hand or foot," a team of researchers, led by first author and psychologist Sumeet Jaswal, then at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, explained in a study published in 2021. "Yet surprisingly, scientific research on the topic is lacking." Misokenesia creates strong emotional responses on seeing small, repetitive movements. (PeopleImages/Getty Images) To improve our understanding, Jawal and fellow researchers conducted what they said was the "first in-depth scientific exploration" of misokinesia and the results indicate that heightened sensitivity to fidgeting is something a large number of people have to deal with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across a series of experiments involving over 4,100 participants, the researchers measured the prevalence of misokinesia in a cohort of university students and people from the general population, assessing the impacts it had upon them, and exploring why the sensations might manifest. "We found that approximately one-third self-reported some degree of misokinesia sensitivity to the repetitive, fidgeting behaviors of others as encountered in their daily lives," the researchers explained. "These results support the conclusion that misokinesia sensitivity is not a phenomenon restricted to clinical populations, but rather, is a basic and heretofore under-recognized social challenge shared by many in the wider, general population." According to the analysis, misokinesia sometimes goes hand in hand with the sound-sensitivity of misophonia, but not always. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The phenomenon seems to vary significantly among individuals, with some people reporting only low sensitivity to fidgeting stimuli, while others feel highly affected. "They are negatively impacted emotionally and experience reactions such as anger, anxiety, or frustration as well as reduced enjoyment in social situations, work, and learning environments," explained UBC psychologist Todd Handy. "Some even pursue fewer social activities because of the condition.". Handy began researching misokinesia after a partner told him he was a fidgeter and confessed she felt stress when he fidgeted (or anybody else for that matter). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As a visual cognitive neuroscientist, this really piqued my interest to find out what is happening in the brain," Handy said. So, the million-dollar question stands: Why do we find fidgeting so annoying? In the study, the researchers ran tests to see if people's misokinesia might originate in heightened visual-attentional sensitivities, amounting to an inability to block out distracting events occurring in their visual periphery. The results based on early experiments were inconclusive on that front, with the researchers finding no firm evidence that reflexive visual attentional mechanisms substantively contribute to misokinesia sensitivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we're still only at the outset then of exploring where misokinesia may spring from on a cognitive level, the researchers do have some hypothetical leads for future research. "One possibility we want to explore is that their 'mirror neurons' are at play," Jaswal said. "These neurons activate when we move but they also activate when we see others move For example, when you see someone get hurt, you may wince as well, as their pain is mirrored in your own brain." By extension, it's possible that misokinesia-prone people might be unconsciously empathizing with the psychology of fidgeters. And not in a good way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A reason that people fidget is because they're anxious or nervous so when individuals who suffer from misokinesia see someone fidgeting, they may mirror it and feel anxious or nervous as well," Jaswal said. As to whether that's what's really going on here with misokinesia, only further research into the phenomenon will be able to say for sure. A follow-up study conducted by Jaswal in 2024 on 21 volunteers found the condition may be linked to challenges in disengaging from a stimulus, rather than about the initial distraction. One thing is certain though. From the results seen here, it's clear that this unusual phenomenon is much more usual than we realized. "To those who are suffering from misokinesia, you are not alone," Handy said. "Your challenge is common and it's real." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The findings are reported in Scientific Reports. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2021. Related News Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was increasing its aerial bombardment of Ukraine after Moscows forces mounted another massive missile and drone attack overnight. The Ukrainian president said the increasing number of attacks, despite US attempts to broker a ceasefire, showed that pressure on the Kremlin was still insufficient, calling on his allies to do more. The lethal nationwide attack that killed three and wounded seven was the biggest barrage in weeks, Ukrainian officials said. It came two days after a Russian strike killed 18 in Mr Zelenskys home town of Kryvyi Rih. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraines air force said it had shot down 13 out of 23 missiles and 40 out of 109 drones, with 53 others directed off course using electronic warfare techniques. A ballistic missile strike hit Kyiv on Sunday, killing one, wounding three and sparking fires across the city. Damage was also reported in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv regions. Mr Zelensky said: Such attacks are Putins response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners America, the whole of Europe, the whole world has seen that Russia is going to continue to fight and kill. He added that over the past week, Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the overnight barrage, Polish and allied aircraft were mobilised as Russian air strikes targeted western Ukraine. Its military command said: The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas. Russias defence ministry said on Sunday that its air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones. It also claimed its troops had captured the village of Basivka in Ukraines Sumy region, in a rare cross-border advance. Basivka is only the second village to be captured in the Sumy region since the early days of the war in 2022. In March, Moscows forces said it had taken Novenke, just a few miles from Basivka. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Zelensky warned last month that Moscow was plotting a fresh ground invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the growing concentration of Russian troops near the border with Sumy. The latest attacks came as Donald Trump continued to push for a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine last month agreed to a US-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying that Kyiv was ready if Russia also agreed to the terms. Moscow has so far refused. A US-brokered agreement to halt attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure collapsed last month, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of repeatedly breaching it. In his evening address on Sunday, Mr Zelensky said that Washington had offered no response to Russias rejection of the proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has agreed to Americas proposal, to a full, unconditional ceasefire. Putin refuses. We are waiting for the US to respond so far there has been no response. Smoke rises over Kyiv in the early hours of Sunday after the Russian strike - Gleb Garanich/Reuters Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian official involved in negotiations with Washington, said that Russia and the US might speak again as early as next week. Mr Dmitriev, who is the head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, visited Washington last week the most senior Russian official to do so since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He told Russian journalists that he saw positive dynamics in Moscow and Washingtons relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, Mr Zelensky criticised the US embassy for a weak statement about the deadly missile and drone attack on Kryvyi Rih, in which it failed to blame Russia. The strike hit a residential area near a childrens playground, killing at least 18 people, including nine children and injuring 72 others. Three days of mourning were declared. The aftermath of the missile strike - Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty The UN Human Rights Office said that it was the deadliest single strike harming children it had verified since the start of the three-year war. In an emotional statement, in which he named the dead children, Mr Zelensky accused the US of being too afraid to blame Russia which chooses to kill children instead of a ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian defence ministry said it carried out a high-precision missile strike on a restaurant where commanders of formations and Western instructors were meeting. Ukraines military vehemently rejected those claims, accusing Russia of war crimes. Unfortunately, the reaction of the American embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people and such a weak reaction, Mr Zelensky wrote on X. Civilians inside Ukraines metro system, which has provided shelter during air raids since Russias unprovoked 2022 invasion - Alina Smutko/Reuters On Saturday, Mr Zelensky said a meeting with British and French military chiefs had made tangible progress towards a plan for an international peacekeeping mission in Ukraine after the war ends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adml Sir Tony Radakin and Thierry Burkhard, the British and French chief of defence staffs, visited Kyiv on Friday to discuss the structure, size and composition of any future reassurance force. Mr Zelensky said they had agreed the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed, praising the plan for helping to bring a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine closer. It is one of the latest efforts by European leaders and Keir Starmers coalition of the willing to agree on a co-ordinated policy, after Mr Trump sidelined them and opened direct talks with the Kremlin. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Two hikers who were reported missing late Friday night have been located, according to local officials. The Oconee County Sheriffs Office said on Sunday search teams located Carrell Wayne Fowler and Sharon Kay Bramlett north of the Licklog Falls camping area near the Georgia and South Carolina state line. They had gone to do some hiking and had not returned at the time in which they were scheduled to return, said Corporal Jimmy Watt of the Oconee County Sheriffs Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office said the hikers were located by a drone and, besides some non-life-threatening injuries, appeared to be in good health. They were extracted from where they were located, where they were found and brought here, across the road from the Mountain Rest Fire Department by helicopter from the South Carolina National Guard and then placed on an ambulance to the hospital for further treatment and evaluation, said Watt. Watt said it was a team effort to find the missing hikers. Whenever you have something like this, it is all hands on deck and we work together in cooperation to bring about what we want which is a positive outcome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office said one deputy also suffered a non-life-threatening injury in a fall while searching for Fowler and Bramlett, and was transported to the hospital. The search for Fowler and Bramlett began early Saturday morning. The hikers were reported missing Friday night after they failed to return home from Licklog Falls. We give praise and glory to God that our missing hikers were recovered and there were no serious or life threatening injuries, Watt said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. A firefighter was killed in a crash while responding to a water rescue call Friday afternoon in Franklin County, Missouri, officials confirm. The Beaufort-Leslie Fire Protection District identified the firefighter as Chevy Gall, reporting that he died after a crash that happened while responding to a water rescue. A spokesperson from the Missouri State Highway Patrol tells FOX 2 that Gall, identified as a 16-year-old from Beaufort, Missouri, was a volunteer firefighter and driving a personally-owned vehicle when he crashed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gall was not using an emergency fire truck, nor using emergency lights or sirens on his personal vehicle, per MSHP. Former teacher in Triad School District accused of grooming student According to an MSHP crash report, the crash happened around 4:15 p.m. Friday on U.S. Route 50 near Missouri Route 185. Gall was driving a vehicle that crossed a center line and struck the front of a second vehicle. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased from his injuries. Beaufort-Leslie Fire Protection District Fire Chief Terry Feth shared the following statement via Facebook: Tonight is a fire chiefs worst nightmare. We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our own. Chevy died while answering the call to help others. Our entire department is grieving, as we mourn with Chevys family, friends, and our fellow first responders during this incredibly difficult time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News The other driver involved in the crash, a 30-year-old man, was sent to a hospital with minor injuries, according to MSHP. MSHP Troop C, which covers much of the St. Louis region, is investigating the crash. Additional details are limited at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Rescue teams recovered the body of a man Sunday who drowned after being sucked into a drainage pipe at a Mooresville pond the day before. Bradley Justus, 59, of Mooresville, had been clearing debris from a culvert at 8:30 a.m. Saturday when pressure from floodwaters carried him into the pipe near 11200 Lambert Court, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lt. Angela Goldman said. Fire crews from Moorseville, Brown Township and Hendricks County attempted to pull the man from the culvert Saturday morning but abandoned the effort because of the danger of the rising waters, Goldman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The culvert, in a sparse cluster of single-family homes, is only a few feet in diameter and leads to a nearby ditch about 80 feet away, Moorseville Fire Chief Matt Dalton and Goldman said. The city of Shelbyville declared a state of emergency because of river flooding Rescuers returned to the pond at 9 a.m. Sunday and cut an opening in the culvert pipe from the ground above to pull Justus body out at about 11 a.m. Goldman said the death was unusual and comes as widespread flood warnings remain in effect across Central Indiana. "I have never seen a situation like this, nor has anyone else here," said Goldman, a 27-year veteran. Officials said Justus was a resident in the housing development but not a maintenance worker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National Weather Service Meteorologist Earl Breon said some of the most dire flooding conditions are south of Marion County, especially Shelbyville, where river flooding is forecasted to go above record flood stage. But almost all river points are expected to have major to moderate flooding, Breon said. Indianapolis has received 5.12 inches of rain since Wednesday and 6.27 inches has fallen in Shelbyville, NWS reported. The most rain has deluged Martinsville, which has recorded 7.27 inches across the four-day span. The city of Shelbyville declared a state of emergency due to flooding in the Big Blue and Little Blue rivers and is urging people living in those floodplains to evacuate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The floodwaters have uprooted trees and inundated low-lying communities. An emergency shelter has been set-up at the Shelby County Fairgrounds, city officials said in a news release. The Little Blue River has crested and is receding but the Big Blue will not crest until Monday., the city reported. Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on X/Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 59-year-old Mooresville man drowns after being sucked into culvert The State College areas opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration is growing louder. More than 500 people armed with political signs and umbrellas braved a dreary, rainy Saturday to converge on Sidney Friedman Park for a Hands Off! rally opposing Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,200 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Signs and speakers touched on a variety of topics, from the economy to human rights. Nationally, it was the biggest day of demonstrations yet since Trump took office. Locally, the same also held true. (About 350 attended last weekends town hall opposing Trump, and 250 gathered two weeks ago in protest of Trump supporter and U.S. Rep Glenn Thompson, R-Howard.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I got involved because I believe in this country, and I am firmly against everything that is going on right now, said local rally speaker Ray Bilger, a combat veteran and former employee of the Department of States foreign service and intelligence community. Only by us standing together and doing things like this today and making our voices heard can we make a change. The most-asked question at last weeks town hall revolved around what people could do to help, to stop the administrations cuts and tariffs, to prevent turning longtime allies into foes. And the response was to stand up and speak out. That message, reiterated by Bilger on Saturday, appeared to be received. Local organizers said about 500 people RSVPd to the event, so attendance was conservatively estimated in the 500-600 range. But some thought attendance mightve topped 1,000. The park appeared more crowded Saturday, even when the rain picked up and volunteers handed out ponchos, than it is during a weekend at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. More than 500 people attended the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Nationally, organizations such as MoveOn and Indivisible took the lead on the rallies. But more than 150 partners from the local to national levels also contributed. Among the local organizations taking part were Central PA United, Left of Centre, Seven Mountains AFL-CIO and the Centre County Democratic Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four speakers took turns sharing their stories to the crowd during the hourlong event. They included Suzanne Weinstein, a member of Keystone Indivisible; Connor Lewis, chapter president of Seven Mountains AFL-CIO; Christy Delafield, humanitarian aid worker; and Bilger. The line in my lifetime has never been clearer than it is right now, Lewis said. You can choose to be on Elon Musks side. You can choose to be on the side of billionaires. Or you can choose to be on the side of American workers, of American-working people, a people who believe in this country and that we deserve more. Estimates of national attendance were not immediately known. But organizers reported before the event that more than 600,000 had signed up to attend. Protesters hold signs Saturday while listening to speakers at the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Why did you attend? The Centre Daily Times stopped five attendees at the State College rally to ask one question: Why was it important for you to be at this event? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what they said: Chris Smith, a State College resident, explains why she attended Saturdays Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Chris Smith, State College resident I am really worried for our future, for our children, the environment and just the health of the whole nation and the security of our nation. Theres so many reasons; it just keeps adding up. I fear for our safety. I feel fear for people getting taken away and deported with no due process. I am scared for research being cut. I had cancer. My mom had cancer. Its insane that they would cut funding to cancer research, for asthma research, for ALS. Its just insane. And the amount of time itll take to get that re-established? Its already too late for so many things. Maezy Leitzinger, a Penn State student, explains why she attended Saturdays Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Maezy Leitzinger, Penn State student Its important to stand up for what we believe in, and we should be fighting against all this. This isnt right. And thats pretty much why I showed up, because it matters to me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im happy that its such a huge turnout, but I was a little shocked at the lack of kids more my age in Gen Z that didnt show up. But its really powerful seeing the older generations showing up and also caring for what we care about. Brant Rosenberger, a State College resident, explains why he attended Saturdays Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Brant Rosenberger, State College resident Im trying to figure out how to get involved, basically. Ive lived here for about 20 years, and this is an unprecedented time to live in. So I want to get out there and meet people, see what I can learn and hopefully help them. ... I send faxes and I call people. But when you literally have your government not listening to you, you actually have to get up and do something. ... Im not really super political, but Im progressive. And at some point you have to get up. At some point, you go, These are the most rights I ever have. I will have less rights after this time. Its not good for anybody. Joseph Haloua, a State College business owner, explains why he attended Saturdays Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Joseph Haloua, State College resident Originally, Im from France. I became a U.S. citizen. And my mom is from Prague, Czechoslovakia, and shes seen the Russians coming over in 1968 to take over her country. And I have nothing against individual Russians. But the issue is that the United States is just basically handing everything over to a foreign enemy. And that just is alarming at the highest level for me. Where I come from, weve been allies forever and, suddenly, were treated as enemies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On one hand, we have Elon Musk thats talking about Western civilization, and on the other hand, theyre actually trying to destroy or dismantle that. And honestly, I, as a business owner, do not understand whatsoever the economic purpose behind that. There is no explanation. Its just chaos without an explanation. Sydney Nicholson, a Penn State student, explains why she attended Saturdays Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Sydney Nicholson, Penn State student Trump is taking away womens rights, and thats one big thing Im concerned about. And hes bowing down to Elon Musk, who wasnt even elected. Elon Musk is supporting an alt-right nationalist group in Germany ... so the countrys going that way, and its just awful. Its really awful. For the queer community as well, you just dont feel safe. Especially if youre a person of color, its not safe out there for anybody. If you see a person with a MAGA hat, youre like, F---, stay away from me. Its a spread of hate and violence. Sights and scenes Heres a closer look at some of the political signs and other scenes from Saturdays State College rally: Christy Delafield, a humanitarian aid worker who lives in Boalsburg, speaks during the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Protesters hold signs and umbrellas Saturday while listening to speakers at the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Protesters hold signs Saturday while listening to speakers at the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters hold signs Saturday while listening to speakers at the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Protesters hold signs Saturday while listening to speakers at the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Garrett Allison holds a sign in one hand while carrying a firearm hes a lawful conceal carry holder and, according to organizers, police said there were no red flags during the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was held without incident and was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Protesters hold signs and umbrellas Saturday while listening to speakers at the Hands Off! rally at State Colleges Sidney Friedman Park, in opposition of President Donald Trump. The event was part of a nationwide effort that saw more than 1,000 similar rallies held across all 50 states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) Across the country, knitters, crocheters and other crafters used their skills for a cause on Saturday to combat hunger, and this was the first year for a Morgantown group to join in on the fun. Organizers said 100% of the Knit-a-Thons proceeds go to Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry and Meals on Wheels. Dozens of groups across the country came together to participate. This year marks the Morgantown groups inaugural year in the event as the Morgantown Knit for Food Knit-a-thon & Craft day where, in addition to online fundraising, it also collected non-perishable food items to donate to local food pantries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 30 people participated in the local knit-a-thon by Saturday afternoon, where the two main items crafted were Knitted Knockers, or knit prosthetics for breast cancer survivors, and crocheted soap sacks for unhoused folks and local charities. About 40 soap sacks and more than 50 pairs of knockers had been made by Saturday afternoon. Upshur County Public Library hosts Plant & Prosper event Knitted Knockers created during inaugural Knit-a-Thon in Morgantown (WBOY image). Soap sacks crocheted during inaugural Knit-a-Thon in Morgantown (WBOY image). Morgantown Knit for Food knit-a-thon organizer Chelle Adams was happy to see so many participate. The community of knitters, we have a very active group and just sharing in service artistry, Adams said. We are exceeding our goal times two, we had a thousand dollar goal and weve almost reached $2,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams said she wanted to create the group since there was only one north of Pittsburg and another one in Charleston, with none in the north central West Virginia community. The knit-a-thon will continue until 10 p.m. Saturday. If youd like to stop at the Morgantown group, you can find them crafting away at the Ascend WV building, located in 1279 University Avenue in Morganton. Your ticket to get inside is a non-perishable food item. To learn more about Knitted Knockers and how you can get involved, you can go here. To learn more about the Knit-a-thon, you can go here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. RABAT, Morocco (AP) Tens of thousands of Moroccans on Sunday protested Israels latest offensive in Gaza, putting fury toward U.S. President Donald Trump near the center of their grievances. In the largest protest Morocco has seen in months, demonstrators denounced Israel, the United States and their own government. Some stepped on Israeli flags, held banners showing slain Hamas leaders and waved posters juxtaposing Trump alongside displaced Palestinians fleeing their homes. Organizers condemned Israels ongoing military operation in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed air and ground strikes last month, aimed at pressuring Hamas to release remaining hostages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such protests have erupted across the Middle East and North Africa, where leaders typically worry about demonstrations undermining domestic stability. Pro-Palestinian rallies were also staged this weekend in the capitals of Tunisia and Yemen as well as in Morocco's most populous city Casablanca. In countries that have historically aligned with the U.S., anti-Trump backlash has emerged as a theme. Demonstrators in Rabat on Sunday condemned his proposal to displace millions of Palestinians to make way for the redevelopment of Gaza. as well as the U.S. efforts to pursue pro-Palestinian activists. Still, many Moroccans said they saw Trumps policies as mostly consistent with his predecessor, Joe Bidens. (Trump) has made the war worse, said Mohammed Toussi, who travelled from Casablanca with his family to protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden hid some things but Trump has shown it all, he added, likening their positions but not their messaging. Protestors, Toussi said, remain angry about Moroccos 2020 decision to normalize ties with Israel. Abdelhak El Arabi, an adviser to Moroccos former Islamist prime minister, said the reasons Moroccans were protesting had grown throughout the war. He predicted popular anger would continue until the war ends. Its not a war, Gaza is getting erased from the earth, the 62-year-old Tamesna resident said. Demonstrations have included a range of groups, including the Islamist association al Adl Wal Ihsan. Moroccan authorities tolerate most protests, but have arrested some activists who have rallied in front of businesses or foreign embassies or implicated the monarchy in their complaints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have since been released in ceasefire agreements and other deals. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed as part of Israels offensive, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. The war has left most of Gaza in ruins, and at its height displaced around 90% of the population. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Russia launched multiple ballistic missiles towards Ukraine, also targeting the capital Kiev, the Kyiv Independent reported on Sunday, citing Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko spoke of explosions, three injuries, a partially destroyed office block and falling debris from damaged buildings. Fires were also reported in several districts of the capital. Rescue workers were sent to tend to the injured. Klitschko later announced that a man had been found dead on a street that had been hit by the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Kyiv Independent, Russian attacks hit targets throughout Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian Air Force reported a combined attack by 23 missiles and cruise missiles and 109 drones. Thirteen missiles had been intercepted, it said, adding that air defences were virtually useless against Iskander missiles, a short-range ballistic missile. Forty drones of Iranian design had also been shot down, it said, along with 53 dummy drones without warheads used to distract air defences. The air force reported damage in the Kiev, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv regions. The regional military administration in the southern city of Mykolaiv reported at least two residential buildings were on fire after being hit by combat drones. People shop at a flea market while smoke rises in the background after a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian capital. Andreas Stroh/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Billionaire entrepreneur and Cost Plus Drugs co-founder Mark Cuban won't have to raise medicine prices, as Trumps new reciprocal tariffs on India exempt the pharmaceutical sector. What Happened: While appearing on the Somebody's Gotta Win With Tara Palmeri podcast earlier this week, Cuban stated that if the Trump administration imposes tariffs on India, his company would be compelled to raise the prices of its medications. "We won't have a choice," Cuban stated Interestingly, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 26% reciprocal tariff on India. The pharmaceutical industry, however, was exempted from these new levies, as per the fact sheet released by the White House on April 2. Cost Plus Drugs did not immediately respond to Benzingas request for comment. See Also: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target Many are rushing to grab 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share! Cost Plus Drugs, co-founded by Cuban, strives to make pharmaceuticals more accessible through a transparent pricing model, which includes a markup of 15% on drug manufacturing costs and includes a possible pharmacy fee from their suppliers (approximately $5, plus $5 for shipping) However, Cuban cautioned that imposing tariffs on goods, particularly medicines, imported from India would compel the company to raise its medication prices. He further explained that the company would be unable to absorb the costs of tariffs and broker fees, which would be passed on to consumers directly. Why It Matters: India provides nearly half of the generic medicinesaffordable alternatives to brand-name drugsconsumed in the U.S., significantly reducing healthcare costs. A study by consulting firm IQVIA revealed that in 2022, the U.S. saved nearly $219 billion due to Indian generic drugs. Meanwhile, Cubans concerns over the potential impact of tariffs are not new. The Shark Tank judge advocates strategic tariffs and highlighted the disproportionate impact of tariffs on lower-income Americans. He agreed with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnicks view of tariffs as a form of consumption tax but also emphasized the potential economic consequences for the countrys most vulnerable populations. Read Next: TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Troopers are searching for a motorcyclist who fired several shots at a vehicle on westbound I-4 early Sunday morning. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 34-year-old St. Petersburg man was traveling on I-4 in Tampa around 2:28 a.m. when he spotted several motorcyclists driving erratically with another vehicle west on I-275. Police address viral confrontation between Florida charter captain, fisherman Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the man began filming the motorcyclists with his phone, one of the motorcyclists rode up next to his car and discharged several rounds from a handgun, troopers said. Florida Highway Patrol Florida Highway Patrol Florida Highway Patrol Florida Highway Patrol Florida Highway Patrol Florida Highway Patrol While several rounds struck the mans Honda CR-V, he was not injured. The suspected shooter is described as a white man with a medium build. He was wearing a jacket with the Outlaws MC logo, referring to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call FHP at *347 or Crime Stoppers at **8477. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Nearly 80 days after he was struck by a car in Orange County, a mountain lion cub is showing signs that he may soon be able to return to the wild. Announced on April 5, marking the start of National Wildfire Week, San Diego Humane Societys Ramona Wildlife Center said the young male cat is making a promising recovery. The cub was found on the side of a road in Orange County and, after an anesthetized exam, X-ray results showed he had a skull fracture and significant head and eye trauma. Upon further inspection, veterinarians also found the cub exhibited lameness in his left hind leg. Nearly 80 days after he was struck by a car in Orange County, a mountain lion cub is seen here after making almost a full recovery. April 2025. (San Diego Humane Societys Ramona Wildlife Center) The California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought the mountain lion into the San Diego Humane Society on Jan. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To support his recovery, the team provided intensive treatment, including pain management, nutritional support and around-the-clock monitoring, said organizers in a release. As the cubs condition improved, he transitioned to an outdoor enclosure, where he could safely regain his strength while minimizing human interaction. Now, the mountain lion is purportedly exhibiting natural survival instincts, including avoiding human presence and hunting for food. However, before he can be released, organizers said he has to gain more weight and meet more benchmarks to show he is capable of long-term survival. We work closely with CDFW to determine the best timing for his return to the wild, said Autumn Nelson of the Ramona Wildlife Center. Our job here is to set him up for success to ensure he can fend for himself and stay away from human conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) Multiple fire departments are working to fight against a giant mulch fire in Swannanoa. According to the North Canton Fire Department, a mulch yard fire began Saturday afternoon. Firefighters closed off U.S. 70 between Warren Wilson College road and Sylvester way to control traffic and assist containment. As of 10 p.m., Swannanoa Fire and Rescue said that the fire had been contained to the debris pile, and are currently cooling it while protecting adjacent properties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are currently no threats or concerns expected. Swannanoa Fire and Rescue reminds citizens to not fly drones near the fire scene. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Apr. 6Some of the people at the forefront of growing Anchorage's dance community, through ballet and other Western forms of dance, were honored during an event at the Anchorage Museum on Friday. Seventeen founders of dance schools and leaders of dance programs from the 1950s through the 1980s were recognized at the history celebration. Alice Bassler Sullivan, the founding artistic director of Alaska Dance Theatre, said the event grew from her realization years ago that some key figures had passed away. "I need to do something about this," she recalled thinking. "I studied with them, and this history is going to be lost." Sullivan teamed up with Karen Augestad Casanovas for a deeper dive. Their goals were to build a file about Anchorage dance history, which is now kept in the museum's archives, and to prepare for this week's presentation, called "Anchorage Dance History: Connection Generations." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's been two steady, solid years of research and planning," Sullivan said. The First Friday event held in the museum's atrium is just a start, she said. The people recognized don't represent a complete list of contributors who had an impact in those eras, and research continues on several other key figures. The event also leaned on what she called "Western foundational classic training," rather than a broader look at all dance traditions. "We're not saying anything else isn't important, but that's just a little snapshot in time, a little chapter of history," she said. Honorees include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gretl Benson Hafer and Guky Doane Founders of the Rhythm School of Dance, the first dance studio in Anchorage, in 1951. Lynda Lorimer Plasse Opened the Conservatory of Dance and was founding artistic director of Anchorage Civic Ballet. Margaret Auld Nelson Weber Operated Margaret Webber School of Dance and helped develop Anchorage Civic Ballet. Nona Baker Opened Nona's School of Dance / The Dance Den. Steve Primis Opened Academy of Classical Ballet and founded the Primis Ballet Ensemble. Barbara Clausen Started Barbara's School of Dance. Claire Johannsen Gentile Influential dance teacher at East High School and founded its Dance Contempo performing group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jill Flanders Crosby Led and grew the Anchorage Community College/UAA dance program and was a founding director of Moving Company North. Christina Marie Kautzky Dance instructor at Anchorage Community College/UAA and artistic and producing director of Moving Company North. Donna Brandstrom Hunt Artistic director of Youth Dance Spectrum. Karen Grotts Operated Center Stage Dance and performed with Dance Spectrum Alaska. Lisa Dworkin Kerr Founding artistic director of Alaska Contemporary Dance Company. Alice Bassler Sullivan Founding artistic director of Alaska Dance Theatre. Gail Rae Florio Founder of Dance Spectrum Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lori Bradford 27-year dance instructor at West High School and founder of its DanceWest group. Amy Lindsey Founded the dance program within Alaska Moving Arts Center, where she serves as executive director. The event also showcased six dance companies, each with connections to the innovators honored. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace stirred her followers into a frenzy Saturday morning when she posted a photo some described as a thirst-trap. Morning walk with cup of Joe before I hit the road! Mace captioned the photo on X. She added, I hope youre enjoying your Saturday morning. Morning walk with cup of Joe before I hit the road! I hope youre enjoying your Saturday morning. pic.twitter.com/zIGONbuHeM Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) April 5, 2025 The photowhich features Mace clad in sunglasses and a tight sporting crop topis cropped just below her chest, drawing attention to her breasts and a range of comments from her followers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nancy, i see what youre doing and I gotta say... they look fantastic. wrote one commentator. Another added, Nice rack. Other comments veered into downright lewd and anti-trans territory. I see you there Nancy, you thought you would start posting thirst traps, and we wouldnt notice. I noticed and I want more! wrote a pro-Trump X account. Conservative women are better because they do not have penises, wrote one social media user below the photo. Mace appeared to take delight, responding, Best comment so far this morning! Not everyone was impressed with Maces attention-grabbing photo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A woman cannot both hold authority and be conservative, one commentator wrote. Is this really the best you have to offer? Not having a penis? another opined. Everyday I become more convinced that being governed by women is a curse, another added. Several seemed to suggest Mace should just get paid for taking thirst traps, writing, Onlyfans, when?? Maces post comes after federal prosecutors on Tuesday dropped charges against a man Mace accused of assaulting her over an anti-trans bill. Mace claimed that James McIntyre, a national foster care advocate, vigorously shook her hand in an exaggerated, aggressive manner during a Dec. 10 event on Capitol Hill. In a Tuesday filing, the D.C. Superior Court said it would no longer pursue the misdemeanor charges against McIntyre, who pleaded not guilty to the charges as witnesses stated that the incident did not happen as Mace described. A struggling metals plant in Whyalla, Australia, is making the shift to becoming greener, thanks to a massive rescue package from the Australian government. Tech Xplore reported that the plant will continue producing iron and steel. However, this time around, it will use cleaner, more affordable energy instead of the coal power it did before. The Whyalla plant is set to receive as much as $500 million AUD ($317 million USD) from a government fund to rework its power source. Additional cash will go toward bailing out the failing plant from unpaid bills and saving jobs. Australia produces the most iron ore in the world, according to Reuters. Keeping its steel plants intact is especially important for maintaining the country's leadership in the industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without the Whyalla plant, specifically, "we would be beholden to foreign nations for the building blocks of our society," said Paul Farrow, the Australian Workers' Union secretary. But the reliance on coal for steel production makes it one of the most difficult industries to make cleaner. Steelmaking accounts for about 7% of the world's polluting gases. Air pollution is linked to several diseases, including heart disease, pneumonia, and lung cancer. Reduced pollution from the plant's massive makeover will improve local air quality and contribute to a healthier planet overall. Some benefits may happen quickly after the plant gets a green upgrade. After a coal plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shut down, the area saw a 42% drop in emergency health visits for heart-related problems. "The local abundance of solar energy is likely to be a significant advantage for the plant's future," according to the Conversation. One solar farm in the area is set to supply up to 280 megawatts of energy to the plant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Investment in green iron and steel will secure future demand for Australia's iron ore as the world moves toward lower emissions iron and steel," the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Several New Mexico residents spent the morning honoring two civil rights icons earlier Saturday. The 32nd Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta March and Celebration was held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Saturday morning. Hands Off protest opposing Trump Administration held at Civic Plaza The event honors its namesakes for their efforts in supporting change in non-violent ways. It also aims to let New Mexicans know they can also play an active role in labor and civil rights. Huerta was the events keynote speaker, as she has been for the past few years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The peaceful march covered just under two miles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Groton In the 1960s, 82-year-old Navy submarine veteran Bob Kirby was part of the crew of USS Entemedor and remembers hopping on the USS Nautilus on a regular basis to get to his New London-based submarine. It would be years later during a return trip to Connecticut that he would discover that the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, is now a museum. Kirby was back in Connecticut on Saturday to witness the latest in submarine technology modern submarines are bigger, faster and quieter than the diesel-powered submarine Kirby served on at a commissioning ceremony for the Virginia-class USS Iowa (SSN 797). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 377-foot long nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine docked in the Thames River at the Navy submarine base served as the background for Saturdays celebration, attended by hundreds of onlookers, including a large contingent of Navy veterans and Iowans. Kirby said he wasnt surprised by the turnout, especially among submarine veterans, because theres a mutual respect and camaraderie among submariners, regardless of whether they wear silver or gold dolphins symbols that differentiate enlisted from officers. Theyve worked together. Theyre in that steel tube together, Kirby said. Kirby, who lives in Iowa, attended with a group of members of the Submarine Veterans of Iowa. The Iowa groups president, retired submariner Paul Jensen, served in the Navy from 1989 to 1998 and was at one point stationed in Groton aboard the USS Billfish. During a night out at the Outer Light Brewing Company in Groton this week, Jensen said he ran into shipmates he hadnt seen in 25 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were all here in support, Jensen said. Saturdays ceremony was attended by dignitaries that included U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, U.S Rep. Joe Courtney and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was on hand for his first submarine commissioning. Phelan credited the world class public-private partnership between the navy and shipbuilder General Dynamics Electric Boat and called it a fitting tribute to Grotons history of maritime excellence. This is not just a milestone for the USS Iowa, but a crucial step forward in strengthening our Navy and ensuring Americas global maritime dominance. The president and I are deeply committed to revitalizing our shipbuilding and maritime investment base. This commissioning is just the beginning of that effort, Phelan said. We need to modernize our acquisition and procurement systems to deliver the capabilities our Navy deserves without unnecessary delays or overruns. Courtney, ranking member of the bipartisan House Seapower Subcommittee, said Grotons navy base is home to 15 fast attack submarines, 8,000 sailors and officers and hundreds of civilians who are operating at heel-to-toe tempo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Courtney recited a list of upcoming submarine deliveries and said, in a prepared statement, this torrent of post-pandemic deliveries is a powerful rebuttal to some armchair naysayers in Washington who disparage the men and women of our nations submarine industrial base. They are wrong. Since 2018, Congress has stepped up investment in workforce, facilities and supply chain all across the country, including Iowa and its working, he said. The USS Iowa is the 24th Virginia-class submarine to be commissioned and the first specifically designed to accommodate women. The ban on women serving aboard submarines was lifted in 2010 under Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. Julia Panepinto, 26, of Buffalo, N.Y., is the supply officer for the USS Iowa and said shes been sailing on the Iowa during its sea trials for the past year. At this point, there are so many women on board its par for the course, Panepinto said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The USS Iowa was christened on June 17, 2023, at Electric Boat in Groton by its sponsor Christie Vilsack, wife of former Iowa governor and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Vilsack on Saturday made the traditional man our ship and bring her to life announcement that led Iowas crew to run and board the submarine. The USS Iowa has a crew of 15 officers and 117 enlisted and carries torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles with a range of 1,200 miles. It is the first submarine, but third naval vessel, to be named Iowa. The previous vessels named Iowa were battleships. Iowas commanding officer, Commander Gregory Coy, in his closing remarks on Saturday, promised he would take the USS Iowa to the frontline, continuing the Navys overwhelming display of undersea dominance and lethality. g.smith@theday.com The Trump administration announced widespread tariffs on April 2, saying it aimed to level the playing field for America in global trade. The new policies levy a 10% tariff on all imports, with higher "reciprocal" tariff rates applied to a list of "the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits." It's a monumental shock to America's economic status quo, and, at least in the short term, it has sent shockwaves through the global stock markets. The U.S. depends heavily on imports, so consumers could see higher prices as tariffs go into effect. Look no further than Walmart (NYSE: WMT). The leading U.S. retailer gets much of its goods from other countries. Here's how tariffs may affect Walmart stock, and what investors may want to do about it. Walmart has massive tariff exposure Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, will feel direct consequences as these new tariff policies go into effect. According to the company, more than two-thirds of its U.S. product sales were on goods grown, produced, or assembled in America last year. Conversely, that implies that imported goods accounted for roughly a third of its U.S. sales. According to reporting by Reuters, approximately 60% of Walmart's imported goods come from China. India and Vietnam are also key suppliers for Walmart. All three countries face reciprocal tariff rates. Country Tariff Rate China 34% Vietnam 46% India 26% Data source: The U.S. White House as of April 2, 2025. These countries specialize in some of the goods people frequent Walmart for, including clothing, shoes, and electronics. As these tariffs go into effect, and assuming they stay in effect, Walmart will likely have to raise its prices. Why tariffs may not erode Walmart's competitive advantages It's still unclear precisely how tariffs will affect Walmart's business, but here are some things to consider. First, Walmart could be better suited to manage tariffs than most retailers. It's the retail industry's cost leader because it's the largest and has the most leverage when it sources goods. Almost every retailer in the United States sells a lot of imported goods, so if tariffs raise everyone's costs, Walmart would still maintain its competitive edge of having the lowest prices, even if it means customers are still paying more. Second, grocery shopping is Walmart's core business. In 2024, the company sold $264 billion in groceries, approximately 60% of all U.S. Walmart store sales. Health and wellness products chipped in an additional $54.9 billion. Higher prices may force consumers to cut back, but shoppers will likely cut discretionary spending, not food, medicine, and toiletries. Target, for example, gets more of its sales from items people want but don't necessarily need. The U.S. Navy welcomed a new USS Iowa into its service this weekend. The new nuclear submarine, SSN-797, was commissioned on Saturday, April 5, not in Iowa, but at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. The commissioning ceremony with cold and dreary weather, as many speakers noted included its captain, Cmdr. Gregory Coy, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, among others. Saturdays event was Phelans first commissioning as secretary. Despite the poor weather, the speakers were cheerful and praised the crews that built the submarine and the submariners that will crew it. The USS Iowa is the fourth Navy vessel to be named for the state, and the first to be a submarine. The first three were all battleships; the first served during the Spanish-American War, while the second was never completed. The third and most famous, the lead ship of the Iowa-class battleships, served during World War II, fighting extensively in the Pacific Theater, and the Korean War, before being decommissioned in 1990. During its service the ship gained the nickname the Gray Ghost. Its currently part of a maritime museum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adm. Daryl Caudle, head of the U.S. Navys Fleet Forces Command noted the history behind the name. It just feels natural for us to have a warship named Iowa back on the Navy register. For decades the name Iowa reigned supreme amongst the high seas, bestowed upon the most powerful class of battleships of its time, Caudle said. The USS Iowa is the 24th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine. The Navy describes them as being designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. The Navy also noted that due to its reactor, it is not expected to need refueling during its service, which will help with its ability to operate on missions. The submarine was laid down in 2019 and delivered to the Navy last year, where it underwent sea trials ahead of entering Navy service. The USS Iowa is a 377-foot-long vessel armed with several torpedo tubes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. In his remarks, Phelan emphasized the firepower carried by the submarine and how it fits into naval strategy in the modern era, saying that its not just about strength; its about deterrence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The USS Iowa will serve as part of Submarine Squadron 4, According to Coy, the submarine will have its first deployment in November of this year. The latest on Task & Purpose ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Nazareth University hosted its Interfaith Centennial Summit on Sunday. The event featured three women scholars, including the first to lead Vatican City. Sister Raffaella Petrini, Ph.D, was named the new head of Vatican City by Pope Francis in March. According to the University, Petrini met Nazareth students two years ago when they visited the Vatican in Rome. During their visit, she promised she would come to the Rochester campus. Some students who were a part of that trip reunited with her at the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event is Petrinis only public lecture of the year. RCSD hosts annual engagement forum The Summit also featured Rabbi Sharon Cohen Ainsfield, president of Hebrew College in Massachusetts, and Najeeba Syeed, J.D., a human rights lawyer and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg University. The scholars presented perspectives from their Jewish, Christian, and Muslim backgrounds on peacebuilding in times of crisis, extending compassion, and fostering leadership of care. The Interfaith Centennial Summit was held at Nazareth Universitys Shults Center Forum from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he hopes U.S. President Donald Trump will ease tariffs imposed on Israel when the two meet in Washington this week. Under a sweeping new tariff policy announced by Trump, Israeli goods face a 17% U.S. tariff. The U.S. is Israel's closest ally and largest single trading partner. Netanyahu, who has spent the last few days visiting Hungary, departs for Washington on Sunday for an impromptu visit with Trump that is expected to take place on Monday, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said in a statement that the talks will cover Israeli hostages still held in Gaza after 18 months, achieving victory in Gaza and the tariff regime on Israel. "I hope that I will be able to help on this issue. That is the intention," Netanyahu said of the tariffs. "I am the first international leader, the first foreign leader, who will meet with President Trump on the issue, which is so important to the Israeli economy. "There is a long line of leaders who want to do this regarding their economies. I think that it reflects the special personal link, as well as the special ties between the U.S. and Israel, which is so vital at this time." Trump extended the surprise invitation in a phone call on Thursday with Netanyahu when the Israeli leader raised the tariff issue, according to the Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Israeli finance ministry official said on Thursday that Trump's latest tariff announcement could impact Israel's exports of machinery and medical equipment. Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on U.S. imports last Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about 98% of goods from the U.S. are now tax-free. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) The battle over whether California should build a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is escalating, with Gov. Gavin Newsom pushing to lay the groundwork for the project before his term expires and state water regulators considering whether to grant a key authorization. The State Water Resources Control Board has begun holding a series of hearings on a petition by the Newsom administration to amend water rights permits so that flows could be diverted from new points on the Sacramento River where the intakes of the 45-mile tunnel would be built. The process has grown tense in recent weeks, as the Newsom administration and water agencies have pushed back against how the boards officials are handling parts of the process, and as opponents have urged the board not to bend to political pressure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking at a virtual hearing Thursday, state Department of Water Resources general counsel Ann Carroll presented the Newsom administrations case for the tunnel, calling it one of California's most important climate adaptation projects. Changing precipitation patterns are leading to more rain, less snow and a limited ability to capture and move water, Carroll said. The ability to capture high flows when available is critical to adapting to a changing climate. Supporters of the plan, called the Delta Conveyance Project , say the state urgently needs to build new infrastructure in the Delta to protect the water supply in the face of climate change and earthquake risks. Large Southern California water agencies are supporting the project by providing initial funding for planning work. Opponents, including Northern California agencies, environmental advocates and Native tribes, argue the project is an expensive boondoggle that would harm the environment, fish species and communities, and that the state should pursue other alternatives. They have argued that the main beneficiaries would be development interests in Southern California and agricultural landowners in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tunnel would create a second route to transport water to the states pumping facilities on the south side of the Delta, where supplies enter the aqueducts of the State Water Project and are delivered to 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. Read more: Newsom administration unveils new $20-billion cost estimate for delta water tunnel Newsom made his pitch for the project in a Feb. 18 letter to the state water board, saying Californias prosperity depends upon it. He noted that the last two California governors, Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, also supported earlier iterations of the concept to modernize the states water system. Six years ago, Newsom announced he was downsizing Browns proposal for a twin tunnel and instead called for a redesigned single tunnel. Now, he said, the current proposal has been thoughtfully refined to protect the environment, fisheries, ecosystems, water quality and water supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a state Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday, Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth responded to critical questions from legislators about the costs and environmental effects of the project. Nemeth described the existing system as an asset that is starting to really underperform, and said the tunnel, if it existed now, could have captured more water during storms over the last three years. State officials have estimated that climate change could reduce average supplies available from the State Water Project by up to 23% over the next 20 years, and Nemeth said building the tunnel would ameliorate the decline and restore about 16% of that lost supply. The Newsom administrations package of petitions is being considered by Nicole Kuenzi, who leads the state water boards independent Administrative Hearings Office. State officials have argued against some of Kuenzis initial rulings , which have included requesting historical data on how much water was previously diverted under the rights, and considering questions such as whether approving the project would be in the public interest. Read more: For the first time in 25 years, California has a snowpack trifecta Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nemeth issued a statement directed to Kuenzi on March 24, saying the question of whether the use of water is in the public interest does not apply, and would only apply if the petition were for a new water right. Importantly, the Legislature already has determined that the State Water Project is in the public interest, and Governor Newsom has made clear that this project is of the utmost importance to current and future Californians, Nemeth wrote. Unfortunately, the Administrative Hearings Office has conflated the petitions and fundamentally enlarged the scope of this hearing. Saying that could lead to costly delays, Nemeth urged Kuenzi to structure a hearing process that results in a final decision by the full State Water Board before late 2026 shortly before the end of Newsoms second term. Opponents of the project including environmental groups, tribes and representatives of several Northern California counties that rely on water from the Delta responded in a letter urging the board to make clear that political interference wont sway the outcome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Board must insist on its own independence and the independence of its hearing officers, they wrote. The loss of this independence, or even the appearance that it is lost, would undermine the credibility of the Board and its mission. Osha Meserve, a lawyer who signed the letter on behalf of Contra Costa and Solano counties and other local agencies, said the boards integrity is at stake, as well as public trust and confidence in the process. There are at least seven court cases challenging the project pending in courts or on appeal, and Meserve is involved in most of them. She said building the tunnel would destroy farms, rural communities and the environment, all at unbelievably expensive cost. Read more: Another California fish is added to the federal endangered species list Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opponents say the tunnel would threaten native fish species that are already suffering major population declines . Theyve said the state should instead bolster water supplies by upgrading aging levees in the Delta and investing more in recycling wastewater , capturing stormwater locally and making other improvements to use water more efficiently . As part of the campaign against the project, the nonprofit group Restore the Delta last month released the results of a statewide survey of 649 registered voters showing that, when initially asked about the project, 46% said they were in favor and 24% were opposed, with 29% unsure. But after those same people were presented with arguments on both sides of the debate, those opposed increased to 58%, while 34% were in favor and 8% were undecided. The February poll, which reported an error margin of 4 percentage points, also found that 62% said they would prefer investing in developing local water supplies to ensure California communities are more resilient and better prepared to tackle threats from fires, droughts, and floods. The state must abandon this outdated project that they have kept alive for decades, said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. People reject expensive megaprojects like the Delta tunnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, many leaders of Southern Californias large water agencies have been supporting the project, viewing it as a viable option to improve the reliability of supplies from Northern California. Read more: California water agency votes to spend $141 million on Delta tunnel project In December, the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted to spend $141.6 million for a large share of the preliminary planning work. The district, which delivers water for 19 million people, isnt expected to decide whether to invest in building the tunnel until 2027. Managers of the MWD and other agencies that are members of the State Water Contractors have said they disagree with some of the hearing officers recent rulings, which they fear could jeopardize the schedule of hearings in the coming months and lead to costly delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a letter to the board , 19 water managers wrote: For each day of delay in constructing this critical project, the cost of the project increases by over $1 million. The current hearings arent the only related issue before the board. In January, the Newsom administration also filed separate petitions seeking to extend the time of the water rights permits to 2085. Chandra Chilmakuri, the State Water Contractors assistant general manager for water policy, said the time extension is a different matter and should be handled separately. If it were considered as part of the current process, he said, that could further delay approval. He said leaders of water agencies hope the board will reach a decision on amending the water rights permits as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's very important to keep the schedule, Chilmakuri said. The states plans call for starting construction in late 2029 and completing the tunnel in 2042. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Newton County Schools has named its 2025 HERO of the Year. Chandra Mitchell, Administrative Assistant and Records Clerk for the NCSS Special Education Department received the honor at the districts inaugural ceremony on Tuesday, April 1 at the Porter Performing Arts Center. According to the school district, the HERO Awards program was created to celebrate classified employees who go above and beyond in supporting the success and well-being of students in Newton County Schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im speechless, said Mitchell after the event. I give all glory to God. I am overwhelmed. I thank God for endeavoring me in this school system for 30 years. I thank God for the job I do in the community because if it wasnt for God this would not be possible. My favorite scripture is, I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me and I can do all things. Chandra Mitchell exemplifies the heart of Newton County Schools, said Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley. Her compassion, professionalism, and quiet leadership inspire those around her. She is deeply deserving of this recognition, and we are proud to honor her as our first HERO of the Year. Each school and division nominated one classified employee to represent their team this year. From that group, Mitchell was selected as the district-wide winner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She will also represent the school system at the 2025 Georgia RISE (Recognizing Inspirational School Employees) Awards. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) As of 4 p.m. on April 7, operations have returned to normal, according to Nicholasville officials. Previous story: Nicholasville residents were asked to keep conserving water on Sunday, April 6, as the Kentucky River is set to rise to record-breaking flood levels over the next 48 hours. City leaders posted on Facebook around 5 p.m. on Saturday that Nicholasvilles water treatment plant would be temporarily shut down to protect vital electrical equipment from being damaged by floodwaters. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We ask all Nicholasville Water customers to immediately reduce water usage to the absolute minimum, Nicholasville leaders said. To help preserve water supplies, please refrain from non-essential water activities such as washing clothes, taking long showers, and any outdoor water use. Earlier on Saturday, Frankfort and Franklin County officials issued a joint state of emergency declaration in preparation for flooding. On Sunday, the city announced that Nicholasville Utilities is asking customers to voluntarily conserve water through Tuesday due to historic Kentucky River flooding. The city of Nicholasville wrote that full service is expected to return on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. NOLAN COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A Nolan County resident lost their life in a tragic house fire late Saturday night. Around 10:30 p.m., crews from the Roscoe and Sweetwater fire departments responded to a home engulfed in flames in the 3900 block of FM 1230. When firefighters arrived, the house was already fully involved, with the roof collapsing. According to Roscoe VFD, it was clear the fire had been burning for quite some time before the call came in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Courtesy of the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department Mutual aid was requested from the Loraine and Colorado City Fire Departments. Crews remained on scene working to contain hot spots well into Sunday morning, with efforts still underway around 5:45 a.m. on April 6. By late Sunday morning, Roscoe VFD confirmed that a resident had been found inside the home and did not survive. The department asks the community to keep the family and the first responders in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. The residents identity has not yet been released, and the State Fire Marshals Office is investigating the fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) A new bill filed got an immediate reaction from North Carolina lawmakers. Here we go again. HB2. Have we not learned our lesson? North Carolina Senator Michael Garrett said. Garrett and other Democrats are concerned we are taking a trip back in time to 2016. That is when a controversial bill called HB2, known as the bathroom bill, passed. It said people could only use the bathroom labeled as the same sex as the one listed on their birth certificate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That law was later repealed. Last week, a similar bill was filed in the North Carolina Senate. Its called the Womens Safety and Protection Act. It says that people of one biological sex should not share bathrooms, locker rooms, dorm rooms or other private spaces with people who are not biologically the same sex, regardless of how they identify. The bill also says you cannot change the sex on your birth certificate or drivers license. The primary sponsor of the bill is NC Senator Vickie Sawyer. She said this is clearly not a repeat of the bathroom bill, but some Democrats describe it as the bathroom bill on steroids. It was really just a terrible mistake, and it costs us a lot reputationally and economically, and I couldnt believe we are about to revisit it again. Why didnt we learn a lesson? North Carolina Representative Pricey Harrison said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic lawmakers have two main concerns with the bill. The first concern is for the transgender community. I find these are very troubling attacks on a tiny part of our population that are just living their lives, Harrison said. The second concern is for more loss in business for the state. We have learned our lesson in this state with HB2, which costs our state billions of dollars in economic development, not even counting what it cost individual businesses and companies, Garrett said. After several attempts for a week, Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly who represent the Piedmont Triad did not agree to answer questions about the bill. Sawyer also declined an interview but sent a radio show recording from last week where she discussed it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sawyer said this is different from the original bathroom bill because it only impacts certain public buildings and not local business owners or private industry. She said the reason for the bill is to keep women safe. She brought up examples of a female college freshman forced to share a dorm room with a transgender female or younger students forced to share a public-school bathroom with transgender girls. The proposal includes places like K-12 schools, universities, rape crisis centers, prisons, jails and domestic violence shelters. Sawyer said it is aimed at those sexual deviants that will go into the bathroom for other reasons, and this law gives women the right to protect themselves. When FOX8 asked her for specific examples of this type of behavior, she did not respond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have heard from Republican parents of trans students from Democratic parents, unaffiliated voters. There is a broad coalition against this because they know the state has better things to do than policing bathrooms and putting targets on the back of our most vulnerable citizens, Garrett said. It seems to be hurtful and hateful and serves no good purpose, Harrison said. If approved, the bill would go into effect on Oct. 1, but it has a long way to go first. The bill was just filed one week ago in the NC Senate, and it would need to pass the North Carolina House and the NC Senate and be signed off on by the governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Both northbound lanes of I-69 at its intersection with I-24 in Lyon County are closed due to rising flood waters. Officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet say drivers will be detoured east on I-24 to Christian County, where they can use I-169 to travel north to rejoin I-69 in Hopkins County near Mortons Gap. From there vehicles will be allowed to continue northbound on I-69 or travel southbound on I-69 to Dawson Springs and Princeton. Officials go on to say that if conditions worsen, there is a possibility that southbound lanes of I-69 will be blocked before the night is over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials are urging drivers to pay attention to the roads before they travel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Visa has expanded its value-added services with the introduction of three new offerings: reimagined Authorize.net platform, Unified Checkout, and the ARIC Risk Hub. These services are designed to enhance business operations and provide fraud prevention measures. The Authorize.net platform integrates artificial intelligence to assist businesses in data analysis, summarising insights, and responding to changing consumer behaviour. The platform now features AI-driven capabilities, management dashboards, and support for in-person card readers, including Tap to Phone technology. The platform, which is already in use, will be available in the US in the second quarter, with plans to expand to additional countries next year. Visa's Unified Checkout offers a "deploy ready" payment acceptance solution that aims to optimise ecommerce conversion rates by supporting over 25 card and alternative payment methods. As part of the Visa Acceptance Solutions Platform, it includes tools for managing success rates, such as fraud management, 3DS authentication, and tokenisation management. This solution will be available in the US and in pilot stages in other markets in the third quarter. The ARIC Risk Hub, stemming from Visa's acquisition of Featurespace, is a fraud prevention platform that uses adaptive AI to detect and profile genuine customer activity. The ARIC Risk Hub is currently available worldwide. These new services expand Visa's portfolio, which already includes more than 200 value-added services across acceptance, advisory, issuing, and risk and identity categories. Visa Acceptance Solutions global head Rob Cameron said: "At Visa, we talk a lot about unleashing the creativity of commerce in other words, how do we support retailers, marketplaces and shops to launch new products, enter emerging markets, and grow. These new services were built with exactly that in mind: theyre designed to make life easier for businesses, freeing them up to do what they do best. Visa Value-Added Services president Antony Cahill stated: Accepting a payment is a fundamental need of any business. Leveraging new technology to accept payments more efficiently and securely can be what sets a business apart in todays rapidly digitalizing world. With our new services, were helping businesses harness data-driven insights, simplify the checkout experience, and fight fraud more effectively than ever. In January this year, the company made headlines for forging an alliance with social media platform X to power latters digital wallet service X Money, becoming an inaugural partner for X Money accounts. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Northeast Arkansas experienced two train derailments due to flood waters and powerful winds early Saturday morning. According to BNSF Railways, a Spring River railroad bridge was washed out in Mammoth Spring by floodwaters, and around 1:30 a.m. where the train stopped because of weather warnings. Officials said the floodwaters derailed several cars, but no crew members were injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Little Rock 5-year-old killed by falling tree during severe storms; others injured in Miller County They said BNSF personnel are at the bridge coordinating with Mammoth Spring State Park to clear the train cars and repair the bridge. Also, in Poinsett County, straight-line winds knocked several cars off the tracks. The train cars derailed near Interstate 555. According to Chief Deputy Ryan Price, at least 15 to 20 of the train cars were hit by the winds. Price also said that the train cars were empty and fell into a farmers field. No injuries were reported in that location. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Apr. 5SUPERIOR Hundreds of people lined both sides of Belknap Street near the Douglas County Courthouse carrying signs and joining chants in protest of the Trump administration's actions. It was just one of the events taking place Saturday, April 5, across the Northland and the United States. Similar Hands Off! mass mobilizations took place in Chisholm, Cloquet, Duluth, Ely, Grand Marais and Grand Rapids in Minnesota. The nationwide mobilization was organized to stop what the Hands Off 2025 website called "the most brazen power grab in modern history." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is all very important to me," said Mary Smith-Johnson of Superior, one of the organizers of the demonstration in Superior. "I'm a retired special education teacher. I'm union. I'm a grandparent. I'm going to start receiving Social Security, health care. And I've felt like in northern Wisconsin we've been very quiet, and we needed to do something." There was nothing quiet Saturday as chants rose from the crowd such as "This is what democracy looks like." Horns blared as passing motorists blasted support for justice and democracy at the behest of signs held by protesters at both ends of the rally. Organizers estimated about 600 people turned out in Superior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concern about the potential of losing the nation's democracy and the rights the people have had their entire lives inspired Rachel Warner of Superior to attend the mass mobilization in Superior. Warner cited climate change, women's rights, reproductive rights, the cancellation of the U.S. Agency for International Development, destruction of relationships with NATO partners, the economic consequences of tariffs and the instability they create, threats to public education if the Department of Education is eliminated as just some of the concerns she has with the Trump administration. "I don't know how we'll fund special education, IEPs and things like that," Warner said. "We can't just roll that onto Superior; Superior can't afford that." Denise McDonald of Superior was out to protect people's rights, particularly for the elderly. She said protecting Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid are important to her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My mom's in a nursing home," McDonald said. "So, yeah, I definitely don't want to lose that because she gets help." McDonald said while her mother pays for a portion of her care, Medicaid helps fill the gap. "I just think it's important for people who feel strongly to do what they can and to object to all of the cutbacks that are changing our quality of life ...," said Pat Murphy of Herbster. "I voted, and I did not vote for this. I think a lot of people feel the same way, and it's gotten worse every day." Murphy said rallies like the Hands Off! mass mobilization offer community togetherness that makes people feel less fragile and hopeless in an impossible situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's so many angles; it's affecting so many people," said Brenda Goetz of Port Wing. She said veterans, the park service, even the federal lands that have been protected for years are being affected by the decisions being made by the Trump administration. "I'm a postal service employee, and I'm afraid they're coming after the United States Postal Service and that's going to be taken away from the American people as a service and turned it into a business," Goetz said. "The prices will go up and the quality of service will go down, and probably my union will go away." For Tom Wilson of Eau Claire, the Hands Off! event in Superior was his second one Saturday. Wilson said he also attended the mobilization in Duluth, which he said drew about 2,500 people with only one heckler in the crowd. "I've been political all my life," said Wilson, who will turn 80 next month. Going back to the early 1960s, Wilson said he's been involved in protests for civil rights, against war, and for the environment, and as critical as those issues were, this moment feels even more critical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If you read the Declaration of Independence, almost any one of our grievances against King George equally apply to Donald 2.0," Wilson said "That's it. The very truly founding principles of our country are at risk at this point." This story was updated at 8:44 a.m. Monday with an updated Superior crowd count estimate provided by organizers It was originally posted at 5:47 p.m. Saturday. More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people braved wind, rain and cold Saturday to gather outside the Washington County Courthouse to protest the Trump administrations policies in solidarity with thousands across the country. More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. https://arkansasadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/20250405_HandsOffFayettevilleRally.mp3 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LISTEN: Hear Northwest Arkansas residents share, in their own words, why they attended the rally and what concerns they have about Trumps policies. Storms that wreaked havoc on the state this week paused midday as Northwest Arkansas residents, ranging from children to retirees, lined both sides of College Avenue and received honks of support from drivers on the busy thoroughfare. Rallygoers held signs and chanted for about an hour and a half before marching to the Fayetteville Town Center on the downtown square. The We the People Veto Project 2025 event was a continuation of local grassroots efforts to organize in opposition to President Donald Trumps policies. Erin Killeen said she and a few other concerned citizens came together after the inauguration seeking to build community by hosting protests that also highlight existing community organizations that can provide local residents with information about how to become more engaged. Killeen said their events have aligned with the 50501 Movement in an effort to amplify efforts at the national level. The 50501 Movement presented Saturdays national day of action in partnership with the Womens March and Hands Off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a way to feel less alone, but more importantly, we also want to have information so that they can plug in in a more strategic, more structured way than just coming out and protesting, so that there can be that informed, lasting change that is really needed to shift and be part of the democratic process, she said. To connect local residents to community organizations and upcoming events like protests, Killeen said she and her fellow organizers have created a new website that can be a resource for those looking to engage. Having lived abroad, Killeen said she wasnt shocked, but disappointed to see the recent political shift in the United States, and is calling on elected officials to do their duty of upholding the Constitution. Hold the executive branch accountable. Do not allow for that executive overreach that is disempowering Congress, she said. That is dangerous for the future and the sovereignty of this nation, freedom of individuals and it goes against what the forefathers were trying to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Kaily Tran of Rogers dressed as a character from The Handsmaid Tale during a protest against the Trump administration that was held in downtown Fayetteville on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Diane Manering holds a sign during a protest outside the Washington County Courthouse on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than 800 people gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville for a protest against the Trump administration's on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime activist Gladys Tiffany speaks to rallygoers outside the Fayetteville Town Center during a protest against the Trump administration's policies on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Longtime activist Gladys Tiffany speaks to rallygoers outside the Fayetteville Town Center during a protest against the Trump administration's policies on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Hundreds marched from the Washington County Courthouse to the Fayetteville Town Center in opposition to the Trump administration's policies on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Hundreds marched from the Washington County Courthouse to the Fayetteville Town Center in opposition to the Trump administration's policies on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds marched from the Washington County Courthouse to the Fayetteville Town Center in opposition to the Trump administration's policies on April 5, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker energized 78-year-old Diane Manering this week with his record-breaking speech on the Senate floor. The Fayetteville resident said shes been protesting since the 1960s, but nothing has been this important for her and her kids. I really found myself getting very discouraged, and I saw a lot of my friends getting very upset [the] older generation because of our grandkids and Ive always been very passionate about the environment, Manering said. But to see what this administration is doing, harming people and the cruelty, Im just not a cruel person. Im a kind person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What federal cuts could mean for Social Security was top of mind for Trudi Rust of Fayetteville. The retired health care worker said she relies on social security to pay her bills. I earned this and theyre trying to take it away and slash it by somebody thats not elected, Rust said, referring to Elon Musk, a special adviser to the president. Theyre hurting us all so that they can gain money and power, and its not rightI live on it. I pay my bills with it, and I earned every damn penny of it. I worked for over 50 years paying into Social Security. The Fayetteville protest coincided with more than 1,200 Hands Off! rallies planned for Saturday in Washington, D.C., state capitals and scores of other cities, according to The Associated Press via PBS. Storms forced the rescheduling of a rally planned for the Arkansas Capitol steps in Little Rock until next Saturday, April 12, according to a Facebook post by Indivisible Little Rock and Central Arkansas. Rallies had also been planned for Fort Smith, Russellville, Monticello. In Tennessee, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth spoke to about 800 people at Pearl Cohn Magnet School in Nashville, and about 1,500 rallied at Nashvilles Centennial Park despite the threat of storms, the Tennessee Lookout reported. In South Dakota, thousands gathered in downtown Sioux Falls as part of the 50501 Movements rally, the South Dakota Searchlight reported. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen believes that it is not yet the right time for European leaders to call Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin. Source: Valtonen in an interview with Finnish public service media company Yle, as reported by European Pravda Details: Valtonen noted that the talks should be postponed for as long as Russia continues its aggressive military actions in Ukraine. "It's obvious that the United States is negotiating with Russia, and at some point, Europe will also enter into the dialogue. But what's more important is not when and who will talk but what we want to achieve through this conversation. Yesterday's news about a ballistic missile hitting a civilian target, which resulted in the deaths of children, indicates that the conversation should be postponed," Valtonen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also added that Finland does not consider Russia an enemy but opposes its actions and violations of international law. "We hope for good neighbourly relations, but this time hasn't come yet. It all depends on when Russia begins to demonstrate a desire to re-join the international treaty system," Valtonen said. The Finnish foreign minister pointed out that it would be too early to talk about normalising relations until this happens. "We need to discuss this issue with our European partners, but, as I said, now is not the time for normalisation. Instead, we need to continue our strategy: support Ukraine, weaken Russia with sanctions and strengthen our own defence," Valtonen concluded. Background: Earlier, Valtonen stated that Washington's shift towards Russia is unlikely to end the war in Ukraine and that US President Donald Trump will likely eventually come to realise this. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Trump administration expects Russia to be ready to end the war. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Where does bien-pensant opinion turn to for its political inspiration? Is it the latest report by the Resolution Foundation, arguing that inequality is reaching unprecedented levels, or perhaps some quasi-academic tome, declaring that only a global tax on multinationals can house-train capitalism? If the response to Donald Trumps tariff-hiking liberation day is anything to go by, much of Britains Left seems to be in thrall to a 22-year-old romcom. Love Actually at first watching may seem to be little more than Christmas pap, with a sideswipe at the then Labour governments decision to stand alongside the United States in the Iraq War. But now, many on the Labour benches are hoping that Sir Keir Starmer will channel his inner Hugh Grant and publicly stand up to the American president. In the film, Grant, playing the British prime minister, uses a joint press conference to launch a blistering attack on US bossiness and the fictional presidents intimidatory tactics. Grants performance was the antithesis of Sir Keirs approach on his visit to the Oval Office in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Prime Minister must now resist the appeal of playing to the Labour crowd. A grandstanding show of standing up to the United States may earn Sir Keir accolades from the Left in the short term, but it will come at a heavy price. The UK has been subjected to the lowest bracket of Trumps tariffs and that would surely change if we engaged in such juvenile political antics. The Left denigrates our imperial past and is desperate for us to endlessly apologise for the alleged wrongs committed by distant forebears. It argues that we must publicly atone, even pay reparations, for what we did when we were a great power and be ashamed of our victories then. But it then fondly imagines that we can still play at being a great power now. Those days are gone, and it is the Left that, the vast majority of the time, celebrates this as a good thing. We are endlessly lectured on why moving closer to Europe is our only option as a much-diminished power. And yet, somehow, we allegedly have all the cards in our hand when resisting the presidents demands. In todays world, the United Kingdom is no China. That countrys economic clout means it can resist Trumps economic demands; we cannot. Sir Keir would be foolish to listen to those voices insisting he change tack. The Prime Ministers emollient Oval Office approach came as a welcome surprise. It will produce the best results and he must stick to it. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Naval Support Activity Mid-South has ordered the evacuation of some base residents due to rising water levels. According to NSA Mid-South, the commanding officer has ordered the evacuation of all Capehart and Enterprising House residents, as well as the RV park residents. NSA Mid-South says the water level is forecasted to top the levee overnight. NSA Mid-South says if the base does not flood, it will reopen, and everyone will be allowed to return on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Millington officials say the evacuation is precautionary and that there is no levee break at this time. NSA Mid-South recommends that evacuees stay in hotel rooms or other lodging that is as close to the base as possible. RV residents are able to park at N82. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. A trucker's mistakes may have been the probable cause of a fiery crash in June 2023 that took the driver's life and collapsed an I-95 overpass in Philadelphia. According to the National Transportation Safety Board's final report on the crash, released Thursday, 53-year-old Nathan Moody entered an an exit ramp from I-95 for Cottman Avenue "well above the posted advisory speed limit, due to inattention to the roadway potentially associated with fatigue." It also found that Moody had failed to secure the manhole cover of his gasoline tanker during a pre-trip inspection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, gasoline poured from the overturned truck, feeding a fire that eventually brought down the overpass for northbound I-95, it said. An inspection discovered that the interstate's southbound lanes were structurally unsafe. The fiery crash of a truck bringing gasoline to a Wawa caused the collapse of an I-95 overpass in Philadelphia in June 2023. The crash severed the eight-lane highway, a major artery along Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront, and emergency repairs took months to complete. Moody worked out of TK Transport, a Pennsauken, N.J., trucking terminal affiliated with Penn Tank Lines. According to the report, Moody, of Philadelphia, was driving at an estimated speed of 44-54 mph, well above the exit ramp's advisory speed limit of 25 mph. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NTSB lists vulnerable spans: Four Delaware River bridges may be vulnerable to ship collisions. We have the NTSB list The truck was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline in a tank trailer when it tipped onto its right side at approximately 6:15 a.m. June 11, 2023. It was delivering the gasoline from Wilmington to a Wawa in Philadelphia. The report said burning gasoline flowed in storm drains toward the Delaware River approximately 800 feet away. That caused dozens of "fuel/air explosions" that ejected manhole covers along the gasoline's path for several hours. "First responders were instructed not to park near the manholes for safety reasons," the report said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The streams of burning gasoline at one point caused a secondary explosion of "like a discarded, maybe an old propane tank" near the crash scene, Cary Boyd, a captain with Philadelphia's fire department, told an NTSB investigator. "And that sucker popped and we all just like cringed up and then a couple seconds later it was like shrapnel hitting the top of our helmets and stuff," Boyd said. The report said Philadelphia 911 dispatchers received dozens of calls about the crash, with one person saying she saw "a huge truck flipped over onto its side and catch on fire." The fiery crash of a truck bringing gasoline to a Wawa caused the collapse of an I-95 overpass in Philadelphia in June 2023. Philadelphia Fire Department personnel initially were unable to make out details of the crashed vehicle due to smoke and flames beneath the overpass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I had no idea what was on fire, but every square foot of that underpass was nothing but flame, said Boyd. "We couldnt see anything except the fire and then the smoke billowing out. Firefighters were kept away from the underpass, said Ted Quedenfeld, a battalion chief with the fire department. Turnpike bridge future: Will the turnpike replace Delaware River Bridge in Bucks County? They're thinking about it "We werent putting anybody under the bridge, just from the fist-size concrete that was falling veryquickly, you know, which then became automobile-size concrete, you know, before it fell," he told an investigator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness said she was about to follow the truck onto the exit when she saw a bunch of dirt fly up and could tell the truck lost control or flipped or hit something. The woman, who steered back onto I-95, said the truck just erupted, like completely exploded, huge ball of fire. The investigation showed the value of fatigue management programs to reduce accidents, said the NTSB. Among other strategies, it said, the Philadelphia crash "highlights the importance of drivers adopting sleep schedules that do not change substantially between their workdays and their days off." A surveillance photo shows a 16-inch 'manhole cover' that was left open on a gasoline tanker involved in a fiery crash in Philadelphia in June 2023. It noted that Moody's truck was not equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), which can apply breaking force to individual wheels to help a driver maintain control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation found an ESC system "could have helped to prevent the rollover in this crash at any of the speeds in the 4454 mph range at which the truck was traveling. " The report called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to promote ESC systems "to lighter commercial vehicles as well, where its capability of preventing a catastrophic outcome is even more assured." Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com. This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NTSB report: Trucker's mistakes likely caused, worsened I-95 tragedy The number of people injured in Russia's April 4 missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 75 from 74, Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city's military administration, said on April 6. Russia launched the missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, located in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, in the evening on April 4, killing 19 people, including nine children, according to Vilkul. Four children injured in the attack are still in serious condition, including two in "extremely serious condition," Vilkul said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack reportedly damaged 34 apartment buildings and six educational facilities, as well as various shops, businesses, cars, and homes. "Russia strikes every day. Every day, people are killed," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 4, commenting on the Kryvyi Rih attack. "There is only one reason this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it." "Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And thats why pressure is needed sufficient pressure on Russia so that they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war," Zelensky said. Several European leaders have also condemned the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace," Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, wrote on X, calling the attack "tragic and inhumane." The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attack on Kryvyi Rih targeted a military gathering, a claim the Ukrainian military dismissed as "false information." Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line. Read also: US embassys response to Russias Kryvyi Rih attack surprisingly disappointing, Zelensky says. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Video note: Despite this articles time stamp, the above video is the latest forecast from The Weather Authority. ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) Officials in Hardin County are working against the clock to get residents out of danger as the Rolling Fork River rises to dangerous levels. The Hardin County Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday that all hands have been on deck to help those in need. In the Colesburg area, numerous rescues are reportedly being conducted. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Red Cross has been activated to support the Colesburg area response, Hardin County deputies wrote. Please keep these families and first responders in your thoughts and prayers. Hardin County law enforcement asked the public to avoid Colesburg, as emergency crews need space to work safely. Heres how to help The sheriffs office wrote that those wishing to help the Hardin County community can directly contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-276-77) for information about donations or other ways to help. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Theres relief for some NYC residents who are struggling to find budget-friendly housing. Low income and homeless New Yorkers can now live in an affordable housing building located in Bed-Stuy, offering a sense of security to those who live there. Don't miss Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have no words for how much this building has helped me, Elvis Jordan, a current resident of the building, told News12 Brooklyn. Residents receiving housing support Woodhill II Residence is a building with 36 units meant for adults who have health-related issues and could face homelessness. The building is situated across from the NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhill and helps those living with chronic health conditions and serious mental illness. Residents are referred through the hospital and can receive regular visits from health care providers directly from there. Those living at Woodhill II Residence can also receive services like health care integration and case management. However, residents ability to stay in the building isnt predicated on receiving treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The organization that manages the building is CommuniCare and Blanca Ramirez, its CEO, says there is no time limit as to how long people can stay there. As long as residents can keep paying rent, theyre welcome to stay. Rent at Woodhill II Residence is much lower than what youd find in many other places. Residents could pay as low as $250 per month, or 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). How to seek affordable housing If youre finding it extremely difficult to afford housing, there are several options available to you. Here are the four main types of government programs that help you find affordable rental properties. Subsidized housing This government program will pay owners of apartments to help reduce the rent for qualifying low-income residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eligibility is based on your household's annual gross income and whether you have qualifying immigration status. In general, if you make less than a certain percentage of the median income in your area, you may qualify. To determine whether you qualify, contact your local public housing agency. If you are, you can use the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing map to find participating apartment complexes. Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a disturbance in America use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP Housing Choice voucher program Also referred to as Section 8, this program offers vouchers for paying part or most of your rent at qualifying housing units. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be eligible for the program, you need to be at or under the HUD income limit, an eligible U.S. citizen or non-citizen, be free of certain crimes, and a valid Social Security number for the head of household. You can apply through your local Public Housing Agency. Keep in mind that there may be long waitlists because of the high demand. In the meantime, you can gather paperwork such as proof of income, documentation of any public assistance you receive and proof of citizenship. Those that are approved for Section 8 housing assistance will need to attend a voucher orientation and tend to have from 60 to 120 days to find suitable housing. How much rent youll pay depends on your Family Rent Portion, or Total Tenant Payment. At minimum, youll usually be on the hook for 30% of your adjusted monthly income, but it could be as much as 40%. Public housing Instead of renting through a private tenant, you may qualify for housing managed by your local public housing agency. Eligibility requirements are generally the same as subsidized housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In many cases, you may need to apply for public housing in person, though it can vary from state to state. Your local agency should help explain the process and provide you with which documents youre expected to bring to your appointment. Assistance for veterans and the disabled The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program offers assistance for low-income veterans. Some affordable housing solutions the organization helps with include offering financial resources to prevent eviction, get re-housed quickly if facing homelessness, and finding more suitable housing. Typically, youll need to be very low-income, and a veteran or live with the head of household who is one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those living with a disability and under 62 years old may be able to receive a non-elderly disabled (NED) voucher. This is similar to Section 8 housing where youll receive assistance in paying for and finding affordable housing. All of these abovementioned programs help to relieve the burden of living on a low income. If you still struggle to budget the money you earn, consider reaching out to local nonprofits or other relevant government agencies for assistance on necessities like food and health care. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. The News in Brief Monday, April 7, 2025 A Tbilisi City Court judge has ordered Badri Japaridze, co-leader of the opposition Lelo party, to pay 50,000 GEL in bail after he refused to appear before the Georgian Dream initiated parliamentary investigative commission. The commission is probing alleged crimes committed during the United National Movement's (UNM) time in power.Judge Eka Barbakadze granted Japaridze 50 days to pay the bail. His Lelo colleague Mamuka Khazaradze was also ordered to pay the same amount for similarly ignoring the commission's summons. Under Georgian law, defying a parliamentary investigative commission is a criminal offense, punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison.The commission, formed by the ruling GD party, was initially tasked with investigating alleged systemic abuses during the UNM's rule from 2003 to 2012. However, the parliament recently extended the commission's scope to cover the period from 2003 through to the present day.On April 2, the commission summoned several more opposition figures from the Coalition for Change, including Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, and Zurab Japaridze. All three have refused to participate, dismissing the commission as illegitimate and continuing their boycott of the current parliament following the disputed October 26, 2024 elections.GD has indicated that it intends to send the commission's final report to the Constitutional Court with the aim of banning the UNM and what it terms its "successor parties".At the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tashkent, Georgia's Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili met with the Speaker of the Israeli Knesset to discuss key security issues affecting their regions."Of course, we first of all discussed the security challenges that exist in our region," Papuashvili said after the meeting. He noted that the Assembly offers a platform to engage with representatives from 130 countries, with several bilateral meetings also scheduled.The conversation focused heavily on the conflict in Israel and Gaza. "We talked about the situation in Israel, in Gaza. In this regard, we all support the return of the kidnapped people home as soon as possible and the conflict that exists to end soon," Papuashvili said.He added that the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament expressed his views in light of strong support from the new U.S. administration and hopes that these issues would soon be resolved. The two also discussed broader regional topics, including the war in Ukraine and its impact on Georgia."Of course, we talked about the region as a whole, about the ongoing war in Ukraine. About the impact of this security environment on Georgia and how important cooperation and mutual support between Georgia and Israel are in order to regulate security issues," Papuashvili noted.He also said they spoke about shared experiences with the new U.S. administration, which both governments believe is taking steps to "change certain harmful instruments and institutions." According to Papuashvili, Georgia and Israel share "similar experience and similar satisfaction" with the shift in U.S. foreign policy. Warren Buffett has cash in the bank, but he might not be buying the dip just yet. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Warren Buffett socked away $321 billion while waiting for the market to crash like it did this week. The legendary investor specializes in buying cut-rate stocks during periods of market panic. Buffett gurus told BI the billionaire may wait for lower prices or a clearer outlook before buying. Warren Buffett famously says to "be greedy when others are fearful" and "when it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble." The legendary bargain hunter has been waiting years for the stock market to crash like it did this week but he might not be buying yet. President Donald Trump's unveiling of near-universal tariffs and foreign countries' threats of retaliation vaporized upward of $5 trillion more than double Nvidia's market value from the S&P 500 over the course of Thursday and Friday. Some of Buffett's favorite stocks got spanked, with Apple, American Express, Bank of America, and Occidental Petroleum all sinking more than 15% in two days. Buffett's longtime secretary, Debbie Bosanek, told BI in a statement: "Mr. Buffett is not doing interviews but instead is saving his commentary for the Q&A session on May 3 which is held before the Berkshire Annual Meeting." The downturn is likely to hearten the Berkshire Hathaway CEO, given he's a value investor who looks to buy businesses at a discount to their worth. He's also known to capitalize on crises, for example when he deployed $26 billion across five deals between 2008 and 2009. Buffett wrote in his 2017 shareholder letter that sharp sell-offs can create "extraordinary opportunities" for investors who heed the writer Rudyard Kipling's words to "keep your head when all about you are losing theirs." However, surging valuations have priced him out of buying stocks, acquiring businesses, and even repurchasing his own company's stock in recent years. Buffett, 94, has also off-loaded a net $158 billion of stocks over the past two calendar years. Berkshire's cash pile has roughly tripled from under $110 billion in September 2022 to $321 billion at the end of 2024 that's bigger than Coca-Cola's market value. Armed with an overflowing war chest, Buffett appears well-placed to wade into the market rout and scoop up stocks on the cheap. The internet certainly agrees social media is rife with comments and memes about Buffett sitting pretty while markets are in chaos. Wall Street has also rewarded Buffett's cash hoarding: Berkshire's stock price is up about 9% this year, trouncing the S&P's near 14% decline. A heartless New York City man was arrested for punching and stabbing a woman at the World Trade Center Memorial, according to cops. The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. Friday, when Amir Thompson is accused of approaching the 57-year-old woman in the plaza on the corner of Liberty and West streets in Lower Manhattan. I know you from somewhere, Thompson, 23, allegedly seethed at the victim before punching her, then knifing her in the right cheek and shoulder, according to a police source. The grisly incident unfolded around 2 a.m. Friday at the World Trade Center Memorial, according to cops. REUTERS Another cop source said both of the parties threw punches before the blade came out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompson then flashed the knife at a police officer who responded to the chaos from a booth near the memorial, the sources said. What are you going to do, Thompson allegedly threatened the officer. He ended up dropping the knife, and was arrested, the first source said. The victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in stable condition. She and Thompson who was living at the Bowery Mission in Tribeca did not know each other, according to cops. The victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in stable condition. Google Maps Thompson was slapped with assault, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing charges. He was expected to be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Saturday. Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts. In announcing that he will forgo party lines to run for reelection as an independent, Mayor Adams embarks on uncharted territory that political observers tell the Daily News all but kills his hope of winning a second term at City Hall. Theres no precedent for what Adams is hoping to do: In modern times, no candidate has ever been elected New York City mayor solely on an independent line. On top of that, Adams has sagging poll numbers, low fundraising dollars and the appearance of a corrupt bargain with President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plus, his hungry challengers, including ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani and even GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa, all pose a threat. And his move on Thursday to drop out of Junes Democratic primary and announce an independent bid for Novembers general election only stands to narrow his difficult road to reelection, according to political observers. Howard Wolfson, a longtime adviser to Mayor Michael Bloomberg who worked in his administration and on his campaigns, all but declared Adams independent candidacy dead in the water. I didnt think he had a path to reelection before and I dont think he has a path to reelection now, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bloomberg, who was first elected as a Republican but left to run on the line of the now-defunct Independence Party, narrowly won his second term in 2009. However, Bloomberg maintained the Republican ballot line in that election, in which he beat Democratic candidate Bill Thompson by just over 4%. Even Mike, who had high popularity, would have had a very, very hard time in that election had he not also had the Republican line, Wolfson said. For Eric Adams, even if his poll numbers were good you would say the odds are stacked against him because its really hard to be elected without a major party line. Then you throw in that his poll and approval numbers are awful, it just seems close to impossible. Adams approval ratings dropped to a historic low of 20% last month, after Trumps Department of Justice moved to dismiss his federal corruption case, arguing that the case prevented him from helping execute Trumps immigration agenda in New York City. The mayor has denied accusations that he entered into a corrupt agreement with Trump in order to get the case lifted, but the judge in his case wrote that the actions of Adams and the DOJ had the stink of a disturbing deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions, Ho wrote in his 78-page ruling. Adams has said that with the goalposts shifted to November, he hopes to pull together a stronger campaign. Part of the challenge ahead of him will be convincing voters that hell put the interests of New Yorkers ahead of his own or Trumps. Norman Siegel, a civil rights lawyer who has considered Mayor Adams a close personal friend for decades, said Adams didnt have a chance in the Democratic primary, but he didnt want to count him out for the general election just yet, especially given waning party loyalty and the often bizarre political moment for the city and country. Its still swimming upstream, but I dont think its impossible given the times were in, said Siegel, who has soured on the mayor amid his budding relationship with Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Siegel volunteered on John Lindsays first mayoral campaign in 1965. In 1969, Lindsay won reelection as a third-party candidate after losing the Republican primary. John Lindsay created hope, and inspired many of us with leadership that was idealistic, Siegel said. That was a period of time that you needed that sort of strong, principled person in charge. Today is a much different day and Im not sure any of the current candidates for mayor are able to do something like that. Jackie Rowe-Adams, an anti-gun violence activist and Adams supporter, argued the mayor may get reelected no matter his party affiliation. He knows what hes doing, I feel that hes going to win whatever party he runs on, and you know why hes going to win? Because he did a lot for this city and everything he has done, the media tried to take him down, she said in an interview on the sidelines of the National Action Network conference in Manhattan last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobody could have stood up like the mayor stood up, they would have been in a hospital with a heart attack and everything else. You know why? Because hes taking care of the city. Though extremely skeptical of Adams prospects, Wolfson said itd be momentous if he pulls off a victory in November. It would be the single greatest comeback in the history of American politics, he said. NEW YORK The federal Head Start outpost in New York City has been shuttered and staff laid off as part of the Trump administrations recent health department cuts worrying preschool leaders about the future of child care for families in poverty. On Tuesday, providers learned that half of the agencys regional offices were closed effective immediately, including the headquarters in New York. Staff based in lower Manhattan were responsible for oversight and guidance for programs statewide and in New Jersey. Federal health officials insisted that consolidating the offices will not affect services while saving taxpayers money. But operators fear the loss of support could have a very tangible effect on their programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angela Terry, executive director of the Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center, which enrolls 247 children through Head Start, was scheduled to connect with a regional office staffer on the day of the layoffs only to find she was unable to join the Zoom meeting. The specialist told her she was affected by the federal governments reduction in force. It was not the first time Head Start programs have been caught in the crossfires of federal changes under President Donald Trump. In January, his administration announced a blanket freeze on federal funding. The White House quickly clarified that Head Start was exempt, but programs reported being unable to access funds and the consequences of much uncertainty. Its not easy. It really isnt, Terry said. We all continue to move forward day to day, but we know we have this all looming, we have to talk about it. We have to say, What do we do next? And, how do we continue to serve?' Head Start launched six decades ago as a federal anti-poverty program, supporting childrens early development while allowing their parents to go to work. A family of four may qualify for Head Start if they have a joint income under $41,795 or are receiving cash assistance or SNAP. Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center is the oldest Head Start provider in the northeast, Terry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regional staffers serve a variety of functions. Some visit preschools in person to offer curriculum support and professional development. Others hold regular meetings to go over enrollment and waitlists. Another position is geared toward helping operators apply for or renew Head Start grants, and manage program budgets. This move threatens access to child care and undermines programs essential to young childrens development, said Susan Stamler, executive director of the United Neighborhood Houses, a membership organization that includes Head Start grant recipients. After days of confusion, a top health official in early childhood development, Laurie Todd-Smith, wrote in a letter Thursday that 10 regional offices would be restructured into five a move they said would not affect services. The office based in New York was closed alongside others in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle. Providers interviewed by The New York Daily News confirmed they have connected in recent days with specialists who replaced their regional staffers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to the Daily News, the federal agency stood firm that the layoffs were limited only to redundant or unnecessary administrative positions, and involved moving out of the highest-cost cities. All statutorily required programs will remain intact, and as a result of the reorganization, will be better positioned to execute on Congresss statutory intent, said Vianca Rodriguez Feliciano, press secretary for the U.S. Health Department. We remain committed to providing continued support to Head Start programs as they work to meet the needs of their communities. Less than 1% of Head Starts annual funding is spent on federal staff, including regional office staff, according to the National Head Start Association. The conservative blueprint known as Project 2025 called for the elimination of Head Start altogether. Head Start operators are emphatic their programs are worth the investment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are complicated programs to run, and the work that we do we think is super meaningful and impactful, said Ken Jockers, the executive director of Hudson Guild, a social services organization with multiple sites across the west side of Manhattan that operates Head Start programs. A big part of what makes that possible is the skilled, smart support that we get that understands our region and our challenges. An Oahu man faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison with the possibility of parole after a jury found him guilty in Circuit Court on Friday for the continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14. The offenses occurred when the victim was 9 years old, according to a news release from the state Attorney Generals Office. An Oahu jury found Jose Salas guilty of the Class A felony offense, along with four counts of third-degree sexual assault, which are Class C felonies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The eight-day jury trial was presided over by Trish K. Morikawa. Sentencing is scheduled for July 10. This conviction reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting Hawaiis children and ensuring that survivors of sexual abuse receive the justice they deserve, Attorney General Anne Lopez said in the release. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of law enforcement, victim advocates and our legal team, whose collaboration made this outcome possible. The case was investigated by the Honolulu Police Department, with support from the Childrens Justice Center and the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, the Attorney Generals Office said. Deputy Attorney General Loren Haugen was the lead prosecutor for the case. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 3 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . OAKLAND, California Barbara Lee's homecoming run for Oakland mayor had all the markings of a blowout: Political power players swiftly united behind Lee, a progressive icon in her staunchly blue town, as she pledged to move the city past rancorous recalls. But her dominant position is now being turned against her. Lees unexpectedly tight contest against a more moderate former city official will test whether the former lawmakers towering stature can overcome the anti-status-quo fervor that has driven Democrats out of office since the pandemic, often putting progressives like Lee on the defensive. Now, amid a confluence of crises culminating in the November recalls of the citys mayor and district attorney, her opponent Loren Taylor is trying to pull off a major upset in an April 15 special election by capitalizing on seething voter discontent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Things have gotten worse, not better, in Oakland over the last many years, and whenever that dynamic occurs its a change election, said John Whitehurst, a political consultant and veteran of Oakland politics who is not working for either candidate. The heart of the progressive movement beats in (Lee). Everyone thought shed be a bench-clearer. Not the case shes been successfully tagged with the failures of the past. Lee entered the race in January with formidable advantages, including pervasive name recognition and respect from decades representing the city in the House and championing progressive policies such as universal health care. Former mayors, unions, and business leaders swiftly coalesced to back her some of whom had endorsed Taylor when he ran in 2022 and labor allies have supplied a pro-Lee PAC with nearly $400,000. But Taylors campaign and a supportive outside committee funded by some of the same players who poured money into the recall campaigns have touted internal polling showing the race has tightened to a statistical tossup in the closing weeks. A Thursday campaign finance update shows he has outraised Lee, and PACs supporting him have kept pace with Lee's outside backers. Throughout the contest he has hammered an outsider message that he represents a break from the forces that dragged Oakland down into dysfunction defined by pervasive crime, a struggling downtown and a gaping budget deficit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why our campaign is upending predictions by political pundits is that Oaklanders are frustrated with the failures of business as usual in politics that has failed to improve everyday quality of life in Oakland, Taylor said in an interview, and this falls directly in line with the national demand for a new, more relevant Democratic Party. Lee rejected the notion that she would be beholden to anyone, pointing to a long history of rejecting the establishment epitomized by her votes against invading Afghanistan and Iraq. But she said that her experience, connections, and capacity for bridge-building would bring badly needed stability. This is about the coalition thats needed to govern Oakland, Lee said in an interview, and I have put that coalition together. Both candidates acknowledge Oakland is in a dire place; Taylor has gone so far as to call it broken. Rampant homelessness, anxiety about crime, shuttered storefronts and the yawning budget gap will present a monumental set of problems for the next mayor to tackle. While similar issues have plagued cities across California, Oakland has been slower than its similarly-sized counterparts to recover from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We're in a tough predicament, said Chris Higgenbotham, a political consultant based in Oakland. Right now, Oakland voters, were at our lowest of low. Lee has cast herself as a unity figure, touting her ability to draw outside investment and bring the citys disparate factions together. She can point to endorsements from both architects and foes of the 2024 recalls. Weve become so wildly polarized on issues that most of us are not that far apart on from a policy perspective, said City Council member Janani Ramachandran. I see (Lee) as being a unifying force, which is something we really need right now. We need an elder in the room to get people to calm down and see how much we have in common. Taylor and his allies are working to convert those advantages into weaknesses while casting Taylor as the candidate who can stand up to entrenched powers like unions. They have sought to link Lee to ousted Mayor Sheng Thao by noting Lee opposed the recall (Lee has said she rejects recalls on principle) and that she has the support of groups, like powerful unions, that powered Thaos win. The pro-Taylor committee has launched a Recallers against Lee campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The people that are supporting her are the same people that supported Sheng Thao, said Brenda Grisham, who was active in the recalls and helps run a pro-Taylor PAC. The citizens voted against those values because we wanted to see something different for Oakland. Some of Lees allies scoff at Taylors efforts to seize the outsider mantle, noting he served on the City Council and came within 677 votes of winning the mayoral race in 2022, when he drew the support of power players like then-Mayor Libby Schaaf. And while Lee has mainline business groups like the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in her corner, Taylor is favored by a collection of wealthy developers, investors, and technology executives who have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into pushing Oakland politics to the center, including by championing the recalls. Oaklanders have to ask themselves: What do you want the next mayor to represent and be accountable to? said Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, a labor ally who has endorsed Lee. Do you want someone who clearly has a negative message of where Oakland is and is currently the candidate for a very moderate, well-resourced set of actors who are shifting things in San Francisco and have their eyes set on Oakland? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Developer Isaac Abid, who runs a committee that has supported Taylor efforts after last cycle funding the Thao recall and moderate city council candidates, argues a Lee coronation would deprive voters of a needed debate over the beleaguered citys future. It became seen as a fait accompli, based on the endorsements for Barbara Lee, that shed be mayor, but I think its good for Oakland to have a choice, Abid said in an interview. Were trying to provide (Taylor) support and resources to continue to make that case. The dynamics of the contest reflect some of the intra-Democratic strife unfolding in nearby San Francisco, where deep-pocketed outside groups have battled progressives . Sachin Agarwal, a cofounder of one of those groups, GrowSF, maxed out contributions to Taylor and hosted a San Francisco fundraiser for him last month. Theres a lot of parallels between whats been happening in San Francisco and whats happening in Oakland, said Agarwal, who stressed he was acting as an individual. People want change, and its pretty clear to see Loren Taylors change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taylor will still have an uphill fight to overcome Lees endorsements and labor support that yields both advertising dollars and a well-oiled turn-out-the-vote operation. I dont see significant grassroots efforts on Lorens side. I see effective big-picture advertising, but you dont win campaigns in Oakland with billboards, said political consultant Larry Tramutola. You win with troops on the ground. But turnout is likely to be lower than in a general election. Oaklanders who supported the recalls and want a candidate whos not aligned with labor or progressives could be overrepresented an opening for a candidate like Taylor to surf the swells of public frustration. In an electorate that could be 30 percent turnout and skew older and more conservative, its making it a race and making it more interesting, said political consultant Jim Ross. The question is: Does the unity beat the divisiveness? CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the number of terms Loren Taylor served on the Oakland City Council. Mayor holds critical funds hostage Turlock approves 114 houses amid neighbor complaints. The site has long grown strawberries, (modbee.com, Feb. 15) At the March 25 Turlock City Council Meeting, Mayor Amy Bublak put on an appalling performance regarding a resolution about the We Care Program, an important partner in Turlock that provides transitional and emergency shelter, mental health treatment and job training to help homeless individuals become more self-sufficient. The program has been awarded a large grant from Stanislaus County, with a routine, administrative step to receive a letter of support from the Turlock City Council by April 28, before the funds can be released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bublak, however, opposed the resolution, contending that the county failed to identify what funds the county will pay to the City of Turlock to address homelessness. The mayor now apparently intends to hold the We Care Program hostage until the county comes to the table, despite the impending April 28 deadline. This is a dispute between the city and the county, not with We Care. The decision to block funding for this critical program is the move of either a naive politician or an obstructionist bureaucrat. Turlock residents deserve better. Myrna Wachs Turlock Opinion Protect Americas best idea Budget cuts impact national parks: What visitors need to know, (modbee.com, March 13) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement American writer and historian Wallace Stegner once called our national parks the best idea we ever had. Yet President Donald Trumps rush to cut spending and eliminate federal jobs for those who work at the national parks is at odds with this great notion. On the chopping block are park rangers who respond to medical emergencies, visitor center employees and crews that clean bathrooms and empty garbage cans. Firing thousands of employees with no notice or reason is cruel leaving individuals without paychecks, unable to serve in the parks they love. Recent court orders from two federal judges have led to the reinstatement of about 1,000 National Park Service employees; however, further cuts are still planned, potentially impacting park operations and visitor experiences. Further proposed cuts include a potential 30% payroll reduction for the National Park Service. One might hope the national parks would be spared the current political polarization many governmental agencies now find themselves embroiled in. It is reasonable to believe that former President Teddy Roosevelt, a great Republican, would not be in favor of the cuts the current administration is proposing to the national parks Americas best idea. Kent Mitchell Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riverbank Trumps truth Trump orders removal of divisive, anti-American ideology Smithsonian exhibits, (modbee.com, March 27) President Donald Trump continues his war on truth. In addition to authorizing Elon Musk to tear apart the government and cut funding to critical agencies and government programs, now, our national parks are at risk. Our rights are threatened when the presidential administration not longer adheres to the laws of the land. Trump even fired the inspectors general of 17 federal agencies, individuals who were the watchdogs for fraud and waste. Now, the operations of the Smithsonian Institution and the Kennedy Center are being interfered with by Trump. The president now seeks to remove all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the Smithsonian. Instead, he wants to propagate his version of truth and eliminate our history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diane Kroeze Modesto We cant cause harm to end harm California Democrats were called soft on sex trafficking. This could make it worse | Opinion, (sacbee.com, March 25) Every year, the California legislature and news media push anti-trafficking bills focused on policing and criminalization, approaches that have harmed survivors and failed to prevent exploitation. This recent column is a necessary reminder that real solutions require more than punitive laws. They require a public health approach. For 25 years, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast) has provided services to survivors in Los Angeles, Our data shows the impact of criminalization: Nearly half of the 250 survivors in our long-term services disclosed having criminal records, often due to being forced into crimes by traffickers or misidentified as offenders, which creates significant and lasting barriers to jobs, housing and stability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Survivors are not a monolith, but one principle is clear: We cant cause harm to end harm. Instead of continued criminalization, lawmakers must invest in housing, healthcare and economic opportunities real solutions that prevent human trafficking. Kay Buck CEO, Cast COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Two people were detained by police following a drive-by shootout in the Short North early Sunday morning during which a Columbus police officer opened fire. Columbus police said a special duty officer just finished his shift near a bar in the neighborhood and then saw a shootout occur near East Hubbard Avenue and North Pearl Street just before 2:30 a.m. Columbus man, Chillicothe woman plead guilty to drug and money laundering Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shootout was between a man standing outside a parking garage and multiple occupants of a dark pickup truck. The officer responded by firing at least one shot. No one was hit by gunfire and the pickup truck fled the scene by driving east on East Hubbard Ave. The man standing outside was detained by police and had his firearm confiscated. Shortly after the shooting, officers found an injured man near North 4th Street and Warren Street. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition with doctors telling Columbus police he was not shot. At this time, police are investigating if this mans injuries were related in any way to the shootout. Later Sunday afternoon, a large police presence set up in a section of North Linden after reports of the suspects vehicle being reported outside of a residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to police at the scene, SWAT officers executed a search warrant on an apartment near the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and Mulby Place in connection with the shooting. One person, a male (police did not specify if they were an adult or juvenile), was taken into custody and is being questioned. There were no other people in the apartment when SWAT went inside, police said. Columbus police are continuing to investigate this as an officer-involved shooting and will be looking through surveillance to find the pickup truck. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. A proposed bill in Minnesota would ban wakesurfing along a stretch of the United States' longest river. The Mississippi River runs through the heart of Minnesota, giving residents access to plenty of aquatic recreational activities. But for a six-mile stretch just north of Minneapolis, Fox 9 reported, the river becomes more like a lake, with wake boats causing large waves that many residents believe are too dangerous. "It's going to happen that someone's really going to get hurt," local resident Tom McCullough told the news station. "When you have a dock or a floating dock or otherwise, you're like a drunken sailor trying to stand up on that dock. So, heaven forbid you have kids down here playing in the water." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That, along with a fear that the waves could cause coastal erosion, prompted state Sen. John Hoffman to author a bill banning the boats, and wakesurfing, from that six-mile area. Opponents of the bill, including the boating industry, point to studies that show that boat wakes help aquatic life by increasing the amount of oxygen in the water. Those studies also show, however, that boats are best for the water and the shoreline when operating 200 feet from shore. Other studies, such as one from Wisconsin's Green Fire in 2024, show that wake boats can have a major impact on the environment. "Major issues of concern from wake boats and recreational wakes include elevated risks of spreading aquatic invasive species, accelerating shoreline erosion, damaging aquatic plant communities, resuspending lake sediment, water column mixing, and disturbing fauna," the report stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sierra Club has noted that recreational boats and jet skis combine to use 1.4 billion gallons of gas annually. Although there are companies working on electric boats to combat that problem, it's still a hobby primarily powered by dirty energy. Between those environmental concerns and potential safety issues, many feel this bill is a no-brainer. "This is something they can easily do," McCullough told Fox 9. "We're not changing the world. We're just making this area safe." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A high school substitute teacher working at a Columbus, Ohio, area charter school was arrested under the suspicion of engaging in a murder-for-hire arrangement with a student. According to court documents, a student at the Academy for Urban Scholars High School, located in the Woodland Park area, was approached by a staff member and was offered $2,000 to kill her husband, with whom she is separated. The staffer, later identified as 44-year-old Stephanie Demetrius, allegedly solicited the student by initially giving them a $250 down payment for the job. Police said digital information was collected, which included a recording of a phone conversation between Demetrius and the student. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California town reports third fatality related to rare virus linked to death of Gene Hackmans wife During the phone call, Demetrius allegedly confirmed the remaining payment was not an issue, and that she owed an additional 15. She also noted her husband worked from home and when the kids would be out of the house. Police said that when the student asked if the neighbors would hear gunfire, she reportedly said that they dont care about the neighbors. Columbus Police Sgt. James Fuqua told Nexstars WCMH that the mother of the student had checked his phone and discovered messages between him and Demetrius. The mother and son then came forward to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though the extent of Demetrius relationship with the student is unknown, Fuqua said there appeared to be some history. There was communication back and forth via cell phone, he said. So not only was she involved with this young person at school, but she was also involved with this young person via phone conversations. And we believe there was other outside communication outside the school. According to case reports with the Columbus Division of Police, Demetrius has twice violated an order of protection filed by her ex-husband. In the report the complainant alleged Demetrius, who reportedly still has a key to her former residence in Dublin, let his dog out and turned on the gas to the outdoor patio, started a fire in the basement, and another time arrived to pick up clothing, but left without officers escorting her. Ohio bill would mandate success sequence education, including marriage before kids Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents also stated that Demetrius has tried to stab and run over her husband, and attempt to set his house on fire. Demetrius, who is a registered substitute teacher according to the states board of education database, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with felony conspiracy. She was issued a $150,000 bond in Franklin County Municipal Court and ordered to next appear in court on April 11 for a preliminary hearing. The Academy for Urban Scholars High School released a statement to WCMH and said Demetrius has terminated her employment. Fuqua said at this time no charges have been filed against the teenage student. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were thankful that we had a parent that is so active with a young person and staying on top of them, getting into their cell phone, Fuqua said. And, you know, without that, were not exactly sure where we would be. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. The American Cancer Society projects that approximately 124,730 Americans will succumb to lung cancer in 2025. This number exceeds the combined expected deaths from the next three most common types of cancer: prostate, breast and colon. Significant efforts are still required to raise awareness about lung cancer and the importance of lung cancer screening, with the goal of improving outcomes at both state and national levels. It is estimated that 3,200 individuals will be diagnosed with lung cancer annually in Oklahoma. Early-stage detection significantly improves long-term survival rates compared to later-stage diagnoses. However, 43% of lung cancer cases in Oklahoma are identified at a later stage, which impacts survival rates negatively. The 5-year survival rate for early-stage lung cancer is approximately 65%, while it is only 9% for lung cancer with distant spread. According to the American Lung Association, Oklahoma ranks 44th out of 47 states where testing has been done in early-stage lung cancer diagnosis and dead last among those 47 states for survival data. This statistic highlights an area with potential for improvement in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Cuts to Medicaid funding will send tidal wave through Oklahomas health system | Opinion In recent decades, the survival rate for lung cancer has improved significantly, primarily due to early detection. CT scans for lung cancer screening in high-risk individuals can assist in detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage, thereby enhancing survival rates. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) currently recommends lung cancer screening for individuals who meet the following criteria: Have smoked one pack per day for 20 years or more, Have smoked within the last 15 years, and Are between the ages of 50 and 80. The American Lung Association states that lung cancer screening scans can reduce lung cancer mortality rates by 20%. Enhancing lung cancer screening rates is crucial to improving lung cancer survival both statewide and nationally. The national rate for lung cancer screening within the affected population is approximately 16.5%, whereas, regrettably, Oklahoma ranks last among all 50 states with a screening rate of about 9% in the qualifying population. This disparity presents a significant opportunity to enhance lung cancer screenings and subsequently reduce mortality rates in the coming years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for lung cancer, with 80-90% of cases attributable to it. The continuous decline in cigarette smoking in the United States is anticipated to decrease the number of future lung cancer incidences. Extensive efforts have been made in Oklahoma to promote tobacco cessation, and complementary resources are available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for individuals who wish to cease smoking. If you believe that you or your loved ones may qualify for lung cancer screening, it is important to consult with your physician. A collaborative approach is essential to enhance lung cancer outcomes in Oklahoma, contributing to a healthier community. Samid M. Farooqui Samid M. Farooqui is a pulmonary critical care physician from Oklahoma City. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Early screening could improve cancer survival rate in OK| Opinion Dutch Bros Inc (NYSE: BROS) has been an outlier in the food and beverage industry. At a time when many restaurants face challenges to grow, the beverage company delivered 33% revenue growth in 2024. The stock has recently performed even better, giving investors an 87% return in the last 12 months (as of April 1). But before you rush into buying the coffee-chain stock, let's explore why investors are excited about the company. Image source: Getty Images. An up-and-coming food and beverage company In a world where most people are familiar with Starbucks coffee, Dutch Bros is a rather unconventional coffee company. Founded in 1992, Dutch Bros began operating on a single pushcart selling espresso. As the business grew, the company added carts and eventually established the drive-thru coffee shop model. It kept adding new stores over the years, and by the end of 2024, it had 982 locations across 18 states. In addition to operating mainly drive-thru shops (as opposed to traditional sit-down cafes), the beverage company's biggest sellers are its cold and ice-blended drinks, accounting for 87% of the company's total beverage sales in 2024. This product portfolio differs significantly from those of traditional coffee shops, where hot beverages account for the most significant portion of sales. This rising coffee company competes against its larger peer by focusing on serving high-quality, hand-crafted beverages fast and with superior service. Besides its core espresso-based beverages, Dutch Bros now offers a wide range of differentiated and customizable cold and hot beverages. By offering a wider menu that's customizable, Dutch Bros appeals to a broad array of customer demands. The company is highly focused on building a loyal customer base via strategies like community building, a strong loyalty program, and high customer engagement on social media. The result is a highly engaged customer group, with 71% of transactions going through the loyalty program. Dutch Bros has a clear growth path Dutch Bros has been growing rapidly in recent years. In the last five years, revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50% due to rapid store expansion and same-store growth. While the coffee expert is no longer a small company -- it generated $1.3 billion of revenue in 2024 -- the estimated market opportunity of more than $150 billion presents a clear path for growth. The good news is that the company has strategies to keep its growth machine spinning in the coming years. The most obvious method is via store openings. According to the company's latest presentation, there is a 3,500-shop opportunity in the U.S. states in which it already operates. That doesn't include the opportunity in other states that it has yet to enter. In 2025, the company plans to add 160 stores in existing and new markets. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A man died in the Green Sea area after he was shot by his roommate on Saturday, the Horry County Coroners Office said. Charles Jones, 45, was shot at 6:45 p.m. and died in his and his roommates home on Bay View Drive after they got into an argument, according to the coroners office. The Horry County Police Department is investigating. Count on News13 for updates. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Its anybodys guess how long Pete Hegseth will be Secretary of Defense, given the wont-go-away controversy over his use of Signal to share details of an impending attack on Houthi forces in Yemen. Maybe hell weather that storm. On the chance that he does, I have a bone to pick with him less cosmic, but something that speaks volumes about his probity and fitness for office. It's about the flag, Old Glory. Americans, most of us anyway, cherish the flag and are proud to display it (preferably the right way rather than inverted, as the U.S. Code permits, as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property). President Nixon seems to have been the first holder of that office to make a practice of wearing the flag as a lapel pin. Indeed, he required White House staffers to do so as well. The practice caught on, and now its nearly de rigueur for politicians to wear it on their attire. In fact, its grown so ubiquitous that it has become an empty gesture, the sartorial equivalent of saying thank you for your service to anyone who now serves or ever did. Overused, it tends to lose meaning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Enter Pete Hegseth, who has mastered the full MAGA look, according to New York Times fashion and style reporter Jacob Gallagher. Mr. Hegseth is clearly into displays, as witness his attention-grabbing tattoos. But his tattoos are his problem notable now mostly for the fact that they would very likely prevent him from entering the armed forces if he today sought to enlist. In any case, they are hidden from view, except when he or others circulate photos of them. More disquieting, given his role as top civilian official in the Defense Department, is the poor example he sets when displaying the flag. Video taken during his round of pre-confirmation Senate interviews shows him ostentatiously opening his suit jacket to display a garish American-flag lining. Who does this mans wardrobe? Geez. But at least a suit lining is not on perpetual display. So lets talk about his American-flag pocket square. It seems to be a permanent part of his day-to-day dress-for-political-success attire. Who even knew there was such a thing? A quick internet search reveals that flag-motif pocket squares are readily available from a variety of sources. So whats wrong? Whats wrong is not merely that section 8(d) of the flag code forbids use of the flag as wearing apparel, as a letter to the editor of the Washington Times pointed out, but, more specifically, that a pocket square is a handerkerchief. And a handkerchiefs purpose, other than as a fashion statement, is to keep things tidy when blowing ones nose. As a result, Mr. Hegseths pocket square is nothing to sneeze at. Indeed, using the flag as a handkerchief has at least twice led to courts-martial. A hospitalman at the former Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Mass., was charged with, among other things, desecrating the flag by blowing his nose on one. His intrepid Yale-educated defense counsel having precious little to work with got the flag charge dismissed, arguing that but for the accident of physiognomy, the accuseds deed would have been protected free speech (or as we say in courts-martial words to that effect). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Years later, in United States v. Wilson, the Army Court of Military Review wrote: The appellant, a military policeman (MP), while preparing for a flag-raising detail, complained to his fellow MPs that the Army and the United States sucked. Another MP told him that he should move to a communist country if he didnt like it. The appellant replied, [t]his is what I think, and blew his nose on the American flag, leaving on the flag a small wet circle. After another brief exchange of words, the appellant participated without further incident in the flag-raising detail. For his action the appellant was charged with dereliction of duty in that he willfully failed to ensure that the United States flag was treated with proper respect by blowing his nose on the flag when it was his duty as a military policeman on flag call to safeguard and protect the flag. Rejecting a First Amendment challenge, the court upheld Private Wilsons conviction and sentence to four months in the stockade, a bad-conduct discharge, and other penalties. If Pete Hegseth wants to show how patriotic he is, he might consider displaying a different pocket square. If he wants to set a proper example, he must do so. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Trump administrations cuts in foreign aid have consequences, both far-reaching and here in Oregon. Dana Haynes, the Director of Editorial Content at the Portland Tribune, shared his take in this weeks Give Me a Minute. Watch the full video in the player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Most Democratic operatives will tell you today that the Democratic Party thrives as a big tent. And truth be told, ours remains a remarkably diverse institution, with constituent elements from every part of the country that span a broad swath of ideological viewpoints. In many cases, that diversity is the key to Democrats winning in conservative-leaning districts. For example, this past cycle, we saw 13 Democratic congressional candidates, nearly all of whom were backed by New Dems or Blue Dogs, elected in districts that supported Trump at the presidential level. Without being able to field candidates who differ ideologically from their more progressive peers, those seats would almost certainly have been lost. But you wouldnt necessarily know this listening to Democrats talk at the national level, including those enamored of the large crowds drawn by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Thats because, in Washington, Democrats often cede too much political ground to the loudest and most organized fringes of our large coalition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the name of keeping the peace internally, we have allowed politicians and activist groups from our left-most flank to seize an outsized role in defining the partys national brand. This, in turn, has opened the doors for our political opponents on the right to paint the lefts most politically toxic policies and messaging as core beliefs of all Democrats. Some Democrats might be tempted to ignore this problem for the time being, or even dismiss it as a real issue altogether. As Trump floods the zone with attacks on our democratic norms and continues to tank the stock market with his tariffs, too many Democrats are more than content to sit back and focus solely on opposition tactics. However, this approach is a little different from what got us here in the first place. The first step to stopping Trump and stemming the rising tide of authoritarianism is to engage, at long last, the debates weve largely muffled within the party. This starts by recognizing that the historic strength of the Democratic Party is directly tied to the support it draws from the nations working-class voters, and subsequently acknowledging that the agenda that now defines our brand has clearly failed on that front, as polling has shown in the aftermath of November. When examining this problem, we tend to endlessly debate whether the working-class rejection of our party is more on economic or cultural grounds. Set aside the fact that so many more minority voters within the working class voted for Trump this time around, despite his continued race-baiting and xenophobia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we need to accept is that the far left has driven Democrats to embrace a series of issues that are both economically and culturally at odds with what most working-class voters say they want. Take some examples from when the Democratic Party was popular among working-class voters. In 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama campaigned on a pledge to punish employers who hired illegal immigrants, and complained that Republicans were cynically welcoming undocumented laborers into the country to drive down labor costs. He argued that undocumented immigrants should pay a large fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line if they wanted to earn legal status. But today, these positions are considered controversial within the Democratic coalition because the far left rejects anything that casts illegal immigrants as anything but hapless victims. As a result of Democrats perceived shift to the left, working-class voters who are citizens view Democrats as both culturally unaligned with their concerns and as responsible for driving down working-class wages. Is it any mystery why they were tempted to support MAGA? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The great irony here is that, when elected, former President Joe Biden embraced an agenda pretty much in line with Obamas rhetoric. The fact is Bidens administration deported illegal aliens at a faster pace than Trump had in his first term. This illustrates another key weakness for our party: Even when we do pursue policies with widespread appeal, we fail to tell the story for fear of offending activist groups. As a result, even in this circumstance where Democratic policy is aligned with working-class sensibilities, the influence of pro-immigration, progressive groups on our message-making overshadows our actual record and undermines our political appeal. A similar story defines the fight for energy independence. The Biden administration green-lit record amounts of oil and gas production inside the U.S., but the White House almost never made mention of this fact for fear of drawing the ire of climate activists. Contrast this to the celebratory announcements made when the Biden White House paused American liquefied natural gas export projects. Voters in Pennsylvania heard about that and they resented it. To be clear, most working-class voters are sympathetic to the cause of addressing climate change. But the majority of Americans prefer an all of the above approach which considers impacts on jobs, energy bills, and national security all at once. They are also open to pragmatic ideas that dont jive with progressive dogma, like using natural gas as a cheaper, cleaner alternative to dirtier fossil fuels as more renewables come online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The days must end of refusing to rock the boat in the name of party unity. As Democrats, we must do two things at once: be a united front against Trumps unconstitutional power grabs and address the messaging and policy issues within our own ranks that have sidelined us to the minority. If we only focus on the former, and fail to redefine the politically toxic parts of our brand, we stand little chance of winning back working Americans and building the large, durable majority needed to defeat the MAGA movement. Stuart Malec is the national political director at Progressive Policy Institute. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Now that Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are safe home on Earth, NASA and Boeing are turning to the original cause of their extended stay on the International Space Station. They are figuring out what to do about the Boeing Starliner. Williams and Wilmore originally flew to the International Space Station aboard a Starliner. NASA only intended for them to remain in the orbiting laboratory for eight days. But because of problems with the thrusters and helium leaks, the eight-day mission stretched into nine months before the astronauts could return home on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon. The Starliner they flew up on returned to Earth without them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starliners trip to the International Space Station was more fraught with danger than was hitherto revealed. At one point, it was questionable whether the vehicle could approach the space station or whether it would have to abort and return to Earth. It took some top-notch piloting by Wilmore to bring the spacecraft to the space station. To quote the Duke of Wellington, NASA and Boeing have decided regarding Starliner that they are in for a penny, in for a pound. They plan to study and fix the problems plaguing the rival spacecraft to the SpaceX Crew Dragon and bring it to operational status, no matter what. According to Space.com, ground testing of the Starliners errant thrusters has revealed a reason why they went wrong in flight. Repeated thruster firings can apparently warm up the doghouses so much that some of their Teflon seals bulge, affecting propellant flow. NASA and Boeing call the thruster pods doghouses. They are also looking at improved seals to deal with the helium leak problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ars Technica reports that NASA and Boeing will spend most of 2025 subjecting the Starliner to extensive tests before certifying it to fly again. Whether the next Starliner flight will carry crew or just cargo is unclear. The flight is scheduled to take place late this year or early next. The real problem facing the Boeing Starliner consists of what happens after it is certified for flight. It will have no more than five flight opportunities to take crews to and from the International Space Station before the it ends its service in 2030. By contrast, SpaceX has already flown 10 missions to the station. That flight schedule is not enough to justify the spacecrafts expense, setting aside NASAs desire to have more than one way to transport astronauts to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA is partnering with a number of commercial companies to deploy private space stations to replace and even expand the functions that the space agencys orbiting lab has performed for most of this century. These new facilities will need to be resupplied and have crews rotated on a regular basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starliner could be used to help maintain these commercial space stations, along with the Crew Dragon and any other spacecraft developed in the meantime. Despite rumors to the contrary, Boeing is not planning to sell its space business. But if this giant legacy aerospace company intends to compete with newer, nimbler firms like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Rocket Lab, it will need to learn from them. SpaceX has already sold commercial missions beyond the contracted NASA flights to the space station. The AXIOM missions that sent private space travelers to the station are one example. Two other examples are the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn flights conducted by Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur nominated as the new NASA administrator. Most recently, the astronauts of the Fram2 mission have flown the first crewed flight in a polar orbit, a dream of space planners for decades. They were the first humans to see the poles of the Earth from space in real time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Can Boeing do the same with Starliner? Or is the spacecrafts brand irreparably harmed by what happened in its first and thus far only crewed flight? One unassailable fact is that the commercial space sector as we know it would not likely exist without the SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk. Without his combination of drive, imagination, risk taking and luck, Musk would not have been able to forge SpaceX into the powerhouse company that it is today. One could also say, without exaggeration, that America would not have a crewed space program were it not for Musk and SpaceX. Boeing is thus faced with a stark choice. Regardless of what happens with the Starliner, the venerable aerospace giant must adapt or die. There is no third alternative. Mark R. Whittington, who writes frequently about space policy, has published a political study of space exploration entitled Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? as well as The Moon, Mars and Beyond , and, most recently, Why is America Going Back to the Moon? He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In a time marked by unspeakable horrors in Gaza, the Democratic Party faithful still found time to laud Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for his 25-hour Senate speech. His spectacle, hailed as a triumph of Democratic grit, reveals a deep rot in a party so enamored with its own theatrics that it turns a blind eye to the carnage it funded and supported under the Biden administration. To cheer Booker while Palestinians in Gaza are being slaughtered by Israel is not just tone-deaf. It is a damning indictment of a party as morally bankrupt as the Republicans led by President Trump. The numbers alone should stop us cold. Since October 2023, Israels offensive has led to the deaths of more than 59,000 Palestinians in Gaza (one-third of them children), injured more than 116,000, buried countless others under Gazas rubble, and made millions homeless. In addition, Israel has deliberately cut off food, water and electricity a war crime that the U.S. has done nothing to stop that is pushing Gaza to the edge of famine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, reports emerged of Israeli soldiers executing 15 paramedics. In addition, since the beginning of 2024 the UN has reported discovery of mass graves around a number of hospitals containing the bodies of executed Palestinians. Yet amid this ongoing carnage, Democrats chose to fawn over Bookers speech which, for all its stamina, did nothing to fix Americas broken moral compass. This is not the mark of a party that values humanity. It is the behavior of a political cult, obsessed with symbolic gestures while failing to address real problems affecting peoples lives. Booker himself is also guilty. He has pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years from pro-Israel groups. Far from being a champion of justice, Booker (like other Democrats) is a cog in the machine that Democrats have oiled and maintained that has led to the Gaza carnage. The accolades for Booker arent just misplaced they are symptoms of a pestilence within the Democratic establishment. Democrats condemn Trumpism as a fascist specter, yet the partys unwavering support for Israel, its coziness with corporate interests and its refusal to confront its own complicity have erased any claim to moral superiority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Booker posed for a photo in 2024 with Yoav Gallant Israels former defense minister, now wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes it wasnt an aberration. It was a snapshot of a politician (and a party) that preaches human rights while embracing those who trample them with impunity. The Democratic establishments supreme hypocrisy is a sign of a cult-like loyalty that places greater importance on Bookers theatrics while ignoring the deadly violence faced by Palestinians, which has eroded trust in democracy itself. It is one of the reasons for the rise of Trumpism because Democrats have offered platitudes instead of justice for years, a formula successfully emulated by Trump. Look at the partys record which has paved the way for attacks on immigrants and visa students protesting over Gaza, with some being arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents like a scene out of Soviet Russia. The racist and bigoted targeting of Muslims, Arabs and non-white communities didnt spring from a vacuum it grew in the soil cultivated by a party that talks about equity and inclusivity but bankrolls Islamophobia, racism and oppression. Its no wonder that millions from Muslim and non-white voters rejected the Democrats in last years election. The contrast is stark. While people protesting Gaza face abductions by ICE, and Palestinians endure atrocities, Democrats cheer a meaningless filibuster. This is complete cowardice on the part of Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A party that claims to defend the marginalized cannot square that with taking cash from pro-Israel groups, nor with standing by Israel as its war crimes mount. The ICCs pursuit of Netanyahu and Gallant underscores the gravity of the situation, yet Democrats remain unmoved. Those who bristle at this critique should look within themselves and find their humanity. Because if they can stomach applauding those that enable atrocities, theyre not defending democracy, theyre perpetuating its decline. The Democratic Partys refusal to break from this pattern mirrors the blind allegiance of Trumps MAGA cultists. Both seek power at the expense of morality and principle. Both sacrifice innocent lives for empty political platitudes and theatrics. If calling out Bookers (and his partys) complicity for actions in Gaza feels offensive to some, that assessment says volumes about the dearth of humanity among these people. Performative politics wont erase the mass graves, starving Palestinian children or the silenced voices of victims. Its time to stop applauding meaningless performative politics. Shame on those who have enabled the brutalization of Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fareed Khan is a government relations and public policy professional with over three decades of experience. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. On March 25, masked plainclothes federal agents surrounded, seized and handcuffed a Turkish doctoral student named Rumeysa Ozturk near her home outside Boston. Ozturk, who is enrolled at Tufts University on a valid student visa, was bundled into an unmarked car and shipped to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. Authorities claim, without offering evidence, that Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas. But her principle offense appears to be co-authoring an opinion essay criticizing Tuftss response to the war in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video footage of the arrest was shocking but, these days, not surprising. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Trump repeatedly threatened to crack down on campus protesters. Last May, he told campaign donors that any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, theyre going to behave. Shortly after taking office, Trump announced, To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before. Last month, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student with a green card and a pregnant American wife, was the first detained and threatened with deportation. He was accused, apparently without evidence, of ties to Hamas. Other students and researchers at Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Georgetown, the University of Alabama and elsewhere have subsequently been targeted for deportation because they posed unspecified national security concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary of State Marco Rubio estimates he has revoked more than 300 visas of students and other international visitors whose activities are counter to our foreign policy. Every time I find one of these lunatics, he told reporters, I take away their visas. Rubio may be using the State Departments recently launched catch and revoke program, which enlists artificial intelligence to scour social media to identify foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other designated terror groups. Similar efforts are being made to deny visas to students who have criticized the U.S. or Israel, in keeping with an executive order urging deportation of foreign nationals who have adopted hostile attitudes toward American citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles. In a departure from past practice, students deprived of their visas are being forced to leave the country immediately. And increasingly, foreign visitors and researchers at U.S. ports of entry are being denied admission or subjected to intrusive searches of their cell phones and laptops. Multiple lawsuits have already been filed challenging the legality of these detentions and deportations, raising issues at the intersection of free speech, due process and immigration law. But there is a more fundamental question that the focus on contested legal issues risks obscuring: Is the Trump administrations treatment of foreign students and researchers consistent with American values, norms and interests? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, offers an obvious answer in a recent essay decrying the Trump administrations deportation of campus activists: If we sacrifice our constitutional freedoms in the pursuit of security, we undermine the very foundation of the diverse, pluralistic society we seek to defend. The Constitution clearly acknowledges the free speech and due process rights of noncitizens within the U.S., but the application of those rights in the immigration context is often unclear, given the governments broad discretion over visas, detentions and deportations. The administration is relying in large part on a vague and seldom used provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which permits the secretary of State to deport noncitizens if there is a reasonable ground to believe their presence would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences. The Trump administration is clearly targeting students and researchers for their political beliefs in defiance of the First Amendment. He is doing so in numbers not seen since the McCarthy Era, when the government sought to deport thousands of noncitizens alleged to be Communist sympathizers. The result is a climate of fear and anxiety. Unable to wait for courts to sort through the legal thicket, many noncitizen students, faculty and staff are avoiding international travel and any protest activity, social media posts, public writings or scholarship that might make them a target for deportation. Some fear to attend classes or campus events. The dean of Columbias Graduate School of Journalism warned his institutions international students that nobody can protect you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is hard to overstate the damage now being done to American higher education. The freedom to pursue ideas wherever they lead has made U.S. colleges and universities the envy of the world. Chilling the expression of a substantial segment of the community weakens the entire community. Prospective international students are already questioning the wisdom and safety of studying in the U.S., potentially depriving American higher education some of the worlds most talented young people, who often become productive American citizens or return home and apply the lessons of democracy in their countries. America also risks losing faculty and graduate students critical to the advanced research that helps power the U.S. economy. Is this the America we aspire to be? A country where masked agents clothed in black can seize foreign students on the street; give them little or no opportunity to know, let alone refute, the basis for their detention; and then deport them? Where a man, whose wife and autistic five-year-old son are U.S. citizens residing in Maryland, can be deported to El Salvador due to an administrative error, which Justice Department officials say they cannot rectify because he is now in custody in a foreign country? As the courts address the legal questions, Americans across the political spectrum should speak out. Conservatives, who have long opposed excessive government intrusion into the lives of individuals, should be especially incensed, and their demands that this profoundly un-American activity cease might carry far more political weight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administrations flood the zone strategy makes it hard to focus on any one threat, whether to higher education or democratic institutions generally. But if we do not speak up when others are being taken away, we risk, to paraphrase German theologian Martin Niemollers famous poem, a world in which there is no one left to speak out for us. Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Emeritus Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. David Wippman is emeritus president of Hamilton College. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. It was significant and wise that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carneys first trip abroad was to the United Kingdom and France. Rather than focusing on Washington, Canadas next elected prime minister, whether Carney or Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, should continue thinking generationally about Canadas economic and security partnerships with Britain and Europe. America under President Trump is withdrawing from its postwar global leadership role, but Europe is moving in precisely the opposite direction. Europe is getting much more serious on geopolitical risk management and national security. Meanwhile, Canada needs a more diversified portfolio of strategic friends and assets following the close of Pax Americana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two huge opportunities have arisen that could boost Canadian defense capability in tandem with Europes. According to the Financial Times, the European Union intends to bulk purchase weapons, opening procurement exclusively to EU defence contractors and those from third countries that have signed defence agreements with the [EU]. Additionally, according to Bloomberg, major European pensions are in the spirit of better late than never reviewing their Environmental, Social and Governance or ESG policies to enable investment in defense industries once again. The former initiative alone represents nearly $900 billion in demand signal for British and European defense industries why shouldnt Canada be considered? Canada already has the core building blocks in place to present an ambitious plan for Euro-Atlantic defense production during future Europe-Canada discussions. Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada developed the Canada-European Union free trade deal, known as CETA. Under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada launched a basic free trade agreement with the UK, with talks of expansion now back on the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a next step, Canada could announce its intent to replicate our U.S. defense-industrial cooperation privileges with Britain and Europe, so that the EU and UK governments treat the Canadian defense industry as domestic and free from trade friction with Canada reciprocating. Canada should also fast-track defense and security pact negotiations with the EU, leveraging relationships and processes built through CETA. This would not simply serve Canadas interests; Canada produces some of the most critical defense assets for Europe. This includes 155mm howitzer shells, for which global allied stockpiles have plummeted as the free world feeds Ukraines defensive efforts, along with light weapons platforms in common use by allied militaries across North America, Britain and Europe. Not only that, but a potential pivot in Ottawa from the balance of its F-35 fighter jet order with the U.S. to a European fighter to replace the Royal Canadian Air Forces fleet of aging CF-18s a move officially under consideration by the governing Liberals could sweeten the deal even further. This rebalancing of Canadas North Atlantic security relationships should not be seen as merely a kneejerk reaction to President Trumps trade war provocations. Frankly, diversifying Canadas trade and defense posture is run-of-the-mill geostrategic housekeeping that Canada should have been more serious about decades ago. The nations concentration risk, in terms of outright dependency on the U.S. in both spheres, is very high. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historically, the quid pro quo for American security guarantees is a commitment by American allies to buy from U.S. defense companies. Without that financial pull toward U.S. industry, global defense investment patterns are rebalancing toward Europe. Without over-correcting, and while clearly remaining in the Western sphere for purchases and technology integration, Canada should tilt its defense industrial base to where the puck is going. Canadas recently announced partnership with Australia on Over-the-Horizon Radar technology for deployment in the Canadian Arctic may prove a template for future procurement and partnership. This collaboration on key technology demonstrates Canadas solid intent to remain within the U.S. sphere of influence (Australia is a key partner in the AUKUS nuclear submarine procurement), protects an area of vital interest to both the United States and Canada, and deftly balances the need to develop alternative bilateral partnerships for defense and technology procurement. By working with the Europeans to create powerful new procurement architecture for pressing defense concerns, Canadas next prime minister could do more for its domestic military-industrial base than any prime minister in living memory. Importantly, there is a historical symmetry to this moment. In World War II, Canada served as the armory of the allies, producing small arms, artillery and vehicles for the allied war effort in Europe, owing in part to our still-relevant geographic insulation from the war. Lee-Enfield rifles protected British Commonwealth forces, while Colt pistols sat upon many allied hips. Canada produced 800,000 military vehicles for the effort, while bomb girls across Ontario helped Canadians and our allies march toward Germany with the munitions needed for victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In spite of the clear near-term tensions, the Canada-U.S. relationship will remain the most important defense relationship for both countries. It is in each countrys best interest that Canada take measures to serve European allies and to build more links with aligned countries on a basis of technology sharing and defense. Ultimately, the U.S. seeks a reliable, well-resourced ally to defend against Chinese and Russian incursion in the continents northern reaches, while Canada seeks to maintain confidence and influence in organizations such as NORAD. Anticipating the country can indeed find success in meeting European needs, a Canadian industry actively serving and pursuing defense and technology collaboration with Asian allies such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan could also help Washington understand Canadas value. The opportunity for Canada to partner in Europes rearmament may prove fleeting, as Europe looks to rearm quickly. If Canadas next prime minister wants to signal serious Canadian leadership on the world stage and trade diversification in the near term, another trip to Europe should occur shortly after an anticipated Canadian federal election. Mark Lawson, a former deputy chief of staff to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, is an independent consultant based in Toronto. Matthew Bondy is a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and the Center for North American Prosperity and Security and the founder of Bondy & Associates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Orrin G. Hatch Foundation is continuing its tradition of bringing Senate heavyweights to Utah to honor them with the foundations annual Titan of Public Service Award. Two years ago we honored former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Secretary Elaine Chao. Last year we honored current Senate Majority Leader John Thune. This year were thrilled to host Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. Sen. Cotton is an American hero. After college and law school at Harvard, he left a lucrative law practice to join the U.S. Army following the Sept. 11 attacks. He served as an infantry officer in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Between his overseas tours, he also served with The Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery, which protects the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Sen. Cotton was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge for his bravery in combat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Cotton was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Two years later, in 2014, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating a two-term incumbent. He quickly established himself as a leader on national security, energy and financial services issues. Sen. Cotton also rose through the ranks to become the third-ranking member in Senate Republic Leadership as Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, where he works closely with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso to advance legislation and nominees. In addition to his responsibilities in Senate leadership, Sen. Cotton is the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a senior member of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the latter now chaired by Utah Sen. Mike Lee. On the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, Sen. Cotton is deeply involved in cybersecurity, aerospace and defense issues. He has been particularly outspoken on the need to protect government data security and guard against unauthorized foreign access to Americans private information. He has also been a strong advocate for our nations military and ensuring the United States continued position as a global superpower. On foreign policy, like Sen. Hatch, Sen. Cotton is a steadfast defender of Israel and a strong opponent of Irans efforts to sow terror and instability in the Middle East. Hes also one of the most vocal critics of communist Chinas influence, having recently published a New York Times bestselling book on this topic. When it comes to energy issues, Sen. Cotton has long advocated for energy independence and the need to unlock our nations natural resources. As an avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast, he values the importance of protecting access to wilderness areas and defending Americans Second Amendment rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A strong conservative, Sen. Cotton also looks for opportunities to work across the aisle with his Democratic colleagues. His recent bipartisan efforts include a bill with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine to examine the academic and mental health impacts of cellphone use in schools and a bill to reduce drug shortages. Sen. Cottons work and experience touch on areas of significant importance to Utahns. His focus on defense and national security issues is crucially important to our states military installations and burgeoning aerospace and defense industries. He is deeply involved in cloud and data privacy issues, both of which are central to Utahs tech sector. And few subjects are more important to our state than energy production and natural resources, where Sen. Cotton has an important voice. On a personal level, Sen. Cotton enjoyed a warm relationship with Sen. Hatch during their time in the Senate. Sen. Hatch recognized Sen. Cottons tremendous abilities early on and sought opportunities to mentor the young senator, knowing he would become an important leader for our country. Sen. Cotton represents the best of American leadership. He served with bravery and distinction in the military, where he risked his life defending our nations interests. As a senator, he has continued to stand up for those interests, ensuring our country has the tools it needs to defend itself and promote peace and stability abroad. He believes deeply in Americas greatness and capacity to make the world a better place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Cotton is a true Titan of Public Service. The Hatch Foundation is thrilled to honor him and introduce him to more of our fellow Utahns. Hes someone we all should know. Sen. Cotton will receive the Titan of Public Service Award at a special gala in Salt Lake City on August 7. For ticket inquiries, please visit orrinhatchfoundation.org/titan. UPDATE: The Orlando Police Department have identified and arrested 42-year-old Keishawn A. Richards. He was taken into custody without incident at his residence by the OPD SWAT team and is charged with manslaughter. PREVIOUS STORY: As many as 15 police vehicles were on the scene of a deadly shooting in Orlando early Sunday morning. It happened just around 2 a.m. when the incident call was reported at 2155 West Colonial Drive. Officers then found one person shot dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The site - Magic Mall - is located near Texas Avenue and has a large parking lot. The whole block was isolated as many officers worked through the scene. It is scary, said Christine Marsh, who works in the area. I got here and called my manager to let him know. Officers said we cannot go in, and I left my purse in there. Christine was just one of the many shoppers and workers who were caught by surprise when they arrived at the location filled with crime scene tape and evidence markers. About six people were within the block-off area speaking with police officers. One of them appeared to be crying. Investigators were focused on two vehicles when officers with the Medical Examiners Office arrived. No information so far has been released regarding the victim or the circumstances of the shooting. Although theres still a large police presence in the area, no lanes on West Colonial Drive have been blocked off. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Samara Smith, an organizer with Step Up Louisiana, speaks at a Hands Off rally April 5, 2025 at Lafayette Square in New Orleans. (Safura Syed/Verite News) NEW ORLEANS Hundreds of people gathered in Lafayette Square for a rally against the Trump administration Saturday afternoon. The protest was a part of a national mass mobilization effort, Hands Off, which advocates against cuts to government services like Social Security and loss of protections for marginalized groups. The first three months of President Donald Trumps administration have been marked by uncertainty as the president and Elon Musk cut funding to various government agencies and laid off hundreds of workers. Around 20% of revenue in the New Orleans city budget for 2025 comes from federal funds. Statewide, the reliance on federal dollars is even larger, making up around 50% of the budget. Cuts have already put funds for HIV treatment and environmental projects in jeopardy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civic leaders including New Orleans City Council members JP Morrell and Helena Moreno spoke at the rally. Morrell compared the current state of the federal government to the Civil Rights era, citing the surveillance of activists. We are going to organize at our kitchen tables, at our bars, our restaurants, in the parks, like our forefathers did, Morrell said during his speech. Thats whats necessary. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lisa Green, a resident of Bayou St. John, said she was worried about threats to public education. She drew connections to her mothers advocacy for civil rights during the sixties and seventies. Green attended the rally despite unfounded warnings she saw on social media about martial law being enacted on protestors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im just trying to keep her legacy going and keep things straight and safe for my grandkids, Green said. If youre fighting for something that you believe in, thats just a chance you have to take. Attendees expressed their frustrations with the billionaire Musks control over the federal government. Metairie resident Whitt Conner came to the rally with his family and strung a handmade Cybertruck pinata to a tree. Conner said Trumps policies have created a nation in which he and his family cannot survive, especially because members of his family are on Medicaid. After the speeches concluded, people flocked to the tree for a chance to hit the Cybertruck pinata. A Cybertruck pinata made by Metairie resident Whitt Conner and his family hangs from a tree in Lafayette Square in New Orleans at a Hands Off rally April 5, 2025. Speeches emphasized community building, education and standing up to conservative agendas locally and nationally. Members of immigrant rights group Union Migrante implored elected officials to protect rights of undocumented migrants in the city and for the police to not collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that oversees deportations. If youre a person with privilege, if youre white and you have wealth and connections, its the moment to use that for good to take the risk, to talk to your friend whos a politician, to take to email, to stand up, to film ICE and tell them that this is shameful, what theyre doing, Union Migrante member Edith Romero said. We are taking a risk right now, being publicly, locally, fighting for our rights. If we can do it, you can do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Union Migrante and other advocacy groups, like Step Up Louisiana and the Worker Justice Project, organized the New Orleans rally. Sue Mobley, a member of Indivisible NOLA, a progressive political advocacy group, was one of the organizers. Before the rally, she told Verite News that the peaceful protest would focus on calls to action, especially as voters express mounting frustration at the state of federal politics. Part of why its important to get people out in the street and get people involved in the long term, is to reduce that feeling of helplessness and give it somewhere to go, Mobley said. Not all of us are going to run for Congress tomorrow, but a lot more of us can show up at school board meetings and city council meetings and be engaged where we are most impacted. Samara Smith, an organizer at worker and racial justice group Step Up Louisiana called on elected officials to fight back. Our expectations from you, our elected officials, is that when they push the line, you push back harder, Smith said in a speech. When they toe the line, you pull it tighter and make it clear youre willing to put your body and your career on the line to protect our liberties. Because I promise you, the ones you need to fear are not AIPAC, its not Shell and its not Lockheed Martin. Its us, the people, and we will remember. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This article first appeared on Verite News New Orleans and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Tim Walz isn't laughing. The former vice presidential candidate and current governor of Minnesota stopped by CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, taking a moment to criticize former running mate Kamala Harris over comments she made last week. Speaking at the Leading Women Defined Summit in California on Thursday, Harris played the role of an in-the-know adviser whose advice wasn't heeded. There were many things that we knew would happen. Im not here to say I told you so, the former vice president said. I swore I wasnt going to say that! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to Jake Tapper, Walz let loose on the former vice president. He noted that she was the face of the Democratic Party's massive loss, saying she should own up to the result. When I criticize, Im criticizing myself, Walz said. I own this. Im part of the ticket, and somebody has to come up with a strategy. Tapper said that Harris' warnings were not "compelling enough to win," a sentiment that earned agreement from Walz. Walz said that Democrats shouldn't be in the business of barbs and snark for the next four years. He called on the party to do some soul-searching and figure out why their message wasn't resonating with voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do think the challenge for Democratsand this is, I think, a structural problem thats going to take a lot more thinkingwhy, with all of that out there, did they not think we were any better than that?" Walz said. And Im very concerned with the folks who stayed home, and these are folks that Ill say once againDonald Trump has identified their angst." Walz said that the president has captured a group of voters whose "economic future is so precarious it could slip out from under them" and charged the party with crafting a message that grabs those people. "It should have been a slam dunk," Walz shared. "We're the party that's going to protect Social Security and Medicare...We didn't do that. So, I'm concerned." Walz's solution seems to be a digestible message and a defined identity for Democrats. "When I was young, it was easy to know what a Democrat was. They stood with the working class and labor. Republicans were...for the rich," he said. "Today, you ask people, they don't [know]." The Turkish opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) of imprisoned and deposed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is set to gather in Ankara on Sunday for an extraordinary party congress. The congress in the capital is to be followed by a rally on Sunday in solidarity with the CHP's presidential candidate Imamoglu, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said this week. Imamoglu's arrest and subsequent removal from office in March plunged Turkey into its worst political crisis in over a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of thousands of people have participated in anti-government demonstrations across Turkey. The CHP has planned weekly protests starting next week despite pressure from authorities. Imamoglu and several aides are accused of corruption and supporting the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Imamoglu rejects the allegations as politically motivated. The CHP sees the move as a government manoeuvre to eliminate a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and has demanded a snap election. Turkey's next presidential election is scheduled for 2028. The secular CHP is already under investigation over a 2023 party congress. Allegations include that party members were bribed to vote for Ozel. Ozel and the party deny the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The party leader said in March that Sunday's congress is to legally avoid the government appointing a trustee to the party. Ozel is expected to be re-elected as party leader. The long-time Islamic conservative leader Erdogan recently threatened to expose more graft within the CHP and questioned the party's legitimacy. Jewish families will gather for Passover this year in circumstances that will, like the celebration itself, reflect on dark times while looking ahead toward better ones to come. The first two nights of the celebration involve a Seder, a ritual meal bringing together the family. As a scholar of the Bible and ancient Judaism, I believe Passover is a particularly poignant time to recognize the tragedies of the past year and offer hope for the future. Passover story The Passover is a festival found in the Bible that commemorates the escape of the Israelites, led by Moses, from Egypt as recounted in the book of Exodus. Prior to the departure of the enslaved Israelites, God delivered a series of plagues on Egypt, culminating in the killing of the firstborn son in every Egyptian family, including the firstborn of the livestock. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israelites, however, place the blood of a lamb on their doorposts to signal that the destroyer, an angel responsible for the killing, should skip, or pass over, those homes. This story came to function as a powerful narrative of persecution and liberation for Jewish people. The command to celebrate and remember the exodus from Egypt and the Passover for future generations is encoded in the Bible itself: according to the book of Exodus, God commands Moses, even prior to their departure from Egypt, that the Israelites and their descendants are to commemorate this event. The celebration of the Passover includes a script, called the Passover Haggadah. The Haggadah contains ancient rituals, some of which may have been practiced as early as the second century C.E., though the full script exists in later, medieval manuscripts. Story of the four sons Today, many families also create their own versions of the Haggadah, offering celebrations of the Passover that infuse personal and family experiences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each member of the family plays certain roles, as found in the biblical story. This enactment of parts of the Exodus narrative fuses the present moment with the past, encouraging each participant to imagine themselves as part of the first generation to leave Egypt. Some characters not found explicitly in the biblical text were also added to the Haggadah script. Prominent among them is an addition from the ninth century C.E. a story about the four sons or children - the wise, the wicked, the simple and the one who does not know what to ask. The versions varied, but the characters became a prominent part of the celebration. In many families today, they are called children or daughters, allowing for the inclusion of all members of the family regardless of gender. These characters were inspired by a variety of biblical and rabbinic sources in which children ask certain questions about the celebration of the Passover. In the case of the son who does not know what to ask, the parent directly tells the child about the importance of the exodus without waiting for the question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bible speaks of interactions between parents and children, but does not label the children in a specific manner. The main purpose is telling, examining and passing on the significance of the exodus from a number of different perspectives. The distinct roles of each child encourage the participants to reflect, in different ways, on the significance of liberation and how to communicate it to future generations. Almost like a time machine, then, the Haggadah and celebration of Passover incorporates the manner in which history, the present and the future relate to one another. This unfolding of all dimensions of time allows those who celebrate to remember tragedies and loss in the past while also generating a real sense of hope for the future. Flexibility and adaptation According to many parts of the Bible, the Passover festival was to occur once a year, and only in Jerusalem where the temple to the Israelite deity existed. The celebration of Passover evolved into a home-based commemoration with the destruction of the temple by the Romans in C.E. 70. The biblical Passover mentioned in the book of Exodus also occurred in individual homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As such, the Bible provided ways to adapt the celebration in light of changed circumstances. The Bible describes how the second Passover a year after the Israelites left Egypt is celebrated in the wilderness, but seems to presuppose that its future celebration will be in the temple in Jerusalem. At that time, allowance would be made for those who had to travel long distances, by delaying its observance by 30 days. This delay anticipated that geographical separation and time may not allow for normal Passover observance, a comfort directly derived from the Bible for those families who for whatever reason were not able to celebrate in person. When families gather for Passover, however, many may choose to reflect on the hard times of the past years as part of the Seder. Indeed, the celebration of the Passover has in it other references related to Jewish history, even if they were not always positive. A young girl pretends to steal the Afikomen, as part of the celebrations. Bettmann via Getty images For example, part of the celebration of the Passover Haggadah entails the breaking of unleavened bread, a piece of which is known as the Afikomen, which is then hidden. Children try to find it for a prize, called a treasure from Egypt. The term Afikomen is itself a Greek word, referring possibly to after-dinner revelry. It is a reminder of another historical moment in which Jewish cultures were heavily surrounded and influenced by the Greeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The relationship with the Greeks was a complex one. Some part of the Greek influence was celebrated in early Jewish society. For example, the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek, starting in the third century B.C.E., was considered a divine act. There were also conflicts between Greek rulers and local Jewish populations, which led to a war in the second century B.C.E., known as the Maccabean Revolt. Indeed, there were debates in Judaism whether or not one could recite parts of the Bible in Greek, in worship services. Yet the incorporation of the word Afikomen in the Passover Haggadah displays a willingness to borrow a Greek term into an important Jewish celebration. Next year in Jerusalem Looking to the future is central to the celebration of the Passover Haggadah. Despite the deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the meal concludes with the phrase, also said at the end of another observation known as Yom Kippur, Next year in Jerusalem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a meal that blends past and present and nods toward the future, ending the Haggadah with such a proclamation highlights the reality that despite freedom from Egypt, most Jewish communities over time celebrated the Passover Haggadah away from their ancestral home and in circumstances that were not ideal. This yearning for a world that is not yet healed and the toggling between past, present and future in the Passover celebration will perhaps hold special significance for many families in light of the current conflicts in Israel. The article has been updated slightly. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Samuel L. Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Samuel L. Boyd does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Lawmakers have one more day of work -- and lots of work to fill that day -- when they return Monday for the last day of the 2025 General Assembly session. (Maryland Matters file photo) With the end of the legislative session looming at midnight Monday, the bills have been coming fast and furious for Maryland lawmakers in recent days and the pace will only pick up when they return Monday. While they havent cleared all the hurdles, some bills are pretty clearly on their way to final approval. PDAB expansion bill nearing finish line A bill that would expand the authority of a state board that is working to lower certain prescription drug costs is ready for the governors consideration, after the Senate passed House Bill 424 on party lines Friday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Prescription Drug Affordability Board is currently tasked with finding ways to reduce the cost of prescription drugs on the states health plan, saving some taxpayer dollars in the process. The bill would expand the boards authority to set what are called upper-payment limits on prescription drugs in the commercial market. Doing so would limit how much drug purchasers could spend on certain medications, which supporters hope would result in savings for more Marylanders. The bill also increases the number of people who sit on the boards stakeholder council. This is a big day for Marylanders who may struggle to pay for their prescription medicines, Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition, said in a Friday statement. He has been a vocal supporter of the boards efforts and the bill expanding the boards authority. With this measure enacted, the board can expand its work and develop common sense solutions to bring down costs for average Marylanders, he said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senates 33-12 vote on the House bill sends the measure back to the House for review. If the House approves, the bill will head to the governors desk for his review and possible signature. House approval is expected, as the Senate version of the bill is in the same posture. FAMLI delay ready for full Senate consideration The Senate Finance Committee passed a bill somewhat reluctantly to delay the implementation of the states paid family leave act, a program that has been pushed off twice already. The Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program is set to begin in July. But amid a $3 billion budget shortfall and rapid-fire policy decisions from the Trump administration, the Gov. Wes Moores (D) administration proposed delaying the start of the program by 18 months, with benefits going out in 2028. House Bill 102 would impose the delay, but some lawmakers are not happy prolonging the start to the program, according to discussions in a Senate Finance Committee voting session Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Dawn Gile (D-Anne Arundel County) said the delay is disappointing, though she understood that it may be a necessary move due to the states budget concerns. Committee Vice Chair Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore City) also had heartburn over delaying FAMLI program, which has been pushed off twice since the program was created in 2022. This is the third time its been delayed, Hayes said. It continues to concern me because weve put so much into it, but we are where we are. Hayes ultimately voted against the bill, along with Democratic Sens. Benjamin Kramer of Montgomery County and Clarence Lam of Anne Arundel and Howard counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to see it come to fruition, Lam said. Its important to get this stood up as quickly as possible there are a lot of people who need that help who could be helped sooner. But Finance Committee Chair Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel) said the delay is necessary. If the state keeps the current timeline, this program is going to start and were not going to have anything set up for it because we dont have computer programs and we dont have people. The Finance Committee voted 8-3 for the delay. Republicans who largely oppose the FAMLI program voted to delay the program start date but said that theyd rather not see the program get started at all. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A pedestrian was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle Saturday afternoon, April 5 in Downtown El Paso, a Fire Department spokesman said. The crash happened a little after 5 p.m. at Mesa and Arizona in Downtown El Paso. The pedestrian was transported with serious injuries (Code 3), the spokesman said. This is a developing story and we will update it when we learn more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. We recently published a list of 11 Best Marine Shipping Stocks to Invest in Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) stands against other best marine shipping stocks to invest in now. According to Dr. Shashi Kumar of the US Naval Institute, geopolitical developments tend to have a greater impact on the highly volatile shipping market compared to market forces. Since the 200708 financial crisis, the broader global shipping market continues to face a series of new challenges. However, the challenging conditions this industry faced in 2024 were unmatched over the past decade and a half, says Kumar. The years challenging conditions included the prolonged war in Ukraine, wanton Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as well as increased tensions in the South China Sea. Kumar also noted that container ships decided to avoid the Suez Canal and chose to transport goods around southern Africa, which increased transit time and greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, the owners of these container ships saw a profitable year. What Lies Ahead for Marine Vessels Market? The marine vessels market is expected to reach US$133.63 billion by 2030 from US$111.10 billion in 2024, as per Research and Markets. While global trade continues to fuel the demand for different types of ships, the military navy growth has also been lending support to expand the market. Notably, the requirement for larger and more versatile vessels stems from the demand for efficient transportation of goods. Also, increasing passenger and tourism needs continue to fuel fleet expansion and technology upgrades. The firm believes that several cruise lines have been adding more ships to cater to the needs of travelers focusing on unique experiences. Overall, the strategic fleet renewal remains critical for market improvement. New and fuel-efficient vessels have been supporting to meet environmental standards and lower costs, says Research and Markets. The transition towards sustainable shipping practices continues to become more critical to obey the international rules targeting reduced emissions. READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. Cargo Vessels Segment Is Expected to Lead Growth Research and Markets believes that cargo vessels continue to become a critical part of commercial shipping. Such vessels tend to play a vital role in global trade by transporting numerous goods across the seas. With the demand for faster and more reliable shipping increasing, the broader industry remains focused on adopting new technologies. Notably, modern navigation systems, eco-friendly fuels, and automation tend to enhance efficiency, improve safety, and reduce the environmental impact. Therefore, as global trade has been expanding, cargo vessels remain critical when it comes to international commerce and economic growth. Yesterday, more than 1,200 demonstrations were held across the country, described by organizers as a National Day of Action, against the policies and actions of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Thousands took part in these Hands Off! protests, gathering and marching in small towns, big cities, and state capitols. Gathered below are images from some of the demonstrations in Massachusetts, Georgia, California, Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Arizona, Washington, D.C., and more. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Article originally published at The Atlantic BOSTON (SHNS) As a thin primary care pipeline restricts health care access and the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic and Steward Health Care crisis are still being felt, physician associates say PAs are an answer to industry cries for help. Bill supporters say an increasing number of lawmakers agree with them on both a professional and personal level. At a State House lobby day Tuesday, several lawmakers referenced their own struggles within the squeezed primary care industry and amidst a shortage of health care workers available in Massachusetts. A trio of bills this session related to PA caregiving boundaries present physician assistants as a collective puzzle piece that could fit into the states health care agenda this session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Cindy Friedman, the Senates health care point-person, deemed PAs necessary players in the field. We need all of the advanced practitioners we can get. All of the PAs here today are part of the solution to addressing the Commonwealths crisis in health care, Friedman said. In March, Friedman was among lawmakers who said the states health care system is falling apart. Health and Human Services Undersecretary Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, a senior voice in the Healey administrations team, echoed that crisis sentiment. There is no getting out of the health care crisis without physician assistants, Mahaniah told more than 200 PA students. Physician associates, often referred to as physician assistants, are licensed health care workers who collaborate with physicians and can diagnose, treat, prescribe, order imaging and perform procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massachusetts Association for Physician Associates President-elect Duncan Daviau said hes experiencing the crisis on the ground as he watches primary care physicians leave his practice to retire or depart medicine altogether. I work at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. Weve just had a mass exodus of our physicians Im losing my supervising physician, as are my ten-to-fifteen other PA colleagues, and we dont have a new one right now, Daviau said. Under state regulations, PAs are required to file a supervising physician with the state in order to practice. If a PA loses their supervising physician, like Daviau and his colleagues have, the PA has just 30 days under state regulation to locate a new one. This is compounding an access issue in our local area emergency department, Daviau said, pointing to a bill filed (H 2371, S 1502) by Sen. Julian Cyr and Rep. Christine Barber that would remove that regulation, which critics say is a barrier to caregiving. Lawmakers suggest not just reducing barriers, but extending PA reach in the struggling landscape of mental and behavioral health care, where assistants could add more hands to a diminishing workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recalling time spent navigating the mental health system, Rep. Kate Donaghue said PAs provided her son, who passed away seven years ago from an overdose, with the help he needed when he was struggling with his mental health. A bill she filed this session (H 2206, S 1387) would enable PAs to authorize psychiatric holds, which Donaghue said would reduce emergency department boarding, minimize the chances of people walking away from getting help due to backlogs, and save the state money. While some argue that the scope of practice for PAs doesnt include being able to initiate Section 12 holds, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences student Paige Fairbanks said PAs are trained to handle patients with severe mental health issues in the classroom and in clinicals. I think about how police officers are able to put people on psychiatric holds or take them off of them, but they have no psychiatry background, Fairbanks said. We do clinical rotations and learn a ton of it in the classroom. An interstate prong also plays a role in attempts to stabilize health care with PAs a PA interstate compact (H 2531, S 1608) would enable health care professionals from out-of-state to practice in Massachusetts, and vice versa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want people to be able to come into Massachusetts and work here who have had training in other places, and this interstate compact will allow us to facilitate that process and make it a little easier, said Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton, whose constituents sometimes travel to New York, Vermont and Connecticut to access health care. People go where its most accessible, affordable and where they can get an appointment. And so its really important that we recognize that when were looking at health care professionals too, Sabadosa said. The Legislature included a nurse licensure compact its 2024 economic development law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Federal money awarded to a Tacoma public school for schoolyard upgrades appears to be among U.S. government cancellations of various grants issued during the Biden administration. On Friday, The News Tribune reported on the loss of a $1 million grant awarded from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department for wildfire prevention/education for portions of Pierce County. Also among the 10 Washington programs to receive funding in that 2023 EPA award cycle was Tacoma Public Schools. That $1 million grant was for a project described in the funding announcement as work to transform an outdated schoolyard at Larchmont Elementary into a vibrant green space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Internal EPA documents released by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works include a list of about 400 grants totaling more than $1.7 billion targeted for elimination. The list included the Larchmont program, listed as Environmental Justice at Larchmont Elementary. Kathryn McCarthy is assistant director of communications for Tacoma Public Schools. In response to questions from The News Tribune, McCarthy said via email that the district had not yet received any letter from the EPA regarding the Larchmont funding, but expect it is forthcoming. Unlike other projects that received money at the time, McCarthy said the schools project had not begun. Work was slated to start this spring and ramp up over the summer to minimize disruption to student learning, she wrote. As work has not commenced, we have not accessed our grant funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCarthy added, Given policy signals from EPA Administrator (Lee) Zeldin, volume of termination letters issued to other grantees, and the high number of grantees who have found their funds frozen mid-project, our project remains on pause. The 10 projects in Washington state originally totaled $8.2 million and were described by the agency as environmental-justice projects, aimed to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions. The Trump administration has sought to roll back and cancel previous environmental-justice programs, with the current EPA labeling such spending as wasteful. In a letter to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, the agency determined that its wildfire program no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities. The objectives of the award are no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congressional Democrats have contended the terminations are unlawful, and various other grant cancellations are being challenged in court. In 2023, The News Tribune reported on how Larchmont was among five school sites in a pilot program that aimed to boost public green space settings in different areas of Tacoma to increase the percentage of Tacoma residents living within a 10-minute walk of a public park. Larchmont would be the last of five revamped community schoolyards. Sites at Helen B. Stafford Elementary and Jennie Reed Elementary are open, while Whitman Elementary and Mann Elementary are scheduled for openings this spring. According to the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land, a partner in the project, Tacoma has the largest park-access gap of any major city in Washington state. Its online page describing the project noted that the Larchmont project would benefit 370 students and that 1,102 residents live within a 10-minute walk of the site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parks Tacoma, another project partner, describes the current schoolyard property on its website as a simple playground, a well-worn natural turf field, and vacant grassy area. The grassy area represents a multitude of opportunities to bring the communitys vision to life for this play space. This rendering shows what has been planned for new Larchmont Elementary community schoolyard. Parks Tacoma In response to questions, Parks Tacoma said in a statement, Were disappointed at the prospect that this project may not move forward in such an underserved community. Larchmont Community Schoolyard would meet both a need for children to have a safe playground and for roughly 1,100 people to have a park within a 10-minute walk of their home. With the Larchmont program paused, other sources for funding will need to be considered. We expect that we, with our partners Parks Tacoma and Trust for Public Land, will need to identify alternative funding sources to bring the Larchmont schoolyard park project to life, McCarthy wrote. In the Spotlight is a News Tribune series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email newstips@thenewstribune.com. Poland has activated its air force and placed its ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems on full alert due to a large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine. Source: a statement by the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, as reported by European Pravda Details: Operational Command noted that due to active operations by Russian strategic aircraft, "Polish and allied aircraft have begun to operate in our airspace". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "In line with current procedures... fighter jets on duty have been scrambled and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been put on high alert." Details: Operational Command officials added that they were monitoring the current situation and that the forces and assets under their control were fully prepared to respond immediately. Background: On Sunday morning, Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv, causing fires and injuring three people. At 04:57, an air-raid warning was issued across almost all of Ukraine due to activity by Russian strategic aircraft. On the evening of 4 April, Russian troops launched a ballistic missile strike on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, killing at least 18 people, including 9 children. Afterwards, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink tweeted: "Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih," without mentioning Russia in the message. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "unpleasantly" surprised by the US Embassys reaction to the Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A Danvers man was arrested early Saturday morning after reportedly driving upwards of 100 mph and resisting arrest. Around 3:45 A.M., a New Hampshire State Trooper was on patrol on Interstate-93 South in Manchester when he noticed a black Cadillac XTS driving erratically, going 11 mph. The State Trooper pulled the Cadillac over and identified the driver, 21-year-old Kevin Mwaura of Danvers, Mass. When Mwaura was told that he was being placed under arrest for reckless operation, he became non-compliant and resisted arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mwaura was also non-compliant when being booked. He also declined bail. Mwaura is being held at Hillsborough County House of Corrections in Manchester and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Manchester District Court. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Police are investigating after an Ohio woman was found dead last week. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Officers with the Obetz Police Department responded to the 5200 block of Groveport Road around 5 p.m. April 2 and found 49-year-old Jessica Bird, our news partners at WBNS-10 TV reported. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bird was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took 44-year-old Jeffrey Caudill into custody, according to a spokesperson for the city. Caudill was charged with murder in Birds death. According to Franklin County Municipal Court records obtained by WBNS-10 TV, Bird died by means of stabbing or cutting. Birds death remains under investigation by the Obetz Police Department. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Update 9:30 a.m. Sunday: The two victims in the shooting have died, and police have arrested a juvenile suspect. Read the full update here. DENVER (KDVR) A large police presence has gathered at a mall in Fort Collins, according to a post on X from the Fort Collins Police. At 5:36 p.m., police said there was a large police presence at the Foothills Mall. What is the rarest baby name in Colorado? Police provided an update at 5:59 p.m. that said officers were actively investigating a shooting incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another update at 6:30 p.m. said the mall was closed and that those who were sheltered inside the mall were being escorted out by officers Two victims were transported to a local hospital in unknown conditions. All operations at the mall have been suspended. Police are developing suspect information. They ask the public to avoid the area as police officers assess the incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (WFRV) Search efforts have continued through the weekend on the Wisconsin River for the 20-year-old Chicago man who is the last of three boaters whose whereabouts are unknown when a boat capsized Thursday afternoon. Another update provided by the Wisconsin Dells Police Department on Sunday afternoon stated that 18 miles of shoreline were searched in efforts to find 20-year-old Francesco L. Di Filippo. He has not been found. Friends of man killed in motorcycle crash in Fond du Lac gather for car-bike meet in memoriam, raise money for family Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities were first called to the Wisconsin River, south of the Kilbourn Dam, around 4:25 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, after reports of a boat that had capsized. Officers say that three people were on the boat at the time of its capsizing. However, one person was able to swim safely to shore and was treated and evaluated at the scene. On Friday, April 4, crews found a submerged item of interest. A search boat responded and found one of the two missing persons submerged and dead. On Saturday, the body was identified as Luis F. Di Filioppo, a 75-year-old man from Chicago, Illinois. That was also when authorities identified Francesco. Francesco L. Di Filippo Francesco L. Di Filippo Sundays efforts included a boat covering 18 miles of shoreline from the Kilbourn Dam, south on the river to the west end of the Pine Island State Natural Area. Officers say that the water conditions are still extremely high and volatile, making search efforts extremely difficult. Friends of man driving on railroad tracks show up at scene, Wisconsin officers arrest both drivers for OWI Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until the water reaches a manageable level, we will not be able to deploy divers or underwater drones to check areas of interest. Until then, we will continue with shoreline searches in accessible areas, the Wisconsin Dells Police Department stated in its release. Officers noted that water conditions are expected to subside in the following days. Local 5 will continue to provide updates on this story as more information is shared. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. NEW YORK (AP) Police shot a meat cleaver-wielding man who apparently slashed and stabbed four of his young female relatives during a bloody rampage inside a Brooklyn home on Sunday morning, officials said. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the four girls ages 16, 13, 11 and 8 had serious stab and slash wounds but are expected to survive. Tisch said the 11-year-old victim called police around 10:15 a.m. to alert authorities that she and her siblings had been attacked by their uncle. Officers heard screams after they arrived at the home in southern Brooklyn and were met near an entrance by the suspect, who was holding a blood-covered meat cleaver and ignored several calls to drop the weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two officers, who could see blood on the floor and walls of the home, shot the man after he began to advance toward them, Tisch said. A police spokesman said the 49-year-old suspect has been hospitalized. Police found a bloody knife, in addition to the meat cleaver, in the home. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Pawe Kowal, Head of the Polish Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, which advises Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government on Ukraine, has warned that US President Donald Trump risks making a "historical mistake" if his negotiations to end the war in Ukraine result in Washington recognising Russia's claims to Crimea and other occupied territories. Source: Financial Times (FT), citing Kowal, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kowal believes that Poland and the rest of Central Europe will consider a red line crossed if Russia's expanded borders are legally recognised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kowal noted that there is a clear difference between "provisional solutions" to end the fighting in Ukraine and fulfilling "Russian expectations to recognise Crimea, Donbas or other parts of Ukraine [as Russia], which would be a historical mistake". Kowal warned that if this sets a precedent that allows Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin to expand "imperial Russia", "it would be horrible". "Russia, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, recognised Ukraine with their borders, also including Crimea and Donbas, and thats the basis of the rules of international law. The international legal guarantees for borders in central Europe are also some of the main guarantees to keep peace in that region, according to our historical experience," he said. Meanwhile, Kowal expressed confidence that Trump will not allow Russia to officially control Ukrainian territory but will instead recognise the ongoing threat posed by Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is also convinced that Trump will also not risk preventing American companies from investing in Ukraine's postwar recovery without providing the strong security guarantees that Kyiv and its European allies want. "For the politicians, its very easy to separate political guarantees from business guarantees and from military guarantees, but if real [corporate] money is to invest in Ukraine, they will ask for serious American guarantees," Kowal said. Background: Recently, media reports suggested that Trump was considering recognising occupied Crimea as Russian territory as part of a potential agreement to end the war. Commenting on these reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Trump had not raised the issue of Russian-occupied Crimea in conversations with him. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy had previously acknowledged that territorial issues would be on the table of future peace talks to end the war. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Rachel Frederickson figured shed come back from a mission-type trip in February to a poor area of rural southern Honduras feeling grateful fo VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis made a surprise entrance to St. Peters Square during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick and health workers on Sunday, marking his first public appearance at the Vatican since leaving t he hospital two weeks ago after a life-threatening bout with pneumonia. The pontiff waved at the crowd of faithful that stood and applauded as he was pushed in a wheelchair unannounced to the front of the altar in the square. Some exclaimed, "I see the pope!'' as his image first emerged on a big screen showing him passing through the Holy Door before being brought down a ramp to the altar. Good Sunday to everyone, Francis said, speaking into a microphone, which he tapped to make sure it was working on a second attempt. Thank you very much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pontiffs voice sounded stronger than when he addressed well-wishers outside of Gemelli hospital on the day of his release March 23, after a five-week hospital stay. He wore nasal tubes to receive supplemental oxygen, which the Vatican says is being gradually reduced. As he waved and blessed the crowd, his arm movements remained limited which his doctor said was not related to his illness but to an unspecified trauma suffered before his Feb. 14 hospitalization. After the Mass, the pontiff greeted some of those who assisted in the service, many who bowed to kiss his hands. He exited the square through the Holy Door. Pope shares his experience of being sick Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Francis has just completed two weeks of at least two months of doctor-ordered rest as he continues physical, respiratory and speech therapy, as well as treatment for a lingering lung infection. The pope referred to his experience with illness in both the traditional Sunday blessing and the homily read by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, organizer of the Holy Year that is expected to bring some 30 million pilgrims to Rome. Addressing the sick among the crowd, the pope said in the homily read by Fisichella that "In this moment of my life I share a lot: the experience of infirmity, feeling weak, depending on the others for many things, needing support. "It is not easy, but it is a school in which we learn every day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without demanding and without rejecting, without regretting, without despairing, grateful to God and to our brothers for the good that we receieve, trusting for what is still to come.'' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also urged the faithful not to push the fragile from their lives "as unfortunately a certain mentality does today. Let's not ostracize pain from our surroundings. Let's instead make it an opportunity to grow together, to cultivate hope.'' In the traditional Sunday blessing, he offered prayers for doctors, nurses and health care workers "who are not always helped to work in inadequate conditions, at times the victims of aggression. Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected.'' The faithful were moved by the pope's unexpected appearance. It was beautiful, something completely unexpected because I didn't think I would see the pope,'' said Pasquale Citrolo from Trapani, Sicily. "Instead he gave us this gift.'' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Linda Elezi, from the Adriatic coastal province of Ancona, said she was touched by the pope's "surprise.'' "We pray for him every day, and he prays for us, and for peace and for all the wold, because that is the message of our pilgrimage today: Bring peace to all the world,'' she said. ____ Barry reported from Milan. Pope Francis on Sunday made his first public appearance since being discharged from hospital two weeks ago. Francis, 88, entered St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in a wheelchair to briefly greet crowds that were gathered to mark the Jubilee of the Sick and the World of Healthcare. The pope was wearing oxygen nasal cannulas. "Happy Sunday to everyone," Francis said to those attending the mass, as quoted by the Italian ANSA news agency. "Happy Sunday to everyone," he repeated. "Thank you very much." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the Vatican press office said Francis "joined the Jubilee pilgrimage." It added, "Before greeting the pilgrims and faithful in the square, to whom he addressed his thanks, he received the sacrament of reconciliation in St. Peter's Basilica, gathered in prayer and passed through the Holy Door." PHOTO: Pope Francis appears for the first time since his return to the Vatican, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, on April 6, 2025. (Remo Casilli/Reuters) The Vatican press office also released the Pope's Angelus message. "Dearest ones, as during my hospitalization, even now in my convalescence I feel the 'finger of God' and experience his caring caress," the pope's message read. "Let us continue to pray for peace: in the tormented Ukraine, hit by attacks that cause many civilian victims, including many children," it continued. "And the same thing happens in Gaza, where people are reduced to living in unimaginable conditions, without a roof, without food, without clean water. Let the weapons fall silent and dialogue resume; let all the hostages be freed and the population be helped." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Pope Francis returns to Vatican after first appearance since Feb. 14 hospitalization "Let us pray for peace throughout the Middle East; in Sudan and South Sudan; in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Myanmar, also severely tested by the earthquake; and in Haiti, where violence is raging, which a few days ago killed two nuns," Francis' message read. The pope was discharged from hospital on March 23 after being treated for double pneumonia. ABC News' Somayeh Malekian and Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report. Pope Francis makes first public appearance since leaving hospital originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Pope Francis stepped out for his first public appearance at the Vatican since being discharged from the hospital in late March after coming down with pneumonia. The head of the Catholic Church, 88, appeared to be in good spirits while attending a Jubilee Mass on Sunday, April 6. His wheelchair was pushed through the crowds in St. Peter's Square as he waved to onlookers and shook hands with others. The pope wore nasal tubes for the outing as he was brought to the front of the altar to address attendees. "Good Sunday to everyone, he said, according to the Associated Press. He reportedly offered a prayer for health care workers who are not always helped to work in inadequate conditions, at times the victims of aggression. Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is his first public appearance since March 23 when he addressed a crowd from the balcony of Romes Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, where he was hospitalized for 38 days. He was first admitted in February for bronchitis and "diagnostic tests" before his condition worsened to pneumonia. The head of the medical team at the hospital, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, said they feared he wouldn't survive but was very honest with the bishop of Rome. "From the first day, he asked us to tell him the truth and he wanted us to tell the truth about his condition," Alfieri told an Italian newspaper, according to CNN. "Nothing was ever modified or omitted." The pope was eventually discharged and reportedly told to take at least two months of rest. Pope Francis made a surprise public appearance on Sunday, the first time the leader of the Catholic Church has been seen in public since leaving hospital two weeks ago. Francis greeted crowds at the Vatican and seemed to be in good spirits. He was seated in a wheelchair and wearing what appeared to be a nasal cannula aiding his breathing. The 88-year-old pontiff spent five weeks in hospital with pneumonia in February and March. According to his medical team, the pope came close to death during the illness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Francis appeared in better health than when he was last seen in public, which was two weeks shortly before he was released from Romes Gemelli Hospital. At that time, he struggled to speak and raise his arms, but managed to wave to people and gave a thumbs up from a balcony. On Sunday, the pope appeared to move his arms around with more ease. His voice was still weak, but stronger than two weeks ago. The popes appearance had not been previously announced. Crowds of worshippers gathered at Vaticans St. Peters Square on Sunday when the pope made his short appearance after a mass dedicated to the sick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the smiling pontiff was wheeled in, those there cheered wildly. The Vatican said that the pope went to confession in St Peters Basilica on Sunday morning and gathered in before greeting the pilgrims and the faithful in the square. Pope Francis is cheered at by faithful at the end of a mass in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, on April 6, 2025. - Andrew Medichini/AP Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on February 14, initially suffering from a severe respiratory infection. He was subsequently diagnosed with a polymicrobial infection, which evolved to pneumonia in both lungs. He was discharged on March 23 and was expected to convalesce at Casa Santa Marta, his residence in the Vatican. His doctors said in a news conference at the time that he would need to recuperate for at least two months to allow his body time to fully heal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prolonged hospital stay marked the biggest health crisis Francis has experienced since he was elected as pope in 2013. His doctors told reporters that there were two very critical episodes in which the Holy Fathers life was in danger during the 38 days he was hospitalized. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com CRITTENDEN COUNTY, Ark. WREGs Team 3 coverage was in Crittenden County, where there was significant flooding and a church caught on fire due to a possible lightning strike. Residents throughout Crittenden County have had quite a severe weather day, from battling a fire to avoiding flooded streets, which came after the latest rounds of storms left many people on edge. Severe storms and tornado risk Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have been sitting here for about two and a half hours watching my church burn down because we have not had enough water pressure, said Bishop Kenneth Taylor. Celebrating 160 years later this year, Bishop Taylor leads Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church and said its been heartbreaking to learn from West Memphis Fire that a possible lightning strike set his church on fire. Fire at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church Fire at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church Fire at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church Besides the lack of water pressure, Bishop Taylor said crews had to fight more than just the elements. They pull the ceilings out, no fire, another ceiling, he said. So, he said that in between the two, thats where the blaze was and they couldnt get to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of West Memphis also experienced heavy flooding, which led to several roads shutting down. You just have to be very careful, come very slow through the water, Jammie Johnson said. You know, I aint driving my car. I drive the truck. When our WREG Weather Experts said that this is generational flooding when it comes the amount of rainfall that Arkansas has seen, the evidence could be seen throughout the county. In the history of the city, this is the most rain that has ever happened in the history of the city, said Earle, Arkansas Mayor Jaylen Smith. Midtown residents express concern as flooding stops them from leaving home Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Smith said about 25 people had to be evacuated as water rose. The storms brought city-wide flooding and now, hes hoping the citys infrastructures hold. When we normally see a lot, a lot of rain, those sewer and water issues start to happen, Mayor Smith said. But [Im] so grateful we have not seen that, but hopefully all this water leave the city. We pray that we dont have any major damages. But back in West Memphis, Bishop Taylor said he will maintain his faith as he makes his next steps. I think I cried enough tears today, I got some more to cry, but there will be glory after this, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bishop Taylor said on Sunday, he may have to have a virtual service as they assess the damage to his church. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Video note: Despite this articles time stamp, the above video is the latest forecast from The Weather Authority. POWELL COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) Its been a busy day in the Red River Gorge! Powell County Search and Rescue (PCSAR) wrote on social media Friday after an evening of helping with an evacuation in Clay City before helping lost hikers in the Red River Gorge. Just before 8 p.m. Friday, team members were reportedly dispatched to Main Street in Clay City to carry out a water rescue in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the PCSAR, a resident needed help evacuating from his house due to high floodwaters. The team members were able to get them out, as well as their dog. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Immediately after getting them to safety, PCSAR reportedly got another call that five hikers and a dog had gotten lost near the Tunnel Ridge Road in the Red River Gorge. Team members said they found the hikers near the Auxier Ridge Trailhead and took them back down to their vehicles on Nada Tunnel Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kentucky flood map shows where water is rising to dangerous levels amid historic rainfall Remember to plan before you hike! PCSAR wrote. Rescue personnel said to be sure to bring extra water, a portable phone charger, a flashlight, and a navigation app such as Gaia or CalTopo when hiking for an extended period of time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Donald Trump has long entangled politics and business. Now, senior Trump administration officials are using their perches in government to reward companies that have embraced the MAGA movement. Elon Musks account on X the social media site he owns oscillates from promoting his brands like SpaceX and Tesla to making pronouncements that could reshape government. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explicitly told Americans to buy shares in Musks Tesla. And Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. participated in a conversation-turned-advertisement for a fast food chain that he says is committed to his Make America Healthy Again movement. And then there is the president himself. Trump has meshed the White House with his own personal brand since his first term and regularly highlights Trump-branded products like crypto ventures or Bibles that he financially benefits from. But hes also rewarded companies of his allies with promotion, from posing with his preferred brand of beans at the Resolute Desk during his first term to his recent Tesla auto show on the White House lawn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administrations relentless promotion of favored businesses challenges long-held norms and in some cases, laws preventing the White House from turning into a sales floor, ethics experts said. Indeed, government officials are legally barred from using their positions for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise that could benefit themselves or any acquaintances. It's not unusual for an administration to hype business. Buy American is a thing that the White House pushes but when they're pushing an industry they push multiple companies from the industry, said Jordan Libowitz, the vice president of communications for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal-leaning ethics watchdog that has repeatedly clashed with Trump. Even if it doesn't hit the level of illegal, you do have ethics problems and you do have people asking questions that administrations try to avoid generally. Kennedy raised eyebrows last month when he appeared beside Fox News Sean Hannity at a Florida branch of the fast food franchise Steak n Shake, which has tried to tap into Trumps base. The HHS secretary touted the chains switch from a seed-based oil which he has long railed against despite little scientific consensus to beef tallow frying oil as part of his Make America Healthy Again movement. Steak n Shake has been great, Kennedy told Hannity. Were very grateful for them for RFKing the french fries they turned me into a verb! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chain which could not be reached for comment recently hosted a promotion that gave people who drive Teslas a two-for-one special on french fries. Meanwhile, Musk, while working as a special government employee remaking vast swaths of the government, continues to actively promote and run his businesses where he has made his fortune, like SpaceX and Tesla. Trump has also supported SpaceX, attending a launch of one of its rockets two weeks after winning the November 2024 election. The White House dismissed concerns from ethics watchdogs. All administration officials will comply with conflict of interest requirements, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement. HHS, the FBI and the Commerce Department did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Musk has previously dismissed any conflict of interest between his government work and businesses, saying in the Oval Office in February that DOGEs actions are maximally transparent so Americans can see am I doing something that benefits one of my companies or not. It's totally obvious." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spokespeople for DOGE and Tesla also did not respond to a request for comment. And some MAGA influencers who have sold products to Trump devotees have made their way into the administration. FBI Director Kash Patel, for example, notes his role as the founder of The Kash Foundation in both his biography on the FBI website and on his personal X account. The eponymous foundation still sells everything from a $55 Fight with K$H hoodie to a deck of government gangster playing cards. The deck, priced at $19.99, includes a rendition of Trump in royal robes as the "conqueror of Deep State combatants" and former President Joe Biden in a jesters hat on the King card. Lutnick, the Commerce secretary, has been working on another level of brand promotion. In a guest appearance on Fox News last month, Lutnick took the opportunity to extol Musk as the best entrepreneur, best technologist, best leader of any set of companies in America, who saved the astronauts, referencing the two NASA astronauts who finally made it back home earlier in March on one of Musks SpaceX capsules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Lutnicks flattery didnt stop at praising the CEOs entrepreneurial mind. The Commerce secretary went on to overtly call on American consumers to buy Tesla stock, which has taken a hit as consumers unleash their frustrations over Musks political involvement on his company. I think if you want to learn something on this show tonight, buy Tesla, Lutnick told Fox News viewers. It's unbelievable that this guy's stock is this cheap. It will never be this cheap again. (Telsa stocks have dropped further after Trump's tariff announcement.) The Commerce secretarys endorsement of Musks company was not just opportune in its timing for Tesla Lutnick himself possibly stood to gain from a boost in Teslas business. Financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, long helmed by Lutnick before his appointment to the Trump administration and now led by his two sons, recently reported holding millions in Tesla Inc. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded its rating of Tesla to buy the same day that Lutnick went on Fox News to encourage consumers to buy the companys stock. Ethics watchdogs have been sounding the alarm on Lutnicks move to boost Tesla stock, warning that it could cross over from murky ethics to a violation of federal law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit government ethics watchdog, filed a complaint with the Office of Government Ethics on March 21, asking the agency to investigate whether Lutnicks actions constituted a violation of federal ethics laws that prohibit government officials from using their positions for their own private gain. Secretary Lutnicks actions violate the ethics rules that were enacted to hold public officials accountable to the American people, CLC vice president and general counsel Kedric Payne alleged in a statement, calling on the Commerce Department and Office of Government Ethics to hold Lutnick accountable. But even if Lutnicks actions dont rise to the level of a legal breach, they still raise the issue of ethical optics around pushing products, watchdogs say. The fact that it is the same company over and over again and that company is the company behind the richest man in the world who also works in the administration certainly raises the image of putting a finger on the scale and showing favoritism toward one company over others, Libowitz said. You are the owner of this article. Prince Harry is deeply bothered that his charity organization, Sentebale, is under investigation by the Charity Commission over claims of "harassment and bullying." The claims were made against the former senior royal by the charity Chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, after Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, resigned from the organization. Further controversy emerged through interviews with the trustee chair, where she made several damning accusations against Prince Harry, including claims that he was responsible for a decline in sponsorships. Prince Harry Is 'Embarrassed' His Organization Is Being Investigated MEGA In the wake of Sentebale's chairwoman accusing Prince Harry of "harassment and bullying," the Charity Commission launched a formal investigation into the organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This probe into the organization has reportedly left the Duke of Sussex "deeply depressed and embarrassed," seemingly due to concerns about the damage such an investigation could do to its image. The former senior royal is also said to be devastated that the organization, which he founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in honor of his mother, Princess Diana, was "ripped from him." Harry previously tendered his resignation from being a patron of the charity after a breakdown in the relationship between the trustees and the chair of the board. " He loves his charities this is what he wants to spend his life doing and now, one of them is gone and in the most horrible way," a source told NewsNation about Harry's feelings about the drama. Sentebale's Chair Made Several Damning Accusations Against The Duke MEGA Beyond accusing Prince Harry of "harassment and bullying," Sentebale's trustee chair made several damning claims against him in an explosive interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She alleged that his departure from royal duties led to the loss of key donors, which significantly impacted the charity's finances. The trustee chair further claimed that Harry was responsible for the loss of the original venue for the 2024 polo fundraising event due to his insistence on bringing a camera crew to film footage for a Netflix production. Following the accusations, sources close to Harry claimed that Sentebale had no financial issues when Dr. Chandauka was appointed in 2023 and deemed the accusation about Harry's royal life departure leading to the loss of donors as "baseless and inaccurate." They also described Dr. Chandauka's account of the polo incident as "highly misleading." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the insiders, the original venue had already changed its terms, which resulted in the rise in cost contrary to the Netflix angle being pushed by the charity's chairwoman. Sentebale Former Executive Claims Dr. Sophie Chandauka's 'Mismanagement' Started The Feud MEGA Like the insiders, an ex-trustee who left alongside Harry linked the ongoing feud to Sentebale's financial issues caused by Dr. Chandauka's alleged "mismanagement." "I think things came to a head at the end of last year when it seemed that we were not doing as well as we used to be and that the future didn't look as bright as it used to." Dr. Kelello Lerotholi told Sky News in an interview. He also slammed the bullying claims made by Dr. Chandauka, describing them as "shocking." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I can honestly say, in the meetings I was present in, there was never even a hint of such," the ex-trustee told the media outlet, per the Daily Mail. He added, "The general tone and conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each others' opinions and inputs, and speaking with respect to each other. So this all came as a shock to me." Prince Harry Issued A Statement About His Resignation MEGA Harry announced his resignation from Sentebale in a joint statement with Prince Seeiso. "With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same," the statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It continued, "It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation." Subsequently, an official statement was put out by Sentebale to acknowledge Harry's departure. "We are deeply grateful for the service, time, and passion of our outgoing Trustees. We are also saddened that our Co-Founding Patrons have made the decision to step down from their duties as Patrons for the foreseeable future," said director Carmel Gaillard in a statement, per the Daily Mail. The Duke Of Sussex Hopes The Probe Into His Charity 'Unveils The Truth' MEGA In a statement on behalf of former trustees and patrons, Harry expressed relief that the Charity Commission had confirmed a thorough inquiry into the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Prince said, "We fully expect it will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign." Harry concluded with optimism, hoping the inquiry would facilitate a leadership change that would better serve the charity's mission, He added, "We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately for the sake of the communities we serve." Thousands of protesters gathered for a Hands Off! rally and march opposing President Donald Trump's administration on April 5, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. The protest was one of over 1,000 planned across the country. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) About 8,000 people rallied and marched at the Colorado Capitol in Denver for one of the many volunteer-organized Hands Off! protests against the Trump administration that took place around the country Saturday. Several speakers including union workers, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Democratic state Sen. Jessie Danielson and Colorado state director of GreenLatinos Ean Tafoya among other activists and concerned citizens addressed the crowd before protesters embarked on a 2-mile march through downtown Denver. Attendees held a variety of homemade as well as branded Hands Off! signs highlighting Medicaid, Social Security, fair elections, LGBTQ+ rights, public lands, veterans services, and other public services seen to be at risk under President Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Weiser, a Democrat who is running for governor in 2026, told the crowd that the Trump administration didnt get the memo that immigrants make America great, which is why he joined a lawsuit challenging Trumps unimaginable step of thinking a Sharpie could overrule the Constitution when he issued an executive order to end birthright citizenship. In America, when we stand together, when we stand on our principles, we will always prevail, Weiser said. We cannot be silenced. Colorado has joined multiple lawsuits challenging actions of the Trump administration, many of which Weiser addressed at the rally. That includes a challenge to a Trump order banning gender-affirming care for anyone under age 19 and an order that halted distribution of federal funding and grants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we need to recognize is the rule of law, the Constitution they are in the balance, Weiser said. And I believe as we come through this, we will come through stronger, because we will better understand why we need to fight for our critical values, for equal protection of the laws, for freedom of speech, and yes, for due process of law. Luna Baez Vizguerra speaks at a Hands Off! rally and march opposing President Donald Trumps administration on April 5, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. Her mother, Jeanette Vizguerra, is a nationally known immigration rights activist who lives in Denver and has been in ICE custody since March 17. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Luna Baez Vizguerra, daughter of Jeanette Vizguerra, a nationally known immigration rights activist who lives in Denver and has been in ICE custody since March 17, spoke at the rally seeking support for her mother. She said her mother was targeted because she consistently voices her support for immigrants, transgender rights and a ceasefire in Gaza, among other issues. I think we could all come to an agreement that the reason she was targeted was because she chooses to exercise her First Amendment rights, Vizguerra said. Im tired of seeing this sort of barrier where people think that everyones fight is exclusive and we cant all come together toward the same thing, because were all under attack under the same people, under the same administration. Jim and Pam Cosgrove pose for a photo at the Hands Off! rally and march opposing President Donald Trumps administration on April 5, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. The protest was one of over 1,000 planned across the country. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Jim and Pam Cosgrove came to the rally from Littleton because theyre fed up with the direction the country is going, Jim said. Pam said the U.S. is meant to help the underdog, and instead government leaders are pissing everybody off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre not outraged by it, youre not paying attention, Jim said. He is retired after spending 38 years as a police officer in Denver, and said this was his first time at a protest on the side of the protesters. He walked around holding a large sign that said orange lies matter. I think its been generations since youve seen this kind of public involvement in politics, Jim said. Probably the Vietnam War was the last time I remember seeing consistent protests of this strength. Its a very strong message that people are not happy. Thousands of protesters gathered for a Hands Off! rally and march opposing President Donald Trumps administration on April 5, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. The protest was one of over 1,000 planned across the country. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) The rally in Denver was one of more than 1,000 Hands Off! events planned Saturday in all 50 states. Organizers hosted several other protests around Colorado in Boulder, Bailey, Greeley, Fraser, Telluride, Glenwood Springs, La Junta, Durango, Grand Junction, Summit County, Fort Collins, Loveland and Fairplay. Morgan Miransky, a volunteer who helped organize the rally, said hes been an activist for over 30 years and felt bringing people together for a rally is the most effective way to show elected officials when people are not happy. He said a group of about seven organizations worked together to plan the rally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were expecting a good turnout, but this is better than we thought it would be here, Miransky said. Were looking forward to having more people come out and join us, and were hoping to build this into a larger nationwide movement for resistance. Jenett Tillotson holds a sign at the Hands Off! rally and march opposing President Donald Trumps administration on April 5, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. The protest was one of over 1,000 planned across the country. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Jenett Tillotson, a longtime supporter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who drew a crowd of 30,000 people during an appearance in Denver in March, said she is tired of billionaires running our country. She said we would be fine if the government taxed billionaires. Billionaires are hoarding money, Tillotson said, and if they were hoarding anything else, we would call them nuts. She stood on the lawn in front of the Capitol building holding a large homemade sign that said tax the rich. People are suffering, and income equality is the biggest that weve ever seen, ever, Tillotson said. Youre talking about why people cant afford healthcare, because they dont make enough money to afford health care. The high turnout at the rally tells elected officials that people are upset, Tillotson said. She said protests and rallies like Hands Off! will keep growing until they listen to us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is our country, the peoples country, Tillotson said. Its not the billionaires country, its not Trumps country. Its not even Democrats or Republicans. Its the peoples. Editors note: This story was updated at 4:11 p.m., April 6, 2025, to correct Luna Baez Vizguerras name and earlier to correct the number of people who attended Sen. Bernie Sanders visit to Denver. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) People were protesting across the nation on Saturday voicing their disapproval of President Donald Trump and his administration. Around 1,000 showed up to West Side Park in Champaign for what protesters are calling the Hands Off rally. People protested the administration as a whole but there were speeches on specific topics. U of Is Beckman Institute focused on impacting lives through science Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Champaign-Urbana Public Health Districts administrator, a retired nurse and others spoke during the rally. People gathered at the center of the park and also lined University Avenue. Even though the rally didnt focus on just one topic, one man said events from the last few days brought him out. I was watching the market. In the last two days, tens of millions of dollars have been taken away from many, many, many senior citizens who have 401(k) [plans], who have stock market shares. And whats been taking place is absolutely horrendous, Alan Kurtz, former Champaign County board chair said. Champaign School District board getting fresh start with new members Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other Hands Off events were hosted across Illinois, including Springfield at the State Capital, and Peoria at the Citys stadium. President Trump commented on tariffs on social media. He said the administration is bringing back jobs and businesses like never before, and that it wont be easy but the end result will be historic. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Protests were held in multiple Pittsburgh-area counties as part of the national Hands Off movement. According to a release, Hands Off is an all-in movement for the pro-democracy and pro-worker movement. The group said that President Trump and Elon Musk are gutting services, raising prices and racing towards slashing Medicaid, Social Security and more. Heres a look at the movements in local communities. Pittsburgh Two Hands Off protests were held in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The first was held downtown outside the Allegheny County Courthouse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED COVERAGE >>> Rally held in Downtown Pittsburgh as part of nationwide Hands Off protests against Musk, Trump Mayor Ed Gainey attended the rally. He joined former Congressman Conor Lamb, Dena Stanley, Alliyson Feldmann, Miracle Jones, Marian Jarlenski, Beth Mikus, and Alisa Grisham. Theyre not taking anything from the billionaires but the people that need the care and this is why we are rallying today and with this type of unity, this is what its all about, Gainey said. The Downtown protest was organized by Indivisible Pittsburgh and cosponsored by a group of organizations including: the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh, Casa San Jose, Indivisible Grassroots Pittsburgh, Progress PA, Partners for Progress SWPA, Mondays with(OUT) McCormick, Steel City Stonewall Democrats, the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club, the SWPA Coalition of Labor Union Women, and other community partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indivisible Pittsburgh said it is an organization focused on electing progressive leaders and rebuilding democracy. The demonstration had a rally of speakers followed by a march to Mellon Square. Organizers shared that they expected thousands of Pennsylvanians to attend. At 6 p.m., a second rally began in Shadyside. Activist Vicki Sheridan organized that protest at the corner of Shady and Fifth Avenues. Organizers say around 1,200 people attended that event. Protesters gathered in Shadyside to participate in a The Republican Committee of Allegheny County did not share any response to the protests on their social media accounts. They are hosting a Republican gathering on April 24. They said it will bring together community leaders and a common group of people to celebrate shared goals. Westmoreland County Protesters gathered outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A protest was held outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. These corrupt and greedy individuals think they are above the law and can violate judicial orders, and even our Constitution. They are counting on us to stay home, to be overwhelmed, and discouraged in response to their blatant assaults against us. But we refuse to be silent people are coming forward with their personal stories and telling them Hands Off, said protest organizer Abby Graham-Pardus. A group of counter-protesters gathered outside the courthouse during this event too, showing support for President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Protesters gathered outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg. The Westmoreland County Republican Committee for District 3 shared a post on their Facebook page in response to the protests happening around the country. Beaver County Protesters gathered outside the Beaver County Courthouse from 1 to 3 p.m. for a protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers estimate that over 600 people attended. Congressman Chris Deluzio and Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible were speakers at the event. When youre the richest man in the world, its easy to take a hacksaw to critical programs without considering the impact of your actions, said Bible. The youth in Beaver County will suffer because of DOGE and Elon Musk. My office will not be able to afford many of the programs we currently offer and that means we are all worse off. Protesters gathered outside the Beaver County Courthouse on Saturday. The Republican Committee of Beaver County responded to the event, saying parts of the government were corrupt and that they were just mad they got caught. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee also encouraged attendees to keep their cool and think before they spoke. Washington County Protesters also gathered outside the Washington County Courthouse on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. A Washington County Republicans expressed skepticism about the protest. They shared an image advertising the Washington County protest as a volunteer opportunity. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Salt Lake Citys Hands Off! protest was one of over 1,200 protests against the Trump administration held across the country on Saturday, including several other locations in Utah. Attendees came to the protest from across the state to voice their concerns about issues like protecting Social Security, Health and Human Services cuts, and changes made by the Department of Government Efficiency. Protest organizers and state police estimated that about 6,000 protesters were at the state Capitol on Saturday afternoon. The protest was organized largely by the political activist groups Indivisible and 50501. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several protesters also expressed dissatisfaction to the Deseret News over recent Utah legislation, including a new ban on most flags in classrooms. Among the protesters was state Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, his wife and their dog, Darwin. Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Utah knitters and quilters join protesters From the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Leigh Weintraub, Marietta Paull and Ruth Markham came to the capitol together as knitters and quilters over concern for the future of the United States. Weintraub said she heard about the protest through an email ad and then asked her knitting and quilting friends if theyd like to join. Weintraub told the Deseret News shes mainly worried about health care issues, including recent cuts made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HHS announced a 20,000 full-time employee layoff on March 27. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an X post, Kennedy wrote after the announcement, What weve been doing isnt working. Despite spending $1.9 trillion in annual costs, Americans are getting sicker every year. The post added, These changes will not affect Medicare, Medicaid, or other essential health services. Cherie Byars protests during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Markham, who worked with computer systems throughout her career, expressed concern over a claim that DOGE plans to make changes to Social Security. Every single day since Jan. 20, its been nothing but chaos, Markham said. Every single day theres something new, five things new, ten things new, were all up in arms, but how can you be up in arms about everything at once? We have no idea whats going on. Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Attendee talks about families broken up by politics Holding a sign saying, Booker For President, Candace Peterson told the Deseret News she heard about the protest from friends and saw it on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She expressed concern over how Congress and President Donald Trumps Cabinet have supported him. How else could you explain this kind of complete disregard for the Constitution, peoples rights, free speech and deporting people who have every right to be here? Peterson asked. Peterson also brought up her career as a psychotherapist. Since Trump took office in January, she said, I have a lot of clients who are really upset. There are a lot of families that are broken up by this. Its over the top, she said. Marcy Hooper, center, protests during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Several protesters worried about Social Security California-to-Utah transplants Michael Schlager and Steven Moser stood on the outer edges of the Capitol lawn, holding an upside down American flag and another with the words, Make America Kind Again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Elon Musk has said there are no cuts to Medicaid, Social Security or other entitlements, Moser told the Deseret News his biggest concern is DOGE cutting the Social Security benefits he relies on. I rely on my social security, and I dont know from month to month now, he said. I feel like Im living in uncertainty. Moser said he scheduled an appointment at a Social Security office in Utah two days ago to both get another Social Security card and get answers to some of his questions. However, he said he still feels in the dark about it. Its not the Social Security workers fault, you know, so I feel bad for them ... they dont know whats going on; theyre short staffed. Commenting on his upside down flag, Moser said, I hate to have to put it like this, but I feel we are in distress. Schlager added, We look forward to turning this right around. Amy Hawkins, left, and Brandi Hysell, right, protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Brandi Hysell, left, protests during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Ashley Haslam, left, Brandi Hysell, center, and Hysells husband Travis Hysell, far right, protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Karen Rabwin, center, protests during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Leo, no last name given, sings as Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Patti Vanwagoner protests during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Utahns protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marcie Weiszbrod protests during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Casey Welch holds daughter Simone Welch, 2, as they protest during a National Day of Protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News The event largely lacked counter-protesters, but there were a few people on-hand who were there to express disagreement with the protest. With an American flag in hand, Chris Thomas from Springville told the Deseret News he believes many of the issues being protested come from huge misinformation about a lot of stuff. Thomas said he came to the Capitol on Saturday, because Im a patriot, he said. I dont like whats going on with everybody against each other. We all need to work together, but we need to educate ourselves with really whats going on. Trump and Elon are actually saving the taxpayers a ton of money right now, Thomas continued. Theyre finding all kinds of stuff that was misused, and I see signs out here that say, Keep your hands off my Social Security, but if you think about it, the money theyve found, its going to go back into Social Security, and its going to help people out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Political fear tactics shouldnt happen at all, Thomas said. Large protests were also held Saturday in cities like Boston, Chicago, Denver and Washington D.C. The Associated Press said Saturday evening that the protests were largely peaceful and that no arrests had been reported. SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Protestors gathered nationwide this weekend to say hands off! to the Trump administration. Tariffs, cuts to federal spending, and tax cuts for billionaires. These are just a few of the issues protestors say theyre fighting at Hands Off! rallies across the country. Hundreds of such protestors took to Lackawanna County Courthouse Square, braving the wet weather to protest a number of issues with the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to tax the rich like we did in the 60s and 70s when I was growing up, and middle-class America was strong. Its been deteriorating since the 80s, and now its reaching a crescendo that is going to crush society, said Dunmore resident Tony Manger. At the forefront of this rally is what protestors and organizers are calling executive overreach. With every breath they take, they try to take the rights away from the least of us, and its alarming. Weve already fought these battles, said Ellen Manger from Dunmore. Protests like this one are happening nationwide, part of a decentralized movement known as 50501: 50 protests, 50 states, one movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Scranton rally is just one of three protests held in NEPA alone, all organized in part by Action Together NEPA, a local non-profit advocating for social and economic equality. Ford offers employee pricing as tariffs begin While the issues at hand are broad, a common message rang through the heart of the Electric City. We shouldnt be, like, minimizing the middle class for these billionaires. I think we should be taxing them so that we can live our lives, said Greenridge resident Grace Wazowicz. A number of local and federal officials spoke at the rally, including an address by former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the protest covered a wide range of issues with the Trump administration, protestors 28/22 News spoke with agreed on one thing. Trump. Weve gotta get rid of him. Hands off everything, as everyone is saying. Hes destroying our country, Dave Watkins from Scranton explained. Hands off our social security and our Medicare, Wazowicz stated. Despite their frustration, some remain optimistic. We are stronger together than we are apart, so I think if we can all come together, we can finally, maybe, bring some of these idiots down, Wazowicz added. These nationwide protests will continue throughout the weekend, and organizers say there are plans for future rallies as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) People from across the area gathered in Peoria for a national day of protest against President Donald Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk. On Saturday, April 5, a sea of protesters stood outside Peoria Stadium shouting for change. Protesters expressed concern about a myriad of issues, including cuts to federal spending, healthcare, LGBTQ+ rights, and womens rights, among many others. Those in the area joined millions across the nation who participated in the protests, dubbed Hands Off which were held in every state on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One protester, Tony Anderson, said the Trump presidency has made him sleepless. I think hes destroying its institutions, and I think its purposeful, he said. Counter-protesters also showed up to voice support for the Trump White House. One man, who didnt give his name, said, I think Americans have been put second for a long time. American workers have been pretty much out of luck for a long time. He said he used to agree with left-wing ideology, and even voted for Bernie Sanders but expressed concern about violence from the left, illegal immigration, American jobs and freedom of speech. Jennifer Innis is a minister at the Universalist Unitarian Church. She said many of her congregates are feeling pain and uncertainty right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are generally concerned about human rights. Generally concerned about voice in democracy. [We are] very much concerned about human agency over our bodies and our minds and our spirits, she said. Its just so profoundly heartbreaking that you have so many people who are just afraid and just scared and are trying to, and in a way that they dont know what to do. They feel a sense of hopelessness, of helplessness, Innis said. One of Lisa Lockharts biggest concerns is that people were voting their rights away. Trump probably has more felonies than probably 99% of the immigrants that are here. And a lot of Republicans are saying, Well, theyre illegal. Well, they voted a felon in legality isnt really a concern of theirs. They voted a rapist in. Theyre not that concerned about criminals, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many at the protest said that moving forward, it is important to continue to use their voices, connect with one another, and demand change from legislators. We have some good, great age, some decent age range going on here as well. Im also aware of whos not here, Innis said. You know, this is largely middle-class, white folks who feel like they can be safe enough to show up. There are a lot of folks who dont feel safe enough that they can even do this. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. PAW PAW, Mich. (WOOD) Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Southwest Michigan Saturday in Hands Off! demonstrations, directed at Trump administration policies. The events joined many protests happening nationwide Saturday. Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the US Protests kicked off Saturday morning at Paw Paws Maple Lake Amphitheatre, led by the group Indivisible Southwest Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While some people listened to speakers, others lined W. Michigan Avenue. News 8 crews saw more than 200 people on site at the start of the protest. Organizers said more than 300 people attended in total. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in Paw Paw on April 5, 2025. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in Paw Paw on April 5, 2025. Social worker Madi Shank said shes concerned about cuts to federal programs, like Medicaid. Shes worried that cuts will affect local services like mental health care that people depend on. Its sad. We see the funding being cut, we see how it affects people who rely on that funding to have housing and food. We have to stay hopeful, but it hurts on the inside to watch that, she said. In Kalamazoo County, crowds of people lined Westnedge Avenue in Portage for several blocks. News 8 crews estimated that more than 300 people lined the street on two of the blocks where cameras were stationed. In total, attendance exceeded 3,000, one organizer later told News 8. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in Portage on April 5, 2025. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in Portage on April 5, 2025. Throughout the afternoon protest, dozens of cars blared their horns in support of demonstrators. One man said hes concerned about Trump officials and lawmakers adhering to the U.S. Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One is the attempt to intimidate justices and the courts, said Dave, who declined to share his last name. And two is Congresss failure to live up to its oath of office. More concerned with keeping their office than living up to their oath of office. In Battle Creek, more than a hundred people lined the road in front of the Lakeview Square Mall Saturday afternoon as the protest drew to a close. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in Battle Creek on April 5, 2025. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in Battle Creek on April 5, 2025. April Romero says shes worried about rising partisanship as well as the future of health care access for her five children. I want my daughters to make the decisions that are right for them and their lives, and I dont think the government should be included in those decisions. I want them to be safe, said Romero. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands pack downtown Grand Rapids for Hands Off! protest Counter-protests were few to none at the three demonstrations. At times, a few drivers heckled people on the sidewalk or held out their middle finger as they drove by. Critics, including Tesla CEO and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, have shared claims online that protesters are getting paid in similar demonstrations. News 8 asked several protesters if they were paid or compensated. All said they were not paid and they were attending by their own choice. Protesters in Portage anticipated more demonstrations in the coming weeks as part of the National Economic Blackout that started in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Nationwide Hands Off! rallies took place in all 50 states Saturday to oppose the Trump administrations policies. In Huntsville, nearly a thousand gathered at Big Spring Park to voice their concerns, with many telling News 19 they opposed federal job cuts. UA System approves tuition increase, UAH to see 3% raise for 2025-2026 Academic Year All we are protesting against is them trying to take away our benefits and also our personnel who are very, very needed at Army and NASA, protester Cheryl Patterson said. Also, at social security, at IRS, and at the little agencies because we help a lot of people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patterson is a retired federal worker from Huntsville who believes the Huntsville community has a deep respect for federal workers. Other protesters like Becky Warren said they hope the nationwide efforts will get the Presidents attention. Warren said she is a lifetime Republican but opposes President Trumps current policies. Im so disgusted by the Republicans who are in power right now that seem to only want to maintain their power and not stand up for our country, Warren said. Angry protesters from New York to Alaska assail Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies The protests across the country were organized by 50501. Local organizers estimated that over 2,000 people attended Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are here to raise our voices against executive overreach and authoritarianism, Organizer Geoff Angle said. As a contractor for the Federal Government as well, its affecting us deeply, Angle said. The community is torn and injured and we are trying to build solidarity and help. Angle added that the number of attendees nationwide was roughly 5.2 million. Strong says relocating FBI headquarters to Huntsville not a good move According to CBS, the White House issued this statement regarding the nationwide protests. President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors. White House Statement on nationwide protests Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Thousands of software engineers, systems engineers and software developers work for some of the nations largest defense contractors in Colora ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Protestors at Cobbs Hill in Rochester joined in the nationwide Hands Off protest Saturday, speaking out against the Trump administration and Elon Musk. Over a thousand Rochester residents participated in the rally, where they gathered with handmade signs, participating in calls for change and critique of the Trump Administration. Organizers of the event said demonstrators stood with a unified message of Hands Off!, an expression to petition to the government for protections of free speech, free press, freedom of religion, and other rights they consider being attacked in democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It feels really good to be fighting for what I believe in. It feels like weve all been kind of thrown this blanket of silence over us and were trying to break through that. It feels good to be here. Page Gregor, a demonstrator said. A series of speeches were given that focused on individual stories of how governmental changes in areas such as social security, employment, medical research, and immigration have impacted them. New tariffs causing uncertainty within the furniture industry Local politicians including Senator Jeremy Cooney and Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart were seen at the event speaking with the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The political climate expanded beyond Rochester, as protests were seen in other regions including Avon and Batavia. Additionally, protests were also seen in the countrys capital Washington, D.C. Rochesters local Indivisible and 50501 organized the event at Cobbs Hill in conjunction with other local groups including Rochester NOW, GRIT, Veterans for Peace, Rochesters Pride at Work AFL-CIO, and Knowledge & Action Rochester. Jesus Sowell, an attendee responded to the amount of young people in attendance. Were the future. Everything that hes [President Trump] doing right now is going to affect us for the next 20 to 30 years. If were not out here protesting, who is going to protect our kids? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An event was also held at the Irondequoit United Church of Christ on Titus Avenue for seniors. The location provided a safe alternative for a group of seniors, between the ages of 80 and 95, who dealt with transportation and mobility issues but still wished to show their support. While unable to attend the event at Cobbs Hill, attendees shared similar sentiments of upset and concern with the current administration regarding government cuts to programs and services they access. (WROC photo/ Trinity Wilson) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) A collision between a Providence police cruiser and another vehicle early Sunday morning was caught on surveillance video. Around 4:30 a.m., the video showed a cruiser, with its emergency lights flashing, traveling on Courtland Street, when it collided with a car that was driving on Broadway. Both vehicles had significant damaged. IN PROVIDENCE: A police car driving down Courtland St smashes into a car on Broadway. This happened around 4:30am. Hours later police are still on scene investigating. No word on injuries, but it appears the car hit had to be cut open. @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/5pZOsKKZQk Ryan Welch (@RyanWelchPhotog) April 6, 2025 Shortly after the crash, several other police officers, along with a Bureau of Criminal Investigation van, arrived on scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Providence Police Col. Oscar Perez, the officer was conscious and alert following the crash, and taken to Rhode Island Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. The occupants of the car had to be extracted from their vehicle. They were also all conscious and alert and taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. A preliminary investigation into the incident showed that officers were responding to a call for a disturbance involving a firearm when the collision occurred. A city spokesperson told 12 News that an internal review is currently underway and theyll have more information available after that investigation. At this time the driver of vehicle involved isnt facing any charges, Perez said. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. NORTON SHORES, Mich. (WOOD) The Norton Shores Police Department said a missing 74-year-old woman who was last seen at a casino was found and then hospitalized. Nancy Bloomquist, 74, was found in northern Mason County, police said. She was taken to the hospital for treatment related to exposure, the police department wrote in a Sunday release. Bloomquist went missing from her Norton Shores home under concerning circumstances. She was last known to have traveled to Little River Casino Thursday and had last been seen on surveillance footage leaving the casino going southbound on US-31 around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the highway where Bloomquist was last seen driving. We regret the error, which has since been corrected. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. CHICAGO This weekend marks 57 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. On Saturday, a Rainbow PUSH Coalition event was held to honor his life and legacy. Mayor Brandon Johnson and other speakers were in attendance and said they wanted to use the moment to reflect on MLKs vision for equality and ways to continue his work today. We are still doing the work that Dr. King started, bringing equity and justice for all people, Johnson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hands Off! protests against Trump and Musk are planned Saturday across Chicagoland, US U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Illinois) pointed to a historic speech that Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) delivered on the Senate floor Monday, criticizing the Trump administrations policies. I saw a young man in that of Cory Booker. He stood with Gods grace for 25 hours, arguing the case for liberty, for justice, for democracy, Jackson said. Dr. Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of Atlantas New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, asked the crowd to join his national boycott against companies that have scaled back on DEI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a consequence, that is what target is learning today. Whenever you disrespect Black people, youre going to be uncomfortable, Bryant said. According to Bryant, over 150,000 people have pledged to avoid shopping at Target for 40 days, using the money to support Black-owned businesses instead. He said this has resulted in a $12 drop per share of Targets stock and a $2 billion decrease in its overall value. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Bryant said fighting for causes like these are what MLK stood for. This nation has got to catch on fire. This generation has got to catch on fire. Our churches have to catch on fire. We will not go away and the fire in Chicago is going to ignite a moment across this country, Bryant said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WGN-Tv reached out to Target about the figures Bryant shared and is waiting for a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. BANGKOK (Reuters) -Rains fell on parts of earthquake-hit Myanmar over the weekend, which aid agencies said could complicate relief efforts and raise the risk of disease as the United Nations aid chief said more tents were needed to shelter those left homeless. The death toll from the powerful quake that hit on March 28 rose to 3,471, state media reported, with 4,671 people injured and another 214 still missing. Aid agencies have warned the combination of the unseasonable rains and extreme heat could cause outbreaks of disease, including cholera, among quake survivors who are camping in the open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Families sleeping outside the ruins of their homes while bodies of loved ones are pulled from rubble. Real fear of more quakes," visiting U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said in a post on X. "We need to get tents and hope to survivors as they rebuild their shattered lives," he said, adding strong, coordinated action was the key to saving as many lives as possible. Myanmar's neighbours, such as China, India and Southeast Asian nations, are among those that dispatched relief supplies and rescuers over the past week to aid the recovery effort in quake-hit areas that are home to about 28 million people. The United States, which was until recently the world's top humanitarian donor, has pledged at least $9 million to Myanmar to support earthquake-affected communities but current and former U.S. officials say the dismantling of its foreign aid programme has affected its response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three U.S. Agency for International Development workers who had travelled to Myanmar after the quake were told they were being let go, Marcia Wong, a former senior USAID official, told Reuters. "This team is working incredibly hard, focused on getting humanitarian aid to those in need. To get news of your imminent termination - how can that not be demoralising?" Wong said. In neighbouring Thailand, authorities said that country's death toll from the quake had risen to 24. Of those, 17 died at the site of a skyscraper in the capital, Bangkok, that collapsed while under construction. A further 77 were still missing there. CEASEFIRE BREACHES Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Myanmar's military has struggled to run the country since overthrowing the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, leaving the economy and basic services, including healthcare, in tatters, a situation exacerbated by the quake. The civil war that followed has displaced more than 3 million people, with widespread food insecurity and more than a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, the U.N. says. While a ceasefire was declared on Wednesday, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday the junta was restricting aid in areas that did not back its rule. It also said it was investigating reported attacks by the junta against opponents, including after the ceasefire. A junta spokesperson did not respond to calls seeking comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Free Burma Rangers, a relief group, told Reuters on Saturday that the military had dropped bombs in Karenni and Shan states on Thursday and Friday despite the ceasefire announcement, killing at least five people. The victims included civilians, according to the group's founder, David Eubank, who said there had been at least seven such military attacks since the ceasefire. (Reporting by Shoong Naing and Poppy McPherson; Writing by John Mair; Editing by Edmund Klamann) Sex toys, massage pillows and fake cosmetics were used as key components in a suspected Russian sabotage plot against the West. Parcel bombs found at courier depots in Britain, Germany and Poland last summer are thought to have been test runs for a covert operation to start fires on planes flying to North America. A Polish investigation revealed crude homemade explosives containing highly reactive magnesium were hidden inside massage pillows and packed into parcels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chemicals were ignited by pre-timed detonators adapted from cheap Chinese gadgets used to track items. Flammable gel hidden inside tubes of fake cosmetics then enhanced the explosions, a source with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters. They added: The proceedings in this case concern criminal activities inspired by GRU [Russian Federation]. The findings provide a rare insight into how suspected Russian sabotage campaigns are executed on the ground. A manifestation of blind Russophobia Last October, European security chiefs made public details of the parcel fires, condemning them as part of a hybrid war being waged by Russia to destabilise countries supporting Ukraine. Tactics used in the attacks include arson and cyberattacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parcels, which caught fire in warehouses but caused no injuries, were seen as a dry run for a future Russian plot to detonate similar packages in mid-air on cargo flights bound for the US and Canada. The detonations occurred on July 19, 20 and 21 at DHL depots in Birmingham, Leipzig in Germany and a warehouse in Warsaw, the Polish capital. Poland said it had arrested four people in November who allegedly belonged to the sabotage cell, charging them with participating in sabotage or terrorist operations on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency. EU security officials warned the alleged attacks were typical of Moscows foreign intelligence methods. Russian handlers often recruit local criminals, providing instructions via the Telegram messaging app and paying operatives up to a few thousand euros per job. The bomb ingredients were cheap, widely available to buy in shops and often difficult to detect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kremlin rejected the allegations of a Russian sabotage or hybrid warfare campaign. We know nothing about it, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. This is just more fake news or a manifestation of blind Russophobia. Western officials have repeatedly warned of an escalating threat from Russia, which is seen as attempting to deter support for Ukraine. There have been multiple reports of mysterious fires at businesses linked to the Wests backing of Kyiv, as well as a spate of sabotage attempts on undersea cables. Ken McCallum, the Director General of MI5, warned last year that the GRU was trying to cause mayhem in Britain, conducting arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions with increasing recklessness since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. European dry run A fourth parcel, which failed to detonate, was seized at a Warsaw depot, allowing investigators to examine its contents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polish investigators allege Vladyslav D, a 27-year-old Ukrainian, played a central role in the European dry run, acting on instructions from a GRU handler known only as Warrior. On July 18 2024, he allegedly drove from his home in southern Poland to the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, where he collected over a dozen items from the trunk of a parked car. He then drove to Vilnius, Lithuanias capital, where he boxed up four packages, each with a pillow plus a few of the cosmetics tubes and sex toys. Before sealing them, he activated the pre-timed detonators, the source said. The following day, he allegedly handed the parcels over to a man codename Mary who posted them. Vladyslav was arrested in Poland in early August and charged with performing terrorist acts on behalf of Russian intelligence. He has denied the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polish prosecutors have also accused a Russian national, 44-year-old Alexander, of being part of the same Polish sabotage cell helping to gather information on parcel-processing methods for North American-bound cargo planes. Alexander was extradited from Bosnia in February. He has claimed to have had no knowledge of any plot to target depots or cargo planes. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Reaction to column on Teslas How my Tesla felt like a target for vandals in California, thanks to Donald Trump | Opinion (fresnobee.com, March 31) 1. Trump was elected because of financial support of Musk. Harris outspent Trump 3 to 1 and still lost. Maybe a poor candidate choice was to blame. 2. Ending phone access to Social Security so seniors with walkers have to travel to an office. Completely false. Starting on April 18, people applying for retirement, survivor or family benefits will need to use an online account or make an appointment at an office to show proof of identity. Applicants for Disability Insurance, Supplemental Income or Medicare can still do so by phone. These are steps to stop massive fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 3. Trump had Teslas parked on White House lawn. Biden in 2021 drove a Jeep Wrangler EV on the White House lawn to promote EV sales. He didnt invite Tesla. Do you think the car manufacturers made any donations to Biden? Opinion Maybe the op-ed should have focused more on the title. Chastising people threatening Tesla drivers, Democrats, Republican and independent people all drive these cars and should do so without fear. I hope your wife feels safe and does enjoy the new Toyota. I hope it was at least a hybrid. Mike Killus, Visalia Kaweah Health responds San Joaquin Valley children will be first impacted by politicians slashing Medi-Cal | Opinion (fresnobee.com, April 1) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kaweah Health appreciates the recent article highlighting the critical role Medi-Cal plays in ensuring access to healthcare for the community. However, it is important to correct the inaccurate financial figures presented in the piece. Medi-Cal is an essential source of funding for Kaweah Health, comprising more than 30% of its revenue. Ensuring adequate Medi-Cal reimbursement is crucial to sustaining high-quality care for patients. Kaweah Health fully supports efforts to prevent cuts to Medi-Cal funding, as such reductions would have a devastating impact not only on the organization but on the entire healthcare system in the region. That said, the financial losses reported in the article are significantly overstated. While Kaweah Health, like many California hospitals, continues to experience financial challenges, the current situation is not as dire as the article suggested. As of Feb. 28, eight months into our current fiscal year, Kaweah Healths year-to-date, cumulative operating loss was $16 million, with a budgeted $12 million operating loss expected by year-end. Further financial performance improvement is expected in the coming months. A dialogue on the financial challenges facing hospitals is welcomed, but such discussions must be based on accurate data. Kaweah Health does have financial challenges, but they are not at the crisis level suggested in the article. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gary Herbst, Kaweah Health Hospital CEO Chavez was a vegetarian Thousands march on Cesar Chavez Day for immigrant rights in Central California (fresnobee.com, April 1) The recent outpouring of articles and editorials commemorating Cesar Chavez Day all neglected to mention one notable factor in the great mans bio: Both Chavez and his elderly mother were long-time vegetarians for ethical and moral (not health) reasons, he once told me. Chavez was a champion of the downtrodden, human and non-human alike; many believe he deserves a national holiday. Consider this excerpt from a treasured December 1990 letter he wrote to me: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. Racism, economic deprival, dog fighting and cock fighting, bullfighting and rodeos are cut from the same fabric: violence. Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well ourselves. Words to live by. Si se puede! Eric Mills, Oakland Tesla vandalism A friend visiting from the Bay Area parked his car outside my house, only to find the window shattered this morning. His crime? He drives a Tesla. Keep in mind he purchased this car when Musk was being hailed a genius, long before he became involved in our government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dont you understand this will have no impact on Musks life, as my friend is the one who will have to pay thousands to have his car repaired. We are becoming a nation of lemmings, where people will run off a cliff simply because the person in front of him has, without any thought of the repercussions. We are a bunch of mindless followers. To the perpetrator of this crime, ask yourself, how did this hurt Musk? More to the point, how did this cowardly act improve your life? Youll be like those individuals who were tried for the Jan. 6 insurgency, who apologized to the judge, saying they got caught up in the feeding frenzy and followed the mob. In hindsight, they realized their actions were wrong. I hope one day you will come to the same conclusion. Bill Allen, Fresno A recidivist New York City thief with more than 100 arrests on his rap sheet, who was involved in nine shoplifting cases from February through April, according to cops, was cuffed again Thursday at a Greenwich Village subway station, the Daily News has learned. James Robbins, 59 was busted around 11:30 p.m. on the southbound platform at the Christopher St. station after cops received a 911 call of a man acting up, causing concern among straphangers at the station, police said. When officers arrived, they immediately identified Robbins from a wanted flyer and retrieved a crack pipe from him, sources said. He has a very distinct look, a police source said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robbins, a known shoplifter, was linked to nine incidents of petty larceny, grand larceny and a shoplifting pattern in Midtown at department stores since the start of this year. During March and April, Robbins racked up more than $10,000 worth of stolen clothing at the Macys and Old Navy stores at W. 34th St. and Seventh Ave. in Midtown, including numerous pairs of sweatpants, joggers, shorts, shirts and Theory brand items. He was charged with multiple counts of grand larceny and petty larceny in the thefts and was arraigned Friday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Bail was set at $10,000. Before his arrest Thursday, Robbins was already facing a burglary charge in a Feb. 21 incident, in which he and a 41-year-old accomplice are accused of breaking into an apartment building near Christopher and Bleecker Sts. in the Village. According to police, the two grabbed a garbage bag, forced open the door and stuffed seven packages from the buildings mail room into the bag; Robbins was the lookout during the burglary and had the bag when cops arrested him that same day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robbins has more than 100 arrests dating to 1982, with most of the charges involving grand larceny, petty larceny and drug possession, sources said. One of his more recent arrests occurred in September 2021, when he stole $224 worth of clothes from a Queens Marshalls store, stashing the items in a bag and taking off, according to records. Store employees followed Robbins into a train station, where he allegedly pulled out a knife and said, I have something, before being arrested. Fort Collins police are searching for the person who shot two people outside of a local mall Saturday evening. According to police, at approximately 5 p.m., a 911 caller reported that a shooting had occurred on a sidewalk outside of the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins. Fort Collins police announced on social media that there was heavy police presence at the mall, confirming a short time later that operations at the mall had been "suspended" because of a shooting investigation. About an hour later, police announced the mall was closed, and reported that officers were releasing people who had been "sheltered" inside. On X, a couple users commented on the department's post, indicating they were on lockdown inside the mall's movie theater, and that their film had been paused. Police did not provided a condition of the two victims, who were both transported to local hospital, police said. A suspect was not in custody as of 8 p.m Saturday night; a description of the shooter was not provided. Police said they were following up on leads. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Representative Cliff Bentz is the only Republican in Oregons congressional delegation, representing Oregons 2nd district. He is also the only one who supports President Trump, especially in the area of DOGE-related job cuts by Elon Musk. Rep. Bentz is also on the House Natural Resources and House Energy & Commerce Committees. He returned to Eye on Northwest Politics this week to talk about his efforts to take the gray wolf off the endangered and threatened species list, as well as his thoughts on the tariffs that have thrown a monkey wrench into the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the full interview in the video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. Colorado school districts should revise their school attendance zones at least every four years with a civil rights focus. State lawmakers should increase funding to transport students to and from school. And attorneys, advocates, and community organizations should embrace the right to sue over school assignments that increase racial segregation. Those are among the recommendations in a new report from the Colorado Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Examining the Racial Impact of Public School Attendance Zones in Colorado concludes that the way Colorado draws school attendance boundaries and assigns students to schools mirrors segregated housing patterns and results in low-income families having less access to high-quality schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This segregation fuels a widespread belief that schools serving predominantly white and affluent students are inherently better than those serving predominantly students of color or low-income families, an accompanying policy brief said. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Other reports from local and national think tanks and advocacy organizations have reached similar conclusions. While some local school officials, such as the Denver school board, have talked about possible solutions, the federal Trump administration has framed efforts to increase racial diversity in schools as discrimination that could trigger civil rights investigations. The Colorado Advisory Committee is a 10-person group of bipartisan appointed volunteers. Each state has an advisory committee that produces reports on civil rights issues ranging from housing discrimination to voting rights to the use of excessive force by police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its latest report, the Colorado committee found that thousands perhaps tens of thousands of Colorado students are likely to be assigned to schools in violation of a federal law that says assigning a student to a school outside their neighborhood is unlawful if it has segregating effects. The committees recommended solutions attempt to balance strong support for neighborhood schools with allowing families to choose the best school for their child. School choice, or the ability for a student to apply to attend any public school, is enshrined in state law. The committee advocated for what it called controlled choice, which it said could mean that popular schools reserve seats for students who live outside the neighborhood or that schools give priority admission to non-neighborhood students who live the closest. To produce its report, the committee held hearings in 2023 to gather input from national experts including university professors, the author of a book on school attendance zones, and representatives from think tanks across the political spectrum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee also convened a group of 10 local experts including Brenda Dickhoner from the conservative advocacy organization Ready Colorado; Kathy Gebhardt, who was then a member of the Boulder Valley school board and now sits on the State Board of Education; former Aurora Public Schools superintendent Rico Munn; and Nicholas Martinez, a former teacher who heads the education reform organization Transform Education Now. The committees other recommendations include: The civil rights divisions of the federal education and justice departments should review options for enforcing the permissible and impermissible use of race in drawing attendance boundaries and setting school assignment policies. Colorado lawmakers should correct the systemic racial and ethnic disparities caused by the states school transportation system, which does not require school districts to provide transportation to students who use school choice. State lawmakers should improve Colorados school choice system, including by adopting a uniform school enrollment window statewide and providing families with more information about schools discipline policies, class sizes, and other factors. Colorado school districts should revise their school attendance zones and student assignment policies at least every four years and consider racial and ethnic integration as part of the rezoning process. Redrawing school boundaries every few years can help prevent segregation from becoming entrenched while still allowing students to maintain a sense of stability in their educational environment, the committees policy brief said. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. A law enforcement officer is facing charges after being arrested in a child sex sting operation Friday night, according to authorities. Fall River Police Officer Mitchell Walsh was taken into custody by the Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit and charged with enticement of a child under 16, sexual conduct for a fee with a child, attempting to commit a crime to wit attempted rape of a child, and possession with intent to distribute a Class B drug (cocaine). According to a police report, Walsh was texting with an undercover Boston Police officer posing as a 15-year-old child for 6 weeks, intending to have sex with them. Around 10:40 p.m., Walsh agreed to meet up with the child in the area of Monument Street and Walford Way in Charlestown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his text conversation, Walsh discussed bringing cocaine, a bottle of Titos vodka, and nips, as well as having intercourse with the juvenile, according to the police report. When Boston officers arrived at the scene, they allegedly found several plastic bags containing a white powdery substance, believed to be cocaine, in Walshs car, along with several nips. Officers also called Walshs phone to confirm he had been communicating with the undercover agent. The conduct alleged is reprehensible and stands in direct opposition to the values we expect from members of this Department, Chief Kelly A. Furtado said. We take these matters extremely seriously and are fully cooperating with the Boston Police Department. Walsh was on extended leave from the department at the time of his arrest due to unrelated personnel matters, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department was reportedly preparing to initiate formal proceedings under the civil service disciplinary process prior to his arrest. In light of the new allegations, Chief Furtado says Walshs employment status is under further review. There is no place in law enforcement for anyone who violates the publics trust, she said. Incidents like these are the reason why nonprofits like The Mama Bear Effect exist. The group in Burlington educates adults on how to better protect their children from sexual abuse, especially in the age of smartphones and social media, which can make youth more susceptible to predators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are at a very vulnerable time in their lives because theyre looking for connection with people. They dont necessarily understand risks, said Founder Adrianne Simeone. Even if parents believe their children are safe, Simeone explained that parents can never have too many conversations with them about the importance of boundaries and appropriate communication. Simeone said that involves parents creating an open dialogue, so kids feel more comfortable coming forward with potential issues. When it comes to people with authority in the community who behave inappropriately toward children, she said their supposed to protect our youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To combat these issues in the future, Simeone explained, Our community organizations need to do a better job of vetting people who are applying for jobs, said Simeone. To view more helpful tips from The Mama Bear Effect, including how to safeguard smartphones, visit https://www.themamabeareffect.org/rock-the-talk-r-internet-devices This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The Republican mayor of a Jersey Shore township is reportedly frustrated that rock legend Jon Bon Jovi's library soup kitchen is attracting homeless people to the area. Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick complained that Bon Jovi's "JBJ Soul Kitchen" was bringing people he didn't want into the community and disturbing residents. He claimed that organizations were being paid to bring people into the community and that their intentions were driven by profit, not compassion. These people are being dropped by in our community by agencies pretending to be homeless advocates who get paid by the head to import homeless people into our town from all over the state and the East Coast, Rodrick said, according to the New York Post. These agencies are making millions of dollars importing homeless. Their plan is not about compassion; its about people wanting to profit off the homeless issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pop-up "Soul Kitchen" opened on February 11. It allows diners to pay for the meals of future customers, with a suggested cost of $12. By paying their meals forward, people who can't afford food can take advantage of free meals. The cafe is open from 10 am to 2 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays and has multiple locations in the state. Bon Jovi's wife, Dorothea, runs the nonprofit restaurant chain and told the Post that they will continue their work and that their restaurant will continue to operate in Toms River. Rock star Jon Bon Jovi faced criticism from the mayor of Toms River, New Jersey, who claimed the musicians pop-up cafe serving the needy is attracting homeless people to his township (2020 Invision) The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions. We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows. Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing, Dorothea and the rocker said in a joint statement on Friday. The statement goes on to say the nonprofit connects "people to resources and services" whether "they need employment, mental health support, or housing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple also questioned Rodrick's claims that agencies were making money by dropping off homeless people in his town. We are unsure where the mayor thinks millions of dollars are trading hands, but we are completely unaware of any such programs and receive no such funding, they said. We invite anyone to the BEAT Center in Toms River or to the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up to see what we are doing to end homelessness and hunger in our community. Rodrick said that he had received multiple complaints about increasing numbers of homeless individuals near the township's municipal parking garage and on benches near the local library. Theyve completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns," Rodrick said on county officials. Mothers shouldnt have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book. After a Maryland father was mistakenly deported to an El Salvadoran prison famous for its abuses, the Trump administration admitted that it was an error but refused to do anything to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back. In fact, government officials scoffed at the notion that Abrego Garcia deserved to return from the Salvadoran supermax prison the Trump administration has been busy deporting people to. The institution is known for disturbingly harsh conditions and lack of contact: Last month, the administration shared a glossy propaganda video of immigrant men getting their heads shaved and marched into cells, held bent-double by two masked guards each. Youre acting like hes father of the year, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday when questioned about Abrego Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vice President JD Vance echoed her comments during an interview on Fox News. He had committed some traffic violations. He had not shown up for some court dates, Vance said. This is not exactly father of the year here. Abrego Garcia was arrested at an Ikea parking lot in front of his 5-year-old son, his lawyers say even though he was granted protection from deportation by a judge in 2019. On Friday, a federal judge ordered the U.S. to return the 29-year-old by 11:59 p.m. Monday. When reached for comment, the White House pointed HuffPost to comments Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin made on Fox News on Friday. The American people should know who this individual is, she said. Hes not some Maryland father, hes actually a member of MS-13. There is no evidence that Abrego Garcia is in a gang, his attorneys say. While Abrego Garcias family awaits his fate, his attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg says the amount of attention the case has gotten has left them rattled, enough so that they have fled their home to escape it. Im also really worried about right-wing vigilante violence, he told HuffPost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deportations arent just about any one person: the impacts spread through their family and the wider community. Approximately 5 million children have at least one undocumented parent at home. The children left to deal with the aftermath of a parents deportation may experience increased anxiety and other mental health issues that can last long after the initial event, according to the National Immigration Law Center. Theres an economic angle, too studieshave shown that deportations can plunge a family into poverty after the sudden loss of income. Its incredibly destabilizing, Jennifer Ibanez Whitlock, senior policy counsel at the National Immigration Law Center, told HuffPost. Deportations are like a nuclear bomb: First theres the immediate impact and then life-long effects. For decades since Ronald Reagan was able to woo the evangelical Christian voting bloc the Republican Party has positioned itself as the party of traditional and family values.The words family or families appear 18 times in the 17 pages of their 2024 party platform: Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundational role of families, and supports working parents. We will end policies that punish families, the platform proclaims. The Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump, despite being twice divorced with five children by three women, has championed traditional family values. We will again stand proudly for families and for life, Trump told anti-abortion protesters at the March For Life back in January. But too often, these proclamations come up sharp against the actual results of the other policies the party espouses, like the fact that their anti-immigrant, pro-deportation stance is splitting up families, just as it did during Trumps first term. Family values was always a softening cover for what was otherwise a pro-capitalist, anti-equality agenda. Just look at this past week when the so-called pro-family party has, it turns out, made quite a few anti-family moves. Among them, moves that will hurt families trying to expand. The Trump administrations foray into pretending to care about infertility treatments started last year when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos produced from in vitro fertilization are unborn children meaning they could now be treated as people under the law. The ruling opened up clinics to lawsuits if an embryo is damaged or destroyed, as well as raised questions of what would happen to unused embryos all thorny legal issues that clinics were unprepared to deal with or defend. Clinics in the state were forced to pause treatments indefinitely, leaving hopeful parents in limbo and prompting a massive public outcry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, the Republican-controlled Alabama legislature passed a law to ensure that IVF clinics would be shielded from lawsuits over the damage or destruction of embryos. Republicans set out to prove that just because they considered embryos and fetuses to be children when it came to abortion, they certainly werent willing to use that argument to prevent people from having kids. On the campaign trail, Trump began saying he would make the government pay for IVF treatments, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. When he returned to the White House, he signed an executive order that would supposedly bring down the costs of IVF treatments, but reproductive rights advocates said the order was not specific about how it would actually accomplish that. Trump has even started referring to himself as the fertilization president. Were going to have tremendous, tremendous goodies in the bag for women, too, the women between the fertilization and all of the other things that were talking about, he said at a Womens History month White House event last week. Ill be known as the fertilization president, thats not bad, thats not bad. But just one week after declaring himself President Fertilization, his Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., laid off a small but highly specialized team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that studied IVF, as part of the sweeping cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The six-person Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance team had tracked how well IVF is working and researched topics like how to make the procedure less expensive. Without them, experts warn, hopeful parents will be cut off from valuable resources that can help them make important decisions about their treatment. Infertility experts were stunned. This is a big handicap for the administration as they embrace IVF and want to expand coverage, Barbara Collura, CEO of Resolve: The National Infertility Association, told NBC News. These are the right people to have at your side. Oops? Even GOP politicians themselves havent been immune from the conflict between their stated priorities and actual agenda. A debate over a bill meant to help parents serving in Congress caused a party rift this week that prompted one member to leave a right-wing caucus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who had a child in 2023, proposed a bill that would allow new parents in the U.S. House to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks and has been lobbying for bipartisan support. But a small group of Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, were aghast at the suggestion. Even though many of them voted by proxy during COVID lockdowns, they balked at the idea of affording the same flexibility to new parents. Things came to a head when Johnson, however, declined to let a committee have a hearing on the proposal this week. So Luna used a different approach. Through whats called a discharge petition, she got enough signatures from her colleagues to force her bill to the floor. Instead, Johnson took his ball and went home, canceling votes for the rest of the week. In response, Luna abruptly quit the House Freedom Caucus, the far-right faction of Congress, saying their opposition to her family-centered bill was a betrayal of trust. In a letter, Luna accused some of her Republican colleagues of smearing her by tying her proposal to a bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The intent was clear: to misrepresent me and the members supporting this pro-life, pro-family initiativeone of the most significant in congressional historyas obstructing the President and opposing election integrity, Luna wrote. Republicans should stop lecturing people on being pro-family when theyre opposing this uniformly, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) told reporters about the situation. But perhaps nothing encapsulates the notion that the GOPs pro-family proclamations are nothing more than lip service better than the president, who often vacillates wildly between positions with no concern for what Republicans have been saying. Trump weighed in on the Luna bill on Thursday, throwing a curveball to Johnson by saying he supported it. I dont know why its so controversial, he told reporters. Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified which state Anna Paulina Luna represents in the House. She is a representative from Florida. When it comes to disaster response, most of us think of first responders as firefighters, police, EMTs, soldiers, and medics. But the very first responders, in the truest sense of the word, are the people in the immediate vicinity when a disaster takes place and studies show that they form a critical part of disaster relief. Nice News explained the vital, yet often overlooked, role that these civilian responders play in the immediate wake of a disaster. They used the example of the Los Angeles fires in January, detailing how celebrities and everyday people went out of their way to assist their neighbors. For example, several people helped clear the streets to allow ambulances through; others helped their elderly neighbors evacuate; others volunteered their trailers to evacuate horses or braved the blazes to rescue injured wildlife. Businesses opened their doors to allow displaced residents to shower and charge their phones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without this immediate, tangible assistance, it's almost guaranteed that many more people would have been injured or even killed. And beyond the L.A. fires, Nice News explained, over 60 years' worth of research from the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center has proved the importance and the ubiquity of local assistance during emergencies. "Every study of a large-scale disaster conducted by the Disaster Research Center has revealed some level of emergent, informal helping behavior," they shared. Research published in the journal Environment & Urbanization found that in crises when each minute matters, it is the people already on the scene friends, family, and neighbors who are most likely to save lives. From digging would-be victims out of debris to evacuating survivors from potentially dangerous zones, these people are the first line of defense even before the first responders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local volunteers also provide critical assistance in the weeks following any disaster, even if their contributions aren't officially logged and measured. Nice News referenced a range of disasters where volunteers contributed hundreds of thousands of hours of help, from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to the Kobe earthquake in Japan, the September 11 attacks in New York, the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, and more. And as the dust settles literally there is often a need for skilled volunteers, which is why Nice News encouraged anyone in the vicinity of a disaster to look for ways to contribute in the months and even years afterward. For example, as the city recovers from the L.A. wildfires, many residents will need help navigating insurance claims, correctly filling out FEMA paperwork, rebuilding temporary and new homes, looking for new jobs, and more. If you don't live near a disaster but would like to help contribute to recovery efforts, donating money to reputable volunteer and disaster relief organizations is an excellent way to lend a hand. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Our planet's changing climate is profoundly impacting the agricultural industry, with increased challenges due to droughts, heavy rains, high winds, and devastating wildfires. Researchers have been working to develop resilient crops that can withstand extreme weather and thrive to support our food supply. As Public News Service reported, Melinda Yerka, an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, developed a new type of climate-conscious grain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She created resilient sorghum that can be used for gluten-free human foods and dairy cow feed. Traditional crops are struggling to survive in the increasingly hotter and drier Nevada climate. Therefore, her sorghum can fill this void and allow farmers to adapt their businesses. "Sorghum is a very good alternative grain crop for various uses," Yerka said. "Primarily, it is used as an animal feed in the United States, but it is also a good alternative crop to replace corn, for example, in dairy silages." Yerka and her team developed over 200 varieties of sorghum that are affordable, require little water, and deliver high yields. While the alfalfa traditionally grown in the region requires about 30 to 40 inches of water annually, sorghum only needs 20 to 25 inches. Farmers nationwide have contacted Yerka about her drought-tolerant sorghum. She established Yerka Seeds to commercialize the varieties and make them readily available for agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, Yerka is looking to scale up her business to meet the growing demand for high-performing sorghum. She may license her varieties to companies that can produce greater quantities for commercial use. She also plans to organize an event to educate farmers, chefs, mills, and bakers about how to use her sorghum. Yerka's sorghum success is inspiring because it shows the potential of climate-resistant crops and the agricultural industry's openness to adaptation. The future of our food supply may shift in the years ahead, with some crops failing to thrive and others emerging as viable alternatives. Food costs are already increasing because of Earth's rising temperatures. However, altering farming techniques and embracing new developments give us hope for sustainable, long-term nutrition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'm looking for folks who want to play with my materials to make beer, tortillas, or bread," Yerka said. "We can all get together and sample things and decide as a community which varieties are best for our region. Then, we can start working with local farmers to produce it." She also shared: "I'm excited about the progress we've made in both the University's Yerka Lab and Yerka Seeds, but we're just getting started. With the right funding and partnerships, the two teams will be able to make real, meaningful changes in agriculture and the food sciences." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A new study shows that "active commuters" people who travel to work by way of physical activity may require fewer sick days. The study was published by researchers from the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, and it compared the habits of cyclists to "passive commuters" people who use public transportation or cars. Medical Xpress spoke to the author of the article, Ph.D. researcher Essi Kalliolahti, who said: "There is already research evidence on the health and environmental benefits of active commuting, but its connection to the risk of long sickness absences, for example, has not been studied at all before." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The findings of the study were regarding sickness absence, so work-reported leaves for illness. It showed that exceedingly active commuters had an 8-18% lower risk of calling out sick or facing long-term sickness. While the positive effects of exercise have been proven and supported by science, this study shows a correlation with actual immune health, not only cardiovascular benefits and weight stability. A survey by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare finds that less than a fifth of people in Finland commute by foot or bike year-round, while only 2.9% of people in the U.S. walk or bike to work, per a 2021 census report. Jenni Ervasti, chief researcher for the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, told Medical Xpress: "Knowing that only half of the adult population exercises according to the recommendations, commuting on foot or by bike can be a useful way to increase health-promoting exercise." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only does this study reinforce the positive effects of physical movement, but it could also benefit workplace productivity and keep employees on track to bigger paychecks. In a health landscape where news about the planet, its heating, and how it affects our bodies can often feel desolate, this study is a glimmer of easy-to-implement hope. Moreover, by taking this step to improve your health and immunity, you can commit to an emission-free way of living, making the world a greener place, reducing your carbon footprint, and feeling your best. Happy biking! Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. It turns out the fish from Pixar's Finding Nemo are pretty hard to find and costly, too. However, researchers at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are looking to change that. They're doing it by developing a method for effectively breeding these beautiful aquatic species. Clownfish and blue tang are among the most sought-after saltwater fish for aquarium owners. This is likely due in no small part to the fact that they're the two breeds of the main characters in the Finding Nemo films. But acquiring these fish is expensive for the buyer and tricky for the seller because they must be taken from the wild. Breeding these fish and many other popular saltwater species is notoriously difficult, thanks to their unique needs: The zooplankton they eat are difficult to grow, and different types of zooplankton are required as the fish continue to develop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, UF/IFAS researchers are finding success in their plans to breed clownfish, blue tangs, and many others. Two research groups have successfully bred blue tangs (the same breed as Finding Nemo's Dory) within two weeks of one another. Solving this aquatic riddle can be a tremendous boon to the country's ornamental fish market, which had an estimated value of $1.68 billion in 2024, per Grand View Research. That number is expected to grow significantly. However, UF/IFAS researchers still have their work cut out for them. "It's very labor- and cost-intensive, which is why it's important we do this research for the industry to create a blueprint," Matthew DiMaggio, director of the UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin, said. This research will not only benefit the economy it can also work to protect our beautiful oceans and leave their delicate ecosystems intact. On top of that, it can benefit the many aquariums around the country that do incredible conservational and educational work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We don't know how wild harvest affects these reefs," DiMaggio said. "So, finding ways to raise sought-after marine fish species can contribute to conservation, as well as job creation and economic stimulation." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Washington County is celebrating 200 years, and this weekend, residents are wishing a Happy Birthday to the place they call home. The bicentennial bash kicked off Friday night with Family Fun Night in Vernon. The festivities were in full swing Saturday, starting with a parade downtown. Throughout the town, there was music, vendors, and living history demonstrators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event highlighted and celebrated 200 years of the towns rich heritage. Washington County marks 200 years with bicentennial celebration Its fun to show people what Native Americans were like in this area. To talk about my ancestor, who was one of these red stick creeks who came down and to help people, especially kids, you know, you see them light up when they get to touch something like a bison bone or touch a musket or whatever we let them do. And it really brings them alive. And then I think that helps them maybe carry a little spark of appreciation for the people who were here before our generation, historian Dale Cox said. I love our history, and our community embraces our culture. And it was just great for us. To be able to showcase this for the community and for our tourists coming in that want to learn a little bit more about Washington County, Tourist Development Council Director Heather Lopez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information on the history of Washington County, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Around 830 residents in the vicinity of the shuttered coal-fired power station at Ibbenburen in western Germany have been evacuated ahead of its demolition by blasting on Sunday, the local authority said. The residents are to be accommodated in a central facility for the blast, which will bring down a 120-metre boiler house, followed by a 125-metre cooling tower. A police spokeswoman said the evacuation had proceeded according to schedule on Sunday morning. The site is to be made ready by the summer of 2026 for the construction of a substation to convert wind power generated on the North Sea for the German grid. After a horse was found dead on a street in Atlanta, police are working to treat it with respect. According to the Atlanta Police Department, a dead horse was found on Peachtree Street NW on Sunday. We are aware of the unfortunate incident involving a deceased horse on Peachtree Street NW, the department said in a statement. They said their officers were working with the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department to ensure the safe and respectful removal of the animal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, APD is asking the public to avoid the area so crews have the space and safety needed to remove the dead horse. Channel 2 Action News is working to learn more about the incident. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] This story is reported by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit news organization. Find more in-depth reporting at www.sdnewswatch.org. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (SDNW) Changes to climate policy under President Donald Trumps administration have sharpened Upper Midwest debates about the reliability of renewable energy and the separation of state and federal interests. One point of agreement is that winning the White House means controlling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal regulatory body that maintains and enforces environmental laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mega Millions changes start this week Lee Zeldin, Trumps pick to run the EPA, has announced plans to dramatically reduce staff and reverse policies from the Joe Biden administration involving the oversight of coal-fired power plants, oil and gas development and water quality standards. The deregulation is of keen interest to energy officials in Republican-led South Dakota and heavily Democratic Minnesota, where differences in climate policy have sparked border clashes over how pushing clean energy to reduce carbon emissions impacts the electrical grid. The Minnesota Legislature passed a law in 2023 requiring all electric utilities in the state to produce only carbon-free energy by 2040 using sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That law was an offshoot of Biden administration EPA rules requiring coal plants operating beyond 2039 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2032, which critics saw as shutting down the industry. Zeldins agency has rolled back those rules, inspired by Trumps March 17 declaration on social media that he is authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL. Chris Nelson, a Republican member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, said reversing coal plant regulations is good news for South Dakota and other states focused on the sustainability of the electricity grid and avoiding blackouts. The math didnt add up with those greenhouse gas limitation rules, Nelson told News Watch. They simply could not replace all of those plants quickly enough (with other energy sources) to maintain reliability of the grid. So the Trump administration rolling back those particularly damaging rules was very helpful. Xcel Energy to retire coal plants by 2030 Not everyone shares that opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EPAs actions face court challenges as clean-energy groups navigate federal and state environmental laws in a changing legal landscape. The U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the landmark 1984 Chevron deference doctrine, which required courts to defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Those interpretations are now up to the courts to decide. Democratic-leaning states are forging ahead with climate-based policies regardless of EPA rollbacks, using utility regulation as a tool to keep energy companies in line. Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, whose 3.7 million electrical customers include about 100,000 South Dakotans, is sticking with a plan to retire its coal-fired power plants by 2030 as part of an integrated resource plan approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in February in accordance with state law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan includes replacing coal with wind, solar and storage solutions while also building a new natural gas plant in 2028 as a way to address capacity needs. Natural gas, which replaced coal as the nations largest energy source in 2016, emits about half as much carbon dioxide as coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. SD 9th in energy consumption per capita The Xcel announcement came despite criticism from the South Dakota PUC, which questioned the companys ability to pivot from fossil fuels at that pace without compromising reliability and affordability for customers. South Dakota ranks ninth among U.S. states in energy consumption per capita, with 34% of households using electricity to heat their homes during frequently harsh winters. Nearly half (48%) use natural gas, with propane at 14%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PUCs concerns were laid out in a 2024 letter to Xcel signed by Republican commissioners Nelson, Gary Hanson and Kristie Fiegen. Evidence is mounting that the premature closures will elevate the risk of electricity outages particularly in tight load hours, including hours of extreme cold and extreme heat, as well as those hours when wind generation is low, the letter stated. These events are likely to pose a threat to life and property. South Dakota is part of the Southwest Power Poll, a nonprofit organization that manages electric transmission for parts of 14 states, and also the 15-state Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). That dual membership helps ensure energy distribution whether a customer uses Xcel, MidAmerican Energy, Black Hills Energy, NorthWestern Energy, Otter Tail or another utility company. Cooperation among these and other regional transmission organizations was critical during a major winter storm in January 2024, which brought brutally cold air and blizzard conditions to much of the Midwest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During that storm we got 7,000 megawatts of electricity from the East to help us keep the lights on, Fiegen told News Watch in 2024. Were the tail trying the wag the dog Xcels decision to close coal plants despite South Dakota PUC warnings shows the challenge of trying to influence policy involving companies under the sway of different state laws and consumer interests. One of the difficulties we have is that South Dakota represents 5% to 6% of Xcels entire system, said Nelson. We are literally the tail trying to wag the dog on some of these decisions. Some utility companies are advocating a more measured pace on clean energy. Minnesotas PUC clashed with Otter Tail Power over its decision to amend its long-range plan to push back closures of coal plants including Big Stone near Milbank, in northeast South Dakota until at least 2040. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Minnesota PUC approved Otter Tails resource plan last summer after concessions that included the company no longer using its North Dakota-based Coyote Station plant for Minnesota customers beyond 2031. Otter Tails most recent modeling projects a retirement date of 2046 for South Dakota-based Big Stone, which started operation in 1975 and burns coal from Wyomings Powder River Basin. The plant received a $384 million air quality control system upgrade in 2015 following complaints from environmental groups that its lack of pollution controls violated the Clean Air Act. We dont have any concerns about the Big Stone plant, said Nelson. They put pollution control equipment in that plant with the anticipation that they would be able to run it for a whole lot of years yet, and that is certainly our anticipation. Will wind energy policy hurt South Dakota? Despite leaning on fossil fuels to keep the lights on in extreme conditions, South Dakota has harnessed the states wind power as an alternative energy source. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, South Dakotas wind energy production accounted for more than half (55%) of the states in-state net power generation, a larger share than in all other states except Iowa, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The states other primary power sources include hydroelectric (21%), natural gas (14%) and coal (9%). Solar was less than 1% of the power generated (0.3%). Increased wind energy production nationally runs counter to the direction of the EPA and Trump, who has criticized the efficiency of turbines and told supporters that were not going to do the wind thing at a rally shortly after taking office. So far, the administrations actions are aimed at offshore wind development, which rely on access to federal waters. Its not clear how the EPAs actions will impact South Dakotas 24 active wind farms, which provide tax revenue and job creation for local communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fiscal year 2022, 21 school districts received a total of $4.5 million in tax revenue from wind farms in South Dakota, led by Deubrook ($662,527), Deuel ($591,319), Waverly ($467,034) and Highmore-Harrold ($421,590). The actions that weve seen the administration take thus far as it relates to wind have been exclusively related to offshore wind projects, said Nelson. Weve not seen any indication that theres going to be any activity for turbines that might be located in South Dakota. One uncertainty is whether the Department of Energys recent cost-cutting efforts and cancellation of clean energy grants could impact federal tax credits and other incentives meant to spur installation of renewable energy projects such as wind farms. At this point, I think thats probably an unanswerable question, Nelson said. Its going to make life more difficult Another reversal in federal climate policy involves the extent to which the government regulates lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act, signed into law in 1972. The Trump administration, emboldened by a friendly 2023 Supreme Court ruling, is working under the philosophy that federal regulations have protected too many wetlands and improperly limited private property rights. With South Dakotas traditionally lax approach to state regulations, the lack of federal oversight has some environmental groups concerned that water quality in the Big Sioux River, for example, could go from bad to worse. Testing has shown high levels of E. coli bacteria in the tributary that weaves through eastern South Dakota, mostly from upstream agricultural operations, livestock manure and stormwater runoff. The Big Siouxs watershed encompasses about 7,280 square miles in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Also heavily scrutinized is Sioux Falls-based Smithfield Foods, a pork processing plant that ranked seventh nationally among non-poultry animal slaughtering facilities in 2022 for the amount of nitrate compounds released into the Big Sioux. Smithfield went operational with a new $45 million wastewater treatment facility in May 2023, reducing the amount of nitrate released. But that action was attributed partly to pressure from federal regulators. If theres an environmental pollutant that isnt managed by the feds, South Dakota could set its own standard, but thats highly unlikely, said Jay Gilbertson, manager for the East Dakota Water Development District, which promotes conservation and proper management of water resources. Basically, we do what we have to do in South Dakota from a regulatory standpoint. So if the people who decide what we have to do are saying we should do less, its going to make life more difficult. Some of the strategy to reduce pollutants involves incentives, such as payments to landowners to build buffer strips along the river. But those programs could be in jeopardy if federal grants and staffing are reduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies, putting more responsibility on private organizations to urge protections. States such as neighboring Minnesota are taking notice, mindful of the axiom that pollution knows no borders. Were at the mercy of the political will of neighbors to stop burning coal or emitting other harmful pollutants that travel into our state, Leigh Currie of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy told Minnesota Public Radio. We might not have, going forward, the help from the federal government that weve had in the past. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine as the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles during a visit to Texas with the family of an 8-year-old girl who died from the disease. I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy, Kennedy said in a post on the social platform X. My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief. Kennedy said he offered Texas health officials the federal governments resources and touted the MMR vaccine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine, Kennedy wrote in his post. Ive spoken to Governor Abbott, and Ive offered HHS continued support. At his request, we have redeployed CDC teams to Texas. We will continue to follow Texas lead and to offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions. The reported death in Texas would be the second in the United States from measles since 2015. The New York Times reported that the child died early Thursday morning of measles pulmonary failure and said the Texas hospital confirmed the child was unvaccinated and did not have any underlying health conditions. The first child to die from the outbreak was in late February. At the time, Kennedy, who has a history of vaccine skepticism, appeared to downplay concerns about the significance of the outbreak. We are following the measles epidemic every day, Kennedy said at the time. Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country. Last year, there were 16. So its not unusual, we have measles outbreaks every year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy has also faced criticism for his response to the outbreak, with some arguing he has not been sufficiently vocal about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. GIBSON COUNTY, (WEHT) Several people in Gibson County are spending their Saturday taking a tour of this new facility, one that houses a dispatch center, intake center, jail and sheriffs office under one roof for efficiency. Gibson County will expand the amount of beds from 120 to 210 and have more space for inmates arraignment meetings and for the 911 dispatchers too. Two of them tell me its a game changer with the latest technology to get emergency crews to respond faster. Overcrowded and outdated were two words thrown at me when describing the current jail. Gibson County was even involved in a federal lawsuit for its jail being overcrowded and understaffed which led to this jail being built under the settlement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But take a look around southern Indiana and youll find Gibson County is not an anomaly. Warrick and Knox counties are also building jails to update and upgrade infrastructure too. These jails including the one now in Gibson County can be an easier location for rehabilitation. Sheriff Bruce Vanoven says the new complex is 99 percent complete, so inmates will be moved into this new space another time in the near future. the existing jail will be torn down in the future as well. When people are overcrowded and theres people right up on each other like that, it opens frustrations and people lash out ans stuff. This needs to be a place where, yeah, there is some time where you have to pay your dues for the crimes you committed, but it can also be a time of reflection where you can choose to overcome the things that brought you to jail, said Vanoven. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Flooding across the area has caused the closure of roads and parks. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7s Malik Patterson speaks to officials about the impacts of the rainfall, which is predicted to continue through the weekend. RELATED>>Flooding causes road closures throughout the region TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement East River Landing Park was closed along with other parks in the Miami Conservancy District to store flood water. I can deal with the rain, Anthony Davis from Dayton said. As long as its not snow. Davis says hes been lucky and hasnt had many issues throughout the storm. According to the Miami Conservancy District, the Great Miami River watershed has received inches of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Lower areas, like Troy, are experiencing rising water. News Center 7 spoke with Hydrologist Mike Ekberg about the flooding. All five of our dams right now are storing flood waters, Ekberg said. The water wont go over top the levees and cause flooding. So its operating like we need it to do. The Miami Conservancy District says they are waiting for rain to subside before they open the roadways and parks back up. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) Roanoke Fire EMS Department was still putting out hotspots Saturday morning after an overnight fire at Noke Van Co. The fire department posted about a fire on the 1900 block of 9th Street Southeast around 1 a.m. Crews said because of structural collapse, they focused their attack on the outside of the building. Roads were blocked near the commercial complex overnight. Noke Van Co. posted to their Facebook, saying they are heartbroken. They confirmed no one was injured and the fire was contained to only their building. In another post they said 20 employees were left without a job. The company also posted a GoFundMe link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Two North Carolina State University students are back in Saudi Arabia after their visas were revoked by the U.S. government. One of the students, Saleh Al Gurad, received the life-changing news a week ago, according to his roommate, Philip Vasto. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 NC State students leave US after visas terminated, officials say We didnt know what to make of it, we thought it was a mistake, Vasto said. He had just the most grave expression on his face, wide-eyed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vasto said there was no explanation or reason given for why Al Gurads visa was revoked. I could tell he had felt betrayed, Vasto said. It was a feeling of abandonment. Vasto met Al Gurad in December when the two started rooming together. He said they bonded over their love of different cuisines and professional sports, describing Al Gurad as someone who kept to himself. He was just a hard worker, very diligent, Vasto said. He actually took a job here on campus and he was just really knee deep in his studies. According to Vasto, Al Gurad was working on a masters in engineering management. Students at other American universities who have voiced support for Palestinians have also had their visas revoked by the U.S. government, but Vasto said that is not the case for his roommate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes an apolitical person, so he minded his business, Vasto said. Vasto believes Al Gurad was singled out because of his ethnicity. That sends a very chilling message to international students all across America, he said. Other students echoed that sentiment. Its a scary time right now for everyone, said Satha Boaj, a student government senator at NC State. Boaj is not an international student, but is originally from Jordan and said the situation has been a shock for her. I think theres a lot of fear right now, not because of losing rights, but being deported, getting kicked out, losing their families, losing their progress in their education, in their jobs, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her role in student government, Boaj recently helped pass a bill making an international affairs department permanent to help international students navigate college, including immigration issues. One of the things we really wanted to focus on with this department is working with the Office of Global Engagement and the immigrant attorney we have at NC State, putting them together, and helping [students] with any legal issues that they run into regarding their visas, green cards, things like that, she said. NC State enrolls nearly 5,000 international students, the most in the University of North Carolina system. Theyre contributing so much to the student body, Vasto said. And it would be an absolute shame if the Wolfpack abandons these students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement Wednesday, the university said in part, NC State did not initiate these terminations and was not directly notified of these changes. We are deeply concerned about the lack of communication from federal agencies and the impact of these actions on our international students. The university explained both students decided to return to their home country and said they will be able to finish their semester while there. Vasto wants to see more action. I would think that it would send a message if the university said they would not comply with ICE and would allow this university to become a sanctuary campus, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. DUBLIN Comedian Rosie ODonnell, who recently relocated to Ireland, sounded the alarm on President Donald Trumps newly announced tariffs. I think the impact is going to be horrible for the world, she said at Malahide Castle in Dublin, according to an article published in The Irish Times on Saturday. ODonnell described Trumps presidency as disastrous for democracy [and] for the world at large, emphasizing her distress over the dissolution of the Department of Education, which she believes will adversely affect children with autism and other special needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ODonnells remarks followed her participation in a fundraising walk organized by the charity AsIAm, which supports children with autism. Her 12-year-old child, Clay, is autistic. ODonnell has cited concerns about potential discrimination under Trump as a significant factor in her decision to leave the United States. ODonnells longstanding and public feud with President Trump dates back nearly two decades. The animosity began in 2006 when ODonnell criticized Trump on The View, questioning his business ethics and personal conduct. Trump has frequently retaliated with derogatory remarks, including personal insults. During the 2016 presidential election campaign, Megyn Kelly, then at Fox News, asked Trump whether he thought it was appropriate to have called some women fat pigs, dogs, and slobs. Only Rosie ODonnell, Trump replied. Recently, during Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martins visit to the White House, President Trump made a pointed remark about ODonnells move to Ireland, suggesting that Martin was better off not knowing her. ODonnell found this interaction surreal and sent an apology to the taoiseach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House adviser Stephen Miller celebrated the departure of ODonnell, a 62-year-old Long Island native, by telling Fox Newss Sean Hannity that Trump forced her to self-deport. It wasnt explicitly one of our campaign promises, but it is a major first 100-day achievement, Miller said. You are welcome, America. You dont have to worry about that problem anymore. ODonnell expressed gratitude for the warm reception in Ireland, stating, Ive never had one moment where I have regretted moving here. She is currently in the process of applying for Irish citizenship. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Round Rock Police Department (RRPD) on Saturday asked the public for help in locating a missing 34-year-old man, who was last seen on Monday. RRPD said Brayan Ivan Valle Raymundo was last seen at his apartment on Bowman Road at 1 p.m. on Monday. He has not returned to his apartment or workplace since. The Round Rock Police Department on Saturday asked the public for help in locating missing 34-year-old Brayan Ivan Valle Raymundo who was last seen on Monday. (Photo Courtesy: Round Rock Police Department) Authorities described Raymundo as 56 tall, 180 lbs, and having brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with lime green lettering and blue jeans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information regarding Raymundos whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Bernie Villegas at 512-671-2709 or email bvillegas@roundrocktexas.gov. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Russell Brand has issued a statement attacking the British government in the wake of the controversial comedian being charged with rape and sexual assault in his native U.K. The charges were announced on Friday as Brand and his family were vacationing in Boca Grande, Florida. The 50-year-old podcaster was hit with six charges in connection to multiple incidents dating back over 25 years, including one count of rape for an alleged assault in 1999. Hours after the charges were announced, Brand took to social media to deny the allegations while slamming authorities in Britain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were very fortunate in a way to live in a time where theres so little trust in the British government, he began an Instagram video filmed from his Florida hotel. Were very fortunate, I suppose, that this is happening at a time where we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people, institutions and sometimes entire nations. He then went on to ask his British viewers how they feel about the current legal system, specifically calling out the administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. How do you feel about some of the high-profile cases that are not being pursued and prosecuted? How do you feel that the Southport murders were handled? he asked. After speaking in generalities for a while, he then addressed the allegations against him head on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive always told you guys that when I was young and single, before I had my wife and family I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord, he said. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist. Ive never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that. He closed out his video by thanking his followers for their support, promising his fans that hed be defending himself in court. On Saturday, Brand and his family his wife, Laura, and their three kids were photographed frolicking on a beach in Miami, seemingly attempting not to allow the allegations to derail their vacation. Additional to one count of rape, Brand has also been charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count each of indecent assault and oral rape. The charges stem from incidents that allegedly took place with four different women between 1999 and 2005. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement London authorities said they began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving numerous complaints following a joint report by The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4. Brand is currently scheduled to appear in court on May 2. Russell Brands lawyers fear he could face prosecution in the US over sexual assault allegations. Court documents show the actors US legal team tried to delay a civil lawsuit filed against him in New York because of concerns it could overlap with a live criminal investigation in the UK. Scotland Yard announced on Friday that it had charged Brand, 49, with rape and sexual assault after a year-and-a-half-long police investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The comedian, who has been living in the US since February, is accused of sexually abusing four women in London and the Bournemouth area between 1999 and 2005. Brand also faces a separate lawsuit in the US after a woman filed a civil claim against him in November 2023. The woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Brand while working as an extra on the set of the comedy film Arthur in 2010. The former British television presenter is not facing any criminal charges in the US. The lawsuit filed in New York, brought by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, is a civil claim seeking damages for alleged sexual assault. However, Brands lawyers argued he had a reasonable belief that criminal prosecution is possible in the United States in documents submitted to the New York Supreme Court as part of the lawsuit earlier this week. Russell Brand is accused of sexually abusing four women in London and in the Bournemouth area between 1999 and 2005 - Leon Neal/Getty Images In one document dated April 1, his legal team said: The fact that Mr Brand is already facing a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom coupled with highly publicised allegations that have been made that Mr Brand committed similar sexual assaults in the United States is more than sufficient to support a reasonable belief that he could face prosecution here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark Cuccaro, Brands attorney, called for the US lawsuit to be postponed, arguing that it was likely to contain overlapping issues with the UK criminal investigation. The lawyer claimed this also meant Brand should not be forced to provide testimony to the US lawsuit while the UK case is ongoing, since this could incriminate him. If Mr Brands deposition proceeds, he is expected to be asked questions not only about [Jane Does] specific allegations, but also about other allegations of sexual assault relating to the criminal investigation in the United Kingdom, Mr Cuccaro claimed in a document first reported by The Sun on Sunday. The US court submissions added: Mr Brands alleged assaults in the United Kingdom could potentially be admitted as evidence of other assaults in the United States if he were to be criminally charged here. Request to delay denied Judge Shlomo Hagler rejected the request by Brands legal team to delay the case, but granted him an extension until Oct 30 to submit his deposition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit was filed in state court in November 2023 under New Yorks Adult Survivors Act, which gives accusers a one-year window to sue over alleged historic sexual abuse, even if statutes of limitations have expired. Jane Doe claims Brand exposed his genitalia to her openly and obviously in the presence of everyone on set in between the filming of Arthur, a remake of the 1981 film starring Dudley Moore. The woman alleges that an intoxicated Brand later followed her into a bathroom on set and sexually assaulted her. The complainant is also suing Warner Bros Pictures and other companies involved in the film production for alleged negligence amid claims they tolerated Brands misconduct during filming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brand denies the allegations, with his lawyers describing them as specious and scurrilous in court documents. In his initial response to the lawsuit filed in February 2024, Brand claimed that an open bottle of an alcoholic drink that was on the set of Arthur was a film prop since he had been sober for approximately eight years by that point. He alleged it showed the claimant had a faulty memory of the events, and also claimed never to have met the woman. Warner Bros and other companies involved in the lawsuit have also denied the womans allegations against them. In a video posted on X Russell Brand has said he is incredibly grateful for the chance to defend these charges in court - @rustyrockets/X New York law firm Sher Tremonte is representing Brand in the case, after litigation company Berk Brettler withdrew as his legal counsel in January, according to US court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit comes after Brand was accused of raping and sexually assaulting two women in Los Angeles in a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4s dispatches in 2023. He has also been charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area in the UK, and the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in the Westminster area of London. The Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor has also been charged with indecently assaulting a woman in 2001 and sexually assaulting another woman between 2004 and 2005 in Westminster. Brand is expected to appear before Westminster magistrates court in the UK on May 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a video posted on X on April 4, the actor said he has never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes, he said. Of course I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and Im incredibly grateful for that. Brands US legal team was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, has stated that new contacts between Moscow and Washington can be expected "as early as next week". Source: Russian news agency Interfax Details: Dmitriev said new US-Russia talks are expected during the week beginning 7 April. The envoy also expressed "cautious optimism" regarding the resumption of dialogue between Russia and the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "There is certainly a strong focus on restoring Russian-American relations Ive been working on this for many years. Naturally, the focus is on economic and investment cooperation... Were seeing the beginning of a respectful, constructive dialogue." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! On the night of 5-6 April, Russian forces attacked the territory of a business facility in the city of Sumy using drones, damaging storage buildings, an administrative building and 18 vehicles. Source: Sumy Oblast Police Quote: "Early reports indicate that the strike damaged storage premises and an administrative building, as well as 18 vehicles. No casualties have been reported." Details: As reported by Economichna Pravda the targeted facility is the Dary Moria [Gifts of the Sea] chain of stores. Background: On the night of 5-6 April, a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv caused damage to buildings housing the editorial offices of the state-owned International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on April 6 that Russia was excluded from the U.S. tariff list due to ongoing peace negotiations with Ukraine. In an interview with ABC News, Hassett explained that U.S. President Donald Trump made the decision not to conflate the two issues, and that he is focusing on negotiations. Its not appropriate to throw a new thing into these negotiations right in the middle of it. It's just not, Hassett said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hassett argued that introducing new tariffs during peace talks would risk disrupting diplomatic progress. Would you literally advise that you go in and put a whole bunch of new things on the table in the middle of a negotiation that affects so many Ukrainian and Russian lives? No, no, he said. Trumps new tariff policy, announced as part of what he called "Liberation Day," imposed duties on nearly every major U.S. trading partner, including Ukraine. Kyiv was hit with a 10% tariff, compared to 20% on the EU and 54% on China. Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Cuba were notably not included. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said that the Trump administration's latest tariffs are likely to be "difficult, but not critical" for Ukraine's economy. Ukraine's exports to the U.S. in 2024 amounted to $874 million, including $363 million in cast iron and $112 million in pipes, Svyrydenko said on Facebook. The same year, Ukraine imported $3.4 billion worth of U.S. goods. The White Houses decision to exclude Russia from the tariff list comes amid growing signs of diplomatic and economic engagement between Washington and Moscow. Last week, Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev visited the United States and expressed cautious optimism about the future of Russian-American relations, emphasizing a focus on investment cooperation and the beginning of respectful, good dialogue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trumps tariffs may hit US defense production including F-35 fighter jet, air defense projects, Politico reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Trump administration is torn over how to respond to Russias military presence in Syria and whether to ask the new transitional government to oust Russian forces from a naval and air base in the country. U.S. sanctions on Syria provide Washington with enormous leverage to influence the new government headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former U.S.-designated terrorist who led the overthrow of longtime dictator Bashar Assad. Last month, Trump officials provided al-Sharaas representatives with a list of conditions for eventual sanctions relief. But ousting Russias military presence in the country was not included, according to two people familiar with the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a huge internal debate within the administration about what position to take on the Russian base, said one person familiar with the matter. This was debated within the State Department and White House, there was a push by some in the administration to remove the Russian base. The person added that ousting Russian forces is currently not being demanded of the Syrians to remove sanctions. Russias involvement in Syria is another potential flashpoint as Trump tries to bring Moscow to the table on a ceasefire with Ukraine. In a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 about Ukraine, Trump spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin over his refusal to halt fighting with Kyiv, and threatened sanctions. Russia hawks in Congress say the removal of Russian military assets in Syria is an easy ask of al-Sharaa that would deliver major geopolitical wins for the U.S. in the region. Im hopeful that every effort is going to be made to remove the Russian navy base of Tartus and equally to remove the air base that the Russians have in Syria, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) told The Hill. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took a more cautious tack, saying Damascuss turn away from Russia and its partners China, Iran and North Korea would benefit the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we want it and they want it, we ought to try to make it happen, he said. Risch said hes still in a wait and see mode with whether the new authorities in Damascus are to be trusted, but said some sanctions relief is possible. I think what we should do, is do some suspension of some of the sanctions so that they can start rebuilding their country. I think we should give them that opportunity, but Im still in a wait-and-see mode to see where this country is going, he said. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and Armed Services Committee, called last month for Russia to be kicked out of Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we want lasting peace in Ukraine, we cant allow Russia to capitalize on the chaos in Syria and maintain control of its airbases, he posted on the social platform X. Russias presence in Syria benefits Irans terrorist proxies, who seek to destabilize the region and undermine U.S. national security interests. Theres little love for Russia among the Syrian people, al-Sharaa, or the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the insurgents who overthrew Assad. Russias intervention in Syria in 2015 shored up Assads dwindling power against the Syrian rebels, with air and ground forces carrying out widespread attacks that spurred allegations of war crimes. During the onslaught on Aleppo in 2015 to the end of 2016, Russia dropped tens of thousands of tons of munitions on residential areas in Syria including cluster bombs, said Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, a Syrian Civil Society leader and human rights activist, testified in front of Congress in July. Cluster bombs are banned by more than 100 countries because of their devastating impact, spreading multiple submunitions or bomblets over an area as large as a city block, and that can kill, maim, and also lie dormant until triggered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia has committed extensive war crimes killing thousands of Syrian civilians and obliterating hospitals, schools, mosques, marketplaces, churches and residential neighborhoods, Ghanem said. But Putin is reportedly reaching out to al-Sharaa and offering practical cooperation at a time when the government faces an overwhelming economic crisis, and ongoing international sanctions put in place against Assad. In February, Russia delivered the equivalent of $23 million in Syrian currency at official rates to the central bank in Damascus, The Wall Street Journal reported, extending a lifeline to the new Syrian authorities in the absence of other potential donors. Europe, Arab and Gulf countries have so far held back transferring funds, wary over running afoul of U.S. sanctions. And Russia reportedly started oil and gas shipments to Syria in an effort to maintain its military bases, according to the Moscow Times. The Syrian government is facing an acute energy crisis without the ability to develop its own oil reserves. The Assad regime relied on oil provided by Iran, which has largely been cut off with Assads flight and Irans expulsion from the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. sanctions are suffocating Syria, said Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Zelin said that even as Europe signals easing of sanctions on Syria, its given little confidence to investors or Arab and Gulf states to enter the country, over fear of running afoul of American restrictions. The Biden administration in January offered a six-month reprieve on certain transactions in Syria, but advocates and analysts say more sanctions relief is needed to give the transitional government an opportunity to provide stability, while working on other U.S. priorities, like eliminating Assads chemical weapons stockpiles, ramping up counterterrorism cooperation, preventing a resurgence of ISIS and investigating the disappearance of American Austin Tice. To ensure that Syria is stable, peaceful, and free of Iran and other adversaries, the Trump administration must lift sanctions ASAP, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, and who has led multiple international and religious delegations to Syria testing the new governments promises of inclusivity and openness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump has an opportunity to make Syria an ally of the U.S., bring troops home in the right way, and keep China and Iran away from Syrian territory and natural resources by normalizing with a new free Syria. Advocates for conditional sanctions relief say al-Sharaa and the new care-taker government, announced late last month, are positive steps that should be rewarded with targeted relief. I think we need to look at a tiered approach to easing sanctions, so you do certain things and we lift certain sanctions, you do certain other things, we lift certain sanctions, said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But we need to get moving because right now we dont have a Syria policy and Russia is already moving back in, Iran is looking to move back in so, its important for us to send a clear message about what we expect and what were willing to do as a result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelin, of the Washington Institute, said the new government in Damascus is an improvement to the transitional authority that al-Sharaa headed alongside HTS. While HTS officials hold high-profile portfolios like foreign policy, interior, justice and defense, minority groups like Kurds, Christians, Druze and Alawites are represented although there is only one woman. Obviously I think its a bit disappointing that theres only one woman considering the fact that its 23 ministries, Zelin said. Relatively speaking, its definitely a better version of what they were running before. But some in the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill argue that al-Sharaas Salafi-jihadist past should make Washington skeptical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive been studying Jihadi movements for 24 years, I have never seen a successful jihadi leader become a democrat or a lover of representative government, said Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president and senior counterterrorism official on the National Security Council. Theres only moderation if the jihadi leader loses. He didnt lose in Damascus, he won, so lets apply a little common sense. Just because a terrorist puts on a suit doesnt mean hes the father of the country, said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East. We need to see signs that they are providing equal protection to all groups, majority and minority, and when we see that then we have the beginnings of an opportunity, he added. We also have to look at the outflow and inflow of refugees, because that says a lot about what the people of Syria believe about the new government. The Hill has reached out to the National Security Council. A State Department spokesperson told The Hill that the administration is monitoring the Syrian interim authorities actions across a number of issues as we determine future U.S. policy for Syria, when asked about whether the shutdown of Russian bases are a condition for sanctions relief. Ultimately, the United States wants a Syria that lives in peace with its neighbors, respects human rights, and prohibits terrorists from using its territory as a safe haven, the spokesperson said. Updated at 2:20 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Pavel Polityuk and Valentyn Ogirenko KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian missile attack on Kyiv killed one man and injured three other people overnight, causing damage and fires in several districts in the biggest such attack on Ukraine for weeks, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday. The strike was the first large-scale attack using missiles and drones since the U.S. said late last month it had negotiated two ceasefire accords with Russia and Ukraine, including one that would halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ongoing attacks showed Russia did not want to end the three-year-old war. "Such attacks are Putin's response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners - America, the whole of Europe, the whole world - has seen that Russia is going to continue to fight and kill," he said on the Telegram messaging app. In a separate statement he said that he had instructed the defence and foreign ministers to intensify talks with partners, especially the U.S., on the supply of air defence equipment. Russian forces used ballistic and cruise missiles launched from both strategic bombers and naval fleets, as well as drones, during the overnight attack, Ukraine's air force said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskiy called for increased manufacturing of air defence systems and missiles, suggesting that such production should be established in Ukraine. Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, posted a video of firefighters trying to put out fires at badly damaged buildings. Zelenskiy said that over the past week, Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine. He said Kyiv was waiting for U.S. reaction to Putin's refusal to agree to Washington's proposal to establish a full ceasefire, which Ukraine had previously agreed to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement POLAND ON HIGH ALERT Warnings from the air force of an attack including regions bordering Poland forced the neighbouring NATO-member country to scramble aircraft to ensure air safety. Poland has been on high alert for objects entering its airspace since a stray Ukrainian missile struck the southern Polish village of Przewodow in 2022, killing two people. In Kyiv, several loud explosions were heard overnight. Fires broke out in at least three districts of Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post. "The body of a man killed in an enemy attack was found in Darnytskiy district (of Kyiv). He was on the street, near the epicentre of the explosion," Klitschko said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sunday strikes on Kyiv came after officials in the southern region of Mykolaiv reported three people had been injured in Russian strikes. A day earlier, a Russian attack killed at least 19 people including nine children in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours, has sought to broker an end to the conflict. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Valentyn Ogirenko in Kyiv and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Helen Popper, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Alexandra Hudson) A Russian missile strike killed at least one person in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours of Sunday, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, as Moscow continued an intense period of long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine's air force reported 23 missiles and 109 strike drones launched into the country overnight, of which 13 missiles and 40 drones were shot down, with another 53 drones lost in flight without causing damage. Damage was reported in the Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv regions, the air force said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the capital, Klitschko said one person was killed and three people were injured, while fires broke out in "non-residential buildings." One office building was also partly destroyed, he said. PHOTO: This handout photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on April 6, 2025, shows a firefighter working on a fire following the Russian missile attack in Kyiv. (Handout/State Emergency Service of Ukrai) Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, wrote on Telegram, "Russia is increasing the intensity of attacks and clearly does not want to cease fire, does not want peace. It wants to kill Ukrainians, our children." "The language of force is the only one that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin understands," Yermak added. "All our partners must switch to this language." Zelenskyy said the strike proved that the "pressure on Russia is still not enough." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Such attacks are Putin's response to all international diplomatic efforts," Zelenskyy said in a statement posted to Telegram. "There can be no easing of pressure. It is worth directing all forces to ensure security and bring peace closer." Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces shot down 11 Ukrainian drones overnight over three Russian regions. Both sides are continuing long-range attacks as U.S.-brokered ceasefire negotiations continue. Last month, both Kyiv and Moscow said they agreed to freeze strikes on energy infrastructure and end attacks in the Black Sea. MORE: US response to Russian ballistic missile strike 'weak,' Zelenskyy says Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both sides have since accused the other of repeatedly violating the agreement to pause attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine has also accused Russia of intentionally targeting civilians in major strikes over the past week. On Friday, a Russian ballistic missile and drone attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih -- Zelenskyy's home town -- killed 19 people, including nine children. "Yes, the war must end," Zelenskyy wrote in a Saturday morning statement. "But in order to end it, we must not be afraid to call a spade a spade. We must not be afraid to put pressure on the only one who continues this war and ignores all the world's proposals to end it." "We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a ceasefire. We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people. We must do everything possible to save lives." PHOTO: A woman covers her nose while walking as smoke rises from a nearby site of a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 6, 2025. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) Russia launches missile strike on Ukraine with explosions reported in Kyiv originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Pakistan and the United States have expressed their commitment to advancing mutual energy goals and exploring new avenues of cooperation in the sector, Azernews reports, citing Tribune. They expressed the resolve at a meeting held on Friday between US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker and Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, where they discussed bilateral energy collaboration, sustainable development, and opportunities for enhancing Pakistan-US relations. The meeting focused on strengthening partnerships in renewable energy initiatives, minerals, hydrocarbons and infrastructure investment. Baker and Malik exchanged views on critical energy challenges, technological innovation, and policy measures to support Pakistan's growing energy demand, future roadmap for mutually beneficial partnership and sustainability of the energy sector. "We are keen to explore joint ventures in oil, gas, and renewable energy to ensure sustainable development and energy affordability for our citizens," the minister remarked. On the occasion, it was revealed that acting US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Eric Meyer would attend the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum scheduled for April 8. This marks an important visit by a US official from the State Department after a long time. In her remarks, Baker commended Pakistan's economic recovery and successful implementation of critical reforms as well as emphasised that the United States had positive engagements on security with Pakistan. Russian forces carried out a combined attack on Ukraine on the night of 5-6 April 2025, launching 23 air-to-surface, surface-to-surface and sea-to-surface missiles and 109 loitering munitions. Source: Ukraine's Air Force Details: A total of 132 Russian aerial assets have been detected and tracked over Ukraine: Nine Kh-101/Kh-55SM cruise missiles (launched from Tu-95MS aircraft from the airspace of Russia's Saratov Oblast) Eight Kalibr cruise missiles (launched from the Black Sea); Six Iskander-M ballistic missiles (launched from Russia's Bryansk Oblast); 109 Shahed-type loitering munitions and different types of decoy drones (launched from Bryansk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk in Russia and Chauda in temporarily occupied Crimea). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, 53 aerial targets are confirmed to have been shot down: six Kh-101/Kh-55SM cruise missiles; six Kalibr cruise missiles; one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 40 Shahed loitering munitions. A further 53 drones have disappeared from radar. The Ukrainian Air Force adds that the Russian attack has affected Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv oblasts. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! As the rest of the world reeled from Donald Trumps tariff onslaught this week, one countrys foreign investment chief received a warm welcome in Washington. Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russias sovereign wealth fund and Vladimir Putins special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, should not have been in the United States, let alone the White House. At least according to the countrys own blacklist, that is. The US Treasury had to temporarily suspend sanctions so he could legally enter the country. He remains banned from the United Kingdom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So Dmitrievs Wednesday afternoon meeting with special diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff is testament not only to the rapprochement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, but his own powers of persuasion too. His visit also indicated Moscow was the sole winner in a week marked by the US presidents imposition of historic, sweeping tariffs on scores of countries. Intriguingly, Russia avoided the brunt of Trumps fury, and Putin will no doubt seek to capitalise on the ensuing chaos to his own advantage. If America wants to have more business with Russiathen of course [the] US can do so, Dmitriev told CNN on Thursday, adding in a separate interview with Russian state media that one of the main topics he had discussed with Witkoff was the restoration of Russian-American relations. Putin's Envoy: We didn't ask U.S. for any sanctions relief Watch the full video here: https://t.co/acwwzbUPyr pic.twitter.com/dGYNisbaJz The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) April 4, 2025 But who exactly is the man charged with charming the United States into a new partnership with Russia at the expense of Ukraine? Russia is open for business Dmitriev is a close acquaintance of Saudi Arabias Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), a gifted financier, and perhaps the last person anyone expected to be leading Putins most critical diplomatic gambit yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he has taken to it with gusto. He was present in Riyadh when American and Russian delegations met for the first tentative peace talks last month, even staying behind after the discussions had finished for an informal one-on-one with MBS. A week later, he set up an account on X with the announcement: Russia is open for US Russia economic cooperation and believes such cooperations [sic] is key for more resilient global economy. Good weather in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/gZ8OrELDhV Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 3, 2025 He has continued Tweeting - exclusively in English - on the themes of world peace, Russian and Western business opportunities - as well as the greatness of Trump and Putin - ever since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the leadership of President Putin and President Trump, the world has become a much safer place today! Historic! Epic! #Russia #US #USRussia Dmitriev wrote after the March 18 phone call between the pair in which the Russian leader agreed to stop attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, an agreement his forces violated within hours. The same day, Dmitriev tagged Elon Musk in a post about how Russia and the US could together make the Tesla billionaires obsession of landing on Mars a reality. He later announced he would be meeting with Musk to discuss the idea. Clearly, Dmitiev is wooing Trump, his entourage, and the constellation of decision makers around him in their own language: a language of money, deal-making, soundbites and optimism. But where did he come from? An America-phile Russians like to make a lot of their Rolls Royce diplomatic service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Typically trained at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), drilled in multiple languages, armed with an encyclopaedic knowledge of diplomatic treaties, precedent and procedure, its rank-and-file are adept at bamboozling their foreign counterparts, extracting concessions, and defending Moscows corner on the world stage. Sergei Lavrov, the hard-bitten, long serving foreign minister, is almost universally revered by career diplomats as a formidable master of the art. Sergei Ryabkov, his deputy, Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putins foreign affairs advisor, and Grigory Karasin, the co-leader of the Russian delegation at Riyadh talks, hail from the same tradition. But Dmitriev is none of these things. He is a mathematician by education, a financier by profession, and an America-phile by inclination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has no formal diplomatic training, did not study at the MGIMO or other foreign service schools, and has never served in either the Kremlin or climbed the greasy-pole of the Russian Foreign Ministrys Stalinist headquarters on Smolenskaya Square. Despite speculation to the contrary, there is no evidence that he had a career with the SVR, FSB, or any of the other Russian intelligence agencies so embedded in Putins Russia. (Sergey Beseda, the other head of the Russian delegation in talks with the Americans, has such a background). In fact, Dmitriev is not even Russian, but Ukrainian - or at least he was born there. He also spent many years working happily - and lucratively - in the US, and might easily have stayed there. The Kyiv connection In the 1960s, the Soviet Union came up with a new model of education. Specialised high schools would select the best and brightest teenagers in various spheres to ensure Soviet dominance in science, the arts and other fields. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kyiv Physical-Mathematical Lyceum, founded in 1963, was one such school. By the late 1980s, when Dmitriev joined, it had established itself as one of the most elite schools in the Union. Alumni today still boast that they outperformed the rival physics schools in Moscow, Leningrad, and Novosibirsk. It was the last three or four years of high school. They were basically taking the best and the brightest who did well in local exams at 13 or 14, and the idea was we would represent the Soviet Union in all kinds of international mathematics and physics competitions, and later well go on to a research institute and build nuclear bombs or something, says Roman Sulzhyk, a contemporary of Dmitrievs at the school. Others who were also educated alongside Dmitriev recall he possessed a particularly astute mind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was very talented. He was one of the best students in our cohort: very smart, a very, very, very systematic brain, says Volodymyr Ariev, a Ukrainian national who was in the same year as Dmitriev. So I was not surprised that he started to make his career in business. In 1989, Dmitriev was selected for an exchange with the US - one of the first of its kind between American and Soviet schools. It was a sign of Mikhail Gorbachevs glasnost, which transformed and ultimately led to the demise of the Union, but not everyone was allowed to go. I was in the group, but my parents had problems with the KGB so I was banned from travel, says Ariev. But he was one, one of the lead positions there in the group of Soviet school students from Ukraine. Newspaper photographs from the time show a gangly, very tall youth holding the stars and stripes he had just exchanged for a Soviet flag with the head of the student council at Milford Middle School in New Hampshire. Dmitriev, one local newspaper reported, said the Ukraine had a long history as an independent nation before it became part of the Russian empire and Ukraine has a strong democratic tradition and that he hoped the country would thrive in an independent nation. A young Dmitriev posing for photos during an exchange in the US By this point, the Soviet Union was on its last legs. The careers in research and bomb building that the Communist system had laid out for students like Dmitriev simply evaporated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So like a great many of the last Soviet generation, he seized the opportunity to get out of the country with both hands. And like many mathematicians and physicists at the time, took his numerical skills into the world of finance. A return to Moscow After the New Hampshire trip, Dmitriev went to stay with family friends in California, where he ended up studying for two years at a local college. He went on to study at Stanford, graduating in 1996. There followed a career at Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School, and McKinsey & Company. By the end of the decade, he headed to Moscow to join the free market revolution, spending much of the 2000s at Delta Private Equity, the financial branch of a US government project to push private investment into Russia. When the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) was set up in 2011 to attract foreign investment, he was a natural fit for the job: an experienced financier, a native Russian speaker, and armed with an impressive contact book. He also knew how to speak to Westerners in their own language. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is very smart and unlike many Russian state officials he knows how to behave himself, says Alexander Kolyandr, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, who previously worked as a financial reporter for the Wall Street Journal Moscow in the 2000s and 2010s. He was an easy person to socialise with, and never said anything awkward. He behaved like a civilised person - that cannot always be said for people in Russian business. That is a widespread sentiment. Theres few people in Russian business circles like this: people whoknow what they are doing when talking to foreigners, says another long-serving Russian business reporter who met Dmitriev multiple times. Dmitriev is known to have a strong work ethic - alamy There was, indeed, a reason for that. Dmitriev came from the world of American investment banks, and he brought its demanding, 24-hour a day work-ethic with him. Its something very, very common in investment funds across the globe: you work hard, 24/7, without holidays and you dont have personal or working hours - you work all the time. Thats how we worked, says Maria Uvarova, who ran public relations for RDIF from 2013-2017. Its not a schedule for everyone. It was exhausting, machine-level efficient, each day every day, says Uvarova. Others have spoken of burn out under Dmitrievs management. But some, including Uvarova, thrived. She felt like she was doing something for the country. And Dmitriev, she believed, was on the same page - at least at first. I know for sure he wanted to do the best he could for Russia. He chose Russia as his country of residence, although he could easily have stayed in America. Hes a smart, talented person, super hard working, probably the most hard working person Ive ever worked with, she says. But, as time went by, Dmitriev increasingly got sucked into the Kremlins orbit. I found it frustrating when he started thinking more about how to please Putins inner circle rather than serving the interests of the country, says Uvarova. I witnessed how everything started being focussed on Putin and his schedule. Oh no, were not gonna announce this deal now, only in his presence at the St Petersburg economic forum. You know, things like that. As a historian, I could see that things go in the wrong direction when theres veneration of the president, when he starts to be treated as a sacred figure. Kirill unfortunately played with that, and he really enjoyed being part of this process. I dont know why. Connections with Riyadh Following the annexation of Crimea and the first invasion of Ukraine in 2014, American interest in RDIF began to wane, and Dmitriev began to look for new partners in other parts of the world - especially the Middle East. It was around this time that he began to emerge as a truly significant figure, at least in Russian finance circles. Around 2014 he suddenly became high profile and someone I would quote, the Russian business reporter, who did not wish to be named, says. From 2015 until the outbreak of the Covid pandemic there were all these Opec plus meetings with the Saudis coming to Russia and Russians going to Saudi. He was around all those delegations. The Gulf connection was key to Dmitrievs success and explains his recent appearance in Riyadh. In 2015, RDIF signed a $10 billion deal with the Saudi investment fund. The next year, a delegation from the Kingdom visited Moscow. Then, in October 2017, came the crowning diplomatic coup: King Salman himself, then 80, arrived in the Russian capital for talks with Putin. Dmitriev has been a key player in developing Russia-Saudi relations in recent years - AFP RDIF solely organised that visit. It felt like Saudi Arabia was something that RDIF was really in charge of. Not the ministry of foreign affairs, not the ministry of energy. I think most people [in Moscow] knew that Saudi Arabia, or the UAE, was the RDIF sphere of responsibility, says Uvarova. This was not a secret at the time. Nor was it unprecedented for senior officials to carve out fiefdoms in foreign policy. For a while Ramzan Kadyrov, the ruler of Chechnya, curated relations with Libya. Igor Sechin, Vladimir Putins loyal henchman and the head of state oil-giant Rosneft, made a personal project of South America. Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea, inexplicably emerged as a diplomatic go-between in the early days of the full scale invasion of Ukraine. But how did a school boy from Kyiv who lionised Ukrainian freedom become a point man for Putins Kremlin? Personal ties to Putin It was always the case, even in the Soviet Union, that if you wanted to make something of yourself and you were from the republics, you had to go to Moscow, to the imperial centre, and become part of the business executive of the government there. So basically its a tradition of a slow kind of assimilation, says Sulzhyk. That in itself does not imply alignment with Putin-era Russian imperialism, however. Sulzhyk himself worked at the Moscow stock exchange in the 2010s but says he never met Dmitriev professionally. He later returned to Kyiv and currently runs Resist Ua, an organisation dedicated to supporting the Ukrainian armed forces. So what else is going on? Some point to family ties. Dmitrievs wife, Natalia Popova, is the deputy director of Innopraktika, a firm founded by Putins daughter Katerina Tikhonova. The couple were guests at Tikhonovas wedding to her now ex-husband Kirill Shamalov. A leak of Shamalovs emails published by the Russian investigative outlet iStories in 2022 showed he and Dmitriev were in frequent correspondence. Amid his rise, Dmitriev has kept his views closely guarded. Acquaintances describe him as a private person who seldom discusses his personal or political convictions. But the 49-year-olds proximity to Putin suggests he has bought into the Russian leaders world view - namely that Moscow is at war against the West, albeit perhaps not against Trumps White House. Under the leadership of President Putin and President Trump, the world has become a much safer place today! Historic! Epic! #Russia #US #USRussia Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) March 18, 2025 Uvarova suggests Dmitrievs personal history plays into this, too. Many of the Russian elite are tightly networked into the West. They send their children to British public schools and American universities. They have apartments on Lake Como and penthouses on the French Riviera. Many of them have families or in-laws on the other side of the current confrontation. That has made the divorce from the West since 2014, and especially the sanctions regime imposed following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, personally as well as economically traumatic. Covid conspiracy theories To deal with it, theorises Uvarova, many convinced themselves that there would have been no falling out if it were not for a shadowy global elite with an anti-Russian vendetta. She suspects that Dmitriev himself has ended up embracing that theory - which like so many others of its kind, appears to have been supercharged by the Covid pandemic. During the crisis, Dmitriev - whose parents were biologists - and the RDIF were entrusted by Putin with heading up the development and promotion of Russias vaccine. The result was Sputnik V, the worlds first registered multi-vector shot. Registered in Russia in August and distributed abroad before the end of the year, it was a Russian innovation success story seldom seen since the space race. But Western governments and scientists raised questions about the suspiciously quick approval process, and what they said was a lack of transparency over trials. Dmitriev hit back, giving interviews to New Scientist, the BBC, and anyone else who would listen to argue that the Russian vaccine was safe, credible, and worthy of investment. But he was never able to quite secure Sputnik the recognition he felt it deserved, and the sense of rejection stung. Ive been told from mutual friends who were in touch with him back then that he blamed big pharma, and that he parroted conspiracy theories that they [the West] didnt want to promote Sputnik because of some war against Russia, says a source who had close ties with Dmitriev in the 2010s. I suspect it really, really affected his mindset, [even] before the war. With the full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Dmitriev dropped out of the public eye. He was designated by the US, European Union, and the United Kingdom in the first round of sanctions after the invasion. RDIF put out a statement calling on all sides to enter negotiations - a strangely doveish line from a Russian state organisation - and then fell silent. And then, quite suddenly, he was nowhere to be seen. The Kremlins economic fixer His sudden reappearance after three years has left some puzzled. Was he attempting to safeguard his credibility for the opportunities of peace, the Russian business reporter wonders. Uvarova has a more prosaic explanation for Dmitrievs vanishing act: he is, she says, simply very sensitive to public criticism and likes to keep away from controversy. He similarly disappeared from the limelight during the first Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 to 2015. But we never stopped working, says Uvarova. Kolyandr sees both strategy and instinct in Dmitrievs avoidance of political controversy. He kept pretty quiet in the past three years so he doesnt have a reputationnot like former president Dmitry Medvedev, who has called for the destruction of Europe and extermination of Ukraine, and things like that, says Kolyandr. In other words, keeping a low profile helped Dmitriev preserve a degree of credibility and respectability while more outspoken officials forfeited it. Dmitriev has emerged as Putins economic fixer - AFP Now, hes leveraging that standing as he emerges as Putins economic fixer. His close ties with the Gulf might explain why he was picked for the delegation to Saudi Arabia. In fact, it might explain why Vladimir Putin agreed to talks in Saudi Arabia in the first place. Was he asked to do it by Putin, or was it a competition between various people and he was trying to set up some lines of communications? questions Kolyandr. We tend to think that Putin directs people. But it is still very much possible that the initiative is moving upwards rather than downwards. I wouldnt be surprised if Dmitriev reached for his phone, spoke to people, managed to set up all that, and then came to Putin saying look, Ive got this option. An emissary to Trumpworld It is not as outlandish as it sounds. Over the years several commentators have described Putins style of rule as that of a fund manager, in which ambitious officials pitch rival plans to the boss in the hope he will buy in. It would also fit with the central principle of the Kremlins corporate culture: a KGB-ish view of the world which considers humans only as assets to be used for everything theyre worth. Acquaintances say Dmitriev certainly appears to have understood how to play on his usefulness to his own advantage. In Moscows corridors of power, where those who cross, or block, Putin are typically dealt with swiftly and brutally, that is an essential survival skill. Perhaps he felt he had no choice. To old classmates like Ariev and Sulzhyk, thats not much of an excuse, however. Another former school friend, now serving with the Ukrainian army, declined to be interviewed about Dmitriev but passed on via an intermediary that he will be happy to shoot his knee. Uvarova, whose departure from RDIF in 2017 was sparked by the organisations increasing political alignment with the Kremlin, says she is appalled at the sight of her former boss and the fund she worked for becoming accessories to Putins war. And that, ultimately, is Dmitrievs mission: persuading the Trump White House that Moscow and Washington can be friends; that Ukraine and liberal Europe are their common enemies; that getting to Mars together beats confrontation. That Putins many, and monstrous, crimes in Ukraine are an irrelevance. Without doubt, it is a task he is well equipped for given his command of English, an insiders understanding of American business culture, close ties to the Gulf monarchies, and a record clean of the genocidal rhetoric indulged in by others. He is also, by all accounts, as intelligent and hard working as anyone on the Kremlin payroll. Wrapping up his trip to Washington this week, Dmitriev spoke of a positive dynamic in relations between Moscow and Washington, but added more meetings were required to iron out remaining differences. Opponents of the rapprochement are afraid that Russia and the United States will find common ground, begin to understand each other better and build cooperation both in international affairs and in the economy, he concluded. But each meeting, each frank conversation allows us to move forward. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Three weeks ago, Ukraine and the U.S. agreed to implement a full 30-day ceasefire. Russia declined to do so, issuing a list of demands instead. On April 4, Russia hit a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles and drones, killing 19 people, including nine children, according to local authorities. Seventy-five people were reportedly injured. Each day afterward, at least one major Ukrainian city far from the front lines was struck by Russian missiles, resulting in civilian deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia again and again showed it had no intention to stop the killings. The aftermath of a Russian attack against Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, on April 4, 2025. (President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram) Implementing a ceasefire and putting a stop to the deaths and destruction is one of the key priorities for U.S. President Donald Trump. With no peace in sight, Trump has stated that he is "angry" with Russia and threatened to impose sanctions against Moscow. Analysts say that the U.S. has enough leverage over Russia it could pressure Moscow by increasing military aid to Ukraine, strengthening the enforcement of existing sanctions or imposing additional tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil. So far, Trump has done none of that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has only imposed minor sanctions against Russian businesses, stopping short of any meaningful pressure. Instead, Trump has mostly focused on pressuring Ukraine and making concessions to Russia in an apparent effort to encourage it to sign a ceasefire deal at any cost. Jenny Mathers, a lecturer in international politics at the U.K.'s Aberystwyth University, said that "there have been some vague threats now and again about what Trump might do, but so far he has allowed (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to completely dictate the terms of the partial ceasefire and to put down a lot of markers about what Russia will not accept." "The most powerful leverage of all would have been for the U.S. team to have refused to talk further with the Russians after they refused to accept a full ceasefire and made it clear that the U.S. would substantially increase military aid to Kyiv until Russia agreed to stop its military operations in Ukraine," she told the Kyiv Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But to exert leverage over Russia requires political will on the part of the Trump administration to do so, which has been notably absent." Richard Betts, professor emeritus of war and peace studies at Columbia University, also said that "Trump has potential leverage on Russia but it is unclear whether or under what conditions he will use it Trump is quite inconsistent, impulsive, and unpredictable." "If Putin backs off a bit and offers some symbolic or minor concessions from his current demands, such a move might be enough to turn off Trump's threats of secondary tariffs or other penalties the U.S. might apply to Russia, since Trump so far has seemed generally predisposed in favor of Russia," he told the Kyiv Independent. Read also: What Russia really wants from the Black Sea ceasefire deal Trump's patience The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire on March 11, but Russia rejected it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. agreed on March 25 to halt attacks on energy infrastructure and fighting in the Black Sea. However, the Kremlin has blocked the partial ceasefire as well, saying that the Black Sea ceasefire would take effect only after some sanctions against Russia are lifted. Russia and Ukraine have also accused each other of violating the ban on energy infrastructure strikes. Russia continued to demand more. Trump told NBC News on March 30 that he was "pissed off" and "very angry" regarding Putin's new demands that included creating a "transitional government" in Ukraine instead of the one currently in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault which it might not be but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump said. "That would be that, if you buy oil from Russia, you can't do business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil." On March 31, Trump again threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports if Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine. On April 1, a bipartisan group of 50 U.S. senators introduced a bill that would impose sanctions on Russian energy purchases "if Russia refuses to engage in good faith negotiations for a lasting peace with Ukraine." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation would impose a 500% tariff on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products. Trump's threats to impose sanctions indicate his growing irritation with Russia's refusal to accept a ceasefire, but it has yet to be seen if such threats would translate into action. "It does seem that the foot-dragging that we see from Moscow leads to patience running thin in the White House," Liana Fix, a Europe and Russia expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the Kyiv Independent. "I wouldn't overinterpret this, however, as a fallout between the White House and the Kremlin, and we can easily see a turnaround from Trump with a more accommodating stance in the next conversation between these two leaders or a Russian attempt to put the blame for the foot-dragging on Ukraine." U.S. and Russian officials attend a meeting together at Riyadh's Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein / POOL / AFP) Mathers also said that "Trump is feeling irritated that the peace deal hasn't been signed yet, given that he is eager to get this war out of the way and focus on other things, and these remarks probably reflect that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But will Trump's irritation withstand a personal phone call with Putin?" she said. "Trump seems programmed to be sympathetic towards whatever Putin says, so I am expecting Putin to talk Trump around and probably wring a few more concessions out of Washington in the process." Read also: Conditions for Ukraines surrender Why Putins demands for ceasefire make no sense Are 'secondary tariffs' realistic? If Trump imposes tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, it could be a devastating blow for the Kremlin. However, experts doubt that this plan is realistic. "Additional sanctions against countries that buy Russian oil could indeed be an effective tool, as they could almost completely block its export," Oleksandr Parashchiy, an analyst at Ukrainian investment bank Concorde Capital, told the Kyiv Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "However, the consequences for both the global and U.S. economies from such a blockade could be significant since Russian oil still accounts for a considerable share of the international oil market (around 78%). That's why, for now, it's hard to believe that Trump would dare to take such a step." Yulia Pavytska, manager of the sanctions program at the Kyiv School of Economics' think-tank, KSE Institute, said that "secondary tariffs" could be a major blow to Russia but they are too complicated and risky and could cause an energy crisis. If some countries are not deterred by tariffs and keep importing Russian oil, Moscow could even win by selling it at higher prices, Pavytska told the Kyiv Independent. It doesnt appear, however, that Trump is constrained by economic growth or by how the economy actually functions. Following Parashchiy's comments, Trump imposed tariffs on 180 states, alliances and territories, including the European Union, China and Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia was not on the list. Economists warned that the tariffs would have a negative impact on the global and U.S. economies. Following the new sweeping tariffs, JPMorgan Chase reported on April 4 that it expected the U.S. economy to fall into a recession this year. Read also: How Trumps tariffs will impact Ukraine What else could Trump do to pressure Russia? Apart from "secondary tariffs," Trump has a lot of leverage over Russia if he wants to use it, analysts say. Mathers and Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham, argued that Trump could use both sanctions and an increase in military aid to Ukraine as leverage against Moscow. Pavytska said that the U.S. could pressure Russia by strengthening existing oil sanctions. The current $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil doesn't work because it is based on prices declared by Russian ports, which often lie, and because Russia is successfully using its shadow fleet, she said. The Trump administration should sanction Russia's whole shadow fleet and apply the price cap on Russian oil to Chinese and Indian ports rather than Russian ones, Pavytska added. Fox News journalist Jacqui Heinrich said on X on April 1, citing an anonymous source, that the Trump administration was considering "aggressive sanctions enforcement," including sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet. So far, the U.S. has done the opposite. Bloomberg reported on March 9, citing its sources, that the U.S. had rejected Canada's proposal to establish a task force to investigate Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers. Read also: Painful for Russia: What new U.S. sanctions on Russian energy mean for Moscow Current sanctions are not enough The Trump administration has already imposed some sanctions on Russia, but they are not significant enough to be used as leverage. On March 13, the U.S. toughened sanctions on Russia's oil and gas industry by not renewing an exemption that allows Russian banks to access U.S. payment systems to conduct energy transactions. The exemption, initially issued by ex-President Joe Biden's administration, was not re-signed by Trump and will make it more difficult for countries to buy Russian oil. However, Pavytska said it is not clear if this exemption was canceled on purpose or by accident. Moreover, the effectiveness of the measure was undermined as Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on March 21 that Hungary had received a waiver from the U.S. to buy Russian gas. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev in Moscow on April 2, 2021. (Alexey Druzhinin/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) On April 2, the U.S. also sanctioned a network supplying the Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel group in Yemen, with Russian weapons and stolen Ukrainian grain from the occupied territories. The network includes several Russian companies. Pavytska argued that these sanctions could not be considered "strong" and would have an impact on the supply scheme for the Houthis but not on Russia. "It looks as though the Houthis are the real focus of this measure this group has become something of a fixation for the Trump administration and perhaps gives a sense that even Trump's desire to improve relations with Russia and get back to trading with Moscow takes second place to trying to damage the Houthis," Mathers said. John Herbst, an expert at the Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told the Kyiv Independent that the Trump administration's previous sanctions had not had much of an impact "because of all the other steps he's taken, which the Kremlin liked, like the pause on military aid and intelligence to Ukraine and the constant mimicking by senior Trump officials of Russian propaganda points." "While Putin has clearly stalled Trump's efforts to achieve a ceasefire of any kind, he has not been punished for that in any serious way," Herbst added. Read also: Russias sham referendums at gunpoint are null and void, despite Steve Witkoffs comments Making concessions to Russia So far, Trump has been more inclined to use a carrot rather than a stick when dealing with Russia. As part of the March 25 partial ceasefire deal, Washington vowed to help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions. The Kremlin said that the ceasefire would take effect only after the West lifted some of the sanctions imposed on Russia. Trump said the same day that the U.S. was "looking at" lifting additional sanctions on Russia in order to secure the Black Sea ceasefire agreement. Mathers said that the strategy of making concessions "is working really well for Putin, but I can't see that Trump is getting what he wants a ceasefire deal, let alone a longer-term peace arrangement." Herbst also argued that the U.S. had "offered unseemly and unwise sanctions relief in connection with the naval ceasefire." "It encourages Putin to double down (on stalling the ceasefire) because he thinks he can manipulate U.S. policy," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 28, 2025. Zelensky and Trump openly clashed at the White House where they were due to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine's mineral riches and discuss a peace deal with Russia. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Herbst added that "Trump sanctioned Ukraine because he didn't like the way (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky was speaking in the Oval Office." He was referring to Trump's decision in early March to suspend military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv following a heated exchange with Zelensky at the White House. The aid and intelligence sharing were resumed on March 11. "Putin has done far more damage to the peace process than Zelensky," he said. "Putin has clearly stalled. Zelensky has not. And yet, we have not seen much done to the Kremlin beyond that movement on the waiver (for payments in the energy sector)." Read also: Editorial: A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasnt Zelensky Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 6 that Russia is refusing to accept an unconditional ceasefire in order to keep launching missile strikes from the Black Sea. This is one of the reasons why Russia is distorting diplomacy, why it is refusing to agree to an unconditional ceasefirethey want to preserve their ability to strike our cities and ports from the sea, Zelensky said in his evening address. Zelensky emphasized that a ceasefire at sea isnt just about navigation or food exports, but also about preventing further escalation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Russian President) Putin does not want to end the war. He wants to preserve the means to escalate it at any moment with even greater force, he warned. The Ukrainian president called for continued pressure on Moscow. If there is a ceasefire, it must be unconditionalone that does not allow for the destruction of life, Zelensky said. Putin is refusing. We are awaiting a response from the United Statesand we also expect a response from all in Europe and around the world who truly want peace. Read also: Trump spares Russia from tariffs, but oil price plunge could wreck war economy regardless Three weeks ago, Ukraine and the U.S. agreed to implement a full 30-day ceasefire. Russia declined to do so, issuing a list of demands instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the March 25 partial ceasefire deal, Washington vowed to help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions. The Kremlin stated that the ceasefire would take effect only after the West lifted some of the sanctions imposed on Russia. On April 4, Russia hit a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles and drones, killing 20 people, including nine children, according to local authorities. 75 people were reportedly injured. Each day afterward, at least one major Ukrainian city far from the front lines was struck by Russian missiles, resulting in civilian deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Putin believes he has the upper hand Ukraine braces for a new Russian spring offensive Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. STORY: Ukrainians in the city of Kryvyi Rih were mourning on Saturday after deadly Russian attacks the day before. Nine children were among at least 19 people killed in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown, according to local officials. It was one of Moscow's deadliest this year in the conflict. Burying children is the worst thing there is. It shouldnt happen. Whatever the Russians are writing about us, calling us Nazis the idiots should look at themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A missile hit a residential area, killing 18 people and sparking fires, according to the region's governor. Authorities said Russian drones later attacked homes and killed another person. Officials also said the strikes left dozens hospitalized, including a three-month-old baby. Russia's Defense Ministry said it had targeted a military gathering, and denied attacking civilians. The Ukrainian military denounced Moscow's statement as misinformation. Meanwhile, an industrial facility in Russia's Volga river region of Mordovia was hit by drone strikes on Saturday. Reuters was able to verify the location of the eyewitness video, but not the date it was taken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though the region's governor confirmed the incident on Telegram, without naming the facility. Media reports said it was a fiber optic factory. :: Released March 28, 2025 It came as Moscow accused Ukraine of stepping up strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, saying there had been six attacks over the past 24 hours. Reuters was unable to verify the reports of the strikes. Ukraine's military said Moscow's reports were fake, and that its forces were only striking military targets. The two sides agreed last month to a U.S. proposal to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days. Both have since repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal. Fires broke out in Kyiv during a Russian missile attack on the morning of 6 April, and ambulances were called out to several districts of the capital. Source: Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko; Tymur Tkachenko, Head of Kyiv City Military Administration Details: Klitschko reported that ambulances had been called out to the Darnytskyi and Obolonskyi districts of Kyiv. Tkachenko confirmed fires in the same districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Tkachenko: "As a result of the enemy attack, fires have been recorded in the Darnytskyi and Obolonskyi districts. Emergency workers are heading to the scenes of the strikes." Update: Klitschko later said that fires had been reported in the Darnytskyi, Solomianskyi and Obolonskyi districts of the city. He added that people had been injured in the Darnytskyi district. Quote from Klitschko: "In the Darnytskyi district, two people who were injured have been taken to hospital." Details: Later, Klitschko reported that the missile attack on Kyiv caused fires in non-residential buildings in the Obolonskyi, Darnytskyi and Solomianskyi districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three people were injured in the Darnytskyi district. Additionally, eight cars were damaged. Klitschko also stated that in the Obolonskyi district, where a fire broke out in an office centre due to the Russian attack, the building was partially destroyed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A Russian drone attack killed a 59-year-old man in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on April 6. "Sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased," Prokudin said in a Telegram post, adding that the victim died on the spot after the attack at around 6:30 a.m. Since Ukrainian forces liberated swathes of territory on the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast in 2022, Russia has relentlessly continued its attacks on civilians remaining in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drone attack on Kherson came as Russia launched 23 missiles and 109 drones across Ukraine overnight on April 6, according to the Air Force. Kyiv's local authorities have said that the ballistic missile attack on the capital killed one and wounded three. In an interview with the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform in January, Prokudin said that around 66,000 people lived in Kherson, which he estimated to be about 25 percent of the pre-war population. Prokudin also said that approximately 145,000 people live in Kherson Oblast, including about 12,000 children under the age of 14. Read also: UPDATE: One killed, 3 injured in Kyiv amid massive Russian missile attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian missile attack destroyed the newsroom of the Ukrainian television channel Freedom TV in Kyiv overnight on April 6 but no employees were hurt, the channel said in a statement. The missile strike on Kyiv killed one person and wounded three, according to the local authorities. The TV channel said that an office building where international broadcasting channels were located suffered from the attack. The three top floors were "destroyed" and the lower floors were "significantly damaged," Freedom TV said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement said that the attack struck the premises where the state-owned International Multimedia Broadcasting Platform of Ukraine, which owns Freedom TV and other channels, was building a new studio. Freedom TV said that its newsroom had been based in the building since a Russian attack damaged the channel's previous office in February. The office building attacked during the April 6 missile strike on Kyiv also housed other channels owned by the state enterprise, including UATV English, UATV Espanol, UATV Arabic, UATV Portugues, and The Gaze, according to the statement. Freedom TV said it continues to operate despite the attack from a backup studio. The April 6 attack on Kyiv comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Western allies to do more, stressing that "the pressure on Russia is still not enough." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The number of air attacks is growing," Zelensky said in a Telegram post. Yuliia Bin, CEO of the International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine, vowed that her team would find a solution despite the attack. "This is the second attack in less than two months," Bin said in a statement. Read also: Zelensky calls for tougher Western response after Russian missiles strike Kyiv Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russias Defence Ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces had captured the village of Basivka in Sumy Oblast, but Ukraines State Border Guard Service and Ukrainska Pravda sources do not confirm this information. Source: Russian Defence Ministry; Russian news agency TASS, citing Russian military; Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraines State Border Guard Service, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda; Ukrainska Pravda sources Details: On the afternoon of 6 April, Russias Defence Ministry stated that units of the so-called North group of Russian occupation forces had allegedly seized the settlement of Basivka in Sumy Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian state news agency TASS, citing the Russian military, also claimed that the capture of Basivka would disrupt the supply of Ukrainian forces that remain in Russias Kursk Oblast. However, Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraines State Border Guard Service, told Ukrainska Pravda that the Russians "continue their disinformation campaign regarding the capture of settlements in Sumy Oblast or breakthroughs of the border". Quote from Demchenko: "At the same time, the enemy also continues its tactic of using small assault groups that attempt to cross our border, build up, and expand the zone of fighting inside Ukrainian territory. This is particularly observed in the direction of NovenkeBasivka. These small assault groups are being systematically destroyed by Ukraines defence forces." Details: Two sources from different defence units told Ukrainska Pravda that the village of Basivka has been levelled by Russian guided aerial bombs and is currently in a "grey zone". On the DeepState map, it is also marked as a "grey zone". [A grey zone refers to territory where neither side has full control and active combat may be ongoing. ed.] Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Along some 70 miles of Southern California coastline, usually curious and playful sea lions are attacking humans in the water. The animals are being poisoned by the ocean they live in, experts say, citing reports of sick sea lions at unprecedented levels. And many are dying. Pheobe Beltran, a 15-year-old girl in Long Beach, was swimming on March 30, when a sea lion attacked her right arm. I was just so scared, so shocked, but I still felt the immense pain on my arms, like, over and over again, Beltran, who was finishing up a 1,000-yard swim during tryouts to become a junior lifeguard, told CNN affiliate KCAL. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beltrans arm is covered in bites, bruises and scratches, but she didnt require stitches, she said. Up the coast in Ventura County on March 21, a surfer near Oxnard, was bitten by a sea lion in open water. The attack left him shaken to his core, he said. The sea lion erupted from the water, hurtling toward RJ LaMendola at top speed its expression was feral, almost demonic, devoid of the curiosity or playfulness Id always associated with sea lions, LaMendola wrote on social media of the harrowing and traumatic experience that included the sea lion stalking him all the way back to shore. Sea lion bite marks are seen on Phoebe Beltran's arm. - KCAL/KCBS The cause is less demonic and more likely domoic acid toxicosis caused by toxic algal bloom, often referred to as red tide, experts say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sea lions are coming in almost comatose by the time theyre stranding. Something is happening in this particular bloom that seems worse on multiple levels, John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles, told CNN. But volume-wise, its definitely the worst weve ever seen. Dolphins also have been affected. When the neurological toxin gets into sea lions food supply, it causes them to have trouble breathing and experience seizures, including a type of seizure called stargazing in which sea lions extend their heads back for an unnaturally long time with their eyes closed. When they are affected with this toxin, theyre out of their minds, Warner said. Theyre scared. Theyre totally disoriented and frightened. They really dont understand where they are. Theyre struggling to even get out of the water, so they dont drown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During this time, the sea lions can experience a hyper-energetic fight or flight kind of aggressive or scared behavior, Warner said, adding, if someone swims or walks next to them and they dont see the animal or the animal doesnt see them, thats where some negative interactions can take place. A sick California sea lion with possible domoic acid poisoning is rescued to be evaluated by volunteers in Santa Barbara, California, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images) - David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images The center gets 3,000 to 4,000 calls per year about sick and stranded animals when there is no emergency. There have been more than 2,000 calls to its hotline in the past five weeks alone. Warner likened the deluge of calls to a tsunami. Human-induced climate change makes unwanted changes to the ecosystem The toxin, domoic acid, is naturally present in the Pacific Ocean. Now, a process called upwelling is responsible for pushing the acid into the aquatic food chain. As winds churn up cold water off the Southern California coast, sediment rich in nutrients is swirled up from the ocean floor and becomes feed for smaller creatures in the water who are eaten by larger ones like pelicans, whales and all kinds of fish. The nutrients are a huge amount of food that is just everywhere in the water table, Warner said, explaining how the abundant toxic algae enter the food chain. Human-caused climate change and land development are also making unwanted changes to the ecosystem and feeding the outsized toxic algal blooms, Warner said. The warmer temperatures on the ocean surface are more acidic, which favors algae. Nitrogen fertilizer from farming is also running into the ocean, carried by rivers and streams, which feeds the algae just like it feeds plants on land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While these blooms used to happen every few years, they are now happening annually, according to Warner. A stranded California sea lion suffering from suspected domoic acid poisoning lays on the beach on March 27, 2025 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) - Mario Tama/Getty Images Its when it gets out of whack that it produces these large toxic blooms that have such a huge effect on the apex predators especially the sea lions, dolphins and marine birds, Warner said. In 2023, the Marine Mammal Care Center reported the worst algae event in recorded history in Southern California. This year is already seeing an increase, not just in the number of animals sickened by the bloom but also in the intensity of their sickness when theyre found stranded on beaches. Somewhere between 50% to 65% of animals will recover and go back to the ocean, Warner said, noting the toxicity levels in the ocean are much higher this year and it is proving harder to heal some sea lions. We have quite a few animals on site that weve had now for three weeks that are still really in more of a comatose state, and its questionable how many of those are going to recover. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This could mean a lower survival rate this bloom compared to past ones, Warner said. Working to bring the animals back to health About 80% of the sea lions they have treated this year are pregnant, Warner estimates, noting the toxic domoic acid often forces the mothers to expel their fetuses to survive. Every day that the mom still is pregnant is really affecting whether she will survive this, Warner said, adding the overall sea lion population is still robust but that this trend could have implications for the species down the line. It is getting to the point where elephant seal pups and sea lion pups are stranding now in high numbers, Warner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To bring the animals back to health, the Marine Mammal Care Center works to flush the water-soluble toxin out of the sea lions. Rescued sea lions suffering from malnutrition eat fish as they rehabilitate at CIMWI (Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute) on March 27, 2025 near Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) - Mario Tama/Getty Images In addition to giving the anti-seizure medications which will prevent permanent brain damage, were also giving a lot of fluids, a lot of nutrition to flush that out of the system, Warner said, explaining in the beginning they tube-feed the sea lions twice a day. Within about a week, they are normally able to resume feeding themselves, but this year the recovery is taking longer, he said, adding they try to get the animals healthy and back to the ocean as quickly as possible, in part, so that theres space to care for more ill animals. The center has also opened a triage site in its parking lot that allows for the care of around 25 additional animals. Domoic toxin poisoning is a death sentence for dolphins This toxic poisoning is also deadly for dolphins. This year is the worst the center has witnessed for the mammals, with more than 70 strandings in Los Angeles County alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no rehabilitation thats going to work with dolphins. Most of the time when they strand, theyre already deceased. The ones that are struggling on the beaches that are seizing, Warner explained. The best thing we can do is humanely euthanize them which, unfortunately, weve had to do more than weve ever done before. About 20 of the stranded dolphins that theyve encountered this year are still alive. A stranded dolphin suffering from suspected domoic acid poisoning on the beach in Long Beach, California. - Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles So far this year, the center has treated 240 animals as of the end of March, but they have only budgeted to treat 300 animals for the entire year. The budget includes costs for medicine, food, personnel, freezer storage and animal disposal expenses. LaMendola, the surfer attacked by a sea lion, was very close to the Channel Islands the main breeding ground for California sea lions. According to the center, 85% of sea lions are born on the islands in June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This seems to be the epicenter of these domoic acid events the last four years, Warner said. CNNs Samantha Lindell contributed to this story. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The search for a missing South Carolina man and woman who disappeared after going hiking has ended, according to the Oconee County Sheriffs Office. Both 77-year-old Mountain Rest resident Carrell Wayne Fowler and 68-year-old Walhalla resident Sharon Kay Bramlett were located at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, the sheriffs office said in a news release. Information about how the hikers made it to their location and got stuck was not available. Fowler suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriffs office. Otherwise, both hikers appear to be in good health, the sheriffs office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fowler and Bramlett were reported missing Friday, according to the release. On Saturday, both the sheriffs office and the Oconee County Emergency Services asked for the publics help in finding the missing hikers The search began late Friday night when one of Fowlers family members called 911, saying the hikers were missing, according to the release. The sheriffs office said it learned that Fowler and Bramlett had gone hiking Friday at Licklog Falls, which is in the northern part of Oconee County near the state line with Georgia. Carrell Fowler and Sharon Bramlett were reported missing. Fowler and Bramlett went hiking around noon, and when they did not return, family searched the area but could not find them, according to the release. The vehicle that Fowler and Bramlett drove was found in the Licklog Falls parking area, the sheriffs office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hikers were discovered Sunday afternoon north of the Licklog Falls camping area, near the Georges and the South Carolina/Georgia state line, according to the release. Deputies said they assisted Oconee County Emergency Services personnel in the search by flying drones in the area. Fowler and Bramlett were located by a drone, and confirmation on their location was made by personnel from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the sheriffs office said. As of 2 p.m., efforts were being made to extricate Fowler and Bramlett from the location, according to the release. Both will be taken to an area hospital for further treatment and evaluation, the sheriffs office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One deputy suffered a non-life-threatening injury in a fall while searching for Fowler and Bramlett and efforts are also being made to extract the law enforcement officer for further medical treatment, according to the release. The Foothills Search and Rescue, Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad, K-9 Justice, Longcreek Fire Department, Mountain Rest Fire Department, South Carolina DNR, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, the South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue team, the South Carolina National Guard, the U.S. Forest Service as well as other individuals and search groups participated in the search. Apr. 6The effects of climate change warmer temperatures and longer periods between frosts are leading to longer and more severe seasonal allergy seasons in Maine. Rising temperatures cause Maine's pollen-producing plants to release more of the airborne allergen for a longer period of time, scientists say. Unfortunately, the same fine powder essential for plant reproduction triggers an immune system overreaction when inhaled by someone with seasonal allergies. "This is our new reality," said Matt Wellington, associate director of the Maine Public Health Association. "Climate change poses a serious threat to Mainers' health, whether it's extreme weather or the increase in tick-borne illness or rising pollen counts. We must adapt." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Preparation for Maine's sneezy spring season will soon get easier, however. State officials are preparing to publish localized pollen counts from four newly installed monitors around the state later this year to help people with seasonal allergies decide which days to take cover. More than one in four Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, whose most common symptoms are sneezing, runny nose, congestion, itchy eyes and scratchy throats, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The biggest pollen producers in Maine are trees, which release the microspores from March to May. This year, scientists predict Portland and Augusta's spring allergy season will peak the week of May 10, when Maine's maple, birch and oak trees all pump out pollen at high rates. Kittery and Caribou, where different tree species are the chief pollen producers, will peak the week before, on May 3. Grass pollen counts will surge in June and July, when the ryegrass, fescue and sweet vernal varieties release their pollen, state biologists say. Weeds like common ragweed release pollen from August to October. But grass and weeds don't yield pollen counts as high as during Maine's spring tree allergy season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier springs and later falls mean a longer growing season for most plants, including those that produce pollen. In Portland and Presque Isle, the growing season has lengthened by nearly two weeks since 1970, according to Climate Central, an independent research organization. Maine springs are warmer now, too. The average daily temperature of Portland's meteorological spring, defined as March, April and May, is now 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was in 1970, according to federal data. Presque Isle's spring temperature was up 1.5 degrees over the same time period. Rising levels of carbon dioxide a key driver of global warming cause plants to make significantly more pollen. A 2022 University of Michigan study published in Nature Communications predicted a 200% increase in national pollen emissions by the end of the century. Maine's future is also expected to be wetter, which may offer some short-lived relief. Rain washes pollen out of the air, and makes it harder to go airborne. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, heavy rain also breaks up pollen clumps on the ground into fine, easy-to-float particles. Rain also aids in the growth of plants and mold, another common allergen. The state's first climate action plan, Maine Won't Wait, identified pollen as one of the biggest risks that climate change poses to Mainers' health, along with rising temperatures, extreme weather, tick and mosquito-borne diseases, and food and water-borne infections. "Climate change is making aeroallergens like pollen in the air worse, and the trend is for this problem to continue to increase with a changing climate," according to a report produced by the team of scientists who advised the Maine Climate Council on the state's second climate action plan. Maine also faces unique challenges due to its high asthma rate: 12% compared to the national average of 9%, second only to Rhode Island. The high asthma rate makes prolonged exposure to high pollen levels particularly concerning for public health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Colby College survey published last year, Maine doctors said allergies were among the top six most-common climate-related illnesses reported by their patients, along with asthma, tick-carried diseases such as Lyme disease, heat-related illnesses, COPD and mental health problems. Children are at particular risk, according to Anne Coates, a pediatric pulmonologist at MaineHealth. Prolonged and intensified allergy seasons not only worsen respiratory conditions like asthma, which is one of the most common reasons why children miss school, but also increase reliance on medications and health care services, Coates said. Pediatricians like Coates report an anecdotal increase in patients experiencing the telltale symptoms of seasonal allergies: prolonged cough, runny nose, itchy watery eyes and disrupted sleep. She said it's one of several direct and indirect ways that climate change is harming her young patients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Even if children don't have a formal allergy to these airway irritants, like pollen or mold, they can ... be bothered by it," Coates said. "For those who are allergic to pollen or mold, the severity of the symptoms increases. The severity increases with the length and intensity of the exposure." When a child struggles to sleep, other health, developmental and learning problems can arise, she said. There are many medical problems that can't be avoided genetic syndromes or accidents, for example but Coates points out that the air pollution and burning of fossil fuels that drive climate change are what doctors call a modifiable risk factor, something that can and should be controlled, if not eliminated. "I care about the health of everyone, but as a pediatrician and as a mother, my lens is on the health of our children," Coates said. "We can't turn our heads away from this problem, even if it is tough to solve. If we don't make really notable changes, our children will feel it. They will suffer." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But no one can quantify the level of local risk from Maine's longer pollen seasons, or even confirm how much it has changed over time, because for years, Maine was one of about a dozen states that didn't have a robust pollen monitoring network. Without such a network, Maine couldn't provide the public with timely allergy warnings, like which days Mainers who suffer from seasonal allergies should avoid going outdoors due to high pollen counts, or when they should avoid touching their eyes or nose when outside. That is about to change. After years of relying on a single pollen monitor in Presque Isle run by the Mi'kmaq Nation, Maine deployed new sensors in 2023 capable of continuously monitoring aeroallergen levels in Rumford, Cape Elizabeth, Augusta and Bangor. The sensors cost $3,750 each at the time of purchase, but now price out at about $6,000 a unit. In addition, Maine also pays an annual service fee of $2,400 per device. Funding for the network came from a federal Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative grant awarded in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These pollen counts will start being posted to the state's public health tracking network, likely this summer, but residents can already access the data now, for free, by downloading the Pollen Sense app on their smartphone, according to state environment and public health officials. It took time for state officials to develop their understanding of these new sensors, improve the quality of the data and gain confidence in its accuracy, according to Dave Madore of the Department of Environmental Protection and Lindsay Hammes of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Working with automated data feeds that are updated daily, creating and publishing high-quality data dashboards and ensuring data quality are all labor-intensive and time-consuming tasks, they said. The work is "ongoing, though close to completion," they said. Copy the Story Link The Erie Seawolves defeated the Harrisburg Senators on Saturday afternoon to improve to 2-0 on the young season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. A second child with measles in Texas has died. The New York Times reported Sunday that records it obtained showed an 8-year-old girl died Thursday of measles pulmonary failure at a hospital in Lubbock, where there have been at least 33 confirmed infections since the outbreak began in January. The first child died in Lubbock in February. Texas health authorities said Friday that the states outbreak had grown to 481 confirmed cases in 19 counties, with at least 59 new infections last week. A third of the cases have been in children 4 years old or younger. Nearly all of the patients were unvaccinated, though a total of 10 people have contracted measles after having received at least one dose of vaccine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tarrant County health officials issued a warning Friday that someone who later tested positive for the virus had visited Grapevine between March 28 and March 30. The infected person was contagious when they visited the Great Wolf Lodge hotel and waterpark. The person also visited Grapevine Mills Mall on March 29, walked around the mall and ate at the food court. As of last week, there had been no confirmed measles infections in Tarrant County or elsewhere in the Metroplex. But the virus is one of the most contagious pathogens. Symptoms can appear seven to 14 days after exposure. The virus can linger in the air in a room as long as two hours after a sick person was there. The most common symptoms are high fiver, cough, conjunctivitis and rash, with serious complications including ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis. Anyone who was at either of the Grapevine locations March 28-30 and is unvaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status is at risk of contracting measles, Tarrant officials said. Those who are pregnant or immunocompromised and unvaccinated should contact their healthcare provider immediately, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tarrant County health authorities have warned that theres a high risk of measles cases here due to lower vaccination rates. The virus is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are unvaccinated. Here are the latest numbers of measles cases by Texas county as of Friday, April 4, with any changes since Tuesday, April 1: Andrews: 1 Brown: 1 Cochran: 9 (up from 8) Dallam: 7 Dawson: 20 (up from 14) Ector: 8 (up from 5) Erath: 1 Gaines: 315 (up from 280) Garza: 2 Hale: 3 (up from 1) Hockley: 3 (up from 2) Lamar: 11 (up from 10) Lamb: 1 Lubbock: 33 (up from 27) Lynn: 2 (up from 1) Martin: 3 Midland: 1 Terry: 43 (up from 41) Yoakum: 17 (up from 16) The best way to protect against measles is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. April 6 (UPI) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told people gathered at a funeral for a second child in Texas who died from the disease that a vaccine is the "most effective" way to prevent it. "I came to Gaines County, Texas today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year old daughter Daisy," Kennedy posted on the social media platform X. "My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief." Kennedy said he had offered federal support to Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, and added that additional teams of CDC investigators have been deployed to Texas in light of the surge in cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will continue to follow Texas' lead and offer similar resources to other affected jurisdictions," Kennedy continued. The outbreak that took the child's life has infected hundreds or people in the region and across state lines. Records obtained by The New York Times show that the girl died Thursday morning from "measles pulmonary failure" at a hospital in Lubbock. "There is currently a measles outbreak affecting several counties in West Texas, including Lubbock County," reads a notice on the Lubbock Health Department's website. "We are working closely with our regional public health partners to limit the spread of this highly infectious disease by offering vaccine clinics," the department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the second confirmed measles death in the United States since 2015. The first death was in February, The Hill reported. Kennedy has been a known skeptic of vaccines, and at the time of the February death appeared to downplay the importance of inoculations. "We are following the measles epidemic every day," Kennedy said then. "Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country. "Last year we had 16. So it's not unusual, we have measles outbreaks every year." Lubbock officials said they would be providing the MMR vaccine -- which protects against measles, mumps and rubella -- for free to anyone more than 1 year old who has not received both doses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Data from the Texas' Health and Human Services agency as of Friday shows that some 481 cases have been identified since late January, with 56 of them needing hospitalization. The agency's website had not been updated with the most recent death as of Sunday morning, but officials described the first death as a "school-aged child" in Gaines County who was "not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions." Most West Texas cases have been reported in Gaines County, near Lubbock, with 315 patients making up about 65.5% of the total statewide. The majority of cases were children who were not vaccinated or whose vaccination status was not known. Only 10 patients had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Meanwhile, the number of statewide cases in neighboring New Mexico has risen to 54 as of Friday, state officials said in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Mexico authorities are officially reporting one measles-related death in the state, in Lea County, after stating last month that the person had tested positive for measles after their death. That patient was unvaccinated and had not sought treatment for measles. At the time, the role of the measles virus in their death was still being investigated. "We are grateful for the response New Mexicans have had in getting their measles vaccination over these last two months," said Dr. Miranda Durham, the chief medical officer for the New Mexico Department of Health. "Without it, measles outbreaks are more likely to last longer and increase over time." Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration, has used a soft approach to increase vaccination coverage in the are to combat measles spread, stating that vaccines are a parent's personal choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Trump administration official who spoke to the Times said Saturday night that the death of the 8-year-old girl was "still being looked at." Measles is one of the most contagious pathogens known and is particularly dangerous to children under the age of 5. The two-dose MMR vaccine series has been shown to be 97% effective at preventing measles spread, which had been eliminated from the United States in 2000 until vaccinations against started to drop. SEMINOLE An 8-year-old girl with measles died Thursday morning, the second known measles-related death in an ongoing outbreak that has infected nearly 500 Texans since January. Her funeral was Sunday at a church in Seminole followed by a private burial. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., visited the West Texas town that has been the epicenter of the outbreak Sunday and was expected to meet with the family. "My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief," Kennedy wrote on social media. He went on to describe the resources he deployed to Texas in March after another school-aged child died from measles, claiming that the "growth rates for new cases and hospitalizations have flattened" since Kennedy sent a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state reported 59 new cases in three days last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The child who died Thursday, Daisy Hildebrand, was not vaccinated and had no known underlying health conditions, said a spokesperson for University Medical Center in Lubbock, where she had been hospitalized. She died from "measles pulmonary failure," the Texas Department of State Health Services reported Sunday. "This unfortunate event underscores the importance of vaccination," Vice President of University Medical Center Aaron Davis said in a statement. "We encourage all individuals to stay current with their vaccinations to help protect themselves and the broader community." The death comes about five weeks after unvaccinated 6-year-old Kayley Fehr died from measles, the first such death in the country in a decade. Fehr's parents said that their stance on vaccination did not change after their daughter's death. The West Texas outbreak has sickened 481 people, most of whom are unvaccinated children, according to the state health department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outbreak began in Gaines County, located about 90 minutes southwest of Lubbock on the New Mexico border. Since then, cases have been reported in 18 other Texas counties, as far east as Erath County in central Texas. The CDC has linked the Texas outbreak with measles cases in Oklahoma and New Mexico, where an unvaccinated individual who tested positive for measles died in March. And the World Health Organization reported that cases in Mexico were linked to Texas. [With crumbling public health infrastructure, rural Texas scrambles to respond to measles] Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through respiratory droplets passed through the air by breathing, coughing and sneezing. Vaccination is the safest way to build immunity to the virus. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective, according to the CDC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles was officially eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 following a highly successful vaccination program. But vaccine skeptics, fueled by misinformation and a disdain for COVID-era mandates, have sown distrust of public health and contributed to declining rates of vaccination. In Gaines County, 82% of kindergarteners are up to date on their MMR vaccine. Experts say communities need a 95% threshold to prevent the spread of measles. A CDC spokesperson said in an email that Kennedys visit to Texas on Sunday resulted in discussions with Texas state health officials to deploy a second CDC response team to West Texas to further assist with the states efforts to protect its residents against measles and its complications. Dr. Manisha Patel, incident manager for the CDC, said their team arrived in Gaines County in March and left on April 1. A spokesperson for the CDC said in light of today's news and Kennedy's order to re-deploy, another team will be in the county. We're learning a lot in Gaines County on how we can help other jurisdictions also prepare for measles in their states, Patel said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patel said its important to go in with a sensitive approach when it comes to small, close-knit communities that are unvaccinated. Manisha Patel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks in the Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole on Sunday. Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune However, she said there are three pieces to their measles control measures: the vaccine, not traveling if youre exposed, and staying at home. MMR is the best way to protect yourself, your families, your communities against measles, Patel said. And, if you're starting to get very sick from measles, not to delay care. Patel said for some communities, its important to find trusted messengers. In some cases, she said, the federal government might not be the best choice for that and it has to be someone in the community. To work around this, Patel said theyve worked directly with state and local health departments to find who the trusted messengers are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our role is making sure those trusted messengers have the materials and information they need, Patel said. So we translate, for example, materials into a German or Spanish or whatever the community needs. Signs in different languages inform people of measles prevention and testing at the Gaines County Court House in Seminole. Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune State health officials have said that the outbreak could persist for months. It has spread most quickly in pockets of Texas with below-average vaccination rates. In Gaines County, where a large unvaccinated Mennonite community resides, 315 people have been infected. People infected with measles usually experience symptoms within a week or two of exposure. Early symptoms include high fever, runny nose and watery eyes. A few days later, a rash breaks out on the face and then spreads down the neck to the rest of the body. Infected individuals are contagious about four days before the rash appears and up to four days after, according to state health officials. Doctors typically recommend all children get two doses of the MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parents of infants aged 6 to 11 months living in outbreak areas should consult their pediatrician about getting the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, Sara Safarzadeh Amiri, chief medical officer for Odessa Regional Medical Center and Scenic Mountain Medical Center, said on Sunday. Amiri said she was unaware of the second reported death but that it is not unexpected given the continued spread of the outbreak. So far, 56 measles patients in Texas have been hospitalized, according to state health officials. Terri Langford contributed. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. A Second World War bomber, shot down by the Nazis with a British airman aboard, has been found after 82 years. Leslie Norman Row, from Gravesend, Kent, was flying a mission over the Mediterranean when his Baltimore Bomber was attacked. The aircraft, part of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), crashed off the Greek island of Antikythera, with Mr Row and two comrades losing their lives. After almost 82 years of uncertainty, divers discovered the Bomber 61 metres beneath the Aegean Sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry Green, president of the Gravesham and Ebbsfleet branch of the Royal British Legion, said the young airman died in the name of his country. He added: That in itself says it all. Hes given up his life, hes given up his future, and all his family. Its taken a long time to find the plane, and respect to the people who have gone out and found it. Mr Row, a 25-year-old navigator, flew his final mission on December 3, 1943, tasked with photographing the Greek coast. Also killed were air gunners Colin William Walker of the RAAF and John Gartside of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Leslie Norman Row was flying his final mission on December 3, 1943, when he and his comrades were shot down by Nazis - Gravesend Grammar via Pen News The only survivor was the Australian pilot, William Alroy Hugh Horsley, who was captured by the Germans and spent the remainder of the war in captivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After his release, Mr Horsley described how they had been returning from their mission when they were attacked by two Messerschmitt Bf 109s. The Me-109s delivered seven attacks, during which the aircraft was set on fire in the port wing, he later wrote. The intercommunications systems were destroyed, and Pilot Officer Walker and Warrant Officer Gartside were wounded extent unknown. A rough landing at sea followed. When I regained consciousness, the aircraft was submerged at the nose, and sea water was up to my neck. I released my safety harness, stood up and the aircraft submerged under me. I swam over the spot where the aircraft submerged, but no one else left the aircraft, which sank in deep water about 300 yards from the northern shore of Antikythera. I then swam to shore in full sight of the spot until picked up by some fishermen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For 81 years, the plane remained hidden until AegeanTec, a Greek technical diving group, discovered it last year. Believing it to be the lost RAAF Baltimore FW282, they contacted the history and heritage branch of the Australian Air Force. The identity of the missing plane has since been confirmed. Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, chief of the air staff at the RAF, said the discovery highlighted the longstanding relationship between the three air forces. Its an honour to acknowledge the bravery of the multinational crew, Sir Richard said. This was a generation that embodied the importance of service and comradeship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their efforts were the base on which the RAF continues to maintain the security of the UK at home and abroad. Their sense of duty inspires future generations of all of our air forces. Newspaper clipping about Leslie Norman Row being reunited with his father in Egypt before he went missing - Gravesend Grammar/Pen News Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, chief of the RAAF, hoped the find would bring closure, adding: The efforts of groups such as AegeanTec are critical for us in accounting for those 3,143 Australian aviators with no known grave from the Second World War and the Korean conflict. I am pleased, alongside my colleagues from the RAF and RNZAF, to acknowledge the bravery of this combined crew of aviators from our three nations. Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, chief of the RNZAF, echoed the sentiment: The sacrifice of this brave crew has long been remembered, especially by their families, and we can now honour their final resting-place with the respect they deserve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Row was born on March 2, 1918, to Albert Edward and Florence Mabel Row. A commemorative biography of him on the Gravesend Grammar School website lists him as a former pupil, back when it was The County School for Boys. It says he appeared in a school production of Shakespeares Merchant of Venice, was a prefect, and played in the schools first XV rugby team. He left school in 1937 and joined the RAF in 1941. His father, whod served in the merchant navy during the First World War, joined the Royal Navy reserves during the Second, and father and son were briefly reunited in Egypt, but just a few months later, the younger man was killed. He is now commemorated at the Alamein Memorial in Egypt. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. "You know we stopped filming a long time ago," host Stephen Colbert said with a nervous smile to guest Jon Stewart. It was late June 2021, only a week or so after "The Late Show" had returned from its pandemic-induced remote broadcasts to film before a studio audience. The former host of "The Daily Show" had flustered his voluble protege by espousing in the form of an extended comic rant the forbidden opinion that COVID-19 had originated in a lab. Polite society, government, and major social media platforms had done their best to vilify and suppress it. Stewarts rant revolved around the Wuhan Institute of Virology, home to Chinas only lab that specializes in gain-of-function research on coronaviruses. This fact alone, Stewart contended with growing manic intensity and to Colberts increasing dismay, led to an obvious and inescapable conclusion. The novel, highly contagious, and unusually deadly coronavirus - which first appeared in Wuhan in late 2019 and by the spring of 2020 brought nations around the world to their knees - was created in and escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Colbert did his best to downplay his friends flamboyant breach of progressive etiquette, but the damage had been done. Jon Stewart gave permission to the left to think a thought and express a view about China proscribed by progressive authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American publics understanding of the elements of the China challenge remains poor. One major reason is that American elites have cooperated with the Chinese Communist Party, a ruthless dictatorship, to curtail speech in the United States that criticizes China, and which illuminates the formidable threat to American freedom posed by the CCP. Sen. Tom Cotton understands as well as anyone the many ways that Americans collaborate with the CCP to stifle the reporting of facts and the expression of judgments that the party does not want heard. In early 2020, he was the first prominent national officeholder to offer the common-sense opinion that the novel coronavirus, which had begun to attract attention in the West, might have been produced in a Chinese lab. Bastions of progressivism such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and eminent scientists pilloried him for peddling despicable conspiracy theories. Recently, Andrew Noymer - associate professor in population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Academy of Public Health - confirmed that the evidence overwhelmingly favors a lab leak. Amazon Sen. Cotton also understands as well as anyone the severity and several dimensions of the China challenge. In his New York Times #1 bestselling book, "Seven Things You Cant Say About China," Arkansas junior senator "lays out the real and pressing threat from Chinese Communists based on established facts and the inherent logic of events." His new book (he generously mentions me in the acknowledgments) is "not partisan or a yellow peril screed." And he is careful to "stress that Chinese communism is the threat, not the ancient Chinese civilization or the Chinese people, the first and worst victims of Chinese communism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cottons short book accomplishes two interrelated tasks. It exposes the thoughtlessness as well as the dishonorable motives behind the coverup of the China challenge by American government officials, major corporations, the media, and university administrations. And it clarifies the CCPs ambitions - which drive its depredations in China and its predatory conduct directed at the United States and at nations around the world - to impose an authoritarian cast on world order and position Beijing at its center. Cotton devotes a chapter to each of seven truths that Americas elites have ignored, obscured, or denied. First, "China is an evil empire." At home, the CCP "has built a dystopian police state to monitor, manipulate, and master its people," writes Cotton. The party especially targets Christians, Tibetans, the Falun Gong (a Chinese spiritual movement), and ethnic Mongolians. It is committing genocide against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang in northwest China. And it has enfeebled freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. Second, "China is preparing for war." The CCP "has undertaken the largest peacetime military buildup in history, amassing the biggest and second most advanced armed forces in the world," according to Cotton. In addition, it "has claimed hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean, built and militarized artificial islands, and expanded its overseas military presence." And it "openly threatens war against Taiwan." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Third, "China is waging economic world war." Cotton dates the onset of the CCPs global economic warfare to 2000, when "the United States granted China permanent most-favored-nation status. This "provided China with generous trading terms" and "enabled China to join the World Trade Organization the next year." Since then, the CCP "has stolen trillions of dollars of wealth, crippled entire industries, seized control of developing technologies, destroyed millions of American jobs, and extorted entire countries with its newfound economic power." The CCP also has devoted massive resources to the Belt and Road Initiative, "a web of roads, railroads, pipelines, power plants, ports, and other infrastructure projects." With the BRI, the CCP aims "to spread its military, economic, and political influence across Asia and Europe, gain leverage over borrowing nations, employ its workers, and enrich its companies." Fourth, "China has infiltrated our society." By restricting or barring access to its enormous consumer markets - even by threatening to do so - the CCP strong-arms Hollywood, professional athletes, media, higher education, corporate America, and Wall Street to eliminate references to CCP oppression and Taiwanese freedom and democracy. Fifth, "China has infiltrated our government." The CCP, Cotton reports, has "spied on our military, stolen our weapons technology, courted state and local politicians, and cultivated a powerful New China Lobby in Washington to pressure your elected representatives." Sixth, "China is coming for our kids." Directed by its parent company ByteDance, which is headquartered in China and operates under CCP supervision, TikTok harms young Americans: It invades their privacy by collecting reams of personal data about them; it inundates them with pornography and other content that encourages self-destructive behavior; and it bombards them with pro-China and anti-American propaganda. Furthermore, by funding Confucious Classrooms at American schools and Confucious Institutes at American universities, the CCP buys from principals and university presidents cooperation in ensuring that their faculty and administrators speak only well of China. And the CCP fuels Americas fentanyl crisis, either producing, or supplying Mexico with the ingredients to manufacture, the deadly drug, "which is fifty times stronger than heroin." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seventh, "China could win." Cotton cautions that the CCP may acquire the ability to overturn the American-led, post-World War II international system. Whereas American global dominance favors freedom and democracy, a world order dominated by Beijing would empower authoritarian nations and license abuse of human rights in the name of collective values. Taiwan, Cotton argues, is the key. It "manufactures around 60 percent of the worlds semiconductors and 90 percent of the worlds most advanced semiconductors." For this reason alone, if CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping fulfills his promise to conquer the island located some 100 miles from mainland China, he would trigger a severe worldwide depression. The fall of Taiwan would also, Cotton warns, embolden Americas enemies and dispirit Americas friends, spark the proliferation of nuclear weapons, erode American influence in the international economy, and, quite possibly, precipitate the subjugation of Washington to Beijing. Cotton supplements these seven truths about the CCPs nefarious conduct and intentions with seven steps American citizens must take to meet the China challenge. Citizens should stay informed about the myriad ways that the CCP imperils American freedom. We should inform friends and family about the dangers. We should vote for candidates who make a priority of prevailing against China. We should refuse to use, and keep our families off, Chinese apps. We should reduce purchases of products made in China. We should increase purchases of products made in America. And, counsels the hard-headed statesman and Army combat veteran, we should "pray for the Chinese people, the first and worst victims of the Chinese Communist Party." The Trump administration and Congress must also rise to the moment. President Trump needs to address his fellows citizens about the China challenge, laying out the threat and rallying the nation. Prominent among the presidents proposals should be a reduction of American reliance on the Chinese economy through targeted economic measures that strengthen Americas - and its friends and partners - manufacturing capabilities in select areas starting, say, with biopharmaceuticals, rare minerals, and semiconductors. The president should also explain how his administration will ensure American military superiority. And, with a view to the long term, the president should encourage Congress to create programs to promote advanced study among scholars, diplomats, and military analysts of Chinese language, culture, history, political institutions, and forms of empire. To meet the China challenge, we must understand its several dimensions, not least the CCPs efforts to thwart such understanding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peter Berkowitz is the Tad and Dianne Taube senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. From 2019 to 2021, he served as director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. State Department. His writings are posted at PeterBerkowitz.com and he can be followed on X @BerkowitzPeter. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), in a visit to Nashville on Saturday, urged Tennesseans to fight back against what she said is the Trump Administrations plan to cut funding for healthcare, social security and public schools while giving trillions of dollars in tax cuts to billionaires. The most important thing to start with is to remember you have power, she said. You are strong and you know how to stand up for what is right. About 1,500 people turned out to see the Massachusetts senator speak in the gymnasium at Pearl-Cohn High School in North Nashville on Saturday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was joined by local democratic lawmakers including Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell and Sen. Charlene Oliver (D-Nashville), who commended Warren as a fierce champion for the working people who "always have the backs of the little guy." Anti-Trump rally in Centennial Park Thousands attend Hands Off Nashville protest against Trump, part of national day of action Trump cuts impact TN arts, books: Trump administration cuts threaten Southern Festival of Books, arts funding across state "Shes exemplified now for years how important idea leadership, thought leadership and just the courage of pure leadership are to this entire country," O'Connell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crowd cheered and stomped as Warren lambasted President Donald Trump for his relationship with billionaire Elon Musk, the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and for sparking the "dumbest trade war in U.S. history." Warren, who made a bid 2020 presidential race, has been a longtime Trump critic. She noted the administrations plans to cut federal funding for public schools, saying it will lead to larger class sizes and less support for the children that need it the most. When they make these cuts to our public schools, does that public money go into your pockets, Tennessee? she asked. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks in Nashville on Saturday April 5, 2025. The crowd replied with a resounding, No! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre not trying to cut costs for American families, they want to make sure that the billionaires in this country get exactly what they want, and everybody else can pay for it, Warren said. Handing our country over to billionaires is not what we do in America. She urged Tennesseans to take action against the states Republican supermajority by calling their local lawmakers, organizing and telling their stories. She said the recent win of liberal Wisconsin Superior Court judge despite Musk pouring $20 million into the race for a conservative opponent is a sign of the powers of organizing. Not having as much power as you want is not the same as having no power at all, she said. Editor's note: This article has been updated with the estimated number of attendees at the event. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sen. Elizabeth Warren urges Tennesseans to rally against Trump Journalists would write fewer fake news stories if disputes over coverage could be handled through violence, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin suggested on social media. In a video posted over the weekend to his official X account, the Oklahoma Republican describes the 1890 killing of a former congressman, who was shot by a reporter in the U.S. Capitol. Mullin briefly pauses after finishing the story, then begins talking about journalists today. Now, theres a lot we could say about reporters and the stories they write, but I bet they would write a lot less false stories as President Trump says, fake news if we could still handle our differences that way, Mullin says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 1:53 video was one of several Mullin posted late Friday and early Saturday as the Senate mulled the GOP budget plan, which ultimately passed. Mullin recorded the video from the flight of stairs where he says the shooting occurred. He says stains from the former lawmakers blood can still be seen on the stone steps. After Mullin makes his statement about reporters, the person recording him zooms in to show the blood-stained stairs, and then the video ends. By noon Sunday, the video had been viewed more than 26,000 times, attracting more than 2,100 likes. A spokesperson for Mullin's office did not respond Sunday to questions about the senator's remarks. However, Mullin shared a link to this article in a post on X Sunday afternoon, and wrote, "While youre at it, dont forget I also JOKED about bringing back caning to settle political disputes." He attached an Oklahoma map to the post, which showed every county painted red, and wrote: "Thank you for watching my videos. Imagine being a newspaper *this* out of touch with Oklahoma." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mullin's remarks about addressing disputes over news coverage through violence come as verbal attacks against journalists grow more common. President Donald Trump "insulted, threatened or attacked" members of the media more than 100 times during campaign speeches from Sept. 1 to Oct. 24, according to an analysis by Reporters Without Borders. The International Center for Journalists found that 27% of Americans surveyed last year said they had "often seen or heard a journalist being threatened, harassed or abused online." The survey results showed that people who identified as white, male and Republican voiced higher tolerance for senior politicians criticizing journalists. Mullin was elected to represent Oklahomans in the Senate in 2022 after serving in the U.S. House for a decade. He has became known as an ally of Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mullin has drawn attention in the past for invoking violence during his time as a senator. In 2023, he challenged Teamsters leader Sean O'Brien to a fight and stood from his chair during a Senate hearing. He later defended his actions during an interview on Fox News. In recent days, Mullin has made the rounds on national TV news shows to express support for tariffs announced by Trump, which economists have warned could trigger a recession. Mullin said on "Fox News Sunday" that the tariffs would balance the U.S. economy "with countries that have taken advantage of us." "We know the trade deficits have spread," Mullin said. "They've only gotten worse year after year after year, and at some point, someone had to do something about it. And President Trump is finally doing that." (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Mullin suggests 'fake news' would decline if violence settled disputes Two GOP Congress members, including Westchester Rep. Mike Lawler, are going to bat for a former NYPD cop convicted of acting as an agent of China writing on Congressional letterhead that they believe a federal jury got his landmark conviction wrong. Lawler and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), both China hawks who have taken strong stances against the Chinese Communist Party, co-signed a letter supporting Michael McMahon, who was convicted in Brooklyn Federal Court in 2023. Since being charged, Mr. McMahon has been unwavering in maintaining his innocence. We also believe in his innocence, they wrote to Judge Pamela Chen in a letter filed by McMahons defense team on March 27. Since the onset of this case, Michael has lost nearly everything while never wavering from his declaration of innocence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors are asking Chen to sentence him on April 10 to seven and a quarter years behind bars. A federal jury found McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant turned private investigator, guilty of acting as a foreign agent and interstate stalking after a two-week trial in June 2023. The jury found him not guilty of a count of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent. McMahon was a critical member of a Chinese campaign to intimidate dissident Xu Jin, a former Wuhan municipal government official, and his family, with the end goal of pressuring Xu into returning to China, prosecutors said. The case was the first trial prosecuting members of Operation Fox Hunt, a sweeping Chinese government effort to forcibly repatriate dissidents and fugitives across the globe, the feds said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plot involved forcing Xus elderly father to fly to the U.S. and dropping him on Xus sister-in-laws doorstep on April 5, 2017. McMahon, who was paid more than $19,000, was asked to dig up information on Xu and his family. He surveilled the sister-in-laws house during the elderly mans visit, all in the hope of following Xu to his Warren, N.J., home, prosecutors said. The feds say McMahon realized he was working for the Chinese government when he searched for Xus name and did the job regardless. At one point, after passing Xus name to a co-conspirator, McMahon texted a fellow private investigator that he was waiting for a call to determine what to do next, according to court filings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah. From NJ State Police about an abduction, the other P.I. quipped, and McMahon responded, Lol. The jury squarely rejected the defendants argument that he did not understand the scope of the criminal scheme or that he was working for the PRC government, prosecutors wrote in their Thursday sentencing memo. McMahon maintained he thought he was working for a private company, and that he did everything by the book as a licensed private investigator. He and his wife, veteran As The World Turns actress Martha Byrne, have spoken out publicly against the verdict in TV and newspaper interviews. My husband worked as a P.I. because he loved what he did, not for financial gain. He worked pro-bono more often than not, Byrne told the Daily News. In one case he worked for free to help exonerate a young man who had been falsely arrested for first degree murder. If not for my husbands work that young man who be rotting in prison for the rest of his life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Byrne said the fellow P.I. who sent the abduction text said on the stand he was only cracking a joke. Lawler and Sessions have both warned of the dangers posed by China, and Lawler in January called China our greatest geopolitical threat. Lawler and Sessions offices didnt offer any specifics when asked why they thought the jury got the verdict wrong. Congressman Lawler and Sessions stand behind the official letter they submitted to Judge Pamela K. Chen regarding Michael McMahon, and both urge an expedited federal review of his case and the unique circumstances involved, their offices said in a joint statement. Mr. McMahons highly decorated, 14-year career as an NYPD detective including in the aftermath of 9/11 reflects a lifetime of service to his community and country. The letter, which they signed in June, was filed along with 38 others from friends and supporters asking the judge for leniency. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has tasked a medical professor hardly known in the political arena with forming a new government as the country faces a crisis over mass anti-corruption protests. The task of endocrinologist Djuro Macut will be to continue to maintain peace and stability in Serbia while showing tolerance, Vucic said in a televised press conference in Belgrade on Sunday. The previous incumbent, Milos Vucevic, announced his resignation in January under pressure from the protests, a move widely seen as tactical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the collapse of a station canopy in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people, Serbia has been gripped by a wave of protests that has now spread to large sections of the population and plunged Vucic's leadership into a crisis of unprecedented proportions. The organizers of the demonstrations, marches and university occupations blame the incompetence and corruption of those in government for the tragedy in Novi Sad. They are demanding systemic reforms to eliminate corruption and mismanagement through the rule of law. Vucic again accused the protest movement of being controlled from abroad and seeking a coup. He did not present any evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ex-prime minister Vucevic was considered a loyal follower of the president, who makes all important decisions himself. The designated successor Macut, born in 1963, has a reputation in professional circles as an endocrinologist. Politically, he has so far only been known as an avowed supporter of Vucic. According to the Serbian constitution, Macut has until April 18 to form a new government and have it approved by parliament. The approval is considered a formality. The past several days of heavy rains engorged streams and rivers across Arkansas. This National Weather Service map forecasts flood stage at various points along major rivers. (Source: National Weather Service Little Rock) JONESBORO Willadean Hergott of Jonesboro clutched a stuffed toy monkey while sitting in the Craighead County safe room in Jonesboro Friday evening and waited for the next round of storms. I dont like tornadoes. I dont like seeing what happened in Lake City, she said, referring to a twister that smashed the western edge of the Craighead County town Wednesday evening with winds of 150 mph. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You never know anymore where one will come up, she said. Hergott sat in a chair inside the shelter, which has a capacity for 600 people. She said she had the monkey for her grandchildren who would show up shortly. At 5 p.m. Friday, there were already 60 people inside the shelter, which can withstand 250 mph winds. Storms did not reach Jonesboro until around 9 p.m. Friday. Large television screens inside the shelter showed live weather coverage from the local ABC television affiliate. On Wednesday, more than 800 packed into the shelter. Deputies had to turn back another 200 people because it was overcrowded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rachael Townsend also went to the shelter Friday, hours before the inclement weather hit. She moved to Jonesboro about a week before a tornado hit the town on March 28, 2020, and is still shaken by the memory. I have PTSD, Townsend said. I have really bad storm anxiety. I cant sleep at night anymore because of these storms. Townsend stayed in a friends storm shelter when the Lake City tornado struck. Lake City is about 15 miles east of Jonesboro. This time, she said, she sought safety early. Storm anxieties have ramped up since early March when the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, forecast an extremely high potential for tornadoes in Arkansas on March 14. Twisters hit Cave City, Cushman and Diaz that evening, validating peoples fears. Three died in Cushman and 32 were injured in those storms, the Arkansas Public Safety Department reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, the March 28 tornado hit Bay, Lake City and Monette, injuring four people and damaging 25 structures. Another storm hammered Cross County Friday evening, and on Saturday, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Mississippi, Poinsett and St. Francis counties. Torrential rains hindered cleanup efforts in the tornado-ravaged areas Saturday, but it also created record level river-flooding, adding to the mounting fears. The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management reported Sunday that there have been 13 injuries and one fatality related to Fridays and Saturdays storms. The fatality was a 5-year-old child at a home in Pulaski County. Some parts of central and northeast Arkansas received between 10 and 15 inches of rain in the five days preceding April 6, 2025, according to this map from the National Weather Service.(Source: National Weather Service Little Rock In Hardy, the Spring River rose to 23.5 feet by late Saturday afternoon. Flood stage there is 10 feet. Water covered a riverside park and lapped against railroad tracks that cut through the town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its the worst Ive ever seen, Hardy Fire Chief Joshua Moore said of the flooding. We had advanced warning this was coming since Tuesday, and we warned people that they needed to evacuate. Emergency officials did rescue two people trapped by high waters Saturday morning, he said. Rapids also washed out a train trestle in Mammoth Springs, he said. This has been a lot, he said. Four weeks ago, we had wildfires. Then we had the tornadoes on March 14, more wildfires and now flooding. As best as I can tell, people here are staying home and out of all the weather, Moore added. My guys are tired, but were not quitting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White River in Newport, where the flood stage is 26 feet, is expected to crest at 33 feet Tuesday. The record stage there is 35.9 feet. The Buffalo River in St. Joe is forecast to crest at 48 feet Sunday. Flood stage is 27 feet. President Donald Trump issued a federal disaster declaration for much of Arkansas Saturday, releasing funds for cleanup and rebuilding. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the request in a 12-page letter earlier in the week, saying damage from the storms exceeded $11.6 million and estimated debris removal costs $3.7 million. Sanders also released $250,000 from the states emergency fund for cleanup efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the rains Saturday, the National Weather Service issued several tornado warnings in Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Mississippi, Poinsett and St. Francis counties. For the fourth time since the safe room first opened in the new Craighead County Courthouse Annex building in early March, people crowded into the shelter. Theres always a lot of hype with storms, Craighead County Office of Emergency Management Director Anthony Coy said. People post pictures all over Facebook and social media. There is massive community storm anxiety. He said storm chasers flood YouTube with videos of storms and the seeming constant live reports on local television add to the fear. On Friday, scores of chasers swarmed into Arkansas in expectation of severe weather, increasing the already heightened fears of Arkansans. One storm chaser, while live streaming his trip on YouTube, called out, Here, nado, nado, nado, as he drove through Newport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fears and anxieties can be caused by a lot of variables, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Hood in North Little Rock. Everybody reacts to trauma differently. They see the media pictures of all the damage from tornadoes every day lately. The media conveys how dangerous it is. He said its rare that meteorologists deal with the constant weather events like theyve had this time. We were talking about that, Hood said. Its been 10 or 20 years since weve had something like this. Its not typical that we have something day after day after day. Its unfortunate that were seeing all these ingredients line up like theyre doing, he said. Arkansas is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Advocate Editor Sonny Albarado contributed to this story. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Prince George is nearing a crossroads; one that will affect the entire course of his life. Will he attend Eton, as his father, Prince William, did, or Marlborough, like his mother, Princess Catherine? Or will he carve out his own path entirely? The 11-year-old royal starts his final year at his current school, Lambrook in the Berkshire countryside, this September, which means the clock is ticking for determining where to continue his education. Previous reports stated William and Kate planned on sending Prince George to Kate's alma mater, before changing course and choosing Eton, the all-boys school William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, attended, according to Newsweek. However, that decision is hardly set in stone, as no official statement has been made, and Newsweek noted that Princess Kate was supposedly seen visiting Highgate and University College School in North London earlier this year. As you might imagine, the sighting sparked rumors that the search for Prince George's next school was far from over, and that the royals may choose an institution where he wouldn't carry the weight of his parents' history while there. Max Mumby/Indigo/Contributor/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both William and Kate seemed to have very positive experiences at their alma maters, though Harry recalls his time at Eton a bit less favorably. In his 2023 memoir, Spare, he shared that it was "Heaven for brilliant boys, it could thus only be purgatory for one very un-brilliant boy," and felt "way, way in over my head" there. (William had been captain of the swim team and was elected prefect.) Royals experts tend to believe Marlborough is the most likely choice, despite the reported visits to London schools, as it's a coed school, so all three children could attend together, and it's about an hour from their home in Windsor. Samir Hussein /Contributor/Getty Images There's also a very practical argument to be made for Marlborough, which Kate's siblings, James and Pippa, also attended: "Because all three children could go there...then they're not such a burden on the taxpayer due to the security that has to be with them all the time," explained Ingrid Seward, author of My Mother and I, a book about the royal family, in the Newsweek interview. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, others hope they'll break with tradition and have him eschew boarding school altogether. They have been the model of a modern monarchy so far, and I would like to see them continue as a tight family unit, with the children coming home each day after school, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said in a 2023 interview. I guess only time will tell, it seems. Duchess Sophie Receives New Title Previously Held by Queen Elizabeth Seven civilians were injured in Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast alone on Saturday 5 April. Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration; Donetsk Oblast Military Administration Details: Russian forces are reported to have targeted residential areas in Kherson Oblast, damaging a high-rise building and six houses. They also damaged a telecom tower and cars. Meanwhile, one person was injured in a Russian attack on the settlement of Tykhonivka in Donetsk Oblast. There were no casualties in Kharkiv Oblast on Saturday. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Authorities are asking area residents to be alert after an uptick in break-in reports. Boston Police say theyve received several calls for residential break-ins and attempted break-ins in the Allston/Brighton area, specifically near Boston College and Boston University. The incidents remain under investigation. Police are providing tips to help residents protect their homes: Always lock doors and windows, even when at home. Install motion-activated lighting around entryways. Consider home security systems or video surveillance. Avoid leaving valuables near windows or in plain sight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone who observes suspicious individuals or activity is asked to call 911. Quick reporting allows officers to respond faster and may prevent further crimes, Boston Police wrote in a press release. Your cooperation plays a vital role in maintaining the safety and security of our neighborhood. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW EAST WINDSOR, Conn. (WWLP) The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has warned the public to avoid the Connecticut River due to a major sewer line break in East Windsor last week. On April 3, the town of East Windsor identified a sanitary sewer line break adjacent to the Connecticut River. DEEP said that an estimated 300,000 gallons of raw sewage may be discharging directly into the river every day. Crews put out cardboard compactor fire at Holyoke Mall Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emergency repairs are underway, with response crews on-site assessing the damage and testing the water quality. DEEP is urging the public at this time to avoid any recreational activities where they may come in contact with the Connecticut River, including fishing and boating, from East Windsor downstream to at least Hartford. Residents will be notified when the issue is resolved. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) The Shaker Heights Public Library has reopened after a teenager was shot and killed inside the main branch of the library on Tuesday. Investigators said the shooting was a result of a conflict between current and former students at Shaker Heights High School that led to a confrontation after school at the library. I-TEAM: Police monitor will not be removed after casino incident Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 15-year-old boy is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting 18-year-old Charles Lee Shanklin. The victim was rushed by paramedics to the emergency room at University Hospitals, but he was later pronounced dead. The 15-year-old suspect ran from the library, but was arrested a short time later. He is now facing charges that include murder and carrying a concealed weapon. The library took to their Facebook page on Saturday to thank the community for all of its support after this tragedy. Guardians Opening Day weather history: Is it always this cold? We are OPEN. Thank you everyone who has shown up this morning with kindness (and in some instances, flowers or hot chocolate). We are moved by your support and so thankful to call this community ours the post said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuyahoga County court records obtained by the I-Team following a public records request show the teen had a hearing date in court Wednesday and denied all the charges. It is not known when he will be back in court, but he is being held in the juvenile detention center. The teen also has a prior case and is facing several unrelated charges, including aggravated robbery and possession of a weapon in a school safety zone. He is due back in court on April 14 on those charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. [Attached video shows previous coverage of this story] SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) Visitors to the Shaker Heights Public Library can expect a police presence at the library for the next few weeks after a teenager was shot and killed inside the main branch on Tuesday. I-TEAM: Police academy for officers and families The Shaker Library Director, Amy L. Switzer, shared that news in a message on Facebook Sunday morning, which also addressed safety and potential changes going forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know many of you have questions about library safety and security moving forward. Please know that for at least the next few weeks, we will have a police presence at Main Library, and we will be working closely with our Shaker Heights Police Department to do all we can to keep people safe, the post said. Switzer also wrote that the library will be gathering ideas and researching long-term safety solutions, including learning what has worked at other libraries similar to Shakers. We are cognizant that what is right for us in the short term may not be right in the long term. We want to make sure we get this right not just get it fast, the post said. Switzer also thanked the community for their support following the incident, noting that many people showed up to the library Saturday when it reopened for the first time since the shooting with food, drinks, flowers and cards. Therapy dogs were also brought in to meet with staff and customers, according to the post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for reminding us that our neighbors care. Youve shown up for us, and we will continue to show up for you, the post concluded. Investigators said the shooting on April 1 was a result of a conflict between current and former students at Shaker Heights High School that led to a confrontation after school at the library. 1 hurt, 1 arrested after altercation leads to gunfire in Akron A 15-year-old boy is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting 18-year-old Charles Lee Shanklin. Shanklin was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead. The 15-year-old suspect ran from the library. He was arrested a short time later and is now facing charges that include murder and carrying a concealed weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Deputies are searching for a group of people responsible for several break-ins and a shooting in Anderson County. According to Anderson County Sheriffs Office, at around 5 a.m. Saturday, a group of suspects broke into multiple vehicles in the Dogwood Place neighborhood off of Old River Road in Piedmont. The sheriffs office said suspects stole two cars and a gun from residents. When a homeowner noticed the suspects and confronted them, the suspects shot at the homeowner. No one was injured in the shooting and deputies continue to search for suspects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to call the Anderson County Sheriffs Office at 864-260-4400 and reference case number 2025-0428. Tips can be submitted anonymously at p3tips.com/1038. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Intercepted calls released by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) suggest a Russian commander losing his temper and ordering his soldiers to shoot at their own comrades in a neighbouring unit. "F**k the 55th (an adjacent Russian unit), shoot them, thats the battalion commanders order, shoot them," a Russian commander can be heard saying in an audio published by HUR on April 5. The unidentified Russian commander appears frustrated at the adjacent Russian unit for not properly following an order and revealing their positions to Ukrainian troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the audio published by HUR. Much remains unknown about the scale of such incidents in the Russian military, which has relied on its vast manpower to gradually gain ground across Ukraine's front. Despite the heavy losses, they have managed to capture some of Ukraine's last strongholds in the Donbas region in the second half of 2024. Multiple incidents of "friendly fire" in the Russian army have been reported. In December, HUR claimed that North Korean troops fighting alongside Moscow opened fire and killed eight Russian servicemen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trump spares Russia from tariffs, but oil price plunge could wreck war economy regardless Intercepted calls published by HUR last month suggested Russians living in oblasts bordering Ukraine celebrated recent drone attacks against Moscow as people living there "live their lives without fear." On March 11, Ukraine launched the largest drone attack against Russia's capital during the full-scale war. Seventy-four drones were shot down on approach to Moscow in the early hours of the day. Belgorod and Bryansk oblasts border Ukraine and often come under attack as they are two regions from which Russian forces launch missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phone conversations intercepted by HUR suggest that some Russians living in these oblasts welcomed the news of the attack on Moscow. They presented it as a chance for those living in the capital to experience the effects of the war that they witness on a regular basis. "So we can be f**king bombed, but Moscow Oblast is not? Let the bastards shut up and stay put!" one woman in Russias Bryansk Oblast said in a call released by HUR on March 29. "They live their lives without fear, without knowing anything. Let them be at least a little bit afraid," the person she was speaking to responded. Read also: Putin believes he has the upper hand Ukraine braces for a new Russian spring offensive Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CHICAGO The Trump administrations decision to close a regional Head Start office in Chicago this week has raised questions about how the program, which serves more than 28,000 children and low-income families in Illinois, will continue to operate in coming weeks and months. The federal government shut down the Chicago office Tuesday, along with regional Head Start offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle, according to the nonprofit National Head Start Association. The day the regional offices closed, a lot of Head Start grant recipients woke up terrified, wondering what this means, said Tommy Sheridan, the associations deputy director. The regional offices that were closed employed roughly 75 to 100 people and provided support to Head Start grant recipients, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For families and for staff we want to be very explicit: Theres been no cut in funding thats been shared. Programs are still operational and programs are going to do everything in their power to keep services flowing, Sheridan said. However we are concerned as we look to the future. The regional offices were the pipeline to federal funding for Illinois Head Start programs, which were left unsure who to contact and are concerned their programs might have to shut down if they dont receive funding by the start of their next fiscal year, which for some begins May 1, according to Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director of the Illinois Head Start Association. Obviously, on Tuesday morning, my number one question was to ask, When will we confirm that were expecting to receive the rest of our obligated funds by May 1? But there was no one to ask, said Celena Sarillo, executive director of Start Early, a nonprofit public-private partnership serving over 2,000 children in Chicago. That was just like a complete shock to all of us. Head Start grant recipients were instructed to use a specific online portal for communications about grants going forward in an April 3 letter from Laurie Todd-Smith, deputy assistant secretary for Early Childhood Development, which operates under the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The closures of the regional Head Start offices are part of a broader restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that the Trump administration says will save taxpayers $1.8 billion a year. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told the Tribune Friday morning that Head Start programs are not in any danger. All statutorily required programs will remain intact, and as a result of the reorganization, will be better positioned to execute on Congresss statutory intent, said Emily Hilliard, deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We remain committed to providing continued support to Head Start programs as they work to meet the needs of their communities. Head Start program directors can reach out to their designated regional offices or the appropriate Head Start program contact within the Administration for Children and Families for questions related to grant funding and other support, an Hilliard said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nonetheless, Head Start administrators say the lack of a Chicago regional office could create issues. Morrison-Frichtl said the online assistance portal is not enough to support everyday needs, and she said Illinois Head Start programs have not received communication as of Friday afternoon on who their designated regional offices or program contacts are. I would be surprised if you had a response back within two weeks, Morrison-Frichtl said about the portal. I mean, they just downsized these regions and so all the large states, for I dont know how many programs, are all going here, and theres no one point for you in your program to handle your questions. Head Start programs have received federal funding since the preschool effort was started more than 60 years ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnsons War on Poverty. While the programs have historically received bipartisan support in Congress, there have been instances, such as in 2003, where program funding has received criticism from both sides of the aisle. Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation policy group thought to have influence on the Trump White House, advocated for Head Starts elimination. For Sarillos programs, the federal funding supports immunizations, vision, dental, hearing services for low-income families, along with individualized lesson plans for children with disabilities, professional development for the early childhood workforce, and other support for parents and families in the Chicago area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of our children are from the most underresourced and marginalized communities, Sarillo said Our families have started having real concerns about what this means and if their child still has a safe place to go. All of that has really left children and families across Illinois that are accessing Head Start programs, and specifically in Chicago as well, just in the state of real, kind of despair and concern. Sara Mixer, executive director of Parent and Child Together for West Central Illinois, said that regional managers provided that day-to-day support to agencies whenever we needed that, and we dont have that anymore. The fear is that any process is just going to take so much longer now, because even if the plan is to have the other existing regional offices absorb the states, its just going to take that much longer, which will ultimately directly impact the services to children and families, Mixer said. The Head Start regional office wasnt the only federal HHS regional unit shuttered in Chicago this week. The regional Office of Child Care in Chicago which, like Head Start, operates under HHS Administration for Children and Families also closed Tuesday, said Ruth Friedman, who was director of the Office of Child Care under President Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Office of Child Care distributes Child Care and Development Fund money to states, which is used to help low-income parents pay for child care while they work. Though that funding has not been cut, she said the regional office worked closely with states to help them maximize how that money could be used to serve families. Gutting the Office of Child Care in this way, ultimately what its going to mean is child care is going to become less safe, its going to become more expensive, and its going to be harder for families to find, Friedman said. The regional office closures have not been the only issues for Head Start since Trump took office. An executive order issued in mid-March required Head Start programs to remove initiatives involving diversity, equity and inclusion is also creating barriers to accessing funding, Morrison-Frichtl said. She said the federal Head Start office told her programs are now required to certify that theyve removed all DEI initiatives before they can receive grant funding, but Sarillo said that right now there is no one to clarify what specific DEI initiatives are included in this order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone that is currently in the process of reapplying for their grant is going through that right now, but theres no one to talk to in the regional office to even verify and work with them on, like, what language can I include? Sarillo said. Morrison-Frichtl said theres still confusion on what the order applies to in day-to-day services, such as if it applies to services for dual language learners. Its so hard in our work because we have books in our classroom that reflect the culture were serving, Morrison-Frichtl said. Were required to find teachers that reflect the culture and ethnicity of the group of children in the classroom. All of our materials need to reflect our cultures, from the dolls in the classroom to our materials. Theres a lot there. Following the order, Illinois Head Start programs removed language regarding DEI topics, changed eligibility criteria, changed code of conduct guidelines within personnel policies and will no longer provide funds for Head Start staff to take required DEI coursework for teacher certification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illinois Head Start programs also struggled to access funding for weeks after the Trumps administrations federal freeze at the end of January. One program shut down because it could not pay its employees, Morrison-Frichtl said. It was a mess, said Kelly Neidel, executive director of the Two Rivers Head Start in Aurora, the program that briefly shut down. Canceling and then starting back up again. It causes uncertainty with staff, and Ive worked there 35 years and this was probably one of my worst days there. Head Start programs have been able to consistently access funding since mid-February, and a spokesperson for the federal Administration for Children and Families told the Tribune in mid-February that the payment system website was experiencing technical issues, unrelated to the federal freeze. In the midst of confusion from Head Start programs across the state, Sarillo has started a campaign for families and children to speak out. Over 3,000 emails and 3,000 calls have been sent in support of Head Start to congressional legislators from the state, according to Sarillo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our hope is that this was just a disruption and that this is not any indication of any changes that are going to be made to Head Start funding, which again, plays such a critical role in supporting children and families in early development in Chicago, Sarillo said. _____ NEW MEXICO (KRQE) New Mexico State Police (NMSP) have arrested a man accused of possessing over a dozen images of child pornography. According to state police, investigators received a tip recently about several explicit images of children being uploaded to a cloud account. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators say they found 44-year-old John Palmerin to be in possession of 17 images, saying he was the owner of the phone number and email address associated with the account. Palmerin was arrested and booked into the Sierra County Detention Center. He is facing one charge of possession of child pornography. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) This Hartford suburb is facing some pushback about where to build new housing, especially for seniors. On This Week in Connecticut, Dennis House asked First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis about a controversial plan. Watch the interview above. THIS WEEK IN CONNECTICUT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. BAXTER SPRINGS, Kans. Food and community combine to support local first responders. The Baxter Springs community was invited to this years Sloppy Joe Fundraiser hosted by the Baxter Springs Fire Auxiliary. Attendees could enjoy a sloppy joe, with a side of chips, water, and a dessert of choice. For more than 29 years, the auxiliary has held a fundraiser to raise money for to the fire department. In the past, all donations went toward any needs the fire department had for the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this years event is aimed at outfitting the new station with all the fire fighting gear it needs when its complete. On that list, equipment and uniforms. There are times when people in the community need help, and our firefighters are always there to help, like when it storms, they go out and cut up trees and move to brush off a few. And, you know, theyre there for us and we need to return the favor to them, said Susan Landreth, Baxter Springs Fire Auxiliary. The auxiliary had already received 50 donations when we spoke this afternoon. This is the first year theyre serving sloppy joes. In past fundraisers, theyve served main courses like beans, and biscuits and gravy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. The sun sets on the LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge near Martin, South Dakota, in April 2021. (John Deuter/USDA NRCS South Dakota, public license) Hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands in northeastern South Dakota are likely to lose federal protection under the Trump administrations proposed narrow interpretation of what water is important to preserve. The proposed restrictive definition says a wetland deserves protection only if it has a continuous surface connection to a navigable stream or lake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That leaves almost all of South Dakotas 1.7 million acres of wetlands, which are home to about half of all threatened and endangered species, at the mercy of land developers and agricultural interests. A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows the catastrophic loss of federal protections for wetlands across the United States. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling, the model can zero in on specific counties. It shows that more than 70 million acres of wetlands approximately 84% of the total area protected before the U.S. Supreme Courts 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision are left without federal safeguards. It also shows that nonperennial streams, which make up the vast majority of U.S. waterways and are essential for drinking water and flood mitigation, are also at risk. If only perennial streams remain protected, more than 8 million miles of U.S. streams could lose Clean Water Act protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the Trump administrations definition, about 460,000 individual wetlands covering about 743,000 acres in northeastern South Dakotas 10 most affected counties would be at risk. The most impacted counties in order are Brown, Beadle, Hand, Spink, Faulk, Edmunds, Roberts, McPherson, Sanborn and Hyde. An additional threat is emerging in a lawsuit in Iowa that seeks to overturn the federal Swampbuster and Sodbuster provisions that tie wetland preservation to farm safety-net programs. Arguments were heard Monday in Cedar Rapids. At the federal level, organizations and individuals will have opportunities this month to voice their support for wetlands. The EPA has offered a general 30-day public comment period and a series of listening sessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schedules for states, tribes, industry and agricultural stakeholders and environmental and conservation stakeholders have been set from April 29 to May 1, but a listening session for the general public has not been announced. The odds of convincing the Trump administration to broaden its protection appear daunting. In the Sackett decision, the court ruled that wetlands are protected by the Clean Water Act only when they have a continuous surface connection to other covered waters. It also held that other waters, like streams, are only protected if they are relatively permanent. The Biden administration liberally interpreted what constituted a connection, but Trumps Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers are taking a strict approach, excluding most of what we think of as a wetland or marsh or protected streams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our analysis confirms that the Supreme Court has gutted the Clean Water Acts ability to protect our wetlands, exposing communities to increased flooding, worsening water pollution, and threatening habitats that sustain wildlife and local economies, said Jon Devine, freshwater ecosystems director at NRDC. In South Dakota, potentially 93 percent of wetland area and 99 percent of individual wetlands are predicted to lack protection, the NRDC analysis said. The National Wildlife Federation, which is the nations largest hunting and fishing conservation organization, is also voicing opposition. This will be the fourth rule attempting to define the Waters of the United States in a decade. We need to stop playing political ping pong with this vital issue, said Jim Murphy, the federations director of legal advocacy. With the likelihood of a skeletal workforce at EPA, this move will put even more pressure and expense on states and localities to ensure our water is safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For South Dakota, which does not have a state wetland program plan or a wetland monitoring plan, a resource so important to the states $1.4 billion annual fishing and hunting economy and quality of life appears as threatened as the species that depend on their life-giving waters. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX For several decades, south Fresno residents were powerless in preventing polluting industries and distribution centers from getting shoved down their throats regardless of the deleterious effects on their health. Recently theyve been fighting back. And in an increasing number of cases, fighting back and winning. The latest example came in March when a state appeals court sided with community groups in their ongoing legal battle with Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration over major expansions of the North Avenue and American Avenue freeway interchanges on Highway 99. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The appellate court granted a petition submitted in November by Friends of Calwa Inc. and Fresno Building Healthy Communities that should without wading too deep into the legal muck finally compel Caltrans to justify its environmental review for the $140 million project. Opinion The same environmental review which, as you may recall, conveniently left out Fresno Countys proposed 2,940-acre industrial park east of 99 that cant proceed without improved freeway access and will unquestionably bring more air pollution and truck traffic to already overburdened neighborhoods. In fact, Caltrans analysis of the interchange expansion claimed there were no communities in the project area that would be impacted. Completely disregarding tens of thousands of south Fresno residents who live within breathing distance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such glaring omissions triggered Friends of Calwa and Fresno BHC in March 2023 to file a lawsuit against Caltrans and FHA in federal district court over the agencies approval of the project that challenged the legality of the environmental review under state and federal laws. Rather than defend its shoddy work, Caltrans restored to legal tactics intended to price out the opposition (i.e. cross-filing the federal suit in state court) and bickered over technicalities. In October, it scored a temporary victory when a Fresno Superior Court judge granted Caltrans motion for summary adjudication to throw out any claims against the California Environmental Quality Act because the community groups filed their arguments too late. Last months California Fifth Appellate Court decision put an end to that nonsense. It ordered the Fresno Superior Court to vacate its October ruling and conduct further hearings to determine whether Caltrans environmental review violated state law. Now, at last, we might get somewhere. Edith Rico, at lectern, project director for Fresno Building Healthy Communities, begins a press conference to push for stopping an interchange expansion project on Highway 99 in south central Fresno, during a rally with residents on Thursday, April 6, 2023 in front of the Friends of Calwa building in Calwa. Review petitions rarely granted Michael Claiborne, directing attorney for Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, one of the legal firms representing Friends of Calwa and Fresno BHC, said writs of mandate that seek review of a lower courts order are rarely granted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My understanding is that more than 90% of petitions like this are denied, Claiborne said. This is extraordinary relief reversing an order by the Superior Court prior to final judgment. This ruling, it must be noted, does not prevent Caltrans from expanding and improving the 99 freeway interchanges at North and American avenues. Nor was that the groups ultimate aim. Friends of Calwa and Fresno BHC simply wanted the projects environmental review to adhere to state and federal law and for a massive industrial park near the freeway whose traffic will utilize those exits to be included in the study. Neither request is unreasonable. Not when the negative public health effects of air pollution, including how noxious gas compounds disperse over wide areas, are well-established science. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The communities of Calwa and Malaga are frustrated and tired of being treated as a dumping ground, said Laura Moreno, executive director of Friends of Calwa. Our neighborhoods deserve transportation projects that dont completely disregard the needs of the people who live here. The appeals court decision is the latest in a string of victories by south Fresno residents and their legal teams against the actions of government agencies and municipalities, and the second involving the inadequacy of environmental reviews. A truck passes through the intersection of Central and Cherry avenues near Orange Center Elementary School in Malaga on Thursday, April 6, 2023. A lawsuit by residents of Calwa and Malaga in south central Fresno alleges that environmental impacts for a $140 million interchange project on Highway 99 will be harmful for residents. String of wins for community groups Last August, the same state appeals court ruled in favor of a group called the South Fresno Community Alliance in a lawsuit that successfully challenged the adequacy of the environmental review process the City of Fresno uses for new construction. Dozens of projects throughout the city were reportedly halted as a result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though not in the legal arena, the string of victories by south Fresno residents and community groups includes the rejection of the Measure C transportation tax extension in the November 2022 election. And going back a few more years, the successful Measure P parks tax. Among the powers-that-be, this recent shift has caused no small amount of consternation. For example, Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi accused law firms like Leadership Counsel of economic terrorism and questioned the motives of some people opposed to the 99 interchange expansion. This is straight up about killing economic development in Fresno that is the goal, Karbassi said during a December 2023 council meeting. Instead of making silly statements, why not create economic development that doesnt ignore state and federal laws and worsen living conditions in marginalized neighborhoods? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is that too much to ask? What Caltrans did was illegal thats what the (appeals) court said, Moreno said. Now were hoping for them to fix it. Caltrans can still make this right. Those dont sound like the words of someone who wants to kill economic development. They sound like someone looking for a solution. Perhaps thats why south Fresno residents are fighting back, and winning. By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - The speaker of South Korea's parliament on Sunday proposed revising the constitution to curb presidential powers, citing public support for such a move after President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted for declaring martial law. "I would like to propose to the people that we should now quickly pursue constitutional revision," Woo Won-shik, the National Assembly speaker, told a press conference. "After going through the unconstitutional and illegal martial law and (then Yoon's) impeachment, the public consensus on the urgency of constitutional revision is greater than ever." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He proposed a national referendum on constitutional reform to coincide with the presidential election that must be held within two months of Yoon's ouster on Friday by the nation's Constitutional Court. The court upheld parliament's impeachment of Yoon for briefly declaring martial law on December 3, sparking South Korea's worst political crisis in decades. "The national confusion has come to an end with the Constitutional Court's ruling, but the potential for destructive conflict surrounding presidential power still exists," said Woo, adding that many South Koreans want to change the "imperial presidency", which he called a source of extreme political conflict. A Gallup Korea opinion survey last month found 54% supporting constitutional revision to fix the presidential system and 30% saying that is unnecessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yoon said on Sunday that although he had stepped down, he would "always stand by" his supporters, who fought for "freedom and defending sovereignty". Acting President Han Duck-soo and the election commission are considering June 3 for the election date, the commission has said. The constitution was last revised in 1987 to introduce direct presidential elections and a single, five-year term. In recent years, presidential candidates from across the political spectrum have supported revisions including giving presidents two four-year terms, but there have been few concrete steps after new leaders were chosen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yoon's ruling People Power Party is studying possible amendments, and its presidential hopefuls have mentioned barring presidents from seeking more than two four-year terms. The leading candidate to replace Yoon, main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, has also spoken of that idea. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by William Mallard) KILLINGTON, VT. (WWLP) A Springfield man was arrested and charged with DUI on Saturday after crashing his vehicle in Vermont. Arrest made after illegal firearm found at Bradley International Airport checkpoint Vermont State Police said that at approximately 7:04 p.m. on Saturday, troopers received a report of a single vehicle crash on Bear Mountain Road in Killington. Police approached the vehicle to speak with the operator, identified as 58-year-old Joseph Giannetti of Springfield, Mass., and observed signs of impairment. Courtesy of Vermont State Police. Police said that when asked to perform roadside Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, Giannetti refused. He was then arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Giannetti was brought to Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks for processing and released on a citation. He is scheduled to appear in Rutland County Superior Court on April 21 to answer for the charge of DUI. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. 80-year-old South Korean actor O Yeong Su became a global sensation in 2021 when he portrayed the mysterious Oh Il Nam also known as Player 001 in Netflixs hit show "Squid Game." Now, he has been sentenced to a year in prison. This week, O Yeong Su was sentenced to one year in prison after being found guilty of indecent assault in an incident in 2017. The conviction comes after allegations that O Yeong Su forcibly hugged and kissed a woman near his home in 2017, according to The Express Tribune. The woman, who was a junior member of his theatre troupe, accused the 80-year-old actor of sexually harassing her on two separate occasions. South Korean actor O Yeong-su attends Netflix's "Squid Game" Los Angeles FYSEE Special Event at Netflix FYSEE at Raleigh Studios on June 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images) VALERIE MACON/Getty Images In the final hearing on the matter, prosecutors argued that the incidents marked an abuse of power by a respected senior actor over a vulnerable colleague. The prosecutors argued that O Yeong Su was a highly influential figure in the theatre community who took advantage of someone with less power and influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the guilty verdict and the prison sentence, O Yeong Su has continued to maintain his innocence. He even maintained his innocence in an emotional address to the court after the sentencing. I am ashamed to be standing in court at this age. If my words or actions were wrong, I will accept the consequences. However, even upon reflection, I do not believe I committed any act that could be considered assault, he said. If my careless words and actions hurt someone in our brief acquaintance, I regret that. My 80 years of life have collapsed in an instant, and I feel empty. I just want to return to my place. Initially, O Yeong Su was given an eight-month prison sentence with two years of probation. However, the latest ruling from the appeal trial has imposed a full one-year prison sentence for the South Korean actor. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) A St. Petersburg woman was arrested after she fled the scene of a crash with her children on Interstate 275 last week, according to an affidavit. On Thursday night, Pinellas Park police attempted a traffic stop on 30-year-old Janai Fowler who was driving in Pinellas Park with a heavily cracked windshield and an illegal tint. Despite officers activating their emergency lights and sirens, Fowler fled at a high rate of speed out of the neighborhood. Woman fatally shoots man trying to get drugs at homeless camp: affidavit Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers used stop sticks on the vehicle to pop the front two tires, but she continued fleeing toward Gandy Boulevard. Eventually, Fowler ended up on I-275 in Pinellas County near 38th Avenue North, where she caused a crash resulting in injuries, the affidavit said. The victim in the other vehicle told officials he saw Fowler exit the drivers door and remove her two children from the back, before fleeing northbound on foot from Pinellas Park officers. VIDEO: 6-year-old found wandering alone with dog, mother charged Officers with the St. Pete Police Department located Fowler who admitted to being involved in the crash and apologized for making a poor decision due to her emotional state. She claimed she was just trying to get her children home safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fowler was arrested on charges of fleeing and eluding a police officer and leaving the scene of a crash involving injury. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court drew $100 million in campaign spending, attack ads and the attention of President Donald Trump and close ally Elon Musk. While its spending set a record for a U.S. judicial contest, the race that ended Tuesday was the apex of a trend building for years as state Supreme Court races across the country have gotten increasingly costly and vitriolic. The partisan tone of the Wisconsin race and the amount of money it drew from outside interest groups raise questions about whether elections are the best way to fill seats for bodies that are supposed to be nonpartisan and ultimately decide the fate of state laws and citizen ballot initiatives. The politicized nature of the contests was illustrated starkly on Friday when a Republican-majority appellate panel in North Carolina sided with a Republican state Supreme Court challenger who is seeking to throw out thousands of ballots from last November's election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These races have become priorities for both major parties because state high courts have been playing pivotal roles in deciding rules around redistricting, abortion and voting rights while also settling disputes over election outcomes. Some states shifted toward electing justices to bring the process out into the sunlight, to disempower powerful political actors from getting themselves or allies on the bench, or to provide some level of public accountability, said Douglas Keith, senior counsel for the Brennan Centers judiciary program. But with these modern judicial elections, these highly politicized races are not really serving any of those goals." Not every state puts its Supreme Court seats up for a statewide vote. Some use appointment processes that allow candidates to avoid public campaigning and the influence of political donors. Keith said a merit-based selection process can result in Supreme Courts that are not as predictable along political lines. Seven states use partisan elections to select their Supreme Court justices while 14, including Wisconsin, use nonpartisan elections. Meanwhile, nine task governors with appointing justices, two use legislative appointments, four have hybrid models and 14 use a merit selection process that often involves nonpartisan nominating commissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kansas is one of the states with an appointment process, a system that has been in place for six decades and has been largely nonpartisan. Bristling at some of the court's rulings in recent years, Republicans in the state now want to change that and move toward a system in which justices have to stand for election. Opponents say Republicans' goal is clear in a GOP-leaning state: remaking the court in a more conservative image. When a vacancy on the seven-member court now occurs, applicants for the seat are screened by a nine-member commission. Five are lawyers elected by other lawyers and four are nonlawyers appointed by the governor. The commission names three finalists and the governor currently a Democrat chooses one. The Republican-supermajority Legislature placed a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution on the ballot for the states August 2026 primary election, rejecting arguments that the current system of filling vacancies on the state Supreme Court is notable for its lack of partisan politics and promotes judicial independence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Backers of the proposal have criticized the states top court for years over rulings protecting abortion rights and forcing higher spending on public schools. They argue that the court is too liberal and is out of step with voters, even though Kansas voters opted to protect abortion rights in 2022, just months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Republicans also say that in making Supreme Court candidates run for election, any politics in the process would be visible instead of a black box. It is an elitist system, and that elitist system was designed by lawyers, Kansas' attorney general, Republican Kris Kobach, said of the current system. It is obviously controlled by lawyers. Critics of the Kansas proposal pointed to Wisconsin and the tens of millions of dollars spent on state Supreme Court races in recent years. They say that's just what Kansas should expect to see if voters approve the change next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the current system, they say a candidates experience and likely judicial temperament are the most important factors, rather than a candidates skills at campaigning, raising money or creating television ads. There is a reason that goes beyond giving the people a voice. Theres a political reason to change the court, Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka, said of Republicans' proposal. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said he wasn't concerned about Wisconsin-style campaigning for high court seats if the amendment passes. He said opponents were trying to take a one-off and make it something its not. In Oklahoma, the Republican-led Legislature for several years has considered legislation seeking to change its current appointment system for appellate court justices to having them run for election. Some Republicans have brought up the issue in Alaska in recent years, though the efforts have not advanced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In North Carolina and Ohio, Republican-dominated legislatures in recent years have added party labels to the ballot in what many legal experts say is an attempt to benefit conservative judicial candidates and construct a court that aligned more with the legislatures policy goals. North Carolina has been caught up in an ongoing legal saga over a close, highly politicized state Supreme Court race. The Republican candidate, Jefferson Griffin, has challenged more than 65,000 ballots cast in last fall's election. On Friday, the Republican majority on a North Carolina appellate panel sided with Griffin, who was 734 votes behind Associate Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat who is likely to appeal. Pennsylvania is bracing for a Wisconsin-style election in the fall. It's another presidential battleground where the state Supreme Court could be called upon to decide election disputes during next year's midterms or the 2028 presidential election. Three Democratic justices are running to retain their seats and face a yes-or- no vote for additional 10-year terms. The recently concluded Wisconsin election offers warning signs of what may come in November in Pennsylvania when Democrats 5-2 majority on the court will be on the line, said Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spending exceeded $22 million in Pennsylvanias 2023 Supreme Court contest. It would be silly not to anticipate that in this current environment in a key state like Pennsylvania," Borick said. "It is going to be intensified. Making term limits longer and eliminating judicial reelections could be a useful reform because a lot of the influence of money comes from the pressure to get reelected, said Michael Kang, a Northwestern School of Law professor and author of Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections. There is no perfect system, Kang said. But there are things that can be done to improve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about the APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Members of Washingtons state-employees union are planning to march on the state Capitol next Wednesday to urge state lawmakers to adopt a budget free from furloughs, cuts and closures. The group is also demanding that the state Legislature refrain from stripping away any of workers legal rights. The April 9 rally comes as state leaders are working to fill a multi-billion-dollar hole in Washingtons operating budget before session ends later this month. Gov. Bob Ferguson and Senate Democrats have included state-worker furloughs in their respective budget proposals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) blasted lawmakers budget plans in an April 1 news release. Democratic lawmakers have floated cutting workers pay, closing facilities and slashing millions of dollars from higher education, the release states. Other ideas include boosting health-care costs and tak(ing) away our legal right to collectively bargain over healthcare benefits. We are dedicated public servants who put the needs of Washingtonians above ourselves, the WFSE news release says. We contribute to the well-being of this great state and we make Washington happen every day. WFSE Local 443 is Washingtons biggest public-sector local union, representing more than 13,000 state employees. Members serve in occupations including attorneys, mechanics, corrections officers, social workers and hundreds more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State employees negotiated labor contracts with the state last year. Now, when the time has come for the state to back its commitments, the Legislature and Governors Office are failing to honor them, the news release says. WFSE President Mike Yestramski told McClatchy that officials statements about the budget show what they care about and, more specifically, what they dont. The purpose of next week is to call on not just state employees not just union members but everyone in the state to come together to make a statement to the legislators and to the governor that we cannot allow this to continue, he said Thursday. The rally will be held at the Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol Campus Wednesday starting at 11 a.m., according to an event schedule posted on ActionNetwork.org. Expected speakers will include Yestramski, WFSE Vice President Ashley Fueston, Local 889 President Jeanette Obelscz, Local 872 President Diana Ruth Olegre, Local 443 Vice President Milo Nicholas and other union leaders. Rally hosts ask that attendees wear green and be ready to make some noise. Last week in "From the Archives," we looked at the history of street names in Austin. After surveying trends from the distant past, we sampled some of the street names in the 21st-century Mueller neighborhood. These monikers were chosen by a diverse committee of experts on Austin history and culture. Many of their name selections were taken from people who had contributed mightily to the city, but they had never been honored in this particular way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: 'Life begins at 70': After decades in Austin music scene, Daniel Michael David takes lead Last week, I shared brief backgrounds on a few street namesakes, including Barbara Jordan, Zachary Scott, Lorraine "Grandma" Camacho, Isamu Taniguchi and Emma Long. Only one tidbit from the archives surprised me: Why choose Lemuel Scarbrough as a street namesake, when at least four generations of the Scarbrough family managed a big general store that evolved into the signature department store in town? Last week, I promised to return to this subject of street names quickly, and more than once. A lot of local history can be learned in this "new urbanist" neighborhood that rose on land which once hosted Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Lydia Scales, widow of aviator Norman Scales, and Melvin Sikes talk at the unveiling of the banners honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. Norman Scales was the first African American pilot from Austin and one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. The Mueller neighborhood's Scales Street is named for him. Antone Street : Named for club owner Clifford Antone (1949-2006), whose blues venue, founded in the 1970s on East Sixth Street, still thrives, now on East Fifth Street. He created Antone's Records to complement his nightclub and, among various charitable works, he started the Neighbors in Need benefit in response to Hurricane Katrina. Hernandez Street: For decades, Austinites have swayed and danced to the orchestra led by Ignacio Nash Hernandez (1922-1994), a Central Texas native who had been a trumpeter in the U.S. Army. Started in 1949 with all Hispanic musicians, the band has played countless gigs, in recent years helmed by his son Ruben Hernandez. The music has uplifted the community, as well as some political campaigns, along the way. James Wheat Street: After emancipation, Austin became home to more than a dozen "freedom colonies" of independent, land-owning African Americans. Among them, "Wheatville" was founded by James Wheat in 1867 in what is now the West Campus area. He lived at 2409 San Gabriel St. In this community of 300, charismatic Rev. Jacob Fontaine established the area's first Black newspaper, the Austin Gold Dollar. Kocurek Street: A shelf of books could not do justice to the good works of visionary civic leader Dr. Neal Kocurek (1936-2004), namesake for the city's convention center. Kocurek promoted urban planning, public health and educational programs. He led the efforts to turn what was St. David's Hospital into the hybrid for-profit-nonprofit that continues to pour tens of millions of dollars each year into charitable causes in the health sector. McBee Street: Named after Frank McBee (1920-2000), a tech captain and philanthropist, this honor rightly should be shared by his wife, American-Statesman columnist and preservationist Sue McBee (1923-2011). A UT engineering graduate, Frank helped found Tracor, the city's first homegrown tech home run, and nurtured dozens of companies created by his employees. A foundation named for the McBees recently endowed the renewed efforts of Preservation Austin. Mendez Street: I never knew the story about the namesake for Mendez Middle School. According to "Street Legends," Consuelo Herrera Mendez (1904-1985) was one of Austin's first Hispanic teachers of the modern era and a longtime advocate of Mexican American rights: "Before teaching at Zavala Elementary School, Mendez taught at the Comal School, a segregated four-room house school for first and second grade Hispanic children." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Philomena Street : Now this is a past leader whom everyone should have met: Sister Philomena Feltz (1910-1999). A fearless figure from Missouri and director of food services at Seton Infirmary, she operated a soup kitchen from the hospital for anyone who was hungry. She held a 60-year record of service with the Daughters of Charity in Austin. Scales Street : Norman Scales (1918-1981) grew up in Austin and was the first African American pilot from Austin. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Military Single Engine Fighter Pilots of Tuskegee, Alabama. He flew more than 70 missions and was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross at Bergstrom Air Force Base. Simond Avenue: A columnist for the Statesman, Ada Simond (1903-1989) navigated a career in teaching, history and public health, and then became an author of children's books that chronicled the life of a fictional African American family living in East Austin in the first half of the 20th century. Didn't learn about your Mueller street in either column? Wait. You shall. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Mueller district streets bears names of historic Austin figures Welcome to the Sunday edition of our Under the Dome newsletter, which focuses on the governor. Im Avi Bajpai, filling in for Dawn Vaughan this week. The budget proposal Gov. Josh Stein unveiled last month renews his request, now for the third year in a row, for a special unit of state prosecutors and law enforcement agents focused on combating fentanyl trafficking. Stein first called on the General Assembly to create a fentanyl control unit within the N.C. Department of Justice in February 2023. As head of the department in his role as attorney general at the time, Stein said there was a need for additional prosecutors dedicated to helping local district attorneys go after large-scale trafficking, wiretap, and overdose cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His first recommended budget as governor this year includes a funding request for a fentanyl control unit with attorney positions at the DOJ, and law enforcement positions at the State Bureau of Investigation. Asked about the proposal this week, Stein told reporters that even though initial data appeared to show a downturn in overdose deaths in North Carolina last year, it remains a priority for the state to dedicate resources to getting this poison out of our communities to the fullest extent possible. There were 4,442 overdose deaths in the state in 2023, or about 12 deaths per day, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Data for last year isnt final, DHHS advises, but overdose deaths are estimated to have dropped to 3,025 in 2024, or about eight deaths per day. Gov. Josh Stein enters the House chamber before delivering his State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in the Legislative Building. WHAT WOULD THE FENTANYL CONTROL UNIT ENTAIL? The first part of the unit is the drug agents and investigators. Steins budget proposal asks for nearly $2 million over two years to pay for seven additional law enforcement positions at the SBI. This item also asks for $360,000 in one-time money in the first year. Together, the money would fund four drug agents and three financial crimes investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steins proposal says the additional drug agents would help manage the states wiretapping program and the agencys Clandestine Laboratory Response Program that targets illegal methamphetamine and other drug labs. The financial crimes investigators would meanwhile target drug traffickers and their assets and revenue for criminal cases. In the last two years alone, Steins proposal notes, the SBIs drug unit has seized more than 139 kilograms of fentanyl, 62,000 fentanyl tablets and 3,100 bricks of heroin. The second part of Steins request for the control unit is for just over $1 million over two years to fund three attorneys within the Special Prosecution Unit at the DOJ. The special prosecutors would work with local district attorneys to pursue fentanyl traffickers and sellers and support regional task forces, the request states. These cases are very time consuming, very complicated, Stein said while speaking with reporters after Tuesdays Council of State meeting. They cross jurisdictions, they require wiretaps that you go up and up the chain, so thats why we want a unit that is exclusively focused to fighting this hateful, deadly crime and drug. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked if he believes the funding request will make it into the budget GOP lawmakers put together, Stein said he knows the General Assembly recognizes the problem of fentanyl. I worked with them when I was attorney general on a number of bipartisan measures to tackle fentanyl, to tackle the opioid crisis, so Im optimistic that we can find common ground in fighting fentanyl, Stein said. House Speaker Destin Hall, left, and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, talk before Gov. Josh Stein delivered his State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in the House chamber of the Legislative Building. IS THERE SUPPORT AMONG LAWMAKERS, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS? The fentanyl control unit was one of the few specific proposals Stein highlighted in his State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly last month, before he released his full budget recommendation. It was also one of the notable moments in his speech that drew bipartisan applause, and got everyone in the House chamber to rise to their feet in support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The News & Observer asked both Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall what they made of Steins proposal and whether they were open to appropriating money for it. Berger said he would like to look at the proposal, and said senators who take the lead on putting together the Justice and Public Safety sections of the budget would have to determine if and how Steins request would fit in the Senates spending plan. Hall, meanwhile, said he would want to know the opinions of district attorneys about the proposal, and see if local prosecutors are lacking the resources they need to combat fentanyl trafficking. The head of the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys told The N&O that the group only became aware of Steins proposal when his budget recommendation was released in mid-March, and said it was still in the process of evaluating its specifics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kimberly Spahos, the groups executive director, said in an email that the devastating impact of fentanyl and opioid-related overdoses is undeniable, and we fully support efforts to hold traffickers accountable and protect our communities from this crisis. Spahos added, While additional resources to fight the fentanyl epidemic are welcomed, it is critical that they be allocated in a manner that aligns with the constitutional and statutory structure of our criminal justice system. Todays newsletter was by Avi Bajpai. Check your inbox Monday for our weekly edition focusing on the impact of the Trump administration on North Carolina. Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The sun returned to KELOLAND today with highs ranging from the 40s to the 50s. Most of the active weather has been to our southeast with a moderate risk for severe weather in Tennessee and Mississippi. For us, we will stay dry and quiet going into tonight as a high pressure system hangs around to the west. Temperatures are going to cool into the 20s, with the northwest wind calming down and turning to the southwest. A few clouds will move into western South Dakota, but the rest of KELOLAND will have mostly clear skies. It will be a pleasant start to our week as highs get into the 50s and 60s for tomorrow. Winds are going to stay light for most, but breezier conditions are expected in western South Dakota as a cold front arrives. Temperatures will cool down for Monday, but it wont last for long. Going into the middle of the week, we will continue to watch the chance for light rain showers in KELOLAND. Otherwise, we will stay dry and warm up as a ridge builds in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It looks to be pleasant going into next weekend as highs become more spring-like in the 60s and 70s. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Putnam For the past three years, improvement in math among Putnam Elementary Schools most disadvantaged students has ranked among the bottom 10% of schools in the state. More than 66% of Putnam Elementary School students are considered high needs a state classification that encompasses students with disabilities, as well as those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch or are English-language learners. Last year, the average math improvement rate for Connecticut fourth-graders on state standardized tests was 37% for high-needs students and 54% for non-high-needs students. For Putnam, the respective math improvement rates were 17% and 25%, according to data from the state Department of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the district works to secure state funding and channel more resources into math, Superintendent Steven Rioux said the Putnam Elementary School is taking another approach to improve student performance a community-based strategy that works by shifting the publics attitudes around math. Part of this is helping change the mindset about mathematics, not just with students but with adults, Rioux said. People normally wouldn't brag if they say they can't read, but some people who are not good at math have no problem saying, Oh, I struggle with math that's a mind-shift change. We need to make numeracy and understanding how to reason mathematically just as important. What Rioux described is a cultural issue that is larger than any one school or district. Just 41% of Connecticut residents between the ages of 16 and 74 were considered proficient at working with mathematical information and ideas, according to 2017 estimates from the Survey of Adult Skills. The study, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics found that numeracy rates were even lower in New London and Windham counties, where 40% and 36% of adults reached proficiency thresholds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the survey, individuals who do not meet proficiency standards can range from those who cannot perform basic arithmetic operations, including multiplication and division, with whole numbers" to those who can "perform calculations involving fractions, decimals, time, measurements, and less common percentages." Among other tasks in the assessment, they may have difficulty recognizing and using patterns. They cannot "reflect on and use mathematical reasoning when reviewing and evaluating the validity of conclusions drawn from data" or perform "mathematical processes that require the application of two or more steps and where multiple conditions need to be satisfied. While the 2017 survey offers the most recent look at state-and-county-level performance, national data suggests that adult numeracy is on the decline. In December, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that the average numeracy score for U.S. adults had reached its lowest point in over a decade falling more than 3% from the first survey in 2012 to the latest one in 2023. Over the same period, the share of adults falling into the lowest-performing category of the survey had grown from 28% to 34%. U.S. adults also lag behind their global peers. The study found that average numeracy scores were 5% lower in the U.S. than the international average. Of 31 countries surveyed, 23 outperformed the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While many frame the consequences of the nations lagging proficiency with a global lens, Megan Staples, an associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Connecticut, said it is important to consider the domestic implications. Although we often think about this in terms of STEM opportunities and international races and comparisons and staying on top, there's this whole piece of it that is also just about the power of the individual to navigate your everyday life, especially in a world that's becoming increasingly quantitative and algorithmic by design, Staples said. Staples explained that one of the challenges is getting our culture to think about math as something that happens outside of the classroom. From planning for retirement, to managing health care, to voting for public policy, Staples said Americans need mathematical savvy to inform their decisions using concepts like the time value of money, probability, risk and cost-benefit analyses. But she said the list of real-world applications is even more vast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of it is understanding how much numbers and algorithms are shaping our world and supporting our world, Staples said. We don't have a broad enough understanding of mathematics and mathematical reasoning (for) people (to) really see its importance in every single aspect of our lives. Calculations are the least of our worries now, Staples added. You need to have number sense, you need to have quantitative sense and reasoning. We're in this vast river of change right now and it's not slowing down. Staples said building these numeracy skills at a young age is critical. There are very strong correlations between elementary confidence in math and then later achievement in high school, Staples said. If you want to look at literacy as a predictor of success, there's also very strong correlations with numeracy and mathematics as a predictor of success as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Staples said there is consensus in the math world that the education systems adoption of Common Core math standards has helped shift the focus toward conceptual pieces of numeracy. Since 2010, curriculums have emphasized problem-solving, abstract and quantitative reasoning, and modeling with mathematics. However, this realignment has created a generational gap in the way math is taught and learned. Keely Macalister, the math interventionist for Putnam Elementary School, believes that the cultural prevalence of I'm bad at math attitudes stems from traditional methods of teaching math. For decades, students picked up math through rote learning, Macalister explained. Todays adults likely memorized their multiplication tables, the carry the one rule for addition, and the steps for other mathematical algorithms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Macalister said the problem with this method is that students don't really understand what they're doing once the math gets more complicated. That learning kind of falls apart when the concepts get trickier, she explained. When you're talking about fluency, the goal is not to have everything memorized. The goal is to be fluid and flexible with your ability to use numbers, Macalister said. For example, if a student is being asked to add eight plus five, we would've memorized that. (Students today) are thinking, Huh, well a five is a three and a two, so I'm going to add the two to the eight and make it a 10 because I know 10 plus three is 13. The goal is for students to really have a good solid understanding and number sense so that they can apply it later on, Macalister said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putnam Elementary School Principal Kaye Jakan said that a lot of the learning in classrooms today is centered around open-ended math tasks that require students to explain their reasoning and demonstrate what is going on behind the scenes in their brains. Although schools have been teaching math this way for more than a decade, for parents, it is a new concept. It's more complex, Jakan said. For parents to be home and they just see the problem on the (homework) page, they're probably like, Well why don't you just do the math? But it's a little more complex than that now because we want them to get that conceptual understanding and not just the basics of what we've done in the past. Assistant Principal Meaghan Wakely said it can be challenging for parents to know how to help when their child comes home with a math problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For parents, it is hard because they learned it one way and they see it a different way, Wakely said. In an effort to bridge those gaps, Jakan and Wakely said Putnam Elementary School has worked to offer resources and programming that welcomes families into the school to help them understand how and why students are learning math the way they are. They described the effort as part of a broader initiative to integrate math practice into families day-to-day lives by placing numeracy on equal footing with literacy. Everyone talks about reading to your baby, Wakely said. No one really talks about how to do math with your baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the policy level, Jakan said, districts haven't seen that same push for math that has been apparent for literacy. We need everybody to have that same message, similar to the right to read, the right to math, Jakan said. Jakan said that part of the challenge is resources. Putnam Elementary School has two literacy specialists, but because of budget cuts, the school went from two math specialists in 2022 down to one. We've put a lot into literacy, and we have to start to shift the focus to be more math-based, Jakan said. It's kind of all hands on deck when it comes to these things. Everybody's doing this. Not just classroom teachers, but the whole school, the families, it's everybody. We try to work on it together as a team. If the family believes that they're not good mathematicians that message goes right down to the child, Jakan said. Jakan and Wakely stressed that students have to see themselves as mathematicians. In order to build positive math identities for their children, families need to cultivate the right attitudes. When we were kids, our math teachers told us, You need to know this because you're never going to walk around with a calculator in your pocket. Clearly, that has changed, Wakely said. In this world, kids have all the information they need at their fingertips and adults have all the information they need at their fingertips. So it's not about having the information, it's about how do you know what to do with it. How do you know how to think critically through it? How do you know how to solve problems with it? a.cross@theday.com The worst of the rainfall in Greater Cincinnati is over as of Sunday morning. But Ohio River flooding is about to get worse. Sunday morning, the National Weather Service issued a flood statement saying the flood warning continues for the Ohio River at Cincinnati until further notice. The Ohio River has reached moderate flooding levels for the first time since 2021, according to the National Water Prediction Service. As of Sunday morning, the river had risen to 56.55 feet at 5 a.m. Moderate flooding occurs at 56 feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this level, the National Weather Service says to expect significant flooding of the California area. Backwater flooding along the Little Miami River affects basements and some first-level flooding of businesses and homes, with low-lying areas from California to Newtown also experiencing this flooding. The East End experiences flooding of some streets, basements of homes and businesses, as well as low-lying areas near New Richmond in Clermont County. At this stage, State Route 8 in Kentucky floods in low areas, as well as State Route 56 in Indiana and Route 52 in Ohio. The Ohio River at Cincinnati reached flood stage, which is 52 feet, Saturday afternoon and continued to rise. [4:55 AM] Although the heavy rain has ended, additional light rain is expected through the day today. Some river flooding will linger well into the start of the workweek, with road closures due to high water possible for several days. Remember -- turn around, don't drown! pic.twitter.com/4hEuzq5Mu5 NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) April 6, 2025 Ohio River Crest expected Monday The river is expected to crest at 60 feet on Monday. At this flood stage, expect significant flooding in East End, California, and New Richmond in Ohio, with backwater floods in Silver Grove, KY, and riverfront buildings in Aurora, Indiana. At 60 feet, the weather service says stretches of U.S. 52 are flooded, with numerous additional low-lying roads near the river flooded. Backwater flooding along the Little Miami, Great Miami and Licking Rivers also result in road closures. Some main levels of homes may flood in the East End sections of Cincinnati. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crews installed flood gates in downtown Cincinnati Saturday afternoon for the second time ever to prepare for the Ohio River flooding. The 15 gates will, hopefully, keep the Ohio River off of Fort Washington Way, which carries Interstate 71 and U.S. 50. The last and only time the gates were used was in 2018, when the Ohio River rose to 60.53 feet. The Ohio River at Cincinnati is under a flood warning until further notice, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. A flood warning means flooding is imminent or occurring. Little Miami River at Milford is also under a flood warning from Sunday morning to Sunday afternoon. The Great Miami River at Miamitown is under a flood warning until Wednesday morning. Detailed 7-day forecast for Cincinnati Sunday: Showers, mainly before 11 a.m. The temperature falls to around 37 by 2 p.m. with northeast winds 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers before 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 31 and northeast winds 6 to 10 mph. The chance of precipitation is 20%. Monday: A chance of showers after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55 and northwest winds 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Monday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers before 8 p.m., then a slight chance of snow showers between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 24 and northwest winds 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 43. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Wednesday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. The chance of precipitation is 70%. Thursday: Showers with a high near 59. The chance of precipitation is 80%. Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. The chance of precipitation is 40%. Friday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. The chance of precipitation is 30%. Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio River reaches moderate flooding levels for first time in 4 years SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Happy Sunday, Utah! A freeze warning is in effect for parts of SE Utah through 9 a.m. Sunday morning. Our Sunday will feature even nicer weather conditions as the overall pattern brings drier and warmer conditions. Highs will warm into the low 60s across the Wasatch Front Sunday, with highs in the mid-70s for SW Utah. The warmer weather will stick around into our Monday with highs in the upper 60s to around 70 across the Wasatch Front, with highs in the lower 80s for SW Utah! A weak front will graze northern Utah on Tuesday bringing a few more clouds, breezy conditions, and a slight chance for an isolated shower or two, north of I-80. Highs will cool back down into the 60s for northern Utah, while no effects will occur with this system across southern Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ogden City purchases historic downtown building for $3.6M Heres what it plans to do with it Later next week, a high pressure ridge will nose in from the west. This will not only bring an even drier weather pattern to the forecast, but it also will bring the return of even warmer temperatures. Highs by the middle to latter half of next week will climb to about 10-15 above average. This will mean highs in the upper 70s to near 80 across the Wasatch Front, and highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s for SW Utah. Stay tuned! Well keep you posted on the latest information in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gathered in Sao Paulo on Sunday to back him just weeks after the Supreme Court decided he would face trial for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government after a 2022 election defeat. Bolsonaro himself called on supporters to take part in the event on Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue following a similar demonstration on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach last month, when turnout fell short of what organizers had hoped for. The demonstration comes as a panel of Brazil's Supreme Court last month voted to put the former far-right leader on trial for his actions after the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If found guilty in the court proceedings expected later this year, Bolsonaro could face a long prison sentence. The former president said that Sunday demonstration's formal agenda is to push for amnesty for people convicted for participating in the January 8, 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasilia. Back then, thousands of his supporters ransacked Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace a week after Lula's inauguration - an action the federal police have tied to an attempted coup. A bill granting rioters pardon has been presented to Congress, and Bolsonaro says it has enough votes to pass the lower house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to facing trial, the former president had already been barred from running for public office until 2030 by Brazil's top electoral court for his efforts to discredit the country's voting system. Local authorities did not immediately provide an attendance figure for Sunday's demonstration. (Reporting by Pedro Fonseca; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Nick Zieminski) President Franklin D. Roosevelt is shown in his car in 1936. He is the only president to have served more than two terms. Apr. 5A distraught Derrick James Jackson told jurors Friday that he killed Stanley Grotberg after the 65-year-old shot dead Jackson's mother in the trio's Bigfork home in October 2022. Prosecutors charged Jackson, 39, with the murders of both Grotberg and 62-year-old Tricia DeMotts after authorities found their bodies inside their Esteban Lane house during an Oct. 28, 2022 welfare check. Jackson, who was found that same day with the loaded .40-caliber Smith and Wesson used in the killings and a spare magazine, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including two counts of deliberate homicide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His April 4 testimony came on the fifth day of his jury trial in Flathead County District Court and shortly after the prosecution rested its case. While Deputy County Attorneys Amy Kenison and Katie Handley had linked Jackson to the murder weapon, and demonstrated he had both gunshot residue and DNA likely matching Grotberg on his clothing at the time of his arrest, they stopped short of reconstructing what happened inside the Esteban Lane home on the day of the killings. Jackson, one of two witnesses called by defense attorneys Thomas Schoenleben and Levi Roadman, testified that the day unraveled when an angry Grotberg began screaming at DeMotts sometime after returning from Kalispell with groceries. Jackson remembered getting between them and warning Grotberg against berating his mother. "I said it meaner than that, but that's what I said," Jackson recalled. Grotberg grew quiet and then stalked outside of the home and over to a parked Nissan Pathfinder, where he retrieved the black semiautomatic Smith and Wesson from a blue case, Jackson said. Returning to the home, Grotberg threatened DeMotts with the gun in the kitchen, Jackson recalled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That prompted him to launch himself at Grotberg, he said. The two wrestled and Jackson said he came away with the gun. After hitting Grotberg with it, likely leading to the blood investigators later found in the kitchen, Jackson said he pulled the magazine out and tossed the weapon to the floor. Grotberg, he said, later picked up the unloaded weapon and headed for a bedroom in the home where he was joined by DeMotts. That's when Jackson said he heard a gunshot. It was followed by the sound of someone gasping, he said, his reddened face contorting under questioning from Roadman. Investigating, he said he found his mother shot and half off the bed. Bursting into sobs, Jackson recalled pulling her onto his lap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What happened next?" Roadman asked him. "[Grotberg] came over to the side of the bed and he pulled her off the bed," Jackson said. "He grabbed hold of my mom and pulled her off the bed and he shot her." Jackson said he tried and failed to stop Grotberg from pulling the trigger. The two began fighting over the weapon a second time and Jackson again came away with it, he said. "I'm just asking what he was doing, and he says, '[expletive] you,' and he comes running at me and I shot him," Jackson said. PROSECUTORS HOMED in on Jackson's actions following the killings during their cross-examination, noting that he had access to both a phone in the home and at least two mobile phones. Handley asked him whether he could have called 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Yeah," Jackson replied. Then she turned to the various law enforcement personnel Jackson interacted with prior to the discovery of the bodies. Aaron Westphal, a corporal with the Sheriff's Office in 2022, testified earlier in the week that he confronted Jackson that evening after Esteban Lane residents reported him acting erratically in the neighborhood. After finding a magazine and a bottle of Grotberg's prescription medication on Jackson the gun was found discarded in nearby tall grass Westphal said he thought he was dealing with a trespassing or petty theft case. Taken to the Flathead County Detention Center, Jackson fielded more questions from Westphal and met jail personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At no point in time did you tell any of these people that your mother is dead?" Handley asked him. "No, I don't think so," he said. "Did you tell any of them that [Grotberg] had killed your mother?" she asked. "No." "Did you tell any of them that you had killed [Grotberg]?" "No," Jackson replied. Jackson later said that he assumed Westphal had picked him up in connection with the killings. He also testified, when asked why he left the home with the loaded gun, that his memory of the aftermath of the shootings was hazy. That prompted Handley to play again portions of the recording taken from Westphal's body camera. Westphal, she noted, had asked about Grotberg's whereabouts. He asked if Grotberg was OK, Handley reminded Jackson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "And you said, 'He should be,'" she said. Jackson agreed. But Jackson knew that Grotberg was dead, Handley pointed out. "Yeah," Jackson acknowledged. JACKSON'S ATTORNEYS rested their case following his testimony early Friday afternoon. The only other witness called by Schoenleben and Roadman was Jackson's father, John Jackson. He testified that Jackson had been in a car wreck earlier in 2022 that left him injured and bedridden. Even after regaining the strength to walk again, he needed help to do so, John Jackson said. He also testified that DeMotts had previously accused Grotberg of abuse. John Jackson said she had shown him bruising she alleged came from Grotberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But under cross-examination from Kenison, John Jackson said Grotberg wasn't the only person DeMotts had accused of abuse. She reminded him of a conversation they had had about the abuse allegations in her office prior to the trial. "And what did you tell me?" Kenison asked him. "I would take it with a grain of salt ...," John Jackson said. "When we were together, she would say stuff that I did that I knew wasn't true." Judge Amy Eddy, who is presiding over the trial, scheduled closing arguments for Monday morning. Jury deliberations are expected to follow. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa will make his first visit to the United Arab Emirates and is also scheduled to visit Turkey next week, the Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as he continues to garner support for the new administration. Sharaa, who previously visited Turkey in February, will make the UAE his second Gulf destination after traveling to Saudi Arabia that same month on his first foreign trip since assuming the presidency in January. He and other members of the new Syrian leadership have been working to strengthen ties with both Arab and Western leaders following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive in December, led by Sharaa's Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sharaa and his officials have also called for a full lifting of sanctions on Syria. Syria is in desperate need of sanctions relief to kick start an economy collapsed by nearly 14 years of war, during which the United States, the U.K. and Europe placed tough sanctions on people, businesses and whole sectors of Syria's economy in a bid to squeeze now-ousted leader Assad. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Writing by Hatem Maher and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Nick Zieminski) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. It was a busy 12th week of the 95th Arkansas General Assembly, after returning from an off-week for spring break. Talk Business & Politics host Roby Brock met with State Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), architect of many bills this session, sat down to talk about prison funding and the current state of the economy. Roby then talks with World Trade Center for Arkansas CEO Denise Thomas, who is on her way to a conference in France. She discusses what topics are up for discussion and how President Trumps new tariffs could have an impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talk Business & Politics airs Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on FOX 16. For more coverage, head to TalkBusiness.net. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com. Holy Week and Easter are perhaps the most important days in the Christian calendar. Many associate those celebrations with church services, processions, candles, incense, fasting and penances. However, there is another tradition that many Christians follow that of tattooing. Historically, Easter was an important time for tattoos among some Christian groups. Today, Christian tattooing happens in many parts of the world and all year around. Some Christians visiting Jerusalem around Easter will get a tattoo of a cross, or a lamb, usually on their forearms. As a sociologist of religion and a Jesuit Catholic priest, I have long studied tattoos as religious practices. I have interviewed tattoo artists in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Loreto in Italy who have been continuing and recreating the tradition of Christian tattooing. Evidence is clear the practice started shortly after Jesus crucifixion and spread across Europe in later centuries. The first Christian tattoos The Romans, like the Greeks, tattooed slaves and prisoners, usually with letters or words on their foreheads that indicated their crime. Soon after Jesus death, around the year 30 C.E., they started enslaving and tattooing Christians with the marks AM meaning ad metalla, or condemned to work in the mines, a punishment that often resulted in death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost at the same time, Christians who were not enslaved got tattoos of the early Christian signs such as fish or lambs in solidarity and to show that they identified with Jesus. There were no specific words in Latin or Greek for tattooing, so the words stizo, signum and stigma were used. The word stigma also referred to the marks of nails on Jesus hands and foot, as a result of his crucifixion. Christians often got their own stigmas: a sign usually a cross in Jerusalem to honor Christs martyrdom. The beginning of a tradition There are several documented accounts of the tradition. One from the third century mentions Christians in present-day Egypt and Syria getting tattoos of fish and crosses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another tells about the commentary that Procopius of Gaza, a theologian who lived between 475 and 538 C.E., wrote on the Book of Isaiah after he found that many Christians living in the Holy Land had a cross tattooed on their wrists. Still others will write on their hand, The Lords, and will take the name Israel, he noted. When a plague hit the Scythians, nomadic people living around the Black Sea, in 600 C.E., tattoos were believed to provide protection from the deadly disease. Theophylact Simocatta, one of the last historians of late antiquity, mentioned that missionaries among them recommended that the foreheads of the young be tattooed with this very sign meaning that of a cross. Many testimonies mentioned Crusaders and pilgrims returning from the Holy Land with a tattoo during the Middle Ages a tradition that continued in early modern times, between the 16th and 18th centuries. Christian tattoos in Great Britain Other cultures used tattoos in different ways. When Romans came in contact with the Celts tribes that inhabited the British Isles in 400 C.E., they called them Picts because they were covered in body art. The word Picts is derived from the name given to them by the Romans because of their painted bodies. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Pope Gregory the Great sent envoys to convert the Celts to Christianity, followed by a visit from another Vatican delegation. While missionaries were against pagan tattooing, both delegations agreed that tattoos done for the Christian god were fine. The members of the second delegation in the late 700s even said, If anyone were to undergo this injury of staining for the sake of God, he would receive a great reward for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similar was the conclusion of the Northumbria Council, a church gathering in Northern England in 787: Tattoos done for the right god were acceptable. At that time, the Anglo-Saxon elite also had tattoos; the bishop of York, Saint Wilfrid, for example, got a tattoo of a cross. Tattoos in Italy Around the 1300s, as the Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land were losing control with the coming of the Ottomans, there appeared in Italy shrines called Sacri Monti. These shrines were placed on holy mountains where devotees could pilgrimage safely, instead of risking their lives going to Jerusalem, which by then was under the control of the Ottomans. These shrines were established in cities such as Naples, Varallo and Loreto. Pilgrims could get tattoos in some of these shrines. One place was Loretos sanctuary, established in the early 1300s. A relic from the Holy House, which, according to the Christian tradition, is the house where the Virgin Mary is believed to have received the news that she will bear Gods son, was brought to Loretos sanctuary. Tattooing in Loretos sanctuary was a communal activity, done by carpenters, shoemakers and artisans, who brought their stalls and tools to the main square during the days of celebrations and tattooed whoever wanted to get a mark of their devotion. These tattoos typically used wood planks for transferring the design on the body, like a stamp. However, the city of Loreto banned tattooing for hygienic reasons in 1871, according to Caterina Pigorini Beri, an anthropologist, who was one of the first to document the practice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But people kept getting them. A shoemaker, Leonardo Conditti, was among those who kept doing tattoos in hiding during the 1940s. Present but unseen From the 1200s to the 1700s, the custom of Christian tattooing was prevalent in Europe among peasants, seafarers, soldiers and artisans as much as among nuns and monks. They were getting crosses, images of the Virgin Mary, the name of Jesus, and some sentences from the Bible. Following the Renaissance, however, European culture came to associate tattoos with those considered uncivilized, such as peoples in the colonies, criminals and poorer Catholics. Many European intellectuals viewed Catholicism as a superstition more than a real religion. The word tattoo came to the Western languages after the French admiral and explorer Louis de Bougainville and British explorer James Cook returned from their trips to the South Pacific at the end of the 1700s. There, they saw local people getting marks on their bodies and using the word tatau to name those drawings. However, it does not mean that tattoos came back at that time. They had never left. The practice today These days, some churches in the Middle East, such as some Coptic Christian churches in Egypt, incorporate the practice of getting a tattoo into the baptismal rituals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, Holy Land tattooing has never stopped. Wassim Razzouk, whom I interviewed in 2022, is a 27th-generation tattooist his family has been marking pilgrims in Jerusalem since 1300. Razzouk claims to have some of the 500-year-old wood planks his family used for tattooing. Another tattoo artist whom I interviewed, Walid Ayash, does pilgrimage tattoos for those who visit the Nativity church in Bethlehem a beloved custom among Arab Christians. He said that tattooing happens all year around, as long as there are pilgrims visiting the Nativity church. Although this year, as a result of the war in Gaza, Israeli authorities have restricted access to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In Italy, artist Jonatal Carducci is working on recovering the tradition of religious tattooing in Loreto. In a 2023 interview with me, he explained how he has painstakingly replicated the designs of the wood planks, which are both in the Museum of the Holy House and the Folkloric Museum of Rome. In 2019, he opened a parlor where Leonardo Conditti used to work. Visitors to the parlor can choose among more than 60 designs for their tattoos, including the Virgin Mary of Loreto, crosses and representations of Jesus heart. This Easter, as some Christians get tattoos, this history might serve as a reminder of tattooing as a legitimate Christian practice, one that has been in use since the beginnings of the Common Era. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Gustavo Morello, Boston College Read more: Gustavo Morello does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) At about 8:07 a.m. Saturday, inmate Demetrius Cole told staff at Tehachapis California Correctional Institution he felt distressed. When officers entered his cell they learned why Coles cellmate, Parrish Duren, was motionless and had visible injuries, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Duren, 38, was rushed to the prisons triage area, where life-saving efforts failed to revive him, the release said. He was pronounced dead at 8:55 a.m. His cause of death will be released by the coroners office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kern County jury acquits man of 2 charges, hangs on 3rd in alleged assault outside Spirit Halloween store Duren was received from San Bernardino County on March 19, 2014, and was serving a 16-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Cole, 37, has been placed in restricted housing pending the results of an investigation by the prison and Kern County District Attorneys Office. Hes serving a 31-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder and first-degree burglary and was received from Los Angeles County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News. Ten missiles were launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Sunday, the Israeli military says. Most of the projectiles were intercepted, a spokesman for the military said. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian extremist group Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the heaviest rocket fire from Gaza in months. One man was slightly injured by shrapnel in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, according to the Israeli rescue service. The military spokesman said a road and several parked vehicles were also damaged in the city, located on the Israeli coast north of the Gaza Strip. WASHINGTON (AP) A tentative deal has been reached with the Florida Republican leading a bipartisan push to allow proxy voting in the U.S. House for new parents, potentially ending a standoff that halted legislative work for days and threatened to delay a vote this week to advance President Donald Trump's agenda. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who has been leading the bipartisan push on proxy voting, reached the deal, Luna said in a social media post on Sunday. Rather than allow proxy voting, Luna said the agreement would formalize a pairing system long used in Congress where one member who is physically present in the House cancels out the vote of someone who is absent. Luna said the voting option would be open to all Republicans who are unable to vote, including new parents, the bereaved and lawmakers facing various medical and family emergencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we truly want a pro-family Congress, these are the changes that need to happen, Luna said. No further details were immediately available. It was also unclear if the deal would be agreed to by the other lawmakers who had signed on to the proxy voting proposal. The agreement with Luna could end days of back-and-forth over allowing new parents in Congress to vote by proxy for 12 weeks as they care for their newborns. Johnson has vigorously opposed the effort, calling it an affront to the Constitution that would open Pandoras box." But some Republicans refused to go along with Johnson's bid to kill the resolution, with nine of them defying him in a vote last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By reaching a deal, Republican leaders will likely be able to move ahead this week on key legislative priorities most critically a revised version of the budget framework that opens the door to Trumps push for trillions of dollars in tax breaks. The Senate approved that budget framework early Saturday morning after grinding through a late-night session. Trump had said he was in favor of allowing proxy voting for new parents after speaking with Luna, though he said he would defer to Johnson how the House should operate. I dont know why its controversial, Trump said. Luna, who gave birth during her first term in Congress, had championed the proxy voting resolution alongside Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, who has a 4-month-old son. The effort drew significant bipartisan support, with 218 lawmakers the majority of the House, many young parents themselves signing onto a petition that could trigger a floor vote. The resolution would allow proxy voting for lawmakers who have given birth or pregnant lawmakers who are unable to travel safely or have a serious medical condition. It would also apply to lawmakers whose spouses are pregnant or giving birth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pettersen, who has carried her son onto the floor during recent House votes, said the institution needs to change with the times. About a dozen women have given birth while in Congress over the years, and there are many new fathers as well. It is unfathomable that in 2025 we have not modernized Congress, she said. But Johnson, like GOP leaders before him, loathes proxy voting, which had been put in place for about two years during the COVID-19 lockdowns when Democrats had control of the House. It was quickly abused. Republicans put an end to it then, and we cannot allow it again, Johnson said in a social media post. EDITORIAL: The left may dictate what we call each other LOS FRESNOS, Texas (AP) Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel's bakery in the Texas community of Los Fresnos is a daily stop for many residents to share gossip over coffee and pick up cakes and pastries for birthdays, office parties or themselves. When Homeland Security Investigations agents showed up at Abbys Bakery in February and arrested the owners and eight employees, residents of Los Fresnos were shocked. But the bakery's owners, Baez and Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who are legal U.S. permanent residents, could lose everything after being accused of concealing and harboring immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally. Its a rare case in which business owners face criminal charges rather than just a fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was surprised because I know that theyre not taking advantage of the people, Esteban Rodriguez, 43, said after pulling into the bakerys parking lot to discover it was closed. It was more like helping out people. They didnt have nowhere to go, instead of them being on the streets. The reaction in the town of 8,500 residents may show the limits of support for President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown in a majority Hispanic region dotted with fields of cotton, sugarcane and red grapefruit where Republicans made gains in last year's elections. Cameron County voted for a GOP president for the first time since 2004. For neighboring Starr County, it was the first time since 1896. Los Fresnos, which is 90% Latino and counts the school district as its largest employer, is about a half-hour drive from the U.S.-Mexico border. Hundreds of school bus drivers, painters, retirees and parishioners from the nearby Catholic church come into Abbys Bakery each day. Customers with silver trays and tongs select pastries from glass-door cabinets. The owners had green cards but employees did not Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Six of Abby's eight employees were in the U.S. on visitor visas but none had work permits when Homeland Security Investigations agents came to the business Feb. 12. The owners acknowledged they knew that, according to a federal complaint. Employees lived in a room with six beds and shared two bathrooms in the same building as the bakery, according to an agent's affidavit. Baez, 55, and Avila-Guel, 46, have pleaded not guilty. They referred questions to their attorneys, who noted the workers were not held against their will and there was no attempt to hide their presence, as a smuggler would. As green card holders, the couple could be deported if they are convicted. They have five children who are U.S. citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bakery closed for several days after their arrest, drawing about 20 people to protest on an uncharacteristically chilly evening. Monsignor Pedro Briseno of St. Cecilia Church often visited before early morning Mass for the campechana, a flaky, crunchy pastry dough layered with caramelized sugar. His routine was interrupted when plainclothes immigration agents arrived in unmarked vehicles. A woman came here crying. She said, Father, Father, theyre taking my brother, Briseno said. The priest walked over and saw agents use zip ties to bind employees' hands. Support for deportations has limits Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is overwhelming bipartisan support to deport people who are in the U.S. illegally and have been convicted of a violent crime, with 82% in favor, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in January. Support softens considerably for deportations of all people in the country illegally, with 43% in favor and 37% opposed. Trump and top aides repeatedly emphasize they are deporting criminals. But, as border czar Tom Homan often says, others in the country illegally who are there when officers arrest criminals also will be deported, a departure from the Biden administration's practices. So far, Trump has avoided the large-scale factory and office raids that characterized his first term and that of Republican President George W. Bush. Scattered reports of smaller operations included the recent arrests of 37 people at a roofing business in northern Washington state. ICE says it made 32,809 arrests in Trump's first 50 days in office, or a daily average of 656, which compared with a daily average of 311 during a 12-month period ending Sept. 30. ICE said nearly half (14,111) were convicted criminals and nearly one-third (9,980) had pending criminal charges but did not specify the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People with deep ties in their communities and no criminal records tend to generate more sympathy. The bakery is a Los Fresnos staple Abby's reopened after the owners were released on bond. Chela and Alicia Vega, two sisters in their 60s who retired from the school district and have known the bakery owners for years, were among the customers filling trays with pastries. Chela Vega said the couple once took a week off from work to drive them to San Luis Potosi in Mexico after their sister died. When a hurricane struck, Leonardo Baez cut down their damaged trees without charge. For Terri Sponsler, 61, shopping at Abbys is now a political statement. With everything going on right now in our country, we need to find ways to protest, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark W. Milum, the city manager, said Abbys is an important business that contributes property and sales tax revenue to the $13 million annual municipal budget. Some customers just love the products. Other bakeries, they pop up, right?" said Ruth Zamora, 65. "But when you go there, its not the same." Theodore McCarrick, who has died aged 94, was for decades one of the key players in American Catholicism. His spectacular downfall, amid a welter of accusations of sexual misconduct, which resulted in him being deprived of his Cardinals hat, marked his career out as one that illustrated not just the strengths but also the spectacular weaknesses of American Catholicism. To many, faithful or not, the career of McCarrick was indicative of a Church leadership that had lost its way. Born in New York on July 7 1930, the only child of Theodore McCarrick and his wife, Margaret, nee McLaughlin, Theodore Egan McCarrick Ted, as he was always known had the misfortune to lose his father aged three. His widowed mother became a factory worker in the Bronx. She and her son lived in Washington Heights, and were supported by a large network of relations and friends. McCarrick was an altar boy at his local parish church, and attended his local Catholic school, later going on to Fordham Prep, a Jesuit-run secondary school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On leaving school, thanks to the kindness of a benefactor, whose identity remains a mystery, he studied in Europe for a year and a half before returning to Fordham University, his mind already made up to study for the priesthood. He entered St Josephs Seminary, Yonkers, and was ordained by the flamboyant Cardinal Spellman (famous for his extravagant lifestyle and his friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy) on May 31 1958 in New York. Further studies followed in social sciences, culminating in a PhD in sociology from the Catholic University of America in Washington. McCarrick in 2001 with Pope John Paul II during the General Audience with newly appointed cardinals at the Vatican - Massimo Sambucetti/AP In 1965, while still in his mid-thirties, McCarrick was appointed president of the Catholic University of Puerto Rico. After four years, having made a success of the university, Monsignor McCarrick (as he then was) was recalled by Cardinal Cooke to New York, first to work in the archdioceses education department, then to be his private secretary. Thanks to Cookes patronage, McCarricks promotion was rapid. In 1977 he became an auxiliary bishop in New York. In 1981 he was appointed the first Bishop of Metuchen, a newly established diocese in New Jersey. In 1986 he became Archbishop of Newark and in 2001 he was installed as Archbishop of Washington, and later created a cardinal. He served in Washington for five years before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2006. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his 30 years as a bishop, and long after his retirement, McCarrick was an indispensable figure in American Catholicism. In 1986, and again in 1992, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops elected him to head its Committee on Migration. In 1992, he also was appointed to head the Committee for Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. In 1996 he became chairman of the Committee on International Policy, and in 2001 as chairman of the Domestic Policy Committee. He also served on committees dedicated to administration, doctrine, the laity, Latin America and the missions. McCarrick in Rome in 2002 following a closed-doors meeting regarding the US Church sex-abuse scandal - Andrew Medichini/AP All of this made McCarrick a spokesman for the Church on fashionable matters and their link man with the administration in Washington. When George W Bush arrived in the city as president, he and his wifes first private dinner engagement outside the White House was with McCarrick. McCarrick was also a founding member of the Papal Foundation, and served as its president. This body, composed of bishops and rich laypeople, was designed to raise money for Papal initiatives, and its spectacular success won the Cardinal great respect in Rome, a place traditionally suspicious of Anglo-Saxon clerics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCarrick became a frequent visitor to the Vatican, serving on the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See. Having made human rights advocacy one of his major interests, McCarrick became an indefatigable traveller, visiting China, Cuba, Iran, Vietnam, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Rwanda and Burundi, as well as many countries in Eastern Europe and Central America, often on behalf of the Vatican. In November 1996 he joined the US Secretary of States Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad, and from 1999-2001 he was a member of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom. In December 2000 President Clinton gave him the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights. McCarrick in 2005 with the US president George W Bush, left, and the US Chief Justice John Roberts following a mass at St Matthews Cathedral in Washington - Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Under his guidance, the Archdiocese of Washington undertook a major fundraising campaign, Forward in Faith, between 2003 and 2005. The campaign, whose funds were earmarked to support education, vocations, parish and social services, resulted in $185 million in pledges, or $50 million more than the $135 million goal. Forward in Faith was one of the most successful capital campaigns in US diocesan history. McCarrick, in a Church which constantly talked of the option for the poor, was clearly the man with the Midas touch. Unusually for an American, Cardinal McCarrick spoke five languages, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. He took part in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI as the successor to Pope John Paul II in April 2005. He was too old to take part in the conclave that elected Pope Francis in March 2013, being over 80, but took part in the preparatory meetings, at which he was thought to have exercised considerable influence in favour of the election of Cardinal Bergoglio. Several of the men later promoted by Pope Francis were well known proteges of McCarrick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And yet throughout this glittering ecclesiastical career, it was well-known to many that McCarrick was a predatory homosexual with a penchant for handsome seminarians, in which he took a more than paternal interest. There was widespread gossip about what went on at his beach house, where seminarians would be invited to stay the night, and where there were never enough beds to go round, meaning one would always have to share a bed with McCarrick. But no one was ever prepared to go on record and denounce McCarrick. A concerned group of Catholics had tried to prevent his appointment to Washington, and travelled to Rome to do so, but their concerns were brushed aside on the grounds that there was no proof of misbehaviour. With Pope Francis in 2015: McCarrick was thought to have exercised considerable influence in favour of the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as pontiff - Jonathan Newton/Washington Post/AP It was only in 2018, after McCarrick had long retired, that the floodgates of accusations opened. It was alleged that some five decades previously, while secretary to Cardinal Cooke, he had groped an altar boy who was being fitted for a cassock. At the same time, the dioceses of Metuchen and Newark admitted that they had made financial settlements to two former seminarians who had suffered McCarricks attentions decades previously. In the wake of this came explosive allegations that McCarrick had abused a man, a close family friend, for more than 20 years, starting when he was 11. The Vatican acted first by suspending McCarrick from priestly ministry, and then by accepting his resignation as a cardinal (an almost unprecedented move), and sentencing him to a life of prayer and penance, as well as close confinement in a house of their choosing until such a time as a canonical trial could take place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, one of Americas most popular and feted clerics became the object of growing condemnation, stripped of various honorary degrees and reviled by all, while his former friends maintained a strict silence. Various Catholic bishops, including one who had shared a flat with the fallen Cardinal, declared that they had known nothing about his double life something many found hard to believe. McCarrick arriving at court in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 2021 - MIchael Dwyer/AP In person McCarrick had great charm, and as a celebrity priest he had been a friend of Bing Crosby and the Hearst family, among other famous American Catholics, all of whom were generous towards the causes for which he was raising funds. The seminarians he favoured were encouraged to call him Uncle Ted, and were frequent recipients of friendly, often affectionate, letters. In dress, McCarrick was rather shabby, and in demeanour he always affected to be a man of simple piety who never forgot his working class background and his deprived childhood. Many took this persona at face value. Yet he was also a man of enormous ambition, a skilled politician and shrewd manipulator. He took great pains to be as close as possible to Pope (now Saint) John Paul II, being, as one clerical observer put it, a genius at schmoozing. It was this cultivation of the powerful that perhaps guaranteed his immunity from scrutiny and his continued high profile, even in retirement, for so long. Theodore McCarrick, born July 7 1930, died April 3 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Brenda Morgan didnt think she had the heart to take another assignment as a Tri-Cities home health care provider after she lost her client of 17 years in December. But then she saw a message from the family of a young, autistic adult. Sam has a heart condition, uses a feeding tube for meals and medication, and thrives on structure to help her remain calm. Her family needs the help that Morgan is now providing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now Morgan and Sam are worried about the future of Medicaid called Apple Health in Washington state that pays for her care. Why arent people thinking about us? Do they not know I cannot survive without Medicaid? Sam told Morgan to ask at a recent news briefing held by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. Morgan only used Sams first name. Its not just people like Morgans client who need to be concerned about deep cuts to Medicaid that Congress may approve. Brenda Morgan, right, a home health care provider, and her young client, who has disabilities, are both concerned about the possibility of deep cuts to Medicaid, known as Apple Health in Washington state. The program provides free or low-cost medical care to nearly 300,000 in Washingtons 4th Congressional District, which includes the Tri-Cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district is the most dependent on Medicaid/Apple Health in the state, with 70% of children and 24% of adults relying on the government program. Covered patients include children, the elderly, those with disabilities, young families and people who dont have health insurance benefits at their job. Steep reductions to the Washington Medicaid, or Apple Health, would impact services for other residents, according to health care officials. They could mean even busier emergency rooms, the closure of rural hospitals and loss of community doctors, and fewer medical services for everyone as hospitals lose Medicaid revenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When hospitals are forced to cut services to remain financially viable, those cuts affect everyone, not just Medicaid patients, said Reza Kaleel, chief executive of Providence Southeast Washington Service Area, which includes Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland and Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. When a service becomes financially impossible to maintain, access disappears potentially for the entire community, he said at the briefing. Reza Kaleel, chief executive of Providence Southeast Washington Service Area, which includes Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, discusses the potential impacts to Kadlec if Medicaid spending is cut at a briefing by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. To meet a budget resolution passed by the U.S. House, $880 billion over 10 years would be cut from programs overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. With Congress reluctant to touch Medicare which primarily provides care for people 65 and older after money was withheld from their paychecks during their working years the bulk of the cuts are expected to come mostly from the Medicaid program and possibly a few much smaller programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a tsunami of cuts coming at the people of Washington and the United States of America, said Cantwell in a series of news media briefings around the state. Children, elderly, expectant mothers Those who rely on Medicaid/Apple Health include elderly residents who have exhausted their life savings since moving into nursing homes and now rely on Medicaid to pay for their care. They include people with disabilities, such as those who Morgan has cared for, who can live at home because of in-home helpers, often at less cost than at live-in care facilities. Brenda Morgan, a home health care provider in the Tri-Cities, talked about her concerns about possible deep cuts to Medicaid, called Apple Health in Washington state, at a news media briefing held by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., in Richland. Medicaid is the single largest payer in the nation for mental health care, said Megan Cole, associate professor at Boston University School of Public Health, speaking at a SciLine media briefing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Apple Health also is widely relied upon by young families. About a third of childbirths in Washington state, plus postpartum care, are covered by Apple Health, said Cantwell at the Richland briefing. Tri-Cities residents might be surprised at who relies on Medicaid, or Apple Health, said Dr. Richard Meadows, a Richland doctor in the Kadlec network and chief medical officer for Providence Clinical Network. He sees small business owners without money for health insurance who rely on Medicaid. The program for low income residents of Washington state is free or low cost. Many of our neighbors on Medicaid are working multiple jobs or caring for family members with complex medical needs, Kaleel said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All but 8% of adults enrolled in Medicaid nationwide are working, caretakers or in school, says Megan Cole, associate professor at Boston University School of Public Health, speaking at a SciLine news media briefing. The cuts would destabilize care for people across the state, regardless of their insurance status, according to the Washington State Hospital Association. It would take the lifeblood out of the system here, Cantwell said. Hard decisions would have to be made, including by hospitals like Othello Community Hospital with 58% of patients paying through Medicaid and Astria Toppenish Hospital with 41% of patients relying on Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even Kadlec officials are nervous, with about 20% Medicaid patients overall, but more than half of patients relying on Medicaid in its womens and childrens programs. WA Congressional delegation divided Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., says $880 billion is more than all of federal Medicaid spending in 2023. Republicans need to stop listening to Donald Trump and Elon Musk who want tax breaks for their billionaire buddies, and start listening to their constituents who just want to stay on their health care, Murray said at a news briefing. But Newhouse says fearmongering is needlessly causing public panic. It is not a forgone conclusion these cuts are going to happen, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Targets have been set for committees as cuts must be made to reduce federal spending and eliminate waste and abuse, but there will be compromise, he said. He will not support denying any eligible American access to Medicaid, Medicare or food stamps, he said, as calls pour into his office calling for Medicaid to be saved. But a coalition of health, business and community organizations in the 4th Congressional District, represented by Dan Newhouse, R-Wash, is concerned enough to form a nonprofit, Central WA Families, urging residents to contact Newhouse about the importance of Medicaid or to sign its online petition asking him to vote against cutting Apple Health. The coalition includes organizations supporting hospitals, people with disabilities, nursing homes and home health care. Adelita Martinez of Pasco has post-polio syndrome after the virus attacked her body when she was only 8 months old. She uses a wheelchair and wears heavy braces to support the weakened muscles in her legs. She is one of nearly 300,000 people in Central Washington dependent on Medicaid. Its telling that the health care community has come together to warn about possible deep cuts to Medicaid, Cantwell said, as she stood at Kadlec with its executive director, doctors, a home health care provider and the executive director of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, which helps those addicted to fentanyl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People would not be able to afford the cost to even fly across the state for things like (Seattle) Childrens Hospital, Cantwell said. We would not be able to help support those patients fighting for their lives on important things like cancer treatment. Now is the time to be aggressive or by the end of April the proposal to decimate Medicaid spending could be successful, Cantwell said. I guarantee you this is not a drill, she said. Tri-Cities largest hospital More than 50,000 Medicaid patients each year come through the doors of Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, the largest hospital in the greater Tri-Cities area. Thats enough patients to fill the Toyota Center five times, Kaleel said. Kadlec is back to operating now on a very thin positive financial margin post-pandemic and needs to grow that not only to keep services it offers now but to plan for serving the rapidly growing Tri-Cities, he said. Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland Not only are its womens and childrens programs highly reliant on Medicaid payments, but Kadlec is seeing more Medicaid patients from around the region for trauma care since in 2023 it joined the Providence hospital in Spokane as the only two hospitals in Eastern Washington to be approved to care for level 2 trauma patients, or more severely injured patients. One way to make up for potentially lost Medicaid patients is by increasing costs to private insurers, but more than 70% of patients rely on Medicare and Medicaid, with rates that are not negotiable, Kaleel told the Tri-Cities editorial board. Other options would be to cut services to stay in the back or to just not keep up with growth needs even for basic services, he said. Kadlec and other health care providers in the Mid-Columbia have grown, but have struggled to keep pace with the growing population already, he said. Many of you have experienced this firsthand, waiting weeks or months for an appointment, spending hours in waiting rooms or traveling for specialty care, Kaleel said at Cantwells news briefing. Now a third of the patients who come to Kadlecs emergency department rely on Medicaid, said Dr. John Matheson, Kadlec chief medical officer. When people lose medical coverage, they dont stop needing care they postpone it until small problems become emergencies, Kaleel said. Hospital emergency departments are the only place in the U.S. health care system that must treat everyone regardless of ability to pay. That safety net is already frayed, Matheson said. Patients who lose Medicaid will delay or forego care, he said. The result will be more severe illnesses and worse outcomes, including lives lost, he said. But the impact would reach beyond Medicaid patients. If the emergency department becomes more crowded with patients who have higher complexity illness, the delays affect everybody, he said. A lot of people are concerned, but I dont think people understand how dire it is, he said. Yes, the emergency department will be open, but it cant be the entire system. Smaller hospitals at risk Some hospitals in the 4th Congressional District would close if deep cuts to Medicaid go through, Cantwell said. They just wouldnt be able to support themselves without the Medicaid reimbursement for uncompensated care, she said. Others likely would be faced with tough choices, such as potentially closing labor and delivery units, Cantwell said after talking to the Grand Coulee Medical Center chief executive. Astria Healths hospital in Toppenish, Wash. Astria Toppenish Hospital already has closed its Family Maternity Center, a decision driven by declining Medicaid rates in 2021 and rising costs. The next year it ended MRI service. We dont have anything left to cut, Cathy Bambrick, administrator of the Toppenish hospital told the Tri-City Herald editorial board.. Currently we are fighting to keep our acute care and emergency services for our community, she said. Over the last two decades hospitals have absorbed primary care medical clinics because doctors have not been able to operate medical clinics on their own without losing money, Bambrick said. If you lose hospitals, you lose primary care, she said. Just left to die? Medicaid is the single largest payer for long term care, including adults who exhaust their savings after moving into a nursing home. Three in five nursing home residents rely on Apple Health, according to Cantwell. Seniors will be cut off from home care services and forced out of long-term care facilities if deep cuts to Medicaid spending are approved, Murray said. So, are we just left to die? asked Gail Halverson of Spokane, who relies on Medicaid and Medicare, at a roundtable discussion held by Cantwell. Already finding placement for an elderly person who needs live-in nursing care or memory care can be a challenge in central and eastern Washington if Medicaid is being used to pay. Regency Canyon Lakes Skilled Nursing Facility in Kennewick used to fill half its space with Medicaid patients, even though Medicaid covers only 85% of costs. But with the increased costs of staffing the center, it has had to reduce that to a quarter of its space, Parker Rieckelman, administrator of Regency Canyon Lakes told the Tri-City Herald editorial board. Everyones story is different, but typically our Apple Health residents have no other places they can go to receive round-the-clock care to keep them healthy and thriving, he wrote in an op-ed for the Herald. They are often with us because they have no family able to house them and take care of them. When a family called him recently, looking for rehabilitation care for a woman who had broken her hip while traveling to California, he had to say no when they said she relied on Medicaid. She ended up having to go out of the Tri-Cities for care. Hospitals already may struggle to find a place that will accept a Medicaid patient they are ready to discharge but who needs 24-hour care. Cuts to Medicaid will further reduce the number of Medicaid patients who can be accepted by skilled nursing facilities and increase stress on hospital discharging, he said. Watching and waiting Among the 300,000 people in Central Washington who depend on Medicaid in the Tri-Cities is Adelita Martinez. Heavy braces support the weakened muscles of her legs, even as she uses a wheelchair. Adelita Martinez of Pasco has post-polio syndrome after the virus attacked her body when she was only 8 months old. Now she is one of nearly 300,000 people in Central Washington dependent on Medicaid. She uses a wheelchair and wears heavy braces support the weakened muscles in her legs. Shes one of the three in eight people with disabilities who are covered by Apple Health, according to Murray. When Martinez was a baby there was confusion about whether she had been vaccinated against polio at the same time her young cousin was. Unhindered by vaccine, the virus attacked her body at 8 months old. But she was one of the children of Zenaido and Angelica Martinez, honored with the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame Pioneer Award, for advancing from a laborer to a landowner and business owner. They raised their children to work hard and dream big. As an adult Adelita Martinez traveled to Israel, spent a year as a missionary in South America and taught kindergarten and high school classes in Pasco and Basin City. But decades after contracting polio, the weakness is back. Now she is one of nearly 300,000 people in Central Washington dependent on Medicaid. Adelita Martinez of Pasco has post-polio syndrome after the virus attacked her body when she was only 8 months old. Asking for help from the government program was difficult for her, she said. But now it is her lifeline. It pays for the therapy she needs to regain her leg strength enough to walk and drive again. Household aides paid for by Apple Health help her with tasks of daily living, including getting her ready for the day each morning. Now she is watching and waiting to see if her Medicaid coverage continues. Saturday, anger and frustration built against Elon Musk and the Trump Administration as a wave of protests swept across the country and made its way to Central Florida. Demonstrators in Ocala, Clermont, Sandford, Orlando, and Cocoa, to name a few, took to the streets in growing opposition to Elon Musk and Donald Trump as they stood to fight for public education, immigrants, womens rights, our economy, working people, social security, union rights, LGBTQ rights, veteran benefits, families, black history, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion and healthcare. Hands off our government. Hands off our rights. Hands off our freedoms, said Daniel McDow, Space Coast Progressive Alliance President. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What started as isolated marches transformed into a full-scale movement, with protestors voicing frustration over what they call a dangerous blending of tech power, political influence, and divisive rhetoric. Essentially, his initial actions in government have essentially isolated us. They are putting us on a trajectory where everyone can see where the market is tanking our dollar, in this case, would destroy basically the lives of every lower class person in America, said A.J Anderson, Protester. Organizers say the demonstrations were fueled by concerns over the erosion of democratic norms, the rise of billionaire-backed politics, and the normalization of inflammatory speech. Elon Musks increasing political sway and President Trumps return to the White House have become flashpoints for people who feel unheard and unrepresented. The protests have remained peaceful but powerfulturning sidewalks into stages for civic expression and signaling that even in quieter towns, the national conversation is impossible to ignore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will tell you, when other people are affected, Im affected. We are a society of people who have to be kind and care about each other, said Judith Marber, a protester. Those backing the Trump Administration were seen waving Trump flags in some of the protests, standing for what they believe the administration is doing for the American people. From Cocoa, where nearly 1,200 people gathered along King Street and Cocoa Boulevard, and in Orlando, where thousands stood in front of City Hall, to the quieter corners of DeLand. Crowds of protestorshundreds strongheld bold signs, blasted megaphones, and chanted in unison that enough is enough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were birthed in a democracy, and we will not let it fade into the dark so easily, said Anderson. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Attorney General Dana Nessel warned thousands of protesters gathered on the lawn of the Michigan Capitol Saturday that President Donald Trump could pose the type of domestic threat warned about in the oath of office administered to elected officials and service members in the United States, predicting that he would order military action against dissidents. Nessel was speaking during a Hands Off! protest organized by the 50501 Movement and various statewide groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and fair-elections activists. It was one of 55 rallies planned to take place in Michigan at the same time as more than 1,000 protests nationwide. Rallies in Michigan were also organized in cities including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Traverse City and Marquette. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nessel offered a stark warning to the protesters, predicting that Trump would order the U.S. military to target citizens who speak out against the administration. We will not capitulate. We will not act as appeasers. We will not bow down, Nessel said. And when Trump invariably invokes the Insurrection Act and commands the National Guard and the military to train their weapons upon us, we will let them know that when they took an oath to defend the United States against enemies, both foreign and domestic, that means Donald Trump and his accomplices, not all of us. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a Hands Off protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) The Democratic attorney general said that the United States is already in the midst of a constitutional crisis as Trump has been thumbing his nose at the courts, disparaging judges and their rulings and completely violating court orders. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and his lawless, corrupt and chaotic administration can ignore court orders, but they cannot ignore all of us, Nessel said. This is our state, our country, our democracy, and we will not relinquish it to a wannabe dictator, tyrant king. Nessel said she began suing the Trump administration on his second day back in office, and vowed to continue suing him each and every damn time he violates the law and injures our state. Thousands turned out for a Hands Off protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Donald Trump seems to believe that he has a mandate to cripple our nation, violate the law and throw out the Constitution, because he won this state by 80,000 votes, Nessel said. I want to say that I won this state by 370,000 votes, and unlike Donald Trump, when I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, I actually read it, and I definitely meant it. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, who is running for secretary of state as a Democrat, pointed to Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election as an example of the threat he poses, noting that Trump has been talking about seeking a third termwhich he has no constitutional power to do. Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie speaks at a Hands Off protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) There is nothing that will stop Donald Trump from trying to destroy this country for his own personal gain, and hes at it again, Edevbie said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were going to either stand up and fight, or were going to let Trump become a dictator and a king. Edevbie noted that Michigan voters have approved numerous changes to the states election laws in recent elections, with ballot proposals passing by wide margins of support. When we rise above the lies, when we rise above the bullst, when we rise above misinformation, we win, Edevbie said. The rallies taking place throughout the country Saturday were meant to oppose Trump and Elon Musks sweeping changes to the federal government, which include everything they can get their hands on, according to a statement from organizers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who announced a campaign for governor last month, said that while there are areas where government can be more efficient, the Trump administration does not have the mindset to propose real solutions. Im tired of people who claim they serve but only serve themselves, Gilchrist said. Im tired of an administration that wakes up and, before they eat breakfast, they figure out who they can fire, they figure out whose healthcare they can strip, they figure out what veteran cant get their benefits, and they figure out who doesnt get their Social Security. Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist speaks at a Hands Off protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said that the Trump administration is embracing an agenda of revenge, racism, power and greed. Gilchrist estimated that there were more than 7,000 people in attendance at the rally, making it one of the largest since Trump took office in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, who resigned from his position earlier this week to explore a possible campaign for Michigans open U.S. Senate seat, called back to his standard stump speech when he was a candidate in the Democratic primary for governor in 2018. I ran on this idea that Donald Trump wasnt himself the disease, he was the worst symptom of the disease. And unless we were willing to take on the symptom and the disease, that that symptom would come back, El-Sayed said. And I hate to say it, we did do something about the symptom, but guess what? Disease came roaring back. And thats what were living through right now. El-Sayed said his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt, adding, I love immigrants. But theres just this one that I got some issues with, referring to Musk. That boy came over here, he took billions of dollars of our government money to support companies that he didnt even start, and now he wants to kill government for the rest of us, El-Sayed said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You know how many times Ive been told to go back to my country? I was born and raised here. Elon can go on and go back to his country. Detroit marchers; This is what democracy looks like Demonstrators at the Hands Off protest in Detroit on April 5, 2025. Photo by Jackson Coleman Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people gathered in Midtown Detroit on Saturday for a protest organized by the Hands Off! Detroit Fights Back coalition. The marchers chanted Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like as they started at the Detroit Institute of Arts and ended near Little Caesars Arena, walking a three-mile route through the city. The group criticized President Donald Trump, as well as billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk, accusing them of harming public services, workers rights, and data privacy. Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Detroit is fighting back! the coalition said in a press release. Theyre taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers said the protest was part of a larger movement to resist policies they see as a threat to democracy and working-class communities. Demonstrators at the "Hands Off" protest in Detroit on April 5, 2025. Photo by Jackson Coleman Demonstrators at the "Hands Off" protest in Detroit on April 5, 2025. Photo by Jackson Coleman Demonstrators at the "Hands Off" protest in Detroit on April 5, 2025. Photo by Jackson Coleman Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan state Rep. Carrie Rheingans, D-Ann Arbor, speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan state Rep. Carrie Rheingans, D-Ann Arbor, speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Local musicians perform the audience during a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) An attendee of a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, holds a sign that reads "Devour Feculence Donald," a reference to the hit television series "Severance." (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Some attendees of a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, dressed as handmaids from the Margaret Atwood novel "The Handmaid's Tale." (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Some attendees of a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, dressed as handmaids from the Margaret Atwood novel "The Handmaid's Tale." (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan state Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Okemos, speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Some attendees of a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, dressed as handmaids from the Margaret Atwood novel "The Handmaid's Tale." (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Some attendees of a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, held penguin stuffed animals, a reference to tariffs placed on the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are populated by penguins and seals. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Local musicians perform the audience during a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Thousands turned out for a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Local musicians perform the audience during a "Hands Off" protest at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on April 5, 2025, which took place in tandem with hundreds of rallies across the country. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) HONOLULU (KHON2) Demonstrations against the current presidential administration swept across Hawaii today as apart of a nationwide demonstration on April 5. The largest crowd was at the Hawaii State Capitol. Are there benefits to Trumps tariffs? The Hands Off protest took place across all 50 states today, with thousands turning out to Hawaiis State Capitol in support. All you got to do here is read the signs and youre going to find out whats upsetting people. Weve got veterans here. Weve got people who are frightened about losing their Social Security, said Indivisible Hawaii Statewide Network group leader Lisa Gibson. Thats what the hands off means. Hands off, Hands off the United States of America! Hands off my country and your country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were protests on every island, with over 1,000 demonstrators turning out in Hilo. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Just the diversity of people that are here. Its not just young people. Its not just people whose retirement accounts are in danger. Right now. Its affecting us all. So were here, said Tantalus resident Miles Phillips. KHON2 asked a Waikiki elementary student, what brought them out? I hate him, Vaughn, the student, said. I dont know, like the things that he did like to people that work for them, he fires them for no reason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tariffs: What do Trumps executive orders say and how would they work? Top-of-mind issues include cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs, but those in support of the current administration said the protestors have been misled. The American people said, we want change. They elected Donald Trump and whats happening is change, change isnt always easy, people are so used to going the same way, but when change happens, it throws things off. But whats needed here is course correction, said Rep. Diamond Garcia. Those in attendance insist their resolve is strong and they will keep turning out as long as President Trump is in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think theres another one thats going to happen on May 1 because this isnt going away. More people are going to get hurt. And we are the bulwark, the citizens. Thats what democracy is all about, Gibson said. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHONs morning podcast, every morning at 8 Click here to read more about the 2024 GOP Platform. Click here to read more about the organizers of Saturdays protest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. At the April 5 protest, Aden Kalinowski spoke about his fears about his sister losing healthcare for her rare medical condition under potential cuts to Medicaid. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline) More than 4,500 gathered in Raleighs Bicentennial Plaza on Saturday to protest the Trump administration, calling for an end to cuts to health care and welfare programs as well as the removal of massive tariffs that have caused the stock market to tumble. The demonstration, organized by a wide swath of activist groups including the 50501 Movement, Bishop William Barber IIs Poor Peoples Campaign, and the Union of Southern Service Workers, was part of a national day of protest that saw thousands gather in state capitals and major cities around the country. Protesters demanded the Trump administration take its hands off core social services such as Medicaid and Social Security as well as scientific research and international aid programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speakers included veterans and union workers and brought together both longtime local advocates, like Rev. Rob Stephens of the Poor Peoples Campaign, as well as those who only recently became engaged in politics, like high school junior Michael Turner, who came to the demonstration from Rocky Mount. They dont care about the values that built this country, they dont care about us, Turner said of the administration, garnering cheers. We deserve leaders who fight for all people, not just the rich. A couple of months ago, I didnt even really want to be involved in politics, said Aden Kalinowsky, whose sister depends on Medicaid for treatment of a rare genetic condition. I dont think its fair that theyre trying to take our Social Security from us. I dont think its fair that theyre trying to take away our Medicaid from us. Eshawney Gaston, a food service worker in Durham with the Union of Southern Service Workers, demanded the administration take its hands off my Medicaid. She said her daughter requires specialized medical care and physical therapy because of her sickle cell anemia, health care Gaston would not be able to afford without help from Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We all have to stand up and fight together because health care is a human right, Gaston said. People dont use Medicaid because they want to, I use it because I have to, because I cant afford to do it on my own, because if I could, I would. While most of the discussion centered on national politics, North Carolina officials took heat from protesters as well, particularly Judge Jefferson Griffin, who has contested the state Supreme Court race for months via a bid to dispose of tens of thousands of ballots that on Friday received an affirmative ruling in the state appeals court. You need to know the names Phil Berger, Destin Hall those are our leaders in the General Assembly who have been selling us out and have had the most corrupt government. The White House is taking all their cues from here, Stephens said. Yesterday, we know for sure that we dont have a strong democracy, because Jefferson Davis I mean, Jefferson Griffin [is] trying to control who votes, who matters, and who has power in this democracy. Among the signs at the protest was a poster with the face of Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) captioned, Where are you Thom? Do your job! Another advised attendees to Check the Griffin List, the list of voters whose ballots are included in the challenge to the state Supreme Court race. A woman holds a sign reading Hands Off Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, VA Jobs, Medical Research Funds and Vaccines, USAID, HHS Jobs, ACA Protesters standing in front of the North Carolina Legislative Building hold a banner reading No Kings in America. A man wearing an orange Department of Corrections jumpsuit and a long red tie dressed as Donald Trump walks beside a woman in an American flag gown holding a sign Convicted Felon or Democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demonstrators speak out against President Trump's policies and positions at the April 5, 2025 Hands Off protest, in downtown Raleigh, NC The demonstration doubled as a food drive, with John Freeman, a frequent organizer of Raleighs 50501 demonstrations, sharing the fact that organizers had raised roughly $4,000 for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. He said his group, the Iron Front of North Carolina, would also be distributing many canned goods and other food items collected at the April 5 demonstration. Charlotte Ellis, a painter and former educator living in Louisburg, said she was motivated to participate in the protest by the administrations cuts to schools. In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the closure of the Department of Education, a move that has since been challenged in federal court. I want the schools to continue being funded and the teachers work really hard, and theyre trying really hard to do a good job, and they dont need their funding cut, they need to keep their funding, Ellis said. All young children need to be trained to their full potential. Megan Bell, a participant in the national Womens Marches under the first Trump administration, said she was impressed and energized by the crowd in Raleigh. We dont have much power right now, but we do still have our voices, and while we do still have them, its important that we use them, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Massage therapist Marvin Chambers said he decided to attend after seeing a flyer on a lamp post yesterday, joining demonstrations both in Durham and Raleigh Saturday. He said that while he was pleased with the turnout for the protests, he hopes people will put their dollars where their voices are. Robert Shaughnessy, a machinist, condemned the blatant disregard for due process of law, the Constitution, [and] the process of making, interpreting, and enforcing laws by the Trump administration. He said it was heartening to see so many voice similar concerns at the Raleigh protest. There is no question whatsoever that the current administration has no compunctions about just bringing down steel on people who are law-abiding citizens, he said. Whether we like it or not, you have to meet steel with steel. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Appleton and Green Bay on Saturday as part of the nationwide Hands Off! protest movement, voicing opposition to recent policies from the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency Director Elon Musk. The coordinated effort saw more than 1,000 rallies across all 50 states, but in Northeast Wisconsin, residents turned out in force with signs, speeches, and a strong message of civic resistance. Police: Recovered body from Wisconsin River identified as 75-year-old Chicagoan, search for second boater continues Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Appleton, protesters lined College Avenue, chanting and holding handmade signs. Menasha resident Deb Zehner said she joined the crowd out of concern for the future of programs like Social Security. Im probably about seven years away from retiring, Zehner said. Ive been putting into Social Security since I was 15 years old, and I wasnt doing that so some billionaire can come along and take it as a tax cut. She called the event empowering, noting the strong community turnout. Besides voting, I thought this was the best possible way to let my voice be heard. While largely peaceful, the Appleton protest briefly saw tension when a fight broke out, but attendees quickly responded with chants of peaceful, peaceful, and police defused the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is whats right, said Kristy Hansen of Appleton. You dont need to know a lot about politics to know what is happening in our country is wrong. In Green Bay, the protest drew hundreds to Leicht Memorial Park. Many participants connected the local rally to broader momentum seen across the state, including the recent election of progressive Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford. That election really energized not only myself but all of us, said Green Bay resident Pete Angileilo. There are too many issues to put on one sign, but Im most concerned about our environment. Karen Nelsen, from Denmark, Wisconsin, echoed a call for greater accountability from elected leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friends of man killed in motorcycle crash in Fond du Lac gather for car-bike meet in memoriam, raise money for family We voted them in. Were paying them. They need to speak up for us and you can see the people, they want to be heard. Both events wrapped up without further incident, leaving organizers hopeful that local engagement will continue through the next election cycle. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Jared Polis is the governor of Colorado, and Justin Schwartz is the chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder. Under a heavy snowfall in front of the state Capitol Saturday afternoon, about 2,000 gathered to protest the Trump administration, wrapping halfway around the building, stretching to the parking lot in front and crowding the sidewalks adjacent. Taking place from Trafalgar Square to Taos, the "Hands Off!" protest in Santa Fe was part of a worldwide series of demonstrations and one of at least a dozen statewide in opposition to President Donald Trumps policies. Despite the singular target, for protestors, the reasons for coming were numerous, even infinitesimal, said Laura Bohn, 66. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 040525 jw trump protest 2.jpg DeCoy Gallerina waves her Trump effigy as she chants alongside thousands of Santa Feans at the state Capital during a mass mobilization protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy. As such, protestors signs ranged from man-child in chief, to Free Luigi, alluding to Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Bohn carried a sign signaling support for Ukraine. People showed up here in the freezing cold because you're pissed you're pissed, and you wanna resist, said Max Thurston, a member of the group organizing the event, Indivisible Santa Fe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speakers included Heidi Feldman, a Georgetown law professor who spoke against attacks on the legal profession. 040525 jw trump protest 3.jpg Protesters line Paseo De Peralta as thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capital for a mass mobilization protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy. What we are confronting in Donald Trump is a reign of lawlessness, she said, going on to list five ways in which Trump is trying to institute a tyranny, including interference with already-approved congressional funding, his repeated resistance to obeying judicial orders, a disregard for civil rights and oppressing the legal profession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Singling out specific law firms for punitive actions because they represent people and causes he doesn't like that's the whim of the dictator," she said. Jessica Aguirre an immigration lawyer for the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, talked about Trump's immigration rhetoric and policies. 040525 jw trump protest 5.jpg Kevin Klix pounds his makeshift drum in solidarity as thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capital for a mass mobilization protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At minimum, these tactics serve to terrify our communities. At their worst, they rip families apart, she said. Alana Cartier, president of the National Education Association of Santa Fe teachers union, worried about the impact of funding cuts for school meals. Every day. I see children that are hungry," she said. "They often are relying on the breakfast, lunch programs that schools provide. What's going to happen when these programs are cut and they no longer receive free or reduced cost meals? Among the thousands, there were some children as well as some dogs, an incense burner wafting the smoke as she moved throughout the crowds, and a few large-scale puppets, made by Wise Fool New Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were also some younger people. We just want to not die, said Bri Tweet, 16. Bianca Sopoci-Belknap, co-director of Earth Care, talked about climate change our world riddled with toxins from repeated climate disaster but her primary message was one denouncing current means of political representation, including elements of the Democratic Party. 040525 jw trump protest 6.jpg Thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capital for a mass mobilization protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wish I could say that we have amazing Democratic leadership in our state, but I have to tell you instead that we watched amazing environmental and climate justice bills get killed by this Democratically controlled Legislature because this Legislature has been captured by industry, she said. The hard truth is that we have not built the alternative populist movement that is necessary to meet this moment, but we're starting now. Right? she said to cheers. U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez reiterated a point she made at a town hall she held last weekend, noting a swing of only three House Republicans voting with Democrats would equalize their numbers. 040525 jw trump protest 4.jpg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capital for a mass mobilization protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy. "They always vote for the billionaires," she said. "But they are feeling the heat. They are feeling the heat because across the country we're doing town halls. We are showing up at rallies like this. ... We are not standing by the sidelines, and we only need three." This is a developing story and will be updated. The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) A huge crowd braved the rain Saturday to go to the Ohio Statehouse and protest President Donald Trump and his administration. It was one of more than 50 such events scheduled for Ohio on Saturday and Sunday and more than 1,400 nationwide. Early in the rally, Columbus police said there appeared to be at least 2,000 gathered so far. After it was over, Mia Lewis, and organizer, said 5,000 were at the Capitol, and provided a spreadsheet saying 47,000 attended rallies statewide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Truly, people are fed up. A couple of vicious billionaires destroying thingsweve had enough! Lewis said in an email, adding, There were 5,000 people at the rally in Columbus, staying through the wind and rain! A turn out of 5,000 in the capital is fantastic, but whats really amazing is to see rallies and protests in every corner of the state. (Including) Circleville and Van Wert. The gathering was peaceful as people chanted, carried signs and danced to bongo music while a stream of cars traveling up and down High Street honked their support. The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The "Hands Off" protest April 5, 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. (Photo by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.) Sponsors of this weekends Hands Off rallies include dozens of advocacy organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Americans for Financial Reform, Common Cause, the Consumer Federation of America, Indivisible, and Planned Parenthood. As with last Saturdays protest outside a Columbus Tesla dealership, many were protesting Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, whom Trump is permitting to slash federal programs and employees. They include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Trump Musk go, said one sign. Others said, Hands off science and scientists, Get the heil out, Tax wealth, not work, and This penis party must end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the major theme of the protest appeared to be a desire to protect democracy itself. Not a paid protester, said one sign. My speech is free. That appeared to be a rebuttal to Musks claim that people are only protesting because theyre being paid by some unidentified boogeyman. He made that accusation even as he was handing out millions to Wisconsin voters in an attempt to sway and election to the state Supreme Court. He ended up losing badly. Leslie Kern of Clintonville on Saturday said she felt a duty to protest at the Ohio capitol . I am so frightened that were going to lose our democracy that I decided that I had to come, she said. I heard a story this morning that the people who were deported to El Salvador were all deported illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least one man was improperly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador after being accused without evidence of a gang affiliation, the Associated Press reported last week. Its possible that a majority were not even associated with a gang. It feels to me like Berlin in 1938, Kern said, referring to a time when thugs controlled by Adolph Hitler harassed, arrested and beat Jews and political dissidents and destroyed their property. People are being snatched off the street by masked men and no one sees them again. A lot of people die in those prisons. And that was just this morning. Unlike some earlier protests, a healthy portion of the crowd Saturday appeared to be under 40. Lilly Karhoff, a 17-year-old student at Hillyard Bradley High School, said she was protesting with an eye toward the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This is the country were going to be living in, she said. Everybody needs to be aware of whats going on. We need to preserve our democracy and our rights. Its our democracy and the rights of everyone. Not just women. Not just children. She added, I have many immigrant friends. Many Arab friends. Many Hispanic friends. This affects them and we talk about it. But Kerhoff said administrators at her school wont allow those concerns to be a topic of classroom discussion. Theres a lot of concern among our peers, she said. But unfortunately, our teachers have been instructed not to talk about the political climate, so were in a very limited environment. So I think its important to get out here and spread my voice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyra Milton, 21, of Columbus said her whole objective is to stand against whats happening to America, to our democracy. Im just fed up with the way things are going and Im not going to stand for it. I feel like our democracy is being attacked. Our rights. Our freedom of speech. Everything that humanity stands for is being attacked by the current administration. Despite all that, Milton said shes optimistic. I feel like if we keep standing up like this, saying we know our rights and stand against them being attacked, well have a better future, she said. Kurt Bateman, a member of the United Auto Workers, retired after 30 years of making parts for General Motors on the site where the Hollywood Casino now sits on Columbuss West side. They traded in middle-class-wage jobs for tip-wage jobs, he said. Among the issues Bateman was protesting were Trumps attacks on organized labor. He added that the massive tariffs Trump implemented last week wont achieve their stated goal of bringing back American manufacturing. We lost that battle in the 80s, Bateman said. They said, We dont care about making anything here. Were going to financialize the economy.' Steven Stone traveled from Nelsonville to protest. Having served in the Army from 1969 to 1974, Stone said of Trump, Hes not my commander-in-chief. Im here because the guy thats supposedly our commander-in-chief called soldiers who died in combat suckers and losers,' Stone said. He dishonored me and everybody who served in the military. Kern, of Clintonville, said she believed that protests such as the one on Saturday are one of the last tools for preserving American democracy. This and some courts are the last bastions standing against fascism, she said. Congress has fallen. Every institution of government that I thought would stand has fallen. So I feel like the people are the last bastion against fascism, and thats the one voice that I hope still counts for something. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE On a sunny, breezy Saturday late morning in Tucson, thousands of locals filled East 22nd Street, joining the nationwide Hands Off! protest to voice opposition to the Trump administration and Elon Musk. Among the diverse crowd were teachers, veterans, and students, all part of the mass mobilization. Many participants described feeling energized, hopeful, and proud to take a stand. One of them was Monica Joyce-Walker, 66, who retired to Tucson three years ago after relocating from Seattle. We are so heartened to see the people are united with us and our feeling about how fragile democracy is its solidarity, it makes you feel hopeful, she said, noting the damage that has been done since Jan. 20th is beyond anything that we could have ever imaged in my lifetime. Some of her primary concerns are social programs and the budget cuts to give the wealthy tax cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The April 5 protest, organized by grassroots group Mobilize Tucson, drew an estimated 15,000 attendees, according to initial counts by the organizers. Protesters lined both sides of East 22nd Street along the southern edge of Reid Park, stretching from South Alvernon Way to South Country Club Road. Retirees held signs condemning Donald Trump and Elon Musk, while crowds chanted, Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go. At times, the chants were nearly drowned out by a chorus of car horns, mostly in support, as traffic crawled past the packed sidewalks. One older woman in the passenger seat of her car held a sign that said, Thank you, Tucson. A passenger in a yellow jeep held up a sign that said Support Federal Workers. The crowd seemed to be primarily Democrats, and no counter-protesters were seen in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bennett Burke, a media spokesperson for Mobilize Tucson, said he was surprised at the turnout. Our estimates when we arrived were 4,000 people, and that was based on RSVPs to sign up We are hoping to make more and more people aware of the things that are happening, Burke said. He added, We ask to remove this regime, reverse the damage theyve done, and reclaim our democracy. Thousands of Arizonans: join anti-Trump 'Hands Off!' protests across the state Mobilize Tucson Mobilize Tucson promoted the mass mobilization to fight back against President Donald Trump and Musk. The organization said it wants the world to know that it does not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By 10 a.m., an hour before the protest was scheduled to start, demonstrators were already lining up, with the crowd largely made up of older adults and retirees. Among them was 65-year-old Kathleen Collier, a veteran and former Veterans Affairs employee, who voiced deep concern about potential cuts. She was concerned her benefits would be decimated, she said. They are already starting with just the workers, and its going to come down to our benefits, like those of us who served for 20 years, and its just said theyve already made changes to how they determine certain disabilities, Collier said. While many attendees were local, one couple, Democrats Mary Kirpes, 74, and veteran Bruce Guffey, 73, travelled 70 miles from Coolidge, in Pinal County, to protest. We dont want to lose democracy in this country, Guffey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont want a king for president, thats why I have a sign that says no kings, Kirpes added. They traveled to Tucson because they wanted to be part of a larger movement, rather than ten people on a corner and get spit at in their small city, Kirpes said. However, Guffey added that most people in their mostly Republican area are still friendly. As the morning went on, the crowd swelled with families, students, and young professionals joining the protest. Among them was 26-year-old Haley Huckabee, a middle school science teacher and student at Pima Community College. Studying environmental biology, Huckabee said environmental issues are a top priority for her. With the policies and pulling out of the New Deal again, there is nothing to help our environment. We only live on this planet, there is not another planet we can live on, so we need to show up and let them know that all this pollution, all these oil rigs, and bad policies they are implementing against the environment, and firing these park rangers, its not helping us. Its making it worse, Huckabee said. We only have Earth to live on, we cant go anywhere else. Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republics coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Teachers, veterans, and students mobilize for Tucson protest Several thousand protesters joined a Paris rally with France's Marine Le Pen to protest a court ban on the far-right figurehead taking part in the next presidential election. Le Pen, the main speaker at the rally, called the ruling an attack on the will of the people and a fight over the truth. "I will not give up," she said, insisting her honour had been trampled on. Le Pen's party, the National Rally (RN), had called for the event and had expected up to 10,000 participants. The rally appeared not to completely fill a square at the Paris landmark of Hotel des Invalides. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, a court convicted Le Pen, her party and other party officials of embezzling EU funds. She was handed a partially suspended prison sentence and banned from running in elections for five years. Parallel to the RN rally, two counter-protests also took place several kilometres away in Paris. According to the organizers, around 15,000 people gathered on the Place de la Republique after a call to action from the left-wing party La France Insoumise and the Greens, among others. Counter-protesters demonstrated against the rise of the far right and called for the rule of law to be upheld. Meanwhile, supporters of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party demonstrated outside a scheduled party meeting on the outskirts of the French capital. Party leader Gabriel Attal accused the RN of attacking both the judges and France's institutions with their actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Le Pen appealed against the judgement, but the proceedings could drag on too long for her to be able to run in the 2027 presidential election. The court of appeal has announced that it will rule by summer 2026 at the latest. Chants were common during protests Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Omaha and Lincoln. (Courtesy of Lucy Mason/The Gateway) OMAHA Thousands of protesters took to Dodge Street and Memorial Park in a wave of national demonstrations Saturday and a companion protest in Lincoln opposing the recent actions of the federal government with the hope of instilling change locally and nationally. Protesters gather in central Omahas Memorial Park, across Dodge Street from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Courtesy of Lucy Mason/The Gateway) The local Hands Off! protests were part of about 1,400 demonstrations organized against President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk. The two-hour Omaha rally along Dodge Street and South Happy Hollow Boulevard involved nearly 1,000 protesters, many of whom showed up with signs, chants and common goals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protest organizers said in a statement online that the mass mobilization was a message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Behind the protests The rallies targeted the Trump administrations immigration policies and the Department of Government Efficiencys approach to cutting and pausing spending on healthcare, services, jobs and access to personal data held by the government. Two pro-democracy organizations, Like-Minded Friends and 50501 worked with local partisans and others to pull together the event. They assembled a lineup of local and state political figures to speak in Memorial Park. Former and possibly future U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Omaha speaks to the crowd gathered at Memorial Park in Omaha on Saturday, April 5, to protest the government spending cuts and other actions by the Trump administration. (Courtesy of Lucy Mason/The Gateway) The lineup included registered nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn, who reaffirmed that he is weighing a run against Pete Ricketts for Senate in 2026 and Omaha Mayoral Candidate John Ewing Jr, a Democrat running against incumbent Republican Mayor Jean Stothert on May 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ewing, a former Maverick who also taught at UNOs College of Public Affairs and Community Service, mentioned the importance of voting and civic engagement to have the democracy that our forefathers imagined. I think its always critically important that people take an active role in their government, Ewing said. When they dont, then we end up with what were seeing across the country right now, with the chaos, the fear, the uncertainty, the hatred and everything that is diametrically opposed to what America is supposed to stand for. Douglas County Democratic Party Chair CJ King said the demonstration was a show of force to help people realize they can make a change locally and nationally. I think theres a lot of people that just dont like the direction were going in, King said. People need to come out and recognize that you cant sit alone and be despondent and have anxiety and fear. We come together and we have hope and an opportunity. Republicans respond Douglas County Republican Party Chairwoman Nancy Hicks, responding to the protests, acknowledged the concerns of the protesters but said she and the party support the actions of the federal government. Billionaire Elon Musk, left accompanied by U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Musks son, X Musk, speaks during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Hicks said she believes Medicare and Medicaid lose billions annually to improper payments. She questioned why citizens wouldnt want government expenditures to be examined to make sure they actually are functioning as designed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Douglas County Republican Party, aligning with Trump and Musk, agree that the focus is on preserving these programs by rooting out misuse, fraud and waste, not necessarily dismantling them, Hicks said. Along with congregating in Memorial Park, protesters lined both sides of Dodge Street and the overpass. The sound of car horns blared as drivers held fists and signs out their windows in support. Some posters said, Hands off our democracy. Others said, Stop the chaos. Another said, Elect a clown, elect a circus. Many said they backed democracy. Attendees speak UNO student Calvin Snyder attended the protest with his family and expressed worry for his future education, mentioning the federal governments focus on dismantling the federal Department of Education. The Dodge Street overpass is a common place for protesters to gather. It was full again on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Courtesy of Lucy Mason/The Gateway) It feels like people are finally realizing that they are not alone in this, Snyder said. They are angry, and they are feeling the brunt of these terrible policies and that they can do something about it. I think this is a moment of awakening in a lot of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Creighton University theology professor Susan Calef voiced distress about the loss of democracy and the failure of the checks and balances system. Having attended previous demonstrations, she said the people have got to come together. When you watch the news on a daily basis, its grim and very distressing. So to be together with other people and mobilizing like this really helps, Calef said. Protesters line up in front of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln on Saturday, April 5, to protest DOGE and other spending cuts and actions at the federal level. (Courtesy of Deb Burner) Omaha citizen Jean Zinnen attended the protest with her 15-year-old granddaughter, holding up signs along Dodge Street. Zinnen said the importance of protesting was so her granddaughters voice could be heard and respected. I am here because democracy is at risk, Zinnen said. I have friends, so many friends in marginalized communities. I have a trans niece, gay family members, and this is just horrifying. My granddaughter is protesting for her future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Omaha citizen Dawn Marie Hart was one of the first protesters to arrive, bringing a banner and dangling it on the overpass. Hart said she was 64 and has never felt so strong about anything in [her] life. I think the power of the people speaks a lot, Hart said. It doesnt matter if theyre Republican or Democrat or what[ever] they are. He made promises, and he didnt keep them. Now we have to fight to get everything back. This article first appeared in The Gateway, the University of Nebraska at Omahas independent campus newspaper. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Thousands of people packed Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids Saturday afternoon, joining a wave of protests held across the country as part of the national Hands Off! movement. Event organizers say more than 4,000 people registered for the protest. The rally was one of hundreds nationwide aimed at pushing back against the shrinking and dismantling of the federal government under President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in downtown Grand Rapids on April 5, 2025. Protesters at a Hands Off! rally in downtown Grand Rapids on April 5, 2025. (My sign) says hands off schools, and Im just out here for my kids with autism, said Carly Twork, a Grand Rapids woman who works in applied behavior analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says she not only worries about the dismantling of the Department of Education, but for the many children she works with who rely on Medicaid. Kids come in all different shapes and sizes and with all different learning disabilities, she said. They deserve the right for an education just as any neurotypical child does, and with these services getting taken away, its very traumatic for their livelihood. Protesters take part in Hands Off! demonstrations across Southwest Michigan Her wife, Marianne Twork, held a sign reading Hands Off Social Security. She said her reason for marching was rooted in her family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My mom is about to hit Social Security age, and without it, she will not be able to survive, she said. Marianne and Carly Twork were first-time protesters. The two, who got married earlier this year, say they are fearful of potential rollbacks to marriage equality and other civil rights protections. Local advocacy groups including Indivisible and Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids helped lead the event. Jennie Frazier, co-chair of West Michigan Indivisible, said the protest was meant to send a clear message to lawmakers in Washington. Hands off my education, hands off my Social Security you know, I paid into that and I want to receive it back, Frazier said. We have to do whatever it takes so they can hear our voices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emerson Wolfe, co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, said protests like this one are just the beginning. We have to keep using our voices. We have to keep demanding change, Wolfe said. If that doesnt work, we have to continue escalating to make the United States ungovernable because we refuse to go back to authoritarianism. As people chanted and marched through downtown Grand Rapids, participants said it was a nice reminder that they are not alone in their fight. It feels amazing to be out here and to see all the types of people here and feel like were not the only ones trying to stick up for our rights, Carly Twork said. It feels wonderful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A nationwide movement as protesters across the U.S. came together to rally against federal changes implemented by the Trump Administration. Thousands of protestors gathered at the state capitol in Hartford for the National Hands Off rally. Many protesters shared their personal stories on Saturday. They told News 8 about the changes made by the Trump Administration that they feel could impact them negatively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the crowds concerns included President Donald Trumps latest plan for tariffs. We are the ones who pay its a tax on us the consumer and it is just going to raise prices for us for manufacturers who rely on foreign commodities, said Mars Healey of Coventry. This is what President Trump said the tariffs would mean for the country: What we have is we have a set of tariffs based on what theyve been charging us, thats reciprocal, the president said. But we have tariffs, theyve been set and its going to make our country very rich. Some of the protestors also expressed concerns regarding the presidents efforts to get rid of the Department of Education, cut back on federal funding and jobs and immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to the economy Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce said, You got to trust Donald Trump in the White House. Thats why they put him there let him fix it. The Associated Press reported that there were more than 1200 Hands Off demonstrations planned by over 150 groups across the nation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Thousands of Washingtonians hit the streets on a sunny Saturday demonstrating against President Donald Trump and his administrations actions through the first three and a half months of his second term. The Hands Off Protest took place in Seattle, Olympia, Everett, Tacoma, Mt. Vernon, and Leavenworth, adding to hundreds of reported protests across the country. We still have a chance to preserve our democracy, but time is running out, and its now or never, and if they keep taking away weakening branches of government, we cant wait any longer, said Laura Wood, a protester in Seattle. Several signs pointed to a displeasure with Elon Musks unelected role in the Trump White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im hoping the message gets across that wealth and power are not enough to run a country. This country runs on people. Its supposed to be of, for, and with the people, said Doug Wood, If we the people get our act together and take back the reins, then we can do that. Many demonstrators also pointed to the cuts of federal workers as concerning. They also point to executive orders from the President that roll back congressionally-approved spending and ignore court orders as a reason to fear for the nations democratic norms. Our democracy is under real threat right now, and We the People need to get out there and fight for it, said Dan Jardine. Washington State GOP Chair Jim Walsh defended the White Houses actions today, saying they are misunderstood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The point of DOGE and the point of the reforms that Trump is trying to put in place through Executive Order is to cut the fat, cut the overhead costs of delivering goods and services and benefits from the government, Walsh said. Walsh saw an irony in the Seattle Center demonstration that sported former Democratic Governor Jay Inslee as a speaker. Some of the same people who supported Jay Inslees executive orders dont like Donald Trumps leadership. Demonstrators, however, see a power in their presence, especially as some acknowledge the only thing they can do until the midterm elections next year is to show up to events like on Saturday. I hope our politicians in Washington see this outpouring of support to go back to some of the values that America was built on and I want Congress to stand up to the president, said Liz Schuh. Pius Kamau, M.D., a retired general surgeon, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships; co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and an activist for minority students STEM education. He is a National Public Radio commentator, a Huffington Post blogger, a past columnist for Denver dailies and is featured on the podcast, Never Again. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Providence Saturday afternoon to protest the Trump administration and Elon Musk. Harrison Tuttle, who was in attendance and has been to past demonstrations protesting the administration, told 12 News organizers were there to resist Trump and Musk from impacting Rhode Islanders across the state and across the country. Were so excited to have so many Rhode Islanders come out and support this action here, Hands Off! Rhode Island,' Tuttle said. This is a national movement thats going across the country right now and were saying enough is enough, we are resisting Donald Trump, we are resisting fascism and we are resisting hate of all forms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael Durand, a South Kingstown resident, said he thinks the rally sends a message. People are upset, rightfully so, Durand added. Im again grateful to see so many people here and know that there are tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of people doing the same thing all across the country. The rally in Providence began at Hope High School and made its way to Kennedy Plaza. This demonstration was part of a national movement called Hands Off!. (Story continues below.) MORE: Protesters tee off against Trump and Musk in Hands Off! rallies across the US Other demonstrations took place throughout the state in Tiverton, Portsmouth and Block Island. Similar rallies have happened in Rhode Island since Trumps second term began, including when hundreds gathered outside the State House in late February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ALSO READ: Hundreds gather at State House to protest Musks involvement in Trump administration U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse were at one of the rallies that took place in Washington, D.C. Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers put out a statement in response to the rally. Below is his full statement. Lets be crystal clear, this Hands Off movement isnt about protecting people, its about protecting political privilege. If these protesters really cared about whats hurting Rhode Islanders, theyd be marching with signs that say Hands Off Our Money. But instead, theyve fallen for the latest round of D.C.-manufactured propaganda, spoon-fed by the Democrat Party and repeated verbatim by our very own Congressional delegation. Its not the people exposing waste, abuse, and fraud who are the problemits the waste, abuse, and fraud itself. Why are the Democrats working so hard to defend bloated spending, unchecked bureaucracies, and programs that fail the people theyre supposed to help? What exactly are they hiding? Is it because their taxpayer-funded debit card finally has a daily limit on it? Its offensive to hardworking Rhode Islanders to see political operatives parading as grassroots advocates while demanding no oversight, no accountability, and no limits on spending. Every dollar wasted by Washington is a dollar stolen from taxpayers who are working harder than ever to make ends meet. Enough is enough. If the Democrats are truly worried about helping people, theyd clean up the messnot try to cover it up. Rhode Islanders deserve leaders who protect their wallets, not political insiders who protect their own interests. NEXT: Nesis Notes: April 5 Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. A large crowd met at the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services building on Billingsley Road Saturday to rally against President Donald Trump. Since he returned to the White House, the president has signed a barrage of executive orders that have challenged immigration law, the federal Department of Education and longstanding economic policy, among other things. Everything was a concern, longtime Charlotte resident Leslie Carter told The Charlotte Observer shortly after the rally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything that has been done affects every individual in the whole country and parts of the world, she said. Its disastrous. Indivisible Charlotte organized Saturdays rally. Other Hands Off protests took place across North Carolina and the country. Organizers said 3,000 people registered for Charlottes rally, and the crowd appeared to number in the thousands. Rally-goers listened to speakers before marching down Randolph Road, which police closed car traffic to. There was no sizable crowd of counter-protesters. Indivisible Charlotte, among other national and local organizations, rallied citizens against what they call the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities. The rally ended with a march. The rally took place at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Social Services Department on Billingsley Road on Saturday, Apr. 05, 2025. Mother worries how Medicaid cuts could affect daughter Charlotte resident Becca Smoot told the crowd that she is worried about Medicaid cuts and how they could affect her daughter, Ella, who Smoot said was born when she was just 25 weeks pregnant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes beautiful, strong, silly, smart and sassy, she said of her daughter. She recently made the A honor roll. And if you are ever blessed with her giggles, she will light you up. Smoot said a social worker told her to apply for Medicaid and supplemental security income for her daughter when she was born 13 years ago. She remembered telling the social worker that she didnt need it since her insurance had really good benefits. You do, she remembered the social worker telling her. That has proven true, Smoot said, listing off costs she has paid to take care of her daughter: a power wheelchair, hospital bills that totaled over a million dollars after insurance and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats where Medicaid comes in, she said. It fills those gaps. It covers what my insurance doesnt. It keeps us afloat. The White House has said it will not cut Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security. But some Republican senators are worried their own budget plan, as it is written now, will have that effect. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican, called Trump over that big concern, NBC News reported yesterday. Our lives are not just numbers on a budget sheet, Smoot said. Indivisible Charlotte, among other national and local organizations, rallied citizens against what they call the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities. The rally ended with a march. The rally took place at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Social Services Department on Billingsley Road on Saturday, Apr. 05, 2025. Department of Education Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher Rae LaGrone railed against Trumps efforts to shut down the federal Department of Education. The department has been a longtime target of Republicans, going back to Ronald Reagan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Trump called for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin shutting down the agency, though completely shuttering it would require congressional approval. The president has also slashed its size by about half. The government has also warned schools to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs or risk losing federal grants. Its an attack on working-class families, LaGrone said, adding that CMS could lose over $44 million a year that pays for school lunches, services for multilingual students and those with disabilities, as well as career and technical training. People who work in schools have carried on all the while, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, a student asked me, Are you going to be in the streets on Saturday? I asked, What do you mean? and she said to protest, LaGrone said. These kids are hopeful and theyre watching. Indivisible Charlotte, among other national and local organizations, rallied citizens against what they call the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities. The rally took place at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Social Services Department on Billingsley Road on Saturday, Apr. 05, 2025. Research cut, UNC Charlotte professor says UNC Charlotte associate professor Annelise Mennicke said her $450,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the trajectory of healing for LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence was abruptly terminated. She said she received notice that it no longer effectuated agency priorities. Thats AI-speak for it included LGBTQ+ people, she said. That cancellation and others like it will hurt Charlotte, she said, making it less healthy and less safe. And it will hurt students who might have a future in research, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was a special type of grant that funded the research but also the training, she said. We know that students who are exposed to research become researchers and innovate the most advanced technologies in the world. The cancellation of this grant has disrupted that pipeline. In canceling it, the government sent a message, she said: They do not matter. Indivisible Charlotte, among other national and local organizations, rallied citizens against what they call the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities. rally took place at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Social Services Department on Billingsley Road on Saturday, Apr. 05, 2025. Civil liberties concerns Among all the policy concerns raised Monday, others told the Observer that they are worried about civil liberties in general. The president and his cabinet are far overstepping their authority, some said. Indian Trail resident Vince Kowalski is alarmed by the administrations recent attempts to deport legal residents for their right to protest, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has become the most known example. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Khalil on March 8, and the Trump administration has said it wants his green card revoked. Trumps secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the administration will revoke the visas and green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported. Khalil participated in protests at Columbia over the war in Gaza. Indivisible Charlotte, among other national and local organizations, rallied citizens against what they call the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities. Organizers said that as of Friday more than 3,000 people had been registered to participate and that this is the largest single day of action nationally since Donald Trump was sworn in, with more than 1,000 rallies taking place nationally. The rally ended with a march. The rally took place at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Social Services Department on Billingsley Road on Saturday, Apr. 05, 2025. Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Thousands of protesters took to Niagara Square on Saturday in what appeared to be part of the nationwide Hands Off! rally against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Local organizers said the protesters took a stand to protect Americans civil rights and freedom while calling on Trump and Musk to take their hands off government, programs such as social security and education. Over 1,200 demonstrations were planned across the country David ODonnell of the Eastern Monarch Butterfly Farm said he is fighting for the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This administration is very unfriendly to the environment and that is our main issue because its the foundation of human civilization, he said. There will be no Wall Street, there will be no borders to argue over if we dont protect our environment. One protester works with Unite New York and said her goal was to educate New Yorkers on how they can make their voices heard. Through the county charter review commission, were trying to change the way the county votes, said Paula Cahill of South Wales. I think that that would bring a lot more voices and more choices to people who feel disenfranchised and like their vote doesnt matter, and 3.5 million New Yorkers cannot vote in primaries, which leaves about 8% of the population that chooses the candidates. Voice Buffalo and several labor unions were among the two dozen groups reportedly participating. Latest Local News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Thousands took to the streets across the Triangle and North Carolina on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest to condemn the Trump administrations policies on health care, Social Security, education and civil rights. Organized by Indivisible, MoveOn and other groups, organizers claim its the largest single-day protest since President Donald Trump entered office, with more than 1,100 rallies scheduled in all 50 states. Their message: Hands off! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Elon Musk via the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic human rights, the Hands Off! website said. Thousands of demonstrators protest Trump administration policies in downtown Raleigh on Saturday. The rallies spilled across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and into outlying towns like Pittsboro, drawing more than 7,000 RSVPs, organizers said. An additional 3,000 joined the protest in Charlotte. Starting at around 11 a.m. on a sunny morning in Raleigh, people began to gather at Bicentennial Plaza, between the North Carolina State Capitol and the North Carolina Legislative Building. A cross-section of people turned out: people from the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, young families with strollers, baby boomers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hey, hey, ho, ho. Trump and Musk have got to go! they shouted in unison as a small woman with a bullhorn led the crowd. Others waved signs Unite and Resist and Protect our votes. One protester Saturday focused on President Trumps designs on Canada. Since he took office in January, Trump has signed dozens of executive orders and through DOGE has fired thousands of federal workers and canceled contracts or grants hitting North Carolinas national parks and Triangle nonprofits. Hes also announced sweeping tariffs that could impact industries in the state and cause even more layoffs. America has got to wake up, said Kate Brilakis, a 66-year-old teacher from Hillsborough, who was among those in the crowd. She is an Army veteran. Her husband was a U.S. Marine for almost 40 years, and her daughter is currently on active duty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She waved a two-sided poster that singled out North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd. Kate Brilakis, a 66-year-old teacher from Hillsborough, was among those who turned out to protest the Trump administrations policies on Saturday. I call my senators every morning, every afternoon and every night, she said. I beg them to do something to protect the veterans. Everything that we have fought for and devoted our lives to, is just being dismissed and ridiculed by people who have no idea what service truly is. Around the corner, Lindsay Knapp, 42, held a mini-rally for veterans in attendance. Hold the line, she belted through a bullhorn. Defend the Constitution. Lindsay Knapp, 42, led a crowd of anti-Trump protesters at Raleighs Bicentennial Plaza on Saturday, April 5. Knapp runs the LGBTQ Resource Center in Sanford. Im here as an Army veteran, a parent and a queer person, she said, adding: As a veteran, I swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and that oath didnt stop when I hung up my hat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Linda Birnbaum, an American toxicologist and the former director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, appeared on the main stage as a speaker. She said planned cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and its scientific office could lead to the firing of as many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other federal scientists. That decision alone could impact thousands of jobs in the Research Triangle Park and would have a major impact on the local economy, she said. Closing EPAs science office would cause irreparable harm to ongoing studies underway by toxicologists, physicians, endocrinologists and other experts, she said. Hundreds of people gathered on East Franklin Street between McCorkle Place and Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill on Saturday as part of the nationwide set of HandsOff protests. In Chapel Hill, several hundred protesters gathered on East Franklin Street. The crowd spilled across Franklin Street onto McCorkle Place on UNCs campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am determined, like many of my ancestors, to find my joy, to sing my song, maybe not out loud, but to find it every day. I challenge you to find your joy, because thats the reservoir that youre going to have to dig deep into to keep fighting,Camille Berry, Chapel Hill Town Council member, said. Demonstrators held LGBTQ+ Pride flags and signs with messages like, Fascists feed on fear. Starve them. People have fewer rights than they did 20 years ago, Berry said. In Charlotte, more than 2,000 people gathered outside the Mecklenburg County Social Services office as part of the protest. A crowd estimated to be in the thousands gathered outside the Mecklenburg County Social Services Department office in Charlotte Saturday as part of a nationwide set of Hands Off! protests. Dozens of advocacy groups partnered to support Saturdays protests. Among them: 50501NC, Bull City Indivisible, North Carolina Poor Peoples Campaign, Iron Front NC, Common Cause NC, Union of Southern Service Workers, Wake Women Have Mercy, The Black and Brown Coalition of North Carolina and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. N&O correspondent Emmy Martin and Charlotte Observer reporter Ryan Oehrli contributed to this story. Three civilians were wounded in Russian attacks on the village of Bilozerka in Kherson Oblast, on Sunday 6 April. Source: Kherson Oblast Administration Details: At around 13:00, the Russians shelled the village with artillery. A man, 75, was injured in the attack. An ambulance crew took him to hospital with explosive and craniocerebral injuries, contusion and shrapnel wounds. The man is in serious condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later, Bilozerka once again came under attack from Russian artillery. Two women, aged 58 and 60, were injured in the shelling. They sustained explosive and craniocerebral injuries and contusions. An ambulance crew provided assistance to the injured women on the spot. They refused to be taken to hospital. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! KYIV (Reuters) - Three women were injured and several fires broke out in a Russian air attack on the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv late on Saturday, Ukraine's officials said. The attack - a day after least 19 people, including nine children, were killed in strikes on the city of Kryvyi Rih - also damaged several houses, Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim posted on the Telegram messaging app. One of the women was hospitalised, and the other two were treated on outpatient basis, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. It posted photos and videos of firefighters battling flames in a house at night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour three years ago. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours, has sought to broker an end to the conflict. The U.S. last week late last month it had agreed with Russia and Ukraine two ceasefire accords, including one that would halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure. (Reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard) DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Three people were saved during a water rescue in Tipp City early Sunday morning. According to the Miami County Regional Dispatch, crews were dispatched to the 7000 block of Tipp Canal Road around 9 a.m. 2 NEWS was on the scene. Officials told us that a family vehicle had gotten stuck in the water. The mother and daughter had escaped and were on top of the roof, the father was still in the vehicle when crews arrived. All three were rescued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The area they were driving in is closed because of highwaters at Evanston and Tipp Canal Road. The driver passed a close road sign. Our 2 NEWS photographer saw a medic on the scene, but the conditions of the family members were unknown. Tipp City Fire and EMS sent a release about the incident. It said the rescue was west of the Great Miami River and the Great Miami River Recreational Trail. Crews found the vehicle a third of a mile from dry road. There, they performed a wading rescue to remove the victims from the flooded area. (The mother and daughter from the roof and the father who was then standing in the moving three feet deep water.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone was given life vests and taken to dry ground. Medics took the father to UVMC. The mother and daughter were assessed on the scene. The vehicle was left in the water. Crews were on scene for over an hour. Tipp City Fire and EMS reminds people not to attempt to drive through flooded roads and to follow all road closed signs. The water is moving and has the ability to cause serious injuries up to death. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Thunder of Louisville has been canceled and will not be rescheduled in 2025 due to the severe storms that have dropped near-record flooding across much of Kentucky, Louisville officials announced Saturday. The annual fireworks and air show, scheduled for April 12, kicks of a series of festivities leading up to the May 3 Kentucky Derby. The remainder of those roughly 70 events are not affected , but Thunder, due to the extensive planning that goes into it, will not be rescheduled in 2025. Thunder is considered the marquee event of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Except during COVID-19, Thunder over Louisville has never been canceled in its 36-year existence, Gibson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve made the very difficult decision to cancel Thunder Over Louisville this year. Believe me when I say were just as disappointed, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Matt Gibson said during a Saturday afternoon news conference. This was not a decision we came to very easily. When you look at the projections for where the Ohio River is going to crest and how long its going to take to get back to its usual stage, this challenging, disappointing decision was not even a close decision, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg added. Over the last 24 hours, the Ohio River has risen more than five feet, and we expect it to significantly rise higher over the next 2-3 days. A swollen Ohio River spills onto a pedestrian walkway in Louisville Saturday afternoon, leaving debris in its path. The river has already reached flood stage and is expected to reach top-10 record levels in city history. Though much of Louisville got a reprieve from rain and storms Saturday afternoon, evening and overnight rains are still expected to push Kentuckys largest city into near-record flooding levels. Since the storm has been more gradual rather than constant in Louisville, the citys Fire Chief Brian ONeill urged people not to let their guards down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since we havent had this huge storm like we had earlier in the week this has been more of a steady encroaching water and rain dont let that lull you into a false sense of security, ONeill said. We have another system thats going to hit us (and) were going to have a lot of heavy rains. Please try to stay safe. Since Thursday, severe weather and torrential rain have battered much of the state, causing life-threatening flooding and thousands to lose power, brought on by a conveyor belt of weather system that spans multiple states. Two people have died. On Friday, Greenberg encouraged Louisvillians not to use their washing machines or dishwashers this weekend as a means of conserving water, as the citys sewer and stormwater systems are at capacity. By Saturday afternoon, heavy rains had already swelled the Ohio River to flood levels. The river is on track to reach one of the top 10 flooding events in the citys recorded history by the end of the weekend, Greenberg said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a news release from earlier in the day, Gibson added: This weather event and flooding is like nothing weve faced before, especially this close to Thunder. While wed love to bring everyone together (April 12) to watch one of the best air shows and fireworks shows in the country, we know its not logistically possible and would not be safe to do so. Its not logistically possible because the Ohio River, already having reached flood stage with more rain expected, will not recede enough over the next week to allow for organizers to set up necessary infrastructure for the event, or for barges carting fireworks to safely navigate the swollen waterway, Gibson explained. The height and the speed of the river will prevent us from doing that, Gibson said. A flood wall under the 2nd Street bridge in downtown Louisville on Saturday. The Ohio River is expected to reach near-record levels by the end of the weekend. City officials have installed a number of flood walls to protect against additional anticipated flooding from continued rainfall Saturday overnight. Factoring the additional rainfall forecast, the city expects more than 99% of the waterfront to be underwater. BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) Tennessee High Schools (THS) Criminal Justice 2 class worked with the Bristol, Tennessee, Fire Department Saturday to make an awareness video on the dangers of texting while driving. Senior Fairyn Meares said the project follows a class poll in which students admitted to texting while driving. Hands Off! rallies held around the region We just know that its difficult for young people nowadays with all the social media and everything that they feel compelled to look at, Meares said. Its just trying to send awareness out to everyone, especially everyone in our school, to focus on yourself and safety first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of Bristol, TN, said in a social media post, We commend these THS students for focusing on the dangers of texting while driving during National Distracted Driving Month. The video was filmed on the old access road to Holston View Elementary School. Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Press Release April 5, 2025 Senator Cynthia Villar Champions Agricultural Growth and Culinary Innovation at the 17th Philippine Food Expo MANILA - Senator Cynthia Villar underscored the importance of strengthening the local food industry, supporting farmers, and ensuring food security as she joined the 17th Philippine Food Expo, hosted by the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization (PhilFoodEx) and Spencer Food Corporation. The event, which gathered micro, small, medium, and large-scale food manufacturers, exporters, and allied industries, aims to showcase the country's diverse food and beverage sector. It is expected to draw over 20,000 local and foreign trade buyers, consumers, and visitors. "Our Filipino cuisine is known for its unique blend of flavors, and it has continued to evolve with global influences and international techniques," Senator Villar said, highlighting the growing recognition of indigenous and heritage foods. As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, Villar emphasized the need to support farmers and strengthen the country's food supply system. She outlined key legislations she authored, including: Republic Act 12022 (Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act) - Protects local production and food security by penalizing activities that manipulate supply and prices. Republic Act 12078 - Extends the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) until 2031, increasing its annual budget to Php 30 billion. Republic Act 10817 (Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act) - Boosts employment and global market participation for local producers. Republic Act 11511 - Strengthens organic agriculture through a more affordable Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) for certification. Recognizing challenges in the agricultural sector, particularly the decline in hog production due to African Swine Fever (ASF), Villar called for further government action. "The government should complete its initiatives to combat animal diseases by the approval of the ASF vaccine," she urged. She also stressed the importance of modernizing agriculture and increasing investment in farm inputs, post-harvest facilities, and irrigation systems. "If we have abundant produce, our farmers can compete in the global market via exports," Villar noted. Beyond economic benefits, she expressed hope that revitalizing the agriculture sector would encourage more Filipinos to pursue farming. "If there is assurance of income in agriculture, the young people will go back to agriculture, and many OFWs will be encouraged to go home and be with their families because they can earn here," she added. Senator Villar congratulated PhilFoodEx and Spencer Food Corporation for providing a platform that supports local producers and promotes the Philippine food industry. "This will be an exciting two days for all of us," she concluded. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed shock on April 6 at Russias April 4 missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, which killed nine children. The attack killed 19 people, including nine children, the local authorities said. Four more children who were injured during the attack are in serious condition at the hospital, according to their report. "Its an unimaginable horror nine children killed, most while playing in a park, as a military weapon exploded into shrapnel above them," Turk said in a statement released by the UN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The use of an explosive weapon with wide area effects by the Russian Federation in a densely populated area and without any apparent military presence demonstrates a reckless disregard for civilian life." The local UN team visited the attack site on April 5 to document the damage and identify the children killed in the strike, according to the statement. The UN's reaction comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Western allies to do more, stressing that "the pressure on Russia is still not enough." "The number of air attacks is growing," Zelensky said in a Telegram post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line. With Russia still being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the intergovernmental organization has largely refrained from directly condemning Moscow for its war crimes and has responded with caution. Read also: US embassys response to Russias Kryvyi Rih attack surprisingly disappointing, Zelensky says. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. It was a protest of quiet dignity but its message was heard around the world. Stephanie Turner, the 31-year-old fencer who last week dropped to one knee as a signal that she refused to compete against a biological male in a female event, has found herself acclaimed a heroine by JK Rowling for womens rights. One moment she was an unknown athlete from Maryland in an ancient sport. The next, her predicament was drawing the ire of Martina Navratilova, with the nine-time Wimbledon champion furiously claiming she had been thrown under the gender bulls--- bus. And yet in the 72 hours since Turner was disqualified from a tournament for upholding the sanctity of female sport, she has still not received a word of solidarity from the US Fencing Association, her governing body. Not an email, not a call, not a text, she sighs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fact that she has been issued with a black card the most serious punishment in fencing, normally reserved for egregious breaches of the sports code of honour also leaves her facing a protracted and potentially unpleasant investigation. I may never get a fair bout in my life again, she says. Its certainly going to be difficult for me to go to tournaments. People will know in advance that Ill be there, because all our registrations are public. This isnt going to blow over for me very easily. Its not like Im leaving the sport, Ill be doing this for my whole life. Its going to be hard for me. Stephanie Turner admits her kneeling protest was a deliberate attempt to cause a fuss over the issue of transgender athletes Turners motives in taking her memorable stand should not require forensic scrutiny. The instant she learnt that Redmond Sullivan, who participated in mens fencing as recently as 2023, would be in her bracket for the Cherry Blossom Open at the University of Maryland, she decided she would kneel as a forfeit if the two were drawn against each other. When the day came, she was true to her word, detonating global news coverage by telling the referee: Im sorry, I cannot do this. I am a woman, this is a man, and this is a womens tournament. And I will not fence this individual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sullivans path from a mediocre male career to eye-catching performances on the female stage has invited parallels with the case of Lia Thomas, the swimmer who was catapulted from obscurity in mens races to winning a national collegiate title for women. In 2023, Sullivan was 29th in a mens foil event, only to claim a state title in 2024 in the female category. Facing a male, youre in flight mode I have been waking up angry every day because of this, says Turner, highlighting the USFAs dereliction of duty over womens safety. Enabling immutable male advantage in any contact sport involving women is dangerous, but doubly so when you add swords to the mix. In sabre, theres a definite risk of concussion, because there are shots to the head, Turner explains. In epee, it is a much heavier weapon, so you can get very bruised and bloodied if you are hit particularly hard by a man. In general it creates a psychological factor. If youre on a strip facing a male opponent who is much larger than you, you go into flight mode, self-defence mode, where youre not even thinking about technique or the bout. Youre just trying to survive. Redmond Sullivan (pictured) participated in mens fencing as recently as 2023 Despite the particular risks in fencing, the USFAs transgender policy is extraordinarily lax and confused, declaring that athletes will be permitted to participate in a manner consistent with gender identity or expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 12-month course of testosterone suppression is supposed to be mandatory at elite level, but no measurements are specified. All you have to do is confirm you have lived as a woman for at least a year, Turner says. Nobody is checking any hormone levels, puberty blockers, or official documentation about being male or female. Grow your hair out, wear a wig, and you can automatically enter the womens division. Credit: X/@DC_Draino The USFA has been in turmoil since Turners action, issuing only a vapid statement that it respected the viewpoints on all sides. This is patently absurd when you consider how it has publicly sided with Sullivan, while throwing a woman out of a tournament simply for defending her sex-based rights. The people there shut down all discussion of this topic, she says. They just direct you to the policy and insist theyre in the right. But the policy isnt pro-women or pro-girls in any way. It is understood that two USFA directors, Damien Lehfeldt and Molly Hill, have repeatedly acquiesced to pressure from the trans lobby. In 2023, Lehfeldt even went as far as drafting a manifesto later deleted for trans inclusion in fencing, despite conceding that women could be put at a physical disadvantage. Giving athletes a sense of belonging and a will to live is more powerful than medals and competitive glory, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turner initially resolved to avoid events where she might confront a transgender opponent, before realising that only direct intervention would work. She even asked a friend to record a video of the moment she knelt, for maximum impact. Ive found that just sending an email doesnt create any movement on this issue. It only gets deleted. I wanted to cause a fuss. With a black card, an investigation is forced to happen. I wanted to show all the women at that tournament that they didnt have to fence if they didnt want to. Democrat friends lying to my face Many women in fencing are terrified of speaking out, for fear of jeopardising the scholarships to Ivy League universities to which the sport is traditionally linked. Turner, though, appears content to be the outlier. I have a buck stops here type of mentality. Im done with this. I want my case to be the one that changes things, because I dont want more women to feel they have to come out for a long battle. At my club, there are girls who are not even five-foot tall. In womens fencing, they might have an opportunity. But when you start inundating their sport with men, they will have zero chance. Previously a registered Democrat, Turner was persuaded to vote Republican at the last presidential election, out of pure exasperation at the unfairness she has endured. Sometimes, it feels like my Democrat friends are lying directly to my face, she says. I get angry, because of the personal effect this has on my life. I took up fencing because I needed something competitive in my life, where I could make friends, find a lifelong source of exercise. I found so much love chasing the next tournament, the next result. Its addictive. But it becomes dreadful when the cards are stacked against you. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A 56-year-old Milan man who told an officer he had smoked methamphetamine led Iowa State Patrol on a high-speed chase through Davenport, according to Scott County Court records. TO HEAR THE CHASE, CLICK ON THE VIDEO. Howard Frye faces felony charges of eluding speed 25 mph over the limit second or subsequent, second-degree theft, and two charges of possession of a controlled substance third or subsequent offense; and a serious misdemeanor charge of operating while under the inference first offense, according to Scott County Court arrest affidavits. Howard Frye (Scott County Jail) Shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, an Iowa State Trooper was on patrol in the area of East Locust Street and Main Street, Davenport, when he saw a silver 2007 Hyundai Elantra with no front plate headed west. The driver did not dim the high beams, the trooper says in affidavits. A pursuit began. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I continued westbound accelerating to speeds in excess of 100 mph, the trooper writes in affidavits. The vehicle crossed the center line multiple times while fleeing. The vehicle failed to obey multiple red lights. The pursuit continued until the vehicle failed to negotiate a T-intersection and went off the roadway straight, causing disabling damage. The vehicle continued through (a) field in the area of 160th Street and 70th Avenue, Blue Grass. Frye, the driver, took off running and was taken into custody a short time later, affidavits show. Frye stated he had methamphetamine in his pants pocket. I located a bag containing a crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine. Frye had an unused glass pipe that is commonly used to smoke methamphetamine in his pocket. Frye admitted to smoking methamphetamine a few hours prior to the incident, according to the trooper in affidavits. Frye had mumbled speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and was unsteady on his feet, the trooper says in affidavits. Frye was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. According to affidavits, a probable-cause search of the vehicle was conducted and a bag containing suspected marijuana was located behind the front seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frye, affidavits show, had two active and valid warrants for his arrest. He had a revoked and suspended drivers license through Illinois. The registration plate was found to be for the wrong vehicle. Once the VIN was checked, the Hyundai was confirmed to be stolen out of Milan. In affidavits, the trooper writes that a check of Fryes criminal history showed convictions for prior eluding in Clinton County in 2021, possession of controlled substance in Scott County in 2017, and possession of controlled substance in Scott County in 2021. Frye, who was being held Sunday on a total $11,720 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 15 in Scott County Court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. The Trump administration has fired three USAID workers who were sent to Myanmar to assess how the United States could assist with relief efforts following last months devastating earthquake. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which has killed at least 3,300 people, with another 4,850 people suffering injuries and approximately 220 people still missing, struck near the countrys second largest city, Mandalay, on March 28. It is the second deadliest earthquake in Myanmars history. The USAID workers who were fired arrived in Myanmar just days earlier, and received their termination notices via email. The move comes after several weeks of the Trump administration attempting to remake USAID in Trumps image, which includes cutting thousands of jobs, severely limiting the amount of aid provided, and giving the State Department control of foreign aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their colleagues, who spoke to The New York Times on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution, were furious at the way they had been treated, while U.S. diplomats worried about whether the firings could be a sign of whats to come in the State Department. The firings are at odds with commitments previously made by State Secretary Marco Rubio, who had stated that the U.S. would continue to provide humanitarian and crisis aid despite Trumps best efforts to dismantle USAID. USAID employees were warned to expect firings this summer as the agency is folded into the State Department, but the termination of three workers as they were on the ground was seen as especially cruel by those familiar with the situation. Myanmar requested help from other nations following the devastating earthquake, with Russia, China, Malaysia and India sending aid teams and supplies along with neighboring Thailand and Vietnam; the U.S. did not send any aid workers until this week, and they have now been fired. It is unclear when they will be required to leave their jobs or what they will do in Myanmar until then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement issued on Friday, the United States, Australia, Japan, and India announced they were jointly providing $20 million in aid, while the U.S. embassy in Myanmar announced earlier that the U.S. would only be providing up to $2 million in aid. Democrats have denounced the lack of aid efforts, with some senators sending a letter to Secretaries Rubio and Bessent on Wednesday urging the government to rapidly assess what the U.S. can still do for those impacted by the earthquake. WASHINGTON Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday the United States is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, accusing the country's transitional government of refusing to accept its repatriated citizens deported by the Trump administration. It marks the first time the Trump administration has singled out passport holders of an individual country as President Donald Trump warns nations to accept migrants deported from the United States. "It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States," Rubio said in a statement. "Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them." Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a joint statement with NATO Secretary General during a meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on April 3, 2025. Rubio said the United States will also stop issuing visas to South Sudanese passport holders to prevent their entry into the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation," he said. The Biden administration granted South Sudanese nationals Temporary Protected Status in 2023, with the designation set to expire May 3. About 155 South Sudanese are in the United States under the TPS program. Football players holding South Sudanese flags march at the Juba Stadium, as part of the closing ceremony of the National Unity Day events in Juba, South Sudan, on January 23, 2016. Rubio's announcement comes amid fears South Sudan could return to civil war. African Union mediators arrived in South Sudan's capital Juba this week for talks aimed at averting a new civil war in the country after its First Vice President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest last week. South Sudan President Salva Kiir's government has accused Machar, a longtime rival who led rebel forces during a 2013-18 war that killed hundreds of thousands, of trying to stir up a new rebellion. Contributing: Reuters. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration revokes all visas held by South Sudanese Mike Waltz accidentally leaked US military plans to a journalist after saving his phone number under the name of a close aide, according to reports. An investigation by the White House found the US national security adviser had mistakenly listed the number for Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, under that of Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the US national security council, sources told The Guardian. Donald Trump, the US president, is said to have been placated by the findings, having previously considered sacking Mr Waltz for his apparent links to Mr Goldberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Mr Waltz inadvertently revealed plans for US military strikes on Yemens Houthi rebels by adding Mr Goldberg to a chat on Signal, an encrypted messaging service. The White House found that the issue had its roots in the 2024 presidential election campaign, when Mr Goldberg reached out to the Trump team about a story criticising the then Republican candidate for his attitude to wounded military veterans. Mr Hughes, then a spokesman for the Trump campaign, is said to have forwarded the journalists email and contact details to Mr Waltz in October so he could be briefed on the story. Jeffrey Goldberg says he knows and has previously spoken to Mike Waltz - Brett Duke/AP Mr Waltz then inadvertently saved Mr Goldbergs phone number under Mr Hughes name after his iPhone suggested updating contact details. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 13, the US national security adviser then added Mr Goldberg to a Houthi PC small group chat on Signal, where he and other cabinet members, including JD Vance, vice-president, and Pete Hegseth, defence secretary, discussed plans for the strike and its aftermath. Mr Waltz has previously taken pains to distance himself from Mr Goldberg as others in Mr Trumps orbit questioned his connections to a journalist who had controversially labelled the president a de facto agent of Vladimir Putin. Questioned on Fox News about his ties to the Trump-hating editor of The Atlantic last month, he claimed that Mr Goldberg had [got] on somebodys contact and been sucked into his phone. He then went on to attack the magazine editor as a loser, insisted he had never reached out or talked to Mr Goldberg, and suggested that the journalist might somehow have deliberately saved his number under a different name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Goldberg has said he knows and has previously spoken to the former Florida congressman. This isnt The Matrix, phone numbers dont just get sucked into other phones, he told NBC News last week. Mr Trump reportedly spent days mulling whether to sack his national security adviser, having been alarmed by his connections to Mr Goldberg, whom he loathes. According to the New York Times, the president asked figures inside and outside his administration whether he should sack Mr Waltz, before deciding he did not want to cave in to media pressure. Mr Waltz was already viewed with suspicion by some members of the administration for his previous criticism of Mr Trump as a draft-dodger, as well as his hawkish tendencies and advocacy for military action against Iran. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Since WWIIs end, the United States has protected much of the free world under our nuclear umbrella. The Donald Trump administration is now abandoning and antagonizing many of our allies. This is causing several countries to beef up their militaries, including investigating developing nuclear weapons. This fact, with Putins desire to restore the Soviet empire, will result in a more dangerous world. The chances of another European war with a nuclear exchange will increase. Our defense treaties have kept us safe from a world war since the end of the last one. Our treaties and partnerships have kept us prosperous that whole time. Abandoning both is a recipe for disaster. If the administration refuses to understand that, Congress should find a way to compel it to honor these relationships. So far, our senators have been silent. If they remain so, our blood may well be on their hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eric Thomas, Durham Durham schools As the parent of two Durham public school students, Im thrilled to say we have excellent teachers. However, the cuts in federal spending and inadequate funding for public schools is concerning. Our 5th grader had the most challenging year weve experienced with her math teacher leaving and the replacement taking extended leave. Before returning, a strong math substitute wasnt available. I hope this is not a sign of whats to come. Strong teachers are the foundation that make Durham schools great places for our kids education. State dollars matter in our community to hire and retain high-quality teachers, providing a much more valuable than tax cuts for corporations. Pause income tax cuts in N.C. and fund schools to adequate levels to support our future. Leigh Babaian, Durham Tax cuts When youre trying to get out of a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. That old saw applies to the state legislatures tax cuts of the last several years. Revenue is projected to decline in the next couple of years. This will further choke funds which are desperately needed for education, housing, childcare and hurricane recovery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Josh Steins proposal to pause tax cuts makes sense in uncertain times. No one likes to pay taxes, but our state needs support now so we can have the future our children deserve. Russell Outcalt, Holly Springs Triangle research Our premier universities are trimming research programs because Trump and Elon Musk have decided maintaining labs isnt valuable. That means graduate students who hoped to research will not have a place. Faculty members wont have grants needed to continue research that makes the U.S. a leader in science. Federal science agencies are losing staff. Who will evaluate grants for universities? Who will do basic research? What will happen to the next generation of scientists? Will they come from India or China because we couldnt educate them here? Senators, please assert yourself and protect researchers in the Triangle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Janice Woychik, Chapel Hill DAVE Act The DAVE Act? Please! North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger is playing a joke on North Carolina. Hes also giving a wink to Trump and Musk and their undemocratic DOGE. This is no laughing matter. State Auditor Dave Boliek (get it? The DAVE Act?) maintains a straight face as he addresses his duties, but its impossible to believe he isnt tickled. What is a tickled civil servant going to do? I predict hell understand what his overseers want and make it so. Boliek will do Bergers bidding and slash state jobs, eviscerate DEI in as many settings as he can and do whats needed to continue the GOPs lock on N.C.s democracy. Lets see what Boliek the auditor will do. I predict more erosion of voting rights and more reduction of health care for underserved populations all in the name of saving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bob Kochersberger, Raleigh Hands off Regarding HB 595: Dont like a book? Simple solution: Dont read it. Or dont let your kids read it. One set of right-wing parents (or legislators) has no right to tell others what to read, how to raise their kids, what their kids should read, or to prosecute trained librarians just doing their job. Stop HB 595. It smacks of communist-style government control. Free people read freely. Hands off our libraries! Charles Winkler, Raleigh President Trumps border czar Tom Homan is unmoved by protesters who gathered outside his home in New York as part of the nationwide Hands Off demonstrations Saturday. The governments decisions arent based on protests and rallies and hate mail and rallies, he told Fox News, dismissively. They can protest at a vacant house all they want, no ones there, he continued. Im down here in D.C., but its unfortunate that they dont listen to the facts of the case, they want to protest my house. Homan said demonstrators had gathered outside his New York home to rally against an operation up there that was conducted by HSI and War Patrol our criminal investigation into a child predator that was arrested, and there was people that were detained for material witnessing and possible victim statements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the Fox News interview below: On April 3 CNY Central reported protesters planned to gather outside Homans house to stand against the detention of a mother and her children. Homan has said the family was taken into custody because they are either witnesses to or victims of a man Customs and Border Protection is looking for. The man in question reportedly lives in Sackets Harbor, New York, and shared child sexual assault material with an undercover Homeland Security agent who had posed as a 13-year-old girl. CNY Central also reported the suspect was arrested in late March. The family was taken from the state and Homan has also said they are currently detained in an open-air facility. But the people need to understand, decisions will be made, decisions are made on the result of a criminal investigation and what transpires during that criminal investigation, Homan maintained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also touted Trump as a game-changer in terms of immigration into the United States. In 60 days, he did what the Biden administration couldnt or wouldnt do in four years, Homan said. The post Trump Border Czar Says Protests and Rallies Even Outside His Home Dont Mean Anything for Administrations Policies | Video appeared first on TheWrap. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics. President Donald Trump, Republicans, and conservatives at the Supreme Court are escalating a decades-long assault on clean water protections. Through deregulations and cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency, Supreme Court rulings, executive orders, and bills in Congress, conservatives are systematically eroding rules that have successfully granted Americans clean water. These changes fit into a wider attack on environmental protections by the Trump administration that serve to benefit major polluters and industry. Reduced protections for clean water will affect all Americans, but particularly in low-income communities, communities of color, and rural communities. Its a callous disregard for how these actions impact people and their access to safe water, Mary Grant, Public Water for All Campaign Director at the nonprofit Food and Water Watch, tells Rolling Stone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said he will look to significantly reduce a significant portion of the waterways, such as wetlands, rivers, and streams, that are protected under the Clean Water Act, a 1972 law that regulates the discharge of pollutants in water. A memo from the EPA emphasized that it would be minimizing the water covered by the Clean Water Act and enforcing their interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. The Sackett decision found that millions of acres of wetlands more than half are not protected by the law, meaning that a permit is no longer needed to dump pollutants or destroy wetlands by filling them. This is to simply follow the rule of law, Zeldin said. Were not looking for this to be a pingpong anymore. What were looking for is to simply follow the guidance of Sackett. Theres a pretty basic attack against the Clean Water Act by industry and the Trump administration, and its been going on for years, Drew Caputo, vice president of litigation for lands, wildlife, and oceans at the nonprofit Earthjustice, tells Rolling Stone. It was a feature of the first Trump administration, and they made really clear already that theyre going to try and attack clean water protections in an aggressive way. The definition of waters covered by the Clean Water Act has grown and shrunk for years. In 2015, President Barack Obama issued a regulation that clarified two previous Supreme Court rulings, establishing that the EPA has authority over smaller bodies of water like streams and wetlands. Then, in 2019, Trump repealed the measure. In 2022, President Joe Bidens EPA reversed Trumps move, going back to the rules that preceded Obama. In 2023, the Supreme Court issued the Sackett ruling that led Biden to weaken protections for wetlands. And in March, the Supreme Court ruled on a case about San Francisco dumping sewage into the Pacific Ocean that further weakened the Clean Water Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That the Trump EPA is saying it wants to go back to the drawing board again by revisiting the laws scope indicates to me that theyre only going to interpret the already restrictive decision even more restrictively and try to exclude more waters from federal jurisdiction, Emily Miller, staff attorney at advocacy group Food and Water Watch, tells Rolling Stone. The Clean Water Act is the most successful environmental law in America, Caputo says. So were in a situation where efforts to weaken clean water protections are not only terrible public policy, because all Americans need and deserve clean water, its also a situation where we would be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by weakening protections for clean water. Sackett involved an Idaho couple, Chantell and Michael Sackett, who were building a home on a vacant lot that included wetlands protected by the EPA. Despite not having the necessary permit, the couple, who ran an excavation company, dumped gravel into the wetlands so they could build on it. The EPA toldthe Sacketts to undo the damage and stop construction. In response, the Sacketts sued. The Supreme Court decided that waters that did not have a continuous surface connection to major lakes and rivers were not subject to the Clean Water Act, leaving many wetlands, which may have underground connections to major lakes and rivers, unprotected. Wetlands are important because they create clean water by filtering pollutants and they can absorb flood water. Many endangered and threatened species rely on wetlands for their habitats. The EPA estimated that more than 60 percent of wetlands lost protections under Sackett. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sacketts were represented by the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, which Earthjustice calls a pro-industry group that seeks to dismantle key environmental protections. The Clean Water Act drives industry crazy, Caputo says. Its agribusiness, its property developers, its the oil and gas guys. A whole suite of industry is really hostile to protections for wetlands. The law requires that someone obtain a permit before discharging a pollutant from a pipe, tunnel, or other discrete conveyance into water. Thats become the cost of doing business and industry doesnt like the cost, Caputo adds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zeldin argued in a statement last month that the Biden administrations previous definition of waters covered under the Clean Water Act placed unfair burdens on the American people and added costs for businesses. He claimed the Trump EPA will protect Americas water resources consistent with the law of the land while empowering American farmers, landowners, entrepreneurs, and families. Conservative lawmakers have similarly framed the Trump administrations water deregulation as benefiting everyday people. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) said in response to the EPAs changes that Biden and Barack Obamas policies had caused issues for farmers and ranchers. Its not every mud puddle that they should regulate, he said. If you can float a rubber duck in it for a half-hour after the rain, that does not mean this is something they can regulate. Zippy Duvall, president of the lobbying group the American Farm Bureau Federation, also praised the Trump EPAs move. Im a farmer and I need a rule thats on one page, that is sitting on the dash of my truck right next to my devotional book, and if I have a question about a ravine on my farm, I can pick that one page up, read it, and interpret it myself, Duvall said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the EPAs water moves serve to benefit industry above all, experts say. There is little ambiguity in EPAs announcement, Mark Sabath, senior attorney at the nonprofit Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. We hear no concern for the health of people who depend on clean drinking water, or the safety of communities that rely on wetlands to slow flooding. Further weakening federal clean water protections may be what large polluters and wealthy developers want, but it is not what everyday people want either in the South or throughout the nation. Caputo says there are still some ways to fight back. If youre somebody like me who wants to protect those wetlands, there are really two ways to do it, he says. One is to have Congress pass a law that reinstates the protections for those 50 million acres. The other is to have individual states do that at the state level. So in the wake of the Sackett decision, we are pursuing both courses of action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Courts conservative supermajority further attacked the Clean Water Act in March when it decided a case about San Francisco dumping sewage into the Pacific Ocean. As a result, the EPAs ability to stipulate certain basic requirements as part of permits was limited. Its a decision that I think showcases the Supreme Courts open hostility towards clean water protections, and what it does is it makes it harder for EPA and state regulators to protect water quality if the Clean Water Act requires, because it takes away an important tool that regulators have routinely used in the past to achieve water quality protection, says Miller, of Food and Water Watch. The case looked at the level of authority that the EPA and state regulators have to make polluters follow the rules. Before the ruling, the EPA would put restrictions in permits called end-result requirements or provisions that generally prohibit pollution discharges that violate water quality standards, according to Miller. These provisions were meant to serve as a backstop to make sure that their rules are followed. The Supreme Court ruled that these end-result requirements are beyond the EPAs authority. As such, the EPA and state regulators must now issue more specific conditions for each permit, which takes time and money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In practice, I see this decision as making it a lot more difficult and time consuming and expensive for regulators to issue protective water pollution permits, and it may unfortunately lead to weaker water pollution permitting overall, Miller says. As was the case in Sackett, industry backed the polluter, San Francisco. It is unusual that one of the most liberal cities in the country would bring a lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court that essentially weakens a really important environmental law, Miller says. And you might not be surprised to know that they were supported in their challenge by a number of industry lobby groups that represented fossil fuels and mining and industrial agriculture interests, because this decision and this type of weakening of EPA power benefits those polluters immensely. The Supreme Courts decisions favor industrial polluter interests and works to the disadvantage of the American public that relies on water for drinking, for recreation, for all sorts of things that are now at risk, Miller adds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the EPAs broader deregulation agenda threatens clean water protections as well. More than 30 actions that the EPA announced affect water pollution, air pollution, and climate emissions from fossil fuel plants. Trump also issued an executive order that said for every rule an agency issues, it must repeal 10 rules. One such handout to the fossil fuel industry: The EPA is looking to change rules concerning wastewater created as a byproduct of oil and gas extraction. The agency will consider expanding circumstances where this wastewater can be used and discharged. EPA is playing a central role delivering on President Trumps energy agenda, Zeldin said in a statement. EPA will revise wastewater regulations from the 1970s that do not reflect modern capability to treat and reuse water for good. As a result, we will lower production costs for oil and gas extraction to boost American energy while increasing water supplies and protecting water quality. Trumps Office of Management and Budget separately withdrew a proposed EPA rule to set limits on the discharge of PFAS forever chemicals in wastewater. The administration did so based on Trumps executive order on Day One freezing all regulations in progress pending review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Elon Musk, the billionaire leading Trumps so-called Department of Government Efficiency, also want to make major cuts to the EPAs budget and workforce. These cuts would threaten Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which provide major funding for local water infrastructure. I think a lot of industries view the EPA as just being in the way of what they want to do, Caputo says. And so theres a bit of a right-wing fantasy playing out right now, which is to get rid of this agency whose sole job it is to deliver clean water and clean air to people, and to get them out of industrys way. But, he adds, the laws are still on the books. And in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnsons recent stopgap spending law includes cuts to a program that helps communities have access to clean water. Its cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture include the Rural Water and Waste Disposal assistance program, which provides funding to rural communities for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage, according to the USDA. At the USDA, a leaked memo published by More Perfect Union showed that the Agricultural Research Service has banned many words and phrases from agreements and contracts including environmental justice, climate, and safe drinking water. The Trump administration has tried to turn the term environmental justice into a bad word that shall not be spoken, but the people that will be overwhelmingly and disproportionately burdened by these types of decisions are frontline communities, Miller says. The EPA moved to close its Environmental Justice Offices in March. These offices worked on pollution in poor communities and communities of color. Industry and industrial polluters tend to concentrate in particular areas, usually low income communities of color or rural, isolated areas that dont really have the political power to fight them off. And so you know, decisions that let industrial polluters run wild will be felt in those communities. And simply removing the words environmental justice from the website, and you know, getting rid of the Environmental Justice Office and the EPA is not going to change that reality. Its just going to hide it, Miller adds. Republican lawmakers also want to repeal the Lead Out of Water rule, which Biden issued last October and was a massive victory in protecting public health against this neurotoxin, which is especially dangerous for children, according to Food and Water Watch. The rule required that lead pipes in drinking systems be replaced within 10 years. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) introduced the repeal legislation in January. This kind of change will have lasting consequences. We are very worried that if Congress repeals lead and copper rule improvements well never be able to mandate removal of all these toxic lead service lines ever again, Grant says. If this wide variety of actions in the White House, in Congress, at the EPA, at the Supreme Court, and elsewhere seems overwhelming, thats on purpose, Grant adds. She says Trump and Republicans are deliberately flooding the zone, doing a lot all at once to kind of hamstring opposition, explaining: Its hard to keep track of, it overwhelms media attention, its hard to know where to focus. This massive influx of all these executive orders so fast, all these actions so fast, is intentional, and its designed to prevent people from falling into question every illegal action thats taken, every harmful action thats taken. This agenda to deregulate, this agenda to gut the federal government, to dismantle the federal government, eliminate core functions of our government, remove these protections, Grant says, its just an ideology, and theyre acting on it without without care for how it impacts people, for how it impacts our access to safe water Everyone needs access to safe water, and its harming communities across the country. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. An Iranian state newspaper has issued a death threat against Donald Trump, as fears grow of war between Iran and the US. Kayhan newspaper is widely regarded as the voice of the most hardline factions in the countrys clerical establishment. Its editor is appointed directly by the supreme leader. However, the death threat sparked outrage in Iran, with political figures warning that it gave the US president a pretext to strike their country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its dialogue column on Saturday, the newspaper wrote: Whats up with this Donald Trump? Who does he think he is to threaten several countries every day? Threatening military attacks, sanctions, increasing tariffs Any day now, in revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, several bullets will be fired into Trumps empty head and hell drink the cup of damnation. This was a reference to Maj Gen Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Irans elite Quds Force. He was killed in a drone strike in January 2020, ordered by Mr Trump during his first term as US president. A banner commemorating Gen Qassem Soleimani, killed by a US drone in 2020, pictured in Tehran this year - Vahid Salemi/AP Iran has repeatedly said it will revenge his death and has held a court session for Mr Trump, Mike Pompeo, former US secretary of state, and Kenneth F McKenzie, former head of US central command. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three men now face the possibility of a death sentence for organising Soleimanis death, should they ever visit Iran. Kayhan celebrated the hypothetical assassination of Mr Trump, saying it would make the hearts of all righteous people happy, all those who love martyrs, the oppressed people of Gaza, and the resistance forces. The newspaper repeated its threats on Sunday and said Mr Trumps assassination would be a good event. It wrote: But before any shots have been fired, some of the domestic lackeys and American bootlickers have gotten really scared and have started hurling insults and curses at Kayhans editor-in-chief. Ayatollah Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, directly appoints the editor of Kayhan newspaper - EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The threat sparked angered some Iranians. One regime supporter said: If US intelligence agencies intend to fabricate an assassination plot against Trump to justify an attack on Iranian soil, what better evidence could they present than this article in Kayhan? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It came amid increasingly hostile rhetoric from both Iranian and US officials. Gen Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Irans revolutionary guard, said on Saturday: We are not worried at all. We are absolutely not concerned about war. We will not start war, but we are ready for war. A great power has been accumulated. If the enemy wants to see the reality of our power, we are ready. The US has not yet responded to these threats, which come at a time of heightened regional tensions involving Iran, Israel, and various proxy groups across the Middle East. It has reportedly sent a second THAAD missile defence system to Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flight tracking data showed the US Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy the militarys largest transport plane landed at Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on Saturday and stayed for about eight hours before leaving. Last week, Mr Trump warned Iran of possible air strikes and more sanctions if it did not agree a deal with the US to limit its nuclear ambitions. The US president also moved stealth B-2 bombers to the US-UK Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands. Iran threatened to target the base if it was attacked. A B-2 spirit bomber. Donald Trump has moved similar aircraft to Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean - US defence ministry/AFP via Getty The US position on Iran and the Middle East has shifted radically under Mr Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US intelligence agencies warned both the Biden and Trump teams that Israel was likely to target key sites in Irans nuclear program this year. Iran is seeking ways to revive the 2015 nuclear deal from which Mr Trump withdrew in 2018, while the US is pushing for complete disarmament. A senior advisor to Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, warned this week that Iran would develop nuclear weapons if Mr Trump launched military strikes. Ali Larijani warned the US to change its behaviour, reacting to the military build-up on Diego Garcia. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The National Park Service has edited a page on its website that describes the Underground Railroad to reduce the emphasis on Harriet Tubman, instead highlighting Black/White cooperation. The Washington Post first reported the changes, noting that the government replaced a large portrait of Tubman as well as a quote at the top of the page where Tubman described herself as the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years. In place of Tubmans portrait is a collage of five U.S. Postal Service stamps that depict Black and white abolitionist figures, including Tubman, who were involved in helping to bring escaped enslaved people to the north. The Underground Railroad the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, through the end of the Civil War refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage, the page used to read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opening lines of the page no longer mention slavery but call the Underground Railroad one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement. It also states that the network bridged the divides of race. According to the Post, since Trump returned to office, dozens of government-owned webpages have softened descriptions of some of the most shameful moments of the nations past, including erasing or editing references to slavery and Jim Crow-era segregation. High-ranking political appointees at the Interior Department, which manages the Park Service, have directed staff to identify webpages that the administration might take issue with, according to anonymous sources who spoke to the paper. The Post found additional changes on dozens of pages, including: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taking down a page describing the life of Benjamin Franklin and his relationship with slavery. As of March 1, the page, which included lesson plans for teachers, now shows a message: This page is currently being worked on. Please check back later. Removing a mention that Declaration of Independence signer Thomas Stone owned enslaved people from a number of pages for the Stone National Historic site in Southern Maryland. A reference on the site to enslaved African Americans in nearby areas was also changed to enslaved workers. Deleting of a section of a Minute Man National Historical Park webpage that talked about how Black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War were not recognized for their efforts. That passage said in part that systemic racism and historical bias have erased or buried many records of Black and Indigenous people who played a prominent role in the founding of the United States. Removing mentions of the struggle for equality on a webpage about the Niagara Movement, founded by African American civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois. Other edits to Park Service webpages to remove mentions of slavery. In a statement to the Post, a spokesperson for the Park Service said: The National Park Service has been entrusted with preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, safeguarding special places, and sharing stories of American experiences. We take this role seriously and can point to many examples of how we tell nuanced and difficult stories about American history. This revisionist purge appears to be part of the administrations anti-DEI objectives. Earlier edits to Department of Defense websites removed an article that paid tribute to Jackie Robinsons military service and several other pages that featured women and minority groups. When confronted, the administration blamed their use of artificial intelligence for the pages being taken down. An executive order signed by Trump last month called for the removal of anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian Institution, including targeting exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and the Womens History Museum. He declared that the Smithsonian will be banned from hosting exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Donald Trump has remade the GOP in his image. Once a gadfly whose ideas were widely derided as late as 2016, Trump now dominates his party. This is odd because Trump isnt particularly ideological. His governing style is transactional and heavily focused on settling scores with his real and imagined opponents. Yet he has remade the GOP on several key issues. This is due in part to Trumps appeal to his unswerving base. It is also due to the ideological roots of conservatism and the GOP in America. The party is returning to its pre-World War II views on issues such as protective tariffs, international isolationism, and immigration, with one important addition. Trump hasnt shown the GOP a new direction so much as he has awakened slumbering ideas dormant since America confronted the realities of World War II and the Cold War. For evidence, look no further than the Republican platform of 1940. After eight years of the New Deal and desperate to return to power, the Republicans had every right to expect a victory in 1940. They would be disappointed as Franklin Roosevelt won a third term, something Trump muses about today. So much of the old-time religion is in that document, including important parts of the MAGA bible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Start with immigration. The platform is very specific about what that entails: "We favor the strict enforcement of all laws controlling the entry of aliens. The activities of undesirable aliens should be investigated and those who seek to change by force and violence the American form of government should be deported." Todays Republicans also raise the specter of an "invasion" by foreign nationals at the direction of foreign governments. Thats the basis for Trump invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, under which he claims power to detain and deport Venezuelan citizens who are "gang members" with little or no due process. Note that the last time this act was used was to detain Japanese Americans in internment camps in World War II, hardly a shining example of American liberty. The unstated focus of immigration restrictions going back to the 1920s was to prevent foreign workers from taking American jobs, especially blue-collar jobs. Whatever validity this had decades ago, it makes little sense today with unemployment low, a falling birthrate, and American businesses heavily dependent on foreign workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1940, Republicans reflected the prevailing views of big business that protective tariffs were necessary. The idea of "infant industries" needing government protection was widely accepted. It was labor in the early years of the 20thcentury that opposed tariffs because they raised consumer prices for their members. Heres what the platform said about this: "We are threatened by unfair competition in world markets and by the invasion of our home marketsWe believe in tariff protection for Agriculture, Labor, and industry as essential to our American standard of living." Trumps fixation with tariffs reveals a mercantilist mindset, an ideology that dominated 17th- and 18th-century European thinking. Mercantilism focused on protectionism, large trade surplusses, and overseas colonies to acquire raw materials and resources. It explains his threats to occupy Greenland and his demand to acquire Ukraines scarce natural resources. With the publication of Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations in 1776 (the same year as our Declaration of Independence), Mercantilism as a governing philosophy was discarded until revived by this administration in the Year of our Lord 2025. Since Trumps imposition of new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and other countries, the U.S. economy has tanked and is in danger of recession. The biggest change in contemporary GOP thinking is in foreign policy. Trump and the far right see alliances as a burden, not a benefit to the U.S. His support for Russia after its invasion of Ukraine is a stunning change of direction. His separation from Europe, his tariff fights, his threat to retake the Panama Canal and annex Greenland, and his bellicose rhetoric against friendly countries such as Canada all foster a "go it alone" approach which mirrored GOP isolationist thinking on the eve of World War II. Here is what the 1940 platform says: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Republican Party is firmly opposed to involving this nation in foreign warwe deplore explosive utterances by the President directed at other governments which serve to imperil our peace; and we condemn all executive acts and proceedings which might lead to war without the authorization of the Congress" Mr. Conservative himself, Robert Taft, favored neutrality even up to American entry into World War II. Pearl Harbor and Hitlers declaration of war against the U.S. swept away any remaining isolationist sentiment, and America became a full partner in the war against fascism. Even after the war, however, important elements of the American Right opposed the Marshall Plan and NATO, which were designed to rebuild Europe and unite with America to resist Soviet Communism. It was Dwight Eisenhower who dragged the Republican Party into confronting the new realities of Americas role in resisting communist tyranny in the world. NATO has protected democracies and kept the peace for 80 years but is now in danger of being undone. America will soon be free of alliances and maybe friends in this dangerous world. One area that is new to GOP thinking is the Imperial Presidency. Beginning with Franklin Roosevelt, Republicans inveighed against a chief executive with unlimited powers. One of the founding principles of the Constitution was to guard against a king in America. It was Washington himself who accepted the greeting "Mr. President" as opposed to the royal "Your Excellency." The separation of powers with a legislature supreme in making laws and an independent judiciary was designed to ensure that no president would have unlimited powers. Yet Trump has issued an executive order designed to negate the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. He has claimed the authority to withhold congressionally appropriated funds and to terminate government agencies established by Congress. He is making menacing noises about impeaching judges who have found his actions illegal and unconstitutional. He is arresting and deporting even legal residents without due process. Through all this, the Republican-controlled Congress does nothing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This power grab is far outside American conservatism, which has advocated historically for limited government and separation of powers. In contrast, Trump and his allies embrace the "strong man" view of government found in right-wing authoritarians in Europe and South America. Its ironic that American conservatives who once warned of unchecked executive power are now embracing its use by someone whose views they conveniently agree with. Protectionism, isolationism, and nativism might have made some sense 80 years ago. This witches brew makes no sense now. With America needing more workers, access to international markets, and allies to stand with us against fascism and terrorism, a return to 1940s thinking and authoritarian ideology by one political party is dangerous for Americas future. Frank J. Donatelli was assistant for political and intergovernmental affairs for President Reagan and deputy chair of the Republican National Committee. He was involved in debate preparations for Reagan in 1984 and Sen. Bob Dole in 1996. The Trump administrations intensifying crackdown on universities and pro-Palestinian protesters closely mirrors a lesser-known blueprint from the same creators of Project 2025. Quietly unveiled last fall before the election, the Heritage Foundations Project Esther offered a roadmap for deploying anti-terror, hate speech and immigration laws to exploit the vulnerabilities of what it deems to be an antisemitic and anti-American pro-Palestinian movement. Its a playbook the White House appears to be following as it pulls university funding and strips students and professors of legal status an effort that has launched the administrations aggressive immigration crackdown into a more controversial, politically dicier territory. People involved with Project Esther are close allies of President Donald Trump, and some now have roles in the administration. And according to a POLITICO analysis of the 33-page document , of the 47 points it lays out, the Trump administration and its allies in Congress have already moved in their rhetoric or policy to make at least 27 reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those include calls to deport pro-Palestinian activists who are in the country legally, revoke the visas of international students and faculty who have supported pro-Palestinian causes, defund organizations that aid them and discredit the broader movement by branding its backers as supporters of Hamas. As we were watching our campuses burn, as we were watching Jewish students that were locking themselves inside of their rooms because they were afraid to leave, [Trump] made promises to our community, said Bryan Leib, a member of the task force behind Project Esther. Here we are in April and promises made and promises kept. Pro-Israel groups on the right many led by evangelical Christians have been laying the policy groundwork for years, efforts that were turbocharged by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed nearly 1,200 Israelis. Its another example of the intense policy planning that took place in the four years Trump was away from the White House work that is now defining the presidents aggressive strategy to end a scourge of antisemitism across higher education while punishing universities that Republicans have long condemned for what they view as incubating progressive values. Heritage is a big player in Washington, D.C., so it wouldnt surprise me at all if this was something that was brought to [the Trump administration] and dropped on the table, said Luke Moon, a co-chair of the task force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the approach has opened the administration to legal challenges, as Trump strips billions of dollars in federal funding from universities and tests the legal limits of the countrys immigration laws to revoke student visas and green cards. And it has drawn sharp criticism, as Democrats and even some conservative free speech advocates have slammed the tactics as a means of undermining democracy and censoring dissent, masked as an effort to combat antisemitism. There is real resistance from the Jewish community. There is real resistance from the civil liberties community, from almost across the board in civil society. There is real danger if this is implemented, said Kevin Rachlin, the Washington director at the Nexus Project, a left-leaning Jewish group. Stefanie Fox, the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the organizations the document names as part of the Hamas Support Network, called Project Esther an addendum to Project 2025, adding that it is basically setting out a path that the Trump administration is rapidly deploying to sharpen or broaden the legal regimes that best advance MAGA goals. The Heritage Foundation and the White House did not comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the months after the Hamas attack, a cadre of right-leaning pro-Israel groups and think tanks convened the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism as a counterforce to the Biden administrations antisemitism strategy at the time. That task force, which counts no major Jewish organizations as members, is primarily composed of right-leaning Christian groups and Trump-affiliated think tanks, including the America First Policy Institute, which was founded to promote Trumps agenda. The Heritage Foundation, in partnership with the other groups, rolled out Project Esther on Oct. 7, 2024 drawing little attention at a time when the president was distancing himself from Heritages better-known Project 2025, which had become a prominent Democratic talking point during the campaign. Some of the co-chairs of the task force are closely aligned with the president. Mario Bramnick, a Florida-based, far-right evangelical pastor, has had the ear of Trump , Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Speaker Mike Johnson and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And another co-chair, Ellie Cohanim, who served as the State Departments deputy envoy to combat antisemitism during Trumps first term, is on his shortlist to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as U.N. ambassador after Trump withdrew her nomination. Bramnick and Cohanim did not respond to requests for comment. Trump and his allies have maintained close ties with the Heritage Foundation, with the think-tank announcing on Friday that it would acquire the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, an effort established by the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner to push for normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries. Trump has also stacked his administration with loyalists from Heritage and other organizations that signed onto the task force in particular at the Department of Education, which is investigating 60 universities for alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Education Secretary Linda McMahon formerly served as AFPIs board chair. Jonathan Pidluzny former director of AFPIs Higher Education Reform Initiative is deputy chief of staff for policy and programs at the department. And Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for Educations Office of Civil Rights and a major player in enforcement, previously served as senior litigation counsel at AFPI under now-Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is overseeing Trumps federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. Leo Terrell, an attorney and former Fox News contributor in Trumps Justice Department, is heading the administrations task force, separate from the group that put out Project Esther. Terrell has quickly gained acclaim among the groups that backed Project Esther, and he and other administration officials continue to seek outside counsel as they roll out policy, said Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, which provided some guidance for the blueprint. Klein praised Terrells work and said the Trump administration is putting universities on notice. Theyve even asked me which universities do we think are the ones they should concentrate on which are the ones we found very problematic, Klein said. So we gave them that information. Project Esther labels the pro-Palestinian movement as part of a global Hamas Support Network, mirroring the rhetoric used by most Republicans and some Democrats. They accuse student activists protesting Israels bombardment of Gaza which has killed over 50,000 people, a third of whom are children, according to Palestinian health officials of supporting or sympathizing with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group whose assault on Israel threw the region into war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several of Project Esthers recommendations have already made their way into the Trump administrations policy, most notably its calls for pro-Palestinian activists who are foreign students, faculty and staff at universities to be in violation of visa requirements and either voluntarily depart or be deported from the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the administration had revoked at least 300 visas from students, visitors and others, including Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts whose arrest went viral in a video reposted by the State Department . But he declined to say how theyve identified the specific cases. Hes also revoked the green cards of two other students who were involved in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University: Mahmoud Khalil , born in Syria, who is being held in a detention facility in Louisiana; and Yunseo Chung , born in South Korea, who ICE has also attempted to arrest. Judges have temporarily blocked the governments deportation efforts in the three cases. Project Esther also calls for groups they call Hamas Supporting Organizations to lose eligibility for public funds, and to undermine the credibility of pro-Palestinian university faculty and staff, with the ultimate goal of revoking their credentials and affiliation with campuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration has followed those lines with gusto, announcing the latest action Tuesday: the suspension of $210 million in research grants to Princeton University as part of an ongoing investigation into antisemitism on campus. That followed the cancellation of $400 million to Columbia University last month and the review of more than $9 billion in contracts and grants at Harvard University. Project Esther names each of those schools as places where professors had openly advocated or supported pro-Palestinian groups, citing Canary Mission, a website accused of doxxing critics of Israel. All of those schools have asserted their commitments to combating antisemitism on their campuses and said they will cooperate with the Trump administration. Columbia a focal point of the countrys pro-Palestinian student movement agreed to nine of the administrations demands last month to begin the process of un-freezing the $400 million. Those included strengthening restrictions on protests, empowering public safety officers to make arrests, expelling or placing under multi-year suspension students in last years encampment, and placing the schools Middle Eastern, South Asian and African studies department under independent control. Last week, the schools interim president, Katrina Armstrong, stepped down the second since the onset of the war in Gaza amid Republican scrutiny of the progressive campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has signaled that more is coming: The Department of Education warned 60 higher education institutions of potential probes if they dont take more action to protect Jewish students. Terrell is planning a college campus tour later this month, telling Fox News Sean Hannity this week that his first stop will be Harvard as he accused professors of brainwashing students with left-wing, Marxist ideology. He also praised Rubios efforts to deport students, and said the Justice Department will use federal hate crime and civil rights laws to level charges. We are going after them with every type of legal mechanism, Terrell said. In one of the administrations latest escalations, Rubio last month ordered diplomatic missions to begin inspecting visa applicants social media, particularly those who had student or exchange visas between Oct. 7, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, the New York Times reported. One of Project Esthers necessary conditions is that Social media users do not want to be affiliated with groups that it says support Hamas. The projects ultimate goal is to leave pro-Palestinian activists unable to conduct or sustain demonstrations and protests and bar them from the countrys open society. Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) re-elected its party leader Ozgur Ozel on Sunday, as the CHP seeks to cement its resistance following the arrest of their presidential candidate and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Ozel, 50, was re-elected at an an extraordinary party congress by an overwhelming majority of 1,171 of 1,276 ballots cast, reported news agency Anka, which is considered to be close to the opposition. He did not face a challenger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CHP has been at the forefront of anti-government protests that have swept Turkey since Imamoglu was arrested and removed from office over corruption and terrorism allegations last month. The party has planned weekly protests starting next week despite pressure from authorities. The congress in the capital is to be followed by a rally in Ankara on Sunday in solidarity with Imamoglu. People were already out protesting the arrest of the deputy secretary general of the Istanbul city administration, Mahir Polat, local media reported. Polat's lawyer on X called for his client's release, saying his life was in acute danger in custody due to his high blood pressure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CHP sees his ouster as a government manoeuvre to eliminate a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and has demanded a snap election. Turkey's next presidential election is scheduled for 2028. Sunday's election was aimed at preventing the government from appointing a trustee to the party, which is under investigation over allegations that party members were bribed to vote for Ozel at a party congress in 2023. Ozel and the party deny the charges. Deputy CHP leader Gamze Tascer noted that a threat to the party still remains despite Ozel's re-election on Sunday. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's main opposition leader on Sunday pledged further protests against the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's chief rival, aiming to sustain Turkey's biggest demonstrations in more than a decade. The protests began on March 19 when Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was detained on corruption charges in what protesters, opposition parties, European leaders and rights groups called a politicised and anti-democratic move. The government denies any influence over the judiciary, and says the courts are independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking at an extraordinary congress at which he was re-elected party leader, CHP head Ozgur Ozel said the party will organise a protest against Imamoglu's jailing in a different city every weekend, plus rallies in a different Istanbul district on Wednesday evenings. The extraordinary congress was called after the CHP said authorities would appoint a trustee to run the party following a probe by prosecutors into alleged irregularities around its last congress in 2023. The party organised big rallies in front of the Istanbul Municipality building every evening for a week after Imamoglu's detention, and held a large demonstration in the city's Maltepe district last weekend. Hundreds of thousands of Turks, including university students nationwide, have heeded opposition calls to protest. Protests have been mostly peaceful but nearly 2,000 people have been detained and around 300 of them jailed pending trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ozel also addressed a rally near the congress venue in Ankara after his re-election, repeating his party's call for early elections. No general election is scheduled until 2028, but if Erdogan is to run again, parliament would need to back an earlier election since the president will have reached his limit by that date. Imamoglu is leading Erdogan in some opinion polls. The CHP has also launched a symbolic signature campaign demanding freedom for Imamoglu and early elections. Ozel said that more than 7 million people have signed the CHP's petition. Nearly 15 million people endorsed Imamoglu as the CHP's presidential candidate in an internal vote held on March 23, which was planned before his detention. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Jan Harvey) ISTANBUL (AP) Turkeys main opposition party reelected its chairman Sunday, two weeks after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, the partys highest profile rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ozgur Ozel was reelected at an extraordinary congress of the Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, which he called to prevent what he said was a plot by the government to appoint a caretaker for the party. The arrest of Istanbuls opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges has ignited large-scale anti-government protests. Imamoglu had emerged as the main challenger to Erdogans 22-year rule since he was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019, overturning a quarter-century of rule by parties from Turkeys conservative Islamist tradition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opposition claims the charges against Imamoglu are politically motivated, but the government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference. While in prison, Imamoglu was confirmed as the CHPs presidential candidate for the election scheduled for 2028, but which will likely to take place earlier. Ozel said he decided to call Sunday's party congress on March 21, two days after Imamoglu's arrest and hours before the alleged government caretaker was to be appointed for CHP. They didnt have the courage to compete with us in service, so instead they attempted to intimidate our municipalities and the opposition by using the might of the government against their rivals," Ozel told the assembly. "They thought they could remain in power by polarizing the public and provoking new conflicts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and a delegation from the European Parliament's Party of European Socialists visited the CHP headquarters Saturday to offer their support and solidarity with all people fighting for democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. Turkish media reported that Papandreou attended Sunday's congress. Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, suffered a major setback during municipal elections last year, when the CHP retained control over key cities like Istanbul and Ankara while also making huge gains elsewhere. In the months since that election, many opposition mayors of both the CHP and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, have been replaced by government-appointed caretakers on terrorism charges, which the parties strongly dispute. Dr. Vinh Chung, co-founder with his wife Leisle, of Vanguard Skin Specialists, highlights the bureaucracy in todays health care system that is leading to physician burnout. Police are investigating a shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, that killed two people and injured two others Saturday night. Officers were called to the 800 block of North 70th Terrace, where they found two men outside with gunshot wounds, according to officer Jovanna Cheatum, spokesperson for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. During the shooting, two other victims were struck by gunfire. They were later taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Cheatum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks the fifth homicide in Kansas City, Kansas, this year, compared to five this time last year, according to data tracked by The Kansas City Star, which includes police-involved shootings. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. Two 16 year olds were arrested by Tacoma Police on April 5 in connection to the killing of an 18-year-old man in Tacoma who was shot while surrounded by the suspects in an apartment building elevator. Messiah Washington was killed in the Feb. 22 shooting. He was a student at the Willie Stewart Academy and lived with his father on the third floor of the apartment building in the 1100 block of South L Street. Kaleb Prince Tramble and Kaleb Johnny Whiteside, both 16, were charged as adults April 3 with first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder in Pierce County Superior Court. Tramble was additionally charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Bench warrants were issued for their arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Washington, 16-year-olds who are charged with a serious violent offense such as murder are automatically moved to adult court. According to charging documents, Tramble and Whiteside were recently on electronic home monitoring in King County for unrelated felonies. According to a news release from the Tacoma Police Department, the two were arrested on April 5 and taken into custody. They were booked into Remann Hall for first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder. A third defendant, a 15-year-old boy who allegedly was the first to shoot the victim, was charged March 18 in Pierce County Juvenile Court with first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Adam Faber, a spokesperson for the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. Faber said a bench warrant was issued for his arrest the same day, and he is not yet in custody. Another 15-year-old boy was arrested March 5 for the fatal shooting. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment and was ordered to be held in detention at Remann Hall. Prosecutors are seeking to charge him as an adult. The case is still ongoing. April 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Naval Academy removed 381 books from its library shelves in response to President Donald Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion materials and policies in federal facilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered the Naval Academy to review its titles listings and remove books that promote DEI, U.S. officials told the Navy Times. Academy officials identified nearly 900 books for review and afterward compiled a llst of 381 books that it removed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the titles removed are, "How to be an antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi, "Uncomfortable conversations with a black man" by Emmanuel Acho and "Why didn't we riot?: a Black man in Trumpland" by Issac J. Bailey. The Naval Academy removed the 381 books on Monday in advance of a visit that Hegseth made on Tuesday. Hegseth's order required the Defense Department to remove all "new articles, photos and videos promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, including content related to critical race theory, gender ideology and identity-based programs," Military.com reported. Trump's executive order against DEI in the federal government did not apply to the U.S. military academies, but Hegseth ordered them to comply with the order following new reports saying DEI books remained on military academies' library shelves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to removing books from the Naval Academy library, school officials also removed historic items honoring Jewish female academy graduates from the Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel. Their removal was a mistake, and "Naval Academy leadership is immediately taking steps to review and correct the unauthorized removal," Comdr. Ashley Hockycko said. Other books and materials were removed by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Among those removed were books and materials discussing women who served during the Civil War, website discussions of Kristin Griest, who was the first woman to complete the Army's Ranger School, and lessons discussing the Tuskegee Airmen's and Women's Airforce Service Pilots' services duringWorld War II. Some of the removed items and online content have been returned. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) The Trump administrations immigration crackdown is hitting international students at UC San Diego. So far, six students with foreign visas have been impacted. Its unbelievable. Im having such a great time. I dont want to go back home, French international student Kaz Muniesa said. Muniesa is enjoying his year studying abroad at UC San Diego. The French native is pursuing computer science on an F-1 visa, which allows international students to enter the U.S. for the purpose of studying at colleges and universities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio says US is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders A student visa is a glorified tourist visa, so its a privilege that youre being allowed to come into the United States, said Saman Nasseri, immigration and employment law attorney. Immigration law attorney Saman Nasseri says the federal government can revoke student visas at its discretion. If you ever had an arrest, even if no charges were filed, that can be a reason to get your student visa revoked, Nasseri said. Five UCSD students had their F-1 visas terminated without warning, according to a campus-wide notice from the chancellors office Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Border migrant shelters become ghost towns The notice states the federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations. It added, one student was detained at the border, denied entry, and deported to their home country. All six students country of origin remains unclear. More commonly what were seeing right now is students who are protesting, whose beliefs or behaviors are not aligned with the U.S., and so theyre being deemed as a security risk or a national risk, said Nasseri. Thousands of San Diego students rallied on their college campuses last May, voicing opposition to the Gaza war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its really stressful. I remember some of our friends went to Mexico for spring break. I dont know maybe coming from the Middle East or from countries where theres more tension with the U.S., it might be more stressful to cross the border, Muniesa said. Missouri pastor gets deportation notice for sponsored son from Haiti Late last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a press conference the State Department has revoked 300 or more student visas. The UC office of the president issued a statement that reads, The University of California is aware that international students across several of our campuses have been impacted by recent SEVIS terminations. This is a fluid situation, and we continue to monitor and assess its implications for the UC community and the people affected. We are committed to doing what we can to support all members of our community as they exercise their rights under the law. In doing that, the University will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopefully the mechanisms are there and the courts allow these students to be able to challenge these decisions, Nasseri said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) Officers with the University of Illinois Springfield responded to reports of shots fired near campus housing early Sunday morning. A UIS spokesperson said that around 1:12 a.m., the UIS Police Department responded near West Campus housing. When officers arrived, the suspect had already fled the scene. But, police were able to locate shell casings. Illinois Sen.s Sonya Massey bills advance through committee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No damage was reported, and no one was injured. Police do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the university community. UIS said the suspect was described as a light-skinned Black male with short dreadlocks. At the time of the incident, the suspect was described as wearing denim shorts and a black long-sleeve top. UIS said the investigation is ongoing. And, anyone with more information is asked to contact the UIS Police Department at 217-206-6690. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. The UK military has recently uncovered spy sensors in the sea around Britain. These devices are believed to have been installed by Russia to track the movements of the UK nuclear submarines. Source: an article by the Times, citing months of discussions with the military and former defence ministers about how Russia could use its maritime capabilities to prepare sabotage against the UK, as reported by European Pravda Details: The UK military recently discovered sensors in the sea believed to be Russian spy devices. Some had come loose from their mounts and were washed ashore by waves, while others were located with the help of the navy. For national security reasons, journalists have withheld the exact locations and certain other details of the find. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UK military believes Russia installed the sensors to gather intelligence on British nuclear submarines one of which is always at sea as part of the UKs continuous deterrence strategy. The article also highlights the potential threat posed by Russia's submarine capabilities, which have been steadily developed since the Cold War. It notes that Moscow maintains highly advanced skills in submarine warfare and espionage, possibly surpassing those of the UK and other NATO members in some areas. It is also noted that even before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin had already begun preparing for a war conflict with NATO. This strategy involved monitoring and laying the groundwork for possible sabotage of underwater infrastructure. Sources in the Royal Navy told the Times they believe the Nord Stream explosion in autumn 2022 may have been the first such act of sabotage, noting that the "military precision" of the operation strongly resembles Russia's typical hybrid warfare tactics. They also suspect that incidents involving anchors damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea were likely deliberate rather than accidental. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic... We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity," said a senior serving British military figure. Several sources also indicated that credible intelligence suggests Russian oligarchs yachts may have been used for espionage operations in UK waters up until February 2022. Some of these vessels were reportedly equipped with the necessary technology to deploy or recover underwater surveillance devices. One former minister noted that the UK military was well aware of such threats. For instance, in 2018, when a Russian oligarchs yacht unexpectedly anchored near the British warship HMS Albion in Cyprus, the incident was treated as a potential espionage attempt, prompting the warship to leave the port without delay. The article points out that offshore wind farms currently supplying a fifth of the UKs electricity are a potential target for Russian sabotage, as they rely on undersea cables to transmit power to the mainland. Similar vulnerabilities exist with subsea oil and gas pipelines, particularly those bringing energy from Norway, which could face attacks akin to the sabotage of Nord Stream. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 60 communication cables linking the UK to various parts of the world are also seen as potential "easy prey", with their locations not classified. However, sources indicate that private companies operating them are aware of these threats and have implemented alternative measures to safeguard communication. The UK military's primary concern is that Russia could determine the locations of these cables and damage them, particularly those used for military communications. Background: In late March, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited a nuclear submarine, marking the first such visit in over 10 years. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Key developments on April 5-6: Zelensky calls for tougher Western response after Russian missiles strike Kyiv. Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 20 people, including 9 children, injures 75. Macron to helm EU's talks with Putin, the Telegraph reports. Ukrainian drones hit Russian explosives, fiber optic factories near Moscow. One killed, 3 injured in Kyiv amid massive Russian missile attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine's Western allies on April 6 that more needs to be done to stop Russian aggression, stressing that "the pressure on Russia is still not enough." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The number of air attacks is growing," Zelensky said in a Telegram post after a Russian missile strike on Kyiv killed one and wounded three overnight. "This is Russia's way of showing its true intentions to continue terror as long as the world allows it." Zelenskys call for action from Western allies comes as the U.S. continues its efforts to end the war at any cost by pushing both sides toward a rushed peace deal. It remains unclear whether Europe could support Ukraine on its own if Washington were to suspend its military aid and intelligence sharing again. Russian troops have launched over 1,460 aerial bombs, almost 670 combat drones, and over 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine during the past week, according to Zelensky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On April 4, a Russian missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih Zelensky's hometown killed 19, including nine children, the local authorities said. Four more children who were injured during the attack are in serious condition at the hospital, according to their report. "Every strike is against our people and children," Zelensky said in the Telegram post. "(Russian troops) are fighting against children playing in playgrounds." Reacting to the U.S. Embassy's response to the Kryvyi Rih attack, Zelensky said on April 5 that it was "unpleasantly surprising," criticizing Ambassador Bridget Brink for not denouncing Russia. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also insisted in an April 6 post on X that it was "time for more pressure on Moscow," saying that Russia's only response to the United States' full ceasefire proposal has been more missile, drone, and aerial bomb attacks against Ukraine and its people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Russia attacks Mykolaiv with drones, residential buildings on fire Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 20 people, including 9 children, injures 75 Russia's missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed 20 people, including nine children, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rih's military administration. Russian forces reportedly launched a combined missile and drone attack on the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast city in the evening, setting buildings ablaze in residential districts. The attack killed 20 people, Vilkul said on April 6. Nine children were among the victims. "Unfortunately, the number of victims of the Russian terrorist attack on April 4 has increased to 20 people," Vilkul said. "A 57-year-old man died in the hospital from multiple wounds. Doctors were doing everything possible and impossible around the clock, but the injuries were incompatible with life." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another 75 people sustained injuries, with victims ranging from senior citizens to a three-month-old infant. Thirty-seven of the wounded have been hospitalized. Two children, aged 5 and 8, are reportedly in critical condition, along with 15 other hospitalized victims. "Doctors are fighting for their lives and providing all necessary assistance," Vilkul said. The attack reportedly damaged 34 apartment buildings and six educational facilities, as well as various shops, businesses, cars, and homes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attack: ""Russian strikes every day. Every day, people are killed. There is only one reason this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And thats why pressure is needed sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war," Zelensky said. Several European leaders condemned the attack. "Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace," European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas wrote on X, calling the attack "tragic and inhumane." The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attack on Kryvyi Rih was targeted at a military gathering, a claim the Ukrainian military dismissed as "false information." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line. Read also: European leaders condemn Russias deadly attack on Kryvyi Rih Macron to helm EU's talks with Putin, the Telegraph reports French President Emmanuel Macron is readying to become Europe's point person in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, per the Telegraph. France and the United Kingdom are the main players within the "coalition of the willing" that is toying with the creation of some form of peacekeeping force in a post-ceasefire Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citing sources within French government, the Telegraph compared Macron's ascent to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's relative reticence. France is one of the few countries in NATO that conducts military operations independent of the U.S., primarily in missions in former colonies in West Africa. It likewise maintains an intelligence network separate from the U.S.-led Five Eyes, which came in handy for Ukraine when the U.S. cut off intel sharing for a week at the start of March. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Macron has been one of the more vocal proponents of a European rearmament. But results remain uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unnamed official apparently said that it was "apparently, not yet" the time for Macron to lead the coalition. Similarly, the details of any peacekeeping commitment from the coalition, whether French or otherwise, remain vague, with Ukraine awaiting tangible help. Read also: Zelensky welcomes French, British army chiefs in Kyiv, talks troop deployment Ukrainian drones hit Russian explosives, fiber optic factories near Moscow Ukrainian deep-strike drones hit Russian fiber-optic and explosives factories on the night of April 4. The strikes targeted factories in Samara and Mordovia oblasts. A source with the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that they were behind at least the strikes in Samara Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "SBU strike drones attacked 'Promsintez' in Chapayevsk, in Samara Oblast. The factory is one of the leading manufacturers of explosives in the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States," writes a source in the SBU, who said their drones hit the factory 20 times. "As a result, the leadership of the factory have stopped their technological processes." Footage from local media show attacks on Saransk in Moravia Oblast the same night. One local source identified the building hit as a factory belonging to a company called "Fiber Optic Systems." Russian investigative outlet Insider identifies Fiber Optic Systems as the main producer of optical fiber in Russia. Fiber-optic drones are resistant to electronic warfare interference. Russia's mass production of such drones has greatly enhanced the offensive power of the Russian military, most notably in their recent recapture of territory in Kursk Oblast. Insider similarly identified Fiber Optic Systems as a remarkably effective link in the chain providing Russia with foreign-derived components for its war machine. The governors of both oblasts announced no casualties as a result of the strikes. Of the Promsintez strike, the SBU source said in a statement, "the SBU is continuing to work precisely through Russian businesses, that are part of the military-industrial complex and produce weapons for the war against Ukraine. Such objects are absolutely legal military targets." Ukraine has invested heavily in its long-range strike drone programs, as well as more traditional missiles, in an effort to reach Russian infrastructure far from the front. Russia, meanwhile, uses its much larger arsenal of ballistic missiles to strike civilian targets throughout Ukraine. One such strike hit a playground in Kryvyi Rih earlier today, killing 19, including 9 children. Read also: Russian missile strike destroys Ukrainian channel Freedom TVs newsroom in Kyiv One killed, 3 injured in Kyiv amid massive Russian missile attack An overnight Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv killed one person and wounded three people, the local authorities reported on April 6. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that the body of the victim had been found on the street near the epicenter of an explosion in Kyiv's Darnytskyi District, and that the person was being identified. Two of the wounded in the Darnytskyi District, located on the capital's southeastern edge, have been hospitalized, Klitschko said. Ukraine's State Emergency Service said that the attack affected Kyiv's Darnytskyi, Obolonsky, and Solomyansky districts. A fire broke out at an unspecified non-residential building, and another building was severely damaged, causing three nearby parked cars to catch fire as well, according to the State Emergency Service. It added that the fire was extinguished. Another fire broke out at a furniture shop and a warehouse building, and a five-story office building sustained "partial destruction" across several floors, the State Emergency Service added. The fire was extinguished at these sites too, according to the report. A round of explosions occurred in Kyiv around 5:00 a.m. local time on April 6, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground. Paramedics throughout the city are responding on the scene, Klitschko reported. Earlier, explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 2:12 a.m., a Kyiv Independent journalist reported. Poland mobilized its jets and air defenses in response to the massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine, the Polish Armed Forces said in a post on X. Russian attacks have been ongoing throughout the country overnight. The Air Force earlier mentioned missiles approaching Southern Ukraine at 1:43 a.m. Russia has regularly targeted civilian infrastructure since the onset of its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022. The U.S. has been in talks with Ukraine and Russia to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine. Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Moscow has refused. Read also: Over 150 clashes recorded on front lines, half of them near Pokrovsk, General Staff reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Originally appeared on E! Online Arielle Konig set off for a hike on Oahu with her anesthesiologist husband on March 24. And after they had posed for a photo at the edge of the 1,000-foot Nu'anu Pali Lookout, which offers sweeping views of the windward side of the island, Dr. Gerhardt Konig tried to kill his wife, according to Honolulu prosecutors. The 36-year-old mother of two was found along the Pali Puka trail near the lookout spot with multiple head and facial injuries, according to a March 28 news release announcing that a grand jury had indicted Gerhardt, 46, on a charge of attempted murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is accused of hitting Arielle in the head with a rock multiple times after first trying to push her off a cliff, per the release. Gerhardt fled the scene but was arrested later that same night following a foot pursuit near Nuuanu Pali Drive, prosecutors said. Defense attorney Thomas Otake told E! News that Gerhardt plans to plead not guilty to attempted murder at his arraignment scheduled for April 7 and had no further comment at this time. Bail was initially set at $5 million but, in the wake of the indictment, Gerhardt was remanded and remains in custody at O'ahu Community Correctional Center, according to prosecutors. Once she was with the police, she said she learned her husband had FaceTimed her adult stepson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gerhardt was observed to be covered in blood, she said in the petition. Gerhardt said I just tried to kill Ari but she got away. She additionally stated that her stepson told her that his father wanted to kill himself by jumping off a cliff. He was instead arrested by Honolulu police officers, who had set up a large search area for him near the Pali Lookout. Arielle Konigs attorney Brandon Segal told Hawaii News Now in a statement on Friday: Arielle is focusing on her recovery at home in Maui with the support of her family. She kindly asks that the media and the public respect their privacy during this time. More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, Arielle has secured a temporary restraining order against her spouse of six years, with whom she shares two sons, ages 2 and 4. In her March 27 TRO petition, obtained by E! News, Arielle accused Gerhardt of recent abusive behavior before the alleged attack: Here is what to know about how this case has unfolded so far: What Was Going On in Gerhardt Konig and Arielle Konig's Marriage Before His Arrest? "The respondent has sexually abused and assaulted me over the last few months," Arielle Konig alleged in her TRO petition, which was granted March 28. Husband Gerhardt Konig accused her of having an affair in December, Arielle said in the filing, and his "extreme jealousy" led to him attempting "to control and monitor all of my communications." She also noted in the petition that they had both been to individual therapy and couples counseling. Arielle's LinkedIn page details that she has been a project manager at TerraPower LLC, a nuclear energy company based in Bellevue, Wash., since September 2022, and previously worked at Westinghouse Electric in Pennsylvania. She earned her MBA from University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business in 2021, the page notes. Meanwhile, Gerhardt's page on the networking site says he was a clinical instructor and then assistant professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (where he also got his MD) for six years before joining the Anesthesia Medical Group in Maui in 2023. Never saw this coming," the Konigs' housekeeper Christina Ferguson told NBC affiliate KHNL after her boss' arrest. "Never in the million years would I think this would happen." She said she had seen Gerhardt the previous week and she didn't sense any trouble. "Always saw him loving with the kids and with her," Christina said, "and seemed very family oriented." What Is Gerhardt Konig Accused of Doing to Wife Arielle Konig? Arielle said in her TRO petition that Gerhardt had planned a weekend getaway to Oahu for her birthday, staying in a hotel in Waikiki, while their kids remained at home in Maui with their nanny. On March 24, Gerhardt suggested they hike to the Nuuanu Pali Lookout, according to the petition. The trail had narrow sections with steep drop-offs on both sides, and during the hike she began to feel "uneasy," Arielle said. She told Gerhardt she didn't want to go any further, per the filing, and stayed put while he went on ahead for a bit, then came back. Arielle climbed a tree and Gerhardt snapped a picture of her, the petition continued, after which he suggested they take a selfie "close to the edge" of a cliff. She told him she felt dizzy, Arielle said in the filing, and asked if they could move away from the edge. When she got close to him, her petition continued, "Gerhardt grabbed me by my upper arms and started pushing me back towards the cliff edge. He was yelling something to the effect of, Get back over there, Im so f---ing sick of you! And continued to push me." "At first I thought he was joking," she said in the petition, "but I quickly realized he was seriously trying to make me fall off the cliff." Arielle said in the filing that she threw herself to the ground and Gerhardt started wrestling with her. As they struggled, she alleged, "Gerhardt grabbed his bag and took out a syringe with an unknown substance, attempting to inject me with it." She managed to grab the syringe and throw it away from them, the petition said, but she saw he was still holding a vial of something and started looking in his bag. Arielle suspected he was looking for another syringe, she said in the filing, and it was then she believed she bit her husband's forearm. Gerhardt seemed to "calm down slightly," Arielle alleged in the petition, but then he grabbed a rock and started "bashing" her in the head "repeatedly," cutting her face and scalp. Attempting to defend herself, Arielle said in the filing, she suffered a broken left thumb. I was screaming and pleading with him to stop, asking him to think about our children," she continued in the filing. "If I had fallen off the cliff, I would have likely died." According to Honolulu Police, two witnesses called 911 to report a man beating a woman. By the time authorities arrived, Gerhardt was gone, and Arielle was transported by ambulance to a hospital in critical condition, police said. Did Gerhardt Konig Tell His Son He Tried to Kill His Wife? Arielle further alleged in her TRO filing that, once she was with the police, she found out that Gerhardt had FaceTimed his adult son from a previous relationship and told him he had attempted to kill his stepmom. "Gerhardt was observed to be covered in blood," she stated in the petition. "Gerhardt said, 'I just tried to kill Ari but she got away.'" Arielle alleged in the filing that Gerhardtbefore he was arrestedalso told his son that he wanted to jump off a cliff and kill himself. Instead, Gerhardt was arrested later that same day at approximately 6:10 p.m, without incident but "after a brief foot pursuit," according to a police bulletin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where Is Gerhardt Konig Now? Gerhardt was indicted March 28 on a charge of attempted murder and is being held without bail. "This indictment reflects the serious nature of crime that is alleged this case," Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm said in a statement. "Domestic abuse cannot be tolerated. Our office is committed to ensuring that justice is served for the victim and that the defendant is held accountable. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or know of someone who is a victim, we urge you to reach out for help." Gerhardt's attorney Thomas Otake told E! News that his client is scheduled to appear at his arraignment April 7 and will be entering a plea of not guilty to the charge of attempted murder. A judge signed off on Arielle's restraining order request March 28. It's good for 180 days, during which Gerhardt is forbidden from contacting Arielle, their children, his aforementioned adult son and Arielle's mother and stepfather, according to court documents reviewed by E!. He's also been ordered to stay away from their Maui home. I am fearful that if Gerhardt is released from custody, he will return to Maui and attempt to harm or kill me," Arielle's TRO petition said, "as well as harm or kill our children or other family members." Another hearing on the petition is scheduled for April 11, according to NBC News. Where Is Arielle Konig Now? "Arielle is focusing on her recovery at home in Maui with the support of her family," her attorney Brandon Segal said in an April 1 statement to NBC News. "She kindly asks that the media and the public respect their privacy during this time." Housekeeper Christina Ferguson set up a GoFundMe page for Arielle and her kids with a stated goal of $15,000. She is a special person and she didnt deserve this, Christina told NBC News. Hard to fathom, its hard to grasp the severity of this tragic incident. I didn't think that this was something he would ever do." US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink has mentioned Russia in her remarks on the latest large-scale missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Source: Brink on X (Twitter); European Pravda Details: Commenting on the latest large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine, Brink noted that "Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine remain under a ballistic and cruise missile attack from Russia". "Loud explosions in the capital and reports of attacks in multiple cities," she tweeted. Background: On the evening of 4 April, Russian forces struck a residential area in the city of Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile, killing at least 18 people, including 9 children. At the time, Brink tweeted that she had been "horrified" by the attack on Kryvyi Rih, but did not mention Russia in her post. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "unpleasantly" surprised by the US Embassy's reaction to the Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Space technology leaders from across the world will converge on Colorado Springs this week for the annual Space Symposium, with a focus on building partnerships to secure the future as the global space economy continues its meteoric growth. Hosted by the Space Foundation, the six-day event at The Broadmoor is anticipated to convene more than 10,000 space professionals including top space agency leaders, military, and commercial and national security organizations from 40-plus countries, enough to fill 34 hotels, Space Foundation spokesman Rich Cooper said. Expected attendance this year is on par with pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic levels, even amid federal orders that have recently hampered travel for certain federal employees, Cooper said. Many of the same companies and similar government officials who attend Space Symposium gather over the winter for Warfare Symposium, hosted by the Air and Space Forces Association. This year at the event in early March, the hallways and meeting rooms of the sprawling Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora were far less crowded with people in formal suits and military fatigues. The huge ballrooms had rows and rows of empty seats, leading to comments among attendees that the event seemed quiet. President Donald Trump's executive order on Feb. 26 froze all credit cards held by civilian employees for 30 days, likely leading to lower attendance. Pull Quote "The Space Symposium has historically been one of the primary events for connecting with the defense and intelligence community. It is an important opportunity for us to meet with professionals from around the world about space-based missions and technologies." Neil Oatley, Kratos spokesperson A Department of Defense order on March 5 suspended all travel for DoD civilians that is not in direct support of military operations or a permanent change of station. The order directed all DoD civilians to cancel all upcoming travel reservations. Space Foundation still expects "strong participation" from senior U.S. government officials who will attend the 40th Space Symposium in person, Cooper said, pointing to event registration data. Officials are continuously working with government partners to assess what adjustments, if any, may be needed for this year's event, he added. "Our intent remains the same: host the premier gathering of the global space community where participants find unparalleled opportunities to connect with international, commercial and governmental space leaders," Cooper said. In recent memory, Space Symposium has generated about $16 million in total economic impact every year for the Pikes Peak region, Visit Colorado Springs said. That figure accounts for the symposium itself, as well as guests who stay overnight in local hotels, dine, shop and visit other area attractions while in town. This year's Space Symposium will include a record 304 exhibitors spread across 153,000 square feet of exhibition space. Of those exhibitors, 48 emerging space companies are part of the "Innovate Space: Supplier Showcase," a new addition this year that provides networking opportunities for enterprises bringing new approaches and technology that support commercial, national security, civil and research missions. Eight companies will participate in the second annual pitch contest to highlight their capabilities and what they bring to the space industry. Vast, Firefly Aerospace and Kratos will also have outdoor exhibits that feature their Space Haven-1, Blue Ghost lunar lander and space domain awareness power at the edge, respectively. Featured Local Savings Likening Space Symposium to "the EPCOT of space," Cooper said it is a vital opportunity for industry experts to share ideas and drive innovation. "Symposium is giving (participants) an incubator of opportunity of being able to connect with so many people from so many facets of the space community in one place. It is the ultimate one-stop shop for them. ... You can tour the world in one of the exhibit halls or sitting in one of the plenary sessions by nature of the people who come to this program," he said. The event agenda features more than 300 speakers, including U.S. Space Command Cmdr. Gen. Stephen Whiting, U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman and NASA's Acting Administrator Janet Petro. Held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort nearby, the symposium again will feature extended programs called "tracks" on topics like space law and regulation, space science, advancements in artificial intelligence applications for space exploration and operations, and the surge of technology and emerging countries reshaping the space industry and market. Pull Quote "Space Symposium ... enables us to showcase our capabilities, including our launch vehicles, lunar landers and orbital vehicles that deliver responsive, reliable and affordable space access across cislunar space. The symposium also allows us to strengthen partnerships and explore new collaborations as we continue to see growing demand for responsive space services." Risa Schnautz, Firefly Aerospace, Inc. spokesperson After the opening ceremony on Monday evening, students grades 9-12 with the drone performance team at the Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools in Longmont will host a drone show over The Broadmoor Lake beginning at 9 p.m., another new addition to Space Symposium. Student project managers, design animators, drone pilots and a music crew will debut the show they have choreographed and prepared over the last year that features space-themed animations and a complementary soundtrack. The students agreed to participate after Space Foundation asked them specifically to create the performance for this year's event, team coordinator Danny Hernandez said. The Innovation Center offers St. Vrain Valley Schools students additional opportunities to take advanced coursework, summer camps, projects and more. "We're about to take seven students to fly a drone show at Space Symposium, where people are coming from (dozens of) different countries. That in itself is an incredible accomplishment within our program and our team," he said, noting that the drone performance team is the first of its kind in the St. Vrain Valley School District. "That's a huge testament to the students, because the work they have done has gained them this recognition." The team's student project managers Abi Reichert and Reese Weider said the drone performance will showcase the talents of young people and open them up to a new world of opportunity in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "There's no such thing as too young," Reichert said. "It's hard as a high school student to feel like you're old enough to do something as complex as a drone show. That's something that's really hard to grasp for high school students, that they can accomplish anything if they find the right outlet for it." Weider added, "As technology continues to shape our world, it's vital for young people to understand that they can contribute to a positive change in any field. I want them to see other students involved in STEM and know that they belong in these spaces, too." Gazette's Mary Shinn contributed to this report. A U.S. neo-Nazi terrorist group with links to Russia is offering locals payment to carry out attacks, the Guardian reported on April 5. Russia actively tries to recruit civilians in Ukraine to spy on military targets and carry out terrorist attacks throughout the country. On April 3, at least one person was killed in a Kyiv explosion. The Base is a neo-Nazi terrorist group established in 2018. The group's leader, Rinaldo Nazzaro, is a U.S. citizen who now lives in St. Petersburg, Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nazzaro is a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Pentagon employee. Locals are being asked to conduct attacks on "electric power stations, military and police vehicles, military and police personnel, government buildings, (and) politicians in various cities, including Kyiv. "Given Russias connections to the leadership of the Base, including offering sanctuary to its leader Rinaldo Nazzaro, there is a strong chance that this could very well be a Russian intelligence operation," geopolitics expert Colin Clarke told the Guardian. The terrorist group was extensively investigated by the FBI since its founding in 2018. Under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the FBI has cut back on investigations into far-right groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previously, the Base did not align itself with Russia. The change likely means the terrorist group is carrying out sabotage across Europe, experts told the Guardian. "Supporting and directing violent non-state actors, including racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists, is just another tool in the Kremlins hybrid warfare toolkit, and one which Moscow has repeatedly demonstrated that its willing to use," Clarke said. The Base is designated as a terrorist group in various jurisdictions, including Canada, the EU, and the U.K. On April 4, Yuriy Fedko, an official in Dnipro, was killed in a car explosion. Police say several possible scenarios are being investigated, including an attack ordered by Russia to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. Read also: Who is Kirill Dmitriev, Putins Trump-whisperer Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A US official says US President Donald Trump decided not to slap tariffs on Russian imports owing to the risk of upsetting ongoing talks on a possible ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. The director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, told television channel ABC on Sunday it would have been inappropriate "to throw a new thing into these negotiations right in the middle of it." Russia had been notably absent from Trump's sweeping punitive tariffs announced on nearly all countries around the world - including Ukraine - earlier in the week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hassett said this does not mean that Russia is being treated completely differently from other countries, and said Trump was merely focusing on talks with Russia to end the war against Ukraine. In an initial explanation after the tariffs were announced, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt had said that Russia had not been included because US sanctions already exclude any significant trade. Trade between Russia and the US did indeed shrink sharply compared to the period before the war of aggression against Ukraine, according to data from the United States Census Bureau. However, Russia still ranks ahead of Ukraine in the US trade balance for goods imports. According to the US statistical office, in 2024 goods worth around $3 billion came from Russia to the US compared to around $1.2 billion from Ukraine. The Trump administration has begun talks with the aim of ending Russia's war against Ukraine. However, the US president has shown more understanding towards Russia than towards Ukraine in recent weeks, prompting accusations he is more on Moscow's side. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) An overflow crowd of 800 people jammed into the gym at Parkrose Middle School in Portland for a Sunday afternoon townhall with US Rep. Maxine Dexter and State Rep. Thuy Tran. The crowd sounded off on veterans affairs, the economy and the Russia-Ukraine war. Dexter didnt hold back. Chaos and cruelty of this administration is the point. And they want us to get tired, and they want us to lose hope. But this is where we get our hope is in our communities, talking to our neighbors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands in PNW march in anti-Trump Hands Off rally Economic concerns were top-of-mind after President Trump imposed steep tariffs on almost every country this week. The tariffs have really escalated to the top of the impact on peoples retirements. And, you know, their accounts across mutual funds and all these things, whether or not they have anything in the stock market, Dexter said. Clearly its not a marker of economic health right now. US Rep. Maxine Dexter held a town hall at Parkrose Middle School in Portland, April 6, 2025 (KOIN) Education funding was on the minds of many, including one student. As a member of the student body who suffers from countless cuts and loses pretty much nonstop, how can we be proactive and take the power back with the war on education? the student asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The billionaires, the richest people, are trying to take your tax dollars and put it in their pockets, Dexter said, noting theyre trying to prioritize Veterans affairs, services while Trumps plan is trying to privatize public education. When asked what Democratic leaders in D.C. plan to do to address the fears they have been hearing from the voters, Dexter said they dont have a lot of legislative power but that could change. US Rep. Maxine Dexter and State Rep. Thuy Tran held a town hall at Parkrose Middle School in Portland, April 6, 2025 (KOIN) Until the public opinion shifts away from supporting Donald Trump, we dont have a lot of action that we can take in a legislative manner, she noted. We only need three Republicans to stand up and when public opinion shifts, they will start doing so. And were starting to see cracks. After introducing the Stop Musk Act in early February, Dexter heard many concerns about Elon Musk and DOGE from those gathered at a previous town hall on March 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OPINION: Foreign aid cuts bring local consequences Dexter hosted a telephone town hall with more than 12,000 Oregonians on March 26, answering questions related to Social Security, Medicaid cuts and education. This marked her sixth total town hall since being sworn into office in January. KOIN 6 News will have more information later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. The United States on Saturday said it was revoking all visas held by South Sudan nationals, citing the African country's refusal to accept the repatriation of its citizens. "Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. "As South Sudan's transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle, effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio accused the transitional government in Juba of "taking advantage" of the US. He added that Washington would be willing "to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation." South Sudan, with a population of around 11 million, experienced a brutal civil war after it gained independence from its northern neighbour Sudan in 2011. President Salva Kiir and his opponent Vice President Riek Machar formed a joint transitional government in 2020, which is now on the verge of collapse. The domestic political crisis has been escalating for several weeks. The United States is revoking visas for South Sudanese passport holders because the countrys transitional government has not accepted citizens who were expelled from the U.S., according to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio. As South Sudans transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle, effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders, Rubio said in a statement released Saturday. Rubio added that the U.S. government will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S.s top diplomat accused South Sudans government of taking advantage of the United States. Enforcing our nations immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, Rubio said. Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them. Apart from canceling visas of South Sudanese citizens, Rubio said the U.S. is restricting any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately. The sweeping action to revoke visas of passport holders of a specific nation was the first since President Trump started his second White House term on Jan. 20. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Sudan, positioned in East Africa, is one of the worlds poorest and newest countries, having declared independence in July 2011. Tension has been rising in South Sudan in recent weeks. The United Nationss Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned late last month that South Sudan was falling into a deeper crisis and called on regional and international leaders to help the country avert a civil war. South Sudan may have fallen off the worlds radar, Guterres said on March 28. But we cannot let the situation fall over the abyss. The State Department last month ordered all nonemergency U.S. government personnel to depart South Sudan due to continued security threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Susan Heavey and Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Sunday a Justice Department attorney had been placed on leave after he failed to vigorously defend the government's handling of a man erroneously deported to El Salvador in what a U.S. judge called a "wholly lawless" detention. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had ordered that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who lived in the U.S legally with a work permit, be returned to Maryland despite the DOJ's position that it cannot return him from a sovereign nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has appealed the case, and a ruling is expected as soon as Sunday night ahead of the judge's 11:59 p.m. Monday deadline for his return. At a court hearing on Friday, Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni struggled to answer questions from the judge about the circumstances of Abrego Garcia's deportation. Reuveni said he had raised questions with U.S. officials about why the federal government could not bring back Abrego Garcia but had received no "satisfactory" answer. He acknowledged what he called an "absence of evidence" justifying Abrego Garcia's detention and deportation. Bondi told "Fox News Sunday" that Reuveni was no longer actively working on the case or in the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a pending matter right now. He was put on administrative leave by (Deputy U.S. Attorney) Todd Blanche on Saturday," Bondi said. "You have to vigorously argue on behalf of your client." Reuveni's supervisor, August Flentje, was also placed on leave, ABC News reported. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Reuveni and Flentje, who according to his LinkedIn page is deputy director of the Justice Department's Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. President Donald Trump's administration acknowledged in previous court filings that it had erroneously deported Abrego Garcia to his home country despite a previous court order prohibiting his removal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House and administration officials have accused Abrego Garcia of being a criminal gang member, but there are no pending charges. His lawyers have denied the allegation. 'WHOLLY LAWLESS' Xinis, in a written order on Sunday explaining her Friday ruling, said, "There were no legal grounds for his arrest, detention or removal" or evidence that Abrego Garcia was wanted for crimes in El Salvador. "Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless," she wrote in the filing. Abrego Garcia had complied fully with all directives from immigration officials, including annual check-ins, and had never been charged with or convicted of any crime, the judge wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia was stopped and detained by immigration agents on March 12 and questioned about his alleged affiliation with the MS-13 gang, which he has denied. MS-13 was originally formed by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing civil war in their homeland and is now involved in myriad illegal enterprises, U.S. officials say. Abrego Garcia has been detained in El Salvador in what the judge called "one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere." The Trump administration has faced criticism in the U.S. courts and elsewhere of its stepped-up enforcement against immigration rights. A judge in Washington, D.C., is separately weighing whether the Trump administration violated a court order not to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members amid ongoing legal proceedings. Some of those deported have active asylum cases, and civil rights groups have argued the administration has failed to provide due process under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondi on Sunday vowed to continue the administration's deportations. "The best thing to do is to get these people out of our country," she said. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Mike Scarcella; Editing by Leslie Adler and Ross Colvin) SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Utahns gathered to pay their respects to Americas first black Republican congresswoman, former Rep Mia Love. In 2023, Love announced that she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a common yet aggressive form of brain cancer. After two years of seeking treatment, clinical trials, and immunotherapy, Love passed away on March 23, 2025. In an announcement on X, Loves family described her passing, saying Mia quietly slipped the bands of mortality and, as her words and vision always did, soared heavenward. Love served as representative for Utahs 4th Congressional District (2015-2019), mayor of Saratoga Springs (2010-2014), and city council member, among other roles. Mia Loves Legacy: From those who knew her To her family, she was a caring and dedicated mother, wife, and public servant who loved to dance, paint, run, laugh, eat great food, hang with friends, [and] learn and serve others. It is this spirit that seems to be shared among many who were close with Love and worked with her during her life of public service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mia was a great friend. She was humble and kind to everyone, Tawnee McCay, current Riverton city council member and former treasurer for Loves campaign, told ABC4.com. She would always come to work with her favorite drink that had raspberries and blueberries in it She is the one who inspired me to be more politically active and run for [Riverton] city council. I am grateful for the time I had with Mia, Sen. John Curtis began. For the work we did together, and for the example she has set for so many. Born to Haitian immigrants, Love was born in Brooklyn and was one of three children. She moved to Connecticut with her family and attended the University of Harford, where she received a degree in musical theatre. She would later move to Utah where she married Jason Love, who she had met originally while he was serving his mission in Connecticut. Its been a week since my Sweethearts passing and I miss her beyond words. I feel Mias love for our children and her desire to leave them a stronger American when I watch this performance, Jason Love said on Facebook in reference to a performance of Dear Theodosia Mia Love did with now Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As I have sat with my dear friend during this great trial of hers, Ive thought a lot about friendship, and the necessity of having and being a good friend, Henderson said in a post on social media. Cicero was right: A life without friendship is no life at all. The friendship and loss expressed by Henderson wasnt just felt within the state, but across the country, with expressions of sorrow coming from former colleagues and public officials from every corner of the nation. I mourn the passing of Mia Love, a friend and former House colleague. Mias contributions to our Nation and her trailblazing role in Congress are significant. Many were blessed and inspired by her life and faith in the American Dream, Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said on Facebook. Godspeed, Mia. You made a real mark, my friend. See you on the High Ground. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina posted a similar sentiment, saying, I am saddened to hear of the passing of my friend, trailblazer, and former Congresswoman, Mia Love. Mias legacy is one of faithful service and dedication to our nation and those she loved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan spoke to his relationship with Love, calling her a one of a kind. Mia Loves journey, growing up as the child of Haitian immigrants to serving in Congress, was one of a kind. [Mia] was committed to bettering the world around her & blazed an amazing trail for others to follow. Mia was a great friend & colleague. She will truly be missed, Ryan said. In a heartfelt speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Mike Lee recounted how that even in Washington, Love always had a smile on her face no matter how hard things got in the political arena. One of my favorite characteristics of Mia Loveone that surfaced in my every interaction with her was her defiant positivity. No matter how hard things were in Washington at any given time, every single time I saw Mia, she had a smile on her face, and she had words of encouragement for me and for everyone around her, Lee said during his speech on the floor. That is the kind of leader we all benefit from knowing, and the kind of friend that I feel very blessed to have made. Mia Loves Legacy: Through her actions Before serving in Congress, Love served as a council member, and mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah. Serving six years on the council, and eventually four years as mayor, she was in office for major changes in the citys development slowly seeing the change of community from a more rural, to more suburban-type city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Love served four years in congress, first running in 2012 against six-term incumbent Jim Matheson. She lost that race by only 768 votes. She would again run in 2014, saying, Im better prepared, Im a better candidate. Having gone through this, I understand the issues so much better, how campaigns work. After Mathesons retirement, she would go on to win her race by 7,511 votes, becoming the first black Republican woman elected to congress. During her time in Congress, she served on the Financial Services Committee, where she drafted bills to audit financial services that might benefit state sponsors of terror, pushing for relief for community banks, and to raise the lending limit for smaller banks, which passed as a broader Senate bill. Mia Love, with the Congressional Black Caucus, addressing the protected status of Haiti Nov. 6, 2017 (Credit: Clerk of the House) WASHINGTON, DC JULY 17: Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) speaks during a news conference with (L-R) Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) following their weekly caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. After President Donald Trump said he believed President Vladimir Putin that Russia did not interfere with the 2016 presidential election during a news conference in Finland, Ryan released a statement critical of Trump. There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world, Ryan said in a statement. The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) She also sponsored legislation to grant women wider access to contraceptives, and a bill that would have required Members of Congress to pay back the treasury for payouts made in sexual harassment cases committed by the member of congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Love was also a member of the House Select Investigative Committee on Planned Parenthood, which investigated claims that the organization was selling fetal tissue. The conclusions of that report remain in dispute. After serving for four years, Love was challenged by Democratic Ben McAdams. After a long period of counting votes, much like her run against Matheson in 2012, Love lost re-election by about 700 votes. After leaving Congress, Love became a political commentator on CNN, saying to ABC4.com at the time that considering her conservative background, I have always believed that I needed to go where it might not be comfortable, but I am needed. Mia Loves Legacy: Through her voice At the announcement of Loves diagnoses, and her not responding to treatment. Love has taken up her pen and offered many words of encouragement that have been flashes through her time in public service. In an Op/Ed published in Deseret News, Love shared her experiences with her battle with cancer, public life, lessons she had learned, and her hopes for what the nation can become. She thanked the healthcare professionals who helped give her the time she had. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My life has been extended by exceptional medical care, science and extraordinary professionals who have become dear friends, Love wrote. My extra season of life has also been the result of the faith and prayers of countless friends, known and unknown. In her piece, she told her story of her parents immigrating to the United States, the sacrifices they endured to find themselves living the American Dream a dream that her story seems to emulate. She said that the America she knew gives back, makes tough choices, and has gritty determination. Love expressed a vision of America that is built by citizens and leaders who respect, strengthen, and serve each other, regardless if any identifies apart from the one that matters, We are Americans! In the end, I hope that my life will have mattered and made a difference for the nation I love and the family and friends I adore, Love wrote. I hope you will see the America I know in the years ahead, that you will hear my words in the whisper of the wind of freedom and feel my presence in the flame of the enduring principles of liberty. In a post in the early hours of the morning of Mar. 23, Love made her last post with these parting words, I am counting on each of you and all of you to find your voice, raise it, live with character, and lead the next generation. FILE In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Republican U.S. Rep. Mia Love greets supporters during an election night party, in Lehi, Utah. Love, the first black Republican woman in Congress is joining CNN as a commentator after being unseated by a Democratic challenger in November. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Love is survived by her husband Jason, her daughters Alessa and Abigale, and her son Peyton. Her parents Jean Maxime and Marie Bourdeau, her siblings Jean and Cynthia, and her granddaughter Mera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loves funeral will continue tomorrow at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion at the University of Utah from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The public is invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, Loves family has asked donations to be sent to the Robert Preston Tisch Brain Tumor center at Duke University Hospital, and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Five of the six southwest Kansas counties reporting measles cases have seen kindergarten vaccination rates drop, one showing a 24 percentage point dip over a four-year period. Vaccination rates are one focus of many Kansas county health officers and medical experts as they work to educate against misinformation about vaccines in the hopes of staving off a growing measles outbreak. As of April 2, Kansas has 24 confirmed measles cases in Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton and Stevens counties, with one case added in the past week. For herd immunity to be achieved the point where enough people are vaccinated that those who are unvaccinated will be protected 95% of a population must be vaccinated against measles, according to the World Health Organization. The Kansas measles immunization rate of kindergartners dropped from 94.47% in 2019 to 90.21% in 2023, Kansas Department of Health and Environment data shows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jennifer Bacani McKenney, a family physician and county health officer in Wilson County, said she saw vaccine hesitancy increase after the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID made it more OK for people to decline vaccines for themselves and for children, she said. The idea, though, that some counties are seeing kindergarten vaccination rates drop such as Gray County, where the rate declined from 85% in 2019 to 61% in 2023 is concerning, Bacani McKenney said. When were getting to those points when barely the majority are vaccinated, thats when these diseases have a chance to come back, she said. We know vaccines work. Polio is still probably the No. 1 example. For the longest time, so was measles, and now were at the point where we cant use measles as an example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are very voluntarily not protecting ourselves against a very preventable illness, Bacani McKenney said. The people who are suffering are really not us adults. Its going to be our children. Haskell County also hit a double-digit drop in vaccination rates, with 21% fewer kindergartners being vaccinated over that same four-year period. Vaccinations are required for school in Kansas unless there is a religious or medical exemption. KDHE and the Kansas State Department of Education track the percentage of kindergartners who have vaccine exemptions, and those rates are increasing too in Haskell County from 11% in 2019 to over 25% in 2023 and in Gray County jumping from about 2% to 11%. Productive, positive conversations about vaccines In Barton County, where kindergarten immunization rates dropped by nearly 7 percentage points from 2019 to 2023, Karen Winkelman, a registered nurse and director of the Barton County Health Department, said she is receiving numerous questions from parents about vaccine safety. She said her team made the decision to be proactive once they heard that measles cases were reappearing nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Winkelman stresses having productive, positive conversations. We need to take a positive approach on this and hold down that hysteria, she said. We know this disease. We know the vaccine. We have something available for protection. It isnt like the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, where the vaccine information changed frequently. They are disseminating information carefully, using only reliable sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KDHE, the American Academy of Family Physicians and others. We are going with factual information. The more we can educate and provide the factual, the better it is, Winkelman said. Were never going to be able to control on social media or in normal conversations what is being said. We just have to really focus on those organizations that are reliable and accurate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Barton County Health Department was scheduled to hold an immunization clinic from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, outside of their regular business hours, to make sure staff is available to answer questions and offer vaccinations, Winkelman said. Were not going to force anyone to get the vaccine, she said. I just want to have all of those things available to the public for them to make an educated decision. It might be a conversation with their primary care also. Stevens County, which was the first Kansas county to report a measles case on March 13, currently has had six measles cases. Cammie Heaton, administrator for the countys health department, is taking the same approach as Barton County educate and be available to answer questions. Were actually, knock on wood, sitting better now than we were three weeks ago. We are hopeful that we arent going to have any more, she said. Were still monitoring some susceptible individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Barton County, her staff have offered walk-in clinics for measles vaccinations or boosters. Stevens County, according to KDHE data, has seen its vaccination rate among kindergartners drop by 14 percentage points, from 87% in 2019 to 73% in 2023. All measles cases in Stevens County were in unvaccinated individuals, Heaton said. Misinformation and other factors Dana Hawkinson, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician, spoke about the measles outbreak at a recent University of Kansas Health System news briefing. I think people should be concerned, particularly if theyre in communities that have decreased vaccination rates, he said. Measles is probably the most infectious viral disease that we know of. It is spread through airborne means, so people will express it into the air when they cough or breathe. Measles can linger in the air in a room for two hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Combating misinformation about the disease is critical, Hawkinson said, pointing to social media algorithms that can play into the information people receive online. But there are other factors, as well. We know misinformation is significant but we cant be myopic in thinking that is the only thing we need to understand, he said. There are other factors in play as well. Those include people seeking less medical care after the pandemic, states offering increased options for vaccine exemptions, significant mistrust of science and public health medicine, as well as mistrust of physicians, Hawkinson said. All of these things are playing a role now to increase the risk of an individual and a community against things like this which were otherwise vaccine preventable, he said. This story first appeared on Kansas Reflector , a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization covering state government, politics and policy. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Veterans and community members gathered in Springfield on Sunday for the 51st observance of Vietnam Veterans Day. Veterans who served in the Vietnam War were recognized for their bravery on the battlefield over 50 years ago. State and local officials such as U.S. Congressman Richard Neal and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno attended and spoke about the importance of upholding veterans services in the community. Sewer line break in East Windsor discharging raw sewage into Connecticut River Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A wreath-laying ceremony was then held at the Vietnam Veterans Monument across from City Hall to honor those killed in action during the war. Vietnam for us Vietnam veterans will never end, said Gumersindo Gomez, President of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Massachusetts State Council. It will end for the nation, but for us Vietnam veterans, we live it every day and every night. So Vietnam is in our minds and in our hearts. The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is planning to shut down soon due to the dwindling numbers of living Vietnam veterans, but Gomez said that he hopes to continue providing services for those in Massachusetts. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. ST. LOUIS The Crime Victim Center and Homicide Ministers and Community Alliance hosted their annual vigil Saturday in memory of St. Louis-area homicide victims. The vigil was held at St. Josephine Bakhita Church on North Grand Boulevard. The event included a candlelight vigil, a slideshow tribute and a musical performance. Organizers say this event provides a space for families and community members to come together in remembrance, healing and solidarity. The event also raised awareness about the ongoing impacts of violence in the St. Louis area and offered resources to people in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event was free and open to the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Virginia Giuffres injuries may not have been entirely caused by a recent car accident in Australia, her family has suggested. Ms Giuffre, who previously came to public attention after accusing Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, last week shared a photograph of her bruised face along with the claim that she had been in a car accident and would die in four days of renal failure. Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffres brother, and Amanda, his wife, have now suggested her injuries were not solely a result of the accident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lets be clear, she never stated the bus accident [was] the cause of all her other injuries, Mr Roberts told People Magazine. Addressing the critics who have questioned whether his sister was lying about her health, Mr Roberts asked: Is it going to take her to die for people to believe her? Or can you just simply be a human and look at the facts and understand this is somebody that legitimately got into an accident [and] legitimately had underlying issues? he said. Virginia Giuffre has said she could no longer stay silent about her injuries after the abuse she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein - US Department of Justice In her first public statement since her original Instagram post about her injuries, Ms Giuffre also told the magazine on Sunday that she could no longer stay silent following the abuse she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, the paedophile financier, and Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was able to fight back against Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein who abused and trafficked me, she told People magazine. Again, I thank everyone for their support. I have faith that justice will prevail. Police in Western Australia confirmed they received a report of a minor crash between a car and bus about an hour north of Perth where Ms Giuffre had been living with her husband and children. Ross Munns, the driver of that bus, said he had been forced to brake suddenly when the person driving the car, identified as a 71-year-old carer, turned in front of him without indicating. Parents of the children who were on the school bus corroborated the drivers account to The Telegraph, with some adding that the crash appeared too minor to cause the kind of bruising to Ms Giuffres face shown in her photo. Decades speaking out against abuse Ms Giuffre spent decades speaking out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2021, she filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew accusing him of raping her when she was 17 after Epstein and his long-time accomplice and lover Maxwell trafficked her to London. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking in 2021. A year later, Ms Giuffre agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Prince Andrew, understood to be worth millions of pounds. The joint statement contained no admission of liability. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The race for Virginia governor is set, teeing up what is expected to be a competitive contest in the blue-leaning swing state. The Virginia GOP announced Saturday that Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Marine Corps veteran, will be the Republican Partys nominee after no other candidate qualified to run. Like all Virginia governors, outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is barred from serving back-to-back terms, and he endorsed Earle-Sears as his successor early in the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the past four years, Lt. Gov. Sears has been a fierce advocate for Virginians individual liberties and worked hard to put money back into the pockets of Virginia families, the announcement on X said. Winsome Sears will be a governor for all Virginians, and the Republican Party of Virginia congratulates her on becoming our nominee. That sets up Earle-Sears to go up against the Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, who was also the lone candidate to qualify on her side. The former member of Congress and one-time CIA officer was confirmed by the Democratic Party of Virginia earlier this week. The contest all-but-guarantees that Virginia will elect its first female governor in history. Should Earle-Sears win, she would be the first Black woman elected governor anywhere in America. Another Republican hopeful the self-proclaimed Trump in heels, former state Sen. Amanda Chase had submitted paperwork to run, but it was unclear at the time if she met the qualifications. The announcement from the Virginia GOP confirmed Earle-Sears as the lone candidate to qualify for the Republican primary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chase had ran against Youngkin then a little-known private equity exec in the 2021 GOP primary convention, finishing third. The off-year contest has long been seen as an early bellwether for the party in power in Washington, along with the other gubernatorial race this year in New Jersey. Historically, the party that loses the presidential race the year before almost always wins in Richmond. But President Donald Trump made unexpected inroads with the state in 2024, though the state ultimately went for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Youngkin was elected four years ago in an upset over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who was attempting a rarely-tried comeback in the state. Youngkin kept Trump at arms length during his election in 2021, and repeatedly teased a presidential run in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But since the start of Trumps second term, he has been a reliable ally for the president. Im proud to officially be the Republican nominee for Governor of Virginia, Earle-Sears wrote on X. Weve made great progress over the past four years, but the fight for our Commonwealth is far from over. Im ready to lead that fight and build a safer, stronger, more prosperous Virginia for every family. Researchers have developed a virtual reality program that puts domestic abusers in the position of their victims and they say it seems to be working toward rehabilitating them. In reporting for The London Times, crime reporter Rachel Sylvester said that she ended up having to remove the VR goggles because she "feared the male avatar was going to hit the female character I had become." With pilot programs in six prisons around Spain's Catalonia region, the VRespectMe program is meant to help men convicted of domestic abuse learn how the experience felt for their partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want to improve empathy in men who have been violent towards their partners," explained Nicholas Barnes, a government psychologist in Catalonia who developed the technology, in an interview with the Times. "The early results are positive, we can see a tendency towards improving empathy." Like Sylvester, many of the men involved in Barnes' program had visceral reactions to the virtual abuse they experienced. "What are you doing?" the looming, pixelated abuser in Sylvester's simulation said as he approached her avatar. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror?... Theres not one woman out there who looks as wretched as you do right now, youre disgusting." "Arent you going to say anything?" the abusive avatar continued. "Typical you, I have to come home every day and look at your shitty face, that scared little puppy dog face." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Times, more than 1,000 men have participated in the program since Barnes introduced it to prisons. Some of them had been moved to tears during the experience and others, like the reporter, had to take off the headsets before the simulation was over. Along with the name-calling scenario the reporter tested, others developed by Barnes, in tandem with Spain's justice department and the University of Barcelona, include witnessing a sexual harassment interaction in a bar and, convolutedly, a conversation with a victim before turning into her and reliving the experience from her perspective. A man who'd taken part in the latter VR scenario told the English newspaper that it changed the way he thought about what he had done. "I let myself be carried away by rage," the prisoner, who was not named, told his partner and then himself in virtuality. "I am aware of the damage I caused you. I let my anger get the better of me and I couldnt control myself. Now that I know I made a lot of mistakes I am very sorry." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The discomfort from such interactions is clearly part of the program. It remains to be seen, as with other prison VR programs, how rehabilitative such tools really are. More on prison VR: What Are the Ethics of Strapping VR Headsets on Inmates in Solitary Confinement? BRANDON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) UPDATE: Vermont State Police arrested the man suspected of stabbing a Brandon chef and restaurant owner on Saturday. Troopers found the suspect Jozef Eller, 32, in Rochester, Vermont at about 10:10 p.m. Saturday. The authorities took him into custody without further incident. Eller is the prime suspect in the attack of Robert Barral, 71, chef and owner of Cafe Provence in downtown Brandon. Eller is accused of entering the restaurant around 4:30 p.m. Saturday and attacking Barral. He then fled north on U.S. Route 7 in a white Ford F-150. Saturday evening, police said Chef Barrals injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. He is currently being treated at Rutland Regional Medical Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eller is being held without bail on charges of attempted second-degree murder and trespassing. He is due in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland for an arraignment Monday at 12:30 p.m. EARLIER: Vermont State Police need your help finding a man suspected of stabbing the owner and chef at a restaurant in downtown Brandon. Police are searching for Jozef Eller, 32, from the small town of Hancock, Vermont. Investigators say he is a former employee at Cafe Provence in Brandon. Eller is accused of entering the restaurant around 4:30 p.m. Saturday and attacking the chef and owner, Robert Barral, 71. Eller then fled north on U.S. Route 7 in a white Ford F-150, Vermont license plate 473A799. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State police say Eller should be considered extremely dangerous. They advise you to not approach him if you see him. He is about five feet eight inches tall, weighing 170 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He is believe to be wearing light khaki-colored pants and a green jacket. Police shared this updated photo of Eller from August 2024, they say he has ties to Burlington and Granville Vermont. Fortunately, police say Chef Barrals injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. He is currently being treated at Rutland Regional Medical Center. Anyone with more information on Eller and his whereabouts should call the Vermont State Police Barracks in Rutland. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. Moderators abruptly shut down a Republican town hall at the Rockwell Community Center on Saturday after constituents became irate and began shouting over one another. The meeting opened normally, as Sen. Doug Campbell, R-Senate District 30, and Rep. Christian Hermanson, R-House District 59, gave a brief overview of legislation moving throught the Legislature this session. They talked about bills allowing the study of psilocybin mushrooms to treat PTSD and other mental health disorders, Hermanson's work on upcoming changes to property tax law, and Gov. Kim Reynolds signing a bill prohibiting the use of cellphones while driving. The listening post was originally scheduled at the Mason City Public Library. But Cerro Gordo County GOP Chair John Rosenfeld said the event was moved due to previous forums in Mason City attracting protesters and aggressive questions from constituents. "Originally, we had all these meetings set up at the library, and it just got unruly. The legislators cancelled the Mason City meeting and rescheduled this. They just announced this meeting in the middle of the week. ... Maybe that's the playbook going forward, that we can keep it more intimate," Rosenfeld said. The meeting comes after a slew of similar meetings with federal legislators were packed with angry voters, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's March 21 town hall in Hampton. The National Republican Congressional Committee advised federal candidates to end town hall events after videos of voters angry about recent Trump administration actions became popular online. Saturday's meeting was moderated by the Iowa Farm Bureau, and moderator Trae Hestness posed opening questions about agricultural issues. Campbell and Hermanson then fielded a question about a roundabout planned in Mason City. Hermanson said he was aware Cerro Gordo County Department is considering a roundabout, but doesn't think it will come to fruition in the foreseeable future. "With regards to roundabouts, I think that's alluding to the project that's kind of slated for Fourth Street between Walmart and Monroe, perhaps. ... That's a city-led project, and it's on a wish list for the DOT," Hermanson said. "I don't think it made the cut for this last go-around, so I doubt we'll be seeing roundabouts in Mason City any time soon." There were questions about campaign finance restrictions, which Hermanson and Campbell said haven't been mentioned in the Legislature. The legislators were asked about mental health care, including shortages of beds in psychiatric care facilities. "That is a big problem, and we need to address it not only effectively but we need to fund it, we need to populate it with health care professionals. That's a deficiency in our state that needs taken care of," Campbell said. Tensions began to rise after an audience member asked what exactly was being done about the shortage. "I don't sit on Health and Human Services (Committee), and unless a bill actually comes through a committee that you touch on or gets to the floor, you generally speaking aren't looking at in unless you're an advocate for it," Hermanson said. Campbell said he believes it is a complicated issue and requires a long-term plan. An audience member interjected, saying that isn't a solution. "In the meantime, because there's no doctors, the people that have mental health (problems) should go out on the street and be unsafe for themselves or others?" the audience member said. "I'm not saying that doesn't happen, but no one is walking around the Legislature (recommending) that," Hermanson said. Cerro Gordo County Supervisor Carl Ginapp stepped in, saying the county is working on a public-private partnership with 43 North Iowa and Prairie Ridge Behavioral Health Center to create an emergency response task force to respond to mental health crises and addiction calls. Ginapp said he frequently saw calls of this kind during his time as a paramedic. "I've seen this happen hundreds of times. So what we're going to do, like I said, is at a local level within Cerro Gordo County, we're going to have an emergency response system of people who are trained to do this," Ginapp said. "I've been facilitating this, and it's a passion of mine." Things began to devolve after a question about job losses at the state's Area Education Agencies since restructuring ordered during last year's legislative session. Hermanson said he had recently received an update from Central Rivers AEA. "I asked the question of them, 'Has there been any harm in the reductions that you've seen in your workforce?' And their administrator's answer to us and their report reflects that, no," Hermanson said. An AEA employee who was present but asked not to be identified disputed the claim. "As an employee of the AEA, I can say that that is not true," the attendee said. "Please reach out to me," Hermanson said. "We have," a second audience member responded. "I have not received a single phone call, I have not received a single email on AEAs," Hermanson responded. "Maybe the person that's going through your emails is missing that category," the second audience member said. "Are you calling her a liar?" a third person asked Hermanson. "I'm saying that I have not received any emails on this, I have not received any phone calls," Hermanson repeated. Campbell attempted to intervene, saying the AEA still receives 90% of its usual funding for special education services. The AEA employee spoke up again, saying the funding cuts did create job losses. "If you would like to bring this to me. ... I'm happy to engage on this. But I can tell you what the AEA administration has told us, and what they put out in their published report, is that they are not seeing any harm to students in the reductions they have had," Hermanson said. "If you had a reduction in your household (budget) of 10%, and you had children, is that going to affect your children?" another audience member asked. "Not if we're eliminating waste," Hermanson said. "Did you really just refer to special education funds as 'waste?'" an audience member called out. At this point, Hestness threatened to shut down the town hall. "Everybody's yelling," he said. "I'm going to do whatever I can for the kids, but I was not involved in the legislation," Campbell said. "You're staring at me with hate right now," Hermanson said to the audience member who asked if he considered special education funds to be "wasteful." At this point, Hestness closed the meeting down. "That's enough. We are done for the day. Thank you for all coming out," he said. Rosenfeld said the meeting wasn't as "out of control" as previous forums in Mason City. "It was nothing compared to what they've done in the past," Rosenfeld said. "I'm thankful for those in the room who were respectful. ... Hopefully we can get past the divisiveness." Hermanson said he liked productive conversations and was glad to come to a more rural community. "It's good to hear from people, and it's good to hear concerns," he said. Apr. 6WALSH COUNTY Some Walsh County elected officials are imploring their constituents to learn the details of why the county is considering building a new jail, rather than voting against the related tax increase measures without considering the alternative, which is believed to carry the larger price tag. "We need them to attend the (public) meetings and get informed, so we can tell them everything that we have learned through this process," County Commission member Kristi Brintnell told the Grand Forks Herald. "That's really what we want. We want the citizens to make an informed decision." It's estimated that over a 20-year period, it will cost $42,675,140 to design and build a new facility. Alternatively, during that same time period, it is expected that it would cost approximately $54,344,819 to close the Walsh County Jail and transport inmates to other counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The special election will be held May 13. Though some may question the necessity of a new jail, and how the existing facility ended up in its current state, correctional centers are only expected to last between 30 and 40 years, Sheriff Ron Jurgens said. After 50 years in operation, the Walsh County Jail has certainly exceeded its expected lifespan, Brintnell said. Continual maintenance is likely the sole reason the facility has remained functional as long as it has. "There's only so much maintenance you can do," she said. "Things just wear out after awhile. You just can't continue to maintain them." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond that, as North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation requirements become more stringent, it gets increasingly more difficult to meet those standards in a facility built in the 1970s, Brintnell said. The top concern in the jail is its pipes, Jurgens said. Situated within concrete walls, they are rusting, corroding and in some cases disintegrating from the inside out. It is becoming more costly to keep them in working order. "We've looked at tearing out the pipes and starting over," he said. "That is probably a year and-a-half to two-year process, and still we're left with a 1975 building. It's not sustainable." Other issues are the heating system, leaks in the roof that need patching on a regular basis, and mold, as well as excess moisture in the basement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even if these issues could all somehow be fixed, space would remain a concern. The jail was originally designed to hold 25 inmates, but has since been reduced to 16 due to DOCR assessments. The facility is beyond full, with six inmates currently held outside the county. "So even if those issues were fixed, we're still looking at contracting our inmates out into different facilities," Jurgens said. "And the DOCR contracting the Grand Forks addition now is only going to make our problem of finding other facilities worse." Walsh County inmates have been transported to facilities throughout the state. Looking up and down the Red River Valley, almost all county jails are at capacity, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Working with The Samuels Group, a construction company, it was determined a 42-bed facility would be best suited to Walsh County's needs not only today, but for the years to come, Brintnell said. She emphasizes this build would be done solely for Walsh County, not taking anyone else's needs into consideration. But if there are empty spaces in the new jail during its early days, filling those with other counties' inmates would both ease overcrowding across the region and bring revenue into Walsh County. To make this happen, both the property tax and sales tax measures must pass when voted on during a special election May 13. "We need a 'yes' vote to both of those to be able to build a new jail," Brintnell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There would be a 20-mill increase in property taxes. For someone with a residential property valued at $100,000, they would pay an additional $90 in property tax. If their land is commercial or agricultural, the same property value would result in a $100 tax increase. Sales tax would increase by 0.75%. "If you go and buy something for $100 that sales tax is applicable to it's going to cost you 75 cents extra," Brintnell said. These tax increases would last only until bonds for the project are paid off. The timeline of building a new jail is not certain, especially because of the region's unpredictable winters, but Jurgens suspects some ground work could be done before the end of 2025. The entire build could hopefully be completed within the latter half of 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assuming the existing facility remains operational during that time, inmates would stay there until the new jail is fully built. Inmates would then be moved and the old facility would be demolished. The new jail would be attached to the courthouse, which will allow the county to address that building's heating and air conditioning problems. "By putting the jail onto the courthouse and attaching it to our admin building next to us, that would help take care of heating three buildings," Jurgens said. The heating and air conditioning system makes up $5 million of the project's estimated cost. Though a significant expense, it's a necessary one, Jurgens said, and building the jail there makes the endeavor more cost efficient. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also considers the location to be ideal because of the current lack of security measures in the courthouse. This build would funnel everyone through a new lobby area where they would be properly screened before entering, Jurgens said. There would also be an elevator that would allow inmates to be taken directly into courtrooms. As of right now, they are walked across a parking lot and come in through the same entrance as everyone else. If the county does not build a new jail, the existing one will soon fall into a state of total disrepair, and the county will be paying daily fees to hold all of its inmates elsewhere, in addition to the cost of transportation, Brintnell said. These expenses are included in the $54 million estimate, which also considers the cost of building a holding facility. A sheriff's office will also need to be built, as the current one is attached to the jail and shares its issues. The building costs are estimated to be around $12.5 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rest of the estimate around $41.5 million is the cost of transporting and holding inmates at other facilities. "I think we were all a little shocked by that, when we had that data put together," Brintnell said. "It was a surprise how expensive it was to transport." The data was an eye-opener for the commissioners, she said, yet she believes it was actually more of a conservative estimate, because it considers the distance to Grand Forks. Walsh County can rarely get its inmates into the Grand Forks jail, so the distance traveled is usually farther. Something else to consider is that whereas the money to build would come from taxes, there is no dedicated funding source for the alternative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no extra money to transport them, so that's all going to come out of our general fund, and we don't have the money in our general fund to pay that," Brintnell said. "So we're going to have to start cutting services to our citizens of Walsh County, and that's going to be very difficult." "It was a unanimous vote by the commissioners that we felt we should move forward with proposing a new jail," Brintnell said. "Now it goes to the citizens for a vote." To learn more about the project, residents are advised to visit the Walsh County Vote website which, among other things, calculates how much a person's property tax would increase. There is also a Walsh County Vote Facebook page. A significant amount of work went into these pages, Brintnell said, because commissioners wanted to provide clear, thorough information so their constituents can understand why this was determined to be the best option. Upcoming informational meetings and tours of the jail are scheduled for April 14 and April 21. The first will begin 1 p.m. Monday, April 14, at the Walsh County Courthouse, located at 600 Cooper Ave. in Grafton. The second, also on April 14, will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Minto Community Center, located at 114 Harvey Ave. in Minto. The last will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 21, at the Lankin American Legion, located at 405 Main St. in Lankin. "I would encourage the public to come out to these community meetings and get an idea what the plan is and how it's going to be paid for, and then also come for the jail tours, because I think it all ties it together, and gives a better idea of what the issues are," Jurgens said. "We want to make sure everybody has the information to make a well-informed decision when they go to the ballot. That's our goal." Walsh County residents are encouraged to contact any of the commissioners with questions they have about this project and the upcoming vote. Their contact information can be found on the Walsh County website. The special election will be held May 13, with in-person voting in the Walsh County Courthouse "Famers Room" from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting can also be done by mail, but an application must be submitted to receive a mail-in ballot. Lisa Young had said for years that if Idaho Power received approval to overhaul its method of compensating homeowners for power produced by their rooftop solar panels, the company would try still to pay them less. In early 2024, the utility got the green light from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to change its compensation structure. Young, the director of the Idaho chapter of the Sierra Club, had fought the proposal. She argued that it undervalued customer-generated solar and added complexity to the system that could discourage Idahoans from investing in clean energy. While the changes mostly affected rooftop solar, they also applied to other methods of on-site energy generation like windmills, geothermal and small hydro projects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idaho Powers net metering policy previously allowed customers to receive credits on their utility bills equivalent to retail electricity rates when they produced more energy than their households needed. For every kilowatt hour of solar energy sent to the grid, the customer received a kilowatt-hour credit. But the overhaul lowered that rate, known as the export credit rate, and replaced whats known as net monthly billing with real-time net billing. It shifted energy valuation to on-peak and off-peak times. Rates would be higher in the hot summer months particularly in the evenings, when Idaho Power says it experiences its largest demand and lower in the winter. Rates for homeowners were previously between 8 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, depending on the amount of energy used. Now, the average annual rate is about 6 cents. The order from the commission gave Idaho Power a path to adjust the rates annually. Young had noted that, in prior cases, the company had valued customer-generated solar power as low as nearly 2 cents per kilowatt-hour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have their sights set on a much lower rate, Young previously told the Idaho Statesman. She was right. Idaho Power filed an application with state regulators on Tuesday asking to cut the amount of money paid to rooftop solar owners by more than half. The company proposed lowering the export credit rate for summer on-peak hours to 14 cents, down from 17 cents, and off-peak hours outside the summer season to 0.9 cents, down from 4.8 cents. It would compensate energy exported in off-peak summer hours at 1.7 cents, according to the application. The average annual rate would be 2.4 cents. Jeremy Brunson, a high school teacher who installed solar panels on his Meridian home, said in a statement through the Sierra Club that before the changes to the compensation structure, he generated enough power over the winter to completely cover his power bills. But not anymore. I have generated more energy than I have used over the last month, and I will still have a bill, Brunson said. From what I understand with their recent proposal, this compensation rate is going to get only worse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Idaho Power did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The utility has said that the reduction in compensation rates is tied to the rising popularity of solar systems. Idaho Power argued that previous pricing overcompensated customers with solar at the expense of those without. About 12,000 customers, or 2% of the companys roughly 600,000 customers, participate in on-site generation. Were trying to achieve a fair and accurate valuation of customers exported energy, Jordan Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Idaho Power, previously told the Statesman. Hundreds opposed changes to rooftop solar credits in Idaho. It was just approved anyway Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boise has promised carbon neutrality by 2050. Can the city meet its goals under Trump? Meta, Micron projects will guzzle Idaho electricity, lawmakers say. Whos going to pay? Boise Airport is now fully on clean energy. How city and Idaho Power cut reliance on coal In 2006, a platoon of Navy SEALs was trapped in insurgent territory in Iraq, resulting in an agonizingly tense, bloody and chaotic firefight that is reenacted in the new film "Warfare." CBS News national security correspondent David Martin talks with co-writers and co-directors Ray Mendoza (an Iraq War veteran) and Alex Garland (whose last film was the dystopian "Civil War") about dramatizing the teamwork of servicemembers under fire, and how they fostered teamwork among their cast of actors. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Ohio may change the way it funds public libraries through House Bill 96, and local library directors say its a setback. The states operating budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year is still in its early stages, but changes to public libraries is still drawing criticism. Currently, libraries are funded through the Public Library Fund, which is 1.7% of the states total revenue for the year. Now, the state is looking to change that to a flat rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we are essentially proposing is to have a flat rate amount moving forward of thats roughly at the same percentage. That would be, in the fiscal year of 2026, $485 million, said Ohio House Rep. David Thomas. Ohios House of Representatives also proposed $495 million for the library in 2027. Thats less than what is currently projected for 2025 $530 million. In 2024, the Public Library Fund was $489.3 million. Gov. Mike DeWine proposed $531 million for 2026 and $549 million for 2027, but the House rejected his proposal. Executive directors of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library say that change could lead to layoffs or program cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumbull County stands to lose upwards of at least $1 million in library funding annually. For us here, its probably going to be cutting programs, and theres a possibility and were not saying its certain but theres a possibility we will have to close a branch, said Executive Director Jim Wilkins. Thomas says the flat rate will give public libraries a consistent budget for the year rather than relying on estimates. Weve had years where there was an estimate of a certain number, and actually, the revenue came in a $30 million to $40 million less. Libraries said we cut them that time, too, but really, it was actually because it was a percent, it was much less than it was estimated. So, having a flat amount, having a line item makes it much more stable for them to budget themselves, Thomas said. It actually does not help us. Its actually more of a benefit for us to be given a percentage, and when the economy grows, it does better for us, said Kim Garret, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warren Library directors say they have one of the most trafficked libraries in the state and that their services are essential to the community. 1.2 million people visited Trumbull County Libraries, all of us. That will fill the Ohio [State University] Stadium where the Buckeyes play 12.5 times. Thats a lot of people who come in here and use the library, and across the state, we have the highest percent of usage than any state in the union, Wilkins said. Libraries provide an essential service. I love local libraries. Theres always the balancing of the taxpayer as well. So, we have to balance the taxpayer dollars with all the essential services we all want and expect, Thomas said. The Ohio House of Representatives will release its second version of House Bill 96 early next week. Then, a vote will take place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. A natural gas fire broke out near Yakima in 2023, and now, an investigation may lead to a fine of more than $5 million against the Cascade Natural Gas Corporation. After an investigation, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) Pipeline Safety Staff said they believe Cascade may have been responsible for 66 pipeline safety violations. In September of 2023, 83 barrels of liquid natural gas were released amid a delivery to a mobile site in Toppenish. The released gas formed a vapor cloud and subsequently started a fire upon contact with a nearby source. One man on site was injured, while another received severe burns and died two days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the report, UTC claimed that Cascade did not notify the commission that they were using portable liquefied natural gas equipment, they did not give an employee flame-resistant clothing, and they did not follow proper fire protection procedures. In a statement made to the Yakima Herald-Republic, Cascade spokesman Byron Pfordte said they are taking these allegations seriously, and that safety is a core value at Cascade. UTC noted that this investigation reflects the views of the UTC Pipeline Safety staff and not of the commissioners. According to the Pipeline Safety staff, the commission is not obliged to follow through with their recommendation. The commissioners will review the complaint and all supporting evidence before deciding whether to impose a penalty or not., Less than two weeks before the start of a landmark antitrust trial against tech giant Meta, the growing relationship between President Donald Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is stoking fears in Washington that the White House could pull the plug on the whole case. The trial, scheduled for April 14, is the culmination of a nearly six-year investigation and legal battle. Launched by the Federal Trade Commission during Trumps first term and advanced by former President Joe Bidens antitrust enforcers, it could ultimately force Meta to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp a colossally expensive and complex maneuver that would effectively dismantle the $1.3 trillion company. The FTC rarely abandons an ongoing antitrust case, regardless of whos in the White House. But a series of events over the past week has the Washington antitrust world buzzing about the fate of the case worried that the tech industrys new closeness with Trump, and specifically Metas rapid-fire concessions to Republicans over the past few months, could pay dividends by eliminating Washingtons threat to break up the social media giant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Zuckerberg unexpectedly sat down with Trump in the Oval Office, reportedly to appeal for a settlement of the antitrust case. That same day, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson, now in charge of the case, told reporters at an event that the agency was raring to go against Meta. Then, asked directly if he would drop the case at Trumps direction, he said he would obey lawful orders and otherwise refused to entertain the hypothetical. Trump gave Ferguson unilateral power over the FTCs decisions by abruptly firing the agencys two Democratic commissioners in mid-March an unprecedented move that clears the way for Ferguson and his sole GOP colleague to make partisan decisions with no Democratic opposition. FTC spokespeople did not respond when asked to comment on concerns that Trump could order Ferguson to drop the Meta case, or if there had been any communications between Ferguson and Trump on the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doha Mekki, a former Department of Justice antitrust official who served in the first Trump term as well as under Biden, said it was worrisome that Zuckerberg had met directly with Trump, on the eve of trial, no less. Asked about Wednesdays sit-down, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said Zuckerberg is continuing the meetings hes been holding with the administration on American technology leadership. He would not say if the upcoming FTC trial was discussed. A White House spokesperson did not respond to questions asking whether Trump would try to force FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson into a settlement, or what the president would ask from Meta in return. Under the old rules of Washington, a pullback on the case shouldnt even be possible. The FTC has a long history of operating independently of the White House. But when Trump fired the agencys two Democratic commissioners last month, he cleared the way for the FTCs remaining two Republicans to withdraw the Meta case or enter into a settlement at his request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each of those would require commission action, and so you would need to take a vote, former FTC Chair Lina Khan told reporters at an antitrust summit convened by the venture-capital firm Y Combinator on Wednesday. It is still messy, but it definitely eases the path for them to do something like that. Facebook would prefer this case just went away very conveniently, so I wouldnt be surprised if there was pressure being applied, said Khan. Her concerns were echoed by an unlikely ally who also spoke at the summit Steve Bannon, the influential far-right figure who served as Trumps chief strategist during his first term. This is not a random event that Zuckerberg happens to be in the Oval Office while this things being done, Bannon told reporters on Wednesday. While expressing hope that Trump wont cave, he said the president is under tremendous pressure [from] Big Tech oligarchs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a constant battle, said Bannon. As with many issues around Big Tech, the Meta case has the potential to divide Republicans while many still see the big platforms as convenient political targets, theyre also reveling in the new friendliness of CEOs like Zuckerberg. The social media giants recent about-face on a number of issues where it once clashed with Republicans suggests Meta is willing to dramatically alter its policies to appease the president and the GOP. Once despised by Trump and other Republicans for his alleged pro-liberal bias, Zuckerberg over the last several months has apologized for removing Covid-19 disinformation and downplaying posts about Hunter Bidens laptop, elevated long-time Republicans Joel Kaplan and Kevin Martin to serve as his top lobbyists, ditched the companys fact-checking program, donated $1 million to Trumps inaugural fund and hosted an inauguration party for the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), both Trump allies, have praised Metas relentless efforts to appease Republicans. And the president himself has made little secret of his desire to lay the groundwork for a social media ecosystem that elevates right-of-center content. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has long pushed for the government to break up Meta, and appears to be standing firm on the antitrust case. On Wednesday, he questioned whether Trump has direct authority to call off Ferguson. Ferguson should give him his best advice and say, I dont think we should do that, Mr. President. Heres the law, Hawley said from the sidelines of the Y Combinator summit. These people act like theyre friendly to you now. Thats just because they want something, Hawley added. This president has a tremendous antitrust legacy already. He should see that through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Alvaro Bedoya, one of the Democratic commissioners fired last month by Trump, warned that Ferguson could ultimately find himself backed into a corner. If he gets an order from the folks he calls his superiors in the White House that says Weve had a good relationship with Mark, why dont you stand down from that either he obeys, and he stays. Or he doesnt, and he gets the same email I got, Bedoya said. Gabby Miller and Daniella Cheslow contributed to this report. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) On This Week in Louisiana Politics, the fallout of all four amendments failing in the March 29 election is ongoing. Republican leaders are now scrambling to determine what the budget priorities are going to be amid a budget shortfall. Democrats are pushing for teachers to get their pay stipends. Louisiana Sen. Rick Edmonds and Treasurer John Fleming created a website to show where schools are spending their money and how much theyre taking in. With President Donald Trumps tariffs kicking in, local businesses are concerned about how this will impact their bottom line. Plus, lawmakers on the Hill are trying to find a way to put a stop to them before the economy takes a nosedive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later, Fred Childers sits down with Political Reporter Shannon Heckt one more time as she is set to move on to her next chapter. Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. (WHTM) On This Week in Pennsylvania, James Crummel recaps all the big stories in Pennsylvania politics from last week. Among the topics dominating the conversation in Harrisburg are the effect tariffs will have on the state, the future of taxing games of skill, and continued fallout from last months special election. Governor Shapiro proposes designating Pennsylvanias first underground state park Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Analysts Blake Lynch of One+ Strategies and Christopher Nicholas of Eagle Consulting also join the show to discuss President Trumps tariffs and the Lancaster County special election win for Democrats. Every week, This Week in Pennsylvania gives a comprehensive look at the weeks biggest news events in Pennsylvania, provided by the abc27 News team, along with the latest updates on local stories. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania Check your local listings for weekly air times. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. A nearly 150-year-old building has been brought to back to life as a new apartment complex in the River District. City officials and developers celebrated the milestone during an event Friday at the restored T.B. Apartments at 227 Lynn St. Diana Schwartz, CEO of the River District Association, pointed to the project as another option helping to fill the need for housing in the city and providing a walkable lifestyle for those wanting to live downtown. People dont want to necessarily get into their cars anymore if they dont have to, Schwartz told attendees at the event. They want to work, play, stay, invest wherever they can be close to everything, and this is the place that you can do that. The new residential community is aimed at young professionals and is located in a former tobacco factory dating back to the early 1880s. The restored T.B. Fitzgerald Apartments offers 22 units for rent ranging from about $1,250 to $1,800 a month. The development includes 21 one-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom unit. The T.B. Fitzgerald offers an intimate living experience in a well-lit, safe area at the heart of the River District, with convenient parking and easy walkability. The development will provide 11 market-rate apartments and 11 workforce housing units for tenants earning under 80% of the area median income, which is around $85,000 to $87,000 per year. Apartments there are small, containing about 500 too 750 square feet. Located in the heart of downtown, the project by Cobbled Holdings LLC, represents a new day for a building that was once a hub of business and industry downtown, Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said. This building has been part of the landscape for generations and today we celebrate the rebirth, Jones told the crowd of city officials and community leaders behind the structure. Like so many buildings in our downtown, it once served as a hub of business and industry and now, once again, can be a place full of life this time as a home to those who want to live and experience the vibrancy of the River District. Fitzgerald was an influential figure in Danvilles history. He was an early president of Dan River Mills, and the builder of several iconic downtown structures. Dr. Mark Hermann, partner with Cobbled Holdings along with Rory Dowling, said he bought the building more than a decade ago to answer my personal passion to revive and innovate these historic and ornately constructed buildings, to serve modern needs while I also recognized their potential. As growth began to occur and the need for downtown living expanded, I looked at various concepts to develop this well-located structure, Hermann told attendees. Hermann was part of River District Development LLCs project to rehab the former Dan River Inc. Research Building several years ago and convert it to what is now River District Tower, which includes Spectrum Medical. Hermann is an orthopedic surgeon at the facility. During his remarks, Hermann gave a history of the building. It was in 1883 when T.B. Fitzgerald & Co. a brick manufacturing and construction company founded by Thomas Benton Fitzgerald and a partner built the structure for Wallace Lewis Gravely and E.H. Miller, according to a written history provided to the Register & Bee by Hermann last fall. The structure was plug-and-twist tobacco factory which later was a dry prizery. Plug tobacco is a brick-shaped block of tobacco that users can bite off or cut off of to put between their gum and cheek. Twist chewing tobacco is flavored tobacco in rope-like form for chewing. A prizery is a building where tobacco is prized, or pressed in hogshead barrels to be shipped to redrying plants. In the 1960s, it was the Associated Services Corp., which later closed and remained vacant until the latest restoration, Hermann told the crowd. Also known as Coin Ops, the business sold and distributed coin-operated laundry equipment. The apartment projects architect was Andy Schull, with Belk Architecture in Durham, North Carolina. The firms other projects include Revolution Mill in Greensboro, North Carolina. The apartments feature upscale black stainless steel appliances, fully tiled bathrooms with black fixtures, and soundproofing measures such as gypcrete floors and insulated walls to reduce noise. They also include Hickory flooring. A detailed landscaping plan will enhance the property over time. Were excited to see needed residential opportunities opening in the city, and the Tobacco Warehouse District is a great place to live, Susan McCulloch, division director of housing and development for the city of Danville, said in a prepared statement. The views of the Dan River from these units are beautiful. We appreciate Cobbled Holdings, LLCs capital investment of more than $8 million in the city. The Industrial Development Authority of Danville will be working with Cobbled Holdings to offer a conditional real estate tax grant valued at up to $264,600 that will be paid over 15 years. The property is also in the enterprise zone and a state/federal historic district, so it is eligible for historic tax credits. This over $8 million capital investment helps this historic building transition into a better use, Danville City Manager Ken Larking told the crowd. Almost all of the units 17 are occupied. Anyone interested in an apartment can contact Joie Ford with Riverfront Realty, who manages the property, for additional lease information. Rory and I are proud to offer a slightly different addition to the growing downtown options for urban living at the T.B. Fitzgerald, Hermann said during his remarks. If you know how many times the disappearance of former Teamsters Union leader Jimmy Hoffa has been mentioned during debates in the Mississippi Legislature, let somebody know. A bill to restrict union access throughout Mississippi was killed on Wednesday by a motion to reconsider just before the House gaveled out of the 2025 session. The bill was not readdressed, killing it. Before the House adjourned for the year on Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats fiercely debated the legislation, in which several Democrats argued that unions had helped to guarantee labor rights and protections for Mississippians and Americans across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point Rep. Oscar Denton, D-Vicksburg, asked Rep. Lee Yancey, R-Brandon, who presented the bill, who unions ever actually hurt. Yancey quickly shot back, stating that "they still haven't found Jimmy Hoffa." 2025 special session: MS governor considering 'priorities for conservatives' for 2025 special session. Read why Public broadcasting seat denied: Senate votes 'no' on governor staffer's appointment to MPB board. Read why Hoffa, who was the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957 until 1971, disappeared suddenly in 1975. In 1981, he was officially declared dead. Hoffa had become and still is notorious for his alleged ties to organized crime and for his disappearance. In 2003, years after his death, Frank Sheeran, a man who also had deep alleged ties to the Mafia, admitted to killing Hoffa as part of a book titled "I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa," by Charles Brandt. MS Legislature kills hemp THC ban Mississippi lawmakers on Wednesday killed a piece of legislation aimed at banning most intoxicating hemp products while allowing for the sale and regulation of hemp beverages containing "low" amounts of THC, the psychoactive part of cannabis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill had been put through the ringer twice in the Senate, where it first passed by only a slim margin in the first half of the 2025 Legislative Session. However, the bill died by less than a few votes in the Senate early last week. It was held back from death by a motion to reconsider the bill, but Senate lawmakers did not take it back by the time they gaveled out the 2025 session. Hemp ban: Hemp THC ban bill facing challenges in MS Senate. Read why DEI ban update: DEI bans for schools, colleges passed by Mississippi Legislature The situation will leave many of these intoxicating hemp products on Mississippi shelves, mostly in gas stations and convenience stories, for at least another year. Currently no regulations exist to restrict who, regardless of age, can purchase these products. Tomatoes in the legislature? It's probably not common knowledge among average Mississippians, but the first sign that the 2025 session was ending early this year came when tomatoes were placed on the desks of House lawmakers, and on Thursday when they were put on the Senate's. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tradition is a long-standing one in the Mississippi legislature and is often the sign for lawmakers to wrap up the session and go home, if for no other reason, than to plant tomato seedlings before they die on lawmakers' desks. On Thursday, the Legislature ended the session early after budget negotiations stalled and thus stonewalled the final stretch of the session. That work stoppage on the budget came when the House skipped a Saturday working deadline day last week to hash out a budget, citing that it did not want to pass a rushed budget at the last minute without proper vetting, as is done every year. The Senate blasted the House for not showing and then refused to consider suspending the legislature's deadlines to revive more than 100 budget proposals. The House tried to send a suspension resolution to the higher chamber, but after the Senate didn't take it up by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the House adjourned and left the Capitol. The Senate did the same the next morning. As House members and Senators were leaving the Capitol this week, most were seen carrying these little plants, a bit of an odd image of the session coming to a close. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: State Politics: Jimmy Hoffa discussed during union debate in MS House MIDDLETOWN, Ohio "Hands Off" protesters gathered across the country Saturday, including in Vice President JD Vance's hometown. Despite pouring rain, more than 200 people gathered at a park in Middletown, Ohio, on Saturday for speeches and chants, part of the coordinated "Hands Off" nationwide protests. Demonstrators held signs along Verity Parkway while cars honked. Some yelled "Hands off" chants and rattled cow bells. Speakers, including a pastor and a Middletown Pride organizer, criticized President Donald Trump, cuts to the federal government and mass deportations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others, while standing in a city dotted with "Hometown of JD Vance" signs, took aim at the vice president. Story, photos, videos: 'No kings in the Queen City!' Over 2,000 anti-Trump protesters gather in Washington Park Protesters hold up signs on the side of the road during an aniti-DOGE Hands Off protest, Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Douglas Park in Middletown. 'We're not what Vance said we are' Around 62% of voters in Middletown, a city of approximately 51,000 people, voted for Vance in 2024. But the city's "Hands Off" protest organizer, Constance Miller, wants residents who didn't vote for Vance and Trump to not feel alone. "We're not all like him. I want the world to see that he doesn't represent us," said the 43-year-old Miller, who lives in Middletown. "We're not what Vance said we are," she added, referring to Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters came from nearby suburbs such as Oxford, Fairfield and Loveland. Others work and live in Middletown. John Wagner, a Middletown pastor, said immigrants in the city are afraid of mass deportations. The Butler County Sheriff's Office in Hamilton, Ohio, 20 minutes south of Middletown, is working with ICE to carry those out. "One person was arrested right in front of me. In front of his family," the pastor said. "They had to go to Mexico to find him." Duane Gordon, an organizer for Middletown Pride, said falsehoods about immigrants spread by Trump and Vance, including debunked rumors about Haitian migrants, have fueled Americans' fear of immigrants. He called the vice president "Middletown's biggest embarrassment." Protesters listen to speeches during an aniti-DOGE Hands Off protest, Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Douglas Park in Middletown. Protesters worry about immigrants, LGBTQ+ people Amy Keller works in health care in Middletown and said many of the people she helps rely on Medicaid. She's worried Medicaid will be cut under Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're also a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ people, so we have some serious concerns about what's happening to them as well," she said. "The difference between now and then (during Trump's first term) was we could always count on the courts and we could always count on Congress. But these days, it doesn't seem like we can." More than 500,000 people RSVP'd to "Hands Off" protests across the country, USA TODAY reports, making it the largest coordinated effort to protest Trump during his second term. This includes one with a crowd of over 2,000 in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine, a 45-minute drive from Middletown and just a stone's throw away from Vance's home in East Walnut Hills. "We've been frustrated. Especially people who are LGBTQ+, minorities ... I have a lot of friends that I really care about that are going to be stepped on by this new administration," said 21-year-old Middletown resident Jason Campbell. "Even if it's just one person (who shows up), you add to the larger line of people and help show especially in the rain that we mean what we're saying. We want change." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hands Off protesters rally in JD Vance's hometown Saturday Western embassies in Ukraine have joined in mourning for the Ukrainians killed in a Russian strike on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih on 4 April, many of whom were children. Source: European Pravda Details: The Lithuanian and Italian embassies reported flying their flags at half-mast to join the mourning. "Lithuania, alongside Ukraine, will do its utmost to bring accountability [to Russia for] all its heinous crimes [against] Ukraine," the Lithuanian embassy tweeted. In solidarity with Ukrainian nation during Day of mourning of civilian victims (incl children) of russian terrorist attack on Kryvyi Rih, Embassy lowered flags. #Lithuania, alongside w , will do its outmost to bring for accountability of all its heinous crimes vs #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/WVmxij87M8 LTembassyUA (@LTembassyUA) April 6, 2025 "Today we join the mourning of the Ukrainian state and people for the many innocent victims, including numerous children, fallen in the violent Russian attack against Kryvyi Rih We stand with Ukraine in the search for a just peace," the Italian embassy noted. Oggi ci uniamo al cordoglio dello Stato e del popolo ucraino per le tante vittime innocenti, tra cui numerosi bambini,del violento attacco russo contro #KryvyiRih. Le nostre bandiere sono esposte a mezzasta.Restiamo al fianco dell'#Ucraina nella ricerca di una #pace giusta. pic.twitter.com/dRmqsCTYyr Italy in Ukraine (@italyinukr) April 6, 2025 "We strongly condemn Russias horrific attacks across Ukraine in recent days. Strikes on residential areas in Kryvyi Rih and Kharkiv follow a deeply disturbing pattern of targeting populated areas," said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. We strongly condemn Russias horrific attacks across Ukraine in recent days. Strikes on residential areas in Kryvyi Rih and Kharkiv follow a deeply disturbing pattern of targeting populated areas. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected. Espen Barth Eide (@EspenBarthEide) April 6, 2025 Background: Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said she saw no reason for European leaders to seek dialogue with the Kremlin, pointing to the tragedy in Kryvyi Rih. US Ambassador Bridget Brink, reacting to the Russian strikes on the night of 5-6 April, directly mentioned Russia in her comments a departure from her earlier response to the attack on Kryvyi Rih, in which she had avoided naming the aggressor. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Wharton School with downtown Philadelphia in the background. Starting this fall, students at University of Pennsylvanias The Wharton School will be able to declare an MBA major in Artificial Intelligence for Business. That, along with the creation of a new undergraduate concentration in AI, is Whartons first major curriculum update around AI to date. The new offerings are designed to meet the growing global demand for graduates who not only understand the technical foundations of AI but can also apply those skills to solve business challenges. Students will also learn to navigate AIs ethical, legal, and societal implications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is no longer a question of if, but how artificial intelligence will fundamentally alter every aspect of business and society, and business schools have a crucial role to play in ensuring that AI adoption leads to positive outcomes, says Erika James, Dean of the Wharton School, in an announcement. At Wharton, we are simultaneously focused on harnessing AIs transformative potential while also understanding and addressing its risks. Wharton Dean Erika James Wharton Dean Erika James WHARTONS ALL-IN AI APPROACH This weeks announcement is the latest in Whartons all-in approach to AI. In June, the B-school launched its AI & Analytics Initiative aimed at enhancing the schools research and teaching capabilities in artificial intelligence and data science. As part of the initiative, Wharton established two new funds: the AI Research Fund to support faculty exploring AIs intersection with modern business models and global economies. The Education Innovation Fund supports integrating AI into classroom instruction. Last fall, all full-time and executive MBA students received ChatGPT Enterprise licenses, marking the first such collaboration between a business school and OpenAI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new MBA major is one of 21 available to Wharton candidates, and is STEM certified. All Wharton undergrads graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, but students can choose from 19 concentrations to further specialize their degree. (Wharton recently topped our 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S.) The Artificial Intelligence for Business major and concentration will be jointly administered by Whartons Statistics and Data Science Department as well as its Operations, Information and Decisions. Department. Students will take courses in applied machine learning, data science, neuroscience, data engineering, and statistics. A required ethics course, Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Toward Accountable Artificial Intelligence, will anchor the curriculum. The ethics course is led by Professor Kevin Werbach, who also directs Whartons newly launched Accountable AI Lab. The lab is dedicated to advancing responsible AI development and governance. A CRITICAL TURNING POINT We are at a critical turning point where practical AI knowledge is urgently needed, says Eric Bradlow, Vice Dean of AI & Analytics at Wharton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Companies are struggling to recruit talent with the necessary AI skills, students are eager to deepen their understanding of the subject and gain hands-on experience and our facultys expertise on the adoption and human impact of AI is unmatched. Professors Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe of the OID department and Giles Hooker of the Statistics and Data Science department will serve as faculty advisors for the new program. DONT MISS: MBA STUDENT SUES TRUMP OVER HIS DETENTION AND 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2025 The post Wharton Launches New AI for Business MBA Major & Undergrad Concentration appeared first on Poets&Quants. A lengthy legal dispute over a patch of land in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, that is believed to be the place where Vincent van Gogh made one of his final paintings, has come to an end, with a court ruling in favor of the French couple that owns the land. Auvers-sur-Oises mayor, Isabelle Mezieres, has for five years argued that the embankment was public property, but earlier this month, an appeals court in Versailles sided with Jean-Francois and Helene Serlinger, the owners of a residence that includes where van Gogh made Tree Roots (1890). More from Robb Report Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge affirmed that the site does belong to a part of the public road, as the mayor has argued, and ordered the municipality to cover 2,000 in legal expenses. The Serlingers purchased the property at 48 Rue Daubigny in 2013. At the time of the purchase, the couple was unaware of the sites significance within van Goghs oeuvre. In 2020, Van Gogh Institute director Wouter van der Veen learned of the plot of land after comparing an early 20th-century image that matched the roots in Van Goghs painting to the work itself, which was created in the the days before his suicide in a nearby wheat field. The unfinished painting is now housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Mezieres has criticized the ruling, insisting that the site is culturally significant to the French town. In a statement published to Facebook, she said the roots are part of the towns history and pledged to appeal the decision. These roots are not a commoditythey belong to the people of Auvers, she wrote. Best of Robb Report Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Why have my fingers gone all pruney? Its a question that has puzzled children at bath time, teens at swimming lessons, and adults after long hot tub sessions. Scientists once thought that these wrinkles were due to fingers swelling up like a sponge after being soaked with water. However, this theory washes off quickly. Our digits would have to increase drastically in size to produce such wrinkles. Instead, the answer has more to do with our nerves than skin. The secret of hairless skin The skin on the palms of our hands and soles of our feet is unique, says Danilo Del Campo, a dermatologist at the Chicago Skin Clinic. Its called glabrous skin, a name from the Latin word glaber, meaning bald. This hairless surface plays an essential role in sensing our environment. It is packed with receptors that transmit signals from our skin into electrical impulses that our brain can read. Glabrous skin is not unique to humans. It makes up the unusual protuberances that the star-nosed mole uses to sense its environment and the upper bill of the platypus. An analysis of glabrous skin in rats found that the ratio of fast-conducting to slow-conducting nerves was three times higher in glabrous skin than in hairy skin. A star-nosed mole photographed in Minnesota. Image: Stan Tekiela Author / Naturalist / Wildlife Photographer / Getty Images Stan Tekiela Clinicians first realized that the uniquely sensor-packed structure of glabrous skin might have something to do with wrinkly skin in a study nearly a century ago, says Lauren Taglia, a dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine. In a 1936 paper, Sir George White Pickering and Thomas Lewis reported case studies of people with polio-induced nerve damage who had remarkably wrinkle-proof digits. Regardless of how long they spent in water, their fingers remained smooth as marble. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These patients had sustained damage to their median nerve, which runs down the arm and provides motor and sensory links to the hand and forearm. This nerve is an important connection in the sympathetic nervous system. Failing fight or flight The sympathetic nervous system gets our body ready for physical action. In the heart, it increases pump rate and contraction force. In the eye, the same system dilates the pupil, allowing more light to enter. These functions are often referred to as our fight-or-flight responses. Research in the 1970s identified that it was damage to these sympathetic connections in the median nerve that stopped wrinkling. Dipping a hand in warm water was recognized as a valuable test for this type of nerve damage. It wasnt until 2003 that a study identified how the sympathetic nervous system made fingers wrinkle. Here, researchers looked at how blood flow to the hands changed after water immersion. Finger wrinkling was accompanied by a sudden drop in blood flow. This decrease was caused by the sympathetic nervous system narrowing the diameter of the blood vessels in the hand, a process called vasoconstriction. These studies finally mapped out how finger wrinkling works. There was just one remaining question: why does it happen in the first place? Getting a grip on finger wrinkles Scientists settled this question in a 2021 study. Nick Davis, a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, organized an experiment at the British Science Museum. Davis assessed museum visitors ability to grip wet and dry objects. Then, he asked them to immerse their hands in warm water. Once their fingers had wrinkled, he tested their grip again. Anyone who has fought to grab a bottle of shampoo during a shower will know that picking up wet objects requires more force than dry objects. Daviss analysis showed wrinkled fingers gripped wet objects more easily than wet but unwrinkled fingers. Evolutionarily speaking, says Taglia, perhaps theres an advantage for our ancestors that they could grab fish from bodies of water. Our shoeless forefathers would also have benefited from being able to ford streams or rivers without slipping through their wrinkly feet, she says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a fortunate coincidence that a feature carved by evolution millennia ago now benefits diagnostic medicine today. I like to say that the skin is the window to your entire body, concludes Del Campo. This story is part of Popular Sciences Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something youve always wanted to know? Ask us. Izzy Ross Grist This coverage is made possible through a partnership with Grist and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan. Seven Indigenous nations have withdrawn from discussions over an oil and gas liquids pipeline in Michigan, citing federal agencies failure to adequately engage with tribal governments during the process. The move is expected to trigger lawsuits the tribes hope will block the controversial Line 5 project, a 645-mile pipeline that carries over half-a-million barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids per day and runs between the United States and Canada. Enbridge, the company behind Line 5, has proposed a tunnel under the Great Lakes in order to replace a section of the 72-year-old pipeline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tribal nations have been involved with the permitting process since 2020, when Enbridge applied to build the underground tunnel for the pipeline, but have grown increasingly dissatisfied with negotiations they say ignored tribal expertise, input, and concerns, and undermined treaty rights. On March 20, tribes say the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency assessing the project and its environmental impacts, informed them that it would likely soon grant Enbridge a fast-tracked permit for the tunnel under President Donald Trumps energy emergency declaration, which effectively created a new class of permit to boost energy supplies. That announcement, the tribes say, prompted the withdrawal. Tribal Nations are no longer willing to expend their time and resources as Cooperating Agencies just so their participation may be used by the corps to lend credibility to a flawed [Environmental Impact Statement] process and document, they wrote in a March 21 letter to the corps. Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said the tunnel would destroy not only the Great Lakes, but also an Indigenous peoples way of life, my way of life, for all Great Lakes Anishinaabe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well do what we need to do now moving forward, not participating in that process, she added. Tribal nations in Michigan and others across the country have long argued that the pipeline is unsafe, and that the tunnel would further threaten their way of life by extending the possibility of an oil spill into the Straits of Mackinac, which connect lakes Michigan and Huron, and potentially contaminating the largest source of fresh water in North America. In an email, Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said the tunnel would make a safe pipeline safer while also ensuring the continued safe, secure, and affordable delivery of essential energy to the Great Lakes region. But critics say that risk has yet to be properly analyzed and the Army Corps maintains that considering the risk of oil spills, or their impacts, is beyond the scope of its authority and should be conducted by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Despite that stance, in early January an assistant secretary with the Department of Defense directed the Army Corps to carry out that assessment. That will now likely be ignored under the Trump administrations executive order, according to attorneys with the tribes. In an email, Army Corps spokesperson Carrie Fox said the agency is reviewing the tribes letter and relying on existing regulations to speed up permitting for eligible projects under Trumps executive order, adding that new procedures will be posted publicly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The odds are heavily weighted toward Enbridge, according to Matthew Fletcher, a citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and a professor of law at the University of Michigan. The rule of law is basically dead. Enbridge and the feds are not acting in good faith, he said in an email. It must be apparent to the tribes that, in this administration, no matter what the tribes say or do, or evidence they provide, etc., Enbridge will get absolutely anything it wants from the United States. The tribes arent alone. The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has repeatedly called for the suspension of pipeline operations until the free, prior, and informed consent, or FPIC, of affected Indigenous nations has been secured. FPIC, a right guaranteed under international law that says countries must consult with Indigenous peoples in good faith and obtain consent for development projects on their land, is rarely enforced and the U.S. has yet to codify the obligation. Any law that requires consent, or even consultation, of Indians and tribes, is a threat to this entire industry, Fletcher said. I guarantee this administration will ignore and/or denigrate all of these laws on behalf of their climate change-inducing and pollution-generating constituents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But even adhering to the Trump administrations America First priorities, the tunnel project shouldnt receive a fast-tracked permit, said David Gover, an attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, which is representing Bay Mills. Youre talking about a project, Line 5, that serves Canadian companies and Canadian interest, he said. While much of the pipelines oil and gas products pass through Michigan and on to Canadian refineries, Enbridge says the pipeline provides jobs and other benefits to the state, including more than half of Michigans propane. Those benefits wont pay off in the long run, according to opponents, and experts have said the pipelines continued operation would generate tens of billions of dollars in climate damages. Moreover, replacing that section of pipeline wouldnt create more capacity, Gover said, So theres no extension or expansion of meeting those energy needs here in America. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We are multifaceted governments, and not all tribes oppose oil. But all tribes in the state of Michigan have stood up to say that this is a bad project, said President Gravelle. If we wanted to protect one of our most precious resources, which is the Great Lakes themselves, we would decommission this for those future generations. Editors note: Earthjustice, one of the law firms representing the Bay Mills Indian Community, is an advertiser with Grist. Advertisers have no role in Grists editorial decisions. The order came down late in the evening, when the orangutans, lions, and crocodiles would be resting. The next morning, March 28, the animals awoke to a new political reality: The worlds most powerful man had taken an acute interest in their place of lodging, the National Zoo. President Donald Trump had directed Vice President J. D. Vance to rid the Smithsonian Institution of all improper ideology. As a ward of the Smithsonian, the zoo was not only covered by this mandate; it was specifically mentioned as one of the facilities to be cleansed of wrongthink. Trumps order leaves little mystery about what he wants changed at the Smithsonians National Museum of American History and its National Museum of African American History and Culture. It calls for the removal of divisive, race-centered ideology from those museums, and says that their exhibits should instead instill pride in the hearts of all Americans. But the orders text is silent on the nature of the zoos ideological transgressions, and my email to the White House asking what they might be went unanswered. Trump has not previously been counted among the zoos critics, who tend to lament the life of captivity suffered by its animals, not their potential indoctrination. I reached out to the zoo staff to ask if they knew what the administration wanted changed. When I did not immediately hear back, I decided to visit the zoo, in the mindset of a freshly appointed cultural commissar. One morning this week, I arrived at its Connecticut Avenue entrance. Pollen-coated cars were lined up outside, and blossoms on the zoos magnolias were turning themselves inside out in the clear morning sun. Just a few hundred yards down its central path, near the Asia Trail, a food truck was already serving cocktails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [From the July 1919 issue: Pessimism and the zoo] On my way over to the zoo, Id read the institutions most recent strategic plan. In the introduction, former National Zoo Director Steven Monfort says that by going from a global population of 1 billion to 8 billion in only 200 years, humans have made things very hard for wildlife. It occurred to me that Vance might find this characterization a touch too Malthusian; he has often railed against what he perceives as anti-natalism in liberal culture. But the sight of parents carrying Moscow mules and margaritas away from the food truck suggested family-friendliness, at least of a certain kind. At the zoos newly renovated Bird House, I joined a long line of families clustered around strollers, waiting to be let into the aviaries. In 2023, Id met the zoos chief curator for birds, Sara Hallager, while reporting a story about the institutions decision to euthanize a fox that may have killed 25 of its flamingos. Hallager had told me that after the renovation, the zoo would no longer acquire birds from Africa, Asia, or South America. Its new exhibits would showcase only North American birds. Now I wondered: With this America First approach, had the zoo intended to obey (way) in advance? If so, that might explain why an enormous pink-marble sculpture of an eaglesalvaged from the original Penn Stationhad been placed near the Bird House entrance. As I moved deeper into the exhibit, this theory seemed less plausible. Its interpretive panels were not overtly politicalI searched high and low for land acknowledgments and found nonebut they also didnt seem to have been designed to please Trump. For one thing, theyre printed in English and Spanish, a first for the zoo. They also celebrate the ability of migrating birds to move freely among the Amazon rainforest, North America, and the High Arctic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I did find one potentially divisive panel in the turkey enclosure. It drew a distinction between North Americas Indigenous people, who hunted turkeys for thousands of years but took care not to wipe them out, and European colonists, who in just two centuries drove the birds to the brink of extinction. This may not be the sort of sentiment that instills pride in the heart of Americans. And yet its true. [Read: The aftermath of a mass slaughter at the zoo] Everywhere I went, I heard kids buzzing about the zoos new star attractions, two pandas named Bao Li and Qing Bao that Xi Jinping had sent from China as a gesture of friendship. A source at the Smithsonian Institution who was not authorized to speak to the press told me that before the pandas went on public view, the zoo had been besieged with messages from senators requesting advance meet and greets. I briefly entertained the thought that the zoo had ended up in Trumps crosshairs because some key ally of his had been denied a picture with the bears. Whatever the case, Bao Li himself seemed entirely indifferent to politics. He sat, lolled back against a green hillside, chewing through whole sticks of bamboo like they were Twizzlers at the movies. The zoo features less explicit climate advocacy than you might expect from an institution devoted to animal conservation. Most of it is concentrated in a single room in the Amazonia building. The Trump administration has been relentless about scrubbing government websites of all mentions of climate change, no matter how anodyne, but this was gentle stuff. In the center of a large mural from the 1990s recommending solar power, a kid wearing baggy clothesnow back in fashionpicks up trash in a forest. No fossil-fuel multinationals are named and shamed in the surrounding panels. The staff members in green vests did not appear to be indoctrinating anyone. They just gamely answered questions about the neon-blue tree frogs in a nearby terrarium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exit from Amazonia dumped me out onto a path that runs along the zoos southern edge. Traffic noise wafted down from the Duke Ellington Bridge, reminding me that I was not in a rainforest, but in the middle of Washington, D.C.a city that Trump has derided as a filthy and crime-ridden embarrassment to our nation. Continuing down the path, I arrived at the Kids Farm exhibit, a shining scene of rural Americana that would not have been out of place on a butter label. Near the big red barn and stables, toddlers were perched on a fence, petting mules. A cows blotchy black coat shimmered in the bright heat of the afternoon. Like the Bootheel BBQ & Southern Catering food truck parked nearby, which promised to feed your Southern soul, the exhibit seemed designed to flatter, not antagonize, a narrow and nostalgic view of real America. Before leaving the zoo, I popped into the visitors center. I confirmed that the bookstore inside was aimed at the nonpartisan animal lover, not the activist, and learned that the zoo usually holds a secular-coded celebration of Easterits focus is natures post-winter bounty, not the newly risen Christ. The zoos website calendar does show that last year, and for several years prior, it also recognized International Family Equality Day. Local LGTBQ organizations participated in the event, and some described it as Gay Day at the Zoo. As part of the festivities, guests were able to watch a beaver or seal eat rainbow-dyed ice cake. Last years event also had a musical performance featuring themes of climate justice, inclusion, queer identity, and community. When I emailed the zoo to ask whether International Family Equality Day would continue this year, I did not receive a reply. I could see how this celebration might inflame a social conservative, but the tame, one-day event did not seem like enough to merit the zoos inclusion in the executive order. Nor did any of the other things that Id foundunless the administration is taking a broken windows approach to policing ideology. Then again, I cant claim that my audit was exhaustive. I had intended to visit every exhibit, but I ended up skipping the Reptile House. Not for lack of interest; its actually one of my favorite places at the zoothe pythons and unblinking crocodiles provide a real encounter with the animal other. But the line was very long, with little shade. And so I cant tell you for certain that the Reptile House isnt a hotbed of critical race theory, or other MAGA heresies. Vance and his team will have to find out and let us know. Article originally published at The Atlantic WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The Sedgwick County Historic Courthouse in downtown Wichita was lined with protesters Saturday afternoon. Over 1,400 protests across the country are taking place in every U.S. state, with some popping up overseas. The nationwide Hands Off movement is organized by pro-democracy advocates in response to what they call an attack on American rights and freedoms. The local protest was spearheaded by the nonprofit, nonpartisan group Leading Kansas. They say over 1,700 people signed up to attend, and the number is hard to deny. Both sides of the street from City Hall to the Robert D. Love Downtown YMCA were flooded with people from both sides of the aisle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was a big group of us that just decided its time to put people over party, Katy Tyndell, Leading Kansas co-founder, said. She says she hopes to use the nationwide protests as a platform to reach state leaders. There are a lot of frustrated people because it seems like our elected representatives are not actually representing us, Tyndell said. For those in the crowd, most are spurred by President Trump and billionaire Elon Musks cuts to federal jobs and programs. Pam Schmidt grew up in Kansas before recently moving to Colorado. Back in town visiting family, they all attended the protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre messing with education, theyre messing with my moms Social Security and Medicare, theyre messing with our veterans, Schmidt said. Medicare and Social Security are both programs being eyed by the recent rounds of federal cuts, with Elon Musk calling the programs entitlements. Those are not entitlements. Thats money we have paid in our whole lives, Schmidt said. Also on the chopping block are thousands of Veterans Affairs jobs. If its not broken, why fix it? Caroll Reimer, protester and retired Coast Guard veteran, said. Thats why everyone is out here. Because of the hypocrisy of the federal government that wants to take away so many things that we have had and we fought for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most recently, the topic dominating the political conversation is tariffs. Roger Marshall defended the new tariffs in a Facebook video urging Kansas farmers to hang in there. Wichita State students planning on going into the aerospace industry are concerned how President Trumps cuts and reciprocal tariffs could impact their job prospects. I know a bunch of people who were going to get contracting jobs through the federal government, and as soon as the hiring freeze went through? Done. No summer jobs, no career advancement, WSU Young Democrat Michael Powell said. The main purpose of their demonstration Saturday, organizers say, is to get explanations from Kansass federal delegation as they defend the cuts and recent tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can disagree on individual policies, but when it comes to standing up for people in our communities, were going to be here, Tyndell said. She says they have reached out to state leaders but feel like they dont listen to their concerns. Her aim is that they take note of their presence and start to hold more town halls to hear their citizens concerns directly. KSN reached out to the offices of Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran as well as U.S. Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Mann for comment but havent heard back. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio (WJW) With plenty of rain the past week and more precipitation on the way, officials are monitoring the water levels of the Chagrin River in Willoughby Hills. They do so now through high-tech sensors that feed them data such as depth, elevation, and rain measurements. Shaker Heights library reopens after fatal shooting The web page where all the data is sent will soon be available to residents through the citys website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its data we use. Its another tool, and if we have the ability to provide that to the public, theres no reason that the public cant see it. People who live around here are interested in watching it, so why not? Willoughby Hills Fire Lieutenant Lou Dimattia said. Theres a sensor over the river on Eagle Road, and another on the Pleasant Valley Bridge. The technology plays a huge role in helping the Willoughby Hills Fire Department monitor the Chagrin River. In previous years, theyd have to send someone down to the river to check how high the water is on a physical marker. Senseless incident: 1 hurt, 1 arrested after altercation leads to gunfire in Akron Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When youre dealing with the river and flooding, its hard to predict when things are going to happen and when they happen, they happen now and every second counts in terms of notifying people and giving them a chance to get out, he said. Dimattia said raising the funds and then learning the technology was a slow process, but theyre hoping to expand it even further. Theyd like to raise the money to get more sensors, and theyre working on ways to utilize the sensors ability to send alerts out when certain water levels are reached. Dimattia said theyre working through which heights should call for alerts, and where they should be sent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guardians Opening Day weather history: Is it always this cold? Theyd like to, perhaps, make the alerts available to be sent directly to residents, but they dont want to take that measure without serious testing to avoid false alarms. The sensors were obtained through a partnership between the Willoughby Hills Fire Department, the Chagrin River Watershed partners, and other parties. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. A contrasting pattern is setting up across the nation in terms of temperatures, AccuWeather forecasters say. While some residents across the southwestern United States will be baking in the first projected 100-degree day of the year, those residing in the Northeast will face the total opposite end of the spectrum with daytime highs barely reaching beyond the freezing mark. AccuWeather.com The pattern ushering in this notable disparity across the country will be a northward bulge in the jet stream across the West and a dramatic southward dip in the jet across the East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, this setup allows for a surge of warmth from Mexico to expand across the Southwest while frosty, February-like air out of Canada can filter down across the Great Lakes and Northeast regions. Northeast: Don't put away the winter coats just yet The timing of the chilliest air will differ depending on if you are located in the northern Plains or mid-Atlantic and Tennessee Valley. For residents in Minneapolis, for example, the core of the cold arrived on Monday with highs cresting into the upper 30s Fahrenheit. In Chicago and Detroit, the cooler air will set in through Tuesday, with both cities projected to only rise into the lower or mid-40s F during this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For metro areas closer to the Northeast coast, such as New York City, Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston, daytime temperatures in the 40s will be commonplace through Wednesday. AccuWeather.com "It will feel like winter for many across the Midwest and Northeast at the start of the week as Arctic air surges south from Canada. Temperatures across much of the Midwest and interior Northeast will be as much as 10-20 degrees F below the historical average, and with a gusty wind out of the northwest, conditions will feel very chilly," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+ Following the springtime tease at the end of last week into the start of the weekend when many Northeast locations observed temperatures cresting the 70-degree mark, this return of winterlike conditions will be prominent and even may be disappointing for some. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overnight temperatures early this week are projected to dip down into the 20s F across much of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast, increasing the heating demand throughout the region. Snow returns to the Great Lakes, Northeast Amid the cooler pattern, moisture advancing southward out of Canada and into the northern tier of the country will bring chances for wintry precipitation. While most areas from Michigan to interior Maine can experience a burst of snow showers through the early week period, the steadiest snow that falls will be confined to the typical Great Lake snowbelts. AccuWeather.com Cities like Erie, Pennsylvania, Buffalo, New York, will be within the corridor to experience a reduction in visibility into Tuesday afternoon as winds pick up and gust as high as 30 mph. AccuWeather.com While actual temperatures across northern Wisconsin and Michigan into northwest Pennsylvania and western New York are projected to dip as low as the teens and lower 20s F, AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures early Tuesday morning can range into the single digits for some as blustery winds advance out of the northwest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Counties in northern Michigan still experiencing power outages from the ice storm that occurred over a week ago will be especially vulnerable to the chilly conditions on the way. Just over 35,000 residents were still being impacted by outages in Michigan as of Tuesday morning, according to PowerOutage.US. First 100-degree day of the year for Phoenix Later this week, the heat is expected to build across the desert regions in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and the surrounding states will not only bring about the first occasion of reaching 100-degrees for cities like Phoenix, but will also challenge daily records. AccuWeather.com "Many spots across the Southwest will observe temperatures between 10-20 degrees F above the historical average as the week progresses," noted DaSilva. AccuWeather.com While the core of the heat will set up from Thursday to Saturday for most, the surrounding days will still present very warm conditions compared to those observed over the weekend. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) Wiregrass residents protested Saturday in the Circle City. They opposed President Donald Trump and Elon Musks actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights, and other issues. President Trump is dismantling a lot of the three branches of government and taking unilateral action in eliminating a lot of federal programs, Protester Jeneve Brooks said. That needs to be decided by the three branches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protesters participated in a demonstration called Hands Off at the Houston County Courthouse, which was one of more than 1,200 demonstrations to take place across the country on Saturday. Demonstrators voiced anger over the administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people, and cut funding for health programs. Its kind of like a big businessman taking over a corporation, Protester Lynn Peterson said. This is a cooperate takeover that he is doing. He is installing his board of directors, hes changing the policies, and he is stripping out the employees who make a quality country. Protesters held signs that read Hands Off. They were asking for changes to be made and for everyones voice to be heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Love, peace, and happiness, and no king, Protester Michelle Newman said. We want everybody to have a voice, and all I hear is the Beatles song, All You Need Is Love. Love one another. The protesters gathered for several hours on Saturday, and each time a passing car supported their protest, the driver would honk. Its really a large group of people, even here in the Wiregrass, what we typically think is Trump country, Brooks said. There are a lot of people who feel strongly that we have to preserve our democracy. Some people protested the treatment of veterans by the administration. He is killing veterans, Protester Lisa Lopez said. I am literally a dead veteran walking, I have cancer. My research has been cut because of the cuts to the National Institutes of Health, and the veterans crisis line staffing has been cut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others asked the Trump administration not to take needed resources from schools. We need more resources, we need more support, not less, Protester Emily Hoekenga said. For our kids to have the opportunities they deserve, they need to have a good education, and we need to support that as a state and as a nation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. I think most folks, even most Republicans, know were barreling towards a cliff weve never before seen in American life. Last week, the brilliant conservative author, Anne Applebaum, again traced Donald Trumps worshipful embrace of Viktor Orbans game plan for tyranny. Orban, she notes, replaced Hungarys civil service with loyalists, used economic and regulatory power to crush a free press, robbed universities of their independence, politicized justice and judicial systems and aligned himself openly with Russia. Trump has just moved faster. Gene Nichol My old friend, Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley law school, wrote in these pages that Trump has issued executive orders punishing an array of the countrys most powerful law firms suspending security clearances, ending government contracts with clients and barring access to federal buildings. No firms can survive these sanctions, Chemerinsky noted. So many have quickly caved like universities, newspapers and non-profits before them. This is the playbook of a dictator, not a president in a democracy, he said. That it is. And we all know it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At almost the same moment, Trump and his crew fired about 20,000 federal workers at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an act of national suicide. Immediate dismissals were sent by email with orders to clear the building as if long-time, skilled civil servants were dreaded terrorists. Students were picked up on the streets and shipped to distant prisons for writing op-ed pieces. And this week, Trump imposed the most expansive tariff regime in modern American history, which even Mike Pence, Trumps former vice president deemed the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history. And just so we knew the tariffs were his, Trump based his reciprocal claims on figures economists said were bonkers. Assuming even international markets will, like all else, bend to his lies. Who would believe this could come to pass in the 21st century, without objection, by the U.S. Congress and the political party controlling all three branches of the federal government? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Something else occurred as well. Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford overcame $25 million spent by Elon Musk, in what he deemed a race to save the fate of humanity, to defeat her Trumpian opponent by 10 points. Ten point statewide races dont happen in Wisconsin. The Badgers cast aside Trump and Musk authoritarianism saying, at bottom, Were Americans, get the hell out. On Wisconsin. I was thinking about what this means for North Carolina. Maybe for the first time in a decade, our Republicans wont feel certain they have to cower before the tyrant. Maybe hes not as powerful as theyve feared. Maybe they could, once again, begin to act like real people. Real people dont think its fine to stir an insurrection where acolytes assault heroic policemen, defecate on the U.S. Capitol and then receive presidential pardons and, perhaps, reparations for the sedition. Real people dont think its okay to seize a man from his family, ship him to El Salvadors most brutal and notorious prison with no process whatsoever, concede it was a mistake, yet say you arent going to do anything about it. The fear is the point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Real people dont pretend amid a world of crushing challenge our most urgent need is to demonstrate a national hatred for already marginalized transgender folks. Real people dont behave as if our national mission constitutional democracy that has been sacrificed for through centuries of blood and sweat is no more than, in former Vice President John Nance Garners words, a bucket of warm spit to be cast aside in someones crazed lust for power. I think acting like a real person might be a start. Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Wolves have made a remarkable comeback across Europe, a report has found. After centuries of being trapped, shot, poisoned and maligned, in the past decade the wolf population has increased by 58 per cent, which means that there are now more than 21,500 in the continents woods, mountains and, increasingly, towns and cities. The report found that wolf populations have increased in 19 countries, from Austria and Belgium to Italy, France, Germany and Eastern Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trend is all the more surprising because Europe appears at first as an unlikely place for a large carnivore to recover, the report said, given that the continent is intensively farmed, heavily urbanised and home to about 450 million people. Wolves have expanded their range so dramatically over the past 10 years that there are only three countries in continental Europe where they cannot be found the microstates of San Marino, Monaco and the Vatican City. Europes ability to co-exist with such a large predatory mammal could provide relevant insights for the conservation of many other species worldwide in the 21st century, the report said, hailing their population growth as a notable conservation success. Credit: Reuters, tgcom24, la Repubblica Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The increase in wolf numbers is down to several factors: legal protection under EU and national laws, which has allowed the species to recover from decades of persecution; rural depopulation, which has meant that large tracts of land have reverted back to scrub and forest; and the resulting proliferation of prey species such as roe deer, red deer and wild boar. The main reason has been the abandonment of mountain and hill farming across large parts of Europe, Prof Luigi Boitani, Italys foremost wolf expert, told The Telegraph. Intense agriculture on the plains is enough to feed Europes 500 million people. The upland areas have been recolonised by a lot of deer and wild boar and the wolves are taking advantage of that. The expansion of the species also owes to the remarkable adaptability of wolves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We think of wolves as living in the mountains and needing untouched wilderness like in Yellowstone and the Yukon, but in Europe they are quite happy to co-exist with human activity, said Dr Guillaume Chapron, one of the lead authors of the report. They are very adaptable and very opportunistic. As long as they have food and we dont kill them, they are fine. While there has been an increase in wolf numbers in most European countries, some have seen stronger comebacks than others. Germany has been very strong in sustaining the recovery of wolves, said Dr Chapron, an ecologist from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. In the early 2000s, there were almost no wolves. Now there are nearly 200 packs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scientists behind the report concede that farmers and shepherds have reason to worry about the rise in wolf populations. Wolves kill around 56,000 domestic animals in the EU each year. The compensation paid to landowners comes to 17 million (14.4 million) annually. But the researchers point out that 56,000 dead farm animals is a tiny proportion of the total number of livestock in Europe. They also argue that diseases such as blue tongue kill far more livestock than wolves. At a continental or national level, the number of livestock killed by wolves is not a problem it is about 0.05 per cent of the total. European economies can afford the loss. But for the individual farmer, of course it is a problem, said Prof Boitani. However, there are many ways to prevent attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those measures include installing electric fences, employing shepherds to watch over livestock, and using ferocious sheepdog breeds such as the shaggy Maremma-Abruzzese in Italy, the formidable Akbash in Turkey and the Patous in France. Having shepherds present is fundamental because the sheepdogs are not meant to fight the wolf. They are meant to bark, to alert the shepherd, who then comes with a stick or a rifle to chase the wolves away, said Prof Boitani, who is a professor of zoology at Sapienza University in Rome and the chairman of the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe, a network of experts concerned with the conservation of wolves, bears, lynx, wolverines and golden jackals. Most wolf attacks can be prevented. But flock sizes must be manageable. If you have 2,000 sheep in a flock, as they do in the French Alps, it is impossible to protect them from wolves. The maximum number should be 500. While many farmers say the expansion of the wolf is endangering their livelihoods, others are learning to live with the predator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marika Francioli has a flock of around 280 sheep on a farm in Tuscany. She said wolf attacks started in 2017, but she has been able to combat them by taking on four big Maremma sheepdogs, building higher fences and installing photo traps. Thanks to these measures, her sheep have not suffered a wolf attack for six years. Prevention requires more effort and resources, its true, but the wolf has every right to live in the wild, she told an Italian newspaper. But other landowners have found it impossible to co-exist with wolves. They say wolf attacks are not only a big financial blow to their livelihoods but also deeply traumatic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michele Mordini, a farmer in Tuscany, had 26 of his 50 sheep killed by a pack of wolves last month. The pregnant ewes that survived have aborted because of the stress, so the loss is even greater, he said. These days there are too many wolves and they are coming too close to villages. They are no longer afraid. I have two kids, the youngest is seven. If a child of seven comes up against a pack of wolves, how is that going to end? Wolves hunting prey saves France between 2.4 and 7.8 million annually by preventing injury and property damage from road collisions - Wanderluster/iStockphoto In their report, the scientists insist that wolf attacks are extremely rare in Europe and the animals also have economic benefits. They encourage wildlife tourism, often in rural areas which are struggling from depopulation and economic decline. They prey on deer that otherwise do a great deal of damage to crops and forestry plantations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By killing deer and wild boar, they even reduce the risk of the ungulates causing road accidents. One study suggests that wolves consuming roe deer and wild boar prevented between 2.4 and 7.8 million [between 2 and 6.6 million] in road collision-related injuries and property damage annually in France, the report said. But that does not stop people from worrying about them. Giampaolo Buti, the mayor of the local town of Firenzuola, called for urgent intervention by the authorities. This is the umpteenth attack by wolves. We need concrete measures to reduce the number of wolves in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coldiretti, Italys main agricultural organisation, said that there are now about 3,300 wolves roaming the Alps and the Apennines. It also said wolf attacks are such a problem that in the mountains, some sheep and cattle farmers are being forced to give up farming altogether. The wolf may have made an extraordinary comeback, but there are dark days ahead. The EU decided last month to water down the species level of protection, from strictly protected to protected. The change means that it is now easier to hunt and kill wolves. There is likely to be a big increase in wolf hunting this autumn and winter. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said that reducing the degree of protection will help local authorities to actively manage wolf populations while protecting both biodiversity and our rural livelihoods. Critics have suggested that Ms von der Leyen may have a personal grudge against the animal in 2022, her beloved pony Dolly was killed by a wolf on her property in northern Germany. Its a paradigm shift, said Dr Chapron. There will absolutely be more culling and I think we will see a lot of wolves killed. Sweden, for instance, is planning to halve its wolf population from 400 to 200 or less. Unleashing hunters on wolf packs means that the species is unlikely to expand to new areas in future, and in the regions that they already occupy, their numbers will either remain stable or decrease. There will be many more wolves killed, for sure, said Prof Boitani. In some areas, numbers will be strongly reduced. But thats not a tragedy as long as the overall population remains in good shape. The wolf is a very resilient animal. The report was published in the online scientific journal PLOS. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A woman dies every two minutes due to failures in maternal healthcare, according to shocking global data that has prompted stark warnings about the impact of cuts to aid funding by the US and the UK. A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that there were 260,000 maternal deaths in 2023, equating to 712 women a day or 30 per hour with the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO has warned that the global target for all UN member states to reduce maternal deaths down to 71 per 100,000 by 2030 will be missed by more than twice this amount as the pace of progress has slowed to a near standstill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leading health organisations including the WHO have warned that recent sweeping cuts to international aid by the US government, which amount to more than 595m ($770m) for maternal health and family planning, will risk a shift backwards in the progress made on cutting maternal deaths defined as any death related to or aggravated by pregnancy, or within six weeks of the end of a pregnancy. Speaking at a press conference, Dr Bruce Aylward, assistant director general of universal health coverage for the WHO, said: The funding cuts risk not only that progress, but we could have a shift backwards. He said that cuts were already affecting access to lifesaving supplies and medicines, and especially treatments for some of the leading causes of maternal death. One of the first things that theyre seeing already is that countries are already laying off staff, or not hiring, or theyre slowing down that healthworker spend... This is a real concern, he added. Some 60 countries worldwide are dependent on US-funded maternal care programmes and family planning services, largely concentrated in Africa and South Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These programmes also provide funding for midwives in areas where essential maternal care is lacking. Reports from sources on the ground indicate that cancelling USAID contracts has led to some midwives losing their source of income, leaving women in the area without safe care during pregnancy. But its not just the US: aid cuts are happening around the world. In February, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the government would slash its aid spending from 0.5 per cent of national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027 a cut of about 6bn to pay for increased defence spending. The announcement came after the governments International Development Committee (IDC) warned that UK aid cuts have already had a devastating impact on women and girls, with young girls in Sudan more likely to die during pregnancy than finish school. Labour MP Sarah Champion, chair of the IDC, told The Independent: I remain deeply concerned that the cuts to aid will hit womens health hard and destroy all the hard-won progress around the world. She added: Preventing maternal deaths is not a medical mystery; we can end them with political commitment and financial investments. Realising the right to safe pregnancy and childbirth requires continued efforts to improve the quality of care, which must be backed by adequate financial resources and supportive laws ... Weak health systems and new and protracted humanitarian crises have led to stagnating results in several countries, and even reversals in some. Sub-Saharan Africa and India suffer highest death rates The new WHO figures reveal that one in 36 15-year-old girls in west Africa is at risk of maternal death. This compares to 1 in 16,000 across southern Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2000, global maternal mortality rates have declined by 40 per cent, from 328 per 100,000 live births to 197 in 2023. However, the figures reveal inequalities across high- and low-income countries. Dr Pascale Allotey, director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the WHO, warned: Despite advances since 2000, the pace of progress has slowed to a near standstill. In some regions, we are already sliding backwards. In this context of fragility, complacency is not just dangerous, it is deadly ... When women die because of where they live, what they earn, or what rights are denied, it is indefensible, and it is preventable. According to the report, half of all maternal deaths in 2023 were recorded in Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Pakistan. Nigeria alone accounted for one in three deaths, with around 75,000 deaths in 2023, while 70 per cent of deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. The worlds key international organisation focused on womens reproductive health, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has also warned that recent US funding cuts to aid will risk an increase in maternal death rates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Estimates by UNFPA show that 71m ($92m) of US aid is distributed in Nigeria, where death rates are highest. UNPFA itself has lost 265m ($330m) in grants following the cuts to USAID. Julia Bunting, programme director for UNFPA, told The Independent that, while there has been progress in reducing maternal deaths globally, it is by no means fast enough. She said: We know there has been a 40 per cent decline in maternal death rates since 2000, but ... the progress is uneven and slowing. She added: These lives can be saved ... Its not just a matter of health. Its a matter of rights; its a matter of justice. We believe every woman should deserve to survive childbirth ... We know how to prevent these deaths: with skilled midwives, quality care, and political commitment we can save very many of these lives, but theres a real urgent need for investment, so we dont risk reversing the gains that have already been made. Although UNFPA has faced cuts to its funding from USAID, Monica Ferro, director of the organisations London representation office, confirmed that it has yet to have its funding cut by the UK, which is its second-biggest donor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, she warned: The combination of funding cuts, the increasing frequency of conflicts and the impacts of climate change mean pregnant women can't access lifesaving care, and gender-based violence is rising. We cant abandon the women and girls who need us most. The Cabinet Office was approached for comment. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: We are committed to defending and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, and we will continue to work with international partners in support of women and girls. Aid is only one way in which we support this work, and we will continue to use targeted funding and diplomatic engagement to provide leadership on gender issues and maternal health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protecting our national security is the first duty of any government, and doing so required the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our aid spending. A US state department spokesperson said that the US government has provided longstanding support to lifesaving maternal and child health services in lower-income countries where the vast majority over 90 per cent of all maternal and child deaths occur. This report has been produced as part of The Independents Rethinking Global Aid project This story was updated on 10 April to reflect updated figures for cuts to UNPFA grants by USAID. A woman was hit and killed at eastbound I-494 and 34th Avenue in Bloomington on Saturday night while running across traffic lanes, according to the state patrol. Cynthia Finnell, 66, of Bloomington, was struck and killed on 494 while she was running across the eastbound lanes, according to the state patrol website. The driver of a Ford Explorer in the right lane of the freeway, just west of 34th Avenue, struck and killed her. The deadly crash occurred at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, according to L. Mike Lee, public information officer for the Minnesota State Patrol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further details will be released at a later date as the investigation is active and ongoing, he said. Related Articles Police are now looking for 40-year-old Tashina Dobbins. She was scheduled to be sentenced Monday, March 31st for her role in the shoplifting of a Sandalwood beauty shop - a crime that ultimately led to the shop owners death. However, Dobbins never showed up in court, and now has a warrant out for her arrest. Dobbins was originally held on a $60,000 bond. She was released in late February after sitting in jail for two months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tanisha Dobbins changed her original plea from not guilty to guilty for felony petty theft after shoplifting. Dobbins is the only person to have been arrested for the incident that cut the life short of 64-year-old Ilson Kim, the owner of a local beauty supply store, Beauty Max. Back on December 6th, Dobbins and an unknown man were seen at the Beauty Max. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said Kim caught the man stealing hair products from her store. As she tried to retrieve the stolen merchandise, they said the suspect struck her with his car and fled the scene. The man left Dobbins behind. Unfortunately, Ilson Kim died at the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read: 2023 double murder investigation ends after an arrest made on Friday, per JSO A business owner next door said Kim was a dedicated business owner and mother. She asks everyone to remember: no item is worth risking your life over. We have an alarm that is set up for when the police come, but if they take off, they take off. We do not leave the door. We do not chase after them. Surveillance video later helped officers identify Tashina Dobbins as the second suspect in the case. She had several other theft-related arrests. Officers said Dobbins was later seen being picked up by the driver at a nearby Walmart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, the driver has not been identified or arrested in connection to the case. Ilson Kims family representative provided a statement back in December shortly after her death: We dont know exactly why she decided to confront the shoplifters, but the store had experienced thefts in the recent past. Someone even had the audacity to steal from the store the day after her death. Read: Hundreds gather in Jacksonville Saturday to protest second Trump administration & voice concerns In January, the family issued the following message to everyone in the community who had offered condolences or donated to support the grieving family: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether you attended her service, danced at her Zumba memorial, sent flowers or simply held us in your thoughts, please know how deeply we appreciate your love and support. It is a true testament to the impact Ilson had on so many lives and the strength of the community around us. Police are still looking for the man suspected of running over and killing Ilson Kim, and it is not clear whether Dobbins was providing information to help identify him. Anyone with additional information about Kims death or a suspect is encouraged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office or leave an anonymous tip with CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Grant program helping to support much-needed child care businesses UP to members of the Childcare Interagency Working Group and other partner organizations in Wyoming for creating a Childcare Provider Start-up Grant program to help fill the states child care gaps. Some residents may be surprised to learn that Wyoming lost nearly 200 child care providers between 2014 and 2024, according to state data. Those who arent surprised? Parents who struggle to find enough quality child care facilities to meet their needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats why it was so important for this group comprised of the Wyoming Business Council, the Learning Collaborative, Wyoming Department of Family Services and the Wyoming Womens Foundation at the Wyoming Community Foundation to develop a way to boost this segment of our business community. And the response has exceeded expectations. The working group gave $72,000 to 10 providers in the first round of funding to help cover startup or expansion costs. Priority was given to those serving communities with limited or no child care options, as well as home-based providers. Interest in the program was so high that the group is accelerating the timeline for the next round of funding. Applications opened again Tuesday, despite the original plan to award grants on a bimonthly basis. This program alone wont solve the problem, of course. State lawmakers need to help during next years budget session by providing more funding and passing any necessary policy changes to make it easier for new providers to get started without compromising safety and quality. Corner-crossing decision was good for hunters; vigilance still needed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UP to judges on the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel that ruled recently that hunters can cross from one corner of public land to another as long as they dont physically touch private property. Nearly half of Wyoming is federal public land, and millions of acres across the West especially in the southern part of the state are a checkerboard of public and private land as a result of deals made during the westward expansion of the Transcontinental Railroad. That means about 8.3 million acres of public land in the western U.S. is corner-locked, meaning it cant be accessed without private landowner permission or locating and crossing at the corners. The appeals court had to weigh in on the issue after North Carolina businessman and Wyoming landowner Fred Eshelman pressed charges against four Missouri hunters for trespassing on his land when they used a ladder to cross from one square of Bureau of Land Management land to another near Elk Mountain in 2020 and 2021. A Carbon County Circuit Court jury in 2022 found the hunters not guilty, but Mr. Eshelman filed a civil suit in federal court, which was appealed to the 10th Circuit after a Wyoming judge sided with the hunters. While the decision is good news for those looking to recreate on federal land, it comes with a word of caution. Hunters, hikers and others who corner cross need to understand that this doesnt give them carte blanche to traipse around in these areas. Instead, they need to first see if theres an easier-to-access entry point; if not, they need to use GPS and search for corner markers to ensure theyre not trespassing on private land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And further restrictions may be imposed in the future, by federal courts, members of Congress or state lawmakers, so those using public land must remain both vigilant and respectful. Governor was right to veto changes to Second Amendment law UP to Gov. Mark Gordon for vetoing changes to the Second Amendment Protection Act (SAPA), which he signed into law three years ago. SAPA currently requires a county prosecutor to file charges against an individual police officer if the officer violates the Second Amendment rights of a gun owner. Proposed amendments under Senate File 196 would have said law enforcement could not legally aid the federal government in enforcing federal gun laws and would have allowed citizens to sue institutions responsible for violating the act through civil penalties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gordon rightly said that, while he supports the Second Amendment, the proposed SAPA changes would have restricted Wyoming law enforcements ability to assist with a federal task force or enforce any federal laws, something he said he believes goes too far. House and Senate leaders have already vowed to bring the bill back as the first piece of legislation sent to the governor next year. Instead, they should step back, listen to law enforcement officers from across the state who voiced opposition to it and figure out why its not a good idea. Evanston public meeting violation shows need for careful consideration DOWN to four members of the Evanston City Council for violating the Wyoming Open Meetings Act by making public decisions by email and phone calls, but UP to City Attorney Mark Harris for investigating the situation and exposing the violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we were disappointed to learn last month of a violation of the Wyoming Open Meetings Act in Uinta County, we were encouraged by the willingness of Mr. Harris to not let the council members get away with it. The violation involved four of the seven council members using sequential communications via email and phone calls to agree on the wording of a no-confidence statement against Mayor Kent Williams that was read during an Aug. 20, 2024, council meeting. Mr. Harris determined the communications were a deliberation, and therefore in violation of the Open Meetings Act. While some might think this isnt a big deal, wed remind them that the topic being considered could just as easily have been in advance of a vote on a controversial housing development or a large expenditure of city funds. The civil penalty for such a violation is $750 per person, but even if the four people involved arent required to pay it, we hope the case serves as a reminder to all public officials to make decisions in the open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VOAs new Harmony House to provide substance abuse treatment UP to Volunteers of America Northern Rockies for building Harmony House, a new residential treatment facility that will provide substance abuse treatment for men and women. Harmony House will have 42 beds for addiction treatment 26 for men and 16 for women. It also has 12 beds for crisis stabilization six for men and six for women and four beds for social detox two for men and two for women. The facility offers short-term crisis housing and long-term housing for up to 90 days for inpatient treatment. In line with the faith-based mission of the program, it also has a chapel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to this being the first inpatient treatment facility for women in the capital city in a long time, VOA will accept women with children into Harmony House, so they dont have to worry about neglecting family responsibilities to get clean and sober. VOA typically sees an 80-90% success rate, according to CEO Mike King. Were glad to see the organization along with support from Gov. Gordon, the Office of State Lands and Investments and the Wyoming Department of Health support this effort, and we wish them, and their clients, much success. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Suspected U.S. airstrikes over the weekend targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels killed at least six people, the group said Sunday, while a bombing video posted by U.S. President Donald Trump suggested casualties in the overall campaign may be higher than the rebels acknowledge. A strike Sunday night in Sanaa, the rebel-held capital of Yemen, hit a house, killing at least four people and wounding 16 others, the Houthis said. Their al-Masirah satellite news channel showed images of the damaged home and people receiving care in a hospital. The strike on the house in Sanaa's Shuub district allegedly targeted a Houthi leader, part of a wider decapitation campaign launched by the Trump administration to kill rebel leaders. The intense campaign of U.S. airstrikes targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters related to the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 73 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier Sunday, the Iranian-backed Houthis said other suspected U.S. airstrikes killed at least two people in the rebel stronghold of Saada and wounded nine others. Footage aired by al-Masirah showed a strike collapsing what appeared to be a two-story building. The rebels aired no footage from inside the building, which they described as a solar power shop. The Houthis have not acknowledged any casualties among their security and military leadership something challenged after an online video posted by Trump. Trump bombing footage suggests rebel leaders targeted Early on Saturday, Trump posted what appeared to be a black-and-white video from a drone showing over 70 people gathered in a circle. An explosion detonates during the 25-second video. A massive crater is left in its wake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack, Trump claimed, without offering a location or any other details about the strike. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again! The U.S. military's Central Command, which oversees Mideast military operations, has not published the video nor offered specific details about the strikes it has conducted since March 15. The White House has said over 200 strikes have targeted the Houthis. The rebel-controlled SABA news agency in Yemen, citing an anonymous source, described the bombing as targeting a social Eid visit in Hodeida governorate. Muslims around the world just celebrated Eid al-Fitr at the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. SABA had published images of other commanders meeting fighters during the holiday, though not any high-level Houthi officials. Those present at that gathering had no connection to the operations carried out by the (Houthis), which are implementing the decision to ban navigation on ships linked to the American and Israeli enemy, the SABA report said, adding that the attack killed and wounded dozens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Houthis previously have not acknowledged any strike on Hodeida during that time with such a high casualty count. The SABA report also did not describe those killed as civilians, suggesting they did have ties to the rebels' security or military forces. Hodeida has been a site of Houthi attacks into the Red Sea. Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister for Yemen's exiled government opposing the Houthis, claimed the strike killed some 70 Houthi fighters and leaders, as well as experts from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. He offered no evidence for the claim, though Iran has backed the Houthis. Neither the Iranian government nor the Guard has acknowledged the attack. However, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the Guard, said Saturday that no Iranian individual has been martyred in Yemen and described the claim of fatalities as psychological warfare. Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert of the Basha Report risk advisory firm, cited social media condolence notices suggesting a colonel overseeing police stations for the Houthis in Hodeida had been killed in the strike Trump highlighted, alongside his two brothers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strikes have expanded significantly, hitting multiple governorates simultaneously, alongside telecommunications infrastructure, command nodes, properties tied to senior Houthi leadership and previously untouched tunnel networks in mountainous areas, al-Basha told The Associated Press. Weve also seen direct targeting of Houthi force gatherings, indicating a more aggressive and evolving shift in the targeting strategy, al-Basha said. Intense US bombings began nearly a month ago An AP review has found the new U.S. operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success. The attacks greatly raised the profile of the Houthis, who faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers in Yemen amid a decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation. The U.S. campaign shows no signs of stopping, as the Trump administration has linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. ___ Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Families in Springfield addressed gun violence Saturday at a Youth Summit for Peace. At the event, dozens of middle schoolers got to learn about how gun violence has impacted local families. Panelists also encouraged students to be proactive and not fall into crime on the streets. Three people shot in the area of Malden Street in Springfield We want to make sure that we turn our pain into purpose, said Francena Brown, Executive Director of Families Against Violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers also shared how kindness can impact childrens actions on the streets. They reminded families to love one another, and not to ignore small gestures that show each other love. Speakers said this can prevent children from acting out and seeking validation from groups on the streets. I was affected by this gun violence, Brown said. I had two sons who were murdered, one in 2006 and another in 2022. I am putting it out here in my city to let others and their families know that there are people out there hurting and grieving, and we are here to help. According to the Department of Public Health, from 2018 to 2023, homicides in western Massachusetts were up more than 80 percent among those 15 to 19 years old. To learn more or get involved, visit familiesagainstviolence.org. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more pressure on Russia after it hit Kiev and other parts of Ukraine with fresh missile and drone attacks overnight. "These attacks are [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners - the United States, all of Europe, the entire world - has seen that Russia intends to continue the war and the killing," Zelensky posted on X on Sunday. "The pressure on Russia is still insufficient, and the daily Russian strikes on Ukraine prove it," he said, detailing more than 1,460 guided bombs, almost 670 drones and 30 missiles targeting Ukraine over the past week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Every strike targets our people, our children. They are waging war against children playing on playgrounds," he posted. In a later video message, Zelensky once again called for the delivery of air defence systems already promised by the allies. "'Patriots', which are simply being kept in storage by our partners, should actually be protecting lives," the Ukrainian warned. At the same time he called on Europe and the US to increase their production of defence systems and the necessary missiles. He also asked for political measures to enable the production of such weapons in Ukraine. Kremlin negotiator expects fresh US talks soon Zelensky's comments come after US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio levelled accusations that Putin was trying to play for time and not committed to ceasefire efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev said contact between Russia and the US could resume as early as next week, state news agency TASS reported, citing remarks to Moscow's First Channel television station. Dmitriev did not specify the location or format of such talks. The envoy had spoken with representatives of Trump's administration in Washington just last week. According to Dmitriev, those talks touched on the war in Ukraine, but above all centred on re-establishing economic ties with the US. He said that many US companies wanted to return to Russia. Amid Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, US-Russian ties have been all but frozen, however Trump and his team have sought to end the war and in doing so appear to be ready to make concessions to Moscow on many points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dmitriev said that there were still many opponents of dialogue between Moscow and Washington in the US leadership. Other countries were also trying to disrupt the "fragile hope" of a thawing in ties. He demanded something be done to counter such attacks "so as not to destroy the thaw that is taking place." Kiev hit in fresh missile attacks Russia, continuing its attacks unabated amid new diplomacy efforts, launched multiple ballistic missiles towards Ukraine, also targeting the capital Kiev, the Kyiv Independent reported on Sunday, citing Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko spoke of explosions, three injuries, a partially destroyed office block and falling debris from damaged buildings. Fires were also reported in several districts of the capital. Rescue workers were sent to tend to the injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Klitschko later announced that a man had been found dead on a street that had been hit by the attack. According to the Kyiv Independent, Russian attacks hit targets throughout Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian Air Force reported a combined attack by 23 missiles and cruise missiles and 109 drones. Thirteen missiles had been intercepted, it said, adding that air defences were virtually useless against Iskander missiles, a short-range ballistic missile. Forty drones of Iranian design had also been shot down, it said, along with 53 dummy drones without warheads used to distract air defences. The air force reported damage in the Kiev, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv regions. The regional military administration in the southern city of Mykolaiv reported at least two residential buildings were on fire after being hit by combat drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine's Western allies on April 6 that more needs to be done to stop Russian aggression, stressing that "the pressure on Russia is still not enough." "The number of air attacks is growing," Zelensky said in a Telegram post after a Russian missile strike on Kyiv killed one and wounded three overnight. "This is Russia's way of showing its true intentions to continue terror as long as the world allows it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskys call for action from Western allies comes as the U.S. continues its efforts to end the war at any cost by pushing both sides toward a rushed peace deal. It remains unclear whether Europe could support Ukraine on its own if Washington were to suspend its military aid and intelligence sharing again. Russian troops have launched over 1,460 aerial bombs, almost 670 combat drones, and over 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine during the past week, according to Zelensky. On April 4, a Russian missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih Zelensky's hometown killed 19, including nine children, the local authorities said. Four more children who were injured during the attack are in serious condition at the hospital, according to their report. "Every strike is against our people and children," Zelensky said in the Telegram post. "(Russian troops) are fighting against children playing in playgrounds." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reacting to the U.S. Embassy's response to the Kryvyi Rih attack, Zelensky said on April 5 that it was "unpleasantly surprising," criticizing Ambassador Bridget Brink for not denouncing Russia. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also insisted in an April 6 post on X that it was "time for more pressure on Moscow," saying that Russia's only response to the United States' full ceasefire proposal has been more missile, drone, and aerial bomb attacks against Ukraine and its people. Read also: UPDATE: One killed, 3 injured in Kyiv amid massive Russian missile attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine over its surprisingly disappointing response to Russias strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskys hometown. Zelensky, in a lengthy Saturday post on the social platform X, accused the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine of being afraid to mention Russia when commenting on the Friday attack that killed at least 19 people and injured nearly 70 more. Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction, Zelensky wrote. They are afraid to even say the word Russian when speaking about the missile that murdered children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the deadly Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said she was horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end. Zelensky, in the Saturday morning post, agreed that the three-year war in Eastern Europe must end. But to end it, we must not be afraid to call things by their names. We must not be afraid to pressure the one who continues this war and ignores all the worlds proposals to end it, Zelensky said. We must pressure Russia the one choosing to kill children instead of choosing a ceasefire. There must be additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on their neighboring nation, Ukraines leader added. We must do everything in our capacity to save lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strike on Kryvyi Rih was condemned by several European leaders, including European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas, who said on Friday that Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace. It is critically important not to leave this Russian strike on civilians, on the city every such strike without a response from the world. Kryvyi Rih and all of Ukraine have already been supported by many yesterday and today, Zelensky said. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Friday attack was a precision strike with a high-explosive missile that was aimed at a restaurant where commanders of formations and Western instructors were meeting. As a result of the strike, enemy losses total up to 85 servicemen and officers of foreign countries, as well as up to 20 vehicles, the ministry said on Telegram. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trumps administration has been pushing to secure a ceasefire between the two sides since he came back to office in January. The U.S. said last week that an agreement was reached between the two Eastern European countries to halt use of force in the Black Sea and on energy facilities. We count on our agreements with the President of the United States, who promised to help find more Patriots, Zelensky said on Saturday. And we count on the strength of the world to overcome this evil this war, this Russian aggression. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for greater pressure to be applied to Russia following overnight missile and drone attacks on Kiev and other targets across Ukraine. "These attacks are [Russian President Vladimir] Putins response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners - the United States, all of Europe, the entire world - has seen that Russia intends to continue the war and the killing," Zelensky posted on X on Sunday. "The pressure on Russia is still insufficient, and the daily Russian strikes on Ukraine prove it," he said, detailing more than 1,460 guided bombs, almost 670 drones and 30 missiles targeting Ukraine over the past week. "Every strike targets our people, our children. They are waging war against children playing on playgrounds," he posted. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed Ukraines defence and foreign ministers to intensify contacts with international partners on air defence and called on the US and Europe to increase the production of air defence systems and missiles. Source: Zelenskyys address Quote: "I have instructed the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to step up contacts with our partners on this matter. A meeting is being prepared in the context of Ramstein. There are two main objectives for today: namely, air defense systems, specifically Patriots, and the second objective is contingents, ensuring the swift alignment of all decisions and working out all details. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have also instructed that we work bilaterally on air defense, especially with the United States, which has sufficient potential to help stop any terror." Details: Zelenskyy also called on Ukraines partners to "significantly accelerate" the implementation of already agreed air defence commitments that have not yet been delivered. Quote: "The Patriots that are currently just sitting somewhere in our partners' warehouses must be put to real use to protect lives. Also, both Europe and America must significantly accelerate the production of air defense systems and missiles for them. We in Ukraine can ensure such production, and we need the relevant political decisions. Localization of production and the necessary licenses this is what will help not only us but all partners who seek security, not war. We have already discussed this with everyone, and now there is an understanding that this is entirely possible, and each Russian strike is a reminder to our partners: what has been agreed upon must finally be implemented." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Soprano Julie Finch, left, and pianist Carol Hartoon will perform at this month's Second Sunday Series on April 13 at Englewood Christian Church. In Yakima, more than 1,300 protesters call on Trump, Musk to keep hands off democracy, programs Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined with Oregon in filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's effort to impose new election procedures on the states. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times, file) A Vibrant and Defiant Start to the Assyrian New Year in Iraq Akitu, the Assyrian New Year, is one of the oldest and most beautiful traditions, and it was celebrated in full swing this year in Iraq. On April 1, 2025, the streets of Duhok were alive with color, music, and joy as locals and visitors gathered to mark the beginning of spring and the start of a fresh year. It wasn't just any celebration--it was a powerful reminder of Assyrian heritage and community spirit! A Celebration of Culture and Unity The day began with a lively parade that brought together people of all ages. It started at the Virgin Mary Church in downtown Duhok, and as the parade made its way through the city, you could feel the excitement building. Traditional Assyrian music filled the air, and people waved flags while dressed in stunning, colorful costumes. It was like a big family reunion where everyone came together to honor their roots and the land they call home. At the Mazi Complex, the real fun began! There were traditional dances, performances, and people sharing stories about their history. It was more than just a festival; it was a deep connection to the past and a celebration of how far Assyrians have come. A Nod to the Past, A Look to the Future Akitu isn't just about the festivities--it's a reminder of the resilience and strength of the Assyrian people. The festival has been celebrated for thousands of years, and it continues to bring the community together. It represents a fresh start, new beginnings, and the hope that every year will be better than the last. As we danced and laughed, it was clear: the spirit of the Assyrian people is unbreakable. Whether you're from Iraq or the Assyrian diaspora, there's something powerful about coming together to celebrate this day. A Little Challenge, But We Stand Strong Of course, no celebration is without its challenges. Sadly, there was an incident during the parade when a man attacked a few people. Fortunately, the situation was quickly handled, and everyone is safe. But even with this hiccup, the message of the day remained strong: no matter what, we stand together, stronger than ever. The festival continued to shine brightly, and it became a testament to the unity of the Assyrian community. There were smiles, laughter, and love filling the air, despite any setbacks. The day was full of heartfelt messages of unity and pride. Leaders like Ninos Odisho reminded everyone that this celebration isn't just about looking back; it's about looking forward to a future where Assyrian culture and traditions continue to thrive. President Nechirvan Barzani also sent his warm congratulations, celebrating the cultural richness that Akitu brings to the Kurdistan Region. It was a day of joy, and a reminder that we all have a part to play in protecting and nurturing our cultural heritage. Akitu 2025 was a blast--a day to remember and a perfect example of the power of community. As we look to the future, we can't wait to keep the traditions alive and share them with the world. Let's keep dancing, laughing, and celebrating, because the Assyrian spirit is alive and well! Swiggy Tax Demand Case: Online food and grocery delivery giant Swiggy is in hot water againthis time over a fresh set of tax issues linked to the financial year 2021-22. In a regulatory filing on Saturday, the company revealed that it has received two tax assessment orders, with the total demand exceeding Rs 165 crore. One of the orders came from the Office of the Profession Tax Officer in Pune, which slapped a Rs 7.59 crore penalty on Swiggy. The notice alleges that Swiggy didnt deduct profession tax correctly from its employees' salaries, a requirement under the Maharashtra State Tax on Professions, Trades, Callings & Employments Act, 1975. Swiggy, however, isnt backing down. The company said it believes it has strong legal grounds to challenge the order and is planning to file a review or appeal in the coming days. "The Company believes that it has strong arguments against the Order and is taking necessary steps to protect its interest through review/appeal," Swiggy stated in its filing. The company also clarified that the issue will not have a significant impact on its finances or operations. This development comes just days after Swiggy was served another assessment order by the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Circle 1(1), Bangalore. Adding to its tax woes, Swiggy has received another assessment order, this time demanding an additional Rs 158 crore for the same financial yearApril 2021 to March 2022. According to the order, the larger tax demand stems from issues like cancellation charges paid to merchants, which tax authorities have disallowed under Section 37 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. It also includes interest income from tax refunds, which officials claim was not properly declared. In a regulatory filing, Swiggy stated: The Company has received an assessment order for the period April 2021 to March 2022 where an addition of Rs 158.25 crore has been made. Despite the hefty demand, Swiggy remains confident. The company said it firmly believes in its legal position and is already working on filing an appeal. Similar to the profession tax issue, Swiggy assured that this new order is unlikely to significantly impact its financial health or day-to-day operations. (With Inputs From IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the ongoing language row and stated that he is surprised after seeing non of the letters he receives from Tamil Nadu ministers are signed in the Tamil language. While inaugurating the New Pambam Bridge in Rameswaram, Prime Minister Modi addressed the public and claimed that they constantly working to ensure that the Tamil language and Tamil heritage reach every corner of the world. "The Government is constantly working to ensure that the Tamil language and Tamil heritage reach every corner of the world. Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu; none of them are signed in the Tamil language. If you are proud of Tamil, then I would request everyone at least sign your name in Tamil," PM said, ANI reported. PM Modi's remarks come amid a clash between the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Central government over the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Prime Minister Modi further urged the Stalin government in Tamil Nadu to start medical courses in the Tamil language so that even the children of poor families can fulfil their dream of becoming doctors. "I would urge the Tamil Nadu government to start medical courses in the Tamil language so that even the children of poor families can fulfil their dream of becoming doctors. Our effort is to ensure that the youth of our country do not have to go abroad to become doctors. In the last 10 years, Tamil Nadu has got 11 new medical colleges," Prime Minister Modi added. New Delhi: The Centre does not want to control Waqf Boards but ensure that they operate within the bounds of law so that their assets are used in promotion of education, healthcare and employment for the Muslim community, BJP president JP Nadda said on Sunday. Addressing an event organised at the BJP headquarters here to mark the party's 46th foundation day, Nadda said governments in Turkey and many other Muslim countries have taken the Waqf properties under their control. "We are only asking those who are operating (the Waqf Boards) that you do it as per rules. You will have to do it as per rules," he said. "We do not seek to control the Waqf Board. Our goal is to ensure that those managing it operate within the bounds of the law and adhere to established rules. The properties and funds of the Waqf Board will be dedicated to promoting education, providing healthcare and employment opportunities for the Muslim community," the BJP chief said. Before the address, Nadda hoisted the BJP flag at the party headquarters. Several party leaders including MPs and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were present. Revisiting the BJP's political journey that began with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, Nadda said it has become the world's biggest political party and is in power in several states today because it never deviated from its ideological foundation, unlike the Congress which suffered a decline due to its "ideological dilution" over the years. "Today, We have 240 members in the Lok Sabha, more than 98 in Rajya Sabha, more than 1,600 MLAs across the country. We have just concluded our membership drive and the number of BJP members has crossed 13.5 crore. We have more than 10 lakh active party workers in the country," Nadda said. He said the BJP is the only political party that has witnessed a "scientific growth". "Expanding the organisation and winning elections is an art and a science," he said, adding, "Though our opponents take jibes at us in Parliament, they also say we are the world's biggest party. Even our opponents recognise our strength." Nadda said the BJP has always kept the nation first and made efforts to promote India's traditions, culture and history, and pointed out that a "magnificent" Ram temple was constructed in Ayodhya during the party's rule. He said in the Shah Bano case, the Congress under the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had succumbed to appeasement politics by "bowing" to pressure from certain sections of the Muslim community. "Despite the Supreme Court calling for the emancipation of Muslim women, no one had the courage to take a decisive action," he said, adding that BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi abolished triple talaq and liberated Muslim women. The BJP chief said the Modi government also gave citizenship rights to those who came to India after facing "religious persecution" in Pakistan. "We said we will come out of the colonial mindset. Rajpath has now become Kartavya Path. A statue of Subhash Chandra Bose was also installed (near India Gate)," he added. Roller Coaster Accident: A 24-year-old woman died after she fell from a roller coaster ride at a water park in Delhi's Kapashera area on Thursday, according to police. According to news agency ANI, the woman, Priyanka, was at the water park with her friends and allegedly during a roller coaster ride she lost her balance and fell. She had sustained severe injuries in the accident. Priyanka was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Police claimed that Priyanka, a sales manager from Chanakyapuri, was at Fun and Food Village with her fiance, Nikhil, according to India Today. The Delhi Police has launched an investigation in the accident and the authorities are looking into if there was any safety negligence or equipment malfunction. According to ANI, the Delhi Police said that the medico-legal case (MLC) information was received at the Kapashera police station. The information stated that Priyanka had fallen from a swing and was declared dead at Manipal Hospital, where she was admitted by Nikhil. Following this, police went to the hospital and collected the medico-legal certificate of Priyanka. After the post-mortem was conducted, Priyankas body was handed over to her family, the police informed. (with ANI inputs) Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ended his indefinite hunger strike against the Central government on Sunday, and participated in the Mahapanchayat held in Fatehgarh Sahib. Speaking to reporters, Dallewal said that several farmer leaders requested him to end his hunger strike. However, he stated that the protest is still on and has not been taken back. "Several farmers and leaders of the morcha requested me to end the indefinite hunger strike. Today, agreeing to them, I have ended my indefinite hunger strike. The protest has not been taken back, it is still on," Jagjit Singh Dallewal told reporters on Sunday. #WATCH | Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal says, "...Several farmers and leaders of the morcha requested me to end the indefinite hunger strike... Today, agreeing to them, I have ended my indefinite hunger strike...The protest has not been taken back, it is still on..." pic.twitter.com/lpEQRsB4ds ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 Jagjit Dallewal was fasting until death at the Khanouri border to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The top court had asked the Punjab government to ensure Dallewal gets proper medical aid during his fast unto death. The farmers have been protesting to press on their various demands, including a law guaranteeing the minimum support price (MSP). In March, Jagjit Dallewal was detained by the Punjab Police during their protest at the Shambhu border. The farmers were sitting in protest over various demands. The Punjab Police removed their protest site using bulldozers. In February Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal went to Chandigarh and held a meeting with farmers to listen to their demands. During the meeting, Chouhan personally reached out to Dallewal and inquired about his health. Union Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured full MSP support to the farmers who grow lentils (urad and tur). Speaking at the inauguration of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at Pusa Campus in New Delhi, the Union Minister asserted that MSP is constantly raised to guarantee that farmers receive a fair price for their produce. He said, "MSP is being continuously increased to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce." Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticized the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over their remark alleging that the central government is targeting Catholic Church land following the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament. Responding to Rahul Gandhi's remark, Chandrasekhar slammed LoP and said, "One thing I recommend to Constitution-waving, India-bashing Rahul Gandhi is that he reads and learns the constitution before he uses it for his Congress politics of lies." Chandrasekhar added that owning land is not a crime but grabbing it from people is wrong. "Owning land is not a crime just as vast amounts of land is owned by Railways, Army, Plantation owners etc. However, grabbing it from people as Cong leaders in Karnataka do and Waqf tried to do is wrong." Chandrasekhar wrote on X. Rahul Gandhi On Church Land On Saturday, a Congress leader launched a snatching attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), stating that after the passage of the Waqf Bill in Parliament, the focus has now shifted to Catholic Church land. Congress leader shared a post on X, stating that while the Waqf Bill targets Muslims, now, it sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. "I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future," he wrote. Gandhi further criticised the RSS for shifting its focus to Christians after the passage of the Waqf Bill, stating, "It didnt take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians. The Constitution is the only shield that protects our people from such attacks - and it is our collective duty to defend it." Kerala Lottery Results Sunday 06-04-2025 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "AKSHAYA AK-696" Lucky Draw Result today Akshaya AK-696, April 06, 2025. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2025 for "Akshaya AK-696" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Akshaya AK-696 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 70 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Akshaya AK-696 results today. Kerala Lottery Result 06-04-2025 April: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR AKSHAYA AK-696 Draw LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKHS IS: AW 465907 LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: AS 160907 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: AN 484224 AO 130444 AP 207925 AR 978886 AS 410214 AT 224540 AU 713218 AV 657187 AW 785466 AX 123520 AY 184104 AZ 182037 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: AN 465907 AO 465907 AP 465907 AR 465907 AS 465907 AT 465907 AU 465907 AV 465907 AX 465907 AY 465907 AZ 465907 (For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below) LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0117 0906 1344 1476 2491 3013 3271 3300 4135 5095 5254 6343 6378 6562 7603 7712 8020 9749 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: 0261 0626 4067 4361 4628 8222 9141 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 0070 0128 0197 0791 1490 1673 1738 1790 2341 3367 3609 3916 4172 4410 5274 5286 5293 5564 6129 7048 7075 7375 8427 8967 9072 9496 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: To Be Announced LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: To Be Announced KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 06-04-2025 April TODAY: AKSHAYA AK-696 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakhs 2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs 3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs. 5,000 5th Prize: Rs. 2,000 6th Prize: Rs. 1,000 7th Prize: Rs. 500 8th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 (NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote lottery in anyway.) Police arrested a man and his brother on Saturday for allegedly killing his wife and burying her remains near a pile of garbage over a year ago, officials said. Police have recovered the skeletal remains of Asifa (28), they said. Circle Officer (CO) Bharat Sonkar said Asifa was married to Kamil and was reported missing by her brother. Asifa's family complained that Kamil had not allowed them to speak to her for two years. Following this, a missing complaint was lodged by Asifa's mother at the Chandpur police station on March 26, the CO said. Acting on suspicion, police detained Kamil and his brother Adil for questioning. During interrogation, Kamil revealed that he suspected Asifa of having an affair. "On November 23, 2023, he, with the help of his brother Adil and their aunt Chandni, strangled Asifa to death and subsequently buried her body," said the CO. "On their identification on Saturday, Asifa's remains were recovered and buried in the ground near a garbage heap near their house," the CO added. "The duo have been put under arrest," he said. The police have sent the remains for postmortem examination and are currently searching for the absconding aunt, Chandni. PM Modi In Tamil Nadu: Following his return from Sri Lanka visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pamban sea bridge, providing a rail link between Rameswaram Island and the mainland, and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service in Tamil Nadus Rameswaram. The Prime Minister also flagged off a Coast Guard ship which passed under the bridge. The bridge is all set to improve connectivity to this spiritual destination flocked by devotees throughout the year from across the country. Built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore, this is Indias first vertical sea-lift bridge. #WATCH | PM @narendramodi inaugurates the New Pamban Rail Bridge in Rameswaram Connecting the sacred town of Rameswaram to the mainland, this engineering marvel is a symbol of Indias growing infrastructure power and devotion. With a cost of over 550 crore, the bridge pic.twitter.com/IVdY9sgV6k DD News (@DDNewslive) April 6, 2025 Spanning 2.08 kilometers, the bridge comprises 99 spans and a 72.5-meter-long vertical lift span that can be raised up to 17 meters, allowing the smooth passage of large ships while ensuring seamless train operations. The bridge features stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade paint, and fully welded joints, enhancing durability while reducing maintenance requirements. Its foundation is supported by 333 piles and 101 piers/pile caps, designed for dual rail tracks and future expansion. The use of polysiloxane paint protects it from corrosion, ensuring longevity in the harsh marine environment. This bridge is a remarkable blend of tradition and technology. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, TN Governor R. N. Ravi, and state Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, among others, were present. After arriving from Sri Lanka, PM Modi was accorded a warm welcome by Ravi, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu, Union Minister of State L. Murugan, BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief K. Annamalai, and senior BJP leaders including H. Raja and Vanathi Srinivasan. PM Modi Sri Lanka Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Sri Lanka, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Sunday jointly inaugurated and flagged off key India-backed railway projects in Anuradhapura. The railway projects marked a significant milestone in the growing bilateral infrastructure cooperation between the two nations. At a formal ceremony held at the Anuradhapura Railway Station, the two leaders launched two major projects -- the upgraded railway track of the Maho-Omanthai line and the newly constructed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura segment. #WATCH | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: PM Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake jointly launch the signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway linea project supported by the Indian government They also jointly flagged off a train at Anuradhapura pic.twitter.com/sNsoGmtU1F ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 The two projects were executed with Indian assistance and are expected to significantly improve connectivity and safety across the northern rail network. PM Modi and the Lankan President were welcomed by large crowds of locals at the station as they arrived. Many people in the crowd captured the moment on their phones. The railway projects have been implemented by IRCON International Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. "Today is a very fortunate day that our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the President of Sri Lanka together are dedicating to the nation an upgraded railway project spanning 128 kilometres, which was in a very bad condition earlier," IRCON CMD Hari Mohan Gupta told news agency IANS. "It's a moment of great honour for India and Sri Lanka," he added. The two leaders had on Saturday also held wide-ranging discussions in Colombo aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation across various sectors. Following the talks, Prime Minister Modi was conferred with the Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan, one of the island nation's highest civilian honours -- a recognition of India's unwavering support and the Prime Minister's personal contribution to deepening bilateral ties. The day also witnessed the signing and exchange of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), with both leaders jointly unveiling new India-supported initiatives across infrastructure, energy, and development sectors. The Prime Minister departed for India after concluding a "very productive" visit to Sri Lanka where he held extensive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and witnessed the signing of several agreements to boost cooperation in sectors such as defence, energy and digitalisation. Modi arrived in the Sri Lankan capital from Thailand, where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). (With agencies' Inputs) Ram Navami 2025: As the nation celebrates Ram Navami on Sunday, all preparations have been made in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya to ensure that devotees dont face any problems amid celebrations. Scores of devotees thronged Ayodhya's Ram Temple on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday morning. The Ram Navami will be celebrated in a grand fashion in the holy town of Ayodhya, with drones being used to spray Saryu water on devotees and more than two lakh diyas lit on the occasion. The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple was adorned with vibrant flowers and dazzling lights on Ram Navami, drawing devotees from across the country to celebrate Lord Ram's birth. #WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | AI-based drones are being used for monitoring and security purposes as a large number of devotees are arriving at Ram Janmbhoomi temple. pic.twitter.com/KuFZycmoi3 ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025 Before visiting the temple, devotees take a holy dip in the Saryu River in Ayodhya. Ram Navami is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. As part of the preparations for the celebration, priority has been given to regular devotees visiting the Ram temple. Along with crowd and traffic management, authorities have also arranged ORS solutions for pilgrims amid scorching heat. On the occasion of Ram Navami, the Uttar Pradesh government has also planned to light more than two lakh diyas in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram. Speaking on the arrangements for the Ram Navami celebrations, IG Ayodhya range Praveen Kumar said the holy city has been divided into different zones and sectors. Heavy vehicles will be diverted via the Purvanchal Expressway to ensure no inconvenience for pilgrims. Alternative arrangements similar to those made during the Maha Kumbh are in place, he said. "Paramilitary forces, along with PAC and civil police, will be deployed for security. Meanwhile, NDRF, SDRF, and water police are also on alert around the Saryu River, the IG said, as quoted by PTI. All special passes for the Ram Temple will be cancelled during peak hours from 9 am till noon, and priority will be given to regular pilgrims for temple visits, he said. Lessons From Maha Kumbh Stampedes Applied In Ayodhya Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal said all preparations have been completed by the administration for the smooth visit and worship of pilgrims coming to Ayodhya for the Ram Navami festival. Preparations have been made to ensure that pilgrims do not face any problems. Lessons from innovations in crowd control during the Maha Kumbh have been applied to manage crowds and provide facilities to pilgrims, Dayal said. Arrangements for shade and mats have been made at major sites, including the Ram Temple and Hanuman Garhi, to protect pilgrims from heat and sun, the Divisional Commissioner said, adding that cool drinking water will be available at all major sites. Considering the heat, ORS solutions are available with all these officials and at all temporary health centres in the fair areas. Temporary Health Centers Set Up In Ayodhya The health department has set up temporary primary health centers at 14 locations, with a sufficient number of doctors appointed. Additionally, 108 ambulances are available at approximately seven locations for immediate use in emergencies. For sanitation, as per the Chief Minister's instructions, a dedicated team of sanitation workers from the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation has been deployed for regular cleaning in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The Divisional Commissioner has appealed to all pilgrims visiting Ayodhya to co-operate with the arrangements made by the administration and to seek assistance from the officials present on the site in case of any issues. The administration said they expect a large number of devotees and have made arrangements accordingly. The Ram Mandir Trust has also decided to extend the duration of darshan in view of the increasing number of devotees. Additional staff will be deployed for crowd management on the temple premises. (With agencies Inputs) In a significant gesture underscoring growing bilateral goodwill, Sri Lanka on Sunday released 14 Indian fishermen, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the island nation. The release followed detailed discussions between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake earlier on Saturday, during which the long-standing issue of fishermen's arrests was taken up. The Prime Minister, during his remarks at a joint press briefing, said, "We discussed the fishermen's issues. We agreed that we should move forward in this matter with a humane approach. We stressed the immediate release of the fishermen and the return of their boats." The arrest of Indian fishermen, primarily from Tamil Nadu, by Sri Lankan authorities for alleged poaching in Sri Lankan waters has been a recurring point of tension. Since the beginning of 2025, 119 Indian fishermen and 16 fishing boats have reportedly been apprehended by Sri Lankan forces, raising concerns among coastal communities and prompting repeated appeals for intervention. Addressing a press conference following the talks, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "We have been informed that the Sri Lankan authorities have taken a decision to release 11 fishermen imminently, and perhaps a few more in the coming days." "This was a subject that was discussed in considerable detail between the two sides. As the Prime Minister said himself during his remarks, there was an emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides," Misri added. The release of 14 Indian fishermen comes amid a series of key diplomatic and developmental engagements during PM Modi's visit, which included the joint inauguration of India-backed railway projects such as the upgraded Maho-Omanthai railway track and the newly constructed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura segment. In a historic gesture, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan award -- one of the island nation's highest civilian honours. The accolade recognises not only India's steadfast support to Sri Lanka but also PM Modi's commitment to deepening bilateral relations. On Saturday, the two leaders also witnessed the signing and exchange of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across sectors, including infrastructure, energy, and development cooperation. On Saturday evening, President Dissanayake hosted a State Banquet at the President's House in honour of Prime Minister Modi. Extending a warm welcome, the Sri Lankan President said the visit would further expand avenues of cooperation and deepen the friendship between the peoples of the two countries. "We are known for our hospitality and extend a warm welcome to all visitors. In particular, I recall that our friends from across the Palk Strait are received with the utmost warmth and affection," President Dissanayake said. "We hope to see the citizens of your nation visiting this wonderful island continually, where they will meet warm-hearted communities," he further said. "We eagerly anticipate your return, ready to welcome you back with open arms. We sincerely convey our heartfelt wishes for the good health of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and for continued progress and prosperity of Indian citizens, as well as for the strengthening cooperation and friendship between our two nations," the Sri Lankan President added. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's absence from Prime Minister Narendra Modis official event in Rameswaram on Sunday drew sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused him of disrespecting the PM and demanded an apology. Stalin was in Udhagamandalam (Ooty) on the same day, where he inaugurated a new government hospital. Defending his absence, Stalin said he had already informed the Prime Minister about his unavailability. However, BJP state president K Annamalai expressed disappointment over Stalins absence, stating that the Chief Minister should have welcomed the Prime Minister, who came to inaugurate major development projects. The reason given by him (CM) is not acceptable. He knows about PMs arrival, as the discussions were happening for long. The Prime Minister did not go to New Delhi directly from Sri Lanka but came here to dedicate projects. That being the case, it is the primary duty of the CM to welcome the PM, PTI quoted Annamalai as saying. He further mocked Stalins choice of location, saying, He went to Ooty since it is hot in Rameswaram, and he cant bear the heat. BJP Alleges Political Motive Calling it a deliberate political move, Annamalai said, The CM has failed to do his duty, should have given the due respect to the PM. The Chief Minister has insulted the Prime Minister, who came for the sake of the people of Tamil Nadu. He should apologise to the people of Tamil Nadu. He is doing politics by speaking about delimitation. The BJP said it strongly condemns Stalins decision to skip the event, which included the inauguration of the new Pamban Bridge and other projects worth over 8,000 crore. CM Raises Delimitation Concerns During his address in Ooty, Stalin said, We have sought an appointment to present the memorandum on the delimitation... Since I am taking part in this government function I have conveyed to the PM about my inability to take part in his meeting and deputed our Ministers Thangam Thennarasu and Raja Kannappan. He added, Through this meeting and through you, I hereby seek the Prime Minister to allay the fears of delimitation. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday accused the BJP of planning to take control of land belonging to Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Hindu temples after passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The next step (after Waqf law) would be to eye the land of Christians, Jains, Buddhists and even Hindu temples. They will give prime land to their friends. They have no love for any community, Thackeray said during the launch of Shiv Sanchar Sena, the partys new IT and communication wing. Thackerays remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament earlier this week. The government claims the new law brings in reforms related to Muslim religious endowments. Thackeray referred to an article published in Organiser, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs (RSS) mouthpiece, to support his claim. They have made it public and everyone should open their eyes, he said, noting that the article now appears to have been taken down. While responding to a question on whether his party would challenge the Waqf Bill in court like some other opposition parties, Thackeray said they would not. He also urged the BJP, which was celebrating its 45th Foundation Day on Sunday, to act in accordance with the values of Lord Ram. Behave like Ram, he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also echoed Thackerays concerns, alleging that Waqf land will eventually be handed over to the BJPs industrialist friends. The BJP shouldnt talk about poverty. The money they spent in last years elections was equal to Maharashtras budget, Raut added. Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad claimed that after Muslims, Christians were the next target. In a post on X, Awhad cited the same Organiser article, which reportedly claimed that the Catholic Church is the largest non-government landowner in Indianot the Waqf Board. According to Awhad, the article titled Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate, published on April 3, said: For many years, there has been a common belief that the Waqf Board is the second largest landowner in India after the government, however, this claim does not align with the actual data on land ownership in the country. He further quoted the article as saying the Catholic Church owns about 17.29 crore acres (7 crore hectares) of land across the country. Much of its land was acquired during British rule. In 1927, the British administration passed the Indian Church Act, facilitating large-scale land grants to the Church, Awhad wrote. He also said the article questioned whether some of this land was obtained through questionable means, and highlighted the timing of the publication, as the Waqf Bill continues to fuel political controversy. Organiser had opposed the Constitution and the Indian tricolour in 1950, Awhad added, continuing his attack on the RSS-linked magazine. (With PTI inputs) A para jump instructor from the Indian Air Force's Akash Ganga Skydiving team died after he sustained injuries during a 'demo drop' in Agra on Saturday, the IAF informed. In a post on the social media platform X, the IAF informed of the incident. "A Para Jump Instructor from the IAFs Akash Ganga Skydiving Team succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra today. The IAF deeply mourns the loss, and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, standing firmly with them in this hour of grief," the post read. A Para Jump Instructor from the IAFs Akash Ganga Skydiving Team succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra today. The IAF deeply mourns the loss, and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, standing firmly with them in this hour of grief. Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 5, 2025 As per news agency PTI, the police said that the Warrant Officer Ramkumar Tiwari, 41 years old, had jumped from a helicopter at around 9:30 am. However, due to a technical malfunction his parachute did not open on time and caused him to fall directly to the ground. The officer died at a military hospital, sources told PTI. The news agency quoted Assistant Commissioner of Police Vinayak Bhosale as saying, "Information about the death was received from the Military Hospital at around 12 noon. The Sadar police station has sent the body for postmortem examination." This incident comes a few days after the death of an IAF flight lieutenant, Siddharth Yadav. He had died in a Jaguar Jet crash during a night mission in Gujarat's Jamnagar on Wednesday. According to ANI, the IAF on Thursday said in a statement, "An IAF Jaguar two-seater aircraft airborne from Jamnagar Airfield crashed during a night mission. The pilots faced a technical malfunction and initiated ejection, avoiding harm to the airfield and local population. Unfortunately, one pilot succumbed to his injuries, while the other is receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Jamnagar." The IAF also stated, "IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family." (with agencies' inputs) A private marketing firm here has been accused of subjecting its underperforming employees to degrading treatment, including making them walk on their knees like chained dogs and lick coins from the floor. Soon after its disturbing visuals were aired by local TV channels on Saturday, the state Labour department ordered a probe into the alleged inhuman workplace harassment. Police and the Labour Department also launched separate investigations to ensure the authenticity of the visuals. However, in a twist, the man purportedly shown in the visuals as harassed and tortured, told the media later that there was no workplace harassment in the firm, contrary to what was depicted in the footage. "I am still working in the firm... these visuals were from some months ago, forcefully taken by a person who was working as the manager of the institution then. He was later asked to quit by the management, and he is now using the visuals to tarnish the owner of the firm," he claimed. He also reportedly gave the same statement to the police and the labour department officials. Earlier in the day, Labour Minister V Sivankutty ordered an inquiry into the undated incident and instructed the district labour officer to submit an immediate report on the incident. The visuals purportedly showed a person using a leash to force a man to crawl on his knees on the floor, resembling a dog. Later, some persons, claimed as employees of the firm, told a TV channel that those who fail to achieve targets were subjected to such punishments by the management of the firm. According to police, the incident allegedly took place in connection with a private marketing firm functioning in Kaloor and the crime allegedly occurred at nearby Perumbavoor. The police told reporters that they hadn't received any complaint, and the owner denied the allegations. Quoting the owner of the firm, they said the alleged harassment might have taken place in a firm in Perumbavoor which used to market and sell the products of the establishment in Kaloor. "No case has been registered so far and an investigation is underway," an officer said. Labour Minister Sivankutty termed the visuals "shocking and disturbing" and said it cannot be accepted at any cost in a state like Kerala. "I have ordered a probe into the incident and instructed the district Labour officer to submit a report in connection with the incident after carrying out a probe," he told the media. The State Human Rights Commission registered a case into the incident based on a complaint by High Court lawyer Kulathoor Jaisingh. Meanwhile, the Kerala State Youth Commission also intervened and registered a case on its own into the alleged harassment incident. The panel directed the District Police Chief to submit a report in this regard. In a statement, Commission Chairman M Shajar said legal action should be taken against such practices that are unacceptable in a civilised and democratic society. "As a civilised society, we should collectively respond against such anti-social trends," he said In the fast-paced, high-pressure world we live in, mental clarity and relaxation are often pushed aside. The constant hustle, digital distractions, and ever-growing to-do lists can leave us feeling mentally drained. However, Japan, a country renowned for its ancient traditions, offers some unique and powerful techniques for detoxifying the mind. These practices are designed to promote peace, balance, and mental health. Here are some Japanese techniques that can help you detox your mind and restore inner harmony. 1. Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing) One of Japan's most celebrated practices is Shinrin-yoku, or "forest bathing." It's not just about walking in nature; it's about immersing all your senses in the environment to achieve a sense of calm. The Japanese believe that forests have a restorative power and can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve mental clarity. In a typical Shinrin-yoku session, participants are encouraged to leave behind their electronic devices and simply focus on their surroundings. The sound of rustling leaves, the scent of pine, and the feeling of the earth beneath your feet all contribute to a deep sense of relaxation. By slowing down and engaging with nature, your mind has the space to reset and detox from the constant stimuli of modern life. 2. Kinhin (Walking Meditation) For those seeking a combination of mindfulness and movement, Kinhin is a Japanese walking meditation technique that involves slow, deliberate steps. While the practice originated in Zen Buddhist traditions, it has gained popularity in modern Japan as a way to clear the mind and relieve mental tension. In Kinhin, each step is taken slowly and consciously, with deep attention to breathing. The goal is to become fully present with each step, using the rhythm of walking as a tool for centering the mind. Unlike typical walking, where your mind is often busy with thoughts, Kinhin transforms the act into a meditative experience, allowing the practitioner to release mental clutter. 3. Ikigai (Finding Your Purpose) The concept of Ikigai is deeply embedded in Japanese culture and refers to the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. In essence, Ikigai is the Japanese philosophy of finding your purpose in life, and it can act as a powerful tool for mental detoxification. When we feel disconnected from our sense of purpose, stress, anxiety, and feelings of being lost can often take over. By identifying and embracing your Ikigai, you reconnect with a deep sense of fulfillment, which helps reduce mental exhaustion and provides clarity. Practicing Ikigai encourages reflection and mindfulness, helping you realign with your true values and aspirations. 4. Zazen (Zen Meditation) Zazen, or Zen meditation, is a practice that focuses on quieting the mind through seated meditation. In traditional Zazen, the practitioner sits in a stable, cross-legged position and focuses on their breath, observing thoughts as they come and go without attachment. This meditative practice is designed to cultivate mindfulness, awareness, and mental stillness. While Zazen can be challenging for beginners, it is a highly effective method for detoxing the mind. By engaging in regular practice, you can learn to silence the constant chatter of your thoughts, thereby reducing anxiety and mental stress. Through disciplined practice, Zazen allows the mind to detach from daily worries and return to a state of calm focus. 5. Wabi-Sabi (Embracing Imperfection) Another Japanese concept that can contribute to a mental detox is Wabi-Sabi, which celebrates the beauty of imperfection, transience, and the natural cycle of life. In the pursuit of perfection, many people often burden themselves with unattainable standards, which can lead to stress and dissatisfaction. By adopting the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, individuals can learn to let go of the need for perfection and embrace the beauty of lifes imperfections. This approach can foster greater acceptance, reduce anxiety, and promote emotional well-being. When you learn to appreciate the impermanence of life and focus on the present moment, you create space for relaxation and mental rejuvenation. 6. Sado (Tea Ceremony) The Japanese Tea Ceremony, or Sado, is a meditative ritual that involves preparing and drinking matcha (green tea) in a slow, deliberate manner. The ceremony emphasizes mindfulness, simplicity, and grace. Each movement during the ceremony is intentional, from the way the tea is prepared to the way the cup is held and sipped. Participating in a Tea Ceremony is an excellent way to detox your mind by creating a quiet, contemplative space. The focus on simplicity and presence can help you disconnect from external distractions and cultivate a peaceful, centered mind. Drinking tea with mindfulness can create a calming effect and provide clarity in the midst of a busy life. 7. Mizu (Water Meditation) The Japanese have long believed in the healing power of water, and Mizu (or water meditation) is a practice that involves using water as a tool for relaxation and mental clarity. This technique might involve meditative practices by water bodies, such as streams or lakes, where the soothing sound of flowing water is used to calm the mind. By engaging in Mizu practices, individuals can reflect on the qualities of waterfluidity, purity, and adaptability. These reflections can help the mind let go of rigid thoughts and embrace a more flexible, peaceful state. The sound of water itself often creates a calming atmosphere, providing a natural means of mental detoxification. 8. Furo (Japanese Bathing Ritual) The Japanese bath, or Furo, is another technique that offers physical and mental benefits. The ritual of taking a hot bath is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, and its not just about hygieneits about cleansing the mind as well. The warmth of the water relaxes the body, and the quiet, private setting of the bath offers an opportunity to reflect and meditate. In Japan, the Furo experience often includes a series of rituals: soaking in hot water, followed by a rinse, and sometimes ending with a cold plunge. The heat helps relax the muscles, while the quiet environment allows the mind to detox from external distractions. This practice is a powerful way to restore mental clarity and release accumulated stress. Japan offers a variety of techniques for detoxifying the mind, each with its own unique approach to restoring balance and peace. Whether its immersing yourself in nature through Shinrin-yoku, embracing your purpose with Ikigai, or practicing mindfulness through Zazen, these methods help create space for mental relaxation and clarity. By incorporating these ancient Japanese techniques into your life, you can reduce stress, enhance focus, and foster a deeper sense of well-being. (This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.) New Delhi: Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, Kim Fernandez, passed away on Sunday after suffering a stroke at a hospital in Mumbai. Kim was admitted to Lilavati Hospital last month after suffering a heart stroke and was receiving treatment in the ICU. As per a Hindustan Times report, the team of 'Murder 2' actor has confirmed the news of her passing. In the past few weeks, Jacqueline was seen visiting her mother frequently at the hospital. A recent clip showed the actress rushing to the hospital, dressed in a white salwar kameez, with her face covered by a mask as she checked in on her ailing mother. Following Kim's passing, her mortal remains were seen being taken from the hospital. Jacqueline had previously been scheduled to perform at IPL 2025 but chose to withdraw from the event in order to stay by her mother's side during this difficult time. Jacqueline, who was born in Manama, Bahrain, comes from a multi-ethnic family. Her mother, Kim, was of Malaysian and Canadian descent, while her father, Elroy Fernandez, hails from Sri Lanka. The couple met in the 1980s when Kim was working as an air hostess. An official statement from Jacquelines family is still awaited. New Delhi: Kartik Aaryans charm knows no bounds, and his recent visit to Gangtok is a testament to the immense love he receives from fans across the country. The actor, currently shooting for his upcoming film directed by Anurag Basu, was met with an overwhelming reception in the scenic capital of Sikkim. As Kartik worked on location, fans eagerly gathered, waving banners and patiently waiting for a glimpse of their favorite star. The air was filled with excitement, as fans cheered him on with infectious enthusiasm. In return, Kartik took to Instagram to express his heartfelt gratitude for the warm reception, sharing a simple yet touching message: Thank you Gangtok for the massive love, will always remember you. This heartfelt note struck a chord with his followers, resonating not just in Gangtok, but across the nation. Known for his down-to-earth nature and genuine connection with his audience, Kartik Aaryan continues to prove that he is more than just a film star he is a true people's favorite. With the buzz surrounding his collaboration with Anurag Basu growing, Gangtoks warm welcome has certainly added a memorable chapter to the actors journey. As fans eagerly await updates from the ongoing shoot, one thing is clear Kartiks bond with his fans only grows stronger with each city he visits. Chennai: Actress Samyuktha Hornad, who is known to be an ardent animal lover, has now disclosed that being a loner when she was a child didnt weaken her and that on the contrary, it shoved her into the fierce, real love of animals, nature, and the universe. Taking to her Instagram timeline to pen a lengthy post on her love for penguins, actress Samyuktha Hornad wrote, I got to hang out with some legit penguins as a part of a shoot for a series with @therealkapildev. Turns out, they really are the coolest. The actress recalled a time in school when those bullying her would call her a penguin to hurt her. Back in school, I was a friendless wonder, and my cool classmates (aka the bully brigade) called me a penguin, thinking itd sting. Jokes on them I took it as a compliment because penguins are basically tuxedoed VIPs of the animal kingdom and I wanted to be one of them. also, I was a big fan of Pingu!, she wrote. Stating that as a part of the shoot, she had a full-on chit-chat with these cuties, the actress dwelt on how life flips the script. She said,Being a loner didnt weaken me; it shoved me into the fierce, real love of animals, nature, and the universe, where squawking birds and cosmic gusts always had my back. Samyuktha further said, Sometimes I think about little me, whose childhood friends were trees, the moon, dogs, and clouds I wish I could zip back in time and tell lil Samyu, Hold tight, my girl, your social lifes about to level up with some penguins, lions, cheetahs and leopards. Shed be so happy to know that shes gonna be the coolest, the most badass person in the whole wide world. Angry with the way US President Donald Trump is making quick changes and running the country after assuming office earlier this year, crowds of people took to the streets, marched, and rallied in scores of American cities on Saturday. The latest agitation comes as a part of the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of the Republican's first weeks in office. So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organised for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organisations, labour unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests. Thousands of protesters across American cities, including Midtown Manhattan, Anchorage, Alaska, and multiple state capitols assailed the US President and billionaire Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration, and human rights. On the West Coast, in the shadow of Seattle's iconic Space Needle, protesters held signs with slogans like Fight the oligarchy. Protesters chanted as they took to the streets in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, where they marched from Pershing Square to City Hall. Demonstrators voiced anger over the administration's moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people, and cut funding for health programs. Musk, a Trump adviser who runs Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, has played a key role in the downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars. On being questioned about the protests, the White House said in a statement that President Trump's position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats' stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, criticized the administration's treatment of the LGBTQ+ community at the rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where Democratic members of Congress also took the stage. The attacks that we're seeing, they're not just political. They are personal, y'all, Robinson said. They're trying to ban our books, they're slashing HIV prevention funding, and they're criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families, and our lives. We don't want this America, y'all, Robinson added. We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety, and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us. In Boston, demonstrators brandished signs such as Hands off our democracy and Hands off our Social Security. Mayor Michelle Wu said she does not want her children and others' to live in a world in which threats and intimidation are government tactics and values like diversity and equality are under attack. I refuse to accept that they could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals, Wu said. (With PTI Inputs) No Iranian personnel were killed in a recent US airstrike on Yemen, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is known to have close ties to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). The statement came in response to a claim made by Yemen's Minister of Information, Moammar al-Eryani, who posted on social media platform X on Friday that 70 members of the Houthi group -- including senior field commanders and Iranian experts from the IRGC -- were killed in a US strike on Tuesday. The attack reportedly targeted a Houthi gathering in Al-Fazah, a coastal area in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Xinhua news agency reported. Tasnim dismissed the report as false, stating: "The released report about the martyrdom of Iranian forces in Yemen is not correct. Follow-ups by Tasnim's reporter indicate that the claim is false and no Iranian has been martyred in Yemen." Tasnim added that the "false" news appeared to be in line with the anti-Iran psychological warfare aimed at escalating tensions in the West Asia region. It reiterated previous statements by Iranian officials asserting that Houthi forces are fighting the US and Israel independently. Earlier on Saturday, at least one person was killed and four others wounded when airstrikes by US forces hit a solar energy store and a house in Yemen's northern city of Saada, medics reported. Medics described the casualty toll as preliminary, adding that civil defence teams were working to extinguish fires and search for victims at the targeted sites in the Hafsin area of western Saada city, the capital of the namesake Saada province, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier, the Houthi group denied US claims that an American airstrike had targeted a meeting of its military leaders in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Emitel, the Polish arm of UK-based infrastructure investor Cordiant Digital Infrastructure, has signed an agreement to contract new mobile communications towers in Poland for mobile operator Orange Polska. Under the agreement, Emitel, which intends to fund the project from free cash flow, will construct hundreds of new telecommunications towers for Orange over the next few years. Ac an anchor tenant, Orange will commit pay a recurring fee under a long-term contract for each site built based on industry-standard terms, according to Emitel. The agreement also allows Emitel to sell remaining space on each tower to other MNOs to increase the profitability of each site. At the end of 2024, Emitel operated 762 communications towers, with all four of Polands major MNOs as tenants. The company expects the new deal with Orange and others will enable it to expand its nationwide tower portfolio to well over 1,000 sites. According to Emitel, Poland, the sixth largest EU economy, was a strong performer in Europe in 2024, recording GDP growth of 2.9%, and economists expect even higher growth in 2025. We are pleased that Orange Polska has once again entrusted us to implement a significant infrastructure project," Maciej Pilipczuk, CEO of Emitel, said. "As an experienced technology partner, we guarantee the highest execution standards and efficiency in delivering even the most demanding investments for them. "Our many years of experience in building and managing telecommunication infrastructure enable us to support the expansion of the mobile network in Poland, meeting the growing needs of operators and users. Steven Marshall, co-founder of Cordiant Digital Infrastructure, said the company is delighted with the contract win by Emitel with a blue-chip customer. "As a result, the company will play a key part in expanding Polands 5G telecommunications network and expects to earn incremental revenues for the duration of the project," Marshall said. "Wins such as this validate our Buy, Build & Grow model and create real value for our shareholders. Zebra has established itself as a leading provider of computing devices for manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, transport, medical, retail, and other fields. And now the company is working to add AI smarts to make its tools do more, aiding companies in more error-free, theft-resistant, packing, picking, and selling processes. Zebra global CTO Tom Bianculli and Zebra SVP and GM Ryan Goh addressed the APAC region sales team and channel partners in Perth earlier this year, unveiling a three-pronged strategy where it is focusing growth and leadership: track and trace, connected frontline workers, and intelligent automation. "Nobody went to school to fill in shift handoff documents, but for patient care," Bianculli said. "We want to return time to people and let them deliver more patient care." Zebra already has extensive reach with over five billion US dollars in global sales, from 120 offices in 55 countries. It holds more than 6,900 US and international patends issued and pending, has 9,750 employees worldwide, and in excess of 10,000 partners across 185 countries. 10% of sales spend is allocated to research and development. "We're scalable to meet any enterprise demands," Bianculli said. Zebra is ranked as a leader in rugged mobile computing, according to Gartner, for its proven strengths in data capture, barcode printing, and mobile RFID. Yet, there is more to do. Bianculli outlined the megatrends happening around the world that impact the areas Zebra works in: mobility and cloud, AI, automation, digitisation and IoT analytics, and the on-demand economy. "People want it now, fulfilling the order online while the brick and mortar business is still serving companies. The supply chain must act fast," Bianculli said. "Productivity happens at the point of activity," he said. "People and robotics must work together to get a job done." "Business leaders are looking at how they can do more with less in 2025, such as reducing technical debt, embracing purpose-driven tech, and simplifying decision-making processes." This is why, Bianculli explained, Zebra had recently made a series of acquisitions of companies like Fetch Robotics, Matrox Imaging, and others, bringing greater capability in automating repetitive tasks with AI vision. Zebra is investing in AI, RFID, real-time tracking, and new visibility technology, he said. "Demands for supply chain diversification and sustainability is rising, necessitating greater visibility and real-time insights." At the same time, "customer expectations in retail are rising and retailers need far better operational insights and productivity," leading to Zebra working to empower frontline workers with insights for decision-making right from their devices, while doubling down on the customer experience. This will be achieved, Zebra says, via those three pillars: track and trace of assets, connecting frontline workers to information and each other, and intelligent automation. RFID, for example, is increasingly important in the industries Zebra serves. "You can see what's in the store, what's on the rack ... without this you might make promises you can't fulfill," he said. And then AI right on the device - the Zebra Companion - will help frontline workers with next-best action workflows. For best performance and to reduce reliance on always being online Zebra will implement small to medium LLM models on the device itself, without relying purely on cloud-based services, based on Qualcomm 8750 chips. Further, Zebra announced it is using Google Gemini. "Google has what's called 'grounding' to ensure answers provided by GenAI are grounded in the documentation," Bianculli said. Further, Bianculli explained, Zebra will release "more and more devices with neural-native processes in them. There'll be multiple cameras in the device for barcode reading with 3D depth of field cameras. Workers can read a barcode and then ask questions about it on the device - is it healthy? What food goes with it? What's the calorie count, and so on." The device can also help with assisted selling, cross-selling and more. The goal here is multi-modal experiences; not merely text but video and voice, and with the Zebra handheld as a true companion. "A host of agents will be available to frontline workers to get their tasks done better." "We're at the cusp of AI and GenAI transforming how people will act with their machines," Bianculli said. "With the device held in hand GenAI will see what you see, hear what you hear, and help get your workflow done." For example, "if I'm told to pick something but I ping the wrong item that mistake doesn't get detected until the wrong item is shipped and the customer complains. But if I'm wearing a computer with assistive tech it can let me know if I make a mistake. For example, hey, you've picked the wrong item. It can eliminate errors by nudging, and orchestrating." "The physical form factor will transform from handheld to wearable heads-up and be cognitively engaged ... this is where we believe things are going." Locally, "APAC organisations want to do more with less, and they expect better from AI," Goh said. "54% of APAC enterprises now expect AI to deliver long-term benefits in innovation and revenue generation." "Businesses are moving AI from experiments and proofs of concept to full-scale implementations to drive RoI and operational efficiency. In 2025 APAC orgs investment will centre on 21% enhancing customer experience, 18% business process optimisation, and 16% sales automation." Technology is the key to bringing new opportunities, he said, such as using machine vision and AI to validate deployments and integrations in manufacturing, or providing real-time insights in transport and logistics, or delivering new insighfts through RFID in retail, or setting healthcare providers up for success with a strong foundation of visibility. "APAC is a key priority region for Zebra," Goh said, explaining that India's GDP is growing 6.6% driven by manufacturing, and Japan's GDP is growing by 1.2% of which 70% is derived from services. "Tech from barcodes and RFID will enable sectors like logistics to overcome challenges and grow, while increasing investments in automation will address labour shortages and an increasingly aging workforce." Some customer examples include Gramedia in Indonesia who are deploying RFID chips everywhere - even on pencils, to Air Asia deploying Zebra tablets for in-air transactions and payments, updating inventory and processing the payments on the ground. Zebra is betting on its three-pronged strategy: asset visibility through track-and-trace, connected frontline workers, and intelligent automation. "These elements have been around for some time," Bianculli told iTWire. Obviously, asset visibility has been the Zebra core for a long, long time - "but intelligent automation and machine vision go years back," with Zebra having acquired companies in recent years to further these goals. Bianculli quoted Klaus Schwab, "its clear we are no longer just in the throes of an industrial shift. We are entering the Intelligent Age, an era far beyond technology alone. This is a societal revolution, one that has the power to elevate humanity." Hundreds of people protested against the Trump administration Saturday and demanded economic justice in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County at the Hiram Ward Federal building in downtown Winston-Salem. The rally, tied to hundreds of protests occurring simultaneously around the U.S. on April 5, brought out a large crowd of opponents of President Trump and the billionaire Elon Musk, who is helping to spearhead the federal governments unprecedented slash and burn attacks on a wide variety of federal agencies and government workers. Much, if not all of the Winston-Salem rally was organized and spurred on by Indivisible, a national progressive group which led protests about abortion rights, gun violence and racial justice in the first Trump administration. Now, the national group told the New York Times Saturday they are working to emphasize a new message: that Trump is threatening health care, social security, education, making life harder for the average American, while benefiting his richest friends. Winston-Salems Saturday event, which took place at the same time as a nearby protest in Greensboro, bore another message in addition to opposition of Trumps recent decisions: economic justice. We are not asking for scraps, were not begging for inclusion, were demanding justice, said Eunice Campbell, one of the speakers at the rally. Hands off our voices, hands off our labor, hands off our future, and hands off our economic justice! On Saturday, the Ward federal plaza was so full through the sweltering afternoon that dozens held signs and participated in the rally while standing on the different levels of a parking deck across the street. Rally-goers lined nearby roadways, stood, danced and shouted in the square throughout the two-hour rally. Most held signs with colorful illustrations of Trump, which called him a tyrant who is looking to destroy democracy. Other signs showed characterizations of Elon Musk, and one called for Congress to impeach president Musk. The program for the event was filled with numerous speakers, a dance team and songs. Camel City United, the local Indivisible chapter for Winston-Salem, appeared to have put most of the planning effort behind Saturdays event, which they insisted in the days leading up to the rally was not a protest of the Trump administration. Instead, Rudy Click, a leader with the group said the rally was instead designed to build community and inform local residents about the recent actions of the Trump administration, among another purpose to advocate for local economic justice in the city and county. Despite some confusion and frustration about the purpose of the rally within Camel City Uniteds public Facebook group, many residents of Winston-Salem appeared at Saturdays event, as well as numerous residents of nearby Davie and Stokes Counties. Gloria and Lisa Matthews, two Winston-Salem residents who attended the rally Saturday, said they were representing three generations of their family in protest of the Trump administrations recent actions. When asked if there were any decisions which had affected them personally, Lisa Matthews responded by saying she was more concerned for the impacts on people other than herself, which she said are under threat. Medicaid, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, the environment, Matthews said. The list goes on. I dont need it to affect me personally. Gloria Matthews, who said she was from the generation of the 1960s, added she believed the United States is returning to the era of segregation she grew up in because of the loss of civil rights protections. Many of those who came to Saturdays rally expressed a deep fear and anger toward the barrage of executive orders from the Trump administration which come in the form of news articles. Everyday its another story, said Janice Schmitz, a Davie County resident who heard about the rally through her local Davie Democrats group. The community, which Schmitz said meets at a local library every month, also protests at N.C. Senator Ted Budds office among other politicians. Many local elected officials in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County attended Saturdays rally, too. Winston-Salem city council persons Vivian Joyner and Scott Andree-Bowen came to the rally, in addition to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board member Trevonia Brown-Gaither. Forsyth County Commissioner Shai Woodbury and N.C. State Representative Amber Baker attended and spoke together during the rally. But instead of delivering speeches which exclusively disparaged the acts of Trump and his administration, Woodbury and Baker spoke of issues in local politics they believe desperately need public attention and support. In Forsyth County we are the third lowest ranking county in America for economic upward mobility, Woodbury said. Woodbury said she wanted to put a face to the statistic and referenced her nephew, who is in prison. Because of a lack of access to mobility and opportunity, he spent his 41st birthday in jail for the rest of his life. He went in at 21, Woodbury said of her nephew, who she also added went through Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. That is on us, she said. We must change that trajectory here in our county. Woodbury, a longtime educator and former member of the school board, discussed the perpetual struggle for the local school system to obtain funding from both the N.C. General Assembly and local county commissioners. In the most recent cycle, the county board did not grant the school districts full budget request in a majority vote but instead gave the explanation that legislators in Raleigh bore responsibility for granting most of the funding for which the system was looking. I did vote in the minority for the 2025 budget that gave Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools the most money, go check out who voted against that, Woodbury said. She also called out the county boards recent majority decision against more evening meeting times, which would allow for working residents to attend the sessions. I come to ask you to open up the meetings so I can come and participate in the process and you say Im not moved by crowds, said Woodbury. No worries, the fight is not over, because again, all power to the people. In her speech, Baker referenced a same kind of pressure to the Trump administration 132 miles away from Winston-Salem in Raleigh, in the form of a N.C. General Assembly bill to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion measures. Dont just talk to the Democrats, Baker said. We dont have any power up there. We only have power when you put pressure on our Republican colleagues across the aisle. Editor's note: Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is both one of the 24 solar terms and an important traditional holiday in China. It carries a profound cultural heritage, incorporating ancestral veneration, spring outings and the remembrance of revolutionary martyrs especially significant as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. From ancient rituals to modern practices, Qingming reflects the enduring legacy and evolving expressions of Chinese culture. Join China.org.cn as we explore the festival's traditional customs, historical roots, contemporary relevance and the red-themed memorials that honor the nation's revolutionary spirit and patriotic devotion. Two Republican candidates and three Democratic incumbents are the big money-raisers and spenders in the crowded officially nonpartisan City Council race, bolstered by big party donors and PACs. Tom and Shawn Peed, who own Sandhills Global and have become big donors in local and state politics, each donated $20,000 to Jerry Shoecrafts campaign one of two Republicans vying for three at-large seats on the council that now has a 6-1 Democrat majority. The Democracy Nebraska PAC has donated $5,000 to each of the three Democrat incumbents running for reelection. The sole donor to the PAC is Nebraska Donor Alliance, a progressive funding collaborative whose executive director is Adam Morfeld. Morfeld, former state senator, founder and former director of Civic Nebraska, challenged Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon in 2022, and narrowly lost a contested and expensive race where the Peed family donated more than $300,000 to Condon and a PAC that supported him. According to the latest campaign filings with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, each of the incumbents have also gotten donations from the Nebraska Democratic Party, Way Back, a Wyoming-based regional Democrat-focused PAC ($2,500 to each candidate) and Bold Alliance, the environmental nonprofit run by state Democratic party chairperson Jane Kleeb ($5,000 to each). Shoecraft, a Democrat-turned-Republican who served two terms as an at-large member in the 1990s and made an unsuccessful bid for northeast Lincolns District 1 in 2003, has raised and spent the most money so far, according to the campaign filings. Hed raised more than $68,000 as of March 24, the latest deadline for campaign statements, and since then hes gotten another $15,000 in donations including those from the Lincoln Police Union ($5,000), the Nebraska Realtors Association ($2,000), Lincoln Firefighters ($6,000) and an individual ($2,000). Hed spent close to $32,000 as of March 24, two weeks before Tuesday's primary election, according to accountability and disclosure records. Stan Parker, the other Republican, had raised about $28,000 and spent about $12,000 in that time. Parker, a former Husker lineman who runs a nonprofit Christian ministry, has donations primarily from individuals. Tom Beckius, who is running for a second term on the council, had raised $58,000 by March 24, but had another $10,000 donation from the Nebraska Realtors PAC. Hes spent more than $48,000. Sandra Washington, who is seeking her second full term, had raised about $38,000 plus another $4,000 in donations from Integrated Behavioral Health and the Nebraska Realtors PAC, and spent close to $30,000. Bennie Shobe, who is seeking a third term, had raised more than $33,000 and spent about $7,200 as of March 24. Elina Newman, who has made two unsuccessful runs for a council seat, had close to $6,000 as of March 24 and spent about that much. The other three candidates Maher Aurang Zeb, Maghie Miller-Jenkins and Rene Carrillo have not filed statements with Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure, required when candidates raise or spend more than $5,000 in a calendar year. Health Department milestones Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department public health nurses with the Family Connects program a universal home visiting program for new moms created under former Director Pat Lopez surpassed their 1,000th visit about 15 months after the program began. The program was a labor of love by Lopez, who died last month. She came to believe in the benefits of such programs as a public health nurse who visited new moms for many years, a belief well-backed by research. A few more numbers in the Health Departments 2024 public health snapshot: 8,425 and 5,452: The number of children and adults uninsured or not connected to a doctor who got routine vaccinations through the department. Good news in todays measles-outbreak, anti-vaccination climate. 980: The number of refugees who got health screenings and vaccinations from the Health Department, a number likely to go down because of the new presidential administrations immigration crackdown. 13,746: The number of people who visited the Health Departments dental clinics last year. 268: The number of bats tested for rabies. Just six tested positive, plus one fox. The department has also expanded its wastewater surveillance, which helps monitor disease spread in the community and guide the public health response. Samples are tested weekly for pathogens such as flu, RSV, COVID-19 and norovirus. Testing can also detect high risk substances such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and nicotine. County hiring freeze In February the Lancaster County Board instituted a hiring freeze in an effort to reduce a $3.4 million mid-year budget shortfall and so far has saved close to $200,000, said Budget Officer Dennis Meyer. The freeze is temporary until the end of the fiscal year and department heads can make their case to the County Board if they feel they need to hire someone. So far, the county engineer, public building commission administrator and community corrections director have asked to hire various positions, and the public defender asked to reclassify a position to higher pay. All but one of those requests were denied. The board gave the public building commissioner permission to hire a supervisor for its building cleaners because the manager position is open and when the supervisor retires, the workers will have no supervisor. Community Corrections also got to hire a couple of part-time drug techs, and the county engineer can also advertise the open positions but cant hire anyone until July 1. The shortfall happened for a combination of reasons: the board keeping the tax rate level or lowering it; substantially fewer unfilled positions (the county often used those unfilled vacancy dollars to fill mid-year budget needs); and a couple of labor contracts with large salary increases. Since the hiring freeze began, the number of unfilled positions has grown from about 35 to about 54, Meyer said. The next budget period will be tight, he said, and the hiring freeze is a good reminder for departments. The hiring freeze is not just how much savings (you generate) but its also a message to everyone that this is kind of serious, Meyer said. It gets people geared up for the next budget period. 2025 Primary Election Voter's Guide: Nine candidates running for 3 City Council seats Are you ready to fill out your primary election ballot? We talked to the nine at-large Lincoln City Council candidates. Here are their responses to questions on the issues. More than five dozen school districts across Nebraska will soon be able to implement significant safety upgrades with the help of a statewide grant aimed at improving school security. The Nebraska Department of Educations School Emergency Response Mapping Grant will distribute about $225,000 across 66 school districts throughout the state to create detailed, up-to-date virtual maps of school buildings to allow for streamlined collaboration between districts and first responders in case of emergencies. The grant, which was created last summer through a bill championed by Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, will provide state dollars to school districts both public and private to develop interactive maps that could play a crucial role in helping school staff, law enforcement, fire crews and emergency medical personnel respond to emergencies quickly and accurately. With the funding, districts will be able to provide first responders with intricately detailed building blueprints that not only include the general layout of the school, but things like the locations of security cameras, AED stations, room numbers, fire extinguishers, classroom and their purpose, stairwells and evacuation routes. The map will even highlight specifically where a 911 call came from within a school. For Lincoln Christian School, the $4,835 grant puts the private pre-K-12 school in southeast Lincoln one step closer to ensuring students and staff are as safe as possible, Superintendent Zach Kassebaum said. In response to growing parent concerns in recent years, the school has put an additional focus on creating a four-part comprehensive safety and security plan rooted in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. With the highly valuable information provided by the maps, the school will be able to further its mission to cultivate a safe environment, Kassebaum said. We are protecting each day what (parents) care about most, Kassebaum said. ... This (grant) is just one piece of that puzzle. The NDE received applications from 85 school districts across the state 62 public and 23 nonpublic between last September and the end of January asking for a portion of the state-allocated fund. Overall, a total of about $748,600 was requested. A committee overseeing the grant program made up of NDE staff who specialize in school safety strategies selected 66 schools to receive the initial round of funding based on each districts needs, project plans, budget and timeline. The Nebraska State Board of Education approved the list of grant recipients, which also includes Lincoln Lutheran, Beatrice Public Schools, Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools, Christ Lincoln Schools and the Norris school districts, at its meeting Friday morning. At Norris, which is set to receive $32,500 of the funding, the grant means saying goodbye to static maps only updated once a year. Instead, the rural district south of Lincoln will be able to contract with a company to build a virtual map that can be updated throughout the year and offer easy access to first responders. It will help strengthen our already strong partnerships with law enforcement, fire and rescue, because it will take our collaboration to another level, Superintendent Derrick Joel said. While intruders or active shooters may be the first thing many people think of when discussing school security, Joel said this map can be used for a wide variety of incidents and emergencies, like minor medical emergencies. It's not all violent, critical incidents that we're planning for, he said. Nebraska isnt the only state working to create a database of digitized school building maps in an effort to improve school safety and security. States like Iowa, New Jersey and Wisconsin have also invested in similar initiatives. In June 2022, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a $100 million investment in school safety, including an initiative focused on building critical incident maps. The state contracted with GeoComm, a company focused on public and school safety services, to help the states more than 500 public and private schools create detailed school building maps at no cost to the districts. Every family should be able to confidently send their children to school knowing theyll be safe, Reynolds said at the time. These investments will make a tremendous impact on our ability to prevent violence in schools while also taking steps to ensure schools and communities are in the best position possible to respond to an active event. Additionally, Kassebaum pointed to the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead and injured 17 more people, as one example of the importance of maintaining updated, easily accessible school blueprints. As law enforcement worked to evacuate students, enter locked classrooms and stop the teenage gunman, officers referenced maps of the school building, which were vague and missing critical information like adjoining doors, windows and closets, according to a U.S. Department of Justice critical incident review. The report ultimately concluded the lack of accurate building maps did not play a role in the devastation in Uvalde. Regardless, Kassebaum said the Nebraska grant program is just one more way schools can ensure safety and security is a top priority, while strengthening partnerships with first responders at the same time. The faster first responders know where to go, the safer students and staff will be, Kassebaum said. Saving time saves lives." Similar to other states across the country, Nebraska is in the middle of what's known as a "legal desert." A total of 1,300 counties in the U.S. have fewer than 1 attorney per 1,000 residents. In Nebraska, just 7% of the more than 5,500 attorneys with active licenses live and practice in rural areas. Without a lawyer readily available in their communities, residents often have to drive hours to access basic legal services, while the attorneys working in rural areas often become overworked and swamped by their caseload. As the lack of attorneys is being felt broadly, the need for high-quality attorneys in juvenile court is also increasing. More than 60% of petitions filed for abuse or neglect in Nebraska originate from areas outside Lincoln and Omaha, according to a recent report, while most counties have no attorneys with experience in child welfare. Twelve Nebraska counties have no attorneys capable of taking on those cases. A new University of Nebraska-Lincoln program to be considered by the Board of Regents this week aims to solve those issues by equipping more attorneys to handle cases involving family and children, which are often sensitive and complex. The realities we experience in Nebraska are not unique, said Michelle Paxton, a professor at UNL's College of Law who specializes in juvenile justice issues. Other states also struggle with access to high-quality counsel for juveniles in rural communities. The Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center will build upon two existing programs which have sought to provide legal representation to children and families and train attorneys to handle those issues in underserved areas. In 2017, the College of Law, in partnership with UNLs Center on Children, Families, and the Law, launched the Childrens Justice Clinic, which gave students opportunities to work real cases advocating for children in Lancaster County. Law students in the clinic hone their courtroom skills, learn the ins and outs of federal and state child welfare laws, and develop expertise in effective advocacy for complex cases involving violence, substance abuse and other factors. While the program centered in Lincoln flourished, the lack of attorneys in rural areas persisted, Paxton said. A 2020 survey of Nebraska judges found 40% said they had no lawyers capable of being appointed to juvenile justice cases. To fill those gaps, the College of Law started the Childrens Justice Attorney Education program in 2022 to connect working attorneys with continuing education and training to improve their advocacy skills in those areas. A total of 74 lawyers who practice in 85 of Nebraskas 93 counties have applied for the program since it opened. Just 36 of those applicants 12 per year were accepted based on space limitations in the first three years of the program, however. This year, a total of 17 attorneys have been admitted to the Childrens Justice Attorney Education Program. By the end of 2025, more than 80% of the states counties will have attorneys who have gone through the program. Those admitted into the program learned how to conduct trauma-informed advocacy, as well as deal with issues such as permanency through adoption and guardianship or dealing with older youths in foster care. An external evaluator of the Childrens Justice Attorney Education Program found attorneys report doing more work in the juvenile justice sphere, while also enjoying their job more because they feel more confident in their knowledge and skill-set. Additionally, the fellowship program has created a network of attorneys across the state, allowing those individuals to lean on one another for advice or to decompress after a particularly difficult case, Paxton said. Rural attorneys can be uniquely isolated because they may not have others practicing this area of law near them, she said. Once we could provide attorneys with the skill-set they needed to be successful, they can now go off and do it. Paxton said one attorney told her they were ready to quit the juvenile docket before they went through the program at a judges order. The fellowship program ignited a new spark for child advocacy, Paxton said, and equipped them with the skills to carry it out. Thats the kind of advocacy we want to do, Paxton said. While we want to recruit new attorneys into this kind of work, we also want to make sure the ones that are there feel supported and have the training to be successful. The Nebraska Childrens Justice and Legal Advocacy Center will integrate and expand the student clinic and rural attorney program, Paxton said, giving more attorneys opportunities to become more familiar with juvenile justice issues. Grants totaling $1.2 million from a pair of charitable foundations will help cover the first two years of the new program, according to an item set to go before the Board of Regents at its Friday meeting. UNL anticipates the program will cost $1.8 million over five years. The College of Law said it is exploring options for further grant opportunities, as well as funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or a separate appropriation from the Legislature. Paxton said she hopes Nebraskas program, which has shown tangible benefits so far, becomes a model for the nation. Ultimately, I want to be able to look at the state map and see we have moved the needle on access to representation across rural Nebraska, which desperately needs it, she said. We will have done something very few other states have done. China, the world's second-largest economy, saw an increased number of people travel to all corners of the country on the first day of this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday on Friday, with all types of transport services reporting surging passenger numbers. On April 4, the first day of the holiday, the nation's railways recorded more than 20.09 million passenger trips, up 8.4 percent year on year, according to data from the Ministry of Transport. Passenger trips made by water hit 880,000, up 24.4 percent, and air passenger trips neared 1.79 million, up 8.6 percent. Passenger trips made on roads accounted for the biggest share of journeys, totaling 264.72 million, up 9.7 percent year on year. More and more people in China are traveling in private vehicles, with these trips totaling 228.23 million on Friday, up 11.1 percent. Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, fell on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival during which people pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for China's residents to engage in outdoor activities or go sightseeing. Have you ever marveled that a new patient will share with you their most intimate secrets just minutes after you initiate their medical history in the exam room? Patients will discuss what they might not share with friends, spouses, significant others, and even their clergyperson. This privilege should not be taken for granted. It is time to pause and think about patients trust in physicians. This article will describe the current situation of declining trust in doctors and what we can do to regain the positive reputation we once held. After the COVID-19 pandemic, respect for the health care profession took a hit. Politics often overshadowed medical expertise. Patients arrived in our offices armed with a briefcase of downloaded material that was chock-full of misinformation or content from unreliable sources. For many physicians, this became a source of frustration and disillusionment, as correcting misinformation was time-consuming. The spread of misinformation has been amplified by political bias and has increased skepticism toward reliable sources. On top of that, the current era of artificial intelligence (AI) has further contributed to the proliferation of misinformation. While AI can offer the advantage of rapid access to information, the output may not always be accurate, and the content or data may be outdated. This is even more common in rapidly evolving fields like health care. Trust between the public and physicians is clearly eroding. Lets examine how we can regain that trust and restore confidence in the MD initials. We must be proactive and combat misinformation by providing accurate, science-backed facts and educating patients about reliable sources of information. We must create accurate and credible content to share with patients, written in a language they can understandfor some patients, this may necessitate translating information from English to the patients native language. Accurate information can be shared via educational programs, pamphlets, and digital platforms, like social media. We must also proactively address issues that could potentially diminish trust. This includes being transparent about medication side effects, medical errors, and complications, such as surgical outcomes that deviate from the norm. Sharing this informationrather than trying to hide the truthcan restore trust. Trust can also be eroded when patients get sticker shock from a medical bill after a procedure or from the sky-high costs of medications not covered by their insurance, like GLP-1s, for example. Being as transparent as possible with our fees can help. Other efforts toward transparency are important too. This can include making patients medical records easily accessible and involving them in decision-making processes. An example would be utilizing patient portals where individuals can view test results, track treatment progress, and communicate directly with their physicians, emphasizing the importance of continuous, open communication. Rebuilding trust includes empathy. Empathy means putting patients needs, preferences, and values at the forefront of health care delivery. It also means actively listening to patients and involving them in the discussion. The average physician interrupts a patient after 18 seconds of initiating the doctor-patient encounter. Physicians should strive to understand patients social, cultural, and emotional backgrounds before sharing insights and treatment recommendations. Listening to patients also means asking them for feedback on their experience with the physician and the practice. Patient feedback can be collected through surveys and anonymous reporting systems. Encouraging anonymous feedback provides valuable insights for improving services, conveys to patients that their opinions are valued, and fosters a sense of being taken seriously. Implementing changes based on anonymous feedback also enhances patient outcomes. When patients see their feedback leading to tangible improvements, such as addressing care delays or improving access to care, they gain confidence in their providers dedication to quality care. This, in turn, boosts patient retention and builds trust in health care. We want the MD initials to represent the expertise a doctor holds. This expertise is backed up with data and research that is then shared with patients. The more knowledgeable and informed the physician, the more trusted they become, leading to better outcomes and more trust. To that end, investing in ongoing training and education is necessary to regain trust and ensure quality care. Some techniques for demonstrating medical expertise to patients include staying up-to-date on medical advancements, explaining medical jargon, and offering second opinions when necessary. This reflects a commitment to continuous learning and a doctor who communicates clearly. It also shows that the provider is confident in their medical expertise while respecting patient autonomy. Such knowledge reassures patients, fostering confidence in their doctors dedication to continually maintaining their skills and practices. Bottom line: Doctors previously enjoyed elevated confidence and trust from our patients. Regaining the trust we once had will be a process, but it is necessary if we are to restore the value of the MD initials. ADVERTISEMENT Neil Baum is a urologist. The Chinese government's position on opposing U.S. abuse of tariffs was released on Saturday. Recently, under various pretexts, the United States has imposed tariffs on all trading partners, including China, which severely infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of nations, severely violates World Trade Organization rules, severely harms the rules-based multilateral trading system, and severely disrupts the stability of the global economic order. The Chinese government strongly condemns and firmly opposes this. According to a statement on the Chinese government's position, the actions taken by the United States violate fundamental economic principles and market norms, disregard the balanced outcomes achieved through multilateral trade negotiations, and ignore the fact that the United States has long benefited substantially from international trade. Using tariffs as a tool of extreme pressure for selfish gain is a textbook example of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. Under the guise of pursuing "reciprocity" and "fairness," the United States is engaging in zero-sum games and, in essence, seeking "America First" and "American exceptionalism," the statement said. It said that the United States is exploiting tariffs to subvert the existing international economic and trade order, prioritizing U.S. interests above the global common good and sacrificing the legitimate interests of countries worldwide to serve its own hegemonic agenda. "Such actions will inevitably face widespread opposition from the international community," it noted. China is an ancient civilization and a land of ritual. The Chinese people advocate treating others with sincerity and trust. "We don't make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble," the statement said, stressing that pressure and threats are not the right way to deal with China. China has taken and will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. Noting that China-U.S. economic and trade relations should be mutually beneficial in nature, the statement said the United States should conform to the common expectations of the people in the two countries and around the world. In line with the need to safeguard the fundamental interests of the two countries, the United States should stop using tariffs as a weapon to suppress China's trade and economy, and stop undermining the legitimate development rights of the Chinese people. As the world's second-largest economy and second-largest consumer market for goods, China will open its doors wider to the outside world no matter how the international situation changes, the statement stressed. It said China will continue to open up to the world at a high level, steadily expand its institutional opening-up in rules, regulations, management and standards, implement high-level trade and investment liberalization and facilitation policies, and foster a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized first-class business environment, to share its development opportunities with the world, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. Economic globalization is the only way forward for the development of human society. The rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core has made important contributions to promoting global trade, economic growth and sustainable development, the statement noted. "As openness and cooperation is the trend of history, the world will not and should not retreat to mutual isolation and division," the statement said. Mutual benefits and win-win outcomes reflect the common aspirations of all people, while beggar-thy-neighbor economic bullying will ultimately backfire. "It is the shared responsibility of the international community to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, universally beneficial and balanced," it said. Development is a universal right for all countries, not the exclusive privilege of a few. International affairs should be discussed and handled collectively, and the future and destiny of the world should be in the hands of all nations, the statement said. There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and protectionism leads to a dead end, it stressed. And all countries should uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold genuine multilateralism, work together to oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. The statement highlighted the belief that the vast majority of countries that value fairness and justice will stand on the right side of history, making decisions that serve their own interests. The world must embrace equity, not hegemony. 22:23 Woman, 2-year-old girl killed in fire at house in Ahmedabad A 33-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl were killed in a fire that broke out at a house in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon, police said. According to officials, the fire spread quickly, destroying several vehicles parked outside the house situated in Gyanda Society near... Read more > 22:07 President Murmu embarks for 4-day state visit to Portugal, Slovakia President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday emplaned for a 4-day state visit to Portugal and Slovakia from April 7-10. She is visiting Portugal at the invitation of President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The visit is taking place after a gap of 27 years, as the last State Visit... Read more > 21:53 Flag march in Jamshedpur ahead of Ram Navami flag immersion tomorrow File image Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district police conducted a flag march to instill confidence among residents of the steel city ahead of Monday's Ram Navami flag immersion ceremony. Led by senior superintendent of police Kishore Kaushal, the march covered several sensitive areas, including the... Read more > 21:47 Security forces recover large cache of weapons in J-K's Kupwara File image Security forces on Sunday recovered arms and ammunition from a forest area in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.In a joint search operation, police and the Army recovered a substantial cache of war-like stores in the Kandi forest belt of Kupwara, an official said.The... Read more > 21:23 Over one-third faculty posts at AIIMS-Delhi vacant: RTI Nearly 35 percent of faculty posts are vacant in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, the premier healthcare institute has revealed.Responding to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the administrative officer of the faculty cell of the AIIMS-Delhi said 430 faculty... Read more > 20:29 UP jail head warden suspended after recovery of mobile phone from ex-MLA Rana Ex-MLA Shahnawaz Rana/Courtesy Facebook The head warden of the Muzaffarnagar district jail has been suspended and departmental action has been initiated against four jail guards following the recovery of a mobile phone from incarcerated ex-MLA Shahnawaz Rana, an official said on Sunday. Jail superintendent Abhishek Choudhary... Read more > 20:09 Fire breaks out in power car of train in MP's Ujjain; no injuries File image A fire broke out on the Bikaner-Bilaspur Superfast Express (20846) when the train was passing through the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday evening, an official said. No one was injured in the fire which has been controlled, he said. Public relations officer of Western Railway... Read more > 19:52 Amul's total revenue may touch Rs 1 lakh cr by FY26 India's leading dairy brand Amul's revenue is expected to rise more than 10 per cent to about Rs 1 lakh crore this fiscal due to rising consumer demand for milk and its products.Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) sells dairy products under the 'Amul' brand.Besides, its 18... Read more > 19:12 CJI Sanjiv Khanna offers prayers at Tirupati temple during maiden visit Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara during his first visit to the Tirumala temple on Sunday. The CJI was welcomed at the Mahadwaram of the temple by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams executive officer J Syamala Rao and additional EO Venkaiah Chowdary with... Read more > 18:51 UP electricity dept worker waves Palestine flag, axed File image An electricity department contract worker has been dismissed from service in this Uttar Pradesh district for allegedly waving a Palestine flag on Eid, officials said on Sunday. The termination notice was issued after photographs of him waving the Palestine flag became circulated on social... Read more > 18:48 Over 50 people take ill after consuming food at wedding in Maha's Gondia More than 50 people, including children, took ill and some of them were hospitalised after consuming food at a wedding in a village in Maharashtra's Gondia district, an official said on Sunday. The affected persons are undergoing treatment at the rural hospital in Goregaon tehsil, the... Read more > 18:25 'Mahamastakabhishek' of Lord Ram takes place at Ayodhya temple The 'Surya Tilak' ceremony of Lord Ram took place at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Sunday on the occasion of Ram Navami. Sharing a video of the 'Surya Tilak', Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in a post on X said, Surya Tilak of Prabhu on the pious occasion of Shri Ram... Read more > 18:07 I-T department notice to 'Empuraan' producer Antony Perumbavoor The Income Tax department has issued a notice to Empuraan producer Antony Perumbavoor, seeking clarification on the alleged financial transactions related to his previously bankrolled films Lucifer and Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, sources said. According to sources in the Income... Read more > 17:59 Union minister Kurian leads BJP foundation day event in Srinagar Union minister George Kurian hoists BJP flag at party office in Srinagar/Courtesy X The BJP celebrated its 45th foundation day in Srinagar on Sunday.Union minister George Kurian presided over a function held here to mark the party's raising day at Jawahar Nagar.The Union minister of state for fisheries and animal husbandry praised the dedication and resilience of the BJP workers... Read more > 17:50 Man booked for giving triple talaq to wife in MP A case has been registered against a man for allegedly giving triple talaq (instant divorce) to his 21-year-old wife in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam, the police said on Sunday. Based on a complaint, the police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the... Read more > 17:31 Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ends his indefinite hunger strike Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday ended his indefinite fast, which he had started on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops. The announcement came a day after Union... Read more > 17:09 ED arrests ex-GM of K'taka Bhovi Development Corp in PMLA case The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday said it has arrested a former general manager of the Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation following searches in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the department. BK Nagarajappa was taken into custody on April 5. A... Read more > 16:51 Maha civic chief attempts suicide by shooting himself; motive unclear The commissioner of the Latur Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra allegedly tried to commit suicide by shooting himself with a gun, police said on Sunday.The incident took place late Saturday night following which the civic chief, Babasaheb Manohare, was rushed to a private hospital where his... Read more > 16:44 Women own 39.2% of bank accounts in India File image Women own 39.2 percent of bank accounts in the country and the proportion is even higher at 42.2 per cent in rural areas, according to a government report. The statistics and programme implementation ministry released the 26th edition of its publication titled Women and Men in India 2024:... Read more > 16:18 ABVP organises Ram Navami celebrations inside Jadavpur University in Kolkata File image Students owing allegiance to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad organised Ram Navami celebrations inside the Jadavpur University campus on Sunday, despite the authorities not granting permission for it.The students placed a clay idol of Lord Ram on a makeshift podium inside the campus for... Read more > 15:51 GIPE fund row: Servants of India secretary arrested by Pune police The secretary of the Servants of India Society, the parent body of the prestigious Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, was arrested for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds, a Pune police official said on Sunday. Milind Deshmukh was arrested on Saturday on the... Read more > 15:38 Tension in UP village after removal of Ambedkar, Buddha statues; 8 cops hurt File image Tension prevailed in Vibharapur village in this Uttar Pradesh district after villagers clashed with police over the removal of the statues of B R Ambedkar and Lord Buddha from a government land, police said on Sunday. At least eight police personnel were injured in the incident as villagers... Read more > 15:23 Fresh plea in SC challenges validity of Waqf Act, 2025 File image A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, claiming it was a blatant intrusion into the rights of a religious denomination to manage its own affairs in the matter of religion. President Droupadi Murmu on... Read more > 15:19 Kerala MBBS student found dead in hostel, suicide suspected An MBBS student has been found hanging in her hostel room at Government Medical College in Kalamassery, near Kochi, the police said on Sunday. The deceased, Ambili from Kasaragod, was a third-year medical student. According to the police, her hostel mates found her hanging from the... Read more > 15:09 Sudarshan becomes first Indian artist to receive Sand Master Award in UK World-renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik with the award/Courtesy X World-renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been honoured with The Fred Darrington Sand Master Award for his contributions to the field. During the Sandworld 2025 International Sand Art Festival, which opened at Weymouth in the southern England county of Dorset on Saturday, Pattnaik set... Read more > 14:44 Soldier shoots self at Army camp in J-K A soldier allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at an Army camp in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Sunday, officials said. Sepoy Vijay Kumar, posted with 26 Rashtriya Rifles, was on sentry duty when he shot himself at Dharmund... Read more > 14:33 UP min calls for renaming Agra's Shahjahan Garden Uttar Pradesh minister Baby Rani Maurya/File image Uttar Pradesh minister Baby Rani Maurya has urged Shahjahan Garden in Agra be renamed after the Malwa Kingdom queen Ahilyabai Holkar. The women welfare minister made the urge in a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yes, I wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji on the issue... Read more > 14:29 Swiggy gets Rs 7.59 cr tax demand order Food and grocery delivery platform Swiggy has received an an assessment order for the April 2021 to March 2022 period, amounting to Rs 7.59 crore from the Office of the Profession Tax Officer, Pune. Violation of provisions pertaining to deduction of Profession Tax from the employees' salary... Read more > 13:45 BJP's Locket Chatterjee claims police stopped Ram Navami rally in Kolkata BJP leader Locket Chatterjee on Sunday claimed that a Ram Navami rally led by her from New Town in the outskirts of Kolkata was stopped by police, prompting a change of route of the procession. Chatterjee was also seen engaging in a verbal spat with police personnel after the rally was... Read more > 13:38 Modi inaugurates new Pamban bridge in TN Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurates the Pamban sea bridge/ANI Photo Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pamban sea bridge, providing rail link between Rameswaram island and the mainland and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service in Rameswaram. The PM also flagged off a Coast Guard ship which passed under the... Read more > 13:30 Kerala ex-minister MA Baby is new CPM gen secy Former Kerala minister MA Baby was elected as the CPI-M general secretary at the 24th party congress in Madurai on Sunday, sources said. A section of the party leaders had backed All India Kisan Sabha president Ashok Dhawale for the post. Born to PM Alexander and Lilly Alexander in... Read more > 12:53 Modi emplanes for Rameswaram to inaugurate New Pamban Bridge Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday departed for Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram after concluding his three-day visit State visit to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake saw him off at the airport. On the occasion of Ram Navami, Modi is set to inaugurate... Read more > 12:40 Chirag deplores 'ill-treatment' of Paswan's first wife by uncle Union minister Chirag Paswan Union minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday deplored the alleged ill-treatment of his badi maa, the first wife of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan, by his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president claimed that personal and political ambitions had led... Read more > 12:30 K'taka HC urges implementation of Uniform Civil Code File image The high court of Karnataka has appealed to Parliament and state legislatures to move forward with the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code, calling it a crucial step toward realising the Constitutional ideals of justice, equality, secularism, and national unity. The comment was made... Read more > 12:07 Sri Lanka releases 11 Indian fishermen as special gesture File image Sri Lanka on Sunday released at least 11 Indian fishermen as a special gesture, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for resolving the vexed fishermen issue with a humane approach. The fishermen issue figured prominently during talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura... Read more > 11:56 2008 Malegaon blast case judge transferred Special NIA court judge AK Lahoti, conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been posted to Nashik in the annual general transfer of district judges, days before the court was likely to reserve the matter for judgement. The transfer order, for Lahoti and other judges issued by... Read more > 11:54 Modi visits Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in the historic city of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka and paid respects at the Buddhist shrine.Modi was accompanied by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during the trip to Anuradhapura, a spiritual city at a... Read more > 11:36 UoH protest: Cong advises T'gana govt to tread carefully Amid growing protests by students and other groups, AICC in charge of party affairs in Telangana Meenakshi Natarajan has asked the state government to hold discussions with all the stakeholders about the 400-acre 400-acre land adjacent to the University of Hyderabad.The committee of ministers... Read more > 10:51 Modi to inaugurate new Pamban bridge in Tamil Nadu Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate on Sunday noon the new Pamban sea bridge, in Rameswaram, providing a rail link between the mainland and the Rameswaram island. This would improve connectivity to this spiritual destination flocked by devotees throughout the year from... Read more > 10:29 India slams B'desh's version of Modi-Yunus meet A Bangladeshi version of a meeting between chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was mischievous and politically motivated, especially the aspects relating to attacks on minorities and Dhaka's request for extraditing former premier Sheikh Hasina, people familiar with the... Read more > 09:37 Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed by woman he met through matrimonial site A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an obscene video at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday. The woman from Mathura, who... Read more > 09:35 YouTuber Samay Raina appears before Assam Police YouTuber Samay Raina on Saturday appeared before the Assam Police in Guwahati in connection with a case filed against him and four others for allegedly promoting obscenity on a publicly accessible online show, a police officer said.Raina, who had earlier informed the police that he was out of the... Read more > 09:04 Shinde might be dy CM on paper, but...: Sena MP Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Mane on Saturday said that his party head Ekanth Shinde might be the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on paper, but he is the CM in people's hearts.Speaking at a thanksgiving rally in Kolhapur, which was attended by Shinde, Mane said the deputy CM has been taking... Read more > 08:54 People seeing good governance agenda of party: Modi on BJP's foundation day On the foundation day of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the people are seeing the good governance agenda of the party, which is also reflected in the historic mandates it received in the years gone by.Greetings to all BJP Karyakartas on the Party's Sthapana Diwas.We recall... Read more > This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Authorities in New South Wales and Victoria have been warning the public about worrying cases of heroin overdoses after people thought they had taken cocaine or methamphetamine. We know the issue is also relevant to other parts of Australia. And it's particularly concerning because heroin can cause life-threatening opioid overdoses, particularly in people inexperienced with heroin who snort it. Our new research sheds more light on what happens to people who accidentally took heroin thinking it was something else. What we did and what we found We are part of a NSW Health program that helps to find and quickly respond to concerning illicit and recreational drug poisonings and trends. The program is a collaboration between many government health services, including hospitals, the NSW Poisons Information Center and labs. We searched our database and found 34 cases of opioid overdoses after using what people thought to be a stimulant drug between January 2022 and June 2024. A total of 19 people thought they were taking cocaine and 15 methamphetamine. Most of these 34 people had a severe opioid overdose requiring treatment by paramedics and in hospital. Sadly, two people died. Heroin was the opioid in all cases where we specifically tested for it, and we suspect all the cases. Cases occurred across NSW but most cases (68%) were in Sydney. In the last eight months of our study we identified multiple cases each month, which may indicate these cases are becoming more common. In the United States, drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine are sometimes mixed with the potent opioid drug fentanyl. This unintentional use of opioids is causing many deaths in the US. But we didn't find any evidence that fentanyl was the cause of the overdoses we examined. What happens when you take heroin by accident? Cocaine and methamphetamine are stimulant drugs. These are drugs that make a person feel more energetic and confident, and their pupils become larger. They have the opposite effect to heroin, which is an opioid and sedative. Heroin and other opioids make a person feel relaxed and often drowsy, with smaller pupils. When overdosing, opioids cause loss of consciousness and a person's breathing slows or even stops, which is life-threatening. Severe opioid overdose without prompt treatment is lethal. If you expect to be taking cocaine or methamphetamine, but it is actually heroin, or has some heroin in it, you will very likely overdose. This is particularly true if you don't usually take opioids, or if you use it for the first time. People can overdose from as little as snorting a line. Why is this happening? Sometimes people get a different drug than they wanted. This can happen because the drug is mixed with something else or swapped. This can happen for many reasons, including during manufacturing and distribution. It can happen intentionally or unintentionally by the dealer or people using the drug. One major reason is that you sometimes can't tell heroin apart from cocaine or methamphetamine just by looking at them. So if drugs are mixed or swapped, you can't always tell until you take them. What can we do about it? Opioid deaths are preventable. Government and community groups are working together to respond to the problem, either via issuing drug alerts or by educating their members. But people who take illicit or recreational drugs can reduce their risk by avoiding using drugs alone, and by making sure one person in their group is able to get help if needed. Unexpected sleepiness is a reason to seek help, not to simply rest. Start CPR if someone is not responsive and call 000. How about naloxone? Definitely, if someone is experiencing an opioid overdose, give them naloxone as soon as possible. Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. It comes in an easy-to-use nasal spray, and as a pre-filled injection. It's available for free and without a prescription via the national Take Home Naloxone program. You can also order it online and get it by post. Naloxone is for anyone who may experience, or witness, an opioid overdose or adverse reaction. NSW authorities recommend it for people who use any illicit drugs including opioids, stimulants (like cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA), ketamine and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, due to the risk of drugs being mixed with something else or swapped. Call 000 even if you have given naloxone. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: American neurologist Stephen Hauser's work on multiple sclerosis (MS) started more than 45 years ago, when he met a young patient named Andrea. An American neurologist and an Italian epidemiologist whose work revolutionized the treatment of multiple sclerosis on Saturday won a prestigious Breakthrough Prize, the award nicknamed the "Oscars of science." Stephen Hauser and Alberto Ascherio were recognized for their decades researching the debilitating neurodegenerative disease, which affects nearly three million people worldwide and was long considered an impenetrable enigma. Hauser's work on multiple sclerosis (MS) started more than 45 years ago, when he met a young patient named Andrea, "an extraordinarily talented young woman who was already an attorney" and working at the White House under then-president Jimmy Carter, he told AFP. "Then MS appeared in an explosive fashion and destroyed her life," he said. "I remember seeing her, unable to speak, paralyzed on the right side, unable to swallow, and soon, unable to breathe on her own, and I remember thinking that this was the most unfair thing I had ever seen in medicine." Then 27 years old, he decided to make it his life's work. Rough road "At the time, we had no treatments for MS. In fact, there was also a pessimism that treatments could ever be developed," said Hauser, now 74 and director of the neuroscience institute at the University of California San Francisco. Scientists knew the disease, which damages the central nervous system and leads to paralyzing cognitive and motor problems, was caused by the immune system turning on the body. But they thought the white blood cells known as T cells were the lone culprit. Hauser questioned that. Studying the role played in the disease by B cells, another type of white blood cell, he and his colleagues managed to recreate the damage MS causes to the human nervous system in small monkeys known as marmosets. The US federal body overseeing medical research dismissed the link as "biologically implausible," and turned down their application for funding for a clinical trial. But Hauser and his team pressed on. They persuaded pharmaceutical company Genentech to back testing. In 2006, they got resounding results: treatments targeting B cells were associated with "a dramatic, more than 90% reduction in brain inflammation," Hauser said. It was "something of a scope that had never been seen before." Italian epidemiologist Alberto Ascherio investigated why MS mostly affected people in the northern hemisphere. That threw open a door to bring new treatments to market that slow the advance of the disease in many patients. But it also raised other questions. For example, what would cause our white blood cells to turn against us? The virus connection That was a question that puzzled Ascherio, today a professor at Harvard. He decided to investigate why MS mostly affected people in the northern hemisphere. "The geographical distribution of MS was quite striking," he told AFP. "MS is very uncommon in tropical countries and near the equator." That made him wonder whether a virus could be involved. He and his team carried out a long-term study following millions of young US military recruits. After nearly 20 years of research, they came up with an answer. In 2022, they confirmed a link between MS and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common infection responsible for another well-known disease, infectious mononucleosis, or mono. "Most people infected with EBV will never develop MS," said Ascherio, 72. But everyone who develops MS has had EBV first. The discovery still did not explain why MS occurs. But it fueled hope of finding new treatments and preventive measures for a disease that remains uncurable, and whose current treatments do not work on all patients. Ascherio's breakthrough could also help treat other conditions. "We are now trying also to extend our investigation, to investigate the role of viral infection in other neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, he said. The link remains theoretical for now. But "there is some evidence," he said. "It's like where we were on MS 20 or 30 years ago." 2025 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Johns Hopkins University-led research has found that obesity, particularly severe obesity, is strongly associated with the incidence of 16 common health outcomes. Associations remained consistent across sex and racial groups. Strong associations were observed for obstructive sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Obesity is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes involving multiple organ systems. Prior studies have analyzed conditions individually, limiting understanding of obesity's total health burden. External validity has also been limited by underrepresentation of individuals with class III obesity and of diverse demographic groups. Obesity is an increasingly prevalent condition in the United States, with current estimates suggesting that nearly half the adult population may meet the clinical criteria by 2030. In the study, "Associations between Class I, II, or III Obesity and Health Outcomes," published in NEJM Evidence, researchers conducted a longitudinal cohort study to understand how different levels of obesity relate to a wide array of health conditions across a diverse U.S. population. Data were analyzed from 270,657 participants enrolled in the All of Us research program, the largest cohort study in U.S. research history, launched by the National Institutes of Health in 2018. Participants contributed electronic health records, physical measurements, and survey data. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated at enrollment and used to classify individuals as normal weight, overweight, or obese, with further stratification into obesity classes I, II, and III. Sixteen pre-identified health conditions were evaluated: hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia or dyslipidemia, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, gout, liver disease linked to metabolic dysfunction, biliary calculus, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and osteoarthritis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of each condition by obesity class, adjusting for sex, age, race or ethnicity, income, and education. Researchers also calculated population-attributable fractions for each condition by obesity class. Obesity was present in 42.4% of the study population, including 21.2% with class I obesity, 11.3% with class II, and 9.8% with class III. Compared to those with normal weight, individuals with obesity were more likely to be female, Black, have lower income and education levels, and have higher blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratios. Prevalence and incidence rates increased progressively with higher obesity classes for all 16 health outcomes. Observed associations with class III obesity were strongest for obstructive sleep apnea (hazard ratio 10.94), type 2 diabetes mellitus (7.74), and metabolic dysfunctionassociated liver disease (6.72). Weaker associations were found for asthma (2.14), osteoarthritis (2.06), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (1.96). Obesity was associated with elevated risk across all subgroups, with consistent patterns by sex and race. Population-attributable fractions showed that obesity explained 51.5% of obstructive sleep apnea cases and 36.3% of metabolic liver disease cases, and 14.0% of all osteoarthritis cases in the study population were estimated to be attributable to obesity. Increased risk, particularly at higher severity levels, was associated with all 16 health outcomes studied. Risks rose in a stepwise manner across obesity classes, with the highest burden observed among individuals with class III obesity. Findings remained consistent across demographic subgroups and were supported by data from a large, diverse national cohort. Associations between obesity and several conditions such as sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and heart failure were strong and statistically robust. Population-attributable fractions indicated that a substantial proportion of these conditions may be preventable through effective obesity management. Rising rates of severe obesity in the United States create urgency around intervention. Results from this study offer an updated estimate of obesity's total health burden and may support future public health strategies, policy actions, and clinical use of antiobesity therapies. More information: Zhiqi Yao et al, Associations between Class I, II, or III Obesity and Health Outcomes, NEJM Evidence (2025). DOI: 10.1056/EVIDoa2400229 Journal information: NEJM Evidence 2025 Science X Network You are here: World Flash A member of China Search and Rescue Team provides medical consultations for local residents in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) The China International Search and Rescue Team continued to conduct medical outreach on Saturday in the urban area of Mandalay region, Myanmar. Through disease screening, consultations, medication guidance, and medicine distribution, the team provided "zero-distance" medical services to the 7.9-magnitude earthquake-affected residents. At a relief camp near the University of Medicine in Mandalay, the team's medical personnel utilized self-developed mobile diagnostic equipment such as handheld ultrasound devices, portable X-ray machines, and bedside ECG monitors to conduct free examinations for over 250 local residents. Essential medications, including anti-infectives, analgesics, and antihypertensives, were distributed on-site based on diagnoses. Near Mandalay Palace, the medical personnel team tailored solutions for prevalent local diseases, particularly respiratory, digestive, and immune system disorders exacerbated by the high temperatures in the earthquake-affected areas, providing medication guidance and conducting health education on respiratory care and chronic disease management to enhance public health awareness and self-care capabilities. The team comprises over 10 experts from the China International Search and Rescue Team, spanning 14 specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics. Since deploying to Myanmar, they have supported search-and-rescue operations and structural assessments while disinfecting over 120,000 square meters of rescue and operational zones. Collaborating with other Chinese rescue teams, including China Search and Rescue Team, a rescue team from China's Hong Kong and Shenzhen Public Welfare Rescue Team, they have provided round-the-clock medical support, conducting over 500 medical consultations. The China International Search and Rescue Team will continue to conduct medical outreach across Mandalay's relief camps in batches, prioritizing treatment for acute and chronic conditions such as respiratory, hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, and endocrine disorders. Additionally, they plan to donate urgently needed medical supplies and equipment to local facilities. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: The Glorious Studio from Pexels A man in Florida recently visited a Tiffany & Co jewelry store posing as a buyer for a professional US athlete. While viewing the items, together worth well over 1 million, the thief tried to grab them and run from the store. The ensuing struggle saw one diamond ring get droppedbut the thief still made off with two pairs of diamond earrings valued at 600,000. In a bid to avoid arrest, the suspect consumed a different kind of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"swallowing the jewelry. After he was later taken into custody some 340 miles away, he was quoted as saying: "Am I going to be charged for what is in my stomach?" This certainly isn't the first time a thief has hoped that swallowing stolen valuables would help them get away with their crime. One of the UK's most notorious jewel thieves, whose exploits were captured in the ITV series Joan, also consumed jewels in order to steal them. But while in this recent instance the stolen jewels were recovered after naturally passing through the thief's body, this isn't always the case when things are swallowed that shouldn't be. Foreign body ingestion, as it's called, accounts for approximately 1,500 deaths per year in the US alone. Although most of the time, ingested foreign bodies pass naturally, around 10%20% of cases require endoscopic retrieval (a camera and small tools entering your mouth to get to your stomach)and 1% require emergency surgery. In adults, the most commonly ingested foreign bodies are fish or chicken bones. In children, it's coins, button batteries and toy parts. Small items, such as earrings, aren't too difficult for the body to pass if swallowed accidentally or on purpose. This is because the esophagus, which carries food to the stomach, is up to 3 cm in diameter. But if objects are too large and get stuck in the esophagus, they can tear and perforate it. A tear to the esophagus requires immediate medical interventionwithout emergency care, this tear has a mortality rate of up to 40%. The stomach, a J-shaped sac, has a much larger diameter than the esophagus. It then connects to the small intestines and subsequently the large intestines. But because of the stomach's unique shape and the way it tightly narrows as it joins the small intestines, objects can easily get lodged in this join. In one case study, doctors in Iran removed more than 450 metallic items from a man's stomachincluding screws, keys, nuts and other metal parts. These objects weren't able to pass naturally due to the narrowing of the digestive tractsubsequently building up in the stomach, leading to abdominal pains and digestive issues in the patient that required immediate surgery. Just as problematic are prisoners who swallow mobile phones, as these are too large to progress beyond the stomach, so they get stuck. The only way to remove the phone in these instances is by endoscopy or surgerywhich is what had to happen when a prisoner in India swallowed four mobile phones. If the phone isn't removed, the stomach's acid may dissolve many of the phone's components. This could potentially expose its battery, which contains chemicals that can burn the stomach lining or cause it to rupture. Should an item manage to pass through the stomach, it then has to move through 12 feet of small intestines before entering the large intestines. The appendix is located where these intestines meetand any foreign objects that enter this tube are unlikely to get back out the way they came. So, this is another site where items can easily become stuck, causing infection and the need for emergency surgical removal. In one rare case, a diamond earring caused appendicitis in a person who had swallowed it by accident. There are also cases of this happening after screws, stones and pins became lodged in the appendix. The large intestines, where feces begin to form, gradually begin to narrow in diameter, especially near the rectum. This makes it even more likely that the intestinal wall may be perforated by foreign objectsparticularly sharp things such as the post of an earring or even packets of smuggled drugs. Perforation of the bowel anywhere through the gastrointestinal tract is a surgical emergency, as it means the contents of the tractwhich includes billions of bacteriacan leak into the membrane that lines your pelvis and abdomen. This can cause serious and often fatal infections such as peritonitis and sepsis, which can have mortality rates of almost 50%. Spare a thought Putting anything that isn't food or drink into your body carries a significant risk of getting stuck, tearing through delicate walls of the digestive tract, or reacting with the lining in a way that damages your intestines. As ever in these cases, spare a thought for the poor person who has to "check through what came out"or the person who had to clean the recovered jewelry. The good news for thieves who are desperate enough to try this route of "acquisition" is that valuable metals such as gold, silver and many of the precious stones embedded in them don't change when touched by stomach acid. However, it's hard to say whether these particular Tiffany earrings will go up or down in value, given the journey they've endured. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: picjumbo.com from Pexels A new study presented today at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2025 reveals that gender plays a significant role in excessive and problematic (psychological or behavioral dependence) smartphone use, with young females more likely to experience higher social anxiety than other genders. In the study, it was also found that gender was significantly linked to the amount of time spent using smartphones and the fear of being judged negatively by others online. The researchers set out to investigate problematic smartphone use, mental well-being, emotional regulation and social anxiety differences between genders, so that a stronger understanding can be built of the smartphone addiction process. The study involved 400 young adults (average age 25.9): 104 men, 293 women and three of another gender. Key findings from the study include: Gender accounts for significant differences in the mediating factors (time of use per day, Mental Health Continuum Scale (MHC), Assessing Emotions Scale (AES), Fear of Negative Perception Questionnaire (FNPQ)), that affect problematic smartphone use Young females experience higher fear of negative perception online Gender is significantly related to the time spent with smartphones, with higher use in young females than other genders Dr. Csibi Sandor, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Romania, and Lead Investigator, said, "These results point to serious differences between genders in that females are much more likely to suffer mental ill health at the hands of a smartphone. "Our study also reveals the influence of social interactivity, low emotional understanding and variations in perceived social support that could be caused by problematic smartphone use. It is important that these areas are further researched so we can work to build our understanding of these behavior differences between genders and what methods need to be put in place to support these individuals." Co-author Ms. Neha Pirwani, Eotvos Lorand University, Hungary, added, "Our findings add to previous studies showing that females can face increased suffering and therefore need additional attention, guidance and help compared with other genders, to identify problematic smartphone use and what this may lead to. Our continued work to further understand the causes and effects of this is key to addressing these issues among the younger generation." Professor Geert Dom, EPA President, said, "Nearly 100% of Generation Z own and use a smartphone. There is already evidence from a variety of cross-sectional, longitudinal and empirical studies implicating smartphone and social media use being factors in the increase in mental distress, self-injurious behavior and suicidality among this age group. This is an area that must be given further attention so that any detrimental areas can be addressed quickly." More information: Gender differences regarding problematic smartphone use, mediating by mental well-being, emotional regulation, and social anxiety in young adult sample [EPA2025-LB-4869] Provided by European Psychiatric Association Anant Ambani, Director of Reliance Industries Limited, arrived at Shree Dwarkadhish Temple in the early hours of Sunday, completing his 170-kilometre spiritual padyatra from Jamnagar to Gujarat, which started on March 29. Speaking at the culmination of his yatra, Ambani expressed his gratitude to Bhagawan Dwarkadhish and said, "See, it's my own spiritual journey. I started this by taking the name of God and will end it by taking his name. I want to thank the Lord Dwarkadheesh. I am grateful for the people who joined me on my spiritual journey. I am joined by my wife and mother, who will reach soon." The 12-day spiritual journey, which began on April 12, covered a distance of approximately 130 kilometers. On the last day of his padayatra, Anant Ambani was joined by his wife, Radhika Merchant, and mother, Nita Ambani. Anant Ambani also recalled the time when he opened up about his decision to go on a spiritual walk to his father, Mukesh Ambani. He expressed his gratitude to the Reliance Industries Chairman for motivating him to pursue his padyatra from Jamnagr to Dwaraka. "When I told my father (Mukesh Ambani) that I wanted to do the walk, he gave me a lot of power, and I want to express my gratitude to him," said Anant Ambani. Anant was joined by his mother Nita Ambani and wife Radhika Merchant as he entered the Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka. Along the way, Ambani has encountered an attitude of reverence and goodwill--some have walked along with him a part of the way in solidarity, others have given his pictures of the presiding deity Lord Dwarkadhish and still others have come over with their horses to get their pictures taken. Ambani's padayatra is also remarkable for the fact that the strenuous journey has been undertaken surmounting the debility caused by Cushing's Syndrome--a rare hormonal disorder--and morbid obesity, as well as asthma and a severe lung disease. On this spiritual padayatra, Anant has been chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, Sunderkand, and the Devi Stotra on his way to Dwaraka. The younger son of Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani is known for his deep love for animals and his "Vantara" wildlife preservation project, and he has also publicly expressed his strong belief in Sanatan. Some of India's most iconic religious destinations are his regular haunts and the beneficiaries of his munificence--Badrinath, Kedarnath, Kamakhya, Nathdwara, Kalighat and the Kumbh Mela, to name just few. There is also a business to run--he oversees the world's largest refinery and directs the country's biggest new energy transformation projects. Then, there is the Vantara animal refuge he founded, which was inaugurated by no less a person than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ambani is showing that he can walk in the footsteps of a holy spiritual tradition while also creating the future in the world of business. (ANI) Flash No Iranian personnel were killed in a recent U.S. airstrike on Yemen, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is known to have close ties to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). The statement came in response to a claim made by Yemen's Minister of Information, Moammar al-Eryani, who posted on social media platform X on Friday that 70 members of the Houthi group -- including senior field commanders and Iranian experts from the IRGC -- were killed in a U.S. strike on Tuesday. The attack reportedly targeted a Houthi gathering in Al-Fazah, a coastal area in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Tasnim dismissed the report as false, stating: "The released report about the martyrdom of Iranian forces in Yemen is not correct. Follow-ups by Tasnim's reporter indicate that the claim is false and no Iranian has been martyred in Yemen." Tasnim added that the "false" news appeared to be in line with the anti-Iran psychological warfare aimed at escalating tensions in the West Asia region. It reiterated previous statements by Iranian officials asserting that Houthi forces are fighting the United States and Israel independently. Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao praised the Haryana Film Festival 2025 for empowering young talents to pursue careers in the film industry during his address at its inaugural ceremony on Saturday. He advised the young talent to pursue acting with full heart and honesty, if passionate. The actor was invited as a chief guest at the event, along with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saimi. After the festival's inauguration, the 'Stree' actor opened up about his love for the city of Rohtak, which is his dear friend and actor Jaideep Ahlawat's hometown. "I have come to Rohtak for the first time. I have crossed it several times but stopped here for the first time. It is my FTII classmate and friend Jaideep Ahlawat's city. He tells me a lot about this city, and I tell him of Gurugram. I am very happy that the Haryana Film Festival is being organised in 2025." said Rajkummar Rao. The actor also advised the young talents to follow their passion for acting with honesty and hard work. He attributed himself as an example to prove that working with passion for the art form leads to success in the film industry. "If you have passion for acting, direction, camera, editing, sound, screenwriting and others, then follow it. If it is a hobby, then keep it like that. But if you genuinely want to pursue it then work with your full heart and honesty. Example is in front of you." said Rao. Reflecting on his own journey, Rajkummar Rao shared that when he began, there were no such opportunities. He urged today's youth to seize the moment and make the most of these incredible initiatives. "While I was growing up there were no opportunities. Now, there are a lot of opportunities here. There is a lot of talent in the nation. Like the minister said, there is no need for the industry to go out; we have a lot of talent, and everyone is coming into our industry, and it's true. I am from the industry and I know it." Rao added. The actor also expressed his gratitude to Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saimi and extended his greetings to Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) for the success of the Haryana Film Festival 2025. (ANI) Actress Halle Berry, while promoting her crime thriller 'Crime 101' at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, opened up about working with her co-star Chris Hemsworth, saying she'll be "a fan for the rest of her life" after the Australian actor stood up for her on set. Speaking to E! News on the red carpet, Berry praised Hemsworth for a kind gesture during filming that left a lasting impression on her. "[He's] a stand-up guy. I won't go into it now, but he stood up for me in a moment in our movie, and instantly I knew right then I'm gonna follow this guy, be a fan of this guy for the rest of his life because he stood up for a woman. He didn't have to do it, and he did," said Berry. As per Deadline, Hemsworth, who has long admired Berry's work, had earlier admitted he was nervous to act alongside her. "I've admired Halle's work for many, many years. I was obviously very intimidated to sit opposite her in a scene and try and, you know, not just be in awe of what she was doing," said Chris, as per Deadline. In Crime 101, Hemsworth plays a skilled jewel thief while Berry plays an insurance broker. The movie, directed by Bart Layton, also stars Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Monica Barbaro. It is based on the novella by Don Winslow and follows a set of "Crime 101" rules for the perfect heist. Hemsworth took the role after Pedro Pascal dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. (ANI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha emphasized the government's commitment to honouring the contributions of individuals who have elevated the state's reputation through their exceptional work. He underscored the importance of ensuring that their legacies are not forgotten. "The pioneer of modern sculpture in the state is Bipul Kanti Saha. He is one of the talented children in this state. Due to his tireless hard work and dedication, the art of sculpture here has been appreciated across the world. Such personalities can never be forgotten. They will inspire the next generation to move forward," said CM Saha. CM Saha said this while inaugurating the 3-day-long Bipul Kanti Saha State Art & Craft Festival at Government Art and Craft College, Lichubagan, organized by the Information and Cultural Affairs Department. The Chief Minister also mentioned that Rs. 3 crore has been allocated in the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 for musical instrument workshops for tribals across the state. The festival will include a drawing competition, cultural programs, and discussion meetings with eminent personalities from the state's art world. Ten organizations, including Lalit Kala Academy, Government College of Fine Arts, and Karu Kala Utsav, have opened exhibition stalls. Explaining the significance of the program, the Chief Minister said, "The talented children of the state who have taken the name of this state to the peak of fame should not be forgotten. The current government is trying to give due respect to all these personalities. Even though they have disappeared, their works, thoughts, and consciousness can inspire the next generation to develop the art and culture of the state in a large way. Although various forms of art were practised in the royal family of the state of Tripura, they were beyond the reach of the public." He said that eminent personalities like Bipul Kanti Saha have successfully brought this art and culture to the general public of the state. "Apart from technology, the way the renowned personalities of the state have created their art and culture is simply unimaginable. One can feel a sense of satisfaction by honouring such personalities," said CM Saha. The Chief Minister also said that the resources for survival are hidden in the culture and tradition of any nation. "Only if we are aware of our own talent, the excellence of the culture and heritage of the state will increase further. Only if we are in the vicinity of culture, the youth will remain free from the clutches of addiction," he said. Special Secretary of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, Debapriya Bardhan; Director of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, Bimbisar Bhattacharya; Subrata Chakraborty, Vice Chairman of the State-Level Cultural Advisory Committee; Abhijit Bhattacharya, Acting Principal of the Government Arts and Crafts College; and Dipika Saha, wife of renowned sculptor Bipul Kanti Saha, were present. (ANI) Maharashtra Police have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against two persons arrested for allegedly planting gelatin sticks and triggering a blast inside a mosque in Maharashtra's Beed district. A blast occurred at a mosque in Ardha Masla village in Georai Tehsil in the early hours of Sunday, March 30, ahead of Ramzan Eid celebrations. Nobody was injured, but the internal portion of the structure suffered damage in the explosion. The police arrested Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Sriram Ashok Sagde (24) for allegedly attempting to blow up the religious structure. The accused were also booked under the relevant Sections of the Heavy Substances Act. Earlier, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had called on the Maharashtra government to impose Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) laws against those responsible for the explosion. "Who encourages them? They get encouraged by the hate speeches that the BJP leaders give every day. The government should impose strict UAPA laws against the accused in this case, their case should be heard in fast-track court and they should get severe punishment. Those BJP leaders who keep talking such nonsense every day should also be punished. Only then will we be able to prevent such incidents from happening in the future," AIMIM National Spokesperson Waris Pathan had told ANI. The blast caused significant damage to the internal structure of the mosque. The police said that they received the information that the accused went to the mosque and carried out the explosion with the help of gelatin. Superintendent of Police (SP) Navneet Kanwat had said in a video statement that the village sarpanch informed the police about the incident at about 4 am. "All our senior officers and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team reached the spot. We got information that the accused had gone to the mosque and carried out the explosion with the help of gelatin. When our team reached there and started an investigation, we came to know about two accused and before 6 am, we arrested both the accused," SP Kanwat said. (ANI) Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu has fervently appealed to senior farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to end his fast and join talks with the central government on farmer demands. In a video message, Bittu addressed Dallewal, "Your health is more important, and your life is precious for the people of Punjab as your leadership would always be needed for the struggle of farmers and farm labourers". Bittu said that all BJP ministers and senior leaders during the Lok Sabha session had inquired from him about wellbeing of Dallewal and extended their wishes for his wellbeing. He said that the central government had held a series of meetings on the demands of farmers and wanted to continue the talks. He said that he was making an appeal to Dallewal on behalf of the central government and the people of Punjab to end the hunger strike and come forward for discussion with the central government. Bittu said that he understood the pain of farmers as he also belongs to a farmer family and sat on dharna for over one year at Jantar Mantar in support of farmer demands. He wished that Dallewal would succeed in his mission and continue to serve the people of Punjab for a long time. He hoped that Dallewal would abandon the fast before he joined the meeting with the center on May 4. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan also appealed to farmer leaders to end the protest and join the talks scheduled for May 4. "The ongoing process of talks between the representatives of the Government of India and the representatives of farmers' organizations regarding their demands is continuing. Farmer leader Shri Jagjit Singh Dallewal has now returned from the hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery. We also request them to end their fast and we will meet with the representatives of farmers organizations for talks on 4th May at 11 am as per the already decided date," the Agriculture Minister said. (ANI) A series of information-based joint operations by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles formations in Manipur resulted in the apprehension of six cadres and the recovery of twenty-two weapons, grenades, ammunition and other war-like stores. The operations were undertaken in coordination with Manipur Police, CRPF, BSF and ITBP in the hill and valley districts of Imphal West, Kakching, Imphal East, Churachandpur and Bishnupur between April 4 and 05, 2025, said the Army. Army and Manipur Police apprehended two cadres and recovered a pistol from Karpur Sangha of Imphal East district. In Chandpur of Bishnupur district, four weapons comprising one Self Loading Rifle (SLR), one Carbine, one .303 Rifle, one Double Barrel Rifle, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered by Army and Manipur Police on 04 April 2025 and one SLR, one 303 Rifle, one gun with a telescopic sight, one 0.177gun, two Pistols, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered from Khongam Pat of Imphal West. On the same day, in Kakching district Assam Rifles and Manipur Police apprehended two cadres and recovered two pistols, ammunition and war-like stores from Khongjom Khebaching, Churachandpur district. Two caders were also recovered from D Vaison of the same district. In Imphal East district, one Carbine, four Pistols, one .22 Rifle, one 12 Bore Single Barrel Rifle, two Single Bore Barrel Rifles, grenades, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered from Ngariyan Hill. The apprehended individuals and recovered stores have been handed over to the Manipur Police for further investigation and dispersal. Earlier on April 5, Security forces recovered arms and ammunition during the search operations and area domination conducted in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts of Manipur, stated an official press release. In one such operation, security forces recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from Laisoi hill areas under Keibul Lamjao Police Station, in Bishnupur district. The recovered items included SLR rifles, carbines, and live rounds.In another operation, security forces arrested two UNLF(P) cadres, Khundrakpam Rakesh Singh alias Thomba and Khundrakpam Charles, who were involved in the abduction of one Laitonjam Dilip Singh from his residence in Imphal West District. The abductee was rescued, and the suspects were arrested from a house in the Nambol Phoijing area in Bishnupur district, as per the release. (ANI) Reacting to the scaling down of the security of Punjab SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday said that many officers get transferred or promoted, and then these people (SAD) start creating a ruckus. Speaking to ANI, Cheema said, "A lot of officers get transferred or promoted, and then these people (SAD) start creating a ruckus. BJP and SAD are the ones who spread drug abuse in Punjab. Why are they afraid when a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed today? This shows they have done something wrong." On Wednesday, Punjab Police said that adequate security has still been provided to Shiromani Akal Dal (SAD) General Secretary Bikram Singh Majithia, including a squad vehicle and gunmen. The security review committee scaled down the security of the SAD leader, the police said. Special Director General of Police (DGP) Arpit Shukla told ANI, "The security review (committee) meeting has scaled down (Shiromani Akal Dal General Secretary) Bikram Singh Majithia's security. But adequate security has still been provided to him, including a squad vehicle and gunmen." SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia criticised the move of the Punjab police. "I repeatedly say that security is no status symbol. I would like to ask Gaurav Yadav (Punjab Director General of Police) that if you think that I don't need security, then give this to me in writing." Former SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the move exposed the criminal mentality of the ruling Aam Admi Party in the Punjab. "AAP's mentally criminally minded people have come. They don't care about any systems of laws. They think they have control of power. I request the officers to not be a part of their (AAP Punjab government) illegal decisions; else they will also have to go to jail when an inquiry will be conducted," Badal told reporters. On Tuesday, Sukhbir Singh Badal took to social media to denounce the move and said, "Withdrawal of the entire Z+ security cover of Bikram Singh Majithia confirms beyond doubt the dangerous and deadly designs of the @AamAadmiParty govt against the @Akali_Dal_leadership. "Let me be unequivocal: if any harm comes to Bikram or any of our leaders or workers, @Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal and @DGPPunjab Police will bear personal and direct responsibility for that," he added. (ANI) The Tis Hazari Court has directed to file a complaint against a woman for committing the offence of perjury by giving a false statement in a rape case against a person. "It takes one's lifetime to build a reputation but only a few lies to destroy the same," the court said. While acquitting the accused the court said that it is evident from the record that the prosecutrix gave a false deposition before this court and concocted a mendacious story of rape/threat. The woman, a resident of Ujjain, had alleged that she was called by the accused to Delhi for sightseeing and was raped in a hotel in Nabi Kareem area in November 2019. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Anuj Agarwal acquitted the accused, noting the false statement by the prosecutrix. While acquitting the accused, the court said, "Though, it is trite to state that testimony of a prosecutrix if found to be trustworthy and credible, requires no independent corroboration, however in the instant case, victim's testimony is not of sterling quality for the reasons as already discussed above." "Rather, it is evident from the record that prosecutrix gave false deposition before this court and concocted a mendacious story of rape/threat," ASJ Agarwal said in the judgement of April 4. The court considered that the false rape case made the accused aggrieved. The word 'aggrieved' cannot be confined only to the complainant but there may be cases where even the accused become the real sufferer, standing before the court with folded hands and beseeching justice for themselves," the court said. ASJ Anuj Agarwal said, "It takes one's lifetime to build a reputation but only a few lies to destroy the same. Therefore, in my view, an acquittal simpliciter cannot recompense the agony of the accused who had to undergo the trauma of trial for such heinous offences based on a false story of sexual assault." "Since it is clear from the record that the prosecutrix made false statement before this court, let a complaint under section 379 Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita [BNSS] for offences of perjury as punishable under section 229/231 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita [BNS] be sent against her to the court of Learned Chief Judicial Magistrate (Central) by the Ahlmad of this court," the court ordered. (ANI) Questioning the 'conspicuous' absence of Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader and MP from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi during the Waqf Amendment Bill - 2025 debate in Parliament, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha issued a strong statement condemning the 'lack of responsibility' and 'seriousness' shown by the Congress leadership. "People of Telangana have long known the true nature of the Gandhi siblings. They tour the country during elections with grand slogans, but when it's time to defend the rights of millions - especially the minority community - they are nowhere to be found," she said. K Kavitha further criticized Rahul Gandhi for failing to speak on an issue that directly affects over 30 crore people in India, especially the Muslim community. She said, "The silence of both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi has not gone unnoticed by the minority community across the nation." BRS leader also said that "people of Telangana are aware of these theatrics of the Gandhi's and they know that the duo will opt for silence over people's rights if it does not have any electoral gain." "Leadership is not about optics. It's about showing up when it matters most," Kavitha remarked, emphasizing that performative politics is no substitute for real, accountable leadership. "Telangana sees through this performative politics. When the people needed voices, the 'Election Gandhis' gave them only absence," Kavitha added. Meanwhile, speaking to ANI she said,"...When there is an issue of protecting the rights of minorities, the Gandhi family is not in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi talks about peace, he talks about Mohabbat Ki Dukaan, why did he not speak on this important bill? He should have spoken. It was very disappointing to see that the main opposition leader of our country did not stand up for more than 30 crore people of this country. "Priyanka was not there. I don't know why she was not there. Not only me, but the entire minority community is disappointed... That's why we call them Election Gandhis. If there was an election tomorrow, all three of them would be present. All three would have spoken on this issue," she added. The Bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an Act. After two days of heated debate in both houses of Parliament, the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 was passed. (ANI) Flash A joint logistics and training center established by the armed forces of China and Cambodia was officially inaugurated and put into operation on Saturday at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia. The center is designed to support the two militaries in conducting regional counter-terrorism, disaster prevention and mitigation, humanitarian assistance, joint training and other operations, according to a statement released by China's Ministry of National Defense. Both sides will dispatch personnel to jointly maintain the regular operation of the center, said the statement. The construction and operation of the center reflect mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia. The initiative fully complies with the domestic laws of the two countries, relevant international laws and international practices, which is not aimed at any third party, according to the statement. The establishment of the center is conducive to further strengthening practical cooperation between the two militaries and helps them to better fulfill international obligations and provide international public security products. Thousands of devotees gathered in Ayodhya on Sunday to celebrate Ram Navami, celebrating the birth of Lord Ram. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple witnessed a massive influx of pilgrims from across Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country, transforming the holy city into a hub of devotion and festivity. To manage the large crowds and ensure public safety, authorities implemented drone surveillance to monitor the situation. A substantial deployment of police personnel has been made across Ayodhya, with dedicated parking zones set up to ease traffic flow and movement. For many devotees, visiting Ayodhya on this day is not just a religious experience but an emotional journey. "I have come to Ayodhya for the first time, and along with my family, I took a holy dip in the Saryu river," a devotee told ANI. "People come in large numbers to offer prayers on the occasion of Ram Navami...Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers to ensure the safety and security of devotees...Proper parking arrangements have also been made," said Additional SP Madhuban Singh while speaking about the preparations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. On Ram Navami, the temple in Ayodhya was adorned with vibrant flowers and dazzling lights, drawing devotees from across the nation to celebrate the birth of Lord Ram. Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. Meanwhile, the morning Aarti was performed at the Jhandewalan Temple in New Delhi on the occasion of Ram Navmi. The ninth day of Navratri is dedicated to the worship of Maa Siddhidatri, regarded as the ninth form of Goddess Durga. The name "Siddhidatri" means the giver of spiritual and meditative powers. She is often depicted seated on a lotus and is believed to have vanquished the demon Mahishasura on this day, hence it is also known as 'Maha Navami'. Navratri, which means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, is a Hindu festival celebrating Goddess Durga and her nine avatars, known collectively as Navdurga. (ANI) As devotees throng to Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, members of the Muslim community have decided to shower devotees with flower petals in a show of solidarity between Muslims and Hindus. Iqbal Ansari, a resident of Ayodhya and former litigant in the city's land dispute case regarding Ram Janmabhoomi, said that in the land of Ram and Hanuman, there has always been brotherhood between Muslims and Hindus. "We are residents of Ayodhya, people who come to Ayodhya, I respect them, and consider them a guest of mine. Our country is a country of Hindus and Muslims, there should be brotherhood between us, and there is brotherhood. There is a brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims in our nation and we respect 'Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb'," Ansari told ANI here. Highlighting how Ram Navami has been celebrated in the city for centuries, he mentioned the community's plan to shower devotees with flower petals. "Today is the day of festival, it is a mela. Everyone is respected here in Ayodhya; Ram, Hanuman are respected here. We will shower flower petals on the devotees arriving in Ayodhya. We will celebrate everyone coming here," Ansari said. "Ayodhya is the land of religion and devi-devtas. Ram Navami has been celebrated in Ayodhya for centuries. Devotees take a holy dip in the Saryu River and offer prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple and the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Ayodhya is known to be pure. People come to Ayodhya from all over, they get respect, they get their wishes here," he added. Visuals from the city showed Ram Janmabhoomi Temple decorated with flowers and lights on the occasion of Ram Navami. Security forces have also been deployed in the city, with police officials putting up barricades in certain areas to prepare for the large number of devotees which are expected in the city. Earlier today, President Droupadi Murmu wished the people of the nation on the occasion of Ram Navami. Posting on X, President Murmu said, "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the holy festival of Ram Navami. This festival conveys the message of righteousness, justice, and duty-consciousness. Lord Shri Ram, the epitome of dignity, presented the highest ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony, and valour for humankind. His concept of good governance, known as Ram Rajya, is considered ideal. My good wishes are that on this auspicious occasion, all countrymen resolve to work unitedly for the construction of a developed India." (ANI) The Jharkhand Police have intensified security measures in Giridih ahead of Ram Navami celebrations, focusing on ensuring peaceful processions and festivities. Giridih Superintendent of Police (SP) Bimal Kumar said that more than 700 processions would take place in the districts, further stating that watchtowers were put in different places. Speaking to ANI, the SP said, "We have watch towers at different places. Things are going well in the district. More than 700 processions will take place in the district, and their frequency will increase after 12 PM. We are also doing drone surveillance. Proper barricades are in place." This comes after recent communal tensions in Giridih, where violence erupted, leading to clashes. Several vehicles in Giridih were torched after clashes broke out between two communities on the occasion of Holi late on Friday, as per the officials. Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu extended greetings on Ram Navami, highlighting the significance of the occasion and saying that the festival conveys the message of righteousness, justice, and duty consciousness. President Murmu said that Lord Rama presented the highest ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony, and valor for humankind. "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the holy festival of Ram Navami. This festival conveys the message of righteousness, justice, and duty-consciousness," Murmu wrote on X. "Maryada Purushottam Shri Rama presented the highest ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony, and valor for humankind. His concept of good governance, known as Ram Rajya, is considered ideal. My good wishes are that on this auspicious occasion, all countrymen resolve to work unitedly for the construction of a developed India," she added. Meanwhile, PM Modi has also extended greetings of Ram Navami and wished for fresh enthusiasm in the lives of countrymen. Taking to X, PM Modi said, "Heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. May this holy and sacred occasion of Lord Shri Ram's birth festival bring new consciousness and fresh enthusiasm into all your lives and continuously provide new energy to the resolve of a strong, prosperous, and capable India. Jai Shri Ram!" Ram Navami is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. (ANI) Devotees paid obeisance and offered prayers at several temples across the state on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday morning. Mangal Aarti was performed at Shri Poddareshwar Ram Temple in Nagpur on the occasion of Ram Navami, and devotees thronged to offer prayers. Speaking to ANI, a devotee at the temple said, "I prayed to God that our nation would reach new heights of development." Another devotee said, "The excitement for this year's Ram Navami is double as after many years, Ram Lalla became 'virajman' in Ayodhya." Devotees also flocked to offer prayers at Shree Ram Mandir in Mumbai's Wadala on the occasion of Ram Navami. Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu extended the greetings of 'Ram Navami' on Sunday and highlighted the significance of the occasion, saying that the festival conveys the message of righteousness, justice, and duty-consciousness. President Murmu said that Lord Rama presented the highest ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony, and valor for humankind. "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the holy festival of Ram Navami. This festival conveys the message of righteousness, justice, and duty-consciousness," Murmu wrote on X. "Maryada Purushottam Shri Rama presented the highest ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony, and valor for humankind. His concept of good governance, known as Ram Rajya, is considered ideal. My good wishes are that on this auspicious occasion, all countrymen resolve to work unitedly for the construction of a developed India," she added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended the greetings of 'Ram Navami' on Sunday and wished for fresh enthusiasm in the lives of countrymen. Taking to X, PM Modi said, "Heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. May this holy and sacred occasion of Lord Shri Ram's birth festival bring new consciousness and fresh enthusiasm into all your lives and continuously provide new energy to the resolve of a strong, prosperous, and capable India. Jai Shri Ram!" Ram Navami is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Haryana on April 14, marking a significant event for the state. Haryana BJP President Mohan Lal Badoli on Sunday shared that PM Modi will have two major programs in a single day: inaugurating the Hisar Airport and laying the foundation stone for the terminal building, which will enhance the airport's infrastructure. Speaking to ANI, Badoli said, "After the formation of the triple-engine government, he is coming to Haryana, and he has two programs in a single day; this is a very big thing. It is a matter of great fortune for Haryana that Modi ji keeps Haryana so close to his heart." The Prime Minister will also upgrade the power plant in Yamunanagar and lay the foundation stone for an 800-megawatt power plant, boosting the state's energy capacity. As part of his visit, he added, "First of all, he will inaugurate the Hisar airport, and air services will start from there. The first flight will be from Hisar to Ayodhya. The foundation stone of the terminal will also be laid. After that, while upgrading the power plant in Yamunanagar, he will also lay the foundation stone of an 800 megawatt power plant..." Meanwhile, a large number of devotees thronged Mata Mansa Devi Temple in Panchkula on the occasion of Ram Navami 2025. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the greetings of 'Ram Navami'and wished for fresh enthusiasm in the lives of countrymen. Taking to X, PM Modi said, "Heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. May this holy and sacred occasion of Lord Shri Ram's birth festival bring new consciousness and fresh enthusiasm into all your lives and continuously provide new energy to the resolve of a strong, prosperous, and capable India. Jai Shri Ram!" Similarly, President Droupadi Murmu extends her greetings to the countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. Taking on X, she wrote, "Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the holy festival of Ram Navami. This festival gives the message of religion, justice and duty. Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram has presented high ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony and bravery to mankind." https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1908706788733509947 "His concept of good governance, i.e. Ram Rajya, is considered ideal. I wish that on this auspicious occasion, all countrymen take a pledge to work together for the creation of a developed India," post added on X. Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. (ANI) Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over their allegations of the central government targeting Catholic Church land after the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament. Responding to Rahul Gandhi's post in which he made the allegations, Chandrasekhar lashed out at the LoP and said, "One thing I recommend to Constitution-waving, India-bashing Rahul Gandhi is that he reads and learns the constitution before he uses it for his Congress politics of lies." He asserted that owning land is not a crime; however, grabbing it from people is wrong. "Owning land is not a crime just as vast amounts of land is owned by Railways, Army, Plantation owners etc. However, grabbing it from people as Cong leaders in Karnataka do and Waqf tried to do is wrong." Chandrasekhar wrote on X. Kerala BJP President further alleged that the Waqf Act passed by Congress "trampled" the rights of Indians and the Amendment Act restores them. "Indian Constitution is a sacred document, that enshrines rights of Indian including every Indians right to property. The Waqf act passed by Cong, trampled on those rights of all Indians because of the shameless appeasement politics PM Narendra Modi jis Waqf amendment act, restores the rights of property and appeal to ALL Indians AND ensures that Waqf land is used for the benefit of poor Muslims not rich Cong builder/politicians," he wrote. He also targeted Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan over backing Rahul Gandhi's allegation, saying that the CM is "jumping in a race for appeasement with alliance partner." "It takes a lot of political hubris for a CM - who has wrecked the states economy, put youth at the mercy of drugs and record joblessness and has been caught with a govt invested company shovelling money to his daughters "IT" company - to jump on Rahuls bandwagon to poison hearts and minds of people of Kerala. But it will not work," Chandrasekhar wrote on X. Pinarayi Vijayan and Rahul Gandhi have alleged that the BJP is now targeting Catholic Church land following the passage of the Waqf Act Amendment Bill in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi alleged that the RSS wasted no time in turning its attention to the Christians, referring to an article by "The Telegraph" on the Organizer's article. Gandhi stated that the passage of the bill could set a precedent to target other minority communities in the future. "I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. It didn't take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians," Gandhi said. In addition, Kerala CM raised concern over the "unnecessary and untimely mention" of the Church's property in an article by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) "mouthpiece", the "Organizer", noting that it gives "negative signals" and gives the "true mindset" of the RSS despite the article being taken down from the Organizer's website. "It should be understood from the article in the RSS mouthpiece Organizer that the Sangh Parivar is targeting the Catholic Church after the passage of the Waqf Act Amendment Bill in Parliament, which violates the constitutional rights of Muslim minorities," Vijayan said. (ANI) Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Sunday paid heartfelt tributes to the founding fathers and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the occasion of the party's Foundation Day. In a post shared on the social media platform X, the Union Minister expressed deep gratitude toward the party's pioneers, acknowledging their sacrifices and dedication in building and expanding the BJP. "Today, on the 'Foundation Day' of the Bharatiya Janata Party, I pay my heartfelt tributes to all the founding fathers and senior leaders of the organization, who nurtured the creation and expansion of the party with their blood and sweat and remained constantly engaged with it with all their heart and soul," the post read. Further, he also extended his best wishes to the party workers across the country, recognising their tireless efforts at the grassroots level that helped the BJP grow into the world's largest political party. "On this occasion, I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the workers, brothers and sisters across the country who have strengthened the organisation at the booth level and made BJP the biggest political party in the world," the post further read. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Nadda stated that the government remains committed to the vision of a 'developed India.' "In the last decade, under the able leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri@narendramodiji, our government is committed to building a 'developed India' along with realizing the resolution of Antyodaya. Today, on this auspicious day, I appeal to millions of my@BJP4Indiaworkers to be determined to establish Mother India at the pinnacle of glory and make their valuable contribution in the progress of every section of the society," the post further read. The BJP was originally founded as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The party gained significant momentum under leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, eventually rising to power in the 1990s. It has remained a dominant force in Indian politics since then. (ANI) As the Waqf (Amendment) Bill received President's assent to become an Act, Bharatiya Janata Party MP, and former Chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to review the bill, Jagdambika Pal, launched a blistering attack on Congress, questioning the non-participation of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during the discussions in Parliament. Accusing the Congress of using muslims as a "vote bank," Pal questioned the Gandhi siblings (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi) for not contributing to the debates in Parliament. "If the Congress Party or Rahul Gandhi are really concerned about the Muslims of the country, if they do not consider them a vote bank, then why did Rahul Gandhi not participate in the discussion on such a historic bill in the Lok Sabha? Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka spoke on this," he told ANI. While lauding the passage of the "historic" and "major" reform to Waqf Board, the BJP MP said that the bill will benefit the poor, Pasmanda, women and orphans. "A major reform has been done in Waqf by the Narendra Modi government, which will benefit the poor, Pasmanda, women and orphans," Pal told ANI. He further questioned whether, if Congress really believes the law is unconstitutional, Rahul Gandhi should have mentioned how each clause in the bill is unconstitutional. "If it was an unconstitutional law, then Rahul Gandhi should have said in Parliament, clause by clause, that the amendment being made is unconstitutional. He did not give any suggestion on this, did not give any argument, neither Priyanka gave any argument nor Sonia Gandhi gave any argument in the Rajya Sabha," the BJP MP told ANI. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the BJP is now targeting Catholic Church land following the passage of the Waqf Act Amendment Bill in Parliament. He stated that the passage of the bill could set a precedent to target other minority communities in the future. "I had said that the Waqf Bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. It didn't take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians," Gandhi said. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament during the budget session of Parliament. The President also gave her assent to the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. The Law Ministry notifications, issued on Saturday, said that the President had given her assent to the two bills. Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Friday with 128 votes in favour and 95 against, while the Loka Sabha cleared the bill after a lengthy debate, with 288 members voting in favour and 232 opposing it. (ANI) On the occasion of Ram Navami, devotees visited the ancient Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar on Sunday to offer prayers and seek blessings. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Shankaracharya Temple sits atop the Shankaracharya Hill and is one of the oldest and most revered temples in the region. Among the visiting devotees was Aarti, a devotee from Kerala, who shared her joy and gratitude at being present at the temple on such an auspicious day. "I am very grateful to have come here on this day as it's Ram Navami. We all know it's happy to start the day with it. This is a peaceful temple, and we could enjoy each and every moment peacefully with our God, Shiva. I'm very grateful to be here as I am here for the first time. I am happy," she said. Meanwhile, in Katra, large numbers of devotees gathered at the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple on Sunday to mark Navami, the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri, with special prayers and rituals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the greetings of 'Ram Navami'and wished for fresh enthusiasm in the lives of countrymen. Taking to X, PM Modi said, "Heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. May this holy and sacred occasion of Lord Shri Ram's birth festival bring new consciousness and fresh enthusiasm into all your lives and continuously provide new energy to the resolve of a strong, prosperous, and capable India. Jai Shri Ram!" President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her best wishes on the occasion, emphasising the values exemplified by Lord Ram. Taking on X, she wrote, "Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the holy festival of Ram Navami. This festival gives the message of religion, justice and duty. Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram has presented high ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony and bravery to mankind." "His concept of good governance, i.e. Ram Rajya, is considered ideal. I wish that on this auspicious occasion, all countrymen take a pledge to work together for the creation of a developed India," the post added on X. Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. The ninth day of Navratri is dedicated to the worship of Maa Siddhidatri, regarded as the ninth form of Goddess Durga. The name "Siddhidatri" means the giver of spiritual and meditative powers. She is often depicted seated on a lotus and is believed to have vanquished the demon Mahishasura on this day. Hence, it is also known as 'Maha Navami.' Navratri, which means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, is a Hindu festival celebrating Goddess Durga and her nine avatars, known collectively as Navdurga. (ANI) BJP leader Dilip Ghosh extended greetings of Ram Navami and said that the festival will be celebrated with great fervor and grandeur across West Bengal. The BJP leader also urged law enforcement authorities to ensure the peaceful conduct of the festivities, emphasising that the Hindu community will observe the festival according to their traditions and should be able to celebrate without facing any obstacles. Speaking about the upcoming Ram Navami celebrations, Ghosh said, "Ram Navami will be celebrated grandly across West Bengal. The police must ensure the peaceful conduct of celebrations. The Hindu community will celebrate the festival as per their traditions, there should be no problems in this." Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in the Nandigram area of the Paschim Medinipur district. West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Nandigram on the occasion of Ram Navami. Security has been heightened in Howrah as a large number of devotees throng to temples on the occasion of Ram Navami. In celebration of Ram Navami, a colorful and lively Shobha Yatra will take place in Hooghly today. Devotees from across the region will come together to honor Lord Rama. The procession will feature traditional music, chanting, and a display of vibrant decorations as participants participate in the religious and cultural festivities. The Shobha Yatra is expected to draw a large crowd, with residents and devotees joining the procession to pay tribute to Lord Rama on his birth anniversary. The event is a significant part of Ram Navami celebrations in Hooghly and reflects the community's deep spiritual and cultural connection to the festival. Devotees are excited to take part in the procession, which is set to be a highlight of today's Ram Navami celebrations in the region. Navami, a day dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga, is considered an important and auspicious time for devotees to pray for strength, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles. Maa Siddhidatri is worshipped on the ninth day of Navratri. She is considered to be the ninth incarnation of Goddess Durga. Siddhidatri is a Sanskrit word that means giver of meditative ability. Chaitra Navratri, or Vasant Navratri, is celebrated during the spring season in India. It is considered to be an important nine-day celebration for the Hindu community. During Chaitra Navratri, people fast and worship Goddess Durga. They also performed Ghatasthapana, the invocation of goddess Shakti, which was a significant ritual followed during the period. Navratri also celebrates calmness and peacefulness in the form of Maha Gauri Mata. (ANI) Flash A China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesperson on Sunday said that a Japanese fishing vessel had been expelled for unlawfully entering into the territorial waters of China's Diaoyu Dao. The CCG has taken necessary control measures in accordance with the law, issued warnings and drove the Japanese fishing vessel away after it illegally entered the waters between Saturday and Sunday, according to spokesperson Liu Dejun. Emphasizing that Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands are China's inherent territory, Liu urged the Japanese side to immediately cease all illegal activities in these waters. The CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement operations in the territorial waters of Diaoyu Dao to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, he added. The police also recovered one Glock 9mm pistol, one .30 Calibre pistol, 3 magazines and Rs 2.15 lakh in fake currency, informed Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav. According to police, the consignment was sent by ISI operatives to create unrest in the region. FIR has been registered at Gharinda police station in Amritsar, and further investigation is underway, informed DGP Gaurav Yadav. https://x.com/DGPPunjabPolice/status/1908735291021459742 Earlier this week, the Counter Intelligence (CI) unit in Amritsar successfully thwarted a potential terrorist attack. This was achieved through the apprehension of an individual linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, during which a hand grenade was also recovered, as shared by Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, on Tuesday. According to the release issued, the arrested accused has been identified as Jaiveer Tyagi alias Jawed, a native of village Baroli in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP), currently residing in Ludhiana. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that CI Amritsar team has received an input revealing the abroad-based individual identified as Sehlam, who is working for Pakistan's ISI, along with his cousin identified as Jaiveer Tyagi, has been hatching a conspiracy to target the government infrastructure through terror attacks in various cities to disturb peace and harmony in the state. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated party workers on the party's foundation day on Sunday, highlighting how the "lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen." https://x.com/AmitShah/status/1908737572550943043 Posting about the party's foundation day on X, Shah wrote, Today, under the leadership of (PM) Modi, the lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen. The works of service, security, and cultural awakening that the BJP has undertaken in the past decade will become milestones in the days to come." "Crores of BJP workers, steadfastly adhering to ideological commitment, will continue to contribute to nation-building," his post added. https://x.com/AmitShah/status/1908737819389886493 Shah remembered the party's accomplishments through the decades such as revocation of Article 370, and the movement to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shah said that the party has always ensured the "welfare of the poor, the deprived, and women." https://x.com/AmitShah/status/1908737713291079938 "Whether it is about taking the Shri Ram Temple movement to every individual, making the removal of Article 370 its resolve, or ensuring the welfare of the poor, the deprived, and women--BJP has, since its inception, made the nation's interest its highest goal," his post added. Mentioning how since the party's inception in 1980, it has always "demonstrated" how a political party has committed to honouring legacies and ensuring welfare for farmers. "In its four-decade journey, BJP has demonstrated how a political party can remain committed to honoring legacies, providing every poor person with housing, food, health insurance, and the welfare of farmers all at once," his post read. The BJP was officially formed on April 6, 1980, on the basis of panch nishthas (five commitments). However, the party's origin lies with the formation of the Jana Sangh in 1950. The Jana Sangh was started by former union minister Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The Jana Sangh merged with the Janata Party after the end of the Emergency in 1977, with the aim to defeat Congress. Later on, the question of 'dual membership' was raised between the RSS members and the Jana Sangh, with the ask that either the Jana Sangh members should leave the Janata Party or their membership of RSS. Regarding the issue, the Jana Sangh members left the Janata Party and officially founded the BJP on April 6, 1980. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has had two Prime Ministers since its formation: Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the 1996, 1998, and 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the party emerged as the single largest party. In the 2019 Lok Sabha, the party won 303 seats, the most in the party's history. (ANI) Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria held a 'Padyatra' on Sunday against drugs menace as part of Punjab government's 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh' campaign. Kataria said, "Today's the fourth day (of the campaign), and it has become a 'Jan Yatra'. Local people are joining this campaign. Students, in large numbers, are joining the campaign. Olympic players and Arjuna awardee have also joined. It was my wish to make this a 'Jan Yatra' and not let it be confined just to a 'Governor Yatra'. This is just a start, now people have to take it forward in their villages. The state government is moving this campaign forward with strictness." Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 26 said that the Punjab Government has launched a strong war against drugs in the state, adding that people are coming forward to make 'Badalta Punjab.' "Our government in Punjab has launched a strong war against drugs. Now in the next phase, the big drug suppliers will be attacked. Not a single drug dealer or supplier will be spared. During the Congress, Akali Dal and BJP governments, they had defamed Punjab by calling it "Udta Punjab". Now people are coming together to make 'Badalta Punjab'," Kejriwal posted on X. As part of the ongoing war against drugs 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign was launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. According to an official statement, since the launch of this Anti-Drug Campaign on March 1 2025, an arrest of 3957 drug smugglers after registration of 2248 first information reports (FIRs) across the state have been made and led to recovery of large amount of contrabands, including 137.7 kg heroin from the possession of drug smugglers. The Chief Minister and the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav directed all the Commissioners of Police (CPs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to identify and catalogue the main drug suppliers/peddlers in their respective districts within seven days. The statement also mentioned that the directive was issued through a stern letter, aims to systematically dismantle supply chains fuelling the state's narcotics trade. "Feedback from the citizens and other inputs indicate that the street level availability of heroin and other drugs has considerably reduced", said DGP in his letter. (ANI) In a landmark achievement, the Welding Research Institute (WRI) in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, has made a "significant contribution" to the successful construction of the New Pamban Railway Bridge, connecting Mandapam and Pamban Island near Rameswaram. WRI was established by the Central Government, under the aegis of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) with the aim of providing research, consultancy and training in the field of welding and allied areas. New Pamban Railway bridge is India's first vertical lift sea bridge, a pioneering engineering marvel, which will be inaugurated today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The project, of national strategic importance, was executed under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between WRI and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). WRI was engaged as a third-party consultant, providing end-to-end support in welding and inspection activities vital to the bridge's structural integrity," read a statement from BHEL. WRI's scope of work included the establishment of welding procedures, review of welding sequences, qualification of welders and weld operators, assessment of welding consumables, and periodic on-site monitoring. The institute also played a major role in non-destructive testing (NDT), ensuring weld quality through detailed review and validation of NDT procedures and reports. WRI conducted 100 per cent visual inspections of welds, witnessed penetrant testing, and inspected computed radiographic tested joints and Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT)--a relatively new technology. The institute not only reviewed PAUT data and reports but also witnessed the testing of weld joints both at the fabrication yard and at the construction site, ensuring high-quality standards, according to BHEL. Frequent visits by WRI inspectors and close coordination with the construction team ensured meticulous execution and adherence to safety and quality standards throughout the project. This accomplishment highlights WRI's expertise in cutting-edge welding practices and underscores its reputation as a national leader in welding technology. Notably, this is the second time WRI has provided third-party inspection services for a nationally significant railway bridge project, following its successful contribution to the Bogibeel Bridge--India's longest combined rail-road bridge in Assam. WRI is currently executing several consultancy projects in key sectors such as oil and gas, power, defence, and metallurgy. Its services span indigenisation efforts, life extension studies, heat treatment procedures, and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. With over 30,000 professionals trained, WRI remains a cornerstone in the field of welding education. Remarkably, one in every three welding professionals in India has been trained at or is associated with WRI. Recognising this capability, the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries has sanctioned a major skilling initiative, targeting the training of 5,000 welding professionals annually. Under this program, WRI has broadened its training capabilities across both conventional and advanced welding technologies, including SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, robotic welding, laser welding, friction welding, and 3D printing. As part of the initiative, extension centres have been set up at various BHEL units including Ranipet, Bhopal, Varanasi, Jhansi, and Haridwar, making advanced welding training more accessible and affordable. As of March 2025, over 7,500 professionals have been trained under this scheme. WRI's role in the New Pamban Rail Bridge reaffirms its status as a premier institution in India's industrial development, blending innovation, training, and excellence in welding science. (ANI) On the BJP's Foundation Day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath greeted party workers on Sunday for their unwavering dedication to service, good governance, and the upliftment of the poor, rooted in the spirit of "Nation above all." https://x.com/myogiadityanath/status/1908671427814846744 Taking to social media platform X, the Chief Minister said, "The flag of the Bharatiya Janata Party, dedicated to service, good governance, and public welfare in the spirit of 'Nation First', is my pride and my inspiration." The post further added, "Today, on the auspicious occasion of BJP Foundation Day, my appeal to all the workers is to hoist the flag of @BJP4India at their home/office and post their selfie with #BJP4ViksitBharat.This will be a tribute to all the great personalities of the BJP, who have nurtured the party to this height through their tireless hard work, struggle and sacrifice." "Connected with the soil of India, representing the great men of India and the soul of India, dedicated to service, good governance and welfare of the poor with the spirit of 'Nation above all', hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the dedicated, nationalistic, people-oriented workers on the Foundation Day of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the largest political party in the world!," the post added on X. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on the occasion of the party's Foundation Day. In a post on the social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote that the day made the party reiterate its unparalleled commitment to working towards the country's progress. The PM further wrote that the people of the country also saw the party's good governance, which was reflected in the historic mandates received in previous years. The BJP was originally founded as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The party gained significant momentum under leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, eventually rising to power in the 1990s. It has remained a dominant force in Indian politics since then. (ANI) The temple, located near Amtali Police Station at Baisnab Tilla, is managed by the Agartala Shri Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Seva Mandir Trust. The event was attended by numerous devotees who gathered to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. The Shri Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Seva Mandir is renowned for its charitable and educational initiatives, focusing on the teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba and Indian philosophy. The temple regularly hosts various religious and cultural events, drawing devotees from across the state. Saha's participation in the Ram Navami celebrations reflects the Tripura government's commitment to promoting cultural and religious events that foster unity and spiritual growth among its citizens. Taking to social media X, the CM also extended his best wishes to the people on Ram Navami. "I extend my best wishes to the people of the state on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. I pray that with the blessings of Lord Shri Ramchandra, everyone's life will be blessed with happiness and prosperity," the post read. Ram Navami is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. Devotees thronged various temples across the country and offered prayers on the occasion. (ANI) Congress MP and party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday traced the Indian National Congress's long-standing connection with Gujarat and announced that the next meeting is scheduled for April 8-9 in Ahmedabad under the presidentship of party leader Mallikarjun Kharge. In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said, "The Indian National Congress was established on December 28, 1885. It first met in Gujarat at Ahmedabad during December 23-26, 1902, under the presidentship of Surendra Nath Bannerjee. The second time the INC met in Gujarat was at Surat during December 26-27, 1907, under the presidentship of Rash Behary Ghose. The third time the INC met in Gujarat was again in Ahmedabad during December 27-28, 1921, under the presidentship of Hakim Ajmal Khan." "The INC met in Gujarat for a fourth time at Haripura during Feb 19-21, 1938, under the presidentship of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The INC met in Gujarat for the fifth time at Bhavnagar during Jan 6-7, 1961, under the presidentship of Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy," it said. "The INC is meeting in Gujarat for a sixth time in Ahmedabad on April 8-9, 2025, under the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge. The Extended CWC will be held at the Sardar Patel Memorial on April 8, and the AICC will meet the next day on the banks of the River Sabarmati between Sabarmati Ashram and Kochrab Ashram," the post read. He also provided a full official record of the five INC meetings in Gujarat that took place in the 20th century, with a link on X. Ahmedabad is gearing up to host the 84th National Convention of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on April 8-9, marking a historic return of the event to Gujarat after a gap of 64 years. The meeting set against the scenic backdrop of the Sabarmati Riverfront will witness the presence of several Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and KC Venugopal. Earlier on Saturday, AICC formed a drafting committee for their upcoming meeting scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad on April 8 and 9. The committee consists of big names such as Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, and 13 others. Randeep Surjewala has been named the convenor of the drafting committee. AICC issued a press statement and informed about the development. Earlier, the AICC approved the proposal to form various committees for effective party organisation ahead of the AICC meeting scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad on April 8 and 9, a press release said. The AICC issued a press release to inform the public about the development. The press release includes the names of the newly appointed reception committee, coordination committee, accommodation committee, session venue committee, session dias committee, CWC venue committee, and food committee members of Gujarat state. The Congress top leadership is all set to meet its district presidents in Delhi on March 27, 28 and April 3, as informed by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on March 18. The decision was taken at a meeting of AICC general secretaries and state in-charges of AICC, chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting discussed the AICC session to be held on 8th and 9th April in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. (ANI) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Tamil Nadu visit to inaugurate the New Pambam Bridge, the Congress unit in the state launched a black flag protest on Sunday against BJP's "anti-Tamil policies," including the non-disbursal of funds to the state government and various other policies of the central government. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai said that the party condemns the idea of One Nation One Election, the passing of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the non-disbursement of funds and other policies. The party is also going to raise slogans condemning the Waqf Bill as PM Modi reaches Rameswaram city. "(Union Finance Minister) Nirmala Sitharaman in Chennai event said One Nation One Election would be implemented. ... we are holding this protest. We will also raise new slogans as PM Modi reaches Rameshwaram," K Selvaperunthagai said. "We are also showing black flag to Modi condemning Waqf Board Amendment," he added. In a statement released on X, the party's state president said highlighted their opposition to the Waqf Amendment BIll. "The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalizing Muslims and taking away their personal laws and property rights," Selvaperunthagai's statement read. "This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is targeting Muslims today, but it sets a precedent for targeting other communities in the future," the statement added. Earlier, MLA Oorvasi S Amirtharaj said the BJP has "continued to deceive Tamil Nadu and Tamils." "Not giving relief funds for the districts affected by storm and floods, under conditions of Hindi imposition, not providing funds for school education, the central BJP is working to affect the livelihood of the rural people without providing funds to Tamil Nadu," said the MLA during a press meet. Multiple state trustees in Thoothukudi participated in the demonstration. On the occasion of Ram Navami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate India's first vertical lift sea bridge, the New Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. The 2.07-kilometre-long New Pamban Bridge, spanning the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, stands as a testament to India's engineering prowess and visionary infrastructure development, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement. The bridge has one vertical lift spanning 72.5 metres with two tracks. The approach has 88 spans of 18.3-metre steel plate girders fabricated for a single line. (ANI) The Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Anshul Garg said the board introduced a smart locker system during the Navratri period, which received positive feedback. He added that over 50,000 devotees benefitted from the langar services in nine days and that cleanliness was also prioritised during the festivities. Speaking to ANI, CEO Garg said,"The board always tries to provide better facilities to the devotees. This time, we started a smart locker system, and we received good feedback..." "Over the past nine days, more than 50,000 devotees have benefitted from the 'langar' services. The decorations along the pilgrimage route, combined with the cleanliness drive organised by the board, were well-received and contributed to a truly rewarding experience," he said. Devotees arrived in large numbers at the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Navami, the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri. Meanwhile, in Srinagar devotees flocked the ancient Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar on Sunday to offer prayers on the occasion of Ram Navami. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located atop the Shankaracharya Hill. Aarti, a devotee from Kerala, said she was thankful to have visited the temple on Ram Navami. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the greetings of 'Ram Navami'and wished for fresh enthusiasm in the lives of countrymen. Taking to X, PM Modi said, "Heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. May this holy and sacred occasion of Lord Shri Ram's birth festival bring new consciousness and fresh enthusiasm into all your lives and continuously provide new energy to the resolve of a strong, prosperous, and capable India. Jai Shri Ram!" Similarly, President Droupadi Murmu extends her greetings to the countrymen on the occasion of Ram Navami. Taking on X, she wrote, "Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the holy festival of Ram Navami. This festival gives the message of religion, justice and duty. Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram has presented high ideals of sacrifice, commitment, harmony and bravery to mankind." "His concept of good governance, i.e. Ram Rajya, is considered ideal. I wish that on this auspicious occasion all countrymen take a pledge to work together for the creation of a developed India," post added on X. Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India every year on the last day of Chaitra Navaratri to mark the birth of Lord Rama. On this auspicious day, young girls, representing the nine forms of the goddess Durga, are offered gifts and prasad. (ANI) According to an official release from the Ministry of Defence, "On April 4, 2025, INS Trikand, deployed in the Central Arabian Sea, responded to a distress call from the Iranian dhow Al Omeedi, located approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Oman coast." The call revealed that a Pakistani crew member aboard the FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia, a vessel en route to Iran, had sustained severe injuries involving multiple fractures and significant blood loss while working on the engine. Upon receiving the distress call, INS Trikand promptly altered its course to provide critical medical assistance. The crew of the FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia consisted of 11 Pakistani nationals (nine Baloch and two Sindhi) and five Iranian personnel. The injured individual, a Baloch Pakistani, was in urgent need of medical intervention to prevent the loss of his fingers. INS Trikand's Medical Officer, along with a team of MARCOS (Marine Commandos) and the ship's boarding team, boarded the vessel to provide immediate care. After administering local anesthesia, the medical team performed a successful surgical procedure, which included suturing and splinting the injured fingers. The procedure lasted over three hours, effectively controlling the bleeding and preventing the fingers from suffering permanent damage due to gangrene. In addition to the medical treatment, INS Trikand supplied the crew of FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia with antibiotics and other medical supplies to ensure their continued well-being as they made their way to Iran. Additionally, medical supplies, including antibiotics, were provided to the FV to ensure the crew's well-being until they reached Iran. The entire crew expressed their deep gratitude to the Indian Navy for the timely assistance in saving their crewmate's life. (ANI) BJP National President JP Nadda reflected on the party's journey on the party's 45th Foundation Day, emphasising its deep connection to India's traditions, culture, and values and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is an ideologically based and a mass-based party. Addressing a gathering here on Sunday, JP Nadda said, "BJP's history is connected with Indian tradition, custom, policy, and culture. These elements will continue to guide us in the future, and we have never compromised ideologically. " Nadda reinforced the party's ideological commitment, adding, "We are an ideology-based party, and we never compromise. We are also a mass-based party." He shared the BJP's current achievements, stating that the party now has over 240 members in the Lok Sabha and over 98 members in the Rajya Sabha, along with over 100,000 active workers. He further highlighted the party's success in forming governments in several states, noting the BJP's sixth consecutive term in Gujarat, third term in Goa and Haryana, 4th term in Madhya Pradesh, and second term in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Assam, UP, and Tripura. "After 27 years, we have formed the government in Delhi as well," added JP Nadda. The BJP president stressed the importance of "scientific growth" in building the party's organisation and winning elections, calling it a well-planned process. "The BJP is the only political party which has had scientific growth. To take forward and grow an organisation is also a science, and to win elections is also a science. It is the BJP's commitment to fulfill it without compromising its ideological principles," he stated. Nadda also took pride in the BJP's welfare schemes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mentioning initiatives like the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and Ujjwala Yojana, which have uplifted millions of people, including the poor, Dalits, farmers, women, and marginalised communities. "In 10 years, under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP has been dedicated to serving the most deprived sections of society," he said. Looking ahead, Nadda outlined the party's vision for Viksit Bharat 2047, calling it the BJP's responsibility to contribute to India's growth and development in the coming decades. He also announced a nationwide outreach initiative in which BJP leaders and workers will strengthen the party's presence by visiting 500,000 booths and 100,000 localities from April 8 to 13. Additionally, the party will celebrate Samvidhan Gaurav Diwas from April 14 to 25, coinciding with Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14. In his closing remarks, Nadda urged BJP workers to pay special tribute to the party's founding members. "When you visit any booth and meet any Jan Sangh or founding BJP member, please visit their home," he requested, emphasizing the importance of remembering the party's roots and the contribution of its pioneers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Sunday, the party's Foundation Day. In a post on the social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote that the day made the party reiterate its unparalleled commitment to working towards the country's progress. The PM further wrote that the people of the country also saw the good governance of the party, which had been reflected in the historic mandates received in the years gone by. Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated party workers on Sunday, the party's foundation day, highlighting how the "lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is celebrating its 37th foundation day today. Currently, the largest political party in India, the BJP, was founded in 1980. After the landslide victory in the 2014 General Election, today, the BJP is the largest political party in terms of elected representatives and the biggest political party in the world. In 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party received the highest vote share by a political party since the 1989 general election and won 303 seats, further increasing its substantial majority. In addition, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 353 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 240 seats, while the Congress secured wins on 99 seats. The BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark after votes polled in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were counted. The BJP was originally founded as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The party gained significant momentum under leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, eventually rising to power in the 1990s. It has remained a dominant force in Indian politics since then. (ANI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday extended his best wishes to the BJP workers on the party's foundation day, highlighting the significant contributions of Jan Sangh leader Jagannathrao Joshi to the Goa liberation movement. Sawant emphasised the party's commitment to serving the people, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India and, specifically, a developed Goa. "On the occasion of BJP's foundation day, I extend my best wishes to all the workers... Jagannathrao Joshi of Jan Sangh also made a significant contribution to the Goa liberation movement... We will continue to work for the people... Prime Minister Modi's resolve of a developed India, a developed Goa is our resolve too," Sawant told ANI. The Goa liberation movement was a pivotal moment in Indian history, with various leaders and activists fighting for independence from Portuguese rule. Notable figures like Joshi, along with others such as Luis de Menezes Braganca, Tristao Braganza da Cunha, and Juliao Menezes, played crucial roles in the struggle, culminating in Goa's liberation on December 19, 1961. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on the occasion of the party's Foundation Day. In a post on the social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote that the day made the party reiterate its unparalleled commitment to working towards the country's progress. The PM further wrote that the people of the country also saw the party's good governance, which was reflected in the historic mandates received in previous years. Similarly, on the BJP's Foundation Day, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath greeted party workers for their unwavering dedication to service, good governance, and the upliftment of the poor, rooted in the spirit of "Nation above all." Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated party workers on the party's foundation day, highlighting how the "lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen." The BJP was officially formed on April 6, 1980, on the basis of panch nishthas (five commitments). However, the party's origin lies with the formation of the Jana Sangh in 1950. The Jana Sangh was started by former union minister Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The Jana Sangh merged with the Janata Party after the end of the Emergency in 1977, with the aim to defeat Congress. Later on, the question of 'dual membership' was raised between the RSS members and the Jana Sangh, with the ask that either the Jana Sangh members should leave the Janata Party or their membership of RSS. Regarding the issue, the Jana Sangh members left the Janata Party and officially founded the BJP on April 6, 1980. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has had two Prime Ministers since its formation: Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the 1996, 1998, and 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the party emerged as the single largest party. In the 2019 Lok Sabha, the party won 303 seats, the most in the party's history. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday paid tribute to founders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya in Ahmedabad on the 46th foundation day of Bharatiya Janata Party. Shah was accompanied by his wife, Sonal Shah. Bharatiya Jana Sangh was the precursor of the BJP. It was started in 1950 by former Union Minister Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, who laid the foundation of party's ideology. Earlier in the day, Amit Shah congratulated party workers and highlighted how the "lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen." Posting about the party's foundation day on X, Shah wrote, Today, under the leadership of (PM) Modi, the lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen. The works of service, security, and cultural awakening that the BJP has undertaken in the past decade will become milestones in the days to come." "Crores of BJP workers, steadfastly adhering to ideological commitment, will continue to contribute to nation-building," his post added. The Jana Sangh merged with the Janata Party after the end of the Emergency in 1977, with the aim to defeat Congress. Later on, the question of 'dual membership' was raised between the RSS members and the Jana Sangh, with the ask that either the Jana Sangh members should leave the Janata Party or their membership of RSS. Regarding the issue, the Jana Sangh members left the Janata Party and officially founded the BJP on April 6, 1980. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has had two Prime Ministers since its formation: Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the 1996, 1998, and 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the party emerged as the single largest party. In the 2019 Lok Sabha, the party won 303 seats, the most in the party's history. (ANI) After inaugurating India's first vertical lift sea bridge, New Pambam Rail Bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday offered prayers at the Ramanthanswamy temple in the State. PM Modi was also garlanded by the temple priest. PM Modi is set to hold roadshows in Tamil Nadu city too. The Ramanthanswamy Shiva temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. The temple holds mythological significance as it is believed that Ram established and worshipped in the temple before he crossed the Ram Ram Setu bridge to go to Sri Lanka to rescue his wife from Ravan. The temple also has the longest corridor among Hindu temples in the country. Governor R N Ravi had also visited the temple before the inauguration of the bridge. Earlier today, while sharing the aerial view while coming back to India from Sri Lanka, PM Modi highlighted how he was able to have a "darshan" of both Ram Setu and Ayodhya's 'Surya Tilak'. "On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both," read a post by PM Modi on X. Afterwards, PM Modi also flagged off the first train traversing the New Pambam Bridge, India's first vertical sea lift bridge. The 2.07-kilometre-long New Pamban Bridge, spanning the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, stands as a testament to India's engineering prowess and visionary infrastructure development. A demonstration of the bridge's functionality showcased its capabilities, with visuals from the area capturing key moments-- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) boat successfully navigated under the bridge, highlighting its clearance and waterway accessibility. Following the boat's passage, a train traversed the bridge, demonstrating its structural integrity and rail connectivity. (ANI) BJP MP from Fatehpur Sikri (UP) and National President of the BJP Kisan Morcha, Rajkumar Chahar has urged the Central government to honour Indian heroes who fought against the Mughals by renaming roads in their names and replace Mughal names, which they are currently bearing. He addressed the Lok Sabha on April 3, highlighting a matter of public importance. He pointed out that many roads in Delhi, particularly around the Lutyens' area are named after Mughal rulers Babur, Tughlaq, Akbar, Humayun and Dara Shikoh. These names, he said had been given during the Congress government era. Rajkumar Chahar requested that the government rename these roads after Indian heroes who fought against the Mughals, such as Maharana Sanga: A legendary Rajput king who fought against the Mughals. Prithviraj Chauhan: A brave Rajput king who resisted Mughal invasions. Guru Gobind Singh -The tenth Sikh guru who fought against the Mughal Empire. Maharaja Suraj Mal: A Jat king who resisted Mughal rule. Gokula Jat: A Jat leader who fought against the Mughals. Shivaji Maharaj: The founder of the Maratha Empire who resisted Mughal rule. Hemu Vikramaditya: A Hindu king who fought against the Mughals. BJP MP Chahar emphasized that these Indian heroes are the reason for the country's existence today, making it essential to honor them by renaming the roads after them. Recently the Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has sparked a major political row in Maharashtra. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena MLAs staged a protest outside the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on March 18, demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's grave. The controversy led to violent clashes in Nagpur on March 17. Unidentified individuals vandalized shops, set vehicles on fire, and pelted stones in the Hansapuri area following an earlier clash between two groups in the Mahal area, which had already heightened tensions in the city, according to reports. (ANI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Sinha criticised Yadav for allegedly compromising his party's stance to gain power, referencing a past statement made by Yadav's father, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Speaking to ANI, Sinha said, "Tejashwi Yadav is the son of the father who had said that Bihar would be divided over my dead body; however, due to his greed for power and appeasement, he was the first to rush forward and adopt the central government's decision... People with such a mentality can make any compromise in their greed for power." He was referring to the demand for creating a separate state of Jharkhand, which was eventually carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. As the then Chief Minister of Bihar, Yadav initially resisted the bifurcation, but ultimately gave in. The creation of Jharkhand was a result of the long-standing demand for a separate state by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and other tribal groups. The new state comprised 18 districts from southern Bihar, significantly reducing Bihar's geographical area and economic resources. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on 15th November 2000. His remarks come amid heightened political tensions following the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has led to resignations within JD(U) and sharp criticism from the RJD. Meanwhile, on Saturday, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav strongly opposed the recently passed Waqf Amendment Bill, Waqf (Amendment) Bill, declaring that if his party returns to power in Bihar, the Bill would be "thrown in the dustbin." Addressing reporters in Patna, Yadav condemned the bill and said, "We will form the government and throw this (Waqf Amendment Bill) in the dustbin." Yadav also claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would continue its alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar only until the upcoming state assembly elections scheduled for October 2025. "BJP will keep Nitish Kumar with them until the elections. After that, both we and the people of Bihar know very well what will happen to him," he added. Earlier on Tuesday, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal said that Tejashwi Yadav cannot even read and understand the Waqf Amendment Bill. Yadav had targeted the Union Government over the bill on Tuesday and had termed it as 'Nagpur ka Kanoon'. Sanjay Jaiswal said that it was clarified that the bill will be implemented in the future. He alleged the opposition of scaring the people for the sake of votes. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed after extended proceedings in Parliament, with Rajya Sabha approving it past midnight on Thursday. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the results: 128 votes in favour and 95 against. The Lok Sabha passed the bill the previous night after a lengthy debate, with 288 members voting in favour and 232 opposing it. The bill, first introduced in August last year, was revised following recommendations by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. It amends the original Waqf Act of 1995, aiming to streamline the administration of Waqf properties across India. Key features include improving the registration process and incorporating technology to enhance the efficiency of Waqf board operations. After the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill sparked a rift within the Janata Dal (United), party MLC Khalid Anwar said that the JD(U) is a secular and liberal party, asserting that all leaders continue to stand firmly behind Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. This comes after five JD(U) leaders resigned from the party after it supported the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament. Party leaders, including Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Kasim Ansari, resigned from the JD(U). (ANI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday accused the BJP of "double-faced politics" and alleged that the BJP's Karawal Nagar MLA facilitated admission of 10 Rohingya children into a Delhi government school. Calling out the BJP's "double-engine" government a 'hypocrite,' AAP leader and MLA Anil Jha said, "The BJP has robbed Delhi's children of their rights while secretly favouring Rohingya settlement. First, Hardeep Singh Puri talks about housing them in EWS flats, now, BJP MLAs are helping them get into schools." The AAP has demanded a probe, charging the BJP with caring more for Rohingyas than for India's Dalits, minorities and poor." Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, AAP MLA Anil Jha raised concerns over the Central Government's policies, calling it out for adopting double standards that are destabilising Delhi and the country. "Information has surfaced regarding the admission of approximately 10 Rohingya children in schools in Karawal Nagar, Delhi. BJP leaders repeatedly label them as Bangladeshi infiltrators, yet Rohingya students are being admitted to Delhi schools. If my claim is incorrect, I challenge the Karawal Nagar MLA and Delhi government ministers to prove me wrong," he stated. The AAP MLA further added that the rights of Indian children are being violated to accommodate Rohingya students. Under what rule has this been done? Why have Rohingya students been given admission?" Anil Jha highlighted a tweet by senior BJP leader and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in which he explicitly welcomed Rohingyas to India and announced their relocation from tents to EWS flats in Bakkarwala. "Instead of focusing on the poor, Dalits, and minorities of India, they are concerned about the welfare of Rohingyas--discussing their settlement and education across Delhi and other parts of the country," he said. "While ignoring the plight of children living in Delhi's unauthorized colonies and 'jhuggis', the BJP has chosen to side with Rohingyas. The AAP strongly opposes this," asserted the AAP MLA. Anil Jha further stated, "The security of India's borders is the responsibility of the Central Government. The Border Security Force and Central Reserve Forces fall under their purview. Intelligence agencies, too, are centrally controlled. Yet, thousands of Rohingyas have managed to reach Delhi, causing instability in regions including Haryana, Gurgaon, and Noida. Why is the Centre intent on settling them in Delhi and admitting their children into our schools?" He emphasised that Hardeep Puri's statements reveal the Centre's intent to settle and house Rohingyas while Delhi continues to grapple with a significant homeless population lacking access to proper housing and education. "Even as basic necessities for Delhi's poor remain unmet, the Central Government appears preoccupied with the welfare of Rohingyas. The AAP strongly condemns this misplaced priority," he said. "Ministers in the BJP-led Central Government say one thing, party leaders say another, and Delhi witnesses a completely different implementation on the ground," he added. He further said, "There must be an impartial investigation into the admission of Rohingya children in Delhi schools. The public deserves transparency and truth." Anil Jha stated, "The BJP should focus on the education of children from minority communities, Dalits, and those living in slums in Delhi. Instead, they are welcoming infiltrators like the Rohingyas. Why is the Centre taking such a soft stance on Rohingyas? Indian citizens must be given priority first." Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier had said that the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, will strengthen the country's internal security and seeks to eliminate the multiplicity and overlapping of laws. Replying to the debate on the bill in Lok Sabha, Amit Shah said India is not a 'Dharamshala' and those who pose a threat to national security will not be allowed to enter the country. "Those who pose a threat to national security will not be allowed to enter the nation. The nation is not a 'Dharamshala'(rest house)...If someone comes to the nation to give their contribution to the development of the nation, they are always welcome," he said. The bill was later passed by the lower house. He said that whether it is Rohingyas or Bangladeshis, if they come to India to create unrest, strict action will be taken against them. "In the last ten years, India has become the fifth-largest economy. India has emerged as a bright spot among the world's largest economies. India has become a hub of manufacturing, and it is natural for people from all over the world to come to India... The number of people taking refuge in India for personal gain and making the country unsafe has also increased... Be it Rohingyas or Bangladeshis, if they come to India to create unrest, strict action will be taken against them," he said. "Immigration is not a separate issue. Many issues of the country are linked to it... From the point of view of national security, it is very important to know who enters the nation's border... We will also keep a close watch on those who will endanger the security of the country," he added. (ANI) In a major reshuffle, the Punjab Government on Sunday issued transfer orders of 65 Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) officers in the state. "The above officers may be relieved immediately with the directions to report at their new places of postings by April 7 and their charge assuming/relinquishing reports be sent to the office immediately," the order stated. Another order by the Punjab government announces the transfer of 97 senior police officers, including 11 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. "The officers concerned are directed to join their new place of posting immediately," the order from the state government stated. Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria held a 'Padyatra' on Sunday against the drug menace as part of the Punjab government's 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh' campaign. Kataria emphasized that the state government is moving this campaign forward with strictness. "Today's the fourth day (of the campaign), and it has become a 'Jan Yatra'. Local people are joining this campaign. Students, in large numbers, are joining the campaign. Olympic players and Arjuna awardee have also joined. It was my wish to make this a 'Jan Yatra' and not let it be confined just to a 'Governor Yatra'. This is just a start, now people have to take it forward in their villages. The state government is moving this campaign forward with strictness," the Punjab Governor said. As part of the ongoing war against drugs 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign was launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. According to an official statement, since the launch of this Anti-Drug Campaign on March 1 2025, an arrest of 3957 drug smugglers after registration of 2248 first information reports (FIRs) across the state have been made and led to recovery of large amount of contrabands, including 137.7 kg heroin from the possession of drug smugglers. The Chief Minister and the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav directed all the Commissioners of Police (CPs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to identify and catalogue the main drug suppliers/peddlers in their respective districts within seven days. (ANI) The victim, identified as 35-year-old Sharda, was reportedly returning home from work when she was attacked and strangled by her husband, Krishna, around 8 PM near Big Toguru in the Electronic City area. According to officials, Krishna was involved in an extramarital affair, which is believed to be a possible motive for the crime. The brutal incident unfolded in full public view, and Krishna attempted to flee the scene after committing the crime. However, alert residents managed to apprehend him and promptly handed him over to the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast Division) Sarah Fatima confirmed that the control room received an emergency call about the incident at 8:00 PM on April 4. A police team from the Electronic City Police Station, including the PSI and other officials, responded swiftly and took the accused into custody at the scene. (ANI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allay the "fears" of the people of Tamil Nadu that the next delimitation exercise would not lead to reduction in the state's share of parliamentary seats. Stalin called on Prime Minister Modi to make a promise that states that have successfully controlled population growth will not be "penalised" in the delimitation exercise. In a post on X, Stalin said, "Standing on Tamil soil, the Prime Minister must give a clear guarantee: "Tamil Nadu and other states that have successfully controlled population growth will not be penalised in the impending delimitation exercise. Their share of parliamentary seats in percentage terms will remain untouched." "Hon'ble PM @NarendraModi should make this promise publicly, allay the fears in the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu, and follow it up with a constitutional amendment in Parliament. This is the only way to ensure fair delimitation. I sincerely hope he will act," he added. https://x.com/mkstalin/status/1908791758059954414 He was referring to PM Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram on Sunday, where the PM inaugurated the new Pamban bridge. On March 22, Stalin chaired the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Chennai over the proposed delimitation issue. The meeting was joined by Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and other prominent leaders. After the first meeting of the JAC on delimitation, a resolution was unanimously adopted, asserting that any delimitation exercise carried out by the Centre should be done "transparently" and after discussion and deliberation with all stakeholders. The PM, on Sunday, in Tamil Nadu dedicated the Pamban Bridge and multiple national highway projects to the nation and also laid the foundation stone of other road infrastructure projects. PM Modi mentioned how the new Pamban bridge is connecting the "thousands of years old" Rameswaram city to a modern architectural marvel. "A town that is thousands of years old is being connected by the 21st-century engineering wonder. I thank our engineers and workers for their hard work. This bridge is India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge. Big ships will be able to sail under it. Trains will also be able to travel faster on it. I just flagged off a new train service and a ship a short while ago," PM Modi said. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday attended "Maha Mrityunjaya Rudra Mahayagya Maha Poornahuti Samaroh" at Baba Balnath Ashram in Pawta, Kotputli in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Baba Bastinath, the disciple of Baba Balnath, were also also present at the event. Addressing a public event, Shah said, "I would like to bow down to Baba Basti Nath ji for the work he has done. Many saints, great men, and sages have emerged in this country. Baba Balnath ji was also such a great warrior who was born on this land and established 84 religions (Kul) in the country and across the world..." Shah also said that Baba Bastinath, like his guru, took initiatives such as public welfare and environmental conservation. "I am here to take the blessings of Baba Bastinath ji," he added. Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to the founders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya, in Ahmedabad on the 46th foundation day of Bharatiya Janata Party. Shah was accompanied by his wife, Sonal Shah. Bharatiya Jana Sangh was the precursor of the BJP. It was started in 1950 by former Union Minister Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, who laid the foundation of the party's ideology. Amit Shah also congratulated party workers and highlighted how the "lotus symbol had become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen". Posting about the party's foundation day on X, Shah wrote, Today, under the leadership of (PM) Modi, the lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen. The works of service, security, and cultural awakening that the BJP has undertaken in the past decade will become milestones in the days to come." "Crores of BJP workers, steadfastly adhering to ideological commitment, will continue to contribute to nation-building," he said. The Jana Sangh merged with the Janata Party after the end of the Emergency in 1977, with the aim to defeat Congress. Later on, the question of 'dual membership' was raised between the RSS members and the Jana Sangh, with the ask that either the Jana Sangh members should leave the Janata Party or their membership of RSS. Regarding the issue, the Jana Sangh members left the Janata Party and officially founded the BJP on April 6, 1980. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has had two Prime Ministers since its formation: Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the 1996, 1998, and 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the party emerged as the single largest party. In the 2019 Lok Sabha, the party won 303 seats, the most in the party's history and in the 2024 parliamentary elections the BJP bagged a total of 240 seats. (ANI) Maharashtra minister and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday criticised the TMC-led West Bengal government over its refusal to grant permission for the Ram Navami procession, warning that if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continues this approach, "the people will overthrow the government." Speaking to media, Bawankule said, "If Mamata Banerjee doesn't give permission (for procession) on the occasion of Ram Navami, then the people will overthrow the government there. The people will not spare her if she keeps behaving like this." BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar similarly condemned the TMC-led West Bengal government, asserting that "Mamata Banerjee's police" have consistently denied permission for the organisation of Hindu festivals. "Mamata Banerjee's police never gave permission to organise any Hindu festival or BJP programme. It has become necessary to get permission from the High Court for this. Where the police stops people, people knock the doors of the court to get permission for Ram Navami celebrations," Sarkar told ANI. Union Minister and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar also criticised the TMC-led West Bengal government, alleging that Mamata Banerjee is trying to portray Hindus as second-class citizens. "Mamata Banerjee is trying in every way to show Hindus that they are second-class citizens, that is why Hindus have to go to court on every Hindu festival. And the biggest thing is that more than 70 per cent Hindus are there in West Bengal. Despite this, a large number of police forces have to be deployed in the state to celebrate Ram Navami peacefully. The entire West Bengal should think on this issue," Majumdar told ANI. BJP leader Arjun Singh attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, calling for her resignation due to comments she made about Sanatanis. "For the last 10 days, Mamata Banerjee has been disrespecting Sanatanis and saying that there will be riots. How can she say that if she is the CM and has the responsibility of administration? But you are calling Sanatanis the rioters even when you let Muslims protest on Friday, and they were breaking barricades in front of police, and the police did nothing. She should be ashamed and should resign from the post," Singh told ANI. Meanwhile, TMC leader Shashi Panja encouraged everyone to celebrate Ram Navami in temples. "Today is Lord Ram's birthday, we say Jai Siya Ram. We have worshipped Mother Sita and Lord Ram. This has nothing to do with BJP or TMC. Why would the question of a political party arise here, and the kind of atmosphere BJP is trying to create is wrong. Come to the temple and worship like the common people, who is stopping you?" she told ANI. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee added, "We do not do politics based on religion like BJP. We worship all the gods like Hanuman ji, Ram ji. They didn't get the votes of 'original' Hindus, they get the votes of 'fake' Hindus. Lord Ram doesn't like violence, but they (BJP) are involved in it, and hence, they lost in Ayodhya." On Saturday, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's rule, police have been preventing people from celebrating Ram Navami. He claimed that the Mamata Banerjee-led government has forced citizens to go to the High Court and the Supreme Court for various issues. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said, "It is our constitutional right to celebrate our religious festivals, but the Mamata Banerjee's police are stopping us. We are forced to go to the High Court and Supreme Court regarding every issue." On Friday, the Calcutta High Court granted permission for the Ram Navami rally organised by Anjani Putra Sena, Vishva Hindu Parishad, and Durga Vahini. (ANI) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) upcoming "Seed Research Centre" at a grand function held at IFFCO, Kalol. According to a press release, the occasion "marked the golden jubilee celebration of IFFCO, the world's largest cooperative, and its first urea manufacturing complex. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel graced the event along with members of the state cabinet and several prominent cooperative leaders.' As per the release, Union Minister Amit Shah said that IFFCO's "50-year journey has remained committed to the growth of agriculture, increasing production, strengthening the rural economy, and ensuring the prosperity of farmers." Looking toward IFFCO's centenary, Amit Shah stated that the organisation will further this legacy by focusing on four key areas-- adoption of modern farming techniques, enhancement of agricultural productivity, soil conservation, and environmental protection. He noted that IFFCO had undertaken a significant initiative to elevate farmers economically by establishing strong linkages between farmers and cooperatives, and by ensuring timely and adequate fertilizer supply through these cooperatives. As a result, agriculture has flourished and farmers have become more self-reliant. The release noted that Amit Shah highlighted IFFCO's innovative spirit, and said that "the introduction of Solid Urea and DAP in earlier years had brought about a revolutionary change in the agricultural sector. In tune with current times, IFFCO has advanced further by developing Nano Urea and Nano DAP, driven by its consistent emphasis on research and development." Amit Shah expressed pride in the fact that these innovations "have brought global recognition to India's cooperative sector." He added that IFFCO has played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between laboratory research and on-ground farming by taking scientific experiments to the fields, enabling farmers to directly benefit from cutting-edge innovations. The organisation's commitment to research and development has consistently been rooted in its farmer-centric approach. As per the release, Amit Shah also remarked that "while IFFCO operates within the cooperative framework, it functions with the efficiency and effectiveness of a corporate entity. This professionalism and dedication have ensured that IFFCO continues to hold the leading position in the cooperative sector across the country." The release noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently given top priority to national development by initiating several transformative steps across all spheres of social life. In this regard, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said that one of the key steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revitalise the cooperative movement was the establishment of a separate Ministry of Cooperation. He further noted that under the Prime Minister's leadership, as many as 65 important decisions have been implemented to strengthen and modernise the cooperative structure in the country. As per the release, Amit Shah announced the establishment of India's first cooperative university--'Tribhuvandas Cooperative University'--named in honour of Tribhuvandas Patel, the pioneering figure of Gujarat's cooperative movement. He said this initiative will ensure that the immense contribution of Tribhuvandas Patel is remembered by future generations and that it continues to inspire the growth of India's cooperative sector. "The university will offer education across every domain of cooperatives and will play a key role in shaping the future of the sector over the next 50 years. The university will combine tradition with technology by harnessing modern tools like Artificial Intelligence to conduct studies, analyse cooperative models, and suggest strategic pathways for India's cooperative progress," said Shah. According to the release, Amit Shah also spoke about three newly established national-level cooperatives that will further empower farmers: National Export Cooperative Limited, to help Indian farmers take their produce to the international market; National Organic Cooperative Limited, to certify and brand natural produce, ensuring farmers get fair prices; Seed Cooperative Limited, to provide farmers with advanced quality seeds while also conserving and promoting traditional hybrid varieties. Amit Shah stated that today IFFCO operates in five locations across three states, achieving an impressive annual turnover of Rs40,000 crore and a profit of Rs3,200 crore. He noted that these figures are a result of IFFCO's relentless efforts and continuous transformation over the past five decades. Looking ahead, he mentioned that IFFCO's newly established Seed Research Centre will play a critical role in promoting high-yielding and fertile seed varieties while also preserving superior seeds. He expressed confidence that this centre will serve as a major catalyst for increasing agricultural productivity and bringing prosperity to farmers in the times to come. The release noted that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while applauding the enterprising spirit of Gujaratis in leading the cooperative movement, remarked that "cooperation is a time-honoured tradition rooted in Indian culture. Today, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India's first Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, the guiding mantra of "Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas, Sauno Vishwas, and Sauno Prayas" has infused fresh energy into the cooperative movement--empowering even the most marginalised individuals, including farmers, the poor, and the underprivileged, and steering their development in a new direction." According to the release, the CM highlighted that "IFFCO was established with the vision of ensuring a reliable supply of fertilizers to farmers across the country and making India self-reliant in food grain production. This mission took a concrete step forward in 1975 with the commencement of production at its first plant in Kalol. IFFCO's journey, which began with just 57 cooperative societies, has today expanded to include over 36,000 societies across the country. Through this vast network, various government schemes now support farmers at every stage--from seed to market." The Chief Minister also recalled that when IFFCO was founded in 1967 with 57 farmer cooperative societies, its first chairman was Yuvraj Udaybhansinhji of Porbandar. As per the release, the Chief Minister stated that, under the guidance of Amit Shah, "IFFCO has placed a strong emphasis on research and innovation. He further noted that the Ministry of Cooperation has launched the world's largest food security scheme, aimed specifically at benefiting farmers." IFFCO's Nano Urea and DAP have made their mark globally, playing a pivotal role in boosting crop productivity and enhancing soil health. This breakthrough in nano liquid fertilizers is propelling India toward agricultural self-reliance. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that IFFCO will play a leading role in driving the second Green Revolution in the near future. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated that, to strengthen the cooperative movement in Gujarat, the state has embraced the vision of "Sahakar thi Samriddhi" under the guidance of Amit Shah. Today, over 89,000 cooperative societies are active across the state, encompassing a membership of 1.71 crore--meaning every fourth Gujarati is connected to a cooperative society. He described this as a remarkable example of effective and successful cooperative management in Gujarat To strengthen the financial foundation of primary agricultural cooperative societies, a dedicated provision has been made in this year's budget. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that this initiative will further boost the cooperative movement across the state. Raghavji Patel, Gujarat's Agriculture Minister; Jagdish Vishwakarma, Minister of State for Cooperation; Mayank Nayak, Rajya Sabha MP; Jayesh Radadiya, Laxmanji Thakor, and Smt. Ritaben Patel, MLAs; along with members of IFFCO's Board of Directors, leaders from the cooperative sector, IFFCO employees, and a large number of farmers were present at the ceremony. (ANI) As part of the day's events, he also performed the Bhoomi Pujan for a new training centre that is set to be built on the state party office premises. Addressing party members and the public, Chief Minister Sai expressed deep appreciation for BJP workers across the nation. "On the occasion of BJP's foundation day, he says, "... I thank and congratulate crores of BJP workers because of whom the party has established itself as the largest political party in the world today..." Ahead of this, the Chief Minister also offered prayers at the Ram Mandir in Raipur. Extending festive greetings, he stated,"... Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the people of the state on Ram Navami... I have sought blessings from Mata Sita and Lord Ram for prosperity and peace throughout Chhattisgarh." Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to founders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya in Ahmedabad on the 46th foundation day of Bharatiya Janata Party. Shah was accompanied by his wife, Sonal Shah. Bharatiya Jana Sangh was the precursor of the BJP. It was started in 1950 by former Union Minister Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, who laid the foundation of party's ideology. Earlier in the day, Amit Shah congratulated party workers and highlighted how the "lotus symbol has become a new emblem of trust and hope in the hearts of the countrymen." (ANI) Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ended his indefinite hunger strike against the Central government on Sunday, and participated in the Mahapanchayat held in Fatehgarh Sahib. Speaking to reporters, Dallewal said that several farmer leaders requested him to end his hunger strike. However, he stated that the protest is still on and has not been taken back. "Several farmers and leaders of the morcha requested me to end the indefinite hunger strike. Today, agreeing to them, I have ended my indefinite hunger strike. The protest has not been taken back, it is still on," Jagjit Singh Dallewal told reporters on Sunday. Jagjit Dallewal was fasting until death at the Khanouri border to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The top court had asked the Punjab government to ensure Dallewal gets proper medical aid during his fast unto death. The farmers have been protesting to press on their various demands, including a law guaranteeing the minimum support price (MSP). In March, Jagjit Dallewal was detained by the Punjab Police during their protest at the Shambhu border. The farmers were sitting in protest over various demands. The Punjab Police removed their protest site using bulldozers. In February Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal went to Chandigarh and held a meeting with farmers to listen to their demands. During the meeting, Chouhan personally reached out to Dallewal and inquired about his health. Union Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured full MSP support to the farmers who grow lentils (urad and tur). Speaking at the inauguration of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at Pusa Campus in New Delhi, the Union Minister asserted that MSP is constantly raised to guarantee that farmers receive a fair price for their produce. He said, "MSP is being continuously increased to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce." (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday inaugurated a grain-based distillery plant worth Rs 1,200 crore under the super mega project at the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA). Addressing the event, Chief Minister Adityanath said, this is not just a Distillery, but an ethanol plant and will produce 350,000 litres of ethanol daily in first phase, with plans to increase production to 500,000 litres later on. "This is not just a Distillery, but an ethanol plant. Ethanol is being brought to use to fuel not just cars, but also aeroplanes. Replacing diesel and petrol with ethanol will save foreign expenditure and also benefit the farmers. In the first phase, 3.50 lakh litres of ethanol will be produced here daily, and this will increase to 5 lakh litres," CM Yogi said. Chief Minister Adityanath said that ethanol production has increased from 42 lakh liters to 177 crore liters since Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the production of ethanol from surplus sugarcane. "Ethanol is now being used to save foreign exchange, with plans to power not just cars but also airplanes. India currently spends Rs 7-8 lakh crore on diesel and petrol imports. After Prime Minister Modi took office, he prioritized farmers' welfare, approving ethanol production from surplus sugarcane. This initiative has led to a significant increase in ethanol production in Uttar Pradesh, from 42 lakh liters to 177 crore liters, primarily used for blending with diesel and petrol, thereby saving foreign exchange," CM Yogi said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the transformation under BJP's leadership in Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA), noting that it has attracted over Rs 15,000 crore in investments, reversing a previous lack of interest in industrial setup. "This is the same GIDA where no one was willing to set up industries earlier. Over the past 8 years, we've attracted over Rs 15,000 crore in investments, providing jobs to 50,000 youth. Many industries have arrived, and new ones like garment parks are emerging. Many people come to me in Lucknow and express their desire to invest in Gorakhpur and GIDA. This shows that people have now realized that Uttar Pradesh, particularly Gorakhpur, has become a secure destination for investment," CM Yogi said. (ANI) According to a release, the recovered items include one machine gun, seven assorted hand grenades, 90 loose rounds, one China-made binocular, two solar mobile chargers, as well as clothing including a sleeping bag of foreign origin and a large quantity of Pakistan-made medicines. As per the release, "In this regard, an FIR has been lodged under relevant sections of law and investigation taken up." The statement notes that this joint operation highlights the resolve of security forces to safeguard peace and stability in the area by neutralising potential threats before they materialise. (ANI) Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty, along with other party leaders, participated in a Ram Navami Shobha Yatra (procession) in Barasat on Sunday. Visuals showed the two leaders standing atop an open jeep, surrounded by people walking in front and behind, chanting "Jai Shri Ram." In Purba Medinipur, Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari participated in a Ram Navami Shobha Yatra. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said, "Hindus are out in large numbers today. The TMC has a habit of insulting Hindus." A similar procession took place in Howrah, where attendees were seen dancing to music. In a display of communal harmony, the Ram Navami celebrations in Siliguri have set an example of peaceful coexistence amidst the backdrop of rising religious tensions in the country. On the occasion of the festival, several Muslim youths were seen enthusiastically distributing water bottles and showering flowers on participants of the Ram Navami rally. Rustam Alam, one of the Muslim youths involved in the celebrations, said, "We are welcoming the rally coming on the occasion of Ram Navami. We are showering flowers on them. We want both communities to live peacefully." They hugged Hindu participants, saying that they wanted to spread the message of brotherhood. Bholanath Chakraborty, a Hindu participant in the rally, shared his thoughts on the inclusive nature of the celebration. Chakraborty says, "All those who have participated in this Ram Navami celebration are the devotees of Lord Ram, there is no partiality...we all want to live together with peace and brotherhood." Earlier today, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the Ram Temple in Kolkata to offer prayers on Ram Navami. Speaking to mediapersons, the Governor said that the Raj Bhavan had been in constant coordination with the law enforcement departments to ensure a peaceful Ram Navami. "Raj Bhavan has been in constant coordination with all the law enforcement departments to see that this Ram Navami is peaceful. So far, no untoward incident has been reported in Bengal. I want to compliment the people, all the political parties, the government and all other stakeholders for ensuring a peaceful Ram Navami in the state," the Governor told media persons. "I am sure Lord Ram will take care of any bill passed by the government that benefits people and establishes peace and harmony in society...," he further said. Meanwhile, the General Student Union also celebrated Ram Navami at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. Jadavpur University had allegedly denied permission to celebrate Ram Navami on the university campus, citing the Vice Chancellor's absence as the reason. Buddhadeb Sahu, former VC of Jadavpur University, said, "If there is no vice chancellor, how is permission denied? Who made that decision? The university did not ban it. Earlier, I participated in Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, and Iftar party celebrations." (ANI) Trump advised not to call Putin until Moscow agrees to full ceasefire: NBC Xinhua) 15:59, April 04, 2025 WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's inner circle has advised him not to call Russian President Vladimir Putin until Moscow agrees to a full ceasefire with Ukraine, NBC News reported Thursday. The report, citing two administration officials, said no call had been scheduled as of Thursday afternoon between Trump and Putin, while the two officials cautioned that Trump could decide he wants to talk to Putin suddenly. The officials said Trump has been advised that a phone call was not a good idea unless Putin has agreed to a full ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine, according to NBC News. Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he planned to talk to Putin this week. During their phone conversation on March 18, Trump and Putin agreed that peace in Ukraine "will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Wu Chaolan) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, hoisted the party flag to commemorate and celebrate the 46th Foundation Day (Sthapana Diwas) of the BJP at its office in Dibrugarh on Sunday. Union Minister Sonowal also paid tribute to the ideological founders of the party. "Today, on the auspicious occasion of our party's Sthapana Diwas, we pay our heartfelt tributes to the stalwarts who laid the ideological foundation of our party -- Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee ji, Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya ji, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, Lal Krishna Advani ji, and others whose sacrifices continue to inspire us," Sonowal said. "Under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the abrogation of Article 370 stands as a powerful fulfilment of Dr. Mookerjee's vision for India of 'One Nation, One Constitution, One Flag.' Guided by our enduring philosophy of 'Nation First, Party Second, Self-Last,' we rededicate ourselves to nation-building with integrity and unity. This ethos is the very spirit that defines Bharat's emerging global identity," the Union Minister said. Highlighting the BJP government's good governance model, Sarbananda Sonowal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership has been the cornerstone of building a New India--one rooted in good governance and a strong national identity. "From uplifting 25 crore people out of poverty, restoring sustained peace in the Northeast, and championing the dignity of indigenous languages through the New Education Policy, to guiding the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic and elevating India's global stature with the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' -- every milestone reflects PM Modi's unwavering commitment to an inclusive, empowered, and globally respected Bharat," he said. He also called upon the party workers to prepare for the upcoming Panchayat elections and work on the ground to connect with people. "As the world's largest democracy prepares for the upcoming general elections, with over 27,000 candidates expected to contest, it is time for every party worker to rise in unity. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's remarkable transformation -- from global recognition of our governance model by nations like the US, Japan, and Europe to the sweeping developmental strides across sectors must be shared with every citizen. Let us strengthen grassroots outreach, earn public trust, and secure a resounding mandate. This will further catalyse India's journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047," Sarbananda Sonowal said. The Union Minister was joined by the Minister of Assam and Dibrugarh MLA, Prashanta Phukan, who graced the occasion along with the BJP Dibrugarh District President Dulal Bora, the Mayor of Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) Saikat Patra and the Deputy Mayor Ujjal Phukan. (ANI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel formally inaugurated the grand Madhavpur Fair on the auspicious evening of Ram Navami in Madhavpur, located in Porbandar district, a release from Gujarat CMO said. The fair is organised every year, beginning from Ram Navami, to commemorate the divine marriage of Lord Krishna, the Lord of Dwarka, with Rukminiji of Arunachal Pradesh, which took place in Madhavpur. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Madhavpur Fair, which has been celebrated as a national-level festival since 2018, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event was graced by the special presence of Union Minister and Porbandar MP Mansukh Mandaviya. On this occasion, he also inaugurated various pilgrim facility development works worth Rs30 crore, carried out by the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board within the Rukmini Temple premises. On this occasion, the Chief Minister remarked that the Madhavpur Fair stands as a powerful symbol of the confluence of devotion and tradition associated with Shri Ram and Shri Krishna. On one hand, it celebrates the divinity of Shri Ram's birth and the grandeur of Lord Shri Krishna's sacred wedding. He further emphasized that the Madhavpur Fair is not merely a religious celebration but a vibrant reflection of our unity, cultural heritage, and shared love. In this context, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated that Madhavpur has, for centuries, served as a vibrant center of religious, spiritual, and cultural consciousness--illuminating the deep cultural connection between the western homeland of Lord Krishna and the northeastern region of India, the land of Rukmini ji. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' finds true expression through vibrant fairs like this, where cultural performances, regional cuisines, traditional handicrafts, and artisanal exchanges from across the country come together in a rich celebration of unity in diversity. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated that the fair, organized by the Department of Sports, Youth, and Cultural Activities of the state government, is not only a platform to celebrate cultural traditions and folk arts but also a vibrant festival of adventure sports, including beach sports. He highlighted that the entire region--including Gandhiji's birthplace Porbandar, as well as Somnath, Dwarka, and Madhavpur--is rapidly emerging as a premier tourism destination. To attract an increasing number of tourists, the state government is actively working to strengthen regional connectivity. As part of this effort, the current year's budget includes financial allocations for the expansion of Porbandar Airport, the extension of its runway, and the development of the Somnath-Dwarka Expressway. The Chief Minister appreciated the performances by artists from northeastern states like Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, etc., and the coordination with Gujarat's artists. Union Minister and Member of Parliament from Porbandar, Mansukh Mandaviya, on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel from the sacred land of Madhavpur. He shared that the government has allocated Rs 75 crore in the state budget to address the pressing issues of salinity control and tidal flooding in the Ghed region. Mandaviya expressed confidence that the state government would commence this crucial work as soon as possible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted the significant Mokarsagar Lake to Porbandar, recognising its importance for water conservation, the environment, and tourism. The Chief Minister's visit to Mokarsagar Lake before attending the fair reflects the state government's strong commitment to the entire project. Considering the growing tourism in the Porbandar-Ghed region, he mentioned that the central and state governments are jointly focused on building the necessary infrastructure. This year's budget has once again prioritized the development of Porbandar Airport. He further stated that Madhavpur and its surrounding areas are fast emerging as a hub for religious tourism. Under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, initiatives like the Saurashtra Tamil Sangam have helped Tamil communities residing in Tamil Nadu reconnect with their Saurashtrian roots. Similarly, the Madhavpur Fair has strengthened cultural bonds between the northeastern states and Gujarat. Expressing his strong belief in Madhavpur's potential, Union Minister Mandaviya said the town could become a premier destination for the Prime Minister's "Wed in India" vision. He mentioned that Madhavpur served as a destination wedding site centuries ago, and this fair is held every year to celebrate that rich heritage. With its deep cultural significance and scenic beauty, Madhavpur has the potential to be developed as one of India's finest destination wedding locations. State Minister of Cultural Affairs and Tourism Mulubhai Bera extended a warm welcome to all in his address. He expressed delight that, for the first time this year, cultural performances and craft bazaars featuring artists from the northeastern states were organized in key locations such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Somnath, and Dwarka. As a result, an increasing number of people have had the opportunity to experience and connect more closely with the spirit of the Madhavpur Fair. At the inauguration of this fair, Arjun Modhwadia, MLA; Members of Parliament; Pankaj Joshi, Chief Secretary; M. Thennarasan, Principal Secretary of Youth Services and Cultural Activities; Rajender Kumar, Principal Secretary of Tourism; along with officials from the district administration, city and district office bearers, and a large number of attendees were present. (ANI) On reaching Daro Deoria, the residents of the village extended a grand welcome to the Chief Minister with traditional musical instruments. The village residents including Pradhan of village Devender Thakur honoured Chief Minister. Later, the Chief Minister made a courtesy visit to former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur at his residence in Daro Deoria. Earlier, CM Sukhu released the poetry collection 'Buransh: The Fragrance of Words', authored by young poetess and educator Anupama Sharma, in Shimla on Saturday late evening. Anupama Sharma serves as a lecturer in English at Government Senior Secondary School (Girls), Hamirpur. Lauding the creative work, the Chief Minister said that the poems beautifully express deep human emotions, the sorrow of broken relationships, the solitude of self-reflection, and the yearning for new beginnings amidst nature's serenity. He said that the collection resonates with the emotional fabric of life and explores the inner journey of the self through poetic expressions. The 56-page poetry book, published by Satluj Publications and priced at Rs 150, features 39 thought-provoking poems. The proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana. (ANI) In a heartening display of communal harmony, members of the Muslim Sewa Samiti in Nagpur showered flower petals on devotees participating in the Shobha Yatra during the Ram NavamiA celebrations on Sunday. The event, which highlights the spirit of brotherhood, has been a tradition followed by the Muslim Sewa Samiti since 1993. A member of the Muslim Sewa Samiti explained the significance of their gesture: "We have been following this tradition since 1993. The message is brotherhood. Hindu brothers also welcome us with enthusiasm during Milad-ul-Nabi. We celebrate all the festivals together." Another member echoed the sentiment, emphasising the importance of unity. He said, "Nagpur is the city of brotherhood. Our motive is to promote this brotherhood and peace." The Ram Navami celebrations in Nagpur also saw the participation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who offered prayers during the festivities. Gadkari, while speaking about the significance of the occasion, shared his thoughts on the spirit of Ram Navami. "I prayed at Lord Ram's feet for wisdom and Ram Rajya to be established in the country. I am confident that our Nagpur Shobha Yatra has reached a level of awakening," he said. Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari attended Bharatiya Janata Party's Foundation Day celebrations in Nagpur. The party is celebrating its 46th foundation day. Fadnavis and Gadkari also performed 'Bhoomi Pujan' at the BJP's office in Nagpur. BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, MLA Pravin Datke, and BJP office-bearers and workers were present on the occasion. Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis said that 'Nation First' is our principle and this is our ideology! "BJP Foundation Day! 'Nation First' is our principle and this is our ideology!" he posted on X. Nitin Gadkari congratulated all the BJP's workers on the occasion. "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the workers dedicated to the resolve of national service on the foundation day of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Salutations to all the great individuals who, with hard work and dedication, have strengthened the party and organisation, making it a vast banyan tree. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji while walking on the path of nationalist ideology, BJP is continuously striving to make the country progressive and self-reliant," Gadkari wrote on X. (ANI) TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Sunday participated in the Ram Navami procession. Speaking to ANI, Ghosh said that Muslims also participated in the Ram Navami procession and emphasised that the entire country should take notice of this unity. "This is a festival of communal harmony. During Eid, Muslim brothers invited us and we participated in the Eid Milan. In today's Shobha Yatra, Muslims have also participated. People's beliefs can be different, but when we are coming on the streets to celebrate a festival, we have to be united. This is Mamata Banerjee's Bengal Model. The entire country should see this." Meanwhile, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty, along with other party leaders, participated in a Ram Navami Shobha Yatra (procession) in Barasat on Sunday. Visuals showed the two leaders standing atop an open jeep, surrounded by people walking in front and behind, chanting "Jai Shri Ram." In Purba Medinipur, Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari participated in a Ram Navami Shobha Yatra. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said, "Hindus are out in large numbers today. The TMC has a habit of insulting Hindus." A similar procession took place in Howrah, where attendees were seen dancing to music. In a display of communal harmony, the Ram Navami celebrations in Siliguri have set an example of peaceful coexistence amidst the backdrop of rising religious tensions in the country. On the occasion of the festival, several Muslim youths were seen enthusiastically distributing water bottles and showering flowers on participants of the Ram Navami rally. Rustam Alam, one of the Muslim youths involved in the celebrations, said, "We are welcoming the rally coming on the occasion of Ram Navami. We are showering flowers on them. We want both communities to live peacefully." They hugged Hindu participants, saying that they wanted to spread the message of brotherhood. Bholanath Chakraborty, a Hindu participant in the rally, shared his thoughts on the inclusive nature of the celebration. Chakraborty says, "All those who have participated in this Ram Navami celebration are the devotees of Lord Ram, there is no partiality...we all want to live together with peace and brotherhood." Earlier today, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the Ram Temple in Kolkata to offer prayers on Ram Navami. Speaking to mediapersons, the Governor said that the Raj Bhavan had been in constant coordination with the law enforcement departments to ensure a peaceful Ram Navami. "Raj Bhavan has been in constant coordination with all the law enforcement departments to see that this Ram Navami is peaceful. So far, no untoward incident has been reported in Bengal. I want to compliment the people, all the political parties, the government and all other stakeholders for ensuring a peaceful Ram Navami in the state," the Governor told media persons. "I am sure Lord Ram will take care of any bill passed by the government that benefits people and establishes peace and harmony in society...," he further said. Meanwhile, the General Student Union also celebrated Ram Navami at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. Jadavpur University had allegedly denied permission to celebrate Ram Navami on the university campus, citing the Vice Chancellor's absence as the reason. Buddhadeb Sahu, former VC of Jadavpur University, said, "If there is no vice chancellor, how is permission denied? Who made that decision? The university did not ban it. Earlier, I participated in Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, and Iftar party celebrations." (ANI) Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, on Sunday expressed his heartfelt gratitude to veteran farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal for ending his fast at Bittu's request. He hoped that this gesture would foster harmony and mutual trust between the farmers and the central government. Bittu said that the centre had always tried to maintain cordial relations with farmers all over the country. What happened at the Khanauri and Shambu borders was unfortunate, and the AAP government is solely responsible for removing the farmers' dharna by force. He said that the state government had let down the farmers, and the BJP-led government would never approve the use of coercive methods to deal with the agitating farmers. He added that the Centre had invited farmers to a meeting on May 4, and talks would continue until a final solution was reached. He said that the May 4 meeting would be a continuation of previous meetings, and he was very optimistic that the major issue of giving MSP on crops would be resolved in a few more meetings. He said that the centre had the responsibility to look after the interests of farmers all over the country. The MSP committee was touring the country and connecting with farmers for their local needs. The central government was serious about all the farmers' demands and was trying to create a countrywide consensus, he said. Bittu said that all three Union ministers, Piyush Goyal, Shivraj Chauhan, and Prahlad Joshi, had collectively appealed to the farmers to join dialogue with the centre and reach a conclusive end. He said that the three ministers who were engaged in the dialogue were most worried about Jagjit Singh Dallewal's health. The Union minister assured the farmers that no arrests would be made, as the Punjab government had done. The centre wanted to build mutual confidence with the farmers. (ANI) Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar, has unearthed a sprawling and sophisticated network involved in the creation and management of mule accounts, which have become critical tools in the execution of large-scale cyber fraud and financial crimes. A mule account is an bank account used to receive and transfer illicit funds on behalf of others, often in return for a commission. These accounts--belonging to individuals, shell companies, and enterprises--are primarily scouted through social media platforms such as Telegram and Facebook, and are then remotely controlled by fraudsters operating from outside Jammu & Kashmir and even from overseas. The release notes, "Once these accounts are set up, they are integrated into illegal payment gateways and used by criminal syndicates to collect deposits from victims on fake investment websites, offshore betting and gambling platforms, and fraudulent stock trading portals. Funds received in these mule accounts are immediately layered and diverted to other accounts or converted into cryptocurrency to obscure the money trail." According to the release, "Bulk payout facilities provided by banks are also being misused in this process to distribute proceeds quickly. These accounts typically remain active for a short span--often less than a week--before being flagged due to suspicious transactions. However, within this brief window, transactions worth crores of rupees are executed and funneled across a chain of accounts." The release notes that the Cyber Police Kashmir has also discovered that several local kingpins are managing the operations of these accounts, acting as recruiters and handlers. These individuals onboard people--often from economically weaker sections--by offering commissions for account access. As per the release, "In response to a request by Cyber Police Kashmir, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (i4C), MHA, New Delhi has shared a list of 7,200 mule bank accounts operating from the Kashmir Valley alone--created since January 2025. This figure is expected to be much higher as the investigation progresses." "To date, Cyber Police Kashmir has registered four FIRs, and more are underway. Preventive security action has been initiated against 21 individuals, 19 of whom belong to Srinagar district," the release said. According to the release, "The hotspots for mule account activity include areas like Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Nowgam, Lasjan, Padshahibagh, Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Soura, Batmaloo, Noorbagh, Qamarwari, Parimpora, Mujgund, Bemina, among others. Similar activities have been reported in other districts including Ganderbal, Kangan, Sumbal, Bandipora, Baramulla, Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam, and Shopian." The release says that the Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar, has strongly advised citizens "not to sell or rent their bank accounts, company registration certificates, or Udhyam Aadhaar registration documents to any individual or entity. Any such involvement in laundering illicit funds could result in serious legal consequences, including arrest under provisions related to organised crime and cyber fraud." According to the release, "Banks are being encouraged to strengthen checks to detect misuse of accounts for illegal payment gateways." The release notes, "Citizens are urged to report any suspicious cyber activity immediately via helpline 1930 or online at www.cybercrime.gov.in. Cyber Police Kashmir remains fully committed to dismantling these networks and securing the financial ecosystem of the Valley." Earlier, discussing cybercrime and links between drug sale and terrorism in the city, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Imtiyaz Hussain, shed light on the alarming growth of fraud cases and the links between drug trafficking and terrorism. Hussain reported that over 7,200 mule accounts have been opened in recent times, contributing to a significant spike in cyber fraud. "Cyber fraud of late has been becoming a huge menace. We have 7,200 mule accounts in our knowledge. We have lodged four FIRs regarding this under organised crime. Out of the accounts we have identified, 20-21 have been arrested," Hussain said, emphasising the importance of a regulatory mechanism to monitor suspicious bank accounts. He also highlighted that in 2025 alone, law enforcement authorities had recovered over Rs 70 lakh from cybercrime victims. "The recovered money has already been released through the courts," he added. Hussain also drew attention to the growing connection between drug trafficking and terrorism. "Last month, we seized 8 kg of heroin in Srinagar and found a direct link to terrorism. The heroin was sourced from Pakistan, and the money from its sale was used to finance terrorism," he explained. (ANI) On the occasion of Ram Navami, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually addressed the Akhand Ramayana Paath organized at Maa Kokila Kothagyaari Temple in Pankhu, Pithoragarh, from his residence, a release from Uttarakhand CMO said. While wishing the people of the state on Ram Navami, Pushkar Singh Dhami prayed to Lord Ram for the happiness and prosperity of all the people of Uttarakhand. Addressing the program, Chief Minister Dhami said, "Ramayana is not an ordinary text but a mirror of our life, a guide of dignity, devotion, sacrifice, and religion. From the life of Lord Ram, we get to learn how religion and dignity are followed even in adverse circumstances. The purity of Mother Sita, the service spirit of Laxman, the sacrifice of Bharat, the devotion of Hanuman ji - all these ideals inspire us to good conduct." Chief Minister Dhami said that the events of Akhand Paath and holy religious texts like Ramayana purify our souls, make the environment sattvik, and connect society. Dhami said that it is a matter of great pride and joy for all of us that after a long wait of 500 years, Lord Shri Ram Lalla is celebrating the festival of Ram Navami for the second time by sitting in his grand temple in Ayodhya. The Chief Minister said that we are all fortunate that we have got such a Pradhan Sevak in the form of the respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose unwavering resolve and tireless efforts have made our dream of a grand temple of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya come true. Urging all the people of the state, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that we should adopt the ideals of Lord Shri Ram in ourselves and pledge to live with honesty, love, service and goodwill in the society. (ANI) The United States Department of State has announced immediate measures to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent the issuance of new visas, following South Sudan's failure to cooperate in the timely return of its citizens. In a press statement quoting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US State Department said, "It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States. Enforcing our nation's immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them." "As South Sudan's transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle, effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders. We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation," the statement added. Earlier in March, the US announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign government officials involved in the forced return of Uyghurs and other vulnerable ethnic or religious groups to China. Secretary Rubio stated in a statement that the policy would apply to both current and former officials responsible for, or complicit in, such actions, emphasising the US commitment to countering China's ongoing efforts to pressure governments into deporting individuals who face persecution upon return. Rubio highlighted that those sent back are at risk of enforced disappearances and torture, a longstanding concern regarding China's treatment of Uyghurs and other minority groups. The US government has repeatedly condemned such actions, citing well-documented human rights violations, including what it has classified as genocide and crimes against humanity. US Secretary of State reiterated that China has engaged in systematic persecution of Uyghurs, and the United States is urging governments worldwide to refrain from forcibly returning individuals to China under any circumstances. (ANI) Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arun Hemachandra, on Saturday said that the Mitra Vibhushana award conferred upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks a significant milestone in the bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka. "We look at it (Mitra Vibhushana award to PM Modi) as a very important milestone in between the historic and the diplomatic contacts that we have, the connectivity that we have. The new government is actually committed to work very closely with India," Hemachandra told ANI. He added that Sri Lanka received a warm welcome during the President's recent visit to India, and emphasized the growing support from India. "The assistance Sri Lanka receives from India is not only exponential but also immensely valuable. We are confident that this cooperation will continue to strengthen in the future." Discussing the broader relationship, the Deputy Foreign Minister praised India's consistent support during times of crisis and said, "When Sri Lanka is having some kind of a problem, India's neighborhood first policy has been always helpful for the citizens of this country and on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka, we have to thank India for maintaining that policy." Concluding his remarks, Hemachandra expressed optimism about the future of bilateral relations. "As Prime Minister Modi mentioned today, India and Sri Lanka will continue to enhance their engagements. We expect to see more treaties and increased coordination between these two great nations, and we eagerly look forward to that," Hemchandra noted. Notably, PM Modi expressed gratitude to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the government and the people of Sri Lanka for honouring him with the 'Mitra Vibhushana.' He said that the honour demonstrated the deep-rooted friendship and historical ties between the people of the two nations. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "It is a matter of immense pride for me to be conferred the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake today. This honour is not mine alone - it is a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India. It symbolises the deep-rooted friendship and historic ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the President, the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for this honour." PM Modi's arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019. He reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. (ANI) The Tibetans in-exile strongly condemned China's recent white paper on human rights. A new report published by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and democracy (TCHRD) argues that Chinese authorities committed egregious human rights abuses that amount to crimes against humanity in Driru county, one of the most tightly controlled areas in Tibet. The report titled 'If Gyalmo Ngulchu Could Feel: Crimes against Humanity in Driru' details widespread and systematic human rights violations committed by Chinese authorities between 2012 and 2022. Executive Director of TCHRD, Tenzin Dawa told ANI, "The report presents extensive evidence of crimes against humanity, including persecution, arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial killings as part of a state-led policy to suppress resistance and identity." The report highlights the violent crackdown that began on 28 September 2013, when local Tibetans in Driru dumped a five-starred Chinese flag into the Gyalmo Ngulchu (Nujiang/ Salween) river in protest against a coercive flag-flying campaign. The findings in this report make it clear that the situation in Driru is a human rights crisis that demands immediate international attention. Tenzin Lekshay, spokesperson of Tibetan government in-exile told ANI, "China came up with the white paper on human rights this time and the so-called white paper is not a white paper actually because what they have been talking about, it's all about developments for the sake of China's stability. So if they are really concerned about the Tibetan people and their rights, they should have talked about the universal human rights as freedom of expression, freedom of movement, freedom of belief, which is not allowed to be seen in this so-called white paper." "China is talking about developments and this development induced human rights which they have been talking about has so many things which were not been covered. We still say that there are so many political restrictions, civil rights are not being there, and we can say that the situation inside Tibet is more than critical right now under Xi Jinping's rule. So the white paper does not really talk about the rights for the Tibetan people, rather they talk more about their own stability," he added. Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan activist in exile, has strongly criticized China's recent white paper on Tibet, calling it an attempt to legitimize China's 75-year occupation of the region. He further argues that the document distorts the truth, claiming Tibetans benefit from Chinese development and human rights protection. Tsundue said, "I went through the entire documents, there are eight chapters and all the eight chapters constantly try to do only one thing, tried to buy legitimacy of the 75 years of invasion and occupation of Tibet... They are talking about the developments in Tibet, and they keep on saying that Tibetans love those developments in Tibet. They are trying to say that they are protecting the human rights in Tibet. So the question is from whom ? It's been a dictatorial regime for 75 years, if the Chinese government has to protect the human rights in Tibet, from whom? from Xi Jinping? Then they say that they are protecting the environment of Tibet, so again, from whom? From the Chinese miners? From the Chinese government who is mining and cutting the trees and damming in Tibet." "The white paper recently launched is saying that the United States government and his Holiness the Dalai Lama are making human right cases against China. But that's exactly what China has been doing. In 75 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, more than 1 million Tibetans were killed by China, over 6000 monasteries were destroyed, the environment was plundered, and Tibetan monks and nuns were thrown out from their traditional monastic institutions. Tibetan nomads and farmers have been thrown out of their ancestral lands. These lands are being used by China for mining. Glaciers are melting in the Tibet in Himalayas so it's all because China is exploiting the natural resources in Tibet and with this white paper that China launched recently, China is only trying to protect its own skin," he added. (ANI) Religious ceremonies held in various regions of Bangladesh on the occasion of Maha Ashtami, Basanti Puja, and Punyasnan are being celebrated peacefully, with the spontaneous participation of thousands of devotees. Bangladesh Army personnel are actively performing their duties to ensure security at puja mandaps, bathing ghats, and important religious places in different parts of the country, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement late Saturday. As the festival season begins on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Langalband in Narayanganj, millions of pilgrims from across the country and abroad join in the festivities. This Maha Ashtami Punyasnan festival of the Hindu community began at midnight last night and will continue for two days. On Sunday, thousands of pilgrims will participate in this punyasnan at 19 ghats of Langalband. It is known that thousands of pilgrims from various countries, including India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, will participate in this holy bath. In addition, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country participated in the holy Ashtami bath held in the Brahmaputra River in Chilmari Upazila of the northern Kurigram district. "The army is conducting round-the-clock armed patrols and monitoring activities at various important locations during these religious festivals. In addition, the army is providing round-the-clock assistance in traffic management through traffic control posts and check posts", the statement said. It is also worth noting that Maha Ashtami and Basanti Pujas of the Hindus were held at various puja halls across the country. On this occasion, 'Annual Maitree Mahimanvit Puja' will be held on the banks of the Dhaleshwari River in Chittagong city, Ramu in Cox's Bazar, Nagarpur, Garail and Bhuiyanpur upazilas of Tangail district, at the Sri Sri Barthi temple in Goura Nadi upazila of Barisal district, and Shyama Puja will be held at the Konabari Thakurbari temple in Nalchiti upazila of Jhalakati district. A large number of devotees gathered at various mandaps in Comilla and Chandpur and at the Durga Temple in Rayer Bazar for puja. "The army strengthened patrols and surveillance in each puja mandap area and kept the law and order situation under control. In addition, the army-led dialogue meetings were held with the puja committees and priests, which created an atmosphere of trust among everyone", the statement said. "As a shining symbol of religious harmony and national unity, the Bangladesh Army has provided uninterrupted security during the country's religious festivals as always. The professionalism, promptness and sincerity of the army have earned the trust and gratitude of the followers of Hindus," it added. (ANI) The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has disposed of a petition challenging the deportation of Afghan refugees, ARY News reported. A two-member bench comprising acting Chief Justice Muhammad Ejaz Swati, and Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana, heard the petition, filed by Advocate Nusrat Hassan Afghani, as per ARY News on Saturday. The petitioners sought court intervention to prevent authorities from harassing POR (Proof of Registration) cardholders, violating their right to dignity and privacy of home, or forcibly relocating them till at least the expiry of the time period indicated in the notification dated from July 22, 2024. During the proceedings, Additional Attorney General Muhammad Fareed Dogar assured the court that officials were complying with the July 22, 2024 notification and would act strictly according to the law, ensuring no harassment of the petitioners, as per ARY News. Notably, last year, the federal cabinet approved one-year extension of the validity of POR (Proof of Registration) cards of 1.45 million Afghan refugees until June 30, 2025. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that Afghan refugees will not be forced to leave or throw them on the border. He opposed the government policy to tackle the people who resorted to arms. "We have to see, why they have taken arms. They are our own people, we have to own them," Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's CM here said. "We have solution of terrorism," Gandapur claimed. Talking on sending back Afghan refugees to home, KP chief minister said, "We could not throw them back on the border". "We will not send Afghan migrants back until the Afghan government consents to accept them," Gandapur said. He said the KP government will not force any Afghan refugee to return. "We have to move ahead to negotiate with Afghanistan", he said. Pakistan has delayed its deadline to deport hundreds of thousands of Afghans due to the Eidul Fitr holidays, The Express Tribune reported, citing a government official. The Pakistani government initially set a deadline of March 31 for Afghans with specific documentation to leave the country. However, an official has said that the deadline has now been extended until the beginning of next week due to the holiday period. (ANI) PM Modi said that being there was humbling and called the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi a living symbol of peace. In a post on X, he said, "Offered prayers at the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura with President Dissanayake. It's a deeply humbling moment to be at one of the most revered sites in Buddhism. It is a living symbol of peace, enlightenment and spiritual continuity. May the teachings of Lord Buddha always guide us." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908752591342674136 https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908753945155035332 Dissanayake said that he and PM Modi inaugurated the Sampur Solar Power Plant and the Dambulla Agricultural Cold Storage Complex to support our farmers and kicked off a solar panel installation project across 5,000 religious sites. He called it an exciting time for sustainable growth. In a post on X, he said, "The launch of three key development projects during PM Narendra Modi's state visit to Sri Lanka holds great significance. Together, we inaugurated the Sampur Solar Power Plant, a game-changer for our energy security and the Dambulla Agricultural Cold Storage Complex to support our farmers. Plus, we kicked off a solar panel installation project across 5,000 religious sites. Exciting times for sustainable growth!" https://x.com/anuradisanayake/status/1908744596500472169 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reached Anuradhapura with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to inaugurate the Maho-Anuradhapura railway line, a project supported by the Indian government. Calling Dissanayake his friend, PM Modi arrived at the venue to jointly launch the signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway line and launch the railway track of the Maho-Omanthai railway line with him. "In Anuradhapura with my friend, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake," PM Modi said in a post on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908733786130428123 Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited and laid a wreath at the 'Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial' in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, near Colombo on Saturday. PM Modi arrived in Colombo on Saturday on a two-day State Visit to Sri Lanka. (ANI) India's assistance to Sri Lanka's railway development is expected to boost the country's economy significantly. The upgraded railway track from Maho to Omanthai, spanning 128 kilometers, will allow for faster travel times, increased load capacity and improved safety. In conversation with ANI, Hari Mohan Gupta, Chairperson and Managing Director of Ircon International Limited, said that India's assistance is of great significance to the debt-ridden nation. "We have brought the modern track structure that we provide in Indian Railways and now after its construction, the maximum speed will be done at a speed of 120km per hour and the booked speed will be done at a speed of 100km per hour and the load carrying capacity will be up to 20 tonnes, so this will result in tremendous uplift in the economy of Sri Lanka," said Hari Mohan Gupta. These improvements are expected to have a positive impact on tourism, a significant sector in Sri Lanka's economy. The upgraded railway line will also benefit the local public, enhancing their overall well-being "There will be a lot of boom because of the travel time, which will be reduced by about three hours from the northern part of Sri Lanka to the adjacent parts of Sri Lanka, so tourism will get a big boost. Sri Lanka is known for its tourism and lives in the hearts of our Indians. Sri Lanka is very mythologically very pleasant memories. So, this will benefit the Sri Lankan public a lot, so their general well-being will be very good," he said. The project was executed by Ircon International Limited, an Indian public sector undertaking, with funding from the Ministry of External Affairs. The upgrade was completed in two phases between January 2023 and September 2024. "This is a 128km long project. We executed the process from Maho to Omanthai in two parts. Anuradhapuram to Omanthai, which is a 63km-long project, we started its track upgradation work in January 2023, and we finished it in July 2023. After that, we caught the portion from Maho to Anuradhapuram, which is 65 km long. We started its work in January 2024," he said. "And when we finished it in September 2024, this line of credit, which was funded by the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs, was done. The old track structure was in very miserable condition because it was very old, which also had many rails," he said. Gupta added that after the initial construction, the rails got corroded and used to make loud sounds. The new rails built with Indian assistance will help the Sri Lankan economy. "When it got old, it was corroded, and it had fish-plated joints, so there used to be a loud sound. The speed maximum could go 60-65 and its load carrying capacity could be up to a maximum of 17 tons. So by upgrading this, we installed concrete sleepers and rail 60 kg of flash butt welded joints and provided switch expansion joints," he said. "Ircon has been here since 2009. You will be happy to know and the track which was the Northern Portion of was in Sri Lanka," he added. He added that PM Modi and Dissanayake's launch will benefit the people of Sri Lanka. "We got this 128 km of work later, which we have now completed, and today it is a matter of great pleasure that today the Honorable Prime Minister of India and the Honorable President of Sri Lanka have agreed this project to our Sri Lankan Government to the country of Sri Lanka. They are offering, and the purpose of both is to make life better for the public here and make them happier," he said. PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday will jointly launch the signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway line--a project supported by the Indian government; they will also launch the railway track of the Maho-Omanthai railway line. (ANI) Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake saw him off at the airport. On the occasion of Ram Navami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate India's first vertical lift sea bridge, the New Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. The 2.07-kilometre-long New Pamban Bridge, spanning the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, stands as a testament to India's engineering prowess and visionary infrastructure development, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement. The bridge has one vertical lift spanning 72.5 metres with two tracks. The approach has 88 spans of 18.3-metre steel plate girders fabricated for a single line. The bridge's story traces back to 1914, when British engineers constructed the original Pamban bridge. A cantilever (a long piece of metal or wood that extends from a wall to support the end of a bridge) structure with a Scherzer Rolling Lift span to connect Rameswaram Island with mainland India. However, the new bridge, sanctioned in 2019, is three metres higher than the existing one, improving sea connectivity. The bridge has served as a lifeline for pilgrims, tourists and trade. "However, the harsh marine environment and growing transportation demands necessitated a modern solution. In 2019, the Central government sanctioned the construction of a technologically advanced, future-ready replacement," read the Railway Ministry's statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday jointly inaugurated the track upgradation of the existing Maho-Omanthai railway line. PM Modi said that India is proud to assist Sri Lanka in various aspects of their development, and this activity boosted their friendship and connectivity. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908755339857572258 In a post on X, he said, "Boosting connectivity and enhancing friendship! In Anuradhapura, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and I jointly inaugurated the track upgradation of the existing Maho-Omanthai railway line. The signalling project which involves the installation of an advanced signalling and telecommunication system along the Maho-Anuradhapura section was also launched. India is proud to support Sri Lanka in various aspects of their development journey." (ANI) Taiwan's largest annual military drills, the Han Kuang exercises, started on Saturday with experts suggesting that the extended 14-day war games are a response to China's growing "gray zone" actions and its potential for launching a full-scale invasion of Taiwan, as reported by Taipei Times. According to Taipei Times, this year's drills began with continuous computer-simulated war games, utilizing the US-made Joint Theater Level Simulation platform. The live-fire segment of the exercises will take place from July 9 to 18. The drills aim to simulate scenarios where Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) exercises escalate into an attack on Taiwan, according to Major General Tung Chi-hsing, director of the Ministry of National Defense's joint operations planning division. The Han Kuang exercises would also replicate PLA "gray zone" activities, which are provocative or aggressive actions that stop short of open conflict, Tung explained at a news conference on Wednesday, as cited by Taipei Times. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu stated on Friday that the public once believed China's first strike would likely be a missile attack. However, it is now more realistic to expect a first strike involving maritime militia vessels, sand dredgers, and drones--tools commonly used in "gray zone" operations. Wang, a member of the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, emphasized that the military must be prepared to handle situations beyond traditional force-on-force conflicts. This includes responding to "gray zone" activities in accordance with international law, while preventing Chinese military drills from escalating into a full-scale invasion. He noted that such complex scenarios require extensive planning and simulation, making the war games more time-consuming, Taipei Times reported. Su Tzu-yun, director of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, shared similar views, suggesting that this year's Han Kuang drills were extended from eight days to two weeks to allow for more scenarios involving "gray zone" tactics. According to Taipei Times, Su noted that when the PLA conducts naval and air patrols around Taiwan, it typically deploys six to ten warships. If each warship is equipped with vertical launching systems, around 500 land-attack cruise missiles could be launched within three minutes, striking targets across Taiwan. This would leave defense forces with even less time to respond compared to a scenario where Dongfeng missiles were launched from China. Su emphasized that simulating such scenarios is vital, especially as PLA drills near Taiwan have increased in frequency in recent years. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, during a recent legislative hearing, stated that this year's Han Kuang exercises would focus on a hypothetical PLA invasion in 2027. The year 2027 would mark several significant milestones for China, including the 100th anniversary of the PLA's founding, the start of President Xi Jinping's fourth term, and the 12th year of his military reforms. The exercises will assess how the Ministry of National Defense would respond to a 2027 invasion and identify any weaknesses in the military's readiness and weaponry. (ANI) Tibetan religious leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje has died under suspicious circumstances after being detained for an extended period by Chinese authorities, as reported by the Central Tibetan Administration. His passing was confirmed by the Central Tibetan Administration, which reported that Chinese officials informed senior figures at Lungngon Monastery in Tibet's Gade County, Golog, of his death on April 2. However, the Chinese authorities have not disclosed the details surrounding his death nor returned his body, Tibet.net reported. Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the esteemed throne holder of Lungngon Monastery, had been targeted by the Chinese government following his refusal to host a lavish reception for the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama during the latter's visit to the region. This act of defiance against Chinese authorities led to fabricated charges against him, including accusations of "disobeying higher authorities," a consequence of his humanitarian efforts to establish monasteries and schools. Additionally, he was accused of "causing disturbances" for advocating the rights and freedoms of oppressed Tibetans living under Chinese rule, CTA cited. Sources close to the situation suggest that his arrest and subsequent death are part of a broader, disturbing trend of Chinese authorities targeting influential Tibetan figures who promote Tibetan culture, language, and identity. Over the years, numerous respected leaders have been detained, tortured, and killed in an apparent effort to silence advocates for Tibetan rights. According to CTA, Tulku Hungkar Dorje's death is seen as yet another act of repression aimed at eliminating voices that challenge China's control over Tibet. The circumstances of his death have sparked widespread outrage and concern among Tibetans and human rights groups worldwide, further underscoring the harsh and repressive environment faced by Tibetans under Chinese rule. Many fear that the silence surrounding his death reflects the Chinese government's broader strategy to suppress dissent and erase Tibetan culture and heritage. (ANI) The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killings of three Baloch youth whose bodies were discovered in Mashkai, Awaran district of Balochistan, following a night of intense raids and abductions by Pakistani security forces. During the operation, Zahoor Baloch, son of Huzoor Bakhsh, and Shah Nawaz Baloch, son of Jalal Baloch, were abducted by security forces. Tragically, their bodies were later found dumped, showing signs of severe torture, BYC highlighted. In a post on X, BYC stated, "Extrajudicial killings intensified as three enforced disappeared youth were killed and dumped by security forces in Mashkai, Awaran. On the night of April 5, 2025, Pakistani security forces raided a village in Hardoi in Mashkai, Awaran district of Balochistan. The local population was severely tortured and harassed during this operation." In a parallel tragedy, Habib Baloch, son of Eid Muhammad, from Traatdan Mashkai, who had been forcibly disappeared 20 days earlier, was also found dead under similar circumstances. According to his relatives, Habib had been in the custody of Pakistani forces for the entire period before his extrajudicial execution, BYC cited. The BYC expressed its grave concern, emphasizing that such acts of violence, torture, and extrajudicial killings are clear violations of international human rights law, particularly the conventions surrounding enforced disappearances and summary executions. BYC stated, "These incidents underscore a disturbing pattern of human rights abuses in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings by the State. The international community must take immediate action to hold the Pakistani authorities accountable and ensure justice for the oppressed Baloch nation." Balochistan encounters several difficulties, such as government repression, enforced disappearances, and the extrajudicial killings of activists, intellectuals, and civilians. The region faces economic marginalization, inadequate infrastructure, and restricted political independence. Although it is rich in natural resources, local communities rarely reap the benefits, and forced disappearances continue to be a prevalent issue. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his gratitude towards Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the warmth extended during his stay. PM Modi said that the visit added momentum to both countries' bilateral relations. In a post on X, he said, "Deeply grateful to President Dissanayake, the people and Government of Sri Lanka for the warmth extended during my visit. Be it in Colombo or Anuradhapura, this visit has reaffirmed the deep cultural, spiritual and civilisational ties between our two nations. It will surely add momentum to our bilateral relations." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908765975954018491 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Sri Lanka was a resounding success, marked by warm receptions and significant diplomatic engagements. Upon arrival in Colombo, PM Modi was greeted with a ceremonial welcome at the Independence Square by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, setting the tone for a packed diplomatic schedule. Earlier in the day, PM Modi, accompanied by the President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Sunday participated in a ceremony to inaugurate and launch two railway projects built with Indian assistance in Anuradhapura. The leaders inaugurated the 128 km Maho-Omanthai railway line refurbished with Indian assistance of USD 91.27 million, followed by the launch of construction of an advanced signaling system from Maho to Anuradhapura, being built with Indian grant assistance of USD 14.89 million, as per the statement. These landmark railway modernisation projects implemented under the India-Sri Lanka development partnership represent a significant milestone in strengthening north-south rail connectivity in Sri Lanka. They would facilitate fast and efficient movement of both passenger and freight traffic across the country. Prime Minister Modi and Dissanayake on Sudnay jointly inaugurated the track upgradation of the existing Maho-Omanthai railway line.PM Modi said that India is proud to assist Sri Lanka in various aspects of their development, and this activity boosted their friendship and connectivity. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908755339857572258 In a post on X, he said, "Boosting connectivity and enhancing friendship! In Anuradhapura, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and I jointly inaugurated the track upgradation of the existing Maho-Omanthai railway line. The signalling project which involves the installation of an advanced signalling and telecommunication system along the Maho-Anuradhapura section was also launched. India is proud to support Sri Lanka in various aspects of their development journey." (ANI) Negotiations between Pakistani authorities and detained Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch have failed after she refused a conditional offer for her release, as reported by the Balochistan Post. The Balochistan Post reported that a delegation led by the Deputy Commissioner of Quetta visited Baloch at Hudda District Jail earlier in the day. According to her sister, Nadia Baloch, the officials proposed her release in exchange for her agreement to limit her political activities. The conditions reportedly required a written commitment that neither Baloch nor her organization, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), would block roads or hold sit-ins in major cities. https://x.com/NadiaBaloch99/status/1908218741084561916 In a post on X, Nadia Baloch stated, "Mahrang Baloch refused to accept these conditions. The DC informed her that her release would be granted under these terms, while the release of other detained BYC members would be considered only after her release. She made it clear that she will not leave prison until every detained leader and activist is released." After Baloch's refusal, the government delegation ended the talks without any further discussions. Baloch, a leading human rights activist and organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was arrested on March 22 during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta. She remains in custody at Hudda District Jail, the Balochistan Post reported. Protests and sit-ins have persisted across Balochistan and major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, calling for the release of Baloch and other detained activists. In Lakpass, near Quetta, a sit-in led by Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal continues. Mengal has also declared plans for a long march to Quetta on April 6, demanding the release of BYC leaders and an end to the ongoing crackdown. The protests reflect growing public dissatisfaction and the call for political freedoms, particularly in Balochistan, amid the government's detention of activists. (ANI) Pakistan's intelligence agencies and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) raided the home of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activist Beebow Baloch in the Kelli Qambarani area of Quetta late last night, forcibly abducting her father, Mama Ghafar Qambarani. Beebow Baloch has been held in Hudda Jail for the past two weeks, alongside BYC organizer Mahrang Baloch, under the custody of Pakistani authorities. Earlier today, Sabiha Baloch's father was also taken into custody, BYC cited. In a post on X, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee(BYC) stated, "Tonight, Pakistan's intelligence agencies and the so-called Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) raided the residence of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activist Beebow Baloch in Kelli Qambarani, Quetta, and forcibly disappeared her father, Mama Ghafar Qambarani. A senior political activist, Mama Ghafar has previously been a victim of enforced disappearance at the hands of state authorities." BYC added, "This is not only a violation of basic rights; it is a clear manifestation of authoritarianism and fascism being imposed upon the people of Balochistan. The targeting of political workers and their families for peaceful political activism is not only unlawful--it is deeply inhumane." BYC further highlighted," Our moral, historical, and constitutional responsibility compels us to speak out against these grave injustices and to stand in firm resistance against all forms of state-led repression." The Baloch Yakjehti Committee urgently urged the international community and human rights organizations to speak out and take action for Mama Ghafar and all other Baloch individuals who have been forcibly disappeared. Under the guise of legal authority, the state continues its systematic violence and repression against the Baloch people. Balochistan struggles with state repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of activists, scholars, and civilians. The region faces economic neglect, poor infrastructure, and limited political autonomy. Despite its wealth of natural resources, local communities benefit little, while forced disappearances continue to be a widespread issue. (ANI) The legal community in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan has declared a boycott of all court activities and plans to stage protests throughout the region until April 16 due to the unmet demands they have put forward, as reported by the Dawn. For the last five months, lawyers in Gilgit-Baltistan have been protesting and boycotting court proceedings, with the exception of emergency cases, over their unresolved demands. However, this time, they have decided not to attend court for even emergency cases until April 16. According to Dawn, a meeting of the GB High Court Bar Association (GBHCBA), chaired by Advocate Tanveer Akhtar, adopted a resolution and assessed the progress on the collective demands of the GB Bar Council, GB Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association, GBHCBA, and district bar associations. In a statement released by the association on Saturday, the meeting voiced concerns over the government's inability to address the lawyers' demands, despite numerous strikes and protests. The lawyers described the failure to fulfill these demands as "a conspiracy against the people of PoGB" by denying them access to justice, the Dawn cited. It also urged PoGB judges not to hear cases in the absence of counsel, as lawyers would hold protests in all districts of the region. According to the Dawn, the GBHCBA decided that the GB Bar Council would revoke the license of any lawyer who did not participate in the boycott until April 16. Additionally, lawyers appearing in district courts, the chief court, the Supreme Appellate Court, and revenue and service tribunals would face fines ranging from Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1,00,000 to PKR 3,00,000. The meeting also discussed the possibility of locking courts and taking further action if their demands, including the long-awaited appointment of judges in the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court, remain unaddressed, as Dawn reported. Later, a PoGB Bar Council meeting confirmed the resolution and called on the authorities to resolve the legal community's issues. According to Dawn, one of the primary demands is the appointment of judges to fill vacant positions in the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court, as around 8,000 cases are pending due to delays. Another major demand is the extension of the Lawyers Protection Act to GB, which they argue is crucial for ensuring their safety and professional rights. The proposed land reforms draft has also been criticised by the legal community, who view it as unclear and flawed. They have called for their suggestions to be incorporated before it is presented to the PoGB Assembly, warning that failure to do so would violate the rights of the local people. The lawyers also urged the PoGB chief judge to take action to appoint judges to fill vacant positions in labor, consumer, family courts, ATCs, and the assistant registrar's office, the Dawn cited. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday emplaned for a 4-day state visit to Portugal and Slovakia from April 7-10. She is visiting Portugal at the invitation of President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The visit is taking place after a gap of 27 years, as the last State Visit took place in 1998 when President K R Narayanan visited Portugal. While from 9-10 April, President Droupadi Murmu will visit the Slovakia at the invitation of the Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini. It will be the first visit by the President of India to Slovakia in 29 years. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1908839599566168416 Shatring the post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson wrote, "President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn emplanes on State visits to Portugal and the Slovak Republic. These are the first State visits to either country by the President of India in more than 25 years." "The visits will further expand India's multifaceted engagement with two important EU partners," the post added. Speaking to media during the special briefing, Tanmay Lal Secretary (West) MEA, called the visits "two important landmark visits." Sharing the details of the visit to Portugal, Secretary Lal said that the visit becomes historic as it comes when India and Portugal are marking 50 years of the diplomatic relations and this visit will "take forward the friendship and partnership." "It is also 27 years since the last visit by a President from India to Portugal. So it's a very symbolic and landmark visit. The President will be traveling to Portugal at the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal", he said. Secretary Lal highlighted that the last few years show the high level exchange of visits between India and Portugal and that shows the degree of high-level engagement that is ongoing between the two countries. Noting the events in which President Murmu will engage in Portugal, he highlighted that she will hold delegation-level talks with her counterpart, President Sousa. "The President (Sousa) will also host a banquet dinner in her honour. The President will meet Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. She will also meet the Speaker of the Parliament of Portugal, Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco. The Mayor of Lisbon will also host a special event in her honour. President will also meet members of the Indian community in Portugal and she is likely to meet some Indian researchers from various universities and academic institutions", he said. He highlighted that the visit comes 30 years after the establishment of the Indian embassy in Bratislava, which was done in 1995. (ANI) https://x.com/IndiainMyanmar/status/1908830519875477707 Sharing a post on X, India in Myanmar shared the update on India's humanitarian efforts in the affected region: "Our Field Hospital has been widely appreciated in Myanmar with 800 patients so far. Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing visited it today." "An IAF C17 brought its replenishment as also food aid for needy communities, and carried our NDRF team back after a successful Mission. #OperationBrahma," the post added. On Saturday, India delivered 442 tonnes of food aid to Myanmar, as part of its ongoing humanitarian response following the devastating earthquake that struck the country last month. The consignment, comprising rice, cooking oil, noodles and biscuits, was transported aboard the Indian Navy's landing ship tank INS Gharial and handed over at Thilawa Port by Ambassador Abhay Thakur to Yangon Chief Minister U Soe Thein and his team. The official page for the Indian Embassy in Myanmar posted on X: "Meeting needs of affected people. A large 442 T consignment of food aid (rice, cooking oil, noodles & biscuits) carried by the Indian Navy landing ship tank INS Gharial arrived today at Thilawa Port & was handed over by Ambassador Abhay Thakur to CM Yangon U Soe Thein & team." The aid is part of Operation Brahma -- India's comprehensive relief mission launched after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28, which left thousands dead and widespread damage across Myanmar. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath, and India, acting swiftly as the first responder, has taken a lead role in supporting rescue, relief, and recovery efforts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. During the meeting, PM Modi expressed India's continued support and readiness to provide further material assistance if needed. He also emphasised the need for early restoration of democracy through credible elections, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. (ANI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday highlighted the inclusive and welfarist nature of the Constitution of India, mentioning that "the spirit of the Indian Constitution is to treat all citizens equally, provide them with equal opportunities, and integrate the marginalized and backward sections of society into the 'mainstream of progress." Delivering the Keynote address on "Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice" at the historic 150th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Birla observed that "In recent years, the Indian Parliament has passed several legislations that promote social justice and security and encourage the inclusion of all sections of society." Referring to the Parliament's perennial concern for safeguarding the interests of the vulnerable segments of society, he added that "Bills like the 'Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act-2016', the 'Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019', and the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023' safeguard the interests of all sections of society." In this context, he also referred to new Labor laws and codes passed by Parliament for the welfare and social security of workers in the unorganized sector. Stressing that Indian Parliament has taken several measures prioritising justice and rule of law, Birla mentioned that "By replacing the 'Indian Penal Code' with the 'Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita', India has established the primacy of justice". Referring to functioning of Parliamentary Committees in achieving the goals of development and social justice, Birla noted that the various Parliamentary Committees, often referred to as Mini Parliaments, perform a complimentary function to the efforts of Parliament and the government. He highlighted that the Committees on Social Justice and Empowerment; Committee on Women Empowerment; Committee on Labour and Skill Development, and other diverse committees monitor welfare programmes leading to implementation of schemes with effectiveness and accountability. Birla stressed that Government of India works with a mission to achieve targets set for key human development indicators. In this regard, he specifically mentioned that "Under the world's largest health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), free health insurance is being provided to the bottom 40 per cent of India's population". Praising the strong and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Birla said "Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India has achieved the distinction of being the world's fastest-growing major economy with a 105 per cent GDP growth over the past decade and is rapidly progressing towards its goal of Viksit Bharat in 2047." Noting that India is the fifth-largest economy in the world and is on its way toward becoming the third-largest economy, Birla said that India is playing a leading role in the world in fields like Innovation, AI, Startups, Space and Defense Technology, IT, Fintech, Pharma and others. He hoped that the discussions at the IPU Assembly would provide all delegations with new perspectives and will allow Parliaments around the world to be able to take concrete steps toward building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society. Speaking on the role of IPU in the present world order, Birla mentioned that the IPU continues to add new dimensions to global parliamentary cooperation. He underlined that the theme chosen for the 150th IPU Assembly reflects the expansion of the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' which is deeply rooted in Indian culture, tradition, and philosophy. On the sidelines of the 150th IPU Summit, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Tran Thanh Man, President, the National Assembly of Vietnam. Speaking on the occasion, Birla fondly recalled his visit to Vietnam in April 2022, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. He also emphasized the close cultural and historical ties between the two countries, which have strengthened through high-level discussions in recent years. Birla expressed satisfaction that both countries are progressing toward sustainable development, driven by their respective visions for 2047 (India) and 2045 (Vietnam). Birla emphasized that cooperation in various sectors such as defense, technology, infrastructure, and nuclear energy has helped shape their future frameworks. Birla noted that both countries' parliamentary institutions play a key role in meeting people's expectations and promoting public welfare, with India utilizing emerging technologies to enhance parliamentary processes and citizen participation. He also informed that the "Digital Parliament" initiative in India has improved efficiency, transparency, and productivity in parliamentary operations. He also highlighted the significant number of Vietnamese students benefiting from educational and training scholarships in India. President of the National Assembly of Vietnam extended best wishes on Ram Navami. He also emphasized the cultural ties between the two countries. The President also underlined the need for strengthening the close defence and technology ties between India and Vietnam. He extended an invitation to Birla to visit Vietnam. Formation of friendship group between India and Vietnam were also discussed. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], April 6 (ANI/TPS): As part of the fight against air pollution and noise from transportation, Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection what it described as three "intensive enforcement days" were held in Eilat (Monday to Wednesday, March 31 to April 2). During the enforcement activity, carried out by officers from the Environmental Protection Section and Eilat Municipal Police officers, 676 vehicles were inspected, 233 were taken off the road, more than 200 reports were filed and 9 vehicles were impounded. The Ministry emphasized that prolonged exposure to noise and air pollution may harm the heart, health and quality of sleep, and even cause long-term damage. According to the strategy for reducing pollution in cities, the ministry will continue to lead determined enforcement operations in cooperation with all relevant parties. (ANI/TPS) Ven. K Medhankara Thero, a prominent Buddhist monk expressed his happiness over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second visit to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura, highlighting the 2,000 years historical connection between Anuradhapura and India. Speaking to ANI, he said "Anuradhapura and our temple have been connected to India for over 2,000 years. Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka...This is the second time PM Modi has come to Anuradhapura and we are very happy." The monk also emphasized the spiritual significance of the Bodhi tree, saying, "To come here and take darshan of Bodhi and seek blessings, this does not come to everyone's mind. Those who have 'punya', only they think like this." He added that PM Modi must have felt the spiritual strength of the Bodhi tree during his first visit, which prompted him to return . "Coming to see Buddha is not a small thing. When he touched the Bodhi, he experienced that strength. When he came here for the first time, he must have felt that strength, that is why he came again for the second time," he said. Earlier in the day, PM Modi, along with the Sri Lanka President, Anura Kumara Disanayaka, visited the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Anuradhapura and offered prayers at the revered Mahabodhi tree. The tree is believed to have grown from the Bo sapling that was brought to Sri Lanka by Sangamitta Maha Theri from India in the 3rd Century BCE. The temple stands as a testament to the strong civilizational linkages that form the foundation of the close India-Sri Lanka partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6, was a resounding success, marked by warm receptions and significant diplomatic engagements. Upon arrival in Colombo, PM Modi was greeted with a ceremonial welcome at the Independence Square by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, setting the tone for a packed diplomatic schedule. This is PM Modi's fourth visit to Sri Lanka during his tenure in office. He last visited Sri Lanka in 2019, as you might recall. That was as a mark of solidarity after the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Colombo. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], April 6 (ANI/TPS): The head of the Jewish division in the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) suspended himself on Sunday after a recording of him discussing methods of handling Jewish terror suspects was aired on Israeli TV the previous night. "I made a mistake in my language in a way that is not consistent with the service's values and ethics, and therefore, in order to allow for a thorough investigation and out of my duty to set a personal example, I am suspending myself from my position as head of the division until the end of the comprehensive investigation into the matter," said the Shin Bet official, identified only as A. In the recording, which was aired on the Kan public broadcaster on Saturday night, A. called terror suspects from Judea and Samaria "scumbags" in a conversation with Avishai Mualem, a senior officer in the Israeli Police's Judea and Samaria Division. A. told Mualem that the Shin Bet arrested Jewish suspects without evidence for evidence and "put them in detention cells, with rats." A. said, "We always want to detain them for questioning, as many as possible. Look at how Shin Bet interrogations are conducted with them." When Mualem warned of a backlash, A. replied, "It's being handled by the Shin Bet chief's office with the Minister of Defense." The Prime Minister's Office said in response that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar should not be involved in A.'s investigation, claiming Bar was involved in the scandal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bar have been blaming each other over what was known before Hamas' October 7 attack and whether it could have been prevented, as well as the "Qatargate" scandal. Two of Netanyahu's key advisers, Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, were arrested on March 31 as part of an ongoing investigation into potential connections between Israeli officials and Qatar. The government voted to fire Bar on March 21, but the High Court of Justice issued a temporary restraining order against the move. The court is expected to hold a hearing on the matter by April 8. Bar claims that Netanyahu's decision to dismiss him was influenced by a conflict of interest related to the ongoing investigation. The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. The only Shin Bet director to ever leave before the end of his five-year term was Carmi Gillon, who resigned in 1995 in the aftermath of the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. (ANI/TPS) Following US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff move, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer engaged in discussions with key international leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with all the leaders saying that this marks a "new era for the global economy." In a statement released on Sunday, Downing Street stated, "The Prime Minister has today continued to speak with international leaders including the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and leader of the German Christian Democratic Union party Friedrich Merz." "Discussing the announcement of additional tariffs by the United States, they all agreed that - as with defence and security - this is a new era for the global economy. Europe must rise to meet the moment and ensure the impact on hard-working people is minimised, while working closely with other countries to help maintain wider economic stability," the statement added. Starmer also expressed disappointment over the new tariffs but emphasised that the UK would continue to act in its "national interest," working to strengthen its economy and global trade relationships. The Downing Street further said, "The UK PM reiterated that he was disappointed by the new tariffs and stressed he will continue to act in the UK's national interest -- remaining calm while preparing for all eventualities. He updated on his plans to go further and faster to strengthen the UK's economy and ensure it is as resilient as possible and can withstand these kinds of global shocks. He added that it would be important for the UK to strengthen its trading relationships with others across the globe at the same time." Meanwhile, in a post on X, Ursula von der Leyen wrote, "Just spoke with @Keir_Starmer and shared my concern over the impact of the US tariffs on the global economy. We also discussed security and defence and the upcoming EU-UK Summit." https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1908874719618576873 On April 2, Trump announced widespread tariffs on countries worldwide. In February, soon after taking charge for the second time, Trump outlined a new trade policy focused on fairness and reciprocity and said that the US would implement reciprocal tariffs, charging other countries the same tariffs they impose on American goods. As per the announcements, the import tariffs on other major countries are China (34 per cent), the European Union (20 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Taiwan (32 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), India (26 per cent), the United Kingdom (10 per cent), Bangladesh (37 per cent), Pakistan (29 per cent), Sri Lanka (44 per cent), and Israel (17 per cent). From April 9 onwards, countries with the largest trade deficits with the US will face higher, individualised tariffs. India is one of the countries affected, with a 26 per cent tariff imposed on all its exports. (ANI) Taiwan has no intention of retaliating against the 32 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Taiwanese goods, President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday, according to a report by Focus Taiwan. Lai acknowledged the significant impact the tariff could have on Taiwan's economy but reassured the public, emphasising the country's strong economic fundamentals. He pointed out that while 23.4 percent of Taiwan's exports were sent to the US in 2024, more than 75 per cent were directed to other markets. He also highlighted that 65.4 per cent of the goods exported to the US were competitive ICT products and electronic components, indicating the resilience of Taiwan's economy. While addressing the nation, Lai said, "Taiwan has no plans to take retaliatory tariff action in response to the United States' reciprocal tariffs. Investments by Taiwanese companies in the US will also proceed without any changes, as long as they align with our national interests," Lai said, according to Focus Taiwan. To reduce the effects of the tariffs, Lai announced that his government has established a negotiation team, headed by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun, to begin discussions with the United States. "The tariff negotiations can start with a goal of 'zero tariffs,' modeled after the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement)," Lai further said. Domestically, Lai said the government will support industries most affected by the new tariffs, especially traditional and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), accelerate industrial transformation, and leverage Taiwan's strengths in semiconductors and smart manufacturing to position the country as a leader in artificial intelligence applications, Focus Taiwan reported. On April 2, Trump announced tariffs on countries worldwide. In February, soon after taking charge for the second time, Trump outlined a new trade policy focused on fairness and reciprocity and said that the US would implement reciprocal tariffs, charging other countries the same tariffs they impose on American goods. Trump emphasised that tariffs would address unfair trade practices, including non-monetary barriers, subsidies, and VAT systems, while encouraging foreign countries to either reduce or eliminate tariffs against the US. As per the announcements, the import tariffs on other major countries are China (34 per cent), the European Union (20 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Taiwan (32 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), India (26 per cent), the United Kingdom (10 per cent), Bangladesh (37 per cent), Pakistan (29 per cent), Sri Lanka (44 per cent), and Israel (17 per cent). From April 9 onwards, countries with the largest trade deficits with the US will face higher, individualised tariffs. India is one of the countries affected, with a 26 per cent tariff imposed on all its exports. (ANI) Dubai [UAE], April 7 (ANI/WAM): The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has joined the global community in commemorating World Health Day 2025, reaffirming its commitment to improving maternal and newborn health as part of its national healthcare strategy. The Ministry stressed that commemorating this occasion is part of its ongoing efforts to develop a sustainable and inclusive health system and enhance the quality of life across all segments of society. Announced by the World Health Organisation, this year's theme, "Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures", is meant to highlight the importance of strengthening healthcare systems for women and children--particularly during pregnancy, childbirth, and early life. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Public Health Sector, emphasised that the Ministry of Health and Prevention is committed to adopting the highest international standards in maternal and neonatal healthcare by utilising advanced capabilities in line with guidelines from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF. These efforts, Al Rand noted, contribute directly to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and align with the UAE Centennial 2071, ensuring future generations are equipped with the highest standards of health and readiness to support a sustainable, knowledge-driven nation. He added, "Thanks to the directives of our wise leadership, the UAE government has made the health of mothers and children a top priority, embedding it at the core of its development policies. The UAE firmly believes that investing in their well-being is an investment in the nation's future. Consequently, the ministry is leading national efforts to promote the public health of mothers and newborns, ensuring access to preventive and integrated care through close collaboration with our strategic partners across the country. (ANI/WAM) Abu Dhabi [UAE], April 7 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, today received Gideon Sa'ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Abdullah welcomed Sa'ar and discussed the growing bilateral relations between the two countries. The meeting also addressed the latest regional developments and their implications, particularly the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Both sides discussed regional and international efforts to resume a truce agreement, achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages. Sheikh Abdullah stressed the priority of working towards a ceasefire and the release of hostages, as well as the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict in the region. He affirmed the UAE's support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at protecting civilians and enhancing the response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He also reiterated the urgent need to advance a serious political horizon for the resumption of negotiations to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution. He emphasised the importance of ending extremism, rising tensions and violence in the region, and called for the international community to join efforts to fulfil the aspirations of the region's peoples for security, stability and a dignified life. Sheikh Abdullah pointed to the dire humanitarian situation faced by civilians in Gaza, which necessitates exerting every effort to ensure the safe, sustainable and unhindered flow of urgent humanitarian aid. He reaffirmed the UAE's longstanding fraternal and historic stance in support of the Palestinian people, underlining the country's unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination. He noted that the UAE would spare no effort in extending assistance and providing the necessary humanitarian support to meet their needs. Sheikh Abdullah further stressed the pressing priority of bolstering regional and international efforts to confront extremism, hatred and racism, and of promoting collective international action to spread the values of tolerance, coexistence and human fraternity in the region, which are fundamental pillars for building safe, stable and prosperous societies. The meeting was attended by Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs, and Mohamed Mahmoud Al Khaja, UAE Ambassador to the State of Israel. (ANI/WAM) The G7 Foreign Ministers, along with the High Representative of the European Union, expressed concern over China's recent "provocative actions," especially the large-scale military drills conducted around Taiwan. In a joint statement, G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and High Representative of the EU highlighted the growing frequency of "destabilising activities," warning that they raise tensions across the Taiwan Strait and pose risks to global security and prosperity. The US Department of State in a statement released on Sunday said, "We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, express deep concern about China's provocative actions, particularly the recent large-scale military drills around Taiwan." "These increasingly frequent and destabilising activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity," the statement added. The G7 further reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposing any unilateral efforts to threaten peace. "G7 members and the larger international community have an interest in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion. G7 members continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue," the statement said. Last week, the US and the EU had restated their disapproval of any unilateral alterations to the "status quo" in the Taiwan Strait following China's military's recent series of joint drills around Taiwan, according to a report by Taipei Times. US President Donald Trump "emphasises the significance of upholding peace in the Taiwan Strait, advocating for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues, and reiterating our disapproval of any unilateral attempts to modify the status quo through force or coercion," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was quoted by Taipei Times. (ANI) Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Lynchburg on a warm Saturday afternoon to protest the Trump administrations cutting of social programs, mass firings of federal workers and implementation of harsh immigration policies. The Hands Off demonstration in front of City Hall was part of a series of campaign rallies across Virginia and the rest of the nation against the measures Trump is taking to shrink the federal government in coordination with Republicans in Congress. The Lynchburg rally, which attracted about 400 people, was organized by local members of Indivisible, a national progressive group started after Trump won election in 2016 and then was revived earlier this year in reaction to the policies implemented by Trump at the start of his second term. Prior to the Hands Off rally on Saturday, local Republicans and other residents held their own rally in front of City Hall, attended by about 30 people. At the protest against Trump, the Rev. Jarrett Banks, senior minister of First Christian Church, Lynchburg, told the crowd from the steps of City Hall, Today, we are taking to the streets nationwide with a clear message: Hands off. The Rev. Terre Balof of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lynchburg echoed Banks appeal, saying groups across the U.S. stand in solidarity with each other in calling for hands off our democracy, our rights, our livelihoods and our neighbors. One of the hundreds in attendance, Cheryl Carter of Lynchburg, said she is appalled at how the Trump administration is dismantling the federal government. You dont fix something by completely destroying it and having no plan as to how youre going to have something better come along, Carter told The News & Advance. I dont know about you, but I didnt see Elon Musk on the ballot. Musk is the billionaire supporter of Trump who was tasked with spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an entity that Trump has granted the power to slash federal spending. Carter added the impact of Trumps policies, including his tariffs, on retirement funds is obscene. He inherited an economy that had recovered better from COVID than just about anywhere in the world, whether you like Biden or not, she said. Im not a Democrat. Im not a Republican. Im somewhere in the middle. But I tend to lean Democrat because they seem to be doing sensible things versus absolutely crazy things. Another speaker, Lynchburg community organizer Desmond Mosby, directed his comments at Trumps social program spending cuts and his attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. What were seeing from the Trump-Vance-Musk machine is not just policy, its a full-on power grab, Mosby said. They are trying to dismantle everything from Medicaid to Social Security, cut funding for cancer research, silence immigrants, trans folks, working families and, yes, erase DEI in the process. Diversity, equity and inclusion is the answer for centuries of systemic exclusion, he said. But Im not here for performative tolerance, Mosby said. Im here for transformative justice. Rallygoers held homemade signs that read Democracy, yes! MAGAtryanny, no! and DEI: Deport Elon Immediately. Lynchburg resident Renae Hoffman said she hopes members of Congress get the message that the majority of Americans do not agree with Trumps second-term policies. Instead of fearing being voted out because they turn against the Trump administration, I hope they see that their duty is to uphold the Constitution and the American people expect them to do their duty, Hoffman said. Fellow rallygoer Pam Proffitt, who said she used to be a Republican, described what Trump and Musk are doing as taking a chainsaw to cut spending because they view federal employees as the enemy. At the earlier rally in front of City Hall, co-organized by Greg Berry of City Elders, who also served as the events emcee, speakers emphasized they did not come out to protest anything. Instead, they wanted to show their support for Trump. One of the speakers, former Ward III Councilman Jeff Helgeson, focused on the Trump administrations efforts to cut federal government waste. People talk about job loss. Who cares! Helgeson said about the thousands of laid-off federal workers. Whether youre right, whether youre left, whether youre conservative, whether youre Republican, you should say its morally reprehensible to spend someone elses money and use it wastefully or fraudulently, or abuse the system, he said. In her comments, Lynchburg Republican City Committee Chair Veronica Bratton told rallygoers that she did not attend the event as a protest. Were here to support our president and his efforts to drain the swamp and to cut the spending, she said. Tyler Turner, engagement director for the local office of Americans for Prosperity, accused nonprofit groups of paying for people to show up at the Hands-Off rally that followed the pro-Trump rally. As for the federal employees getting fired by the Trump administration, Turner said they should be told there are really good jobs in the free market, and if our economy starts to explode and blow up, theres going to be better jobs. Turner thanked the people who showed up for the rally, describing them as freedom fighters. People on their Saturday are saying, Im going to support the president, Im going to support what Elon Musk is doing at DOGE, he said about the 30 people in attendance. Im going to tell those federal workers that are working for those worthless departments to go get a real job. TOKYO, Apr 07 (News On Japan) - The KK Line expressway running through Tokyo's Ginza district was officially closed on Saturday night, as part of a larger plan to transform the area into a pedestrian-centered public space. The closure comes in response to the long-term suspension of traffic on the Yaesu Route of the Metropolitan Expressway, which will be shut down for ten years to facilitate the underground relocation of the Nihonbashi section. As a result, the Tokyo Expresswaycommonly referred to as the KK Linethat runs through the Ginza area has been abolished. The site is expected to be redeveloped into a public space prioritizing pedestrians. The KK Line, officially known as the Tokyo Expressway, was constructed in the postwar period as part of Japan's rapid urban development. Unlike other expressways managed by the Metropolitan Expressway Company, the KK Line was privately funded and operated, built by a group of private investors with the goal of stimulating commercial activity in the Ginza and Shimbashi areas. The elevated roadway looped through central Tokyo, primarily serving the districts of Ginza and Kyobashi, and became known for its proximity to upscale shopping and business zones. Opened in stages starting in the late 1950s, the KK Line was notable for being toll-free, with its operating costs and maintenance supported by rental income from commercial facilities located beneath the elevated structure. These tenants included shops, restaurants, and offices, which gave the expressway a unique character compared to other routes in the city. While never a major thoroughfare in terms of traffic volume, it played a symbolic and functional role in postwar Tokyos modernization and commercial resurgence. Over time, however, the elevated structure became seen as an obstacle to urban aesthetics and pedestrian access. Calls for its removal grew louder alongside broader redevelopment initiatives in central Tokyo, particularly around Nihonbashi and Ginza, where city planners prioritized walkable, open spaces. The eventual abolition of the KK Line aligns with these redevelopment goals, transforming the once car-centric infrastructure into a space designed for public use and pedestrian activity. Source: FNN TOKYO, Apr 07 (News On Japan) - 7-Eleven is expanding its lineup of in-store drinks with the introduction of freshly brewed tea, using dedicated machines to serve tea at prices similar to coffee. Having pioneered the convenience store cafe concept in Japan, 7-Eleven is now moving beyond test sales by rolling out freshly brewed tea to more locations. Unlike traditional tea bags, the drinks use carefully selected tea leaves, offering customers a choice of Darjeeling blend, Earl Grey, or Assam blend. Prepared by steeping tea leaves and extracting the brew over roughly 90 seconds, the tea is described as having a rich aroma and full-bodied flavor. A hot regular-sized cup is priced from 120 yen including taxthe same range as the store's coffeewith the aim of attracting customers who typically do not drink coffee. Itoi Kenji, owner of the 7-Eleven Kazo-Kotoyori store, said: "By changing our product offerings, we hope to attract new customers who might say, 'I didnt know 7-Eleven had something like this.'" Alongside the tea rollout, the chain is also expanding its "7 Cafe Bakery" service, which offers freshly made items such as bread and baked goods. The initiative has proven successful in drawing new customer segments. Hiroko Sakurai, Chief Merchandiser for Next-Generation Product Development at 7-Eleven Japan, said: "We're seeing new purchases especially among young housewives. On average, stores currently testing the tea and bakery offerings in Saitama Prefecture have seen a sales increase of about 3.2%, which is very encouraging." By the end of February 2026, the tea service will be expanded to 2,000 stores nationwide. Meanwhile, 7 Cafe Bakery is expected to be rolled out to 12,500 locations across Japan by the end of fiscal 2025. As the top seller of convenience store coffee in Japan, 7-Eleven is now turning to premium tea as a new driver of revenue growth. Source: FNN The 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly kicked off this Saturday in Uzbekistans capital, Tashkent, under the theme of Parliamentary action for social development and justice. Morocco is represented at the event by a parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker of the House of Councillors, Mohamed Ould Errachid. Prior to the Assemblys kick-off, the Moroccan delegation took part in meetings of the IPUs African, Arab, and Islamic geopolitical groups, as well as in the Forum of Women Parliamentarians. The 150th Assembly is set to adopt resolutions on the emergency item and on topics discussed by the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security and the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, dubbed Parliamentary strategies to mitigate the long-lasting impact of conflicts, including armed conflicts, on sustainable development. The Assembly features workshops on climate action, parliamentary diplomacy and social norms impacting womens health. IPU will also open nominations for the 2025 edition of the Cremer-Passy Prize, awarded to a parliamentarian or parliamentarians with an outstanding record in gender equality. The Assembly will culminate in the adoption of a final document on the theme of the general debate. Other IPU bodies will meet, including its thematic Standing Committees, the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, the Committee on Middle East Questions and the IPU Task Force on the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine. The Geneva-based IPU, founded in 1889, is a world organization of 181 member parliaments and 15 associate members. It fosters parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. Orania, a white town in the heart of South Africa, has reached out to Trump for help in its independence quest from South Africa. Orania, an 8000-hectare settlement with 3000 inhabitants, was allowed by South African authorities to levy local taxes. The territorys community leaders now seek international recognition as an autonomous entity. In a call on Washington, they hope to surf on the wave of support from the Trump administration for the Afrikaner community in South Africa, amid what has been described as anti-white policies by the South African government. Last month, a Western Cape independence advocacy group CIAG said it was seeking the help of the US to help them breakaway from South Africa. CIAGs independence demands are driven by failures of the national government to address the needs of the Western Cape. They argue that the Western Cape should be governed by the party its residents voted for. South Africa has been using self-determination as a slogan advocating separatism globally. It should start by applying the principle at home. Ferhat Mhenni, head of the Kabyle independence movement MAK, was invited to the French Senate in his capacity as head of the Kabyle government in exile. Mhenni and a delegation of key kabylie independence movement leaders were received by member of the French national assembly Valerie Boyer, of the Republicans (LR) party. They posed for a picture inside the national assembly, signaling an inroad in their struggle for independence from Algeria. The visit took place at a special context in French-Algerian relations, with the beginning of appeasement in tense ties, following Algerias failure to compel France to make a volt face on its support for Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara. Algeria, which never shies away from interfering in sovereign decisions by Western countries supporting Moroccos territorial integrity, kept deafening silence as Mhenni is celebrated as a guest of the national assembly. The Kabyle independence movement often blames France for attaching them to an artificial Algerian state with no antecedent in history. The Kabyles, led by Ferhat Mhenni, contest the legitimacy of the colonial borders in Algeria and recall their first attempt at building their own state following a short-war with the Algerian military junta in the early 1960s. The Kabyle independence movement, a peaceful independence group, has been calling on Algeria to uphold the principle of self-determination, which the Algerian military regime has for long used as a rhetorical tool during the cold war. The MAK is listed as a terrorist group in Algeria. Western countries ignore the labeling as incredible, as leaders of the MAK continue to live in different western countries. The US State department in its country report on terrorism considers Algerias designation of the MAK as a terrorist group to be more political than security related. Speaker of the Mazhilis, lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Koshanov Yerlan Zhakanovic, called on Sunday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for bolstering cooperation between his country and Morocco. This came at a meeting between Zhakanovic and the Speaker of the House of Councillors, Mohamed Ould Errachid, Saturday on the sidelines of the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU), held in Uzbekistans capital, Tachkent. Zhakanovic recalled the moves made in recent years to strengthen cooperation between Morocco and his country in the political, economic and human spheres. He underscored the importance of capitalizing on the strategic positions of Morocco and Kazakhstan and their economic potential to boost the trade and economic momentum between the two countries. In this connection, he called for creating a logistical platform to bolster trade exchange between the two countries. He also stressed the need to consolidate parliamentary cooperation between Morocco and Kazakhstan, in view of the role played by legislative institutions in promoting relations and rapprochement between countries and peoples. For his part, Ould Errachid, who leads the Moroccan parliamentary delegation to the IPU Assembly, said this meeting reflects the desire to establish a regular and lasting parliamentary dialogue between the legislative institutions of the two countries to serve common causes and interests. The meeting is also part of the distinguished bilateral relations between Morocco and Kazakhstan, based on mutual respect, esteem and support on vital issues, notably the Kingdoms sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added. The meeting also embodies the shared will of promoting these relations in different fields, he added, praising the results achieved during the visit Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan paid to Morocco last February. The visit was crowned by an ambitious and multidimensional roadmap meant to bolster bilateral relations. The Speaker of the House of Councillors also emphasized the importance of South-South cooperation and win-win exchanges as complementary mechanisms for tackling the multidimensional challenges imposed by the international context. In this regard, he called for trade between the two regions to be boosted, welcoming the bilateral agreement to set up a joint government commission and a Morocco-Kazakhstan business council, and to strengthen the logistical link between the two countries. Moroccos Top Senator also welcomed the willingness of the two countries to broaden their cooperation, strengthen trade and investment and increase the exchange of expertise in strategic sectors of interest to the Kingdom and Kazakhstan, notably those relating to technological innovation, energy transition, the environment, transport and logistics. Ould Errachid called for greater coordination within international organizations, and for unified efforts on common issues and international initiatives to tackle global challenges such as food security, health, and climate change. He also deemed it necessary to strengthen the cultural and civilizational bridges between the two countries, which share cultural ties, believing that the visa exemption between the two countries, which took effect in March 2025, will strengthen cultural and humanitarian exchanges and stimulate tourist flows to both countries. The value of diplomatic parliamentary action lies in the exchange of visits and experiences in areas linked to parliamentary action, and in boosting the role of friendship groups as a platform for dialogue and joint coordination, said the Upper House Speaker. The 3rd Parliamentary Conference on South-South Cooperation, scheduled for April 28 and 29 in Morocco, will be an opportunity to examine the prospects for developing Moroccan-Kazakh parliamentary relations, he added. Ould Errachid also held talks with the Speaker of Milli Majlis, the Azerbaijani parliament, Sahiba Gafarova. The two parties praised the excellent relations between Morocco and Azerbaijan, which have resulted in the signing of agreements in several fields and visa-free travel, which took effect on August 28, 2024. The head of the Moroccan delegation also conferred with the First Vice President of the Cambodian Senate, Ouch Borith, on ways of developing parliamentary cooperation and strengthening the age-old ties of friendship between the two countries. While some countries have implemented measures to restrict imports from regions where forced labor is suspected, others have been accused of overlooking the issue in favor of accelerating their green energy transition. Many countries worldwide rely heavily on China for the supply of their solar panels, as the worlds biggest producer of the equipment, contributing 77.8 percent of global production. Recently, there have been rising concerns over potential slavery in the supply chain due to the poor conditions faced by many Chinese workers in the industry. These concerns have been raised in the past, but they seem to have been largely overlooked, with governments prioritising an accelerated green transition over greater transparency and accountability in the supply chain. The cost of solar power production has fallen significantly in recent decades, as researchers have improved solar panel technology, making them more efficient. This has prompted a significant increase in the global demand for solar panels, as countries worldwide strive to undergo a green transition. The global solar photovoltaics (PV) capacity tripled between 2018 and 2023, and demand is expected to continue growing. Between 2024 and 2030, the technology is expected to account for 80 percent of the growth in global renewable capacity. Most of this demand will be met by China, the world leader in solar panel manufacturing. In recent years, several international organisations have voiced concerns over the use of forced labour in Chinese production facilities. In 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner published a report entitled OHCHR Assessment of Human Rights Concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Peoples Republic of China. The report responded to allegations the organisation had received since 2017 from civil society groups that members of the Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority communities were missing or had disappeared in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and reports of workcamps in the region. The EU also responded to the situation with the publishing of the European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The U.S. Department of Labours Bureau of International Labor Affairs published a 2022 List of Goods Produced by Child Labour or Forced Labour, which referenced the issue of renewable energy supply chains directly. The report stated, We are drawing attention to critical supply chains in clean energyhighlighting Chinas use of forced labour in polysilicon production (a key input in solar panels). It went on to say, Forty-five percent of the worlds solar-grade polysilicon was manufactured in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), where research has shown it is produced under conditions of forced labour. The report warned, Chinas leading role in solar supply chains raises forced labour risks for any business importing solar products, which, absent extensive due diligence, have a high likelihood of containing inputs made with forced labour in China. The report suggests that without rigorous standards and mechanisms for monitoring international renewable energy supply chains, many countries could be importing solar panels that were produced using forced labour, an issue that has been widely overlooked in recent years. For example, New Zealand currently has no laws or regulations managing the risks of modern slavery in supply chains. However, many other powers have adopted some form of modern slavery legislation, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia. Some countries have acted by restricting the flow of goods from certain regions of China. The U.S. blocked over 1,000 shipments of solar energy components worth hundreds of millions of dollars between June and November 2022 in response to a law banning imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about slave labour. However, in the U.K., the Labour government has recently been accused of turning a blind eye to slavery when it comes to the import of solar panels from China. In March, ministers ordered the Labour Party to remove legal protections to stop the purchase of solar panels manufactured by forced labour in China by state-owned Great British Energy. The current protections state that the body must not spend money on solar or other materials where supply chains had credible evidence of modern slavery. The U.K. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said that British consumers need not worry that solar panels used by the government have been made by Uyghur people in China. However, critics say the removal of the protections leaves the supply chain open to forced labour. Meanwhile, the Labour government said addressing modern slavery within the system was a priority. With such a heavy dependence on China for the supply of solar panels, and other high-demand components required for renewable energy projects, there is a rising concern about forced labour in the supply chain. Instances of modern slavery have been found to be prevalent in certain regions of China, and there has often been a lack of transparency on Chinas side of the supply chain. This suggests that unless countries that import Chinese renewable energy components set strict import and supply chain standards, the solar panels driving the global green transition may have been produced using forced labour. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com By State Representative E. Werner Reschke Newsletter excerpt Taxes Galore It has been full time job standing in opposition to all the new Democrat tax proposals the new bottle deposit tax, tire tax, private insurance tax, increasing gas tax, income taxes and higher taxes on beer and wine. Apparently Democrat legislators in Salem do not yet think you pay enough in taxes. They seem to believe you are their legislative ATM, where they can go to get more money. I disagree. The dirty little secret is that Oregons General Fund & Lottery Funds budget are expected to grow by nearly 10%, without any new tax increases during the next budget cycle. Key Pointthis increase amounts to over $2 billion in new tax revenue for the state. Sadly, Democrat politicians say they need more. The real problem with any state budget shortfall is not because we dont pay enough tax revenue; instead, it is how the money collected is spent by the majority party. Repeal The Wildfire Map Repealing the Wildfire Map, created by SB 762 in 2021 has been a major emphasis of mine this session. SB 83 does that and more. You can read my letter to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire encouraging the passage of this important legislation to right the wrongs caused by bad legislation. Standing For Life During March I testified in opposition to the SB 1003, a bill expanding Oregons assisted suicide law. I also testified in support of designating October 9th as Oregon Youth Suicide Awareness Day (HB 3643). Finally, I was able to participate in the Oregon Right To Life forum with my friend and colleague, Representative Court Boice. Estate Tax As Vice Chair of the House Revenue committee I continue to push for reform to Oregons Estate Tax policy. Currently, Oregon has the most punitive estate tax in the nation. What this means is that heirs of an estate in Oregon, including those modest by todays standards, often have to pay unexpected taxes on their inheritance. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com A Tesla dealership in downtown Portland was targeted by protests that raised concerns for the safety of its employees. According to Koin 6, 27-year-old Davis Nafshun attended a protest against Elon Musk near the dealership, where he reportedly aimed a green laser pointer at people inside the building. The situation led the police to respond to a call from the Tesla dealership located at 4330 South Macadam Avenue, which reported that protesters were outside, with one individual pointing lasers at employees. Using a high-power laser pointer to shine light into someones eyes can cause permanent vision damage. This is why all laser pointers carry warnings advising against shining them at people. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that lasers with more than five milliwatts of power can cause long-term damage and even permanent blindness. Furthermore, the longer the laser is aimed at the eye, the greater the risk of injury. Oregon has become a significant hotspot of anti-Elon sentiment, with multiple incidents of attacks on Tesla dealerships. It is crucial to seek federal support to address the increasing threats and acts of violence within the state. Contribute online at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty). (Photo kudos to PDX Citizen, KOIN TV) By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Yesterday was a national protest against President Trump. Several were held in various cities in Oregon. One person brought a guillotine while another touted that the President and Elon Musk are the real terrorist. One woman was arrested by Portland Police for keying an emergency fire & rescue vehicle just like protesters are keying Tesla vehicles nationwide.. Although it was mostly peaceful among the thousands who attended, these sign still represent a violent element that shows up and is tolerated and for which you do not see in other political protests. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Mae Carol Jemison was the first black woman to travel to space. Credit: NASA For the first time since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight in 1963, a spacecraft will embark on a mission with only women aboard. Blue Origin's all-female space flight crew, which includes popstar Katy Perry, is set to take off this spring. Jeff Bezos' crew is assembled from successful and well-known women, also including television presenter Gayle King, producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and journalist Lauren Sanchez. Promotional material for the flight, claims that Perry "hopes her journey encourages her daughter and others to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively." The glamorous optics of this spaceflight are supposedly designed to encourage women to strive for their dreams. The glossy narrative tells others that they can be just like these extraordinary women. Yet, behind this aspirational ideal, there is a more problematic story regarding successful women in science and their roles in public. My Ph.D. research examines memoirs written by women astronauts. They construct appealing depictions of women who are successful and exceptional. But in practice their success stories are nigh on impossible for ordinary women to emulate. This is epitomized in astronaut Catherine Coleman's reaction to wearing a spacesuit designed for men. In her 2024 memoir, she wrote: "Most of the time, I took the approach that if the suit didn't fit, I would simply wear it anywayand wear it well. Wear it better than anyone expected." As this quote shows, women who have traveled to space tend to construct themselves as having worked exceptionally hard to deny the norms of what is expected of them and to offset systemic biases. From the outset of her memoir, Coleman emphasizes that she's always had to be an "exception" from the rest of humanity, which feels alienating. But she also consistently suggests that her life was destined to be this way. "Space felt like home to me," she says, tacitly acknowledging that she was always meant to be there. Jemison, who was the first African American woman in space, also expresses this sense of destiny in her 2001 memoir. "I perched quietly, looking out of the windows on the flight deck," she writes. "Strange, but I always knew I'd be here. Looking down and all around me, seeing Earth, the moon, and the stars, I just felt like I belonged." The crew set to board the Blue Origin flight want to be storytellers in the same way that women astronauts are in their memoirs. But the well-known members of its crew are a reminder that hard work is only part of this particular storyfortune and privilege also play a part. Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle. In her 2021 memoir, she details the pressures and expectations of working in a male-dominated field. She found that it exacerbated already tricky decision-making and the need to perform critical actions correctly. When she says "current and future women pilots are counting on me to do a perfect job up here," she exemplifies the harsh scrutiny that women astronauts are often subject to when they are the first of their gender. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Behind the cover The issue with popular scientific memoirs is that they are consistently marketed as honest and truthful works. These books promise to reveal who the astronaut actually is, but they are, in fact, carefully curated images of the women they portray. So while they intend to motivate and inspire others, the memoirs don't always do so in a totally honest way. This draws a parallel with the Blue Origin flight. Perry discusses her space flight. Many of these narratives seek to rewrite past stereotypes of scientists while also functioning as a response to the contemporary appetite for memoirs that reveal the interior emotional world of their subjects. For example, Kathryn Sullivan discusses "wrestling" with visceral "pangs" of pain at being unable to launch her mission due to technical issues. This concept reflects why there is a fevered public expectation that the Blue Origin flight crew will embark on a perspective-shifting journey and experience "deep emotions from space." While current coverage surrounding the launch frames it as a celebration of collective advancement, the people comprising this spaceflight crew do not reflect most women. If the Blue Origin mission is to be a lodestar for a universal feminist narrative, using women's spaceflight as a measure of progress, then it should also be considered in tandem with the incongruities and uniqueness of women's experiences. Ultimately, it is important to move away from narratives that inform us that science, spaceflight and success are only synonymous with fame and exceptionalism. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: River Wye, Herefordshire. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Once voted the UK's favorite river, the River Wye flows from the Welsh mountains to the Severn estuary150 miles through an officially recognized "national landscape." But this idyllic picture is changing, as the river is gradually choked by waste from industrial chicken farming. The Wye is perhaps the most extreme example, but the nearby River Severn, the UK's longest river, is also at risk, along with rivers in places such as Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Yorkshire. In the land that feeds into these rivers, millions of chickens are being reared in intensive units to supply supermarkets with cheap meat and eggs. But all those chickens produce vast amounts of manure which can end up in the rivers. This floods the river with excess nutrients, causing algal blooms to flourish. The algae blocks out sunlight and consumes oxygen, which kills other creatures in the water. For instance, the number of Atlantic salmon passing through the River Wye each year has plummeted from 50,000 in the 1960s to less than 3,000. The problems caused by chicken farming have led to legal action against US food company Cargill and its subsidiary Avara Foods (both firms deny the allegations). Meanwhile, food outlets including Nando's have denied sourcing their products from polluting farms. Described as a "dying river" in a Channel 4 News report, in 2023 the Wye's conservation status was downgraded by Natural England to "unfavorabledeclining." Measures to deal with excess nutrients have led to so-called nutrient neutrality policies. These prevent new developments that would cause a net increase in nutrients. But the knock-on effect is that development (including housebuilding) may be blocked. Much of the River Wye flows through the English county of Herefordshire. There, the council, exasperated by the failure of these plans to reverse the decline, took the unusual step of controlling the pollution through planning laws. Its Minerals and Waste Local Plan declared that any new chicken farms must demonstrate that the manure would be properly managed and the project would overall be nutrient neutral. That would form part of an environmental impact assessment during the planning process. This was unusual because agricultural activities are not usually subject to planning control and what you do on your farm is generally regulated by non-planning statutory regimes. So, the step taken by Herefordshire Council was unusual and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) challenged it in court. What was also new, was the categorization of manure as "waste." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Is manure 'waste?' Agriculture mainly gets a pass on waste controls. Fecal matter (including chicken manure) is not treated as waste in law as long as it does not harm the environment or endanger human health, even though it is not the farmers' primary product. A farmer breeds chickens for meat and eggs, but chickens also produce manure. But that manure can still be useful as a fertilizer, for energy or as compost. So far so good. The problem comes when that by-product is not managed carefully and it ends up polluting rivers. So should it be defined as wasteand therefore subject to strict controlsor treated as a valuable byproduct and managed as a commodity just like the eggs? The answer is: it depends. Case law indicates that the test for whether the manure would be waste is whether it can harm the environment. In the High Court case, the NFU argued that agricultural activities should not be subject to planning controls and that manure should not be treated as "waste." In effect, its argument was that the economic endeavors of farmers should outweigh the additional environmental protections introduced by the council. The judge did not agree with the NFU. She said that chicken manure could indeed be waste and the council could control it through the planning regime. Symbolic slurry This is a symbolic battle between those tricky pillars of sustainable development: economy, society and environment. In any planning case, the elements need to be balanced and one will dominate over the others. Housing for people? Industrial development for economic growth? Industrial farming for (cheap) food? Protecting the river and its ecosystem from pollution? Every decision made represents a trade-off. As the courts move to prioritize protecting the environment, the UK government is favoring economic growth. Its Planning and Infrastructure Bill plans to replace individual environmental impact assessments with broad-based "environmental delivery plans" produced by a government body (not the developer) but funded by developers. These delivery plans will set out conservation measures addressing the environmental impacts of development. They might focus on protected species or habitats or on issues like nutrient neutrality. But there is no shortage of plans already in the government armory. Environmental Improvement Plans were set up by a previous government. Among these, the Wyescapes landscape recovery project is aimed at developing "sustainable, future-proof business models working with nature along the floodplain." The River Wye nutrient management plan aims to halt nutrient pollution. The River Wye action plan aims to stop the decline of the river system by making the catchment a pilot for transforming how manure is managed. However, as the judge in the NFU v Herefordshire Council case said, all the evidence demonstrates that these plans have so far failed to stop the decline. This left the council to implement drastic and immediate action. The NFU is considering an appeal. But the council's win at the high court may be in vain when government proposals outlaw the requirement for individual environmental impact assessments. It remains to be seen how effective the new government ideas on protecting the environment will be. For now, it appears that anything that blocks development is not a government priority. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A man lies on top of a car amid rising floodwaters in Kinshasa. Heavy downpours in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa have killed around 30 people while wreaking havoc across the central African megacity, an official told AFP on Sunday. After the rain poured down overnight from Friday to Saturday, rising waters devastated several outlying and impoverished suburbs of the metropolis of some 17 million people, with some residents forced to navigate the streets by canoe. "There are many wounded who have been evacuated and for the moment we are in the 30s for the number of dead," Patricien Gongo Abakazi, Kinshasa's provincial minister of public health, told AFP. The victims either drowned or were killed when the walls of their homes collapsed, the doctor added. The rising waters have paralyzed much of the haphazardly urbanized capital, cutting off traffic on National Road 1, Kinshasa's main thoroughfare, which leads from the city center to the airport. "At around 2 pm, we suddenly noticed that the water was rising in the plot, and it just kept getting higher. As a precaution, we took the children to flee, as it was difficult to get through," said Orline, a resident of the Masina commune in the east. Paddling in canoes In the eastern Debonhomme district, waters swallowed up dozens of cars, forcing some residents to swim or paddle in dug-out canoes, AFP journalists saw. A man helps two women wade through the floodwaters in Kinshasa. Some victims were trapped in the upper levels of their homes after water invaded their ground floors. "The water has reached 1.5 meters (five feet) high. We have just managed to save ourselves, the rest is trapped in our homes," said Christophe Bola, a resident of the Ndanu quarter in Limete commune. Flooding caused huge traffic jams in a city where chronic congestion is the norm. Several residents told AFP journalists they were angry at what they saw as a tardy and inadequate reaction by the authorities. Neighboring Kongo-Central province was also hit by the deluge. Flooding frequently proves deadly in Kinshasa, which sits on the banks of the Congo River, Africa's second-largest, after the Nile. Poor maintenance and inadequate sewerage systems have left drainage pipes blocked by rubbish in many poorer neighborhoods. AFP journalists saw dozens of cars submerged in the floods. The flooding caused mass traffic jams. Kinshasa is regularly prone to flooding. Those living in makeshift shacks and quarters with unpaved streets are especially at risk. In 2022, at least 120 people were found dead in the capital after downpours caused landslides and flooding. Central Africa has been grappling with extreme downpours and thunderstorms since Thursday, notably in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Some 6.9 million people in west and central Africa were affected by torrential rains and severe flooding in 2024, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 2025 AFP SOUTH GLENS FALLS Presumptive Democratic candidate for NY-21, Blake Gendebien held a town hall at the Moreau Community Center Friday as he continued his bid to take Elise Stefaniks seat in the House of Representatives. My name, again, is Blake Gendebien, Im the Democrat running to replace Elise Stefanik, he said, interrupted by raucous applause. Whenever that may be, he added. Since officially launching his campaign in December 2024, Gendebien has been running as the presumptive candidate should a special election be called to replace Stefanik following her nomination for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. President Donald Trump, however, pulled his nomination of Stefanik on March 27, citing a narrow margin of Republican control in the House. There is speculation that Trump may re-nominate Stefanik for the ambassadorship once the so-called reconciliation bill is voted on, which would allow Republicans to extend the expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with a simple majority. If that happens, and she resigns her seat in the House, the special election would be back on and Gendebien would remain the Democratic candidate as selected by the 15 Democratic county chairs for NY-21. If Stefanik retains her seat until the midterm elections in 2026, then he would need to run a wider primary race and earn the Democratic vote at a caucus. Either way, Gendebien said hes still in it to win it. Were playing to win; were not playing not to lose, he said Friday. Gendebien took questions from the crowd spanning topics such as tariffs, kowtowing to big budget donors, immigration reform, and upholding the Constitution. Throughout his campaign, Gendebien has sought to paint himself as someone who would represent both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. With my experience with my community in Lisbon, with people that voted for Donald Trump and Elise Stefanik; I care about them too, he said. And that is a good thing because we probably agree on 90% to 95% of things in the center of the road. The gambit may be working. Prior to the start of the event, two self-described conservatives and Stefanik supporters, who asked to remain anonymous, said they came to hear for themselves what Gendebien had to say. All Americans need a voice and Ive been listening to some of his interviews and following him on Twitter, so Im just curious. One person said, adding that they were dubious of his credentials as an upstate farmer. Just more information about him and how he feels he can represent NY-21. The other added that they felt it was important cross over party lines and hear from the people on the other side of an issue. Its important to learn something from the other side; their perspective and ours maybe we can meet [in the middle] later on, they said. One of the reoccurring points made by Gendebien was his desire to seize on the current political moment where it seems that voters on both sides of the aisle are becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with some of the lines being crossed by the Trump administration. Some of my best friends voted for Trump three times and we can have a dialogue about what we agree on and what we dont agree on. Why cant the country do that, he posited. When asked whether he thought the momentum of his campaign had anything to do with Stefaniks de-nomination, Gendebien said he couldnt say for sure, but hes thankful to have some more time on the campaign trail. I dont think you can ever go wrong by trying to make life better for New York-21, and if that resulted in momentum for our campaign, Im very proud of that, he said. One thing that was a relief, is Im now going to have time to plant my own corn and soybeans, which Im very happy about. More than 500 people rallied against the actions of the Trump administration in Hamilton on Saturday, April 5. The event featured a march and rally where speakers, like Montana Democratic candidate Monica Tranel, talked to attendees about how the Department of Government Efficiencys (DOGE) funding cuts and layoffs as well as the Trump administrations newly enacted tariffs are impacting the Bitterroot Valley and the rest of the country. The Hands Off protest was organized by the Bitterroot chapter of the grassroots political organization, Indivisible. Becky Peters, chair of the Bitterroot chapter thanked participants for their support at the event saying, You guys did it. Indivisibles mission statement on their website states, Were a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda. When the rally began at 11 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 and Main Street, all four corners of the crosswalk were packed with protesters waving flags, holding up signs, chanting slogans and marching around the area. While the purpose of the rally was mainly focused on criticizing and spreading awareness about the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiencys (DOGE) federal cuts and layoffs, there was a wide range of messaging among protesters. This is an opportunity for our local citizens to express their dissatisfaction with whats going on in Washington and showing our neighbors, who may not agree, what our thoughts are, said Bitterroot Trout Unlimited President David Ward who was waving a Hands off Education sign at Saturday's rally. Ravalli County resident and veteran Pat Tucker said that the protest was an important opportunity to voice opposition for federal layoffs at Rocky Mountain Labs (RML) and the Bitterroot National Forest. Just from an economic standpoint, this valley is dependent on federal dollars and federal workers, Tucker said. Im also an avid backpacker and hiker and Im very fearful of what's going to go on with our public lands. Chair of the Ravalli County Democrats Linda Schmitt, who helped organize the event, told the Ravalli Republic that the event turn-out was extraordinary. This is over the top and I think its a matter of how upset and angry people are at the administration's policies, Schmitt said. This is a conglomeration of young and old were here to support federal workers and say, 'hands off our social security and our public lands.' Its pretty huge. The rally stayed around downtown Hamilton for an hour before marching from the corner of U.S. Highway 93 and Main Street to the River Street Dance Theater on Second Street. At the theater, speakers from different backgrounds addressed a crowded audience (amplifiers were set up outside of the auditorium so that the large crowd that still couldnt fit in the building could hear). Youre all here protesting, Tranel said to those in attendance. Im gonna ask each one of you, before the day is done, to commit to taking some action in a way about a thing that you care about. What is it? Is it science? Is it research? Is it ag? Is it public health? Is it our vets? Is it our public schools? Lets be the people that build something because anybody can destroy. Anybody can knock something down. Thats the work of two-year-olds. Its not the work of the greatest nation in the world. Tranels speech was received with thunderous applause by the audience. We know how to fix this problem, Tranel said in her speech. Its not that hard. We start taxing the people who are paying nothing! Tranel compared the current actions of the federal government to those of Nazi Germany and asked people to continue peacefully protesting and speaking up against them. Were in Germany, 1934. Thats where we are, Tranel said. The moment thats being gained is real and every one of us has to speak out and speak up and show up and have the courage, know that courage is contagious. Another speaker, former RML scientist Dr. Kim Hasenkrug told members of the audience that RML was under attack by the Trump administration. Rocky Mountain Labs and the entire National Institute of Health (NIH) is under attack by the Trump administration, DOGE and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Hasenkrug said. All new research has been completely stopped at Rocky Mountain Labs and NIH." Hasenkrug said that important research being done at RML was in jeopardy because of federal cuts, freezes and layoffs, citing the labs research on bird flu as an example. The threat of a bird flu pandemic is real and looming, Hasenkrug said. Senior veterinarians at the FDA working on the bird flu were illegally fired. Bird flu is one of the infectious diseases being studied at Rocky Mountain Labs. Hasenkrug explained that RML was a significant economic proponent of the Bitterroot Valley and that layoffs adversely impacted the Bitterroot economy. In 2023 Montana businesses and business entities received $231.8 million dollars in additional outcome from the presence of Rocky Mountain Labs, Hasenkrug said. As of this week, RML has lost at least 40 people. The remaining staff has been discredited, disrespected and discouraged from being in public service. The dishonorable bullies holding the reigns of power seek to elevate themselves by tearing down the value of our federal workers. But what theyre really doing is demeaning all Americans and diminishing the well earned respect we once held in the eyes of the world. The rally wrapped up at around 2 p.m. and organizers thanked attendees for their support and encouraged them to continue being active. Get involved, start calling, do all that, Peters said to audience members. Get out there and be ready to work. Cancun police confirm finding of dismembered body inside suitcase Cancun, Q.R. Residents out for a morning walk came upon a dead body found in garbage bags. The incident happened Saturday morning in SM 66 just before 8:30 a.m. Police were sent to 18th Street and 10th near the area known as El Crucero where they verified the finding. Municipal Police officers reported finding a suitcase containing black bags with the remains of a person. The area was cordoned off by police. Personnel from National Guard and the Mexican Army arrived to reinforce perimeter security. Authorities have not provided details surrounding the finding. It is not known if the victim is male or female, but reports say the deceased is between 30 and 35 years of age. Theres one day Wayne Amos rues greatly: Oct. 2, 2024. Thats the day the Roanoke real estate agent took his 2014 Mercedes sedan to Jiffy Lube on Peters Creek Road for an inspection and oil change. Amos is a repeat Jiffy Lube customer. According to Jiffy Lube records, hes been taking his Mercedes there as far back as 2018. For most of that time, Amos lived in South Roanoke, and he took the car to the location on Franklin Road for state inspections, but not oil changes. There, he never had a problem, he said. Last year Amos moved to north Roanoke County, and the Peters Creek Jiffy Lube was closer to his new home. So in October, he took it there. And for the first time, Amos had Jiffy Lube change the oil and the canister-type oil filter. Including the inspection, the bill was $159. Amos, 80, paid it and drove away. The mileage 77,569 was relatively light for a 10-year-old car. Over the next 14 weeks, Amos drove the car 1,590 miles, or a little more than 100 miles per week. But on Jan. 7, he noticed a big problem. His C300 sedan, parked outside his home, wouldnt start. The engine wouldnt even turn over. All of the lights on the dash came on, Amos said. But that was it. He called Berglund Automotive, where hed bought the car, and two others. On Jan. 8, Berglund towed it to their Franklin Road location. And then on Jan. 9, Amos got bad news in a phone call from a service adviser at Berglund, Caylin Valentine. Valentine told Amos his cars engine was locked up. The canister-type oil filter Beglund found in the Mercedes was the wrong filter, Valentine told him, and it had come apart, Amos said. Pieces of the broken filter got into the Mercedes engine, Amos said. The engine had to be replaced or the car junked, Amos said Valentine told him. For the next few days, Amos pondered whether to fix the car or buy a new one. He said Berglund told him a new Mercedes engine with a warranty would cost in the range of $15,000 to $16,000. The dealership might be able to save him $2,000 or so, Amos was told, by installing a used engine rather than a new one. But a used engine would come with no warranty. Amos asked Valentine to look for a used engine. The first 16 days his Mercedes was in the shop, Amos rented a car from Enterprise. That set him back $1,311. At the end of January, Berglund loaned Amos a Mercedes until his was fixed. Amos ended up driving the loaner for nearly a month. And he emphasized he has absolutely no complaint with service or personnel at Berglund. Theyve been fantastic, Amos said. In particular, he called Valentine amazing. Valentine was still looking for a used engine on Jan. 28. Thats when Amos wrote a letter to Jiffy Lube on Peters Creek Road, and sent it via the U.S. Postal Service. He copied Jiffy Lube customer service in Houston, Texas. (Since 2002, Jiffy Lube has been a subsidiary of oil giant Shell, which in 2024 posted profits totaling $23.7 billion.) I am asking that Jiffy Lube contact Kyle Schroers, Service Consultant, or Caylin Valentine, Service Adviser to look at the damage, Amos wrote. He included Berglunds phone number and Valentines business card, which included his email address. They have also done a video of the damage to my car, Amos noted. I am expecting Jiffy Lube to bear the responsibility and cost of replacing the damaged engine as soon as possible. On Feb. 4, Valentine notified Amos that hed found a good used engine. But Berglund required a deposit of $3,500 before the dealership would order it, Valentine noted. Amos paid the deposit. Then on Feb. 10, Amos got a call from Tony Smith at Jiffy Lube. Smith told Amos hed received the letter Amos had mailed. Smith told Amos his regional manager needed to see an itemized repair estimate. Amos obtained the itemized repair order from Berglund, which was dated Jan. 25. He emailed it to Smith. Amos said Smith confirmed receiving it on Feb. 12. The used Mercedes engine arrived at Berglund two days later, on Feb. 14. Berglund installed the used engine on Feb. 17. However, it would not start. As it turns out, the starter was damaged when the engine blew, Amos said. Berglund replaced the starter for $578. They skipped the normal labor fee, which was $750. Amos picked up his finally repaired Mercedes from Berglund on Feb. 22. The repair total was $15,740.17. That included the used engine, installation, a new starter and a $645 brake job that had nothing to do with Amoss bad engine. To afford the dealerships bill, Amos had to get cash advances on two credit cards. That cost him $533 in interest, he said. Including that and the Enterprise rental but excluding the brake job Amos figures hes out $16,938. Thats what he wants Jiffy Lube to pay. But on March 4, he got a call from Luke Underwood, Jiffy Lubes regional manager, who denied Amoss claim. To Amos, Underwood disputed Jiffy Lube used the wrong oil filter. He told Amos even if that happened, the engine would have seized up far sooner than 3 months and 1,500 miles later. (When Amos relayed that news to Valentine, Valentine told him it was bull excrement.) Amos contacted me. I reached out to Jiffy Lube with questions. The answers came from Underwoods supervisor, Adam Tatum. Tatum acknowledged Jiffy Lube received Amos claim letter Feb. 5, as well as the Jan. 25 itemized repair order. Why wont Jiffy Lube cover the repair? In this particular case, we were only notified of an issue AFTER the repair had already been authorized and engine removed from the vehicle, Tatum responded. Jiffy Lube should have been contacted immediately If there were any questions about quality of the workmanship or products in the service. They knew this on 1/9/2025, per Mr. Amos written statement. Recall, Amos authorized Berglund to look for a used engine prior to Feb. 5, but the dealership didnt get it until Feb. 14 and the original engine in Amos car wasnt removed until Feb. 17. Thats 12 days after Jiffy Lube was notified of Amoss seized engine. The next question: When did a representative of Jiffy Lube examine the destroyed engine? The answer to that was never. Tatum responded: We were never given a proper way of examining the engine. By the time that we were made aware of the issue, the car was already in the process of being repaired. Once someone said that it was a failure, we should have been notified before any further action was taken. Tatum also disputed that Jiffy Lube put the wrong oil filter in Amos car. Tatum added: If the service center and management are given a notification of an issue, we would have went out to the vehicle, gotten documentation, in writing, from the repair facility, and if determined it was a product failure, we would have reached out to supplier to loop them in and let them take over, as it was a product failure, not a workmanship issue. None of this was given before authorization of dismantling and replacement was given by customer. According to Tatum, Jiffy Lube was aware of the issue Feb. 5. The original engine wasnt removed from the Mercedes on Feb. 17. The interim was nearly two weeks. In this case, we have no documented proof of a workmanship issue, only a verbal, from customer, assertion that dealership says the filter failed, Tatum said. That is not a Jiffy Lube issue, it would be a product issue. We were unable to do any investigation in a timely manner prior to repair being authorized. In December, Berglund repaired a problem with the Mercedes steering-column lock. The invoice notes Berglund at that time also provided a free multi-point inspection. Theres no mention on the invoice of any oil-filter issue. Caylin Valentine declined to talk to me, citing Berglund Automotive policy. So I reached out to William Farrell, who runs Berglund Automotive. Last week, Ferrell looked into the situation with Amos car. After the Mercedes was towed into Berglund, Farrell said, technicians there found its engine oil was dark and burnt and had metal debris it. The oil filter, Farrell added, was an aftermarket filter that was not supposed to go in that engine. The aftermarket filter partially blocked oil from getting to the engine, which starved the flow of oil and burned up the engine, Farrell said. Its very important to use the right parts in these cars, Farrell noted. Farrell added: We havent had any contact with Jiffy Lube about the car. Amoss old engine is still at the dealership, waiting for someone at Jiffy Lube to come look at it, if they care to. At this point, Amos is thinking about taking the matter to small-claims court. He told me the next time he needs an oil change, hell get one someplace other than Jiffy Lube. Considering he went almost $17,000 in debt to fix a car he believes Jiffy Lube damaged, its no wonder why. How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Jessica and Rich here. Its anonymous! Dear How to Do It, I have been with my boyfriend Keith for a little over a year. Recently he started viewing porn featuring cum shots on womens faces. The other day he asked if I would be OK with letting him do this to me, and I said no. He said that was fine. He just wanted to run it by me so he knew where I stood on it. Later that night when I was blowing him I disengaged momentarily to say something to him, and he let loose all over my face. Keith claims he has gotten it out of his system and it will never happen again, but Im furious he did this despite my telling him I was uncomfortable with it. This is the only time hes ever done something I didnt approve of. Should I give him another chance, or is this a deal breaker? Unpleasantly Surprised Dear Unpleasantly Surprised, Theres no ambiguity hereKeith specifically asked if he could ejaculate on your face, and you definitively told him no. He did it anyway, and he didnt even pretend that it was an accident. He deliberately went against your stated wishes. I dont want to foist verbiage on your situation, but one could easily make the case that what your boyfriend did constitutes sexual assault, and depending on where you are in the world, it might be considered just that legally. You have every right to be furious. Furthermore, I dont believe Keiths story that hes now gotten this thing that he so wanted out of his system. Even with the best of intentions and strong wishful thinking on his part, it strains credulity. When you get cum out of your system, its only a matter of time before another load is knocking at the door begging to be set free. It is true that he may never do it again, especially if you made your fury known, but if he did do it again, well, it would be hardly surprising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cant tell you whether or not you should give this guy another chanceyou have to weigh the pros and cons here and Im not privy to the totality of your relationship. You, however, are. People do mess up, forgiveness is vital to a happy life, and a hard dick is often a terrible moral compass. But it is at minimum disturbing that he would so flagrantly ignore your clearly stated boundaries. If you do decide to give him another chance, let him know that its the final chance. He screwed up once, he has no more shots. Call it an ultimatum if you wish. If this is a dealbreaker for you, that would make sense too. You havent been in this relationship for so long that enduring such a major transgression is guaranteed. Either way, a very serious conversation with Keith is in orderdont let him get away with sweeping it under the rug with out of my system nonsense. Be direct and firm. Stick to your word and let him know you mean it. Advertisement Get advicesubmit a question! Please keep questions short (<150 words), and dont submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication. Thanks! Your question has been submitted. Dear How to Do It, * Your letter signoff Your pronouns Your email (optional and confidentialplease include if you're open to How to Do It following up) Submit Dear How to Do It, Im a recently divorced woman in my late 40s with two teenage kids. My husband and I met and married very young, and for the last five years of our partnership had been a largely sexless marriage. Now Im closing in on 50 with limited sexual experience and knowledge of how the world works today. The only way I know how to be comfortable having sex with someone is through the buildup of a relationship. Ive never had a one-night stand or even a casual hookup, and I have trouble with the pace and forced banter of the apps. But I dont want a relationship right now, I just want to have fun and have some sex! How can I work through this old baggage and restart my life? All the Single Ladies Dear All the Single Ladies, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to correct a possible misconception in your reasoning: It is totally OK if the only way that you get comfortable enough to enjoy sex is by having it with someone youre in a relationship with. It could just be that youre demisexual (that is, someone who experiences sexual attraction only after forming emotional bonds) and all of the baggage-dropping in the world wont make one-night stands any more satisfying for you. To be clear, you arent necessarily demisexual, and perhaps with experience youd learn to love a fleeting fling, but I want to impress on you that you dont have to change who you are and, furthermore, that may prove to be extremely difficult if not impossible. But Im all about growing and living outside of ones comfort zone. As you implicitly acknowledge in your letter, the easiest and fastest way to facilitate easy and fast sex is via apps. Apps are not the only way but they are extremely reliable methods to achieve your stated goal. For the sake of results, it might be worth withstanding some discomfort/distaste with the aspects of apps that you dont particularly enjoy. Otherwise, I think you tell yourself that youre open to these casual experiences and make that your mindset. Approach every vaguely social situation as a possibility for connection that could lead to sex. Resolve to flirt with people that you find attractive. Understand that youre playing a long(er) game and it may take a while before circumstance puts someone youre into in front of you. Be patient. You can make this process less randomized by being around people who are also looking for connectionspeed dating, bars that attract singles, local activities. If you have swingers or sex spaces near you, you might go to see what you think. That could be overwhelming, though, especially given where you are now with casual sex so consider carefully and avoid situations that are going to scare you away from your goal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If all your searching leads you to the reality that anonymous-ish hook-ups arent for you, thats great. You will have tried and learned. Dont think less of yourself for not being into what so many claim to be. Youll find your groove, and it may not look like anyone elses. And thats OK. Send Us Your Questions About the Workplace! The columnists behind our new advice column, Good Job, want to help you navigate your social dynamics at work. Does your colleague constantly bug you after hours? Has an ill-advised work romance gone awry? Ask us your question here! Dear How to Do It, Im a 27-year-old woman. Ive been with my boyfriend since high school. Hes very good to me, and for me. We both had abusive parents, and Im not sure if we would have survived our adolescence without each other. We stuck it out long distance for a while in college, and then moved back in together, and were doing all right. Advertisement But, Ive only been with one other guyanother high school boyfriend before I started seeing him. I want to see whats out there, and I feel like I missed out on something when I was in college and my peers were hooking up casually and I wasnt. I dont think my boyfriend would ever agree to opening the relationship up, though. I love him, I would never want to hurt him. Advertisement More than that, I owe him a lot. I feel like Im betraying him even having these thoughts, but I really do want to see whats out there, even if its not as good as what he gives me. How do I do this? How do I keep my sanity and self-respect here? How do I not hurt this wonderful man? Hauling Baggage Dear Hauling Baggage, Advertisement Advertisement Firstly, you are not betraying him y by having thoughts of sexual exploration. Your desire to taste other fruit and your love for him can be mutually exclusive. Neither negates the other, and both are valid. Until he tells you that your desires are threatening or hurtful to him, you wont know for sure, so dont psych yourself out before a much-needed conversation on this matter occurs. And even if he were to reject you and your desires, they would still be OK. The reason this is a much-needed conversation is that you dont think he would ever agree to opening the relationship up, which means that you dont actually know. You need to find out that information yourself. You should also come to the table with a good idea of what you want, as well as flexibility that will honor his sensitivities. There are many different ways to conduct an open relationship, and many different agreements to strike. Maybe he wont like the idea of you hooking up solo but will be amenable to playing together. Maybe he has an interest in sex/swingers clubs that he hasnt mentioned. Maybe hes had very similar thoughts as you but has convinced himself that you wouldnt ever agree to opening up and is, like, you remaining quiet. You wont ever know until you try. I would frame this as something you do together. After all, if you want to branch out in terms of partners, the only way youre going to be able to do that ethically and stay together is by opening things up. Your impulse to do so may be rooted in your desires, but a consensually non-monogamous arrangement would be for both of you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So talk to him and see what he thinks. Do not hold yourself back for fear of hurting him. You may still do so. Your words may shake him to his core. Soften the blow in your framing and by leading with how much you love him and appreciate what hes meant to your life. You want to hold onto him, right? Reconciling that with what you need is the goal here. Also, ideally youre in a relationship where you can discuss your desires openly. You cant keep this to yourself forever, right? And would you even want to be in a relationship where thats a requirement? Dont force yourself into one. Know that the opening-up conversation can actually comprise many conversations and that sometimes initial reluctance gives way to acceptance and understanding. Be patient, keep at it, and listen closely to what he has to say. Rich More Advice From Slate I have an ultra-hot gynecologist. Ive been having feelings for him lately, and I think theyre mutual. We havent done anything, but I have to go see him again in a few weeks for a check-up. I know this sounds like a Penthouse letter, but I cant help it: I want him. What should I do? https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/germany-will-hold-800k-troop-drills-to-prepare-for-russian-attack-1121746176.html Germany Will Hold 800K Troop Drills to 'Prepare for Russian Attack' Germany Will Hold 800K Troop Drills to 'Prepare for Russian Attack' Sputnik International NATO troops will gather in Hamburg in September to practice troop deployments to the Baltic states and Poland, local media reports. 2025-04-05T23:54+0000 2025-04-05T23:54+0000 2025-04-06T03:55+0000 world russia-nato showdown military drills nato forces russia boris pistorius https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0a/1c/1120704957_0:168:3072:1896_1920x0_80_0_0_7f7b973bf773dfe46e1e4d4e02149bb1.jpg Germany's army, the Bundeswehr, will hold massive military exercises in September involving NATO soldiers to practice a scenario of an allegedly possible "Russian attack," with up to 800,000 servicemen to take part in them, the Bild newspaper reported.The drills will be held in Hamburg for three days and will be dubbed Red Storm Bravo, the scenario is a Russian attack on the West, the publication says.According to the publication, the exercises will be aimed at practicing the operational transfer of NATO troops to the Baltic countries and Poland, in which Hamburg, which has a "strategically important port," will play a key role.German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously stated that Germany should prepare for a possible war with Russia by 2029.Russian President Vladimir Putin previously explained in detail in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson that Moscow was not going to attack NATO countries, there is no point in this. The Russian leader noted that Western politicians regularly intimidated their people with an imaginary Russian threat in order to distract attention from domestic problems, but "smart people understand perfectly well that this is a fake."Recently, the West has increasingly voiced ideas about a direct armed conflict between the alliance and Russia. The Kremlin, however, noted that Russia did not pose a threat, did not threaten anyone, but would not ignore actions that are potentially dangerous to its interests. In addition, in recent years, Russia has noted NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders. The alliance is expanding its initiatives and calls this "containment of Russian aggression." Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the buildup of the Alliance's forces in Europe. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow remained open to dialogue with NATO, but on an equal basis, while the West must abandon its course toward militarizing the continent. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240719/russian-missiles-off-alaska-how-moscow-can-respond-to-us-short-sighted-euromissile-plans-1119434040.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato drills against russia, is nato russia ready for war with russia, nato warmongering, germany militarization, german army now https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/chinese-maritime-police-force-japanese-boat-out-of-disputed-islands-area--statement-1121747457.html Chinese Maritime Police Force Japanese Boat Out of Disputed Islands Area Statement Chinese Maritime Police Force Japanese Boat Out of Disputed Islands Area Statement Sputnik International The Chinese Maritime Police have driven off a Japanese fishing boat from the area around disputed islands in the East China Sea, spokesman for the China Maritime Police Bureau Liu Dejun said on Sunday. 2025-04-06T09:21+0000 2025-04-06T09:21+0000 2025-04-06T09:21+0000 asia china japan east china sea https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107791/14/1077911451_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_67ebeb7f1fe05f1434bce6a163ac3143.jpg On April 5-6, a Japanese fishing boat illegally entered Chinas territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands, Lu said on WeChat, adding that the Chinese Maritime Police ships took all necessary measures, made a warning and drove off the boat. The spokesman stressed that the Diaoyu Islands are Chinas territory and called on Japan to immediately stop all the illegal activities in the area. China and Japan continue to have a territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands (also known as Senkaku Islands). After World War II, the islands were controlled by the United States and then handed over to Japan in 1972. Beijing disagrees with the decision, pointing out that the islands were marked as Chinese territory on Japanese maps from 1783 and 1785. The conflict escalated in 2012 after the Japanese authorities bought out five islands from a private Japanese owner. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250402/chagos-islands-archipelago-at-the-center-of-a-strategic-competition-for-control-of-the-indian-ocean-1121730579.html china japan east china sea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china disputed are, china japan disputed, china sea dispute https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/europes-russophobia-circus-is-war-mongering-covering-over-the-eus-cracks-1121750342.html Europes Russophobia Circus: Is War-Mongering Covering Over the EU's Cracks? Europes Russophobia Circus: Is War-Mongering Covering Over the EU's Cracks? Sputnik International The German military is due to hold large-scale drills to practice a scenario of a possible "Russian attack, the latest move in a series of Russophobic actions and remarks by Western politicians. 2025-04-06T15:17+0000 2025-04-06T15:17+0000 2025-04-06T15:17+0000 world russia https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/04/06/1121750077_0:0:3218:1810_1920x0_80_0_0_b382a22709c30e274cd97336de55910c.jpg Europe's Top Russophobic Warmongers Germany: The country must take steps to be ready for a possible war with Russia, which has long ago shifted to a military economy and continues to arm itself, Defense Ministry Boris Pistorius argued.Britain: The UK should get ready for war as Russian President Putin is trying to redraw the map and is going to test the boundaries of NATOs Article 5, former head of MI6 Alex Younger alleged.France: Russia endangers the entire EU, which is why Paris would begin discussions about the possibility of placing the bloc under the protection of French nuclear deterrent forces, President Emmanuel Macron claimed.Poland: "We have no doubt that Russia is dangerous so we consistently strengthen the Polish Armed Forces, equipping it with modern weapons, former Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak insisted.The EU: Russias actions are a clear and present threat to the security of the EU, and to the stability of the European continent. We must stand firm against Russia's attempts to undermine our democracy and sovereignty, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asserted.Why is Europe Stoking Up Russophobic Tensions? The apparent goal is to distract attention from the EUs persistent economic woes and justify the blocs push to boost its defense spending.With EU members still at odds with each other over a raft of pressing issues, Russophobia seems to be the only thing that unites them. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250117/russophobia-erases-polands-memory-of-soviet-sacrifice-in-wwii-1121449106.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg german military, russophobic actions, https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/former-pentagon-advisor-cautions-us-against-increasing-military-presence-in-the-middle-east-1121747197.html Former Pentagon Advisor Slams US Buildup in Middle East, Warns of Historical Fiascos Former Pentagon Advisor Slams US Buildup in Middle East, Warns of Historical Fiascos Sputnik International Former Pentagon advisor and retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor on Sunday warned Washington against US military power buildup in the Middle East. 2025-04-06T09:19+0000 2025-04-06T09:19+0000 2025-04-06T09:47+0000 world douglas macgregor us pentagon middle east https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/03/18/1121682674_0:133:2553:1569_1920x0_80_0_0_515e08000cd7435109ebe3452d39ad51.jpg On Tuesday, the Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the US will deploy additional air assets along with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group to the US Central Command's area of responsibility, including the Middle East. Since March 15, the United States has launched dozens of strikes at Houthi-controlled northern and central Yemeni regions, including the capital of Sanaa. US President Donald Trump ordered decisive military action against the Houthis after they renewed attacks on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea in response to the blockade of the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, The Daily Mail reported, citing unnamed senior Israeli officials, that the US and Israel were preparing to launch a strike on suspected nuclear sites in Iran to eliminate the perceived threat posed by the country's nuclear program. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/top-5-military-facilities-that-could-flip-global-power-balance--1121745049.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us military buildup, us mideast military presence, us power projection, us military presence mideast https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/houthis-claim-attack-on-uss-harry-truman-us-warships-1121746312.html Houthis Claim Attack on USS Harry Truman, US Warships Houthis Claim Attack on USS Harry Truman, US Warships Sputnik International Shia movement Ansar Allah, which rules northern Yemen, attacked warships in the northern Red Sea, including a supply vessel for the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. 2025-04-06T00:59+0000 2025-04-06T00:59+0000 2025-04-06T03:59+0000 world houthi movement ansar allah war on yemen yemen uss harry truman us central command (centcom) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/0f/1117340561_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_bf5fdf91f577c78a3db73e88c0f938a0.jpg "Over the last few hours, the missile and UAV forces, with the participation of the naval forces, clashed with a number of these warships in the northern Red Sea, including the American aircraft carrier 'Truman' with a number of cruise missiles and drones," the Houthi military spokesman said in a statement.As Saree noted, the movement struck a supply vessel for the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman.Since March 15, the United States has launched dozens of strikes at Houthi-controlled northern and central Yemeni regions, including the capital of Sanaa. US President Donald Trump ordered decisive military action against the Houthis after they renewed attacks on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea in response to the blockade of the Gaza Strip. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250402/houthis-essentially-eliminated-us-carrier-group-from-asia-without-having-to-fire-a-shot--report-1121732869.html yemen Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us war on houthis, houthis attack us warships, can us win in yemen, can houthi destroy us aircraft https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/israel-detains-two-british-parliamentarians-1121746439.html Israel Detains Two British Parliamentarians on Official Visit Israel Detains Two British Parliamentarians on Official Visit Sputnik International Israeli authorities confirmed they had barred two British parliamentarians from entering the country, claiming they planned to spread "anti-Israel rhetoric." 2025-04-06T03:06+0000 2025-04-06T03:06+0000 2025-04-06T04:10+0000 world israel israel-gaza conflict united kingdom (uk) uk labour party uk parliament https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/04/0f/1094802201_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_1cdb55ced88cd9a9d7479a55c67af19e.jpg Labour MPs Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang were banned from entering Israel after questioning revealed that the purpose of their visit was "to document Israeli security forces and spread hateful rhetoric against Israel," the publication said, citing the authority.As noted, during questioning by local law enforcement agencies, the British lawmakers claimed that they arrived in Israel together with two assistants as part of an official delegation from the British parliament. According to the newspaper, the politicians arrived in Israel from the English city of Luton.At the same time, the publication emphasized that none of the Israeli departments confirmed the arrival of such a delegation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240919/netanyahu-accuses-uk-labour-govt-of-undermining-israels-ability-to-defend-itself-1120199582.html israel united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uk-israel relations, israel-uk relations, does uk support israel, anti-israel rhetoric, pro-palestine politicians in the uk https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/ukraine-attacks-russias-energy-infrastructure-7-times-over-past-day-despite-moratorium--1121747842.html Ukraine Attacks Russias Energy Infrastructure 7 Times Over Past Day Despite Moratorium Ukraine Attacks Russias Energy Infrastructure 7 Times Over Past Day Despite Moratorium Sputnik International The Ukrainian armed forces have carried out seven attacks on Russian energy facilities in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. 2025-04-06T11:17+0000 2025-04-06T11:17+0000 2025-04-06T11:17+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis ukraine russian defense ministry terrorism https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/04/1113929892_0:189:2970:1860_1920x0_80_0_0_899e5c29b4a22d171d3f551638c3b356.jpg In the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces have carried out seven attacks on Russian energy infrastructure facilities, the ministry said in a statement. From Saturday to Sunday, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked energy facilities in Crimea, Bryansk, Rostov and Voronezh regions, the ministry specified. On April 6, Ukraines UAV attack damaged low pressure overhead steel gas distribution pipeline "Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Voronezh, the ministry said. The ministry also said that Kiev did not stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure even for a day, despite announcing alleged compliance with the agreement under which Russia and Ukraine are supposed to stop attacks on each others energy infrastructure. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250329/uk-and-france-unable-to-accept-defeat-in-ukraine-1121709567.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukraine attacks energy infrastructure, ukraine energy attacks moratorium, ukraine energy attacks https://sputnikglobe.com/20250406/why-is-macrons-plan-to-deploy-uk-and-french-troops-in-ukraine-doomed-to-fail-1121748556.html Why is Macrons Plan to Deploy UK and French Troops in Ukraine Doomed to Fail? Why is Macrons Plan to Deploy UK and French Troops in Ukraine Doomed to Fail? Sputnik International The French presidents ambitions are mainly based on his desire to become the boss of the EU, retired French Army Colonel Jacques Hogard told Sputnik. 2025-04-06T12:06+0000 2025-04-06T12:06+0000 2025-04-06T12:06+0000 us united kingdom (uk) france donald trump emmanuel macron deployment ukraine troops analysis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/04/06/1121748367_0:86:3072:1814_1920x0_80_0_0_ef6abef074497dd1decd2a4e3ffd4102.jpg The deployment of UK and French forces in Ukraine seems "unfeasible for political, diplomatic, strategic, and practical reasons," Hogard pointed out.Russia, for its part, would not accept the deployment and would "consider it a casus belli," according to the expert. "However, there remains one factor that is difficult to predict: the blindness and stubbornness of Macron, whose mental and psychological balance seems very fragile to me," Hogard concluded. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250405/macrons-plans-to-send-french-troops-to-ukraine-are-recipe-for-disaster-1121745710.html united kingdom (uk) france ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International french president, deployment of uk and french forces in ukraine, moscow-washington relations, uks and frances military resources The horses in the $20,714 Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday, April 5 couldn't beat the rain or Melanion N ($4.90) either as he romped to a 3-3/4 length victory over Stranger Things in 1:56.1. When the 12-program started, the track was listed as fast under cloudy conditions but the moderate showers moved in before the feature, causing the track to be downgraded to good. The change in weather and track conditions didn't bother Melanion N, however, who just returned to New York after a three-race stint at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Assigned to the seven post in the eight-horse field, Melanion N (Drew Monti) was parked and needed more than the opening quarter mile to clear to the front. But once reaching the point, Melanion N cruised through splits of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:27.3. Heading down the lane, Melanion N faced no challengers as the biggest battle was who could get the minor spoils. Stranger Things (Shawn McDonough) took second place honours while Villiam (Joseph Chindano Jr.) snagged third. Owned by Dr. Michael Miller and trained by Maria Rice, eight-year-old gelding Melanion N (Bettors Delight-Georgias Jury) scored his second win in eight seasonal outings. His earnings moved to $34,061 on the year and to $175,105 in his career. Live harness racing will continue on Wednesday, April 9 at 2:30 p.m. with an 11-race program scheduled. (with files from Buffalo) Shark Week found himself in somewhat unfamiliar territory on Saturday, April 5 at Century Downs. The seven-year-old standout faced the starting gate for the second straight week on Saturday, and that's been fairly rare for Shark Week as of late. The last time he raced twice in eight days came at the end of August 2024. For reference, those starts came on Aug. 24 and Aug. 31. His Aug. 24 start was his first start in nearly a month, and while he was victorious in 1:53.1 (over a track rated good) the win margin was just three parts of a length. The next week, over a fast track, Shark Week was vicious, uncorking a season's best 1:50.4 score where the margin of victory was seven lengths. Fast forward to April 5, 2025, and Shark Week was one of the five horses entered in the $16,000 Preferred Handicap at Century Downs. Shark Week was sent off as the 2-5 choice after coming from off the pace over a muddy surface one week ago to win by a half length in 1:57.1. Once again, a sharper Shark Week showed up and showed off. A field of five was scratched down to a quartet, but the mile was all Shark Week from pillar to post. Driver Mike Hennessy pointed Shark Week to the top from the four hole and played catch me if you can with his three rivals. There was no catching the son of Vertical Horizon - Shark Gone Bad on this occasion: his :26.3 opening quarter was followed by a :56.2 half and 1:25 third quarter where he repelled the challenge of Mercedes (Brandon Campbell). In thge stretch, pocket-sitting Samba Beat (Phil Giesbrecht) angled for a possible late bid but that threat was quickly extinguished as Shark Week sprinted home in :28 for the 1:53 decision. Samba Beat stayed for second, 1-3/4 lengths back with General Custard (Dave Kelly) rounding out the top trio. Rod Hennessy of Strathmore, Alta. trains and co-owns Shark Week along with Lorne Duffield of Edmonton, Alta. The win for Alberta's 2024 Older Pacer of the Year was his 53rd lifetime and lifted his bankroll just shy of the $450,000 mark. He returned $2.90 to those who backed him to win. For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing just outside of Calgary, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs. (Standardbred Canada) His driver claimed he had to shake off some cobwebs, but it didnt appear that way in the Saturday, April 5 pacing feature at The Meadowlands, a $32,143 high-end conditioned pace, as Dexter Dunn guided Macs Delight to victory lane in 1:51.1 over the 'good' track. Im a bit rusty, but picked some good ones tonight and they did the job, said Dunn, who took home the trophy for the Dan Patch Driver of the Year for the fifth time in six years at the conclusion of 2024, of his two-win night in his first night back driving after a four-month vacation. Things panned out rather well for Dunn and Macs Delight, who delivered for the chalk players as the 3-5 public choice. Primary Colors (Jason Bartlett) blasted away from the gate to grab the lead around the first turn. Captain Crusader A (Todd McCarthy) was right with the leader while 5-2 second choice Southwind Gendry (David Miller) made his way toward the lead racing on the rim. Macs Delight found a comfy spot in the four-hole as Captain Crusader A hit the quarter in :27.2. In search of a third straight score, Southwind Gendry made the top just after the three-eighths and reached the half in a rated :56.3, but he couldnt deal with Primary Colors, who popped out of three-hole and sprinted past Southwind Gendry in a flash as Macs Delight followed incredibly live cover. Primary Colors had the lead on the far turn and was timed at three-quarters in 1:24.4, but Dunn must have loved his chances from there as the leader gave way in mid-stretch as he steered Macs Delight to an easy two-length win for trainer Tom Cancelliere. Primary Colors held second with Surfside Beach (Jordan Stratton) third. It was a good drive to pick up, said Dunn. Obviously, hes in good form and we got out of there pretty well and got a good helmet to follow around that last turn. It worked out perfect. Macs Delight, a five-year-old gelding by Bettors Delight out of Michelles Pride, registered his 17th lifetime victory from 52 starts while upping his lifetime earnings to $337,642 for owner John Cancelliere of Clark, New Jersey. He paid $3.40 to win. Making his pari-mutuel debut on North American soil, Irish import Always B Colour IR thrilled his legions of fans with an easy wire-to-wire win in the fifth race, and in the process, became the fastest pinto horse in history after stopping the clock in 1:52. A pinto is a horse or pony of various breeding that is marked with patches of white and another colour, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary website, but the definition doesnt do justice to just how striking one of these horses are up close. Driver Lauren Tritton blasted away from the gate with the four-year-old son of Always B Miki-Mamma Said on the way to a 2-1/2-length score. The winner is trained by Laurens husband, Shane. In Saturday's top trot, a $35,714 Winners Over Handicap, Jeff Cullipher trainees Resolve To Win and Outside The Fire were neck and neck at the wire in 1:52.3. Resolve To Win, a five-year-old chestnut son of Resolve and Sensual Hall, prevailed for Jason Bartlett in a new lifetime mark over his 3-2 favoured stablemate, driven by Todd McCarthy, with pacesetter Sea Can and Dunn finishing 3-1/2 lengths behind in third. Pollack Racing owns the top two finishers. Bartlett led the driver colony with three victories on the card to get back within six winners of Brett Beckwith, who leads the Big M standings with 51 walks down victory lane. Michael Posner and Jeff Cullipher each had a pair of victories to top the trainers. There were no winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of just over $5,000 for Friday night. The winners' odds for the sequence were 4-1, 2-1, 3-5, 5-1, 3-5 and 47-1/32-1. Those with five correct collected $30.34. All-source handle on the 14-race card totalled $3,186,996 USD. Racing resumes on Friday at 6:20 p.m. (With files from Meadowlands Racetrack) Well, I had to ask Grok who John Rollins was. I mean, I immediately just thought of Henry Rollins. Grok said: John W. Rollins Sr. (19162000) was an American entrepreneur who rose from poverty in Georgia to become a wealthy businessman, founding companies like Rollins Truck Leasing and Rollins Inc. A self-made millionaire, he befriended Johnny Cash, bonding over their humble roots. In the 1960s, Rollins bought Cinnamon Hill, a historic Jamaican estate, selling it to Cash in the early 1970s as a retreat. Cash owned it until 2003; Rollins widow Michele repurchased it in 2012. A philanthropist and Delawares Lieutenant Governor (19531957), Rollins left a legacy of success, generosity, and a unique friendship with Cash, cemented by their shared haven. Well, I didnt even know I needed a house in Jamacia until now. Although they were best friends, my father tended to defer to John Rollins in subtle ways in conversation, due to Johns greater age and vaster wealth and his ability to genially command the world around him to bend to his ideas and plans. I cannot think of another person, apart from his own father, to whom my father responded in that particular way. I adored John Rollins, who was a superb raconteur with a refined sense of irony, and truly a self-made man. As a boy, he had studied obituaries in the newspaper to find when a funeral was taking place so he could unobtrusively slip into the family wake and get a free meal. Although by 1976 he was one of the richest men in the country, he and my father would try to out-poor each other at the dinner table with stories of their childhoods of abject poverty. The Cowlitz Community Farmers Market is not returning to a downtown Longview parking lot on Tuesdays this spring because of what organizers say were dwindling sales and an often dirty lot, in addition to possible new city fees to host the event. The Mi Familia Swapmeet, on the other hand, has moved from the Lower Columbia College parking lot this season to the section of Broadway Street in front the Longview City Hall, and organizers dont foresee unreasonable charges coming. Im pretty confident the city will come back with a solution where everyone be happy, said swap meet leader Omar Mares. Last month, the Longview City Council held a workshop reviewing how to streamline charges for events, including possibly adding new fees like a security deposit. No decision was made at the March 6 workshop. Todd Boze, president of the Rotary Club of Longview, said he understands the citys need to generate revenue, but hopes fee changes would not be so high that the noon edition Rotary events like Squirrel Fest and Crafted Beer and Food Festival would be affected. Boze described Crafted as a fundraiser for Rotary community projects like scholarships for local students and donations to area nonprofits, while Squirrel Fest is a free community event. The projected $1,000 event application fee from the city could impact how much Crafted raises, he added. HOW TO CONTACT THE CITY People can request help from the city online at www.mylongview.com/593/ASK-Longview or through the Ask Longview app. Issues to be addressed range from potholes that need filled to graffiti removed. Staff will respond with how the issue can be solved if it is not within the city's scope. But the city is helping. Mares with the swap meet said Longview is not charging to close Broadway Street, but is requiring organizers place road closure signs during their Saturday and Sunday hours slated to run through the fall. With LCCs planned construction for its new vocational building in the markets previous site, Longview city leaders suggested using the part of Broadway in front of City Hall. The city also did not charge the farmers market to set up in the the 12th Avenue and Hemlock Street parking lot, and local businesses agreed to provide restroom access for the event, city spokesperson Angela Abel said. City Manager Jen Wills recently suggested keeping the part of Broadway closed throughout the summer, allowing the farmers market, or other events, to use the space. Farmers market Still, Cowlitz Community Farmers Market Manager Laurie Kochis said she and the nonprofits board are worried about paying. Particularly because she said event organizers often had to clean the lot behind Stylemasters College of Hair Design including picking up human feces. People would often dig through the alleys dumpsters, sometimes screaming during the market, Kochis added. The market was held in the parking lot in 2023 and 2024. Kochis said the local business nonprofit The Downtowners suggested the recent move and the market followed because Tuesday sales at the fairgrounds were low. However, Kochis said last years sales were dismal, so they are headed back to the fairgrounds where theyve held a Tuesday market for more than 30 years. The Tuesday market is set to open on May 6, while the Saturday market kicks off April 19, both in the parking lot across from the Cowlitz County Event Center. This year, the Tuesday hours have changed to noon to 6 p.m. to attract people leaving work, Kochis added. Kochis said the market has been running since 1979 because it provides an essential service food and all of its profits go back to running the event. Cowlitz Community Farmers Market WHERE: The parking lot across from the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds at 1900 Seventh Ave., Longview. WHEN: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday beginning April 19, noon to 6 p.m. every Tuesday beginning May 6 through the fall. INFO: www.cowlitzfarmersmarket.com The market, however, is charged at the fairgrounds. Kochis said vendors pay 1% of gross sales each year to the event center, which is better equipped for the market because it has running water and vendors can easily pull up in the vehicles to sell products. Plus, the site is clean. Kochis said she and the board are appreciative of the city providing the lot, but the market cant afford the possibility giving up a piece of its tiny, tiny pie. Abel said other conversations to help the market may have occurred during previous Community & Economic Development Director Ann Rivers tenure, which current staff isnt aware of. She suggested organizations reach out to the city to help solve future problems. Moving forward, our goal is to be a strong partner for community events, and were always happy to work with organizers to find solutions that support their needs, she said in an email. Swap meet Mares said he loves the swap meets new spot, and hopes other events in nearby R.A. Long Park can work in conjunction with the Broadway swap meet. I think the new location is great, he said. Mares, who grew up in east L.A., said he has fond memories of shopping at Southern California swap meets, which pack hundreds of vendors and is where he bought all his clothes and school supplies growing up. He aims to create the same atmosphere locally an affordable place for people to shop and vendors to set up. He said he charges $25 for most vendors, and $30-60 for food vendors, keeping the prices the same over the events five years. Mi Familia Swap Meet WHERE: Outside Longview City Hall, at 1525 Broadway St. WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through the fall. INFO: Mi Familia Swapmeet on Facebook The event has moved from Lakewood, Washington to Chehalis to Kitsap County due to construction and permit issues, he said, but brought the event to Longview because its his home. He lives in the Willow Grove area and his wife works at LCC. He said he doesnt foresee leaving unless complicated fees or rules are implemented. Our goal is to be able to stay here in the city of longview, he said. Xi Focus: Planting trees to fortify China's "green assets" Xinhua) 09:10, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) - Picking up a shovel, Chinese President Xi Jinping joined children, officials and local residents in planting trees on a riverbank in the nation's capital Beijing this spring, following a tradition that he has kept as the country's top leader for 13 consecutive years. "Voluntary tree planting is a nationwide initiative that must be carried on for generations," Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Thursday at the tree planting site. He called for strength to be pooled to build a beautiful China and make the country even greener through afforestation efforts. Xi's resolute commitment to planting trees has inspired Chinese citizens -- government officials and regular folk alike -- to engage actively in China's afforestation initiative and support the nation's green transformation and ecological conservation efforts. China designated March 12 as National Tree Planting Day in 1979, and launched a nationwide voluntary tree-planting campaign in 1981. Thanks to decades of perseverance in its afforestation, China is at the forefront of global efforts to green the planet, contributing approximately a quarter of the world's new green areas since 2000. "Increasing green coverage is to bring greater development strengths, and planting trees is to plant the future," Xi said at last year's tree-planting activity, calling for continued efforts to enrich the country's "green assets." Xi understands the key role a sound ecological environment plays in supporting China's long-term development, and has long been concerned about land restoration and afforestation. When working in east China's Fujian Province, he inspected Changting County, a mountainous area that was once plagued by severe soil erosion, on five separate occasions to strengthen soil erosion control work. "In general, China's forest resources are still scarce, and its ecological system remains vulnerable," Xi said when taking part in another tree-planting activity in Beijing in 2013. In 2017, Xi gave instructions on the Saihanba mechanized forest farm in Hebei Province, the world's largest artificial plantation, and praised the "miracle" of afforestation achieved by local workers. He visited the farm's forest rangers four years later, urging efforts to sustain the site's role as an ecological shelter. Xi's thought on ecological civilization is guiding the country toward a green future, with expanded forest coverage, an improved living environment and a more sustainable path for the economy. The country now boasts a total forest area of 283.7 million hectares, with forest coverage exceeding 25 percent of its total land area -- up from 12 percent in the early 1980s. China is also home to the world's largest total human-made forest area. In 2024 alone, China planted 4.45 million hectares of trees and improved 3.22 million hectares of grassland. The ecological environment keeps improving, a fact that has been directly and tangibly felt by the people, Xi noted on Thursday. While attending the planting activity in 2019, Xi planted a magnolia tree in a forest park in Beijing's Tongzhou District. In the 1990s, the site was surrounded by a chemical plant and various polluting enterprises, but its environment has improved since the local government began relocating these factories in 2018. Many more places in China have also seen their living environments improve. Up to 43.32 percent of built-up areas in Chinese cities have been covered by vegetation as of last year, with per capita park space reaching 15.65 square meters. In the early summer of 2023, Xi visited a state forestry area in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to learn about the progress of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), the world's largest afforestation program, which tackles desertification in northwest, north and northeast China. For the survival and development of humanity, it is a must to prevent and control desertification, Xi stressed during his visit. By 2050, the program's afforestation area is projected to encompass over 4 million square kilometers across 13 provincial-level regions, accounting for 42.4 percent of the country's total land area. It is also estimated that roughly 15 million people in the areas covered by the TSFP have risen out of poverty by developing forestry and fruit cultivation industries, as planting trees also brings economic gains and greener development. "Afforestation should deliver more benefits to the people," Xi said at Thursday's event, stressing the need for a greater emphasis on improving forest management and the ecological quality of grasslands, and on promoting relevant industries. Xi highlighted the concept of a "green GDP" in 2021, when he joined lawmakers to deliberate issues of national importance at China's annual "two sessions" meetings. During the discussion, Zhou Yizhe, a forest farm worker from Inner Mongolia, shared his story of transitioning from a logger to a forest ranger. The farm he was working at had completely abandoned timber production, shifting its focus to environmental protection. He said that more wild animals were appearing on the tree farm, and research has shown that the ecosystems of the forests and wetlands there have become a source of wealth. "Maintaining a good ecological environment is of enormous value," Xi said on the occasion. Last year, the output of China's forestry and grassland industry totaled 10.17 trillion yuan (about 1.42 trillion U.S. dollars), and its eco-tourism sector saw 9.1 percent year-on-year growth in tourist numbers. In addition to conserving water, driving economic benefits and increasing grain output, forests also serve as carbon sinks, according to Xi. On the back of the country's persistent tree-planting efforts, the annual carbon-sink capacity of China's forests and grassland has exceeded 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, ranking first globally and providing a strong and green boost to the global combat against climate change and environmental degradation. In response to the World Economic Forum's global tree-planting campaign, China in 2022 announced that it would plant 70 billion trees within a decade while strengthening its forest carbon sinks and improving the conservation of its existing forest resources. While acknowledging China's remarkable afforestation progress, Xi on Thursday cautioned that the country's total forest and grassland resources as well as the benefits they deliver remain insufficient in terms of amount and quality. The country should make more efforts to effectively address prominent issues and do even better year on year in this regard, Xi said. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) (TBTCO) - Trong khi cac thong tin chinh thuc van ang uoc lam ro, tuyen bo moi tu phia My ve chinh sach thue oi voi hang hoa Viet Nam ang uoc gioi chuyen gia va nha au tu theo doi sat sao. Theo anh gia ban au, Viet Nam van co the tiep tuc duy tri loi the canh tranh trong chuoi cung ung va thu hut dong von au tu nuoc ngoai. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. President Donald Trump on Friday said he will sign an executive order to keep TikTok running in the U.S. for another 75 days to give his administration more time to broker a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership. The order was announced as White House officials believed they were nearing a deal for the app's operations to be spun off into a new company based in the U.S. and owned and operated by a majority of American investors, with China's ByteDance maintaining a minority position, according to a person familiar with the matter. But Beijing hit the brakes on a deal Thursday after Trump announced wide-ranging tariffs around the globe, including against China. ByteDance representatives called the White House to indicate that China would no longer approve the deal until there could be negotiations about trade and tariffs, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive details of the negotiations. Congress mandated that the platform be divested from China by Jan. 19 or barred in the U.S. on national security grounds, but Trump moved unilaterally to extend the deadline to this weekend, as he sought to negotiate an agreement to keep it running. Trump recently entertained an array of offers from U.S. businesses seeking to buy a share of the popular social media site, but China's ByteDance, which owns TikTok and its closely held algorithm, publicly insisted the platform is not for sale. But on Friday it became uncertain whether a tentative deal could be announced after the Chinese government's reversal of its position complicated TikTok's ability to send clear signals about the nature of the agreement that had been reached for fear of upsetting its negotiations with Chinese regulators. Trump instead announced he would sign an executive order to extend a 75-day pause on the ban that was set to go in effect Saturday. The near-deal was constructed over the course of months, with Vice President JD Vance's team negotiating directly with several potential investors and officials from ByteDance. The plan called for a 120-day closing period to finalize the paperwork and financing. The deal also had the approval of existing investors, new investors, ByteDance and the administration. The Trump administration had confidence China would approve the proposed deal until the tariffs went in effect. Trump indicated Friday that he can still get a deal done during the 75-day extension. "My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress," Trump posted on his social media platform. "The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days." Trump added, "We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal." A spokesperson for ByteDance confirmed in a statement that the company has been discussing a "potential solution" with the U.S. government but noted that an "agreement has not been executed." "There are key matters to be resolved," the spokesperson said. "Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law." TikTok, which has headquarters in Singapore and Los Angeles, has said it prioritizes user safety, and Chinas Foreign Ministry has said Chinas government has never and will not ask companies to collect or provide data, information or intelligence held in foreign countries. Trumps delay of the ban marks the second time that he has temporarily blocked the 2024 law that banned the popular social video app after the deadline passed for ByteDance to divest. That law was passed with bipartisan support in Congress and upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court, which said the ban was necessary for national security. If the extension keeps control of TikToks algorithm under ByteDances authority, those national security concerns persist. Chris Pierson, CEO of the cybersecurity and privacy protection platform BlackCloak, said that if the algorithm is still controlled by ByteDance, then it is still controlled by a company that is in a foreign, adversarial nation-state that actually could use that data for other means. The main reason for all this is the control of data and the control of the algorithm, said Pierson, who served on the Department of Homeland Securitys Privacy Committee and Cybersecurity Subcommittee for more than a decade. If neither of those two things change, then it has not changed the underlying purpose, and it has not changed the underlying risks that are presented. The Republican presidents executive orders have spurred more than 130 lawsuits in the little more than two months he has been in office, but his order delaying a ban on TikTok has barely generated a peep. None of those suits challenges his temporary block of the law banning TikTok. The law allows for one 90-day reprieve, but only if theres a deal on the table and a formal notification to Congress. Trumps actions so far violate the law, said Alan Rozenshtein, an associate law professor at the University of Minnesota. Rozenshtein pushed back on Trumps claim that delaying the ban is an extension. Hes not extending anything. This continues to simply be a unilateral non enforcement declaration, he said. All hes doing is saying that he will not enforce the law for 75 more days. The law is still in effect. The companies are still violating it by providing services to Tiktok. The national security risks posed by TikTok persist under this extension, he said. Vitus Spehar, who runs the TikTok account @UndertheDeskNews, said that although they benefit from the extension, they are concerned about the precedent Trump has set for directing his Department of Justice to not enforce laws passed by Congress. Id like to see a bill passed to repeal the ban, and an end to this back and forth once and for all, they said. The extension comes at a time when Americans are even more closely divided on what to do about TikTok than they were two years ago. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they werent sure. Among those who said they supported banning the social media platform, about 8 in 10 cited concerns over users data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report. Terrell Wade, a comedian, actor and content creator with 1.5 million followers on TikTok under the handle @TheWadeEmpire, has been trying to grow his presence on other platforms since a ban was threatened in January. Im glad theres an extension, but to be honest, going through this process again feels a bit exhausting, he said. Every time a new deadline pops up, it starts to feel less like a real threat and more like background noise. That doesnt mean Im ignoring it, but its hard to keep reacting with the same urgency each time. He is keeping up his profile on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook in addition to TikTok. I just hope we get more clarity soon so creators like me and consumers can focus on other things rather than the what ifs, he said. AP Business Writer Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this story. FULL BLOWNS music isnt made for one time of year. You can listen to it at the gym, the office, the bedroom, on rainy days, during break-ups, and as a pick-me-up. In a genre driven by the cyclical rush to Carnival, the Hart brothers are among a growing group of deliberate outliers. Theyve always made music that lives beyond the season. That very philosophy inspired their latest single, Castaway. A PRIVATE contractor is dead after an accident in Tobago. Police have identified the victim as Darryl Figaro of Black Rock, Tobago. He died on Wednesday after falling from a ladder while working at a private villa. An autopsy of Figaros body yesterday at the Scarborough Mortuary determined injuries were consistent with a fall, and it ruled out foul play. The body was previously identified by the victims daughter. FLASHBACK: President Christine Kangaloo poses for a photo with Mark Loquan after he was awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last September. Photo courtesy the Office of the President Facebook page. My wife and I are in our sunset years and have been trying to deal with the many issues of our health, so our doctors have been giving us prescriptions for medication which is needed to try to control our health issues. We would normally go to distributors of the various medications that are prescribed, and purchase two months supply at any one time. Alas, we no longer can do this because of the recent ruling by the respective Government agencies, and now have to purchase these medications from registered pharmacies. A Tucson was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder after a man was shot dead Saturday morning in his house on the city's south side, police said. Dirk Barret Prather, 34, is accused in the fatal shooting of Clayton Moore Bishop, 44, Tucson police said in a news release. Bishop was staying temporarily at Prather's house on West 21st Street near South Sixth Avenue, the release said. Bishop was found shot in the head about 10 a.m., police said. He died later at the hospital. Prather told a neighbor that he shot a homeless man in self defense. He also claimed Bishop "confessed to a lot of murders," according to an interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court. Prather said he and Bishop were drinking alcohol the night before and at some point Bishop pulled a knife and was "atgonizong" him with it before putting the weapon away, the complaint said. Prather also claimed to have been on "a lot" of Adderall. "Today, with Clayton, I just woke up and basically shot him in the back of the head because there was some bad bad bad vibes," Prather told an officer. Prather was booked into the Pima County jail on a $1 million bond. PHOENIX The Arizona House is set to vote as early as this week on whether to eliminate state funds for universities and colleges that offer courses on diversity, equity and inclusion. It comes as lawmakers in the chamber seem unable to agree on exactly what is DEI and what could lead to the potential for a school to potentially lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of a single course that is considered offensive. And it comes against the national backdrop of Republican President Donald Trump issuing edicts about what materials and even what phrases will put institutions at risk of losing their federal funding. Most recently, that led the U.S. Naval Academy to remove nearly 400 books from its collection, with officials there saying they want to ensure compliance with all directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president. Even just the threat of lost dollars has some institutions scrambling, with the University of Arizona eliminating the phrase committed to diversity and inclusion from its statement acknowledging that it sits on the lands of Indigenous peoples. Arizona law already bars the use of gender and racial preferences in hiring and promotion in public agencies. This proposal by Sen. David Farnsworth to tie state funding to eliminating DEI courses goes farther. The Mesa Republican, who is taking education courses at a community college, said he was surprised at what he found in some required reading. He said that included references to hidden curricula that often reinforces the values of the dominant culture, meaning white, middle-class, heterosexual, English-speaking and Christian norms. Senate Bill 1694 would deny state funds to any institution that offers one or more courses that fit into that category of DEI. It contains an extensive set of definitions of what that would include. For example, off limits would be courses that relate contemporary American society to issues such as systemic racism, implicit bias, race- or gender-based diversity or race- or gender-based inclusion. Also forbidden would be anything that promotes the idea that racially neutral or colorblind laws perpetuate injustice and race-based privilege, including white supremacy or privilege. During House debate this past week, lawmakers focused on different sections. Rep. Alexander Kolodin, a Scottsdale Republican, cited language that bars state funding of colleges whose courses promote the differential treatment of any individual or group of individuals based on race or ethnicity in contemporary American society. He said the bill also would include any course that promotes the idea that a student is biased on account of that students race or sex. He called all that just common sense. Kolodin also noted it does not prohibit discussion of historical movements, ideologies or instances of racial hatred or race-based discrimination such as slavery, removal of Indians from their land, and the internment of Japanese-Americans. But thats not absolute: The measure does say those could not be taught if they violate the broader guidelines, like the ones talking about systemic racism, implicit bias and race-based privilege. Rep. Nancy Gutierrez said that still places limits on what can be taught and learned in courses like the ones she said this legislation effectively would ban. Consider, said the Tucson Democrat, the nature of running for the Legislature itself. Learning about others backgrounds makes us more respectful and well-rounded as a body, she said. Ditto, said Gutierrez, about being on a corporate board, or in a classroom. It benefits all of us as a state and a community to incorporate open-mindedness and understanding into academic programs where young people will be interacting with each other, she said. Rep. Cesar Aguilar, D-Phoenix, said the legislation amounts to erasing the very history that makes this country what it is today. All that comes back to a point Rep. Walt Blackman said he is trying to make about the lack of consensus, even among the people making the laws, as to what is DEI and what the state should and should not restrict. Blackman, the first African-American Republican elected to the state House, may have found some common ground with Democrats who see the measure as an improper state intrusion into academic affairs. He said anything that gives a preference based on race, gender or other basis is a bad idea, if for no other reason than it promotes the belief that someone got a job because of those factors. But he said what is taught about the state and nations history of racism and sexism should be left to school officials. I dont want someone hiring me just because I happen to be an African-American, Blackman said. I dont want someone in the background thinking The only reason why you got this job is because of the color of your skin. I want to be hired on my merits. But then theres the historical record. I was born in a time in 1965 where this was real and it was needed, and my family was discriminated against, he told colleagues. And I couldnt go to some hospitals when I was 6 and my parents were driving all night long to find a hospital because they would not take Black children or Black people. Now, he said, the question is whether some of the programs have outlived their usefulness and, in fact, are actually a drawback. Are we sending the wrong message to young people of color that your ethnic background is what gets you in the door? Blackman said. Or is it your heart, your desire to do that job? But while the legislation focuses on what can and cannot be taught with the threat of financial penalties on offending colleges and universities theres also the question of whether racism still exists or is simply some historical artifact. Rep. Quanta Crews said she can answer at least part of that from her own experiences. On one hand, the Phoenix Democrat told other lawmakers, she has never been given a job because she is Black. But then theres the other side of that. You see, Quanta, when she applies for a job, never gets an interview, Crews said. But Marie does. Thats her middle name. And Crews said thats why her resume includes only her middle name. She said that was true when she got hired as an appraiser with the Maricopa County Assessors Office. Like Kolodin, Crews also went to the language of SB 1694 to make her case. But she reached different conclusions of what it would mean. Consider, she said, prohibitions against relating contemporary American society to social justice. This country has a very rich history which includes good, bad, and very disturbing, including me not getting jobs because my name is Quanta, she said. It is racist not to hire someone, not to even give an interview to someone overqualified ... because of their name. Other lawmakers focused on their own interpretations of what the measure would do. One of the worries that I have about the way we are talking about race is that it either seems so big that somehow white people now have to feel guilty for everything that happened in the past ... or that Black people have to be disempowered by race, said Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, who supports the legislation. This is a conversation that has gone in the wrong direction. On that, Blackman agrees, which is why he is raising questions about whether to advance this measure in its current form. We need to have some hard conversations about this, he told Capitol Media Services in an interview Saturday. He said that means separating out the issue of equal and race-blind opportunity, which he supports, and restricting academic conversations on everything that came before, such as how Blacks like he and his family were treated. Universities should be a place where kids can go and grow and learn what they want to do, he said, calling dictating to teachers what the state wants them to teach counter-intuitive to what we look at as freedom and liberty. Blackman said this isnt an endorsement of what is being taught by all teachers in all classes, saying that he, like Farnsworth, has found some lessons to be inappropriate. However, Im a constitutionalist as well, he said. We cannot say that we believe in the Constitution and that we believe in freedom of speech and we believe in liberty and freedoms; however, we are limiting that as a government. That is what we left England for. But Rep. Lisa Fink said she finds no problem with eliminating what she called divisive curriculum. What were seeing is a decline in academic performance in the universities, the Glendale Republican said during the House debate. What DEI does is take the focus off of academics. Fink said in a separate interview she bases that on her belief that students who are graduating lack background in history and civics, something that makes them less prepared to teach. And beyond education graduates, she said some business officials have told her that graduates are not prepared for the jobs they need to fill. But Rep. Betty Villlegas questioned why anyone would want to block the teaching of diversity, equity and inclusion, things she said include opportunity, respect, inclusivity, fairness and collaboration. As a woman that has gone through many generations, I dont understand why people are so afraid of that term and so afraid about each others cultures, said the Tucson Democrat. Of note is that the only testimony against the measure came from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Arizona Students Association with no objections from the Arizona Board of Regents. Instead, regents spokeswoman Megan Gilbertson would say only that board members are working closely with lawmakers and the governors office on bills relating to our universities. But it may also be that the regents are counting on a veto from Gov. Katie Hobbs if and when the bill gets to her: The Democratic governor has a record of rejecting ideas that come to her with no support from members of her own party. Another issue is that the legislation lacks an apparent enforcement mechanism, with no detail on how a complaint can be made against a course and who adjudicates whether it runs afoul of the law. Farnsworth acknowledged there may be an issue and said if it becomes the law he likely would have to come back next year with some new provisions. Time to ditch the sweater in Tucson. Tucsonans could be dealing with near triple-digit heat by the end of the week, forecasters say. Mondays high is expected to be about 75 degrees. But the highs in Tucson escalate each day after that thanks to high pressure building over the state, the National Weather Service here says. How hot? The forecast calls for the high Thursday in Tucson to reach 97 degrees. Itll be 98 degrees by Friday. And it will dip to 96 on Saturday, the weather service says. Corey Jones Public Service Journalism Team Follow Corey Jones Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today After her statements conflicted with investigative findings, a former Skiatook police officer who faces a federal wrongful death lawsuit has altered a key piece of her story about crashing into a motorcycle as she chased its driver into a Tulsa construction site. The attorney for Michael Wade McKees widow alleges that contradictions and feigned lack of memory help prove Leianne Richards intent to harm the 50-year-old after he fled her attempted stop for speeding. Richards contends the wreck was accidental when she thought they were going to die and swerved to avoid an office trailer. The civil rights lawsuit accuses Richards of using excessive force to crash a helmetless McKee in an unreasonable chase prompted by traffic violations that should have been discontinued according to policy and a supervisors radio comments. The ex-Skiatook police officers driving behavior led to McKees death when Richards struck the upright motorcycle with McKee still on it, according to the Tulsa Police Department investigation. It happened in a roadway closed for bridge replacement work May 29, 2022, on South Peoria Avenue near 31st Avenue in Tulsa. However, Richards originally told detectives the motorcycle was on its left side and that McKee already had been ejected before her impact. Two and a half years later in a sworn deposition, Richards instead said the motorcycle was upright but maintained that McKee already had separated from his seat. Plaintiffs attorney Mark Lyons pressed Richards on Oct. 10 to explain how the motorcycle could be upright if McKee had already been thrown off before she struck it. I cant, Richards replied, according to the transcript. All I remember was seeing the back of the motorcycle, then I crashed into it. The TPD investigation documented extremely obvious evidence that McKee was upright on his motorcycle and at a slow speed when Richards hit the motorbike with her patrol SUV at 37 mph. The Ford Explorer pushed McKee and the Honda Goldwing into a 2-ton scissor lift. The investigation noted the crumpled motorcycle was wedged upright under the SUVs bumper. The Goldwing didnt have damage on either side to suggest that it had laid over. The outsole of one of McKees shoes was embedded in the bikes frame, while the rest of that shoe remained on his foot. No charges have been filed against Richards. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler told the Tulsa World that the case is better suited for resolution in civil court than criminal because there are aspects that clearly cut both ways. The facts of the case arent good for either party from my perspective, Kunzweiler said. Qualified immunity for motorcycle chase death? Transcripts of Richards police interview and lawsuit deposition were among a slew of court filings in February and March. Her attorney, Scott Wood, and the City of Skiatook each are requesting summary judgments when a judge decides a case before trial if the facts arent in dispute in their favor. Wood contends the reality is McKee put himself and Richards in mortal danger by fleeing and ultimately entering the construction site. Lyons argues Richards statements are a fairly shocking incongruity with what Tulsa police detectives found, therefore a jury should decide the facts. Wood told the Tulsa World that he thinks they will win the case on qualified immunity a judicial doctrine because there doesnt appear to be any prior case law on point with what happened that would have put Richards on notice that she was violating McKees rights. I just dont think it makes much sense to say it was an intentional use of force, because (Richards) went on a suicide mission, as well, Wood said. It was an unfortunate accident. And Im sure had Mr. McKee been thinking in his right mind that day, he would have stopped at some point before they traveled 17 miles and got to this area where the bridge was out. Lyons told the World that case law more than a decade before this encounter clearly established that intentionally ramming a motorcycle with a police vehicle for traffic offenses is excessive force. I think the time has come for this idea that every offender that runs from a police officer whether they have run a red light or something serious that the police get to take a spare-no-efforts-to-arrest-them attitude toward them, Lyons said. Thats what happened here; she wasnt going to let him get away. Tammy McKee called her husbands death senseless in an interview with the World nearly two years ago when her lawsuit was filed. To chase him down like an animal is cruel and heartless, said Tammy McKee, who thinks Michael probably fled because he worried his only mode of transportation would be impounded. I dont think she should ever be able to wear a badge again, or drive a car for that matter, for a very long time. Richards resigned June 1, 2023, from her position as a Skiatook police officer. Her resignation came shortly after a complaint was filed against her for shooting a diseased raccoon in front of an animal control officer who was without proper gear and eye protection after her sergeant instructed her to kill it, according to her deposition transcript. The lawsuit also alleges that City of Skiatook policies, procedures or customs led or contributed to McKees death, along with inadequate training and supervision which the city denies in also seeking summary judgment. What does data recorder indicate? No video exists of the pursuit and crash that killed McKee. Ive been involved in an accident, Richards radioed to dispatch, according to records. Putting on brakes and finally I hit him. He hit me. The two sides dispute how to interpret the patrol SUVs electronic data in the final moments as described in the Tulsa police investigation. Richards increased her speed from 41.3 mph to 57.7 mph from 5 seconds to 2 seconds before impact. She pressed her accelerator pedal down 100% in that span, except for 81.4% at the 2.5-second mark. She decreased her speed the final 2 seconds to 37.7 mph at impact, with her accelerator pedal not in use. Her brake switch was only activated at 1.5 seconds and a half second before the crash. The event data recorder didnt indicate what percentage her brake pedal was depressed. The data showed significant steering input to the right, left and then right again. Her attorney said Richards engaging her brakes 1.5 seconds before impact and steering significantly to the right can lead to no other conclusion than she was trying to avoid a head-on collision with the trailer. But even if she intentionally hit McKee, Wood wrote, her actions would be objectively reasonable because McKee posed an immediate threat to public safety by speeding and running stop signs. Lyons rebutted that Richards intent to harm McKee was demonstrated by her applying 100% of the accelerator for three seconds despite her being approximately one car length give or take, she testified behind him in a construction site. An officer does not have the right to inflict the death penalty on a traffic offender, Lyons wrote. Independent investigator calls chase dangerous, unsafe The recent court filings also contain an independent investigation that determined Richards chase was dangerous and at points unsafe for citizens and property. Michael Huff, a retired longtime Tulsa police detective, conducted the investigation at the request of the Skiatook Police Department. He didnt appear to offer an opinion on the fatal crash itself. His report noted that a Tulsa County sheriffs deputy and a Sperry police officer each discontinued their brief pursuits after they were unable to catch up. A Tulsa dispatcher informed a Skiatook dispatcher that Tulsa police dont chase motorcycles. Huff highlighted that Skiatook police policy generally discouraged extended car chases of violators for misdemeanors not involving violence or weapons independent of the pursuit itself. He wrote that the motorcycle tag number and detailed description of the driver were obtained early, which could have been used to cite him at a later date instead of pursuing him. He added that Richards didnt try to clarify two ambiguous conditional orders from her supervisor on when to discontinue. The Skiatook Police Department suspended Richards for five days without pay based on Huffs report. The department also required her to complete two weeks of remedial training in the field, as well as pass an officer safety training course and an advanced law enforcement driving and accident prevention course. The state medical examiners autopsy report states that methamphetamine and amphetamine were found in McKees system. He died of blunt force trauma, which caused multiple broken ribs, a broken left femur and left ankle, as well as presumed intracranial hemorrhaging bleeding within the skull or brain. The Tulsa World is where your story lives EXCLUSIVE: The Australian Childrens Content Summit returns for its third year in Coffs Harbour this August, expanded to from three to a four-day event. The summit, again presented by SLR Productions and hosted by Emma Watkins, bringing together creatives in the childrens sector with decision makers, through panel sessions, pitching opportunities, workshops, networking and more. Last year the event attracted 260 delegates from 12 countries, and in just two years has seen execs from ABC, NITV, BBC, BBC Studios, CBC, PBS Kids, Apple, Disney, Netflix, Sony, Paramount, Nine and Hello Sunshine. SLR Productions CEO and Australian Childrens Content Summit Founder Suzanne Ryan said, The Australian Childrens Content Summit brings the industry together in a meaningful and collaborative way. Its inspiring to see the event continue to grow, creating a space for our industry to connect, build lasting relationships and celebrate the outstanding content being made. This summit is about taking pride in what we create, contributing to a strong, sustainable future and driving the industry forward through a collective effort. Australian Childrens Television Foundation CEO Jenny Buckland said, The Australian Childrens Content Summit aligns with the Australian Childrens Television Foundation vision, which is quality Australian childrens screen content reaching and connecting with children on all the platforms they engage with, and its never been more important. The summit program is exploring everything from feature films to longform drama and animation to games, YouTube and beyond. This is a week for anyone who shares our vision and wants to be part of making it happen. Screen Australia Chief Operating Officer Grainne Brunsdon said, Childrens content is at the heart of Australian storytelling, shaping how young audiences see themselves and their world. The Australian Childrens Content Summit is a great space for the industry to come together, share insights, and shape the future of childrens content in an evolving media landscape. Screen Australia is proud to support this important conversation and the creators bringing these stories to life. Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, Screen NSW is thrilled to be supporting the Australian Childrens Content Summit for another year as a major government partner. The summit is an excellent opportunity for our industry to recognise and celebrate the high calibre of content we create here. Its also a chance to come together to connect on ways to support the sector so we continue to produce quality Australian childrens and family content. ABC Director Content Jennifer Collins said, The ABCs commitment to producing high quality content for Australian children and their families has never been stronger. The Australian Childrens Content Summit provides an important opportunity for the ABC to join the independent production community and screen agency partners, to connect, collaborate and develop a strong slate of creative ideas for Australian audiences. Australian Childrens Content Summit Monday 25 August to Thursday 28 August 2025 Pacific Bay Resort, Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour In 2025 the summit will again be Presented by SLR Productions with the Australian Childrens Television Foundation returning as Principal Partner and Screen Australia and Screen NSW back as Major Government Partners. In 2025 the Australian Childrens Content Summit welcomes the Minderoo Foundation as a new Major Partner for the first time. This years Australian Childrens Content Summit will also see the return of Platinum Partner Flying Bark Productions as well as Gold Partners for this years summit ABC, Simpsons and Screenwest. For 2025 the Australian Childrens Content Summit is thrilled to announce it has partnered with Qantas to support delegates for this years upcoming event. As part of this collaboration, Qantas is offering discounts on selected flights for all registered delegates who are travelling to the event from within Australia and internationally*. Lower fares may be available on qantas.com at time of booking. * terms & conditions apply Despite any social media protests, Kyle Sandilands has indicated his return to Australian Idol in 2026. Speaking to Daily Mail, he said, Theyve already booked in the dates, I think, for next year. So Marcia says to me on the desk, last Monday night, she goes, Did they tell you about the new dates? And I went, Of course, they f***ing told me about the new dates a month ago.' Sandilands also revealed the 2023 Australian Idol panel was looking very different. It was gonna be me, Amy Shark, Meghan Trainor and Snoop Dogg. But Snoop was having some visa issues, then we nearly got 50 Cent, but hes got film companies and stuff now so we couldnt marry up the time. The panel became Sandilands, Harry Connick Jr. Meghan Trainor and Amy Shark. Harry Connick Jr. has since moved to The Piano for ABC, to premiere in May. Ahead of the series final tonight, audition registration for 2026 has opened. SBS will mount Election Exchanges in Sydney and Melbourne communities Election Exchanges will be held in Broadmeadows, Melbourne (23 April) and Parramatta, Sydney (24 April) to connect MPs, candidates and communities through SBSs multilingual services, providing coverage in Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Nepali, Vietnamese, and other languages. SBS Managing Director James Taylor said: SBSs comprehensive network means we are ideally positioned to provide all Australians with impartial and accurate coverage of the issues, policies and parties this Federal Election. For 50 years, we have built enduring relationships with experts and community leaders right across the political spectrum, and with a broad range of views. This approach is of immense benefit to our audiences, with whom we share unrivalled connection. Our multiplatform, multilingual election coverage will play an important role in countering misinformation, and ensuring the issues impacting all communities are authentically represented. I thought I had the perfect inspiration for this column. And it was a relief, because for some reason, I had a really hard time this week coming up with something to say about giving well, but there I was, staring at a blank computer screen when a song by The Beatles popped into my head. Come Together! I heard the chorus chirp into my head and thought now thats a great point of inspiration for a collective giving article! It was all I needed to start clicking away at the keyboard, jotting notes down about how coming together around a shared value brings us peace and unity in a polarized world; I was thrilled! I should take this opportunity to admit I am not a huge Beatles fan, and even though I can probably sing Come Together from memory, I have never really paid attention to the words. I realized I should look the song up and dig a little deeper, before I make it the anchor point of my article. So, I googled the song. As I remembered, there are a lot of words and phrases in the song that seem like plain old gibberish, for example, ju ju eyeballs and walrus gumboot (although some say this is a reference to wellies, the rubber rainboots known as Wellingtons in Great Britain). I didnt know the song was actually written for a political campaign in support of Timothy Leary, who was running for governor of California at the time. In fact, Come Together was not just a song but a partisan campaign slogan! Who knew? Well, there goes my article. Or not. Because as time passed by, and we collectively forgot about Timothy Learys doomed run for office, the substance of the song the nod to unity and its celebration of life is what maintains our affection. My article springs back to life! Coming together to give amplifies the impact of philanthropy in many ways. Clearly, we can give a larger dollar amount when we combine our individual resources with those of other people. But theres a lot more to it than that. Giving together prompts connectivity with others as well as conversations about the needs in our communities. As we discuss needs together in a group, the conversations reveal individual values and interests; yes, we learn more about issues facing our neighbors in need, but we also learn more about the people who have gathered to give. These conversations deepen our understanding of each other and help us to forge bonds that elevate our relationships and help us to find common ground. These types of conversations are common within the Womens Fund of Smith County, which is a womens giving circle that awards high impact grants to Smith County nonprofits. As a member of the Womens Fund, I have seen many of my existing relationships with other women deepen and grow as we discuss possible funding opportunities presented to our giving circle through our grants process. I have learned so much more about my friends as they speak openly about the causes they hold dear. Connecting with other people on a deeper level has always been challenging, but I would suggest that connection is harder to find now more than ever before. But giving together allows us to drop the labels that define us and speak openly about the matters of the heart. When I share information about a nonprofit or community need that I care about, I am saying, this matters to me. And when I do that, I am sharing something about myself that I might not otherwise reveal. The process of giving together offers us the opportunity to be vulnerable together and discover shared experiences and values that strengthen our relationships. The simple and immediate connection point is wanting to make a difference together, and that might be all you need to gain an incredible new friendship or deepen an existing one. Come together to give, and celebrate the very best of each other. Several bills that would address child care gaps in Texas are being considered this session by the state Legislature. More than half a million children under six lack child care services in Texas, according to advocates. Thats about 25% of the states 2.1 million children in that age group. Most of them have parents who work and need child care. The state tried to address the deficiency in 2019 when it passed House Bill 3, funneling an additional $6.5 billion into public education and requiring school districts to offer full-day prekindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds. HB3 introduced a new early education allotment to support these requirements because pre-kindergarten still received only half-day funding for daily attendance. It encouraged partnerships between private childcare providers and school districts to meet its mandate. But day care providers testified during Thursdays House Public Education Committees subcommittee meeting on academic and career-oriented education that only 14 of 1,207 districts have formal agreements with private child care providers. Some of the day care providers argued this is creating gaps in child care services that could be solved with state subsidies, through direct financial support or through Gov. Greg Abbotts proposed universal school choice bill. The school choice bill would create education savings accounts, or ESAs, to allow families to use public dollars on private schools. Public education advocates worry anything resembling school vouchers such as ESAs would funnel money away from the campuses serving most of Texas children. However, supporters say offering such school choice allows children to be in the settings that best fit their needs. Meanwhile, Eric Bonhard, a child care provider from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, argued the lack of partnerships creates several issues. These include unaffordable costs for parents, low pay for child care employees, and parents choosing to leave the workforce because they cant find child care. Heres a look at some of the proposed solutions so far. House Bill 1934 Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, has a bill that would provide exemptions for public college tuition and fees for the employees at licensed child care facilities who are pursuing associate degrees or certificates in child development or early childhood education. House Bill 2271 Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, proposed legislation that would mandate day care centers submit child care capacity and enrollment data to the Texas Workforce Commission, which would then give parents a website to find locations of centers, group day care homes and family homes with available seats. Senate Bill 1265 Sens. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, and Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, have proposed legislation that would require the workforce commission to create a website for employers seeking information on the resources available to support employees who are parents seeking child care services. Senate Bill 2049 and House Bill 4903 Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, has proposed legislation that would create the Quad-Agency Child Care Initiative Commission. Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, filed companion legislation. HB 4903 would convene the leaders of the workforce commission, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Texas Education Agency to improve regulations among state agencies governing child care. SB 2049 would empower the new commission to review child care regulations to resolve conflicts, lower insurance costs for child care providers, protect childrens health and safety, advance quality education for providers and create consistent enforcement mechanisms. The bill also establishes processes for public input and expedited reviews of regulations. Senate Bill 2391 and House Bill 460 Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, has proposed legislation to have the workforce commission conduct a study on the cost of child care in Texas in comparison to family income. Rep. Ray Lopez, D-San Antonio, filed companion legislation. The study would examine trends in child care costs and projections for future costs and the amount of government funding available to support subsidized child care. It would also require an estimate of the number of families eligible to receive subsidized child care. House Bill 4598 Democratic representative Goodwin filed legislation that would impose an employer contribution to support the workforce commissions subsidized child care services program. Employers that provide self-funded child care services to their employees children would be exempt from this mandate. House Bill 3191 Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland, proposed legislation that would seek to increase availability of and access to Texas child care by creating an employer child care contribution partnership program, a child care innovation pilot program and a franchise tax credit for companies that make employer child care contributions. HB3191 also authorizes a civil penalty for those who intentionally provide false information to the state to receive program benefits. Senate Bill 2164 Sens. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, and Blanco filed legislation to provide employer incentive payments for child care for employees in Texas. SB2164 would create an employer child care contribution partnership program and a franchise tax credit for companies that make employer child care contributions. It would also authorize a civil penalty for those who intentionally provide false information to the state to receive program benefits. House Bill 2646 Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, filed legislation that would create a private child care task force. The group would study private child care providers in Texas to identify methods to reduce the costs of high-quality child care, increase its availability, address issues with waitlists for scholarships, and increase the number of families who can access high-quality child care. House Bill 4024 Walle also proposed legislation that would create another child care scholarship fund. The workforce commission would administer the fund to expand scholarship opportunities through the Child Care Services program. The money would come from a special fund in the state treasury and consist of legislative appropriations, interest earned, gifts, grants and other revenue sources dedicated to the fund. House Bill 5068 and Senate Bill 3007 Rep. Claudia Ordaz Perez, D-El Paso, filed legislation that would create a child care innovation pilot program to address workforce needs by increasing the supply of quality, affordable child care and encouraging child care partnerships with employers in the pilot regions. Blanco filed companion legislation. The program would be designed to enable local workforce development boards to partner with local employers and high-quality providers to provide grants for innovative child care expansion projects and employer partnerships that impact local workforce needs. House Bill 117 and House Bill 3802 Rep. Alan Schoolcraft, R-McQueeney, has legislation that would create a governors task force on the governance of early childhood education and childcare. Schoolcraft said during Thursdays committee that the task force would review the child care duties of TEA, TWC and HHSC to consider how Texas could enact a large-scale redesign to improve the use of funding, service delivery and quality of child care. This isnt evaluating the need for the services or more services. Its looking at what were doing today and trying to figure out how to do it better, Schoolcraft said. AUSTIN A Travis County judge on Friday awarded nearly $6.7 million to four whistle-blowers who reported Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to law enforcement in 2020 for alleged criminal conduct. The Court finds that Plaintiffs have proved liability, damages, and reasonable and necessary attorneys fees by a preponderance of the evidence, District Court Judge Catherine Mauzy wrote. Because the Office of the Attorney General violated the Texas Whistleblower Act by firing and otherwise retaliating against the Plaintiffs for in good faith reporting violations of law by Ken Paxton and OAG, the Court hereby renders judgment for Plaintiffs. In a statement, Paxton said he would appeal the ruling. The sum is more than double the $3.3 million Paxtons office agreed to pay in a 2023 settlement the Legislature declined to fund during that session. Lawmakers also would need to approve funding for the state to satisfy this judgment. Tom Nesbitt, an attorney representing one of the whistle-blowers, called on the Legislature to do the honorable thing and fund the judgment so these brave public servants can be compensated for the lost pay and damages they suffered when Paxton illegally terminated their employment. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick declined Thursday to say whether the Legislature should fund a judgment this session. The judgment awarded Friday includes compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, attorney fees, court costs and interest for James Blake Brickman, David Maxwell, Mark Penley and Ryan Vassar, who sued Paxtons office in November 2020 after they were fired. They alleged their terminations violated the Texas Whistleblower Act, which prohibits retaliation against public employees who report a violation of law in good faith. They were among eight top aides who reported Paxton to the FBI and other law enforcement. The whistle-blowers accused Paxton of using his powerful office to benefit Nate Paul, a real estate investor and campaign contributor who pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of making false statements to a financial institution and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. In return, they alleged, Paul renovated Paxtons Austin home and employed a woman Paxton was reportedly seeing. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 but acquitted by the Senate after a two-week trial. In his statement Friday, Paxton blamed the sham impeachment on former House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, and the Justice Department in President Joe Bidens administration. A recent audit found the impeachment process cost Texas taxpayers $5 million. Now a liberal Austin judge wants the people of Texas to pay even more for the Phelan/Biden corrupt impeachment scheme with a ridiculous judgment that is not based on the facts or the law, Paxton said. The attorney general avoided a deposition in the whistle-blower case by agreeing to end the lawsuit and pledging not to contest the damages or liability. The whistle-blowers requested $6.7 million in damages at a February hearing. Their attorneys provided supplemental evidence to the reasonableness and necessity of their fees last week. Mauzy said if the whistle-blowers successfully defend or prosecute an appeal from the attorney generals office, theyre entitled to recover from the agency up to $90,000 each in attorney fees. Trevor Phillips Mocks Labour For 'Bowing' To Trump And Still Being Hit With 10% Tariffs Trevor Phillips and Darren Jones Sky News Trevor Phillips ridiculed a senior Treasury minister this morning by pointing out how Labour bowed to Donald Trump but were still hit with 10% tariffs. The US president announced a range of sweeping international tariffs on Wednesday, imposing up to 34% levies on goods going into the States. Although Downing Street had spent months trying to woo Trump and secure an exemption, the UK still received the base rate amount of 10% tariffs on British exports to the States. So Sky News presenter Phillips ripped into the governments approach when interviewing chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT Phillips said: Most countries this week got the same treatment as we did Brazil, Armenia, Burundi, Niger none of them has a king to offer a state visit. Keir Starmer dramatically produced a hand-written letter from King Charles on a recent trip to White House, inviting Trump for an unprecedented second state visit. Phillips continued: Iran, Afghanistan the USAs pretty much in a permanent stand-off with those two. They all got 10%. Where does this confidence you have [come from] that we have some special thing that is going to produce a great deal? Jones replied: Our relationships are very different with the United States and those countries, whether its on security or the trade surplus we have with the US. The outcome is the same! Phillips hit back. Jones said: We are a large, complex economy, one of the richest economies in the world, and if you were to compare the UK to other similar economies you would see that we had a better starting deal. ADVERTISEMENT Phillips said: We all got 10%, they didnt treat us any differently! The minister then pointed to the 20% tariffs on the EU and the 34% on China. He added: We dont say this with any glee, were not happy about the tariff situation, we dont think its good for global trade or the global economy, but it does just represent the facts and now we need to get on get this deal with the US over the line. Phillips said ministers had been very happy that they had managed to secure many dinners and private meetings with the Trump administration. But, he added: In the end, all their bowing and scrapping, all the offers of dinners and all the rest of it, made absolutely no difference. The Treasury minister said he did not think that was true and it was good the UK has a positive working relationship with the States. ADVERTISEMENT Jones also hit back at Trumps claim that Starmer is happy with the way the UK has been treated with the tariffs. He said: Keir has been clear he is unhappy about the tariffs and broadly unhappy about tariffs in what was a well-functioning global trading system. Car crash interview with Darren Jones on Trump's tariffs where he says the UK getting the same tariff as penguins, 10%, is a Brexit benefit Trevor Philips, "President Trump says that PM Keir Starmer is happy with the tariffs on the UK" Darren Jones, "Keir Starmer is clear he pic.twitter.com/IXAdKJ0aSn Farrukh (@implausibleblog) April 6, 2025 Related... Cairo, Apr 6 (UNI) Egypt rejects Israeli attempts to undermine the unity of Palestinian territories by separating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday. Abdelatty made the remarks during a meeting in Cairo with a visiting delegation from the Palestinian Fatah movement, which was led by Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Fatah Central Committee, according to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement. The discussions focused on recent developments amid the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, which the ministry statement described as a "dangerous Israeli escalation." The foreign minister outlined Egypt's efforts to restore a ceasefire and resume humanitarian aid flows into the besieged Gaza Strip, emphasising Cairo's support for the Palestinian Authority (PA). Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's "complete rejection" of ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank, condemning what he termed Israel's "aggressive policy" and use of force in disregard of international humanitarian law. He also stressed Egypt's opposition to any displacement of Palestinians from their land and mentioned an Arab-Islamic plan for Gaza's reconstruction. Egypt continues to push for strengthened Palestinian unity under the PA, Abdelatty said, aiming for a permanent solution based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. For its part, the Fatah delegation briefed Abdelatty on the efforts made by the movement to achieve internal Palestinian reconciliation, a step it viewed as vital toward establishing an independent Palestinian state, according to Palestinian official news agency WAFA. The delegation also thanked Egypt for its coordinated efforts with all parties concerned to restore the Gaza ceasefire and end the suffering of the Palestinian people, WAFA reported. Egypt, alongside Qatar and the United States, has been mediating between Israel and Palestinian factions. At least 1,309 Palestinians were killed and 3,184 others injured since Israel resumed strikes on March 18 across the Gaza Strip, local health authorities reported Saturday. UNI XINHUA ARN Trinidad and Tobago gripped by Modi mania, thousands attired in Indian wear celebrate his visit 04 Jul 2025 | 8:49 PM Port of Spain, July 4 (UNI) Trinidad and Tobago was gripped by Modi-mania on Thursday which included Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivering a heartfelt speech celebrating the ancestral and cultural ties between Trinidad and Tobago and India. see more.. Myanmar-Thailand discuss strengthening cooperation on cross-border drug control 04 Jul 2025 | 7:33 PM Naypyidaw, July 4 (UNI) Amid the growing drug trafficking in Myanmar and Thailand, the two nations held their 26th Myanmar-Thailand Joint Drug Control Meeting in Taunggyi, Myanmar's Shan state, to strengthen cross-border cooperation on drug control, the state-owned Global Light of Myanmar reported today. see more.. N Korea launches massive tirade against Quads calls for denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula 04 Jul 2025 | 7:32 PM Pyongyang, July 4 (UNI) Issuing a strong condemnation of the Quads calls for the total denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea slammed the statement, terming it a "provocation" that infringes on its sovereignty, reports AJU Press. see more.. IAEA team officially exits Iran, embarks to Vienna headquarters amid safety concerns 04 Jul 2025 | 7:31 PM Vienna/Tehran, July 4 (UNI) The International Atomic Energy Agency announced its official exit from Iran today, stating that its team of inspectors had safely departed from the country to return to its headquarters in Vienna, after Tehran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, reports Iran International. see more.. HCM CIY A chartered flight organised by HDBank carrying nearly 200 Vietnamese entrepreneurs arrived in the US on the evening of April 4 (Viet Nam time), kicking off a series of activities designed to foster connections, explore business opportunities, and promote trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. The flight brought together representatives of Viet Nams business community across a wide range of sectors, including finance and banking, aviation, energy, technology, and import-export. This initiative highlights the private sectors proactive approach and strong commitment to accessing the US a strategic global market while supporting the Governments broader agenda to strengthen bilateral economic relations. The US is currently one of Viet Nams largest trade and investment partners. Many Vietnamese enterprises have increasingly expanded their presence in this market through strategic partnerships in key sectors such as aviation, high technology, energy, and financial services. In March 2025 alone, businesses from both countries signed numerous trade agreements with a total value exceeding US$90 billion, with more than $50 billion set for implementation this year. These agreements focus on areas such as aircraft procurement, aviation services, oil and gas exploitation, and petrochemical imports. During this HDBank-led trip, Vietnamese entrepreneurs aim to explore further opportunities for cooperation in supply chains, digital finance, and green transformation. A representative from HDBank reaffirmed the banks commitment to strengthening ties with international financial and investment ecosystems, serving as a bridge for Vietnamese enterprises to integrate more deeply into global markets. Continuing a long-term strategy With nearly 200 Vietnamese entrepreneurs on board, HDBanks chartered flight marks the continuation of numerous bilateral promotion activities carried out in recent times In 2024, Vietnamese businesses engaged directly with major US corporations such as Boeing, GE, Microsoft, AWS, Google, Apple, and NVIDIA, resulting in cooperation agreements worth tens of billions of dollars, some of which are now in the implementation stage. Notable projects include partnerships in the technology and telecommunications sectors such as collaboration with SpaceX to apply satellite internet in aviation, banking, and consumer ecosystems in Viet Nam. Meanwhile, FPT Corporation signed a strategic agreement with NVIDIA to develop AI and cloud computing solutions, with plans to invest $200 million in building an AI factory powered by NVIDIA technology. Vietjet has also reported a total cooperation value exceeding $50 billion with leading US partners. Vietnamese business community has actively expanded strategic cooperation with international partners, making substantial contributions to enhancing bilateral economic relations and elevating Viet Nams position on the global stage. These efforts are unlocking new growth opportunities while affirming the rising role of Vietnamese enterprises in the global value chain. The HDBank flight on April 4 serves as a compelling testament to the Vietnamese business communitys forward-thinking mindset, strong integration capacity, and ambitious pursuit of new heights in this new era. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (MoIT) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) jointly held a conference in Ha Noi on Friday to commemorate the third anniversary of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreements entry into force. Themed Connecting and Expanding Regional Cooperation in a Highly Uncertain Environment, the event provided a platform to review three years of RCEP implementation, assess its impact on businesses, and propose solutions to trade barriers. Key discussions at the conference centered on improving customs procedures to enhance trade, introducing frameworks for sustainable trade cooperation, and addressing both the opportunities and challenges arising from RCEP enforcement. Speaking at the event, Director of the MoITs Department of Multilateral Trade Policy Le Trieu Dung highlighted RCEP as the worlds largest free trade agreement by population and GDP. Signed in November 2020 by 10 ASEAN countries and five partners - China, Japan, the RoK, Australia, and New Zealand, the agreement came into effect on January 1, 2022, for six ASEAN members and four partners. It later entered into force for the RoK in February 2022, Malaysia in March 2022, Indonesia in January 2023, and most recently, the Philippines in June 2023. The Vietnamese official highlighted that RCEP, following eight years of negotiations, came into effect in 2022. Over the past three years, it has emerged as a significant driver of export growth, trade expansion, investment facilitation, and regional supply chain development, contributing notably to global economic recovery and resilience. Currently, the RCEP encompasses a market of approximately 2.3 billion people, accounting for around 30 percent of the global population and GDP. Among its 15 members, five are also members of the G20. The agreements open-access framework has attracted interest from new economies seeking membership. Member countries have finalized accession procedures and established an RCEP Support Unit (RSU) to strengthen implementation efforts, underscoring the growing strategic importance of the partnership. Dung said that over the past three years, the RCEP has positively impacted Viet Nams international economic integration and supported the broader economic and trade activities of ASEAN and participating countries. By providing a unified legal framework, the agreement enhances regional transparency and cements ASEANs role as an attractive investment destination, especially critical amid current global trade uncertainties. He also emphasised the vital role of the RCEP in bolstering Viet NamRoK economic relations. Since 2022, Viet Nam has consistently ranked as the RoKs third-largest trading partner. Both countries aim to raise bilateral trade to US$100 billion in 2025 and $150 billion by 2030 in a balanced, sustainable manner. Jinhyeok Choi, Director General of the FTA Policy Bureau of the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, underscored the RCEPs value in enhancing not only the RoKViet Nam ties but also regional trade cooperation as a whole. VNS HA NOI Later this month, Ha Noi's Thang Long Royal Citadel will host Festival Pho 2025, a gathering of the best restaurants from across Viet Nam to celebrate and promote pho, the nations iconic dish. Taking place from April 18 to 20, the event is themed "The Essence of Vietnamese Pho - Heritage in the Digital Age." It aims to showcase the rich flavors and cultural significance of Viet Nams cuisine to the wider community, visitors, and international friends. Festival Pho 2025 also serves to honour pho as a national intangible cultural heritage, while fostering connections between businesses, craft villages, and pho brands. The typical bowl of pho of Ha Noi in particular and the diversity of pho from regions across the country in general will be featured in 50 booths along with the presence of well-known chefs with their cooking shows. In addition to the pho exhibition, the organisers will also give spaces to introduce the culture and traditions of the dish and room for visitors to to experience the national unique cuisine along with different activities such as talk shows and art performances. The festival is organised by the Ha Noi People's Committee in coordination with the city's departments and related units. In March 2024, the festival was held in Nam inh Province, one of most famous locality for pho, to honour and preserve a long-standing profession rich in Vietnamese cultural values, aiming to build a dossier and include it in the list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage. Last October, a Viet Nam Pho Festival to honour the traditional craft of making pho and promote Vietnamese cuisine was held in the South Korean capital of Seoul. VNS HA NOI Professor Carlyle A. Thayer of the University of New South Wales has assessed that the recent phone conversation between General Secretary To Lam and U.S. President Donald Trump represents a significant move, showing that the newly imposed U.S. tariffs are open to negotiation and positioning Viet Nam as one of the first countries to respond proactively. During the call, Viet Nam proposed removing tariffs on U.S. goods while urging the U.S. to do the same for Vietnamese goods, just two days after Trumps announcement of a massive 46 per cent tariff on Vietnamese imports into the U.S. According to Thayer, who is also an expert in Southeast Asian security and diplomacy, Viet Nam had been working diligently to develop a strategic response to the U.S. tariffs, which pose risks to the countrys economic growth targets. Viet Nam was undoubtedly surprised when Trump imposed a hefty 46 per cent tariff on all Vietnamese goods, giving an advantage to competitors such as India, Thailand and Malaysia in the textile, footwear and electronic goods sectors, Thayer said. In one move, Trump threatened Viet Nams goal of reaching 8 per cent growth in GDP next year needed to boost Viet Nam to a middle-income country by 2030. Even before the call, Viet Nam had already announced its intention to remove tariffs on select U.S. goods and to increase imports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) and aircraft. The government also hosted a delegation of nearly 60 American companies to explore investment opportunities. The Australian professor highlighted the importance of President Trump agreeing to take General Secretary To Lams call: It is significant that President Trump took General Secretary To Lams phone call in the first place. Lams offer to cut all tariffs to zero percent led Trump to describe the conversation as very productive. Thayer added that the two leaders reached a verbal agreement to initiate discussions on the matter. Viet Nam was already preparing to dispatch its Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc to Washington. Minister Phocs visit will be timely, as To Lam has already laid Viet Nams cards on the table zero tariffs on American goods, including agricultural products, significant increases in Vietnamese purchases from the U.S., such as Boeing aircraft, and investment opportunities for U.S. companies in high-tech and critical minerals in Viet Nam. Thayer noted that the outcome of the call suggests a willingness on the part of the U.S. to enter into discussions. Before the phone call, the question was whether Trumps Liberation Day tariffs were negotiable or non-negotiable. Now we know they are negotiable, he said. This will have a major positive impact on the market. He also pointed to the broader implications, given Viet Nams sizeable trade surplus with the U.S. This development is important because Viet Nam has the third-largest trade surplus with the U.S., after China and Mexico, Thayer said. Viet Nam gets to benefit because it is the first mover. VNS On 2 April, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order introducing reciprocal tariffs on numerous countries around the world. Viet Nam, one of the nations targeted, faces a hefty 46 per cent tariff on its exports to the US, effective from 9 April. So, what are these tariffs, how do they work, and what do they mean for Viet Nam? And how has Viet Nam reacted to President Trump's tariffs? Lets unpack it step by step. What are reciprocal tariffs? Reciprocal tariffs are a US trade policy aimed at tackling bilateral trade deficits, situations where the US imports more from a country than it exports to. The logic is that persistent deficits are due to a combination of tariff and non-tariff factors that stop trade from balancing naturally. By imposing reciprocal tariffs, the US seeks to cut imports from surplus countries, nudging the trade balance closer to zero. The tariffs vary by country, ranging from zero to 99 per cent, with an unweighted average of 20 per cent and a trade-weighted average of 41 per cent. Viet Nams rate is 46 per cent, reflecting its large trade surplus with the US. The tariff rate is determined by the formula below: Where: _i: The tariff rate for a specific country x_i: US exports to that country m_i: US imports from that country : Price elasticity of import demand (set at 4, meaning a 1 per cent price hike cuts imports by 4 per cent) : Pass-through rate from tariffs to import prices (set at 0.25, meaning 25 per cent of the tariff raises prices) How will Viet Nam be affected? According to o Ngoc Hung, Head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in the US, the 46-per-cent tariff will hit key export sectors of Viet Nam, including seafood, plastics, rubber, textiles, footwear, machinery, and electronic components. However, certain products remain unaffected, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, copper products, bullion, and specific minerals unavailable in the US. Products such as steel, aluminium, cars, and car parts already subjected to tariffs under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act will not face additional reciprocal tariffs. Steel products have been subject to 25-per-cent tariffs, and aluminium products to 10-per-cent, since 2018. Viet Nams response Viet Nam's government did not waste time reacting: April 3: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh launched a rapid-response task force led by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son to study the fallout and plan countermeasures. April 4: Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for Viet Nams Ministry of Foreign Affairs, voiced regret, emphasising the tariffs clash with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the US and Viet Nam, warning of damage to economic ties. Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc proposed a one to three month delay for talks, urging Vietnamese companies to maintain current prices pending the upcoming negotiations. Party General Secretary To Lam discussed bilateral trade issues with US President Donald Trump by phone, pitching reducing Viet Nams tariffs on US goods to zero if the US reciprocates. Between April 6 and 14: Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc will visit the US, where he is expected to discuss solutions to the trade barriers. Business reactions The American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (AmCham) has asked for a transition period instead of an abrupt rollout. AmCham Chairman Mark Gillin argues that sudden tariffs disrupt businesses and undermine fair trade goals, urging both sides to find a balanced fix. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers has called for tailored tariff rates per product, not a flat 46 per cent, urging the government to negotiate lower tariffs and align product-specific rates with the US. The Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association sees little impact, noting that exports to the US account for only around 9 per cent of its total. The IT sector similarly expects minimal impact due to the nature of their exports being service-oriented and not directly competing with US industries. Vu uc Giang, Chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, called the tariffs "a heavy blow", urging member businesses to remain calm and await negotiations. The 46-per-cent rate threatens key industries, potentially forcing Vietnamese exporters to diversify markets or hope for a diplomatic win. Keep an eye on the next few weeks Viet Nams resilience and the outcome of talks will shape whats next. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will lead a high-ranking delegation from the Vietnamese Government to attend the memorial service for former President of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party and former President of Laos Khamtay Siphandone on April 7, according to an announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ceremony will take place in Vientiane. Khamtay Siphandone passed away at 10.30am on April 2 at the age of 102. To express deep respect and profound gratitude for him, the Party Central Committee, National Assembly, and Government of Laos, and the Lao Front for National Development have declared five days of national mourning, starting April 3. VNS TASHKENT National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man attended the opening ceremony of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150), themed Parliamentary action for social development and justice, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on April 5 evening (local time). Aside from host leaders, the opening ceremony saw the presence of forty-nine chairpersons, forty-six vice chairpersons, and more than seven hundred legislators of nearly one hundred thirty member parliaments. In their welcoming remarks, President of the Senate Tanzila Narbaeva and Speaker of the Legislative Chamber Nuriddinjon Ismailov of Uzbekistan highlighted the significance of the first-ever IPU Assembly held in a Central Asian country, as well as the highly relevant theme of the meeting amidst numerous challenges to social development around the world, especially armed conflicts, competition between superpowers, political uncertainties, along with undermined commitments and resources for realising the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring social justice and assistance for vulnerable groups. The hosts appreciated the participation of IPU members, especially parliamentary leaders, in the event, which they said reflect the strong vitality of the IPU, the unanimous support for multilateralism, and joint efforts by parliaments of all countries for noble goals and people of each country. President of the IPU Tulia Ackson emphasised the historic importance of the IPU-150 and the crucial role of the IPU and member parliaments in promoting persistent and continuous efforts to enhance democracy and international cooperation to build a more peaceful world and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. She perceived that the IPU and member parliaments should take the lead in creating legal frameworks, serve as the bridge for ironing out differences, and adopt practical actions to foster social development in the three pillars of peace, justice, and an equitable and better future for all, thereby contributing to the success of the Second World Summit for Social Development, slated for this November in Doha, Qatar. Meanwhile, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong stressed the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting peace, cooperation, and development in regions and the world at large, as well as in better ensuring peoples lives through constructive dialogue, trust building, and experience sharing. He called on the assembly to discuss and adopt two important resolutions on the role of parliaments in promoting the two-state solution in Palestine and in minimising conflicts impact on sustainable development. The IPU-150 is scheduled to take place until April 9. Chairman Tran Thanh Man is set to deliver an important speech at the general debate of the event. VNS HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, head of the working group to strengthen cooperation and proactively adapt to changes in economic and trade policies of the United States, hosted a reception for US Ambassador to Viet Nam Marc E. Knapper on Sunday in Ha Noi. During the meeting, Deputy PM Son highlighted the significance of the phone talks between Party General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump on Friday, reaffirming the key messages from the Vietnamese Party chief that Viet Nam is ready to negotiate with the US to reduce import tariffs to 0 per cent for goods imported from the US, increase purchasing the goods that the US has strengths at and Viet Nam has demands for, and create more favourable conditions for US companies to do business and invest in the Southeast Asian country. He also cited General Secretary Lam as proposing President Trump postpone the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on Vietnamese goods during the negotiations between the two countries. Son informed the diplomat that General Secretary To Lam had appointed Deputy PM Ho uc Phoc as a special envoy to pay a working visit to the US for implementing the contents on which the two countries' leaders had agreed on during their phone talks. He asked the US side to prioritise arranging meetings between the Vietnamese delegation and US partners to reach an agreement as soon as possible, for the benefit of the people and businesses of both countries. Viet Nam shares the US concern about balancing trade between the two countries, Son said, adding that Viet Nam regrets that the US decided to impose very high reciprocal tariffs on Vietnamese imports, which affects businesses of both countries and, in particular, millions of Vietnamese people. He stated that the tariff imposition decision does not match the reality of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, or correctly reflect the spirit of the Viet Nam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, while negatively impacting the flourishing economic and trade ties between the two countries. The Deputy PM took the occasion to call on the two sides to work together to implement cooperation across all areas of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Cooperation in addressing war legacy is a meaningful stepping stone of the bilateral relationship, he said, applauding Knappers recent working trip to the central province of Quang Tri, one of the most heavily war-impacted localities in Viet Nam, to examine the bomb clearance site and the search for remains of American soldiers missing in action during the war. Deputy PM Son asked the ambassador to continue supporting and promoting US efforts to maintain and expand humanitarian assistance and war legacy settlement projects in Viet Nam, especially in 2025, when the two countries celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties. Sharing Sons views, Knapper affirmed that Viet Nam is a strategically important partner for the US. He noted that leaders of the Party, Government, ministries, and sectors of Viet Nam have taken swift and positive actions in response to the US concerns. The diplomat particularly spoke highly of the phone talks between General Secretary Lam and President Trump, noting that it was the first phone call by the US President with a foreign leader after the new tariffs were announced. He stressed that this reflected both leaders' respect for and concern about their relations. Knapper also valued the positive and concrete discussions and cooperation between the two sides over the past months, which contributed to the substantive and productive dialogue between the two leaders. He also pledged coordination to prepare for Deputy PM Phocs upcoming visit to his country. The ambassador thanked Viet Nam for its positive approach and understanding of the US concerns, adding that the coming discussions present an opportunity for both sides to devise solutions to put bilateral trade relations on a healthy and mutually beneficial development trajectory. Knapper emphasised that 2025 is a significant year in the bilateral relationship as it marks the 30th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties. He noted the US Embassy will work closely with Vietnamese agencies to implement an effective agenda, towards deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on promoting all-level mutual visits as well as advancing comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held phone talks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim at the Malaysian sides request on Sunday, discussing bilateral relations as well as recent regional and international developments. During the call, PM Ibrahim informed PM Chinh that Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, will host the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting on April 10, aiming to assess the current situation and explore measures for strengthening intra-bloc connectivity and cooperation in the wake of the US newly announced tariff policy. PM Chinh highlighted Viet Nams efforts in discussing with the US, including the recent phone conversation between Party General Secretary To Lam and US President Donald Trump on April 4. Their discussion focused on resolving obstacles and promoting economic and trade cooperation towards fair and sustainable trade that balances interests of all parties. Viet Nam is considering the possibility of reducing import tariffs to 0 per cent for goods from the North American country, while requesting similar treatment for Vietnamese exports to the US market. The leaders also discussed the potential signing of a bilateral agreement to formalise these commitments, PM Chinh said, adding that Deputy PM Ho uc Phoc will travel to the US as the Government's special envoy to engage in specific discussions on this matter. The Vietnamese Government leader welcomed Malaysias initiative to organise the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and confirmed the participation of the Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade. PM Ibrahim said Malaysia and many regional countries welcome and highly value the Vietnamese Party chiefs conversation with President Trump, voicing support for Viet Nam's approach to the tariff issue. He also briefed PM Chinh on efforts by Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, to address the Myanmar issue, including the Malaysian Foreign Minister's visit to Myanmar on April 5, 2025. He emphasised his country's commitment to promoting dialogue and ensuring unity in resolving this issue. PM Chinh commended Malaysia's efforts in settling the Myanmar issue, particularly its effective support, high sense of responsibility, and active role in coordinating ASEAN's joint actions to help Myanmar recover from the recent earthquake. He also shared information about Viet Nam's swift assistance for Myanmar following the earthquake, including sending over 100 rescue personnel together with medical equipment and supplies, and providing US$300,000 in aid. He affirmed that Viet Nam will continue to actively support Malaysia and other ASEAN members, ready to serve as an intermediary in common efforts to promote dialogue and national reconciliation in Myanmar. The two leaders also agreed to continue discussions, enhance trust, and coordinate measures to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, stability, and prosperity of both countries, the region, and the world. VNS TASHKENT National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with Chairman of the Lao National Assembly's Committee for Foreign Affairs Sanya Praseuth in Uzbekistan on Sunday, within the framework of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150). Man extended his deepest condolences to Lao Party and State leaders, and people on the passing of former President of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and former President of Laos Khamtay Siphandone. He informed the Lao official that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will lead a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Government to attend the memorial service for Khamtay Siphandone in Vientiane on Monday. Man asked Sanya Praseuth to convey his regards to his Lao counterpart and other Lao legislators. For his part, Sanya Praseuth expressed deep emotion over the sincere condolences extended by Vietnamese Party, State, and Government leaders following the passing of the former Lao President. The two sides agreed to continue strengthening close and effective cooperation between the two legislatures in the time ahead. VNS TASHKENT National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man had meetings with Speaker of the Federation Council (Upper House) of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko, and Speaker of the India Lok Sabha (Lower House) Om Birla in Uzbekistan on Sunday, within the framework of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150). Matviyenko affirmed that Russia always considers Viet Nam as a comprehensive strategic partner and a reliable partner in Southeast Asia. The two leaders highly valued the positive development of the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation based on the Viet Nam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, to which, the close coordination and effective cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Federation Council as well as the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly has made important contributions. The two sides agreed to continue promoting all-level delegation exchanges, enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Committee, the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, and strategic dialogue; and improving the role of cooperation between the two legislative bodies in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, contributing to deepening political trust and overcoming difficulties in cooperation across all areas, including defence-security, energy, and education-training, in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and for the interests of the two nations. They also agreed that parliamentary cooperation between the two countries will further contribute to implementing the Viet Nam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, thus promoting collaboration between the two countries in the fields of economy, trade, education- training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. Man called on the Russian side to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community living, working, and studying in Russia. At their meeting, Man and Birla highlighted the marked developments in the traditional friendship and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and India. They agreed to strengthen regular meetings at all levels and across all Party, NA, and government channels, and people-to-people exchanges. They said the two sides should coordinate to materialise mechanisms, agreements, and cooperation documents effectively, including the joint statement on strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and an action programme for implementing this framework for the 2024-2028 period. They agreed to continue promoting delegation exchanges, interactions, and meetings between the legislative bodies leaders; as well as enhancing experience sharing, especially in building and improving institutions and legal frameworks. The two sides pledged to closely coordinate in effectively implementing existing cooperation mechanisms, agreements, and documents between the two countries. The two leaders also consented to take breakthrough measures to rapidly achieve the goal of doubling bilateral trade, and to further enhance investment ties. They concurred to strengthen cooperation in other areas of mutual interest, including defence, security, tourism, culture, religion, and people-to-people exchange. They emphasised the need to soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation, consider simplifying procedures, and move towards short-term visa exemptions for tourists. The leaders agreed to strengthen close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, including parliamentary forums, for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam's tourism industry continues its impressive post-pandemic recovery, welcoming 6.018 million international visitors in the first quarter of 2025. This marks a 29.6 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, and making for the biggest number of arrivals to the country in a single quarter in history, according to the Q1 socio-economic report from the General Statistics Office released on Sunday. March alone saw over 2.05 million international arrivals, a rise of 28.5 per cent year-over-year. The growth is attributed to favourable visa policies, intensified tourism promotion campaigns, and Viet Nam's increasing recognition in prestigious international tourism awards. Asia remains the dominant source of international arrivals, with 4.71 million tourists, accounting for over 78 per cent of the total. Key markets such as South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan continue to thrive, supported by the resumption and expansion of direct flights and relaxed visa policies. European arrivals totalled 791,900, while 341,500 tourists came from the Americas. Australia and the Pacific contributed 160,100 visitors, while 12,300 African tourists visited Viet Nam in Q1. Russian tourists have made a strong comeback (up by an impressive 210 per cent), especially in the south-central coastal localities of Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan, along with Phu Quoc Island in the southdestinations favoured for their warm climate and well-developed tourism infrastructure. Tourists from Cambodia, the Philippines, and China also also increasingly descending on Viet Nam, with the number seeing 205, 195, and 178 per cent growth respectively. Most visitors arrived by air, with 5.2 million arrivals (86.4 per cent), a 34 per cent increase from last year. Land border arrivals reached 685,500 (11.4 per cent), up 9.6 per cent, while sea arrivals stood at 133,000 (2.2 per cent), experiencing a slight 2.7 per cent decline. Viet Nam's travel industry saw tourism revenue hit VN21.5 trillion (US$833.1 million) in Q1, a 18.3 per cent increase year-over-year. Leading the growth were the capital city Ha Noi (up by 23.5 per cent), a Nang (22.1 per cent), and Quang Ninh (20.9 per cent). The accommodation and food service sector also flourished, generating VN200.1 trillion (about $7.7 billion), up 14 per cent. Same as travel revenues, the three localities Quang Ninh (20.1 per cent), a Nang (16.7 per cent), and Ha Noi (14.9 per cent) saw the highest growth in this sector. With impressive arrival numbers and strong revenue growth, Viet Nam is solidifying its status as a top international destination. The momentum from Q1 sets a strong foundation for the country's tourism sector to sustain growth and expansion in the coming months, achieving its target of welcoming 22-23 million foreign tourists for the whole year. VNS GIA LAI Amid the atrocities committed by the brutal Pol Pot regime, thousands of Cambodians were forced to flee their homeland. Border villages in Viet Nam, such as Kloong in Ia O Commune, Ia Grai District, and Triel in Ia Pnon Commune, uc Co District, became vital shelters of hope for those escaping the horrors. Recalling the grim realities of that time, Ro Cham Hloac, an elder from Kloong Village, shared, "Pol Pot was merciless, killing civilians, stealing crops and livestock, and even planting landmines to harm those trying to recover the bodies of their loved ones." Fortunately, Ro Cham Hloac and thirty-five other families found salvation by crossing into Viet Nam, where they were met with crucial support from military personnel and local citizens. Hloac said he has always reminded younger generations to remember the assistance they received during those dark times. Ro Mah Thuy and his mother faced immense challenges during their escape, relying on an elephant to navigate treacherous rivers and forests. Despite losing everything, they discovered compassion and opportunity in their new home. Today, Thuy owns seven hectares of cashew plantations, over 2,100sq.m of coffee, and 1,400sq.m of rice, providing him with stable income to raise his children. These once-desperate refugee settlements have been transformed, with concrete roads now replacing muddy paths, sturdy houses replacing temporary shelters, and children attending school. Chairman of the Ia O communal Peoples Committee Siu Nghiep said many Cambodian refugees have gained Vietnamese citizenship, and the locality has created favourable conditions for them to establish stable lives here as well as provided them with education support and livelihood development. Sharing his insights on the remarkable transformation of the Cambodian community, Chairman of the Ia Pnon Commune Peoples Committee Phan Ngoc Tuan said that Triel village is home to eighty-six households, most of whom were refugees from across the border. Today, 95 per cent of them are working as rubber tappers at the 72 One Member Company Limited under Army Corp 15. The number of impoverished households continues to decline each year, supported by an accelerated program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses. These efforts have contributed to the commune's achievement of new-style rural area criteria. While settling in Viet Nam, these communities maintain a deep connection to their Cambodian heritage. Cross-border family visits and cultural exchanges have been organised to strengthen the bonds between the two nations, fostering a border line of peace, friendship, and development. The Cambodian villages of Kloong and Triel stand as enduring monuments to the solidarity and friendship between Viet Nam and Cambodia. They are places where human compassion thrives, nurturing a future of peace and prosperity. VNS By Hamy Nguyen There are many reasons why a restaurant becomes synonymous with comfort food. It could be the warmth of the space, the kindness of the staff, or the attentiveness of the service. However, I believe the most crucial factor is always the food itself. Comfort food, to me, is what I turn to after a long, exhausting day, when the weather feels dreary, or when I simply need a familiar embrace in the form of a meal. Its the kind of food that doesnt just satisfy hunger but soothes the soul, something Fujiro delivers effortlessly. It all started when a Japanese friend once told me, "If you want real tonkatsu, go to Fujiro." He wasnt wrong. One bite in, and I got it: golden, crispy, outrageously juicy. This unassuming spot has quietly built a reputation for serving some of the best tonkatsu in town. And judging by my friends satisfied silence after the first bite, I knew he was right. Tucked away in Ha Nois bustling streets, Fujiro doesnt scream for attention. The minimalistic setup, clean lines, and warm wooden accents evoke a sense of calm, exactly what you need before diving into a plate of deep-fried perfection. The scent of freshly fried pork cutlets lingers in the air, teasing your appetite before you even sit down. Of course, the staff will always recommend their signature dish: the 2.5cm Thick Atsugiri (VN198,000). For true tonkatsu lovers, this is where Fujiro truly shines. The extra thickness locks in the juiciness, while the crisp, golden crust provides the perfect crunch. The porks natural flavour is enhanced by the light seasoning, and when dipped in the house-made tonkatsu sauce, it delivers an umami explosion. Pair it with a bowl of steaming rice, and you have a meal thats indulgent yet well-balanced. My all-time favourite is the special Katsutori Set (VN135,000). This is the ultimate warm hug on a cold day. Served sizzling on a hot iron plate, the Special Katsutori Set is not your ordinary tonkatsu meal, its a full-on comfort experience. The pork cutlet, perfectly crispy and juicy, is topped with a rich, velvety Japanese egg sauce that seeps into every bite. Paired with rice, miso soup, and marinated enoki mushrooms, its the kind of meal that makes you forget all your worries, at least until the plate is empty. And trust me, it will be empty fast. If you love fusion flavours, the Cheese Tonkatsu Curry (VN160,000) is a must-try. Imagine a perfectly crispy tonkatsu, generously draped in gooey melted cheese, then drowned in a rich, fragrant Japanese curry. Over the top? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely. Now, lets be honest: Fujiros curry wont win the Best in Hanoi award in my book, but it plays its role well, blending seamlessly with the crunch of the tonkatsu and the creaminess of the cheese. Its the kind of dish that feels like a warm, cheesy, slightly dramatic hug. A small heads-up: the portions here are generous. That said, bringing a group is a smart move, not only can you sample more dishes, but youll also have backup to help tackle the feast (and avoid hitting the tonkatsu overload point too soon). So, whether you're a die-hard tonkatsu fan or just discovering the magic of a perfectly fried cutlet, Fujiro is the kind of place that turns a simple meal into something unforgettable. One bite, and youll know: crispy, juicy Fujiro. VNS FUJIRO Address: 47 Phan Ke Binh St, Ba inh Dist, Ha Noi Price: from VN50,000 198,000 Comment: Comforting, cosy, flavourful, savoury, simple HA NOI Tourism industry can serve as an economic defence tool helping Indonesia mitigate negative impacts caused by US reciprocal tariffs, Indonesian Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana has said. According to the minister, the tourism sector, classified as a service industry, is not subject to such tariffs and continues to generate foreign exchange. Widiyanti made the statement in response to experts' concerns that barriers to Indonesia's exports to the US can accelerate the weakening of the IDR against the US dollar. When exports of goods are subject to high tariffs, Indonesia must look to other sectors that can serve as a balance for its economy, she stressed, adding that tourism is a form of service export that is not impacted by trade tariff policies. The minister noted that the Southeast Asian nation can optimise the enormous potential of the tourism sector as a major source of foreign exchange that is free from trade barriers. By attracting more foreign visitors, the country will be able to maintain the stability of the IDR and foreign exchange reserve, she said. To promote tourism development, the Ministry of Tourism is encouraging businesses across the country to take advantage of opportunities arising from shifting global dynamics to promote Indonesia as a world-class tourist destination. The ministry urges all tourism stakeholders to focus on both increasing visitor numbers and enhancing the quality of tours, which may generate higher spending, and open up more opportunities within the industry. With these measures, the minister is optimistic that the tourism industry can support the national economy amid ongoing external pressures and help position Indonesia as a leading global destination. VNA/VNS China states its position on opposing U.S. abuse of tariffs Xinhua) 09:25, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government's position on opposing U.S. abuse of tariffs was released on Saturday. Recently, under various pretexts, the United States has imposed tariffs on all trading partners, including China, which severely infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of nations, severely violates World Trade Organization rules, severely harms the rules-based multilateral trading system, and severely disrupts the stability of the global economic order. The Chinese government strongly condemns and firmly opposes this. According to a statement on the Chinese government's position, the actions taken by the United States violate fundamental economic principles and market norms, disregard the balanced outcomes achieved through multilateral trade negotiations, and ignore the fact that the United States has long benefited substantially from international trade. Using tariffs as a tool of extreme pressure for selfish gain is a textbook example of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. Under the guise of pursuing "reciprocity" and "fairness," the United States is engaging in zero-sum games and, in essence, seeking "America First" and "American exceptionalism," the statement said. It said that the United States is exploiting tariffs to subvert the existing international economic and trade order, prioritizing U.S. interests above the global common good and sacrificing the legitimate interests of countries worldwide to serve its own hegemonic agenda. "Such actions will inevitably face widespread opposition from the international community," it noted. China is an ancient civilization and a land of ritual. The Chinese people advocate treating others with sincerity and trust. "We don't make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble," the statement said, stressing that pressure and threats are not the right way to deal with China. China has taken and will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. Noting that China-U.S. economic and trade relations should be mutually beneficial in nature, the statement said the United States should conform to the common expectations of the people in the two countries and around the world. In line with the need to safeguard the fundamental interests of the two countries, the United States should stop using tariffs as a weapon to suppress China's trade and economy, and stop undermining the legitimate development rights of the Chinese people. As the world's second-largest economy and second-largest consumer market for goods, China will open its doors wider to the outside world no matter how the international situation changes, the statement stressed. It said China will continue to open up to the world at a high level, steadily expand its institutional opening-up in rules, regulations, management and standards, implement high-level trade and investment liberalization and facilitation policies, and foster a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized first-class business environment, to share its development opportunities with the world, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. Economic globalization is the only way forward for the development of human society. The rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core has made important contributions to promoting global trade, economic growth and sustainable development, the statement noted. "As openness and cooperation is the trend of history, the world will not and should not retreat to mutual isolation and division," the statement said. Mutual benefits and win-win outcomes reflect the common aspirations of all people, while beggar-thy-neighbor economic bullying will ultimately backfire. "It is the shared responsibility of the international community to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, universally beneficial and balanced," it said. Development is a universal right for all countries, not the exclusive privilege of a few. International affairs should be discussed and handled collectively, and the future and destiny of the world should be in the hands of all nations, the statement said. There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and protectionism leads to a dead end, it stressed. And all countries should uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold genuine multilateralism, work together to oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. The statement highlighted the belief that the vast majority of countries that value fairness and justice will stand on the right side of history, making decisions that serve their own interests. The world must embrace equity, not hegemony. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) WATERLOO Kelly Sullivan remembers another cold April day 28 years ago. On a Staten Island pier in New York harbor, she helped commission the Navy destroyer USS The Sullivans, hull number DDG-68, named for her grandfather and great uncles who died together in World War II. She gave the order, Man this ship and bring her to life! and sailors, men and women, ran on board and manned their stations. On Saturday, she watched a friend do the same thing. Former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack gave those orders to the crew of the new USS Iowa, hull number SSN-797, in Groton, Connecticut, where the submarine was built. Sullivan, a member of the USS Iowa commissioning committee, had planned to be in Connecticut to support her friend. Circumstances prevented her from attending in person, so she did the next best thing. She attended a watch party for the commissioning ceremonies at Waterloos Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, part of the Grout Museum District. The Waterloo event was attended by dozens of Cedar Valley residents who filled the museum mess hall events area, including many military veterans. It was one of more than two dozen such parties around the state. One of those veterans was Kelly Sullivans father Jim Sullivan, the son of Albert Sullivan, the youngest of the five brothers. He was a toddler when his dad and uncles George, Francis, Joseph and Madison were killed when the USS Juneau was sunk during the naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He followed his father and uncles into the Navy and served on a destroyer. Kelly and her father were surrounded by well-wishers who also turned out to welcome Iowas new namesake ship into service. Its a historic day for the Navy, a historic day for Iowa, Kelly Sullivan said. I think the biggest thing is celebrating our state, our great state, and all the people who have served our country from Iowa. Iowa has a rich history of service and patriotism. Todays a day where we celebrate that. Its a big deal. It was the culmination of a long process, six years, to build and commission the Iowa. The Virginia-class nuclear submarine has the most up-to-date firepower and silent running technology. The thing that really amazed me is all the people who make this happen, Sullivan said. People dont realize what happens behind the scenes. Many commissioning committee members were Iowans and Navy veterans. Iowa firms helped with the construction. Its neat to have so many Iowans involved in this process. And its been wonderful to watch the whole thing unfold for all these years. I feel honored to have been part of it, Sullivan said. USS Iowa sailors feel a connection to the state of Iowa as well as evidenced by crew members volunteering to help clean up the grounds of the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, and parts of Cedar Rapids, after the August 2020 derecho. They sent a truck full of USS Iowa volunteers, Sullivan said. Those sailors, theyre our family, Sullivan said. Its just like The Sullivans. We have sailors from The Sullivans that come to visit Iowa all the time. USS Iowa sailors participate in RAGBRAI, go to the Iowa State Fair, to Iowa Irish Fest. Thats just a few of them. So many more things than that. Thats the thing we also now celebrate, is that these sailors are now part of our Iowa family, she said. Also at Saturdays watch party was U.S. Army Korean War era veteran Bill Keane of Waterloo, who also attended the 1997 commissioning of the USS The Sullivans at Staten Island with a large contingent of Cedar Valley residents. He is a member of the Sullivan Brothers chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Waterloo. He saw a parallel between the two commissionings. It just feels wonderful because of the Iowa connection, he said. Were just so proud of the Sullivan brothers, were proud of Kelly and the family and her devotion to history. Reminders of the Sullivan brothers sacrifice sail with the USS Iowa, too. The official ships crest bears a shamrock in commemoration of the brothers Irish heritage and their service. It also bears a likeness of its predecessor ship, the battleship USS Iowa, BB-61, which served from World War II through 1990 and is now a museum in the Port of Los Angeles. One of the battleships nicknames was The Grey Ghost, and the submarine crew has drawn from that with its motto, Fear the Ghost. The ships crest also bears 47 stars for each of the sailors killed when the battleships No. 2 gun turret exploded in April 1989. Members of the Battleship Iowa Museum were in Groton for the commissioning as well. John Creery of Waterloo, who served in the Air Force from 1969 to 1989 including a tour in Vietnam, said he served at a fighter installation near the Bath Iron Works in Maine where the current USS The Sullivans was built and christened, but had never attended a ship launch, christening or commissioning. So this sounded kind of cool, he said. The watch party offered plenty of good-natured inter-service razzing and camaraderie among the many veterans in attendance like a group of sailors who griped about a Marine veteran giving them orders while they nonetheless accommodated him to pose for a group photo. Jim Sullivan struck up a conversation with fellow tin can sailor Paul Reuter of Waterloo, who served on the destroyer USS Robinson during the Korean War. Reuter told Sullivan his grandkids asked him if hed ever killed anyone while in service. I dunno ... I was the cook. Justice event showcases career opportunities to Wrexham students This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 6th, 2025 Wrexham University students recently had the chance to explore career and volunteering pathways within the justice sector at the institutions annual Careers in Justice Fair. Staff from key organisations from across the justice sector came together to meet and network with students and graduates from Criminology and Criminal Justice, Professional Policing, Law, Psychology, Social Work, Youth & Community Studies degree programmes to help them enhance their employability and make valuable connections for the future. Organisations who attended the event to speak with students and graduates about the opportunities available to them, included: VAWDASV (Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence) Housing Justice Cymru/Citadel HMP Berwyn Wrexham Youth Justice Service North Wales Police Domestic Abuse Safety Unit North Wales St Giles Trust British Transport Police Gamlins Law GHP Legal HM Courts and Tribunal Service HM Prison and Probation Service Having the chance to be in the room with the different professions in the field has been incredibly worthwhile for me, said Harrison Gillham, second-year Criminology and Criminal Justice student. As someone who is still undecided as to what career path I want to go down when I graduate, its been great to speak to the various organisations and hear about their work. This is another brilliant example of the opportunities available to us here at the University, as in just a few weeks time, our cohort is heading over to HMP Berwyn for a visit. Im very much looking forward to seeing the environment for myself and hopefully get an understanding of what type of role I could potentially fit into and make a difference in. Kunle Oladiji, who is currently undertaking a Masters in Data Science, said: Although I am not studying a justice related subject, I felt this was a good opportunity to go along and speak to people from the different teams and organisations, and also find out about volunteering opportunities, as thats a great way of connecting with people. I was also keen to find out how AI is being used in the field, as Data Science and AI can be very much interconnected. Dr Jo Prescott, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, said: Our annual Careers in Justice Fair was a brilliant success which provided our students with the chance to meet face-to-face with professionals and organisations from the justice sector. Being in the room with professionals working in the field is a golden opportunity for our students to make a positive impression, build connections, explore career paths and potentially, take the next step towards their future career in justice. Lucy Jones, Head of Careers and Employability, added: At Wrexham University, we are committed to ensuring that our degrees provide real-world industry connections that enhance employability. Our Criminology and Criminal Justice team, in partnership with ourselves in the Careers and Employability Service, designed this event to provide students and graduates with direct access to employers and practical insights into career pathways, helping them to build a strong foundation for their futures. Nordic-style visitor hub at Moel Famau set for approval despite strong opposition. This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 6th, 2025 Denbighshire is set to approve its own planning application for a Nordic-style visitor hub at Moel Famau next week, in the teeth of strong opposition. The council has applied to its own planning department, seeking to erect the new visitor hub with information and restroom facilities, ranger space, and associated works at the highest summit in the Clwydian range. The plans at the upper Bwlch Pen Barras car park include a cafe and office space. But the council has received dozens of objection letters regarding the plans, raising issues such as the impact on highway safety and congestion, the impact on the character of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), as well as the effects on biodiversity and the open countryside. Other objectors feared the plans could encourage an increase in visitors, leading to noise disturbance and litter. Liz Kameen, from The Vale Grocer, was one of those who wrote to the council. She said: I am absolutely opposed to this development. Why do we keep making places less and less wild? This is a totally unnecessary waste of money. Im shocked and disappointed that DCC would even consider it. Mr Johns wrote: Cafes and mountains do not mix as the Snowdonia experience well illustrates. One in four wildlife deaths in Snowdonia are attributed to litter. A cafe will just mean more rubbish and more traffic, neither of which will benefit the local area. It will just end up with a car park full of visitors using the cafe with no spots left for people who want to walk. But Denbighshires planning officers are recommending that the committee back the plans. A planning report concludes: In terms of the proposals physical impacts on the area, it is clear from the responses of statutory consultees that the proposal is unlikely to result in an unacceptable impact on matters such as biodiversity, highway safety, character of the AONB, residential amenity, or archaeology. The key consideration is that of principle is the principle of developing a building in this open countryside location in a prominent position in the AONB acceptable? As detailed above, the proposal is not a commercial proposal, but a proposal by the council aimed at helping to improve its management of a site it is responsible for. The result of delivering a proposal for the better management would be to enhance an existing tourism destination which is focused on outdoor activity. Llanferres Community Council backed the scheme but said increased parking could be needed. The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beautys joint advisory committee raised no objections. The joint committee raised no objections to the original submission, a statement reads. The proposed amendments involve a 20% reduction in the footprint of the building with a slight adjustment to the siting, whilst retaining its curved form. This is considered to be an improvement in landscape terms as it sits lower and is more tucked into the landscape, with access directly from the car park. The joint committee continue to support this proposal on the basis it will serve the existing visitor numbers at this location and replace the temporary facilities available. The matter is set to be discussed at Denbighshires planning committee meeting on Wednesday at the councils Ruthin County Hall HQ. By Richard Evans Local Democracy Reporter Section of A534 closed for some time This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 6th, 2025 A section of the A534 is fully closed this afternoon. Police said, The A534 in Holt, Wrexham is currently closed in both directions due to a Road Traffic Collision. Emergency Services are dealing. The road is closed from the junction of Shepherds Road in Holt (near to the Holt Lodge Inn) to the junction of the B5130/A534 in Farndon. The junctions of Wrexham Road (B5102) and Francis Lane (B1530) will also be closed for some time. Please avoid these areas and consider alternative routes on your travels. We must never forget, Senedd commemorates Gresford colliery disaster This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 6th, 2025 Senedd members paused to remember one of the worst mining disasters in British history. Lesley Griffiths told the Senedd that Wrexham experienced one of its darkest days on September 22, 1934 when 261 men and boys lost their lives at Gresford Colliery. The Labour politician explained that the colliery, which closed in 1973, was one of the largest in the region, with more than 2,200 employees and 1,850 working underground. She said: On that Saturday at around 2am, halfway through the night shift, a devastating explosion ripped through the Dennis section of the mine. Ferocious fires spread rapidly through the dust-laden air. The men in the Martin shaft knew nothing about the explosion until word came to them to get out. Fires raged The Wrexham Senedd member said rescue parties endured the heat but it is said it scorched the clothes on their backs and burnt the soles from their boots. Wooden pit props burst into flames, causing the fire to spread and further explosions occurred which led to more rockfall, she explained. Leading a debate on April 2 to raise awareness of the disaster, Ms Griffiths told the Senedd many of the miners who escaped the Martin section worked to extinguish the fires. After 40 hours, all rescue parties were called up and the mineshaft was sealed, she said. The only way to extinguish the fires would be to starve them of oxygen. 261 men and boys were killed in the explosion underground and the fires that raged as a result the youngest was just 16 years of age. Unspeakable grief Ms Griffiths told the debating chamber or Siambr that only 11 bodies were recovered, leading to unspeakable grief for the relatives whose loved ones remained entombed underground. She said three rescuers lost their lives, with another miner killed in a secondary explosion on the surface and the 266th dying after collapsing at a memorial service in the October. The former minister, who is standing down at the 2026 election, said: The management were under pressure to increase productivity so they allowed illegal double shifts. Ms Griffiths described the inquiry that followed the disaster as a sham despite a catalogue of failings and mismanagement, with pressure for more coal outweighing safety regulations. She told Senedd members: There are strong allegations that certain documents were fabricated and falsified to protect the owners. Embedded in our history No-one was ever held accountable, she said. With the fine of around 150 relating to bookkeeping errors rather than circumstances surrounding the explosion. Describing the impact as unfathomable, she added: Shockingly, men who worked that fateful night were docked four hours pay, half their wages for not completing their shift. Ms Griffiths said many people in Wrexham continue to feel the disaster was overlooked, with the politics of the day enabling those in authority to not be held to account. Her Labour colleague Mick Antoniw told the Senedd that more than 6,000 people in Wales lost their lives in mining disasters, with tens of thousands suffering injury and illness. Its embedded in our history and its important that the next generations and our education system actually know that history as well, he said. Debt of gratitude Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds, who was born and brought up in Wrexham five minutes away from Gresford, said the disaster defined the community. She told the Siambr: We must never ever forget the debt of gratitude we owe the people who lost their lives because they improved working conditions and began to form the unions that represent people and, hopefully, ensure that things like this never happen again. The Conservatives Sam Rowlands joined fellow Senedd members in paying tribute to the community for keeping the memory of Gresford alive for decades. With meetings set to move to Ty Hywel while the Siambr is remodelled, former first minister Mark Drakeford said it seemed fitting to hold the final debate on an issue of such resonance. He said: In remembering the events of 90 years ago, we remind ourselves of those principles of social justice, community solidarity, collective action in the workplace and that sense of community resilience we are so fortunate still to have present here in Wales today. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter Welsh care charity closes after 40 years due to social care funding crisis This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 6th, 2025 A long-standing Welsh care charity has closed after 40 years, citing a growing social care funding crisis. Cymryd Rhan (Taking Part) had been relying on reserves to stay afloat, but those funds have now run out. The charity ceased operations on Monday, March 31. The charity helped people remain in their homes, easing strain on the NHS. Based in Llanidloes, the charity supported around 2,000 people in Flintshire, Wrexham, Ceredigion, Merthyr and Powys. But in recent years, the charity was forced to return care contracts to councils, citing unsustainable funding levels. Leaders say that enough is enough and that closure was the only option. Chief executive Nick Evans said jobs would be lost and the care of hundreds of vulnerable people the charity had on its books would be transferred to alternative groups. He said: Weve been in Wales for 40 years and the charity was originally set up by a group of parents whose sons and daughters had finished their special education and were struggling to find opportunities beyond their education. In the last year we had about 300 individuals that we have supported. Our decision to stop is because we can no longer live with the fact that peoples choices and the controls they have around their lives are being interfered with because of the attitude by which funders and commissioners are going about their daily business. We are being placed in a position to live with underfunding but also to meet the same expected requirements under the regulations of quality and monitoring. Mr Evans, CEO for the past decade, said the charity has arranged alternative support for most of the 300 people they were still assisting. Staff numbers dropped from 146 to 25 in two years, with most transferring to new providers. Five roles are being made redundant. Mr Evans claimed the funding problems came to the fore a few years ago when the charity had to hand its contracts back to Wrexham Council or risk going bust. According to the charity, the fees paid by the council were so low that it faced an annual loss of more than 100,000 if the contracts carried on. Mr Evans stressed the decision wasnt made lightly, but followed years of engagement with local authorities that failed to produce change. He said the closure of the charity is another worrying development in the Welsh social care sector. Members of the Care Forum Wales campaign group have been warning the impact of National Insurance and wage increases as well as how much councils were prepared to pay for care will affect the sustainability of many organisations and care homes within the sector. Chair of Trustees Freda Lacey said contract structures created long-term uncertainty, with annual funding uplifts impossible to predict despite rising delivery costs. The charitys chair of trustees Freda Lacey said the way contracts were structured made it difficult for the organisation to know what it would be paid for delivering its service in the long term meaning there was constant financial uncertainty. She said: The problem with the annual uplift fee is those contracts are year-on-year, you cant control, influence or know what those uplifts will look like into the next year. Every year when you come into January you start asking the question about the uplifts. Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, said: The news that Cymryd Rhan is being forced to call it a day is tragic but sadly all too predictable given the chronic underfunding of the social care sector. It defies logic that a local authority expects a charity, or indeed any care provider, to operate at a loss. There are severe legal and financial implications for any trustees who accepted such operating conditions and we completely understand why Cymryd Rhan felt they had no choice but to bow out of their contracts. It is completely unsustainable to have to subsidise social care services commissioned by a council. In the meantime, care homes, nursing homes and care providers across Wales are closing or withdrawing from contracts because they simply cannot afford to continue at the current levels of funding. Over 7,000 people gathered outside of the Nevada State Capitol and Legislature on Saturday to protest lawmakers and the Trump Administration. It was all a part of a nationwide protest called "Hands Off". At least four local organizations helped gather people in Northern Nevada, and they say the planning took over two weeks. We had the chance to speak with some organizers and protesters, who all came together for different reasons. "It's about hands off; get your hands off our social security, out of our post office, out of Medicare, Medicaid, the VA hospitals - it is people saying we are done, and we want our representatives to buck up," said Kimberly Carden, a member of Indivisible Northern Nevada. "If we work to re grow our middle class, we can solve all the problems that we have today and we should be together, working together - not working apart," said Darcie Smith. "I think it is really awful what is happening with the violation of due process rights and the constitutional rights that immigrants have in our country, a lot of people don't realize that; so what the government is doing right now is inhumane and illegal," said Veronica Frenkel. Others we spoke with say they came to protest for friends and family. "I'm privileged enough to have insurance, I'm not transgender, I'm not gay, I am not going to take Social Security soon; but I have family members that I am standing up for," said Caty Burkett. During the protest some cars drove by honking in support, while others waved signs and argued in opposition. Over the last few months, we have seen multiple protests in Carson City, and many in attendance today believe these protests will continue. Protesters lined the streets today for hours, and while we did see a number of people drive by in opposition, there was no formal counter protest. Dear Annie: Im a 100% disabled veteran living in Alaska, and I feel completely defeated. For the last two years, Ive tried to hold state agencies accountable for serious mishandling of my case -- including falsified documents, broken agreements and using my disability against me. Despite filing formal complaints and following every process, nothing has changed. Investigators downplay everything, even questioning my mental health treatment inappropriately. Ive also tried legal aid, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and lawyer referral services -- all dead ends. On top of that, my chronic illness is flaring, my child is being affected and I feel emotionally abandoned by everyone Ive asked for help. How do I keep going when it feels like every system has failed me and no one cares? -- Feeling Forgotten in Alaska Dear Reader: First, let me say this clearly: You are not worthless. Youve been through an overwhelming series of injustices, and its no wonder you feel exhausted, heartbroken and alone. Youve done everything right -- filed complaints, followed procedures, asked for help -- and the system has failed you again and again. Thats not a reflection of your worth. Its a reflection of broken systems. As a 100% disabled veteran, you deserve support. Please consider reaching out to national organizations such as Disabled American Veterans or Wounded Warrior Project; they may be able to advocate for you in ways local agencies have not. Also, the National Disability Rights Network may help with legal advocacy and representation. I hear your pain. And I want you to know: You are not alone. If things feel too heavy, please call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 (then press 1). They will listen without judgment. Youve shown strength just by writing this. Please dont give up. You matter. Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns. How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner? is out now! Annie Lanes second anthology -- featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. Comedian and writer Amber Ruffin doesnt seem to be too nonplussed that she was disinvited to headline the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner. In fact, shes taking it all in stride. Ruffin and her cohosts on Have I Got News for You,-- CNNs Saturday news and comedy show-- traded jokes about the situation during the episodes Offend-O Meter,-- a segment where teams run down weekly topics that made people mad, naming the offender, the infraction, and of course, who was offended. The shows host, Roy Wood Jr., gave a humorous introduction to the subject, naming the offender (Ruffin) and the offended (The White House and the White House Correspondents Association), along with a nod to the movie, Friday. Amber, following in the tradition of Craig from Friday, was fired on her day off as she was uninvited from the White House Correspondents dinner when she said that she intended to make fun of the current administration. Next, Wood asked Ruffin for her reaction. Amber, do you think you lost the gig because you said too early what you were going to do about going in on Republicans? I mean, Oh my God! I could f**king talk for the next three hours! Ruffin replied as the audience and hosts erupted into laughter and thunderous applause. I lost the gig because I was out here talkin shit. And I think its a good thing that I lost the gig, because I was gonna show up there and act all the way out, Ruffin continued as the audience resumed clapping. Also, its not anyones fault. Because when I was hired, we were like aww yeah, well give it to everybody, noting that she planned to taunt both the Democrat and Republican parties. Then, they started fucking disappearing people to a prison in El Salvador. They rolled back fucking civil rights. So I was like If I make this equal, then Im also a piece of shit. I cant fucking do that. "I lost the gig because I was out here talking shit..." Amber Ruffin talked about being uninvited from the @WHCA dinner on "Have I Got News For You" last night. This is from the show's "Offend-O-Meter" segment pic.twitter.com/mSPwRiCRc4 Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 6, 2025 The White House Correspondents Association annual dinner launched in 1921. Entertainers poking fun at politicians and current events is an integral part of the occasion, and the association normally names comedians to host the event. Over the decades, the lineup of hosts have included Richard Pryor, Conan OBrien, Wanda Sykes, Trevor Noah, and Alabamas Roy Wood Jr., who hosted the event in 2023. This year, the White House Correspondents Association unanimously decided to cancel the comedic performance for the annual April dinner, according to Politico. WHCA President Eugene Daniels wrote in email to members that events focus this year is not on the politics of division but rather on honoring the work of the associations journalists, Politco reports. Bill Murray looks on during the first round game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Iona Gaels of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) Bill Murray has opened up about what happened on the set of Being Mortal, Aziz Ansaris directorial debut that was shut down over complaints of the prolific comedians on-set misconduct. While speaking with The New York Times about his new movie, The Friend, Murray discussed the fact that he and his character in the film, Walter, have both been accused of inappropriate misconduct. When asked if he still thinks about his Being Mortal incident, Murray said, I dont go too many days or weeks without thinking of what happened. It was Covid, we were all wearing masks and we were all stranded in this one room listening to this crazy scene, Murray said. I dunno what prompted me to do it. Its something that I had done to someone else before, and I thought it was funny, and every time it happened, it was funny. I was wearing a mask, and I gave her a kiss, and she was wearing a mask. It wasnt like I touched her, but it was just, I gave her a kiss through a mask. And she wasnt a stranger. Murray admitted the incident still bothers him since shortly after, Being Mortal was shut down by human rights or H & R of the Disney corporation, which he described as more strident than some other countries. It turned out there were pre-existing conditions and all this kind of stuff, Murray added. Im like, what? How was anyone supposed to know anything like that? There was no conversation, there was nothing. There was no peacemaking, nothing. It went to this lunatic arbitration, which, if anyone ever suggests you go to arbitration: Dont do it. Never ever do it. Because you think its justice, and it isnt. He continued, But it was a great disappointment, because I thought I knew someone, and I did not. I certainly thought it was light. I thought it was funny. To me, its still funny, the idea that you could give someone a kiss with a mask on. Its still stupid. Its all it was. The Friend, directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, follows New York City writer Iris (Naomi Watts), whose life of quiet and solitude is upended by Apollo, a great dane inherited from her late mentor. Back in April of 2022, production on Being Mortal was indefinitely suspended after a complaint was issued about Murrays on-set incident. Based on Atul Gawandes 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, the film was to star Murray, Ansari and Seth Rogen. The movie was ultimately never finished. 2025 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Alabama State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, speaks during the Eastern Shore Republican Women's luncheon on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the Fairhope Yacht Club in Fairhope, Ala. John Sharp An ongoing emotional battle in Baldwin County over a sales tax distribution could get a replay on Tuesday in Montgomery during a public hearing before the Alabama State County and Municipal Government Committee. Alabama State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, the committees chair, told AL.com Friday that he plans to have SB270 reconsidered less than a week after the rest of the committee suggested the matter be handled by Baldwin County lawmakers only. Elliott believes the distribution of sales tax revenue in cases of city-county school splits, such as those in Baldwin County, is a statewide issue. Under SB270, counties are prohibited from using any portion of their sales tax exclusively for county school board projects in areas that are also served by a city school system. We need to address this statewide on whenever a school split happens, the sales tax is distributed among the kids and not kept for one school system, Elliott said. Its not a conservative way to do things to take from one and give to another. This is something we have to deal with. Filibuster threat State Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore John Sharp Elliott supports having a portion of the money go to a city school system if a city chooses to split from its county system. He calls it the fair thing to do and has pushed for a portion of the one-percentage point of a Baldwin County sales tax approved for the county school system in 1983, to also be allocated to the city schools. The two city schools Gulf Shores (2020) and Orange Beach (2022) were formed years after the sales tax was implemented. Representatives from both cities have since called for a portion of the tax to go back to their city schools. Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, is pushing against the move and is vowing a legislative filibuster on the Alabama Senate floor if SB270 advances. He may get it passed, Albritton said of the bill. He might be able to get it out of committee. If he gets it passed, it will be over my objections to kill it. Albritton expressed surprise at Elliotts intention to bring the bill back for reconsideration. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, who did not return a call or email for comment. During Wednesdays committee meeting, lawmakers questioned why SB270 was being brought forward and not handled as a piece of local legislation. Albritton said it had been dealt locally, and that not enough support was there to move it forward. Elliott introduced legislation in February allowing a portion of the sales tax revenues to be split among the school districts in Baldwin County. But only Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Gulf Shores, has expressed vocal support for the local bills SB135 and SB136. The local bills require unanimous support among the senators who represent all or portions of Baldwin County. To advance, it would require the support from Elliott, Albritton and state Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile. Albritton called Elliotts strategy as highly irregular in attempting to get a local bill passed out of a committee he chairs through a statewide measure. Elliott said that since Wednesdays committee meeting, he has forwarded additional information to colleagues to illustrate how other areas of the state with both county and city schools will not be affected. He said that schools in Jefferson County do it right, with sales tax distributions divided up among county and city school systems. We need to fix this, he said. Baldwin battle Elliott believes the legislation is necessary to provide clear guidelines for future school splits. He said the legislation is needed to provide guidance for future school splits and eliminate uncertainty about tax distributions. Elliott said there could be cases in Fairhope and Daphne in which one or both cities could consider splitting from the county someday. Albritton accuses Elliott of trying to encourage school splits in other parts of the county, stating that it is not in Baldwin Countys best interest. A look inside the new Orange Beach high school. (supplied photo by the Baldwin County School System). Albritton said he has a problem with sending additional sales tax revenues to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach at a time when both cities are building new schools. He said that dividing up the sales tax money is something opposed by the Baldwin County School System, and that he is backing them with their concerns. They dont have the need, Albritton said of the requests from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The other parts of the county do have a need. Yet, they want to take money from the (county) school system that has the needs and send them to the systems that do not have the needs. This is a totally wrong message, not just for Baldwin County but the people in the whole state. The issue has gotten heated over the past two weeks. The potential has arisen that other local bills sponsored by Baldwin County lawmakers may get blocked. Additionally, talks have surfaced over the unusual prospect of splitting South Baldwin County from the rest of the county and creating, for the first time since 1903, an entirely new county. Albritton expressed concern that the debate is sending a negative message throughout Baldwin County, one of Alabamas fastest-growing counties. Baldwin County is the states top tourism destination due to its beaches in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and unincorporated areas like the Fort Morgan peninsula. Its truly the haves and have-nots, Albritton said of what he believes is a viewpoint of those who support dividing up the countys sales tax money for the city schools. If youre south of I-10, then you dont belong, he said, referring to the interstate that serves as a dividing line in the large county between the more rural parts of North Baldwin County with the more developed areas south of the interstate. If youre not south of I-10, then you are not part of us, he said. If youre not south of I-10, then we just dont bother with you, and you dont deserve anything. Thats the attitude that is coming from this and thats pitiful. Thats not the way Baldwin County is nor the way it should be. Elliott maintains that Baldwin County schools are in a better financial position without Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, having received increased state funding through the Foundation Program. Albritton believes that the county school system, one of the largest in Alabama, is facing more significant challenges than those in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. He said there are concerns about the future of Perdido School, a K-8 school that serves North Baldwin County. If it closes, you dont find a school facility till you hit the county seat in Bay Minette, Albritton said. He said the closure of schools in the northern part of the county could lead to kindergarten students forced to get on a bus at 5:30 a.m. for a long drive to school. They want to use the term, fairness, he said. If you want to call that fair, I just dont understand the word. This photograph provided by Abrams Books shows Harriet Tubman in a photograph dating from 1860-75. Library of Congress, via AP Library of Congress, via AP For years, a National Park Service webpage introduced the Underground Railroad with a large photograph of its most famous conductor, Harriet Tubman. The Underground Railroad - the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, through the end of the Civil War - refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage, the page began. Tubmans photograph is now gone. In its place are images of Postal Service stamps that highlight Black/White cooperation in the secret network and that feature Tubman among abolitionists of both races. The introductory sentence is gone, too. It has been replaced by a line that makes no mention of slavery and that describes the Underground Railroad as one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement. The effort bridged the divides of race, the page now says. The executive order that President Donald Trump issued late last month directing the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate divisive narratives stirred fears that the president aimed to whitewash the stories the nation tells about itself. But a Washington Post review of websites operated by the National Park Service - among the key agencies charged with the preservation of American history - found that edits on dozens of pages since Trumps inauguration have already softened descriptions of some of the most shameful moments of the nations past. Some were edited to remove references to slavery. On other pages, statements on the historic struggle of Black Americans for their rights were cut or softened, as were references to present-day echoes of racial division. The Post compared webpages as of late March to earlier versions preserved online by the Internet Archives Wayback Machine. Changes in images, descriptions and even individual words have subtly reshaped the meaning of notable moments and key figures dating to the nations founding - abolitionist John Browns doomed raid, the battle at Appomattox and school integration by the Little Rock Nine. An educational page on Benjamin Franklin, which examined his views on slavery and his ownership of enslaved people, was taken offline last month, the review found. Mentions of Thomas Stone, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, owning enslaved people were removed from several pages on the website of the Stone National Historic site in Southern Maryland. A reference to other enslaved African Americans in that region was changed to enslaved workers. Trump has pursued broad executive orders and other measures aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the public and private sectors. His Inauguration Day order targeting DEI programs in government did not explicitly call for websites to be edited. But it has been interpreted aggressively by some officials, most notably at the Defense Department, which purged many pages that celebrated notable minority veterans. After an outcry, some were later restored. At the Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service, political appointees directed senior career officials to identify webpages that might need to be changed, according to two Park Service employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. The senior career officials asked staff members to compile lists of potentially problematic pages, the employees said. Those lists were sent up the management chain for consideration. The employees did not know whether the changes identified by The Post were made as a result of this process, but one said that some staff members were expansive in selecting pages for edits. The employee said staff members received only vague guidance and that the selections were made amid a frenzy of fear, at a time when thousands of federal workers were losing their jobs. You draw as broad a brush as possible, because the consequences of missing something are a lot more severe than the consequences of doing too much, the employee said. A third NPS employee, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that some webpage changes resulted not from demands from above, but from lower-level employees seeking to comply with what they believed Trump wanted. An Interior spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the employees accounts. Asked about the website changes, a Park Service spokesperson offered a statement but didnt address specific edits. The National Park Service has been entrusted with preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, safeguarding special places and sharing stories of American experiences, the statement said. We take this role seriously and can point to many examples of how we tell nuanced and difficult stories about American history. The Post examined changes on thousands of Park Service webpages. The vast majority were routine; a handful added mentions of slavery or enslaved people. The Post could not identify every change made since Trump took office, in part because the Wayback Machines archives are not comprehensive. On the website of Minute Man National Historical Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, a passage about the lack of recognition for Black soldiers who fought for American independence was removed. Why dont we hear more about this part of the American Revolution, the passage began, according to archived versions of the site. Unfortunately, systemic racism and historical bias have erased or buried many records of Black and Indigenous people who played a prominent role in the founding of the United States. A statement about the legacy of John Brown, who hoped to start a revolt by enslaved people in the run-up to the Civil War, was removed from a page on the website of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia. John Browns complex legacy remains a powerful symbol in Americas ongoing dialogue on race, justice, and the fight against oppression, the line said. Extensive changes were made to multiple Park Service pages about the Underground Railroad, and a landing page directing children to educational materials about it has been offline since last month. Since 1998, the Park Service has been required by federal law to recognize the Underground Railroad and to produce educational materials about it. Andrew Diemer, a professor at Towson University and author of a book on one of the networks founders, said that while some White abolitionists supported the Underground Railroad, changes identified by The Post minimized the legal and political forces arrayed at the time against enslaved African Americans. Overall, the revisions seek to emphasize harmony and unity and to de-emphasize conflict in a way that is out of step with how historians have written about the Underground Railroad in recent decades, Diemer said. Other changes appear on the website of Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia, where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union forces in April 1865, leading to the Civil Wars end. One page, about the surrounding town, was rewritten in a way that incorporated two new mentions of slavery in the years before the war. But on other pages about the battle and the subsequent emancipation of local enslaved people, all references to President Abraham Lincolns views of the war were removed, as were some references to Union Army commander Gen. Ulysses S. Grants views. Some mentions of slavery were cut, along with details of how White hostility in the area thwarted the efforts of freed Black people to enter their society. Greg Downs of the University of California at Davis, a specialist in Civil War history who has written several Park Service publications, said the changes warped history. A country that cannot tell the truth about itself cannot assess what has led it to moments of greatness in the past and what could lead it again to greatness, he said. Alterations were also made to Park Service content about major figures and events in the Civil Rights movement during the 20th Century. A page about the Niagara Movement, a group founded in 1905 by the African American civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, was changed to remove two references to the struggle for equality. For example, a description of the groups renewed sense of resolve in the struggle for freedom and equality became simply its renewed sense of resolve. Shawn Leigh Alexander, a Du Bois biographer and professor at the University of Kansas, described the alterations as subtle yet profound in suggesting that racism no longer required confrontation in the United States at the time. Although these changes may appear inconsequential to some, they collectively contribute to the erasure of the historical narrative of Black struggle for civil, political, and economic rights, which continues to this day, he said. Similar amendments were made to the website of the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas, which marks the place where nine young African American students braved a racist mob and military resistance from state authorities to integrate a previously White-only school in 1957. Proclamations that the students opened doors for others pursuing equality and education around the world were edited on at least six pages to remove the word equality. One of the surviving members of the Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth Eckford, told The Post that the edits masked the fact that the group had explicitly fought for equality of opportunity. Theyre trying to rewrite history, Eckford said. We can never have true racial reconciliation until we honestly acknowledge our painful but shared past. This is an opinion column Click here to sign up for the Comeback Town newsletter. Todays guest columnist is Ken Grodner. Last month I got a call from a friend inviting me to visit a facility I knew nothing about. What I witnessed is truly a miracle. The facility was founded by a Birmingham woman whom Im convinced is an angel. Unfortunately, I didnt have an opportunity to meet Miss Brenda. She passed away in December. Accused of a crime she didnt commit and on the verge of losing everything, she founded the Lovelady Center, the largest faith-based recovery center of women and children in the nation. Brenda faced the terrifying prospect of prison In 2004, Brenda Lovelady Spahn opened her front door not just to guests, but to possibility, to redemption, and to the idea that no one is beyond hope. Seven women from Alabamas Julia Tutwiler Prison, stepped inside her home that day, not as prisoners, but as women in desperate need of a second chance. Brenda never imagined she would understand what it felt like to lose everything. But when she found herself under investigation for a crime she didnt commit, facing the terrifying prospect of prison, her life unraveled. Her business collapsed, her future darkened, and yet, in that rock-bottom moment, she discovered a new calling: fighting for women who had been failedby the system, by their families, and sometimes by themselves. Words from the Women of Lovelady I didnt care if I lived or died. They love you here. I was hopeless, lost, and damaged inside. I should be dead. As the need for her ministry grew, referrals poured in from the criminal justice system across Alabama. The number of women desperate for a fresh start soon outgrew Brendas home. Thats when she and her daughter, Melinda MeGahee, now the Executive Director of The Lovelady Center, began searching for a larger space. When Brenda walked into the abandoned East End Memorial Hospital in East Lake, she felt it instantly. When I crossed the threshold of the former East End Memorial Hospital in East Lake, I realized, This is what You want, Lord, Brenda recounts. I knew there was no way at that moment to calculate how many lives could change in a place that big. Everyone thought Id lost my mind, but God made it happen and we moved into the building in October of 2005. The building has since become a sanctuary for thousands of women and their children. The Lovelady Center isnt just about shelter, meals, or clothing. Its about breaking cyclesof addiction, poverty, and incarceration. Its about equipping women with real skills, real faith, and real hope so they can rebuild their lives, provide for their families, and step into a future they never thought possible. Brenda was passionate about making sure every woman had teeth Many ladies come to the Lovelady Center with very unhealthy teeth\mouths. Their self-esteem is gone and with rotten teeth or no teeth, it is very hard to build that confidence back. Everything from eating to job interviews are affected by poor dental care. Over the years it got way too expensive to provide teeth so a dental clinic was built to restore smiles. Last year the clinic provided 396 Dentures/Partials, restored 423 teeth, had over 1600 office visits, extracted 1604 teeth, and provided basic care to 156. The largest long-term, faith-based recovery program in the nation Today, The Lovelady Center is the largest long-term, faith-based recovery programs in the nation, serving women and children displaced by addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and domestic violence. Their comprehensive services provide not just recovery, but transformation. The impact is undeniable. The Alabama Department of Corrections credits The Lovelady Center for lowering the states recidivism rate. It is also home to Alabamas only State Supervised Re-entry Program, allowing certain prisoners to complete their sentences within the program instead of behind bars. By using the Department of Corrections own financial data, its clear: Lovelady has saved the state millions while saving countless lives. Brendas journey began in desperation but became a story of divine redemption. In her book, Miss Brenda and the Loveladies, Brenda writes People say I am such a wonderful personbut I am the lucky one. There is something so incredible about looking into the faces of women who are devoid of hope and watching their expressions change when they discover they have a future and its going to be great. To learn more about their mission, programs, and services, visit www.loveladycenter.org . They are proud members of the Citygate Network, the largest community of faith-based missions and ministries in North America. Ken Grodner Ken Grodner is the co-owner of the Hospitality Network Group at Keller Williams. He grew up in Mountain Brook and graduated Magna Cum Laud with a BS Degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama. After working in finance for many years around the country, he returned home to Birmingham with his wife, Vikki, to become a realtor. David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. Hes past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP). Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com A Huntsville man has died and an infant was injured after an accident Friday afternoon in Madison County. Michael L. Laforest, 37, died at Huntsville Hospital Friday after a crash that happened at about 12:20 p.m., according to a Saturday press release by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Laforests 2014 Ford Edge collided head-on with a 2010 Honda Odyssey driven by 29-year-old Caitlin H. Hale. Laforest was not using a seat belt at the time of the crash and was transported to Huntsville Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries and was pronounced deceased, the agency said. A 4-month-old passenger in Hales Honda was injured and taken to Huntsville Hospital. The extent of the childs injuries were not released. The crash happened about two miles north of Huntsville on Jordan Road near Twin Oaks Drive North East. An investigation is underway. Villas at Old Monrovia are one through three bedroom cottages, carriage homes and townhomes. Birmingham-based Capstone Communities developed the rental community. Scott Turner/AL.com Single-family home communities are popping up monthly in the Huntsville metro where cotton crops once bloomed. But you wont find For Sale signs in many of these communities where cotton was once king. They are build-to-rent communities. According to a study by Point2Homes and YardiMatrix, over 2,300 build-to-rent units are under construction. That makes the Huntsville metro the unofficial build-to-rent capital of Alabama. The Daphne-Fairhope-Foley (671 units) and Auburn-Opelika (125 units) metros are a distant second and third in the state with build-to-rent homes under construction. The state overall has 3,100 units under construction, ranking eighth nationally. The Huntsville metro ranked 10th nationally among metros, and would be 12th for any individual state, ahead of entire states such as Colorado and New York. This means that Huntsville has more build-to-rent units under construction than many states, including Colorado and New York. See story: Huntsville area has more new rental housing under construction than most states - al.com For Maddie Broderson, regional marketing director of new development marketing for Georgia-based Landmark Properties, the reason the Huntsville metro is a popular target for such development is a simple one. Its booming, she told AL.com at the recent opening of Landmarks The Everstead at Madison, which has 231 single-family homes and townhomes. Theres been so much growth here. There is a lot of industry that is already here or coming here. So, were seeing a lot of people relocating to the area, and the economy is extremely strong. The Everstead build to rent community in Madison has one-to-four bedroom homes. Some have attached garages. Some are ranch style. Scott Turner/AL.com Peter Chacon, vice president of Investment Sales in Northmarqs Atlanta office and member of Northmarqs Build-to-Rent Advisory Group, said the Huntsville metro area has the economic profile to attract build-to-rent development, with a population that has expanded by nearly 20% or about 75,000 people during the past decade. He also told AL.com that the Huntsville area added more than 20,000 jobs alone in 2021-22. And 1805 developer Luke Allen and realtors Matt Curtis and Ben Wales, of Gateway Alabama Realty Group, said expansion of the FBIs presence at Redstone Arsenal and the potential relocation of U.S. Space Command here make the area even more attractive. We are delivering lots of job opportunities, Huntsville City Administrator Hamilton said at the ribbon cutting for the 276-unit build-to-rent Villas at Old Monrovia near Cummings Research Park. Its not just random. These are jobs that require a highly skilled, highly educated workforce. He and Madison Mayor Paul Finley said the metro needed communities like Villas at Old Monrovia and The Everstead at Madison. Huntsville is having so many people move in, so many new jobs, said Jim Beatty, vice president of development for Birmingham-based Capstone Communities, which built both the build-to-rent Cottages at Old Monrovia and Villas at Old Monrovia. People want to feel the place out before they decide where they want to lay down roots. See story: Rental community springs up in the heart of fast-growing North Alabama city - al.com See story: 276 home development opens near Huntsvilles Research Park and not one of them is for sale - al.com See story: Whats happening at development in south Huntsville near Walmart? - al.com Build to rent is attractive for a lot of reasons, added Allen, whose company is developing a 175-home community in south Huntsville called Memorial Village on the west side of Memorial Parkway near Hobbs Road. Residents love the ability to have single family home living, with features like no shared living walls, attached garages, fenced in private backyards, and vaulted ceilings, combined with the convenience and amenities of apartment living such as clubhouse, fitness center, pool, onsite maintenance, and flexible lease terms. Memorial Village is expected to be completed this summer, Allen said. Wales also said investors are onto the perks of building several homes at once. It is a great model to up your portfolios value and cash flow because you save a ton when you can grab these groups of traveling subcontractors and give them a big neighborhood to jump on, he said. They will basically build a house that you would buy for $250k or so for around $125-150k by my guessing. So, you get renters in it and it cash flows every month. Meanwhile the value is increasing in this area higher than most other areas. Huntsvilles rapid appreciation factor puts a big bullseye on it for these types of investors. Wales said he has been an advocate for local people to get into real estate investing to prevent this less desirable stuff from popping up so much because locals tend to have a bit more empathy for the town as a whole and are more mindful of what everyone has to look at every day. Is there too much supply? Both Curtis and Bennie Waller, Hulsey Fellow at the Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama, raise questions as to whether there may be an over-supply to meet the demand for build-to-rent products. This is a bit perplexing given what appears to be a more than ample rental market supply and even more puzzling given an increase in growing new construction for rental purposes, Waller said. Curtis said Huntsvilles apartment vacancy rate hit 19.2% in May 2024well above the national averageleading to negative rent growth (-2.6% year-over-year). This signals a potential oversupply issue, as rental inventory has outpaced demand, he said. But Curtis said with 74% of new housing units in 2023 being rentals, fewer homes are available for purchase, which could limit wealth-building opportunities for residents. On average, homeowners have 40 times the net worth of renters ($396,000 vs. $10,400), making homeownership one of the most significant ways to build financial security, he said. Curtis said the challenge for Huntsville is ensuring a balance between rental and ownership opportunities. While rental housing supports flexibility for newcomers, long-term economic health depends on maintaining access to homeownership, allowing residents to build generational wealth, he said. The U.S. Justice Department told an appeals court Saturday that a judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious El Salvador prison, and it suspended a government lawyer who admitted in court that the deportation was an error. The governments attorneys asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a Friday ruling by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to facilitate and effectuate Kilmar Abrego Garcias return to the U.S. by late Monday night. A judicial order that forces the Executive to engage with a foreign power in a certain way, let alone compel a certain action by a foreign sovereign, is constitutionally intolerable, they wrote. The appeals court asked Abrego Garcias lawyers to respond to the governments filing by Sunday afternoon. Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judges 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs. His mistaken deportation, described by the White House as an administrative error, has outraged many and raised concerns about expelling noncitizens who were granted permission to be in the U.S. During a court hearing Friday at a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni conceded to Xinis that Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the U.S. or sent to El Salvador. Reuveni could not tell the judge upon what authority he was arrested in Maryland. Im also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions, he said. But by Saturday, Reuveni had been placed on leave by the Justice Department, a department spokesperson confirmed. His name was not on Saturdays filing to the appeals court. At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Xinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, ruled Friday that there was no legal basis for Abrego Garcias detention and no legal justification for his removal to El Salvador, where he has been held in a prison that observers say is rife with human rights abuses. Abrego Garcias attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said the government has done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting its errors. Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right, he told the judge on Friday. The White House has cast Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member and doubled down on that claim after Fridays hearing. Abrego Garcias attorneys have countered that there is no evidence he was in MS-13. Abrego Garcia had a permit from DHS to legally work in the U.S., his attorney said. He served as a sheet metal apprentice and was pursuing his journeyman license. His wife is a U.S. citizen. Abreho Garcia fled El Salvador around 2011 because he and his family were facing threats by local gangs. In 2019, a U.S. immigration judge granted him protection from deportation to El Salvador. Government lawyers say they have no control over Abrego Garcia and no authority to arrange for his return any more than they would have the power to follow a court order commanding them to effectuate the end of the war in Ukraine, or a return of the hostages from Gaza. It is an injunction to force a foreign sovereign to send back a foreign terrorist within three days time. That is no way to run a government. And it has no basis in American law, they wrote. Sen. Charles Schumer looks on while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks during a news conference in the Queens borough of New York, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) AP Its not even close. New Yorkers appear to be on board for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to unseat Chuck Schumer in the Senate. Thats according to a new poll from the liberal firm Data for Progress that shows Ocasio-Cortez up 55% of likely Democratic voters said they supported or leaned toward supporting her, compared to only 36% who said the same about Schumer. This poll really does show that Democrats are united in just wanting to stand up, wanting to fight, wanting to see someone taking a stand for them, Danielle Deiseroth, executive director of Data for Progress, told Politico. The Democratic base is angry. Not just at President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the MAGA movement. Rank-and-file Democrats are mad at their own leaders and increasingly agitating to replace them. Democrats in Arizona and Georgia pushed out their party chairs. And Schumer postponed a book tour in the face of protests amid calls from progressives that he face a primary challenge. The losing party after a presidential election often spends time in the wilderness, but the visceral anger among Democrats toward their party leaders is reaching a level reminiscent of the Tea Party movement that swept out Republican incumbents 15 years ago. Schumer faced the most serious backlash after he refused to block a Republican-led government spending bill and shut down the government. Schumer said blocking the bill would have backfired and played into Trumps hands, but many on the left saw it as capitulation. AOC has often been a target of Trump supporters. My job is to be more than just an activist, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin said after the Democrat launched a tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders. It is to answer the call when theres an immigration raid and we need to figure out where our people are. All of those things require me to be more than just an AOC. Slotkins response was also met with applause from the audience at a town hall in Flint, Michigan. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch at 2:46 a.m. on Sunday in effect until 10 a.m. for Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Marengo, Perry, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa counties. Tornado watches and warnings: What you need to know When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch serves as an early warning that conditions are conducive to tornado formation. It's your cue to review and discuss your emergency plans, check your supplies, and locate your safe room. While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning signifies that a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, seek the nearest substantial shelter and shield yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the distinction between these two alerts is paramount for staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger looms. Prepare for a tornado Stay weather-ready: Check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings. Sign up for notifications: Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes. Create a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows. Establish a communication plan: Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits. Secure your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Help your neighbor: Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt. Tornado survival guide: Immediate actions for your safety When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: To ensure your safety during a tornado, remember that acting promptly is crucial, according to the weather service. Stay informed about tornado watches and warnings through regular updates on local news or a NOAA Weather Radio. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning while at home, head to your basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Ensure your pets are safe if time permits. At work or school: In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows. Outdoors: If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be. In a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. Why Trump May Get Away With His Tariff Trauma As President Donald Trump announced historically high tariffs across the world this week, I expected a number of affected governments to rapidly and collectively fight back. Instead, with the exception of China and a few scattered reprisals from allies, were seeing mainly cautious reactions. Foreign officials are talking about calibrated responses and keeping a cool head. Some are clearly hoping diplomacy will persuade Trump to back off some or many of his tariffs. Or, they could remove the majority of their tariffs and have free trade with the US, allowing our goods into their nations with the same low, or no, tariffs we put on their goods coming into America In conversations with diplomats, economists and former U.S. officials, I asked why. Werent they concerned this muddled, cautious global reaction would be too weak to persuade Trump to change course, or even embolden him to get tougher? But these experts argued that there are compelling reasons many governments are not acting fast or in unison not the least of which is that the worlds countries are not good at collective action, and many believe they have a better shot at accomplishing more, for themselves at least, if they avoid escalating the fight with Trump. Besides, its not at all clear if any moves by other countries will deter Trumps tariff mania. One would think that Politico writer Nahal Toosi, who escaped from Iran with her family when she was 6, might root for America. But, she went to very liberal UNC Chapel Hill and has spent a lot of time working for very liberal outlets, and has seemed to criticize American policy, at least when Bush 43 and Trump were president. And, criticized Israel, of course. Is it really too much to ask for American news outlets to support America? Maybe American news outlets should be trying to convince foreign nations to change their course and axe their tariffs on American goods. The European Union is a long-established exception on the trade front, obviously, and it is preparing at least two sets of retaliatory tariffs, though its spacing them out, reportedly in hopes of negotiations. But other groupings have yet to emerge to take on Trumps tariffs. They could negotiate for equitable tariffs. They could significantly reduce theirs. As I thought, President Trump is off to a great start thanks to the much better team of people he now has compared to last time. One exception: he brought back Peter Navarro, and he allowed him to design the massive April 2nd tariff orders. Dr. Navarro for most of his career was a Hillary Clinton Democrat who promoted terrible economic ideas, just like fellow Ph.D. economist Paul Krugman. His obsession is protective barriers that will bring back manufacturing to America, especially autos. But he is about 50 years behind the times. He still thinks its 1970 and Japan and Germany, with brand new factories, are flooding the world with cheap, well-made cars. Times have changed. Basic economics dictate most vehicles today are made in the part of the world where they are sold. Japanese and German car makers long ago realized its cheaper to build in North America, in non-union plants, to supply our market. Most of our imported cars actually come from other North American countries -- Mexico and Canada. Thanks to free trade agreements, almost all American goods easily cross these borders both ways. In fact, American manufacturers are so integrated with our neighbors, the recent tariff scheme is shutting down American car plants as supply chains are disrupted. Navarro makes a misleading defense of his position by saying the real money in autos is in drive trains -- engines and transmissions -- and these are much more likely to be imported. Well, sort of, but not a big deal. The real profit center is with the white-collar engineers who come up with the technology -- in offices, not factories, in Detroit, Tokyo, or Germany. Its also hard to physically make engines here, partly because of environmental regulations for casting steel and aluminum. These types of factories are highly automated, and dont employ so many line workers. There is also the issue of labor union contracts -- the UAW demands premium contracts for engine workers. Cummins and Caterpillar have enormous domestic drivetrain factories, but the former also has its own friendly, independent union to deal with. Cat on the other hand, is famous for smacking down the UAW in collective bargaining. The Big 3 long ago just took the path of least resistance and built engine plants in Mexico. Tariffs wont help here -- there are other factors at work. In fact, most of Navarros across-the-board tariffs dont seem aimed at any obvious problem. We run trade surpluses with lots of big countries -- Britain, Brazil, Netherlands, Spain, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, yet they all get hit with his 10% minimum tariff. Why? We should be rewarding every country where we have a surplus or near surplus; they are obviously wide open to us. Second, look at this list of countries that are hardest hit by his tariffs. Most are insignificant traders, like North Macedonia. Why bother with a punitive tariff for them? They arent stealing any jobs and are in no condition to buy much from us, anyway. Also, consider countries like Vietnam and India that do run big trade deficits with us. For decades we have promoted them as a friendly alternative for Chinese goods. This is succeeding. We might consider moderate tariffs to encourage open trade, but they, like other parts of Asia the Philippines, Malaysia, etc. -- are already doing a great service for us, just by competing with the Chinese. We also have small, super high-tech countries like Israel (which has had a free trade agreement since Ronald Reagan), Switzerland, and Taiwan. They are never going to be big buyers of American agriculture products or vehicles, while they churn out some of the worlds leading-edge products. How would we ever expect to run trade surpluses there? Likewise, Canada runs enormous surpluses with us, but its due to one factor -- the Oil Sands. By some measures this is the worlds largest potential petroleum source. It has to go through America to be refined or exported. It allows other American oil, such as in Alaska, to be sold abroad. Why do we want to mess with this? We should be importing more of this oil and building the Keystone XL Pipeline to do it. Now certainly, there are countries that we ought to tariff. Red China, with its slave labor/predatory pricing economy, is the main one. We want to get them out of our supply chain as much as possible, for national security reasons. We should also ding countries like Japan, South Korea, and parts of the EU, which use non-tariff barriers to keep out high demand American goods, like our food products. But we dont need Navarros tariff cannon to kill these houseflies. Going forward, the new levies are expected to amount to a minimum of $700 billion in annual collections. Our whole federal government brings in less than $5 trillion a year in all manner of taxes. This is not going to work. Tariffs have always had an appropriate place as a revenue source for our federal government, when done in moderation, like any other sales or excise tax. They are also helpful when dealing with rogue economic powers, like Red China. But the Navarro tariffs are poorly thought out, and the markets are reacting badly, as they should. Placing such a huge cost on our economy when it appears that meaningful tax cuts are still months away is a poor idea. A great thing about Donald Trump is that he doesnt stubbornly hold onto a losing hand. I expect tariff policies to undergo some major changes in the next few weeks, and to be seeing a lot less of Peter Navarro. Image: U.S. Mission Geneva The two biggest stories of the week, as I see it, are the effects of demanding reciprocity in barriers to trade and the Supreme Court putting the leash on out-of-whack federal district court judges. Its my personal belief that the strongest nations have a large, productive middle class. In recent decades, domestic fiscal profligacy and unfair international trade practices have hollowed out countless working-class communities, emptied middle-class pockets, and steadily eroded middle-class lives. Both the Administrations ordering of reciprocal tariffs and cutting wasteful and corrupt use of tax revenues seem to me an effort to return these people and communities to once-commonplace normal, decent, and dignified living. Both efforts have substantial national security benefits as well. Im not sure how the reciprocal tariff policies will be administered. I believe nations individually will negotiate the exact terms. Argentina has already agreed with the President that neither country will impose any tariffs on products from the other. Vietnam has sought an appointment to negotiate terms with us, as have, according to the President, many other nations. Yes, theres been some tough talk by leaders of countries who have benefited from the present system, but the U.S. is the largest consumer market in the world, which is the most significant bargaining chip. We have also been very generous donors and lenders. French President Emmanuel Macron yapped that French companies should stop investing here. Ric Grenell, presidential envoy for special missions, responds that we should cancel the $5 billion loan we made to Frances TotalEnergies African LNG project. China announced a 34% tariff on U.S. imports. ZeroHedge examines the consequences if China follows through on this threat: China has three options: 1. Concede defeat to whatever terms Trump demands 2. Devalue the yuan by 20-40% 3. Unleash biggest fiscal stimulus in its history (talking $2-3 trillion) which will push its debt off the chart. Its not just U.S. treasure involved. There are, after all, as Hugh Hewitt observes, national security implications of outsourcing so much manufacturing overseas. Donald Trump triggers race to offer US concessions before tariffs hit Nations prepare offers to Washington including weapons deals, dropping their own tariffs and moves against China Ive said a hundred times I have no idea if this will work out and that those of us raised on free trade theory have to put aside our instincts for a while to see if in fact the U.S. emerges on the other side stronger and more prepared for Cold War 2.0 which we are in. POTUS is forcing the world to choose: Does it want the U.S. to continue as its leader? If so, it cannot continue to treat it has [sic] the rich relation that can afford to cover their costs on matters like defense. Its not 1947 with the Marshall Plan or 1991 after the U.S.S.R. fell. It is the era of U.S.-China face off. All analysis should begin with that framing because that is the fundamental reality of 2025. Many friends like @DavidBahnsen hate the tariffs. They have said so many times and have explained why many times. But some of the fiercest critics (not David) wont admit the national security envelope in which the program rests. Almost everyone in the U.S. was wrong about the CCP and the course China would take after admission to the WTO. Thats the baseline awful decision that should be admitted by every critic before they take off on the tariffs. Re-shoring production of almost everything is the necessary but not sufficient step to secure a future for those under 10. If we dont, China will simply displace the U.S. instead of oppose it as the only other super-power. (When we were forced to enter World War II, we faced a substantial deficit of military equipment, but we then had steel plants, auto plants, shipbuilders, aircraft factories, and such to remedy that.) It is amusing to see the opposition to the notion of reciprocal tariffs, which I dont recall seeing when Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, and Barack Obama called for them. The early Wall Street response was a dip, particularly of FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) stocks, that is, the high-tech stocks that are considered most overvalued in any event. Yet leaders of those companies already anticipated this and are making substantial domestic investments. Most of the other FAANG+ companies announced plans to soon spend multiple billions in the US. Amazon, Microsoft, Open AI, Oracle, Softbank, and Meta -- together they announced last week over a trillion dollars in new domestic investment. So Trumps tariff plan started working well before he announced it on Liberation Day. The FAANG+ tech leaders were already moving back toward more familiar shores. The hit would have been much worse if these moves werent already on the record. Disruptions are inevitable. But this isnt trade war fallout. It is supply chain triage. Its not protectionism. Its industrial self-defense. And its already rebuilding America. In other words, FAANG+ didnt flee from tariffs: They ran home. The useless, flatlined media is decrying Trumps moves as reckless, ill-advised, and poorly thought-out, like he just dreamed it all up Monday after eating a bad taco, but the truth (as usual) is the exact opposite. In context, the FAANG+ adjustment was not only long overdue, but its painfully clear it was fully expected and carefully planned for. The plan was already in motion. Trump vs. the Courts Last week, among other things, I discussed the case where a lower court issued a nationwide order requiring the Department of Education to reinstate $65 million in various education grants, which included Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which this Administration rejects. The First Circuit Court of Appeals refused to stay the order but fast-tracked the appeal. The Administration argued that unless the Supreme Court intervened, federal courts around the country will continue to exceed their powers by ordering the Executive Branch to restore lawfully terminated grants across the government, keep paying for programs that the Executive Branch views as inconsistent with the interests of the United States, and send out the door taxpayer money that may never be clawed back. By a 5-4 decision, the Court agreed to stay the lower court order, finding that while the order was called a temporary restraining order, it was, in fact, a preliminary injunction in disguise, upon which the higher court had jurisdiction to rule. It noted the obvious: Once the money is paid out, even if the government ultimately wins on the merits, it's unlikely to get the money back. Professor Margot Cleveland observes that there are multiple other lower court cases involving payment of grants as to which this ruling should be determinative, and the same reasoning should apply to cases challenging the firing of employees and officers. As I predicted last week, we are nearing the final lawfare battle. Bill Shipley says there are now five justices who have signaled their opposition to such overreaching lawfare: 1. There is likely now a sentiment among at least 5 Justices that the lawfare via TRO/Injunction from liberal/progressive district judges has reached a dangerous level, and some signals need to be sent not just to the district judges but also the Appeals Courts who should be issuing stays on these TROs and Injunctions. The Order clears the way for TROs to be treated as de facto injunctions which are appealable. Currently activist district judges are compelling compliance with TROs -- which they can extend beyond the initial 14 days -- while Appeals Courts stand idly by on the basis that TROs are not final orders subject to appeal. 2. There is language in the Order that suggests at least 5 votes now exist for the proposition that some significant amount of the ongoing litigation over new Administration policies regarding cancelling grants, contracts, and other spending cuts, needs to be filed in the Court of Claims. This should now form a solid foundation for Circuit Court decisions that a substantial number of the district judges issuing TROs and Injunctions are without jurisdictional authority to do so. 3. The district judges need to take seriously the requirement under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that meaningful financial bonds be posted to protect the Government from financial losses should it win these cases after being forced to pay out money while the cases are pending. 4. Justice Barrett could have written a concurring Opinion but did not. If she didnt agree with 1, 2, and 3 above, she could have made that clear in such a concurrence. Given that she did not, I think it is a fair supposition that she agreed with all 3. That is very significant on Point 2 regarding some significant number of these cases belonging in the Court of Claims, thereby taking jurisdiction away from the activist district judges with regard to how the Government spends taxpayer money. The Administration already seems to have the upper hand in the litigation over terminating Executive Branch Officers in order to bring independent offices and agencies under greater Executive control. It should win the dispute over terminating large numbers of federal employees, but it might need to back up a step or two and ensure it is complying with statutes that apply to Reductions In Force -- RIFs -- of the federal workforce. The losses in district court on that issue have not involved whether federal workers can be let go, they have involved whether the Administration is following the steps created by Congress for how such reductions must be carried out. Getting favorable outcomes -- or at least getting the cases away from activist district judges -- on the disputes over reducing Government spending would be a huge win in two respects. First, the goal of reducing the budget deficit in some meaningful manner would be advanced. Second, we now know that all manner of progressive/Marxist NGO funding was routed from various Government agencies and programs for the purpose of advancing the progressive/Marxist ideology and keeping the activist groups swimming in cash. Thats not to say there arent still some wild rulings in the pipeline, but the oppositions supply train (USAID, NGOs, big law firms acting as Democrat party arms) has taken big hits and, this week, the administrations offensive team has penetrated the enemy line. In the meantime, one wag suggests the courts should get together and make up a list of what, if anything, they think the Executive has legal authority to do. When President Donald Trump slapped a fresh round of tariffs on European and Asian imports, the professional hand-wringers and legacy press clodpolls sprang into choreographed action. Headlines and television anchors blared warnings of trade wars, economic isolation, and diplomatic fallout. The bureaucratic priesthood that worships at the altar of free trade without reciprocityfrom Brussels to Brookingslaunched into familiar homilies: tariffs are regressive, Trump is reckless, and globalism is gospel. But lets pause the hysteria momentarily and apply something vanishingly rare in todays media-industrial complex: perspective. The prevailing orthodoxy treats tariffs as anathema to prosperityan outdated relic of 19th-century mercantilism. But this overlooks a simple truth: for trade to be free, it must also be fair. For decades, American policymakersboth Democrats and Republicanshave tolerated a grotesquely asymmetrical global trade regime that has hollowed out the American industrial base and made us dangerously dependent on foreign powers, friend and foe alike. Trumps critics are wrong. These tariffs arent a calamity. Theyre a much-needed course correction Reciprocity or Ruin Lets begin with the fundamental imbalance: the United States has long maintained one of the lowest average tariff rates among developed countries. Meanwhile, our allies in Europe and Asiawho rely on U.S. military protection for securityshield their markets with stubbornly high tariffs on American goods. Germany taxes U.S. automobiles at four times the rate we impose on theirs. France blocks U.S. agricultural products through protectionist quotas and Byzantine regulations. And South Koreadespite a free trade agreementmaintains tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. beef, pork, and automotive parts. These arent historical artifacts of little significance. They are systemic disadvantages designed to extract concessions from America while giving little or nothing in return. Trumps tariffs expose the lie at the heart of globalist dogma: that trade liberalization is a rising tide that lifts all boats. It does not. This is particularly true when so-called free trade is, in fact, one-sided. The bitter truth is that our national trade structure has lifted luxury yachts in Shanghai and luxury sedans in Bavaria while hollowing out the steel mills, machine shops, and Ohio and Missouri factory towns. Reindustrialization or Strategic Decline The larger context is even more damning. The United States no longer makes what it needs. Weve offshored our factories, outsourced our supply chains, and surrendered our economy's core sectors to competitors and adversaries. China controls 80% of rare earth mineral processingvital for semiconductors, missile systems, and EV batteries. India, Mexico, and Israel dominate the production of generic pharmaceuticals. Europe plays gatekeeper for critical aerospace components. And all the while, were told by The Economist and The Atlantic to be gratefulfor cheap TVs and a service economy. But what happens when the services are automated, the data centers are in Ireland, the code is written in Bangalore, and the medicine is manufactured in Wuhan? We dont need more seminars on Ricardian comparative advantage. We need a policy that recognizes that national power depends on national production. A nation that cant produce steel, energy, antibiotics, and semiconductors is not prepared for a 21st-century conflictwhether that conflict is economic, cyber, or kinetic. Trumps strategy isnt to make tariffs permanent. Its to use them as leveragespikes to extract long-overdue reductions in foreign tariffs on American exports and restore industrial equilibrium. This is not protectionism for protectionisms sake. It is conditional retaliation, calibrated to coercenot collapsethe system. It is realpolitik in economic form: painful, yes, but potentially transformative. As explained here, many of the loudest critics of Trumps tariffs operate on a shallow and one-sided understanding of trade. In practice, what they call free trade has become a rigged system that rewards strategic economies and penalizes open ones. (For a deeper look at how foreign nations exploit loopholes in U.S. trade policydeliberately through third-party proxiessee my March op-ed, How Mexico Became Chinas Trojan Horse in U.S. Trade.) The Consumption Trap Too many in the commentariat confuse GDP growth with national strength. But growth driven by consumption, financed by debt, and fueled by foreign production is a Ponzi scheme disguised as prosperity. Americas so-called consumer-driven economy is now a treadmill of imports: we buy goods made elsewhere, pay with borrowed dollars, and watch foreign shareholders and governments reap the profits. Even our technology sector hailed as the last bastion of innovation, relies on overseas fabrication and cloud infrastructure that escapes U.S. taxation and labor costs. In essence, weve become the worlds most efficient economic colonyconsuming goods we no longer make, patrolling seas we no longer dominate, and outsourcing our jobs and judgment to multinational boards, supranational bureaucrats, and foreignoften adversarialgovernments. This is not sustainable. It is not sovereign. And it is not conservative. The False Idolatry of Globalism The shrillest critics of Trumps tariffs are not defenders of the American worker or champions of industrial renewal. They are the high priests of a globalist order that has enriched multinational corporations, empowered foreign rivals, and decimated communities from Youngstown to Yuma. Their objection isnt that tariffs wont workits that tariffs threaten a status quo they have spent decades engineering. They invoke rules-based order as if it were the Magna Carta. However, they remain silent as China floods markets with subsidized steel or as the EU weaponizes environmental standards to block American liquefied natural gasonly to turn around and buy more gas from Russia, the putative pariah state they expect the United States to protect them from. This is no reckless escalationits a long-overdue response to decades of economic surrender. A New Trade Doctrine Focused on Putting Americans First Sound economic doctrine must do more than chant free trade like early medieval plainsong. It must distinguish between open markets and open veins. It must recognize national sovereignty, security, and self-sufficiency as the flying buttresses of national survival. And it must be willing to actnot merely theorizewhen the global trade regime becomes a conduit for exploitation and decline. Trumps tariffs are not a rejection of trade. They are a declaration that America will no longer trade away its future or redistribute its wealth to friends and foes alike. For too long, our leaders treated foreign tariffs as facts of life, and American decline as the inevitable cost of doing business. No more. In the end, tariffs are neither a cure-all nor a calamity. They are a toola sharp oneto defend American interests in a world that has long taken our naivete for granted. Its long past time we used them. Charlton Allen is an attorney, former chief executive officer, and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc., editor of The American Salient, and the host of the Modern Federalist podcast. X: @CharltonAllenNC Image: Free image, Pixabay license. One would think that with the Supreme Courts trilogy of Second Amendment decisionsHeller (2008), McDonald (2010) and Bruen (2022)--Second Amendment issues would be settled. The Court ruled the Second Amendment is not a second class right. Its about the right of individuals to keep and bear arms in usual and common use wherever they are. If so, one would not be thinking of Democrats and the Democrat Party. They know theyll never be able to impose their our democracy, Marxist utopia without disarming Americans. The smarter among them know thats a practical impossibility, but they so hate Normal Americans, they constantly do everything they can to inconvenience, cancel and otherwise harm them. Blue states pass facially unconstitutional anti-liberty/gun laws knowing it will take millions to defend them and lose. The court cases will take years to resolve, and during that period, they get to stick it to Normals. Blue cities do the same, but on a somewhat smaller scale. Graphic: X Screenshot California has always been a leader in anti-liberty/gun cracktivism, though Colorado is saying hold my beer. Colorado, however, can wait for another article. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deserves our immediate attention. In California, Sheriffs are responsible for issuing concealed carry permits, and the LA County Sheriffs Department (LASD) has been slow walking and over-charging those permits. During the Bidens Handlers Administration, they got away with it, but theres a new sheriff in Fedtown: As part of a broader review of restrictive firearms-related laws in California and other States, the Department of Justices Civil Rights Division today announced an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department to determine whether it is engaging in a pattern or practice of depriving ordinary, law-abiding Californians of their Second Amendment rights. A recent federal court decision found that the law and facts [we]re clearly in favor of two private plaintiffs who challenged the lengthy eighteen-month delays that the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department had imposed when processing their concealed handgun license applications. And the Civil Rights Division has reason to believe that those two plaintiffs are not the only residents of Los Angeles County experiencing similarly long delays that are unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of the people of Los Angeles. As one might accurately imagine, Democrats are engaging in projection: Jacob Charles, an associate professor of law at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law who studies the Second Amendment, said he had not seen a similar investigation before. It struck him as another culture war issue pitting red versus blue amid a broader flurry of partisan targeting by the Trump administration of liberal jurisdictions and groups. This has to be seen in the context of Trump attacking law firms, universities, and cities, counties and states who dont profess fealty to him personally and to his vision, Charles said. Hes not even pretending to be a president for all of America. Sorry Professor, but this isnt remotely about fealty to Trump. The Bondi DOJ is, for the first time perhaps ever, using the lawful powers of the DOJ to force law firms, universities, cities, etc. to obey the Constitution and federal law, and to force them to stop violating the rights of Americans. That Democrats see that as just another political tactic, as pitting red versus blue says all faithful Americans need to know about them. Conservatives normally dislike pattern and practice suits brought by the DIJ, but thats because theyve been used almost exclusively to force consent decrees on police agencies. Such decrees give the Federal Government and their appointed cronies absolute power over local police agencies, supposedly to correct human rights violations but actually to impose Democrat political policies. In this case, the DOJ is investigating what appear to be clear and egregious violations of the Constitution, and the remedy is not going to be imposing political preferences on the LASD but forcing it to obey the Constitution and stop violating Californians Second Amendment rights. There is no logistical, lawful reason for the LASD or any agency to take 18 months to issue a concealed carry permit. All thats required is fingerprinting, a photograph and a records check, all of which can be done digitally. If the applicant meets the statutory requirements without disqualifiers, theyre approved. Even a month is too long in this computer age. If this isnt being done, it isnt because of demand or lack of staffing, its a malicious political choice. Finally, in the second Trump Administration, even the Peoples Republic of California might be forced to obey the highest law of the land. On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that weve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. Imagine your boss asks you to put together a survey, a simple affair of just a few questions, filling no more than one side of a single sheet of paper. You whip it up within a few hours, your boss approves it and youre done. Thats not the way things are done in the Federal Government. During Foxs Brett Baiers recent interview of Elon Musk and several of the very impressive CEOs and titans of business working for DOGEavailable here--one held up just such a survey and explained he discovered government paid nearly a billion dollars to produce it. Graphic: Fox/X Screenshot The interview was an impressive display of talent, six men with at least one billionaire, and the rest successful professionals, including one who runs multiple productive businesses. All took time away from their careers to help save America, which hope they eloquently expressed. Democrats portray DOGE and its employees as rapacious monsters enriching themselves while stealing Americans personal data for nefarious purposes. Pimply-faced children without a clue, destroying our democracy. What viewers saw was mature, serious patriots aligned with Elon Musks goal of saving America from financial ruin while operating entirely within the law unlike so many of those theyre investigating. Joe Gebbia, the billionaire co-founder of Airbnb spoke of reforming the underground mine in Pennsylvania that has, in 22,000 filing cabinets, every paper document for every past and future retired government employee. The glacial process hasnt been modernized in 70 years. Hes going to digitize it all, and fast. Steve Davis, a top SpaceX employee, has dug into Social Security: Among DOGEs discoveries are 15 million people aged over 120 marked as alive in the Social Security system. Social Security numbers that were clearly fraudulent were floating around that can be used only for bad intentions. There also are 4.6 million credit cards in the federal government for some 2.4 million employees. A Silicon Valley CEO, Tom Krause, found only a single bank account used to disburse all monies from the government, and is working to bring private business operating and accountability standards to the federal government. Theres $500 billion of fraud every year and hundreds of billions of improper payments and we cant pass an audit, he said. Were serving 580-plus agencies and up until very recently, effectively they could say make the payment and Treasury just sent it out as fast as possible, no verification. It's other people's money, so why not? Aram Moghaddassi is a software engineer for one of Musks companies. He was shocked to discover that 40% of all phone calls to the agency asking to change bank routing are fraudulent, depriving people who deserve Social Security of their payments. Now, those changes can only be made in person so identities can be verified. He added: "The first thing that got me really excited about DOGE was learning basically the state of government computers," Moghaddassi said. "By some estimates, government IT costs about $100 billion. Its funding systems are over 50 years old in the case of something like Social Security or the IRS. So really critical systems are old. They cost a lot of money to maintain, and the efforts to improve them are often very delayed. So I thought, I'm a software engineer that maybe could make a difference here." Brad Smith is a Rhodes Scholar with Harvard and Oxford degrees and has health care expertise. He discovered that there are 700 IT systems at the National Institutes of health that cant speak with each other. Smith spoke of other bizarre discoveries: They have 27 different CIOs." Baier interrupted to ask, "Twenty-seven different chief information officers?" Smith answered, "Correct." This is the kind of duplication and corruption no private business can afford. Anthony Armstrong is embedded with the Office of Personnel Management. He discovered 1400 people at the IRS whose job is just to hand out laptops and cellphones to staff. Armstrong didnt say so, but this is a purposeful recipe for fraud and theft. Tyler Hassen runs five businesses in Houston. At the Department of the Interior, he discovered Under the Biden administration, there was no departmental oversight whatsoever. Hes the man that discovered the billion-dollar, one page survey, and managed to recover all but $75 million. Many of them praised the federal employees with whom theyve been working, portraying them as patriots who have struggled for years to enact the changes DOGE is making. All agreed, as Musk noted, their job is largely tech support, bringing stone age computer systems up to modern standards, which will go a very long way toward preventing fraud and dramatically improving efficiency and customer service. Graphic: X Screenshot Americans are already largely in favor of DOGEs work. If the nation saw this interview, Americans would be overwhelmingly in favor. On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that weve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. One of the interesting things that Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are doing is returning the U.S. military to being a lethal fighting force, not a community outreach project with guns. Once, Americans understood that we fight wars to win. However, after Vietnam, we started to fight with an eye toward what the Iraq War came to call winning hearts and minds. I would say that if you want the enemys hearts and minds, you are in the wrong war, and youre sacrificing your troops for nothing. My father was a veteran of two wars: World War II and the Israeli War of Independence. Both were unbelievably brutal wars against enemies who belonged to antisemitic death cults. Thats why he was so baffled by the Gulf War. As best as he could tell (and he was right), America wasnt fighting to win as he understood it. Instead, it went in with a limited objective that fell short of total victory. Had Dad lived long enough, he would have been equally baffled by the Iraq War. You fight wars to win, he always said. He also said, You cant want to be friends with your enemy because your enemy wants to kill you. The Rules of Engagement imposed on the troops made both things impossible. X screen grab. The ROEs rose from the post-WWII theory that the people laboring under a tyrannical government are victims, too. Its wrong to kill them. They cant help it. So, just as Israel does, you desperately try to kill only combatants while trying to spare civilians. The problem, though, as in Gaza, is that the civilians are often aligned with the combatants and giving them aid and succor. The result is a halfhearted American effort that draws out conflicts and increases casualties. When a conflict could be fought swiftly, with maximum lethality against the enemy combatants, yes, civilians will be caught in the crossfire. However, dragging that same conflict out for months or years is more cruel, whether for civilians or our own troopsand the latter, after all, should be our primary concern. Thats why the historian Paul Fussell said, Thank God for the Atom Bomb. The Japanese population, imbued with the cult-like Bushido ethos, would have fought to the last man, woman, and child had the Allies invaded the mainland. That is, they would always have died as victims of their own government. By dropping the bomb, Truman saved hundreds of thousands of American troops and, quite possibly, millions of Japanese civilians. The process was painful but necessary. Pete Hegseth was one of the troops in Iraq who was hampered by the new American approach to war, which required valuing the enemy over our own military. Hegseth understood, as my dad did, that its impossible to fight a war this way. And so, with Trumps blessing, Hegseth is returning the American military to its intended lethality. This lethality says that other countries should not engage in activities that put them in Americas crosshairs because, while America will never condone war crimes, it also will not allow its troops to be lambs sacrificed to a politically correct battle plan. In that spirit, the following tweet comes from someone who served in the infantry during the Iraq War, witnessed the price paid for enemy-friendly rules of engagement, and appreciates Trumps and Hegseths approach to the Houthis. The takeaway, which Hegseth understands, is that if your enemy fears and respects you, wars are shorter, and they die more than you do. However, if your enemy knows that you fight with both hands tied behind your backs, the war is endless, and you will die in droves: Lets talk about ROE, and why our forces killing terrorists now are doing it fast, decisively, and without apology. Because weve been the ones with our hands tied. And it damn near broke us. Back in 2008 Iraq, I had a PL buddy escorting a SOF convoy down Route Predators, one https://t.co/yBJWlGOark InfantryDort (@infantrydort) April 5, 2025 According to Elon Musk haters and malcontents, Musk was granted powers by President Trump far beyond that of any mortal human being on planet Earth or at least someone hired for government work. It is why some people seek to destroy him and its pretty remarkable when you think about it. In a matter of a few short months or 75 days to be exact, Musk has morphed overnight into an evil villain, hell bent on destroying the United States. Before initiating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on day one of the Trump administration, Elon Musk was the Climate Change light bringer of electric car vehicles. Once feted as the champion of the green movement, now he is now loathed, despised, and reviled by Democrats, Marxists, anarchists, and progressives alike. Recently, a growing number of people have exhibited fits of unbridled angst and reactive rage. Not only is Elon Musk the recipient of vicious verbal attacks, owners of Telsa vehicles have and continue to be targeted by unhinged individuals. Numerous Telsa trucks have been keyed or set on fire in random parking lots and car dealerships. According to the leftist media outlets and their crazed followers, Telsa car owners deserve the backlash for owning a Tesla car. After all, Elon Musk owns Telsa and the overarching mission of DOGE is to shut down Social Security/Medicare, shutter and close the VA administration, deny medical care to veterans, close all but a select few government agencies in Washington D.C., and fire most of the federal employee workforce, among other things too numerous to list. To set the record straight, perhaps a quick review of the task of DOGE is in order. First and foremost, Elon Musk was not elected to any public office in the Trump administration. He cannot be impeached, recalled by a popular vote, nor dismissed by Congress. Furthermore, his position was created by President Trump. Musk did not require Senate hearings, nor was a vote taken in the Senate to approve him as the head of DOGE. Musk has no authority to change laws, enact legislation, nor can he act unilaterally as an independent governing official, unlike the preceding Biden administration, during which cabinet members ran their own fiefdoms, with no oversight. Simply put, Elon Musk was appointed by President Trump to conduct an internal audit of the federal government, cut waste of the American taxpayer dollars, and more importantly, identify graft and misuse of government resources, which for decades has permeated almost every facet of the American government. To date, DOGE auditors have stirred up a hornets nest by targeting and identifying numerous government agencies where fraud, waste, theft of the taxpayer dollars, coupled with blatant corruption of agency officials is rife. For example, USAID has doled out billions and billions of American taxpayer dollars not only here in the United States, but abroad as well. It has proved to be a clever money laundering scheme for various groups of people intent on lining their own pockets. Acting upon opportunity and since USAID inception during President Kennedys term in office, thousands of Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs) have been created, which in turn (up until a few weeks ago), were awarded exorbitant amounts of money. Whether or not the funds were used for the NGOs stated mission purpose is anyones guess. DOGE published a rather extensive list of questionable NGO grant awards made to an equally questionable number of NGOs and one thing is for certain -- it has been easy to defraud the U.S. government. As Elon Musk and the DOGE auditors continue to uncover massive fraud, waste, and theft of the American taxpayer money in each government agency they visit, it is also clear that embedded deep state officials have no responsibility to account for the billions of dollars, ebbing and flowing effortlessly from the taxpayer check book to the U.S. Treasury to a myriad of alphabet agencies and into the pockets of government officials, political appointees, former agency heads and NGO employees. As the fraud, waste, and theft is exposed, the rise of indignation and denial increases exponentially. As a distraction, the hands off protests across the country only serve as a distraction to create more conflict and confusion regarding the purpose of DOGE. Fear-mongering is an effective tool employed by radicalized, leftist agitators, instigators of chaos and of course, the legacy media. In fact, neither Elon Musk, nor DOGE can end Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid for that matter. Elon Musk was not given the authority to end any government program, much less deny beneficiaries their monthly Social Security check. The only people who can end Social Security are in Congress. In 75 days, DOGE has exposed what has been known for decades by numerous Health and Human Services cabinet appointees: The Social Security Administration is using computer software which is antiquated, inefficient, and outdated. Millions of ineligible people remain on the Social Security rolls due to incompetence of SSA employees, non-reporting of deceased Americans, incorrect data entry, and Social Security numbers belonging to dead people, but used by illegal aliens. Medicare is not ending either, unless Congress decides to end it. Same goes for Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. Elon Musk, with the help of the DOGE auditors were granted the ability to recommend federal employee reductions for agencies which are bloated, overstaffed, and in cases where jobs are redundant. Yes, thousands of government workers have been laid off, agency heads and directors have been fired, but in President Trumps golden age of the United States, restructuring the peoples government is critical to ending trillions of dollars of wasteful spending. In conclusion, drastic measures are necessary and its going to hurt for a while. For far too long, the enormous excess of government spending has eclipsed the ability of the United States government to dig itself out of debt and remain solvent. Elon Musk and his DOGE team of auditors arent villains, rather they are saviors, and we all should be grateful. Adrien Brody, Cate Blanchett and John Lithgow were among a host of stars walking the green carpet ahead of the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday. The annual event, which celebrates theatrical productions, is being co-hosted by British singer Beverley Knight and Pose star Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall. Nominated in the best actor category is Hollywood star Brody, who won his second Oscar earlier this year for immigration story The Brutalist. Cate Blanchett attending the 2025 Olivier Awards (Ian West/PA) Brody, who made his debut West End performance in The Fear Of 13, about a man on death row for a crime he did not commit, is up against Conclave actor Lithgow for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, and The Morning Show actor Billy Crudup in conman thriller Harry Clarke. They will face competition from I May Destroy You star Paapa Essiedu for his role in Death Of England: Delroy, about a black working class man confronting his relationship with Britain, and movie and TV star Mark Strong for Greek tragedy Oedipus. Lithgow, 79, was asked how he feels about playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in a new Harry Potter TV series. He joked he had never heard of JK Rowlings headmaster of Hogwarts. John Lithgow at the awards show in London (Ian West/PA) Lithgow told the PA news agency: For the moment, Im concentrating on one giant then I move on to another. The theatre awards are taking place amid discussions about dynamic pricing, which has seen soaring ticket prices on the West End. Strong told PA: This dynamic pricing is obviously a new thing, and what worries me about it is that it will prevent young people coming to the theatre. It will prevent people who cant afford it from coming to the theatre. And the theatre should be for everyone. Liza Marshall and Mark Strong attending the Olivier Awards (Ian West/PA) At the Oliviers, musical Fiddler On The Roof scored the most nominations with 13 nods, including best musical revival. Kyoto, about the 1997 climate protocol of the same name, love story Shifters, Giant, about childrens author Dahl grappling with whether to make a public apology, and Annie Ernaux memoir The Years are both tied for most nominated play with five nods each. Meanwhile, British stars Lesley Manville and Indira Varma are up for the best actress award for playing the same role of Jocasta in different productions of Oedipus. Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell also walked the green carpet (Ian West/PA) Also nominated is Joy actress Heather Agyepong in Shifters, Chernobyls Rosie Sheehy in Machinal, about a woman who was executed for her husbands death, and comedian Meera Syal for family drama A Tupperware Of Ashes. Other stars nominated include Dame Imelda Staunton, known for Harry Potter, who is up for best actress in a musical for her performance in Hello, Dolly!, and Paddington star Ben Whishaw for best supporting actor in Bluets. Emma actress Romola Garai will also compete against herself for supporting actress in Giant and The Years. Darren Jones said Brexit dividend is good but the Government wont pick or trade off the United States or the European Union - PA Britains lower tariff rate is a Brexit dividend, a Cabinet minister has admitted. Donald Trump announced tariffs of 10 per cent on the UK last week while hitting imports from the EU with a 20 per cent levy and China with a 34 per cent rate. Brexiteers responded by saying it was a benefit of no longer being in the EU and urged Sir Keir Starmer to go further by championing a free trading agenda. In an interview with Skys Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, was asked whether Brexit had protected the UK from higher costs. Mr Jones said: Weve been treated differently from the European Union, thats correct. When it was put to him that the UK was enjoying a Brexit dividend, he said: It is, theres one. Ive struggled to find one in the past, but there is one. He added: Its good, but what were not going to do is pick or trade off the United States or the European Union. Donald Trump announcing his tariff plans earlier this week It comes after Sir Keir Starmer vowed to help shelter British business from the storm of US tariffs. Writing in The Telegraph, the Prime Minister pledged to do everything necessary to defend the national interest and said the Government will step in to protect peoples jobs. Sir Keir is expected to declare an end to globalisation in a speech on Monday as he and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, prepare a series of announcements that could include bringing forward Britains industrial strategy. According to the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister will say the effects of Mr Trumps trade war mean he must move further and faster in making supply-side reforms to boost growth. The newspaper also quoted a Downing Street official who said: The world has changed, globalisation is over and we are now in a new era. Mr Jones also admitted globalisation had come to an end when asked on the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg whether the era of cheap fast fashion or cheap TVs was over. He replied: Yeah, its ended. Globalisation, as weve known it for the last number of decades, has come to an end. Thats why we need Britain to be strong and resilient, also build out our relationships with our allies and partners around the world, but also why we have to invest in the domestic economy, both for UK businesses but also our public services, so that we have workers and communities who are well-skilled [and] able to take advantages of jobs in the UK. Speaking on the same programme, Kemi Badenoch said Mr Trumps trade war would be destructive for businesses after the FTSE 100 in London fell 5 per cent at the end of last week, its biggest decline since the start of the pandemic five years ago. Mrs Badenoch, the Tory leader and the former business secretary, said: The retaliatory tariffs will make people in our country poorer. There is a place for tariffs, we did use them, but right now what they will do is make life more expensive for British consumers. Despite Mr Trump telling Sir Keir that Britain must start selling chlorinated US chicken if it wants lower tariffs, Mr Jones insisted it was not up for discussion with the White House. Were not going to lower food standards in the UK, I think were pretty clear about that, he said. I have made it really clear that were not having chlorinated chicken in the UK. But that doesnt mean we cant do a deal on technology, on energy, on security. Speaking after the Spring Statement last month, Ms Reeves appeared to rule out a 700 million tax break for US tech giants. But when asked whether the digital services tax was one of the topics in trade talks between the UK and the US, Mr Jones suggested that it could still be dropped. Im not going to give a running list of whats being talked about one way or the other, Mr Jones said. He went on to insist he would be able to come back and show you the benefits of negotiations in the coming months. A British-born painter has said that Donald Trumps accusations that his portrait was distorted have put her business in danger. Artist Sarah Boardmans painting of the US president has been hanging in the Colorado State Capitol Building Rotunda in Denver for more than five years, until being taken down after Mr Trumps comments last month. She had remained silent following Mr Trumps remarks before issuing a statement saying: I completed the portrait accurately, without purposeful distortion, political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied. I fulfilled the task per my contract. Portraits of President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama in the Capitol Rotunda in Denver in March (Jesse Bedayn/AP) For the six years that the portrait hung in the Colorado State Capitol Building Rotunda, I received overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback. Since President Trumps comments, that has changed for the worst. President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I purposefully distorted the portrait, and that I must have lost my talent as I got older are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years which now is in danger of not recovering. Last month, Mr Trump claimed on his social media platform Truth Social that a portrait of former Democrat president Barack Obama, also created by Boardman, is wonderful, but his is truly the worst. He also said that Boardman, who has a painting of Republican President George W Bush, must have lost her talent as she got older. Mr Trump wrote: Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before. Colorado Republicans raised more than 10,000 dollars (8,360) through a GoFundMe account to commission the oil painting, and Boardman said that the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee approved her reference photograph and my subsequent works in progress'. US President Donald Trump (Niall Carson/PA) She also said that Mr Trump has called her intentions, integrity, and abilities into question. Boardman works from her studio in Colorado Springs and was born in England, according to her website. She studied in Germany, and also lived in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Middle East and many European countries. Boardman previously told The Denver Post that it was important her depictions of both Mr Obama and Mr Trump looked apolitical. Sir Winston Churchill speaking in Westminster Hall, on his 80th birthday, in the background is the oil portrait of Sir Winston by Graham Sutherland which had just been presented as a gift from both Houses of Parliament (Archive/PA) Mr Trump is not the first political figure to be upset at a portrait of themselves. British artist Graham Sutherlands 1954 portrait of Winston Churchill was destroyed, after the former British prime minister hated it so much. An episode of Netflix royal drama The Crown revolved around the creation of the painting, and last year Sutherlands preparatory painting of Churchill was sold by Sothebys auction house for 660,000. David Lammy has criticised Kemi Badenochs disgraceful comments after she said it was shocking that we have MPs in Labour who other countries will not allow in. The Foreign Secretary accused the Conservative leader of cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs, after two of his Labour colleagues were denied entry to Israel on Saturday. Mrs Badenoch is facing a backlash after her comments about Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed on the Sunday morning political programmes, in which she also said countries should be able to control their borders. .@KemiBadenoch its disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China? This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party. https://t.co/91W4H9vLWt David Lammy (@DavidLammy) April 6, 2025 She told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: If you look at the reasons why the Israeli government has given for why theyre not letting them in, they dont believe that theyre going to comply with their laws, she added. MPs do not have diplomatic immunity. I believe that the people who represent us in Parliament should be people who should be able to go anywhere in the world and people not be worried about what theyre going to do when they go into those countries. Asked whether the move was a bit odd she had earlier told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme that she is very concerned about a lot of the rhetoric from Labour MPs in relation to the Middle East, and later added: Im not surprised. A joint statement from @YuanfenYang and me on the Israeli authorities' refusal to admit us entry to the occupied West Bank: pic.twitter.com/i9Ild0RDAv Abtisam Mohamed (@Abtisam_Mohamed) April 6, 2025 In a post on X on Sunday morning responding to the BBC clip, Mr Lammy tagged Mrs Badenoch and said: Its disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China? This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also accused the Conservative leader of unbelievably poor judgment. He said she has once again shown unbelievably poor judgement by failing to back two British MPs denied entry to Israel. Yet another complete shocker. Kemi Badenoch has once again shown unbelievably poor judgement by failing to back two British MPs denied entry to Israel. Yet another complete shocker. https://t.co/D8x6aFBE6E Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) April 6, 2025 Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed have said that they are astounded by the decision to not allow them into the country, while David Lammy has spoken to his counterpart in Israel about the matter. In a statement on Sunday morning, Ms Yang, the MP for Earley and Woodley, in Berkshire, and Ms Mohamed, who represents Sheffield Central, said it is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation on the ground in Palestine. They said: Were astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank. It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. Colin Beattie, the former SNP treasurer - Jane Barlow/PA A former SNP treasurer has been accused of dodging thousands of pounds of Scottish Government taxes on second home owners by amassing a property portfolio in England. A company owned by Colin Beattie and his wife bought six rental homes in the north of England between 2018 and 2023. The Sunday Post reported that the Midlothian North and Musselburgh MSP had saved up to 10,000 in property purchase taxes by buying homes in England rather than Scotland. There is no suggestion the couple have acted illegally but John Swinney, the First Minister, has insisted it is morally wrong for Scots to swerve paying the higher taxes his government has imposed. The disclosure came after police ended their investigations into Mr Beattie and Nicola Sturgeon, the former First Minister, as part of their long-running inquiry into the SNPs finances. Meghan Gallacher, the Tory shadow housing secretary - Ken Jack Mr Beattie was the SNPs treasurer for 16 years. Peter Murrell, Ms Sturgeons husband and the partys former chief executive, has been charged with embezzlement. Meghan Gallacher, the Scottish Conservative shadow housing secretary, said: Scots will be outraged that an SNP MSP who supported these tax hikes is dodging them by buying properties in England, not Scotland. John Swinney said that it would be morally wrong for people to avoid higher Scottish taxes by reordering their business affairs, so Colin Beattie has some serious questions to answer. Mr Beattie moved back to Scotland after retiring from international banking. He became an MSP in 2011 while his wife, Lisa, was SNP leader of Midlothian Council. The Sunday Post reported that the couple had previously owned flats in Edinburgh, which they later sold, but they switched their focus to England. In 2015, George Osborne unveiled plans for a higher rate of stamp duty south of the border for landlords buying a home to let, arguing they should not be squeezing out families who cant afford to buy a home. Mr Swinney, who was then Scottish finance secretary, followed suit by creating an additional dwelling supplement (ADS) to be applied to second homes and buy-to-let properties. First Minister John Swinney - Ken Jack The surcharge was initially set at 3 per cent on both sides of the border, but was increased to 4 per cent in Scotland in January 2019. SNP ministers hiked it again to 6 per cent in December 2022 then 8 per cent last December. However, the charge has only just been increased to five per cent in England. The Sunday Post said the Beatties set up Ben Sheann Enterprises in 2017, weeks after Mr Swinney announced his buy-to-let crackdown, and the companys assets are now all in England. The company bought a flat in Sheffield for 85,950 in 2018, followed a year later by a terraced house in St Helens, Merseyside, for 65,000. In 2021, the firm bought another flat in Sheffield for 142,500 and a semi-detached home in St Helens for 102,000. A third property was purchased in the latter town the following year for 100,000. Another flat was bought in Hartlepool in the north-east of England in 2023 for 168,235. The Sunday Post calculated that buying homes that cost the same in Scotland would have likely incurred an extra 9,142 in ADS. It also said the company would have had to pay an extra 464 in land & buildings transaction tax (LBTT), the SNPs version of stamp duty in Scotland. LBTT starts charging at a much lower property value compared with stamp duty. A spokesman for Mr Beattie said: Mr Beattie pays his taxes in Scotland, including on any income drawn from Ben Sheann Enterprises Ltd. Lewis Hamilton wants to see positive changes from Ferrari at the Bahrain Grand Prix after suggesting his car is underperforming compared to team-mate Charles Leclerc. It was another difficult race for Ferrari in Japan, with Leclerc fourth but comfortably adrift of the leaders and Hamilton seventh just one place ahead of where he qualified. Ferrari came into the season with many expecting them to be title challengers but, despite Hamiltons sprint win in China, the Scuderia have struggled for race pace. Lewis Hamilton is frustrated by the pace of his car (Hiro Komae/AP) They were also hit by a double disqualification in China, for breaching regulations on skid block wear and car weight. Hamilton is concerned his car is lagging behind Leclerc in terms of performance. Im really hoping in the next race well see hopefully some positive changes, Hamilton said. Through the first three races theres been a bit of a deficit between both sides of the garage on some elements of the car. On my side, underperforming. So its good to know. Leclerc held off George Russell to finish fourth (Hiro Komae/AP) With what I had that is the best result I could get. It was a sedate race, with Hamilton actually the only driver in the top 10 to gain a place on where they started by passing Isack Hadjar in the early stages. He tried an opposite strategy to those around him by starting on the hard tyre but was unable to make any more progress. Leclerc was also unable to keep pace with the front three of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Hamilton admits the Ferrari car is struggling. My pace, I think, was maximum today. I didnt have anything else in the car, he added. Taking the positives into the next two weeks pic.twitter.com/xTzK5ccDY3 Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) April 6, 2025 Under performance happening at the rear of the car this weekend and obviously qualifying position is key. But I think I probably would have been overtaken by Mercedes if I was any further ahead. Im hoping the next race we will be closer. It will definitely be interesting for sure. I just hope were a little bit closer but I think we are probably the fourth fastest at the moment and I think we are a little bit off the other guys in terms of performance, downforce level wise. So weve got some work to do to close the gap. File photo of Sydney airport. A Jordanian man has been charged after allegedly trying to open the doors of a Sydney-bound plane mid-flight. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters A Jordanian national has been charged after he allegedly attempted to open the doors of a Sydney-bound plane mid-flight. Australian federal police (AFP) said the man, 46, allegedly tried to open the rear emergency exit door of the plane, travelling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday night. The man, Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, was expected to face Parramatta local court on Sunday. They said the airline staff escorted him to a seat in the middle of the plane, when he then allegedly attempted to open another emergency exit door. Crew and passengers had to restrain the man, during which he allegedly assaulted an airline staff member. AirAsia X later confirmed the alleged disruptive guest was on board flight D7220 from Kuala Lumpur. Our cabin crew, who are professionally trained to respond to such situations, took all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone on board, the airline said in a statement. At no time was the safety of guests or crew compromised. AirAsia has a zero tolerance policy for [alleged] inappropriate behaviour of any kind and as per procedure alerted the AFP and relevant authorities to meet the aircraft on arrival in Sydney. The matter is now with the relevant authorities and as such, we are unable to comment further. AFP officers met the flight on its arrival in Sydney, where he was charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assaulting cabin crew. Each of the offences carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The AFPs Det Acting Supt Davina Copelin said dangerous behaviour on planes would not be tolerated. The actions of this man could have had tragic consequences, and passengers and airplane staff shouldnt have to put up with unruly, violent or dangerous behaviour on flights, she said. The AFP will not hesitate to take action against people who engage in criminal behaviour on airplanes, especially where this behaviour has the potential to endanger the safety of passengers, crew or the flight itself. - with AAP Markets in the US and the UK suffered losses not seen since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA Markets are braced for another rollercoaster week as the most punitive of Donald Trumps tariffs kick in and world leaders weigh up retaliatory action, adding to fears of a global recession. Stock indices plunged by nearly $5tn (3.9tn) last week, with markets in the UK and US experiencing losses not seen since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, as investors took cover from the opening salvoes of Trumps trade war. With no sign of the Trump administration rowing back on its so-called liberation day tariffs, analysts warned of persistent market turbulence and an increased risk of all-out recession in the US, UK and EU. Roman Ziruk, a senior market analyst at the global financial services firm Ebury, said: Volatility will likely stay elevated as we move into [the] week. He said some investors were still holding out hope that tariffs against China and the EU, due to kick in from Wednesday, would be delayed or remodelled. The danger of escalation of trade tensions cannot, however, be overlooked, particularly as Chinas response to the latest round of US tariffs has been more aggressive than before, Ziruk said. However, leading figures in the Trump administration warned on Sunday against expectations for a U-turn. Speaking in television interviews, Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, said the US president intended to reset global trade. EU leaders are still considering their response, while Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, has vowed to shelter British businesses from the impact of tariffs, indicating he will announce what steps he plans to take this coming week. Starmer is expected to pursue an economic reset, which could ultimately include a rethink of Labours promise not to raises taxes, in anticipation of a global trade slowdown. On Sunday, the Treasury minister Darren Jones told the BBC that the era of globalisation has come to an end, although he said the UK was still hopeful of striking a trade deal with the White House. The 10% rate imposed on the UK is at the lowest end of the range of Trumps tariffs, with the exceptions of Russia, North Korea, Belarus and Cuba, which were left out of the worldwide trade dispute altogether. But Trump had already imposed a 25% tariff on UK steel and cars, a measure that prompted Jaguar Land Rover to say over the weekend that it was pausing shipments to the US, which buys about a quarter of the 400,000 vehicles the company sells annually. Economic forecasters said the unexpectedly widespread and punitive nature of the tariffs could still tip the UK economy into decline. Analysts at Barclays said the UK and EU were at risk of falling into recession in the second half of this year and they revised down their growth forecasts for both economies, as well as for the US. Erik F Nielsen, the chief economics adviser at UniCredit Bank, said: Its too early to estimate the impact of these economic weapons of mass destruction. But itll be bad very bad for US growth, and for growth across the rest of the world. A recession in the US, maybe even a global recession, have become distinct possibilities. On Saturday, the worlds richest person, Elon Musk, who has emerged as Trumps most powerful ally in global business world, told a meeting of Italys rightwing League party that he hoped a free-trade zone between the EU and US could be created, with no tariffs at all. But duties of 20% on European imports to the US technically take effect at one minute past midnight on Wednesday, as does the 34% rate for China, the worlds biggest export nation, and others deemed by the White House to be among the worst offenders, which includes Japan and Vietnam. Leaders of European countries have condemned the tariffs, while the French president, Emmanuel Macron, appeared to call on the countrys businesses to halt investment in the US. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for negotiation with the US. However, the EU is expected to announce retaliatory tariffs on US consumer and industrial goods which are likely to include emblematic products such as orange juice, denim and Harley-Davidson motorbikes in mid-April as a response to steel and aluminium tariffs previously announced by Trump. While Beijing has already responded with retaliatory tariffs, George Magnus, an expert on Chinas economy, said a deal in the longer term was still possible. Neither Trump nor [the Chinese president] Xi Jinping want a full-blown trade war right now, said Magnus, who is the former chief economist at the Swiss bank UBS and a research associate at Oxford Universitys China Centre and Soas University of London. Trump needs to show voters that the use of tariffs for revenues and leverage is working without putting the American economy through a damaging slowdown or recession, he said. Xi has his own deep-seated economic problems [] without having to manage a harmful external trade war. A big hit to exports would have profound consequences for growth and employment. However, he warned of the long-term implications of Trump trying to loosen Chinas hold on global supply chains, while Beijing continues trying to boost exports. The world must either pay Trump now via tariffs, or pay Xi Jinping later through lost manufacturing and jobs, he said. People across the US took to the streets on Saturday to oppose what left-leaning organizations called Donald Trumps authoritarian overreach and billionaire-backed agenda. Organizers estimated that more than 500,000 people demonstrated in Washington DC, Florida and elsewhere. Related: Anti-Trump protests hit cities worldwide in pictures At Washingtons national mall, demonstrators from as far afield as New Hampshire and Pennsylvania gathered in the shadow of the Washington monument before the anti-Trump rally there. In overcast conditions, protesters displayed a vast array of placards and, in some cases, Ukrainian flags, expressing opposition to the policies of the administration, which has sought cordial relations with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine. Some protesters said they hoped the event the first mass demonstration in Washington DC since Trump took office would act as an example to inspire others to register opposition. The aim is, get people to rise up, said Diane Kolifrath, 63, who had travelled from New Hampshire with 100 fellow members of New Hampshire Forward, a civic society organisation. Many people are scared to protest against Trump because he has reacted aggressively and violently to those who have stood up, Kolifrath said. The goal of this protest is to let the rest of Americans who arent participating see that we are standing up and hopefully when they see our strength, that will give them the courage to also stand up. MoveOn, one of the organizations behind the day of protest dubbed Hands Off along with dozens of labor, environmental and other progressive groups, said that more than 1,000 protests took place across the US, including at state capitols. We want to send a signal to all people and institutions that have been showing anticipatory obedience to Trump and showing they are willing to bend the knee that there is, in fact, a mass public movement thats willing to rise up and stop this, said Leah Greenberg, Indivisibles executive director. If our political leaders stand up, we will have their backs. We want them to stand up and protect the norms of democracy and want them to see that there are people out there who are willing to do that. The goal of this is building a message. The largest event was at the national mall in DC, where demonstrators numbered in the tens of thousands. Members of Congress, including the Democrats Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, spoke to the crowd. They believe democracy is doomed and they believe regime change is upon us if only they can seize our payments system, said Raskin, a Democratic representative from Maryland who is the partys top figure on the House judiciary committee. He added: If they think they are going to overthrow the foundations of democracy, they dont know who they are dealing with. Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, criticized the administrations treatment of the LBGTQ+ community at the rally at the national mall. The attacks that were seeing, theyre not just political. They are personal, yall, Robinson said. Theyre trying to ban our books, theyre slashing HIV-prevention funding, theyre criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives. We dont want this America, yall, Robinson added. We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us. The scene in Hollywood, Florida, about an hour south of Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, was lively as well. Referring to the White Houses billionaire business adviser Elon Musk and the government cuts he has overseen, predominantly white protesters chanted: Hey, hey, ho, ho, Trump and Musk have got to go. They jeered motorists in Tesla Cybertrucks manufactured by Musks electric vehicle maker and wielded colorful placards that left little doubt as to where they stood with the Trump administration. Prosecute and jail the Turd Reich, read one. Some reserved special ire for the worlds richest person: I did not elect Elon Musk. Others emphasized the protesters anxieties about the future of democracy in the US. Hands off democracy, declared one placard. Stop being [Vladimir] Putins puppet, enjoined another, referring to Russias dictator. Many motorists driving past the assembled demonstrators honked their horns and flashed thumbs-up gestures in solidarity. Broward county was one of only six counties in Florida that voted for Kamala Harris in November she defeated Trump there by 16 percentage points and it is host to one of the USs most vibrant LGBTQ+ communities. This is an assault on our democracy, on our economy, on our civil rights, said Jennifer Heit, a 64-year-old editor and resident of Plantation who toted a poster that read: USA: No to King or Oligarchy. She added: Everything is looking so bad that I feel we have to do all we can while we can, and just having all this noise is unsettling to everyone. Heit attended a protest outside a Tesla dealership in Fort Lauderdale recently, and she has been outraged by the Trump administrations frontal assault on the rule of law and the judiciary including with respect to people who have been deported without due process. Were supposed to be a nation of laws and due process, she said. Public health researcher Donna Greene, 62, came dressed as Frances beheaded queen Marie Antoinette and carried a placard that said: Musk and Trump Say Let Them Eat Cake. She said she is proud of the 65 missions that her father Sam Ragland flew for the US military during the second world war. But, she said, the country her dad fought for is not the same one she sees emerging under Trump. Everything my father fought for and everything we hold dear as a country is being dismantled, Greene said. I am beyond incredulous at how quickly our countrys institutions have been dismantled with no pushback from the Republicans who are currently in charge. Related: Trump news at a glance: anti-Trump protests draw huge crowds across the US In Ventura, California, Sandy Friedman brought her eight-year-old graddaughter, Harlow Rose Rega, to demonstrate. Friedman said she was worried about her social security, remarking: I worked my whole life and so did my husband. Now Im afraid Trump will take it away. Harlow held up a sign reading: Save my future. The protests come after the stock market plummeted this week following Trumps 1 April announcement of tariffs. Despite the economic fallout, Trump said on Friday: My policies will never change. Trumps approval rating this week fell to 43%, his lowest since taking office, according to a Reuters poll. What a hypersonic missile could look like - CHP/MOD Britain has completed a successful test of a new engine for hypersonic missiles in what marks a critical step for defence in Europe. The latest UK hypersonic research, which could see weapons travelling at several thousand miles per hour, has reached a landmark moment after it was established that the new engine would power a cutting-edge hypersonic cruise missile, covering greater ranges than a conventional rocket. The engine, which successfully demonstrated the performance of high-speed air-breathing using air for combustion rather than a separate onboard oxygen device is set to greatly advance the UKs hypersonic weapon capabilities. The Ministry of Defence said that the research, which took place in recent months, aims to support delivery of a hypersonic weapon technology demonstrator by 2030 through the departments Team Hypersonics (UK) programme. It said the engine will provide a transformational capability that delivers operational advantage for the future UK armed forces. As part of a joint team led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the US Air Force Research Laboratory, 233 successful static test runs were conducted at the Nasa Langley Research Centre in Virginia, USA. The testing was part of the UKs Hypersonic Weapons Programme, which took place over six weeks involving real-time data analysis to refine design aspects and boost propulsive performance, with support from industry partners including UK SME Gas Dynamics Ltd. A static run test demonstrated the successful use of a high-speed air-breathing engine - NASA, Harlen Capen/NASA The Telegraph last year revealed that under the previous Conservative government, Britain planned to equip the Armed Forces with a home-grown hypersonic cruise missile by the end of the decade. To fight adversaries, a missile that could reach speeds exceeding Mach 5 was desired to catch up with China, Russia and the US. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said: We are living in a more dangerous world and it has never been more important for us to innovate and stay ahead of our adversaries, equipping our forces with the technologies of the future. This milestone moment on hypersonics research, supported by British scientists and British small businesses, demonstrates another crucial area where we are working in lockstep with the United States to bolster our Armed Forces and strengthen our deterrence. Dstls chief executive, Paul Hollinshead, described the milestone as a critical advancement in the UKs defence, which reinforces our standing in the Aukus hypersonic weapon development collaboration. The success of these tests highlights the UKs commitment to technological leadership and innovation in this crucial area, he added. At the end of last year, the UK, the US and Australia reached a deal to accelerate the delivery of battle-winning hypersonic missiles. Under the second pillar of the Aukus submarine pact, it was agreed that the three nations will develop, build and test projectiles that travel five-times faster than the speed of sound. The countries are pooling expertise and resources to make sure weapons, launchers and defensive systems are delivered ahead of schedule. An army of health workers will be sent door-to-door in a radical NHS scheme to tackle Britains sickness crisis. The plan is part of efforts to fix problems ranging from unemployment to debt and bereavement that are driving dependence on the state and risking the NHS going bust. The scheme is set to be rolled out in 25 parts of England and could form part of an NHS 10-year plan in June. Experts behind the programme said some people might see it as the nanny state on steroids but insisted the concept, born in Brazil, could transform Britains fortunes. Workers on the projects likened it to the return of the family doctor paying house calls. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, who convened a national summit on the 10-year plan on Friday, said early versions of the scheme showed really encouraging signs in cutting the number of heavy users of services, which he called frequent flyers filling up A&E departments. He told The Telegraph: Im actually really interested in the community health worker model and the impact its having. Were seeing some really encouraging signs about what can happen if youve got the right care in the right place at the right time, especially among communities and families, where theyre likely to become what I call the frequent flyers of the NHS. Mr Streeting has previously spoken of his desire to create a neighbourhood health service with more care delivered in the community and earlier diagnosis and treatment for problems. Under the model, a community health worker is allocated a patch of 120 homes, typically paying monthly visits to see if help is needed. Results from the first pilot scheme in Westminster suggest a dramatic impact, with a 10 per cent drop in hospital admissions over a year, including a 7 per cent fall in those arriving at A&E. The idea of bringing the model to the UK came from Dr Matthew Harris, a public health expert at Imperial College London who worked as a GP in Brazil from 1999 to 2003. There, the programme has been credited with cutting deaths from common heart conditions by more than a third. Dr Harris said: When it comes to concern around state interference or nanny state, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is doing that on steroids. Its knocking on doors, and you might be forgiven for thinking its interference. But its actually giving control back to the resident. Dr Connie Junghans-Minton, a GP who is leading the first scheme in Pimlico, said the approach could make better use of taxpayers money, instead of vast sums being spent with little return. Those behind the scheme are pushing for universal rollout, starting with the most deprived 10 or 20 per cent areas, at a cost of around 300 million. Dr Junghans-Minton said: What strikes me with the NHS is theres never enough money, were really underfunded, but theres also profligate waste, highlighting the 300 million spent on unused medicines. Door-to-door with Comfort and Maureen On Churchill Gardens housing estate in Pimlico, in central London, Comfort Idowu-Fearon and Maureen Katusabe are knocking on doors. Behind them, are lives that are often lonely, and in some cases falling apart. Comfort as all the residents know her aged 73, came out of retirement as a paediatric nurse to become one of the first community health workers walking the streets of Westminster. The Pimlico housing estate is barely a mile away from the corridors of power of Parliament. Yet the pockets of deprivation are extreme, with an 18-year difference in life expectancy between those in the poorest and most affluent parts of the borough. Those living in these deprived areas have some of the worst outcomes, which can drive up some of the heaviest costs for the state. And so in 2021, local GPs came up with an idea, at first funded by the council and now funded by the local NHS, to create new teams of community health and wellbeing workers (CHWWs, known as chewies) in a 90,000 pilot. Comfort and Maureen were part of a team of four, now expanded to 29, with hopes to recruit 100 workers in total, on a budget of around 3 million. Each is given dedicated responsibility for 120 households. Their brief is to knock on doors, and to build relationships with residents, in order to tackle the health problems and social ills limiting and in some cases destroying lives. Almost no subject is off limits. Many of the obstacles to good health damp, poverty, worklessness and debt are not those of the health service to mend. But left untended, they cause ever more pressure on a health service which increasingly seems to teeter on the verge of collapse. And so Comfort and colleagues knock on doors, helping residents to navigate unpaid bills, housing problems, grief and loneliness, encouraging them to attend health checks and screening appointments and most crucially, to get help before problems become impossible to fix. Eyes and ears in the community The concept of community health workers is not new although some of its history may raise eyebrows. In 1940s China, Chairman Mao created barefoot doctors to provide medical and sanitation services to rural peasants. But the model piloted in London, and now being rolled out across Cornwall and other areas including parts of Buckinghamshire and West Yorkshire, is most closely modelled on a system born in Brazil in the 1990s. The idea of bringing this model to the UK came from Dr Harris, who had witnessed its success first-hand. He worked closely with Dr Junghans-Minton to set up the pilot scheme in Pimlico. Early results tracked by the National Institute for Health Research are impressive. Across households who received a visit from a CHWW, there was an 82 per cent increase in uptake of cancer screening and NHS health checks, and a 47 per cent increase in vaccinations. Dr Junghans-Minton described the figures as kind of unprecedented. Against a backdrop of rising GP demand, those receiving home visits made 7.3 per cent fewer unscheduled visits to their doctor (this excludes those such as reviews of existing conditions, such as diabetes checks). Thats quite powerful, said the GP. Nanny state on steroids? At the heart of the strategy lies the simplest and perhaps most controversial aspect of it. If an Englishmans home is his castle, would the public really welcome a strangers knock at the door? Dr Harris is first to raise the argument but insists otherwise. He says the fact the CHWWs get to know their communities typically visiting residents once a month, means they can anticipate what they really need, and provide personalised help, instead of the big state throwing services at them. Both he and Dr Junghans-Minton suggest that the old-fashioned approach is a way to cut through the vast sums spent by the state, which too often achieve little return. Dr Junghans-Minton said: What strikes me with the NHS is theres never enough money, were really underfunded, but theres also profligate waste. There are services that dont work, that nobody takes up, but they get created anyway and then they get stopped. Too often, she suggested, investment in the most deprived areas doesnt seem to touch the sides. She describes the CHWWs as a glue between the services helping residents, often with multiple health and social problems, to navigate their way around systems which can feel fiendishly complex, particularly for those who do not speak English as a first language. The workers act as the eyes and ears for an estate, she says, with their local knowledge and trust key to untangling problems. Examples include a vulnerable patient who took three trips to the Western Eye Hospitals A&E department, at a cost of some 500 per visit. Doctors could not understand why she would not comply with the steroid medicine regime, despite its critical importance. It was only when a CHWW became involved and explained that the resident could not read the clock and set up reminders on her phone, that the right action was taken. This saved not only her eyesight but also her ability to work, the GP notes. Dr Harris said the workers who are paid around 29,000 in London assist more efficient take-up of services, rather than vulnerable residents being bombarded by multiple demands. Its much better to have one person do 12 things than have 12 people do one thing each, which just causes fragmentation, confusion and chaos in the system. So this is an efficiency issue, he said. An old-fashioned approach Recruitment is based on character, not qualifications. Empathy, discretion, persistence, life experience and resilience are among the attributes sought. The backgrounds of the workforce are varied, including an Afghan doctor, a paramedic, former volunteers and community workers. After her retirement as a paediatric nurse, Comfort had taken on a voluntary role as a community champion in Westminster, before starting the CHWW job. When the programme began, it took an average of 11 door knocks before CHWWs were invited in. Now that Comfort and Maureen known by first name as they wander the estate are familiar figures and word has spread, that figure has fallen to five. Layla Shitagh, aged 83, from Iraq, came to Britain 20 years ago after her husband was kidnapped in the Iraq war. After the couple were reunited, the family made their life in England. Her husband died during the pandemic. For the widow, the visits from Comfort are a lifeline. Comfort Idowu-Fearon and colleagues knock on doors, helping residents to navigate unpaid bills, housing problems, grief and loneliness At her flat, filled with family photographs, the former biology teacher has laid out a tray of biscuits, insisting that no one leaves hungry. Comfort is a regular visitor, helping Mrs Shitagh to manage health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and advocating on her behalf with the council, which is trying to rehome her. I am so happy when she comes to speak with me, said Mrs Shitagh. Every kind word with anyone, the doctor, the bank, anywhere, it makes me happy. I didnt use to realise how important that was. We do find that we are the only people that some people see, said Comfort. Maureen, her colleague, describes how CHWWs are able to advocate for their patients in a way that modern systems cannot. Often in MDTs [multidisciplinary team meetings] when you are talking about the resident most of the stuff is missed out. Comfort can say Ive been visiting her regularly, she has been getting worse, this is what she needs. Everybody else just sees her from a screen, she said. The resilience comes with knocking on doors, again and again, which means a good dose of rejection, not to mention abuse. We will always come back to see if they have changed their mind, said Maureen. If they say they dont want any help, well say OK, well Ill pop back in a month, we are always available if you want. There is no pressure, but we dont take them off the lists, she said. Do you have to be brave, or thick-skinned, to take on such work? Its a mixture, said Comfort, adding embarking on the first visits can be quite intimidating for new workers. We dont give up At some doors, greetings are less effusive than others. A former construction worker who fell multiple floors from a building site and has been left out of work, in pain, and on high-dose medication, gruffly dismisses the service as chit chat. But that doesnt stop him having a conversation about the type of jobs he might be able to take on, later remarking of Comfort, shes a good lady. Maureen added: Most services would just discharge you, we dont give up. In an increasingly digitised and atomised world, the health workers, travelling from door-to-door, bring echoes of the past. Comfort said: In the past, we had doctors doing house calls and this is like a return to that. You can see the situation, not just what the person is saying. She describes long hours unpicking problems and the satisfaction that comes with lives turned around. Success stories include a suicidal worker who feared the sack, now so happy and busy including with his second job, teaching pilates that he barely has time to catch up. While many situations behind closed doors appear bleak, those involved in the scheme say the long-term nature of the programme and the relationships built make the work more rewarding. Dr Junghans-Minton contrasted this with the transactional nature of many modern services, where workers might have to see one heartsink family after another without team support, rarely seeing a success story. Dr Harris is among those keen to see the approach rolled out across the country. From Imperial College London, he led a modelling study which suggests that doing this would cost 2.2 billion. That is if every household in England had it, he points out. You dont start with that, you start with the bottom 10 or 20 per cent [most deprived], which gives us 300 million, which really is an attractive policy option. Dr Junghans-Minton said thats nothing compared with the sums frittered away by the NHS on things that do not work. She points to the 200 million spent annually on nutritional drinks that have no evidence base and the 300 million on unused medicines (often found by CHWWs, festering at the backs of cupboards). Streeting: the prize is longer, happier lives In June, Mr Streeting will launch the Governments 10-year plan for the NHS. The idea of a neighbourhood health service will be central to this. He has already warned that the NHS faces bankruptcy, and being overwhelmed by demand, without a radical shift of care into the community, and a focus on prevention of ill-health. From his office in Westminster, the Health Secretary says: Just getting the NHS back on its feet isnt enough; weve got to make sure its fit for the future. So far, results from the schemes in Pimlico and Cornwall have impressed him. He told The Telegraph: Were seeing some really encouraging signs about what can happen if youve got the right care in the right place at the right time, especially among communities and families where you know theyre likely to become what I call the frequent flyers of the NHS. The health service cannot afford to keep working the way it does, and in particular, cannot keep pouring more money in, he said. If we get this right, the prize will be all of us living not just longer lives, but healthier, happier lives, and also the cost to the state of ill-health going down. I think at the moment, a lot of people in our country are thinking were paying a hell of a lot for failure. Dr Junghans-Minton summed up the current NHS system as waiting until people get to the sharp end essentially treating people once they are sick, often very sick, rather than helping them to avoid the problem in the first place. That costs a bomb for the NHS, and theyve got really poor quality of life, she added. The costs get bigger and eventually you spend all your money on people you cant help. Dr Harris highlighted that in Pimlico, the scheme is supported by a partnership between local council, health bodies and voluntary and community sector, which works together to boost health, housing and employment. This so-called octopus system because it aims to reach its tentacles into the community tries to tackle all of the issues spotted by the CHWWs to ensure the scheme is truly effective. Matthew Walker is chief executive of the National Association of Primary Care, which works closely with the programme and advocates for national rollout. He says: One of the greatest pressures on our health system today is GP access an issue raised with MPs more than any other. Many appointments could be avoided if preventative support were available earlier. CHWWs provide exactly that, guiding people to local services, improving wellbeing and preventing minor issues from escalating into costly NHS interventions. This initiative doesnt just relieve pressure on the NHS, it tackles deprivation and the wider determinants of health at the root, supports people back into work, and strengthens local economies. Dr Harris believes the community-based approach can tackle a plethora of societal problems, including hospital bed blocking in particular when patients cant be discharged simply because they have no one to visit them the next day and even radicalisation. He said: Were unearthing depression, loneliness, domestic violence, child truancy, children entering into gang violence. Weve had people who have been stopped from killing themselves in real time because somebodys knocked on the door and checked in on them. The impact is pretty extraordinary. Mandys story: Naomi is like family When Mandy Hinckley, from Redruth, Cornwall, was sent home from hospital after knee surgery, her community health worker, Naomi, was able to arrange practical support, including cleaning and food deliveries and classes on preventing falls. But what the widow, 68, values most is something else: She gives me so much support, that girl: she gives me a hug. You dont get that many hugs when youre on your own. While Mandy recovered her mobility, Naomi was on hand, providing company, and cheer. Shes like family; shell come round sometimes with her little dog Toby, who is adorable, said the widow. In the depths of winter, Naomi arranged a pantomime trip. That really made my Christmas complete, said Mandy. We meet at Newquay Orchard, a hub at the heart of Cornwalls rollout of community health workers. Its the biggest programme so far in the country, with 59 recruits. An evaluation of the first year of the programme found 90 per cent of residents saw a significant boost in scores used to measure wellbeing. Separate data suggest it is cutting pressures on hospitals. Mandy Hinckley, from Redruth, Cornwall, praised the service for helping to get her back on her feet after surgery Kate Shields, chief executive of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly integrated care board, notes that loneliness has been found to be more deadly than smoking. She believes a key difference between this scheme and previous attempts to address poor health is that they were led by the suits. It is also closely linked to the WorkWell pilot scheme to tackle worklessness and get more people with health problems back to work. The rollout has been backed by Volunteer Cornwall, which helped recruit the workers. While the NHS struggles to fill its jobs, there were more than 40 applicants per post for the CHWW scheme. Scotland Yard announced on Friday that it had charged Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault after a year-and-a-half-long police investigation - James Manning/PA Archive Russell Brands lawyers fear he could face prosecution in the US over sexual assault allegations. Court documents show the actors US legal team tried to delay a civil lawsuit filed against him in New York because of concerns it could overlap with a live criminal investigation in the UK. Scotland Yard announced on Friday that it had charged Brand, 49, with rape and sexual assault after a year-and-a-half-long police investigation. The comedian, who has been living in the US since February, is accused of sexually abusing four women in London and the Bournemouth area between 1999 and 2005. Brand also faces a separate lawsuit in the US after a woman filed a civil claim against him in November 2023. The woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Brand while working as an extra on the set of the comedy film Arthur in 2010. The former British television presenter is not facing any criminal charges in the US. The lawsuit filed in New York, brought by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, is a civil claim seeking damages for alleged sexual assault. However, Brands lawyers argued he had a reasonable belief that criminal prosecution is possible in the United States in documents submitted to the New York Supreme Court as part of the lawsuit earlier this week. Russell Brand is accused of sexually abusing four women in London and in the Bournemouth area between 1999 and 2005 - Leon Neal/Getty Images In one document dated April 1, his legal team said: The fact that Mr Brand is already facing a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom coupled with highly publicised allegations that have been made that Mr Brand committed similar sexual assaults in the United States is more than sufficient to support a reasonable belief that he could face prosecution here. Mark Cuccaro, Brands attorney, called for the US lawsuit to be postponed, arguing that it was likely to contain overlapping issues with the UK criminal investigation. The lawyer claimed this also meant Brand should not be forced to provide testimony to the US lawsuit while the UK case is ongoing, since this could incriminate him. If Mr Brands deposition proceeds, he is expected to be asked questions not only about [Jane Does] specific allegations, but also about other allegations of sexual assault relating to the criminal investigation in the United Kingdom, Mr Cuccaro claimed in a document first reported by The Sun on Sunday. The US court submissions added: Mr Brands alleged assaults in the United Kingdom could potentially be admitted as evidence of other assaults in the United States if he were to be criminally charged here. Request to delay denied Judge Shlomo Hagler rejected the request by Brands legal team to delay the case, but granted him an extension until Oct 30 to submit his deposition. The lawsuit was filed in state court in November 2023 under New Yorks Adult Survivors Act, which gives accusers a one-year window to sue over alleged historic sexual abuse, even if statutes of limitations have expired. Jane Doe claims Brand exposed his genitalia to her openly and obviously in the presence of everyone on set in between the filming of Arthur, a remake of the 1981 film starring Dudley Moore. The woman alleges that an intoxicated Brand later followed her into a bathroom on set and sexually assaulted her. The complainant is also suing Warner Bros Pictures and other companies involved in the film production for alleged negligence amid claims they tolerated Brands misconduct during filming. Brand denies the allegations, with his lawyers describing them as specious and scurrilous in court documents. In his initial response to the lawsuit filed in February 2024, Brand claimed that an open bottle of an alcoholic drink that was on the set of Arthur was a film prop since he had been sober for approximately eight years by that point. He alleged it showed the claimant had a faulty memory of the events, and also claimed never to have met the woman. Warner Bros and other companies involved in the lawsuit have also denied the womans allegations against them. In a video posted on X Russell Brand has said he is incredibly grateful for the chance to defend these charges in court - @rustyrockets/X New York law firm Sher Tremonte is representing Brand in the case, after litigation company Berk Brettler withdrew as his legal counsel in January, according to US court documents. The lawsuit comes after Brand was accused of raping and sexually assaulting two women in Los Angeles in a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4s dispatches in 2023. He has also been charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area in the UK, and the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in the Westminster area of London. The Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor has also been charged with indecently assaulting a woman in 2001 and sexually assaulting another woman between 2004 and 2005 in Westminster. Brand is expected to appear before Westminster magistrates court in the UK on May 2. In a video posted on X on April 4, the actor said he has never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes, he said. Of course I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and Im incredibly grateful for that. Brands US legal team was approached for comment. DHL's hub in Leipzig, Germany Sex toys, massage pillows and fake cosmetics were used as key components in a suspected Russian sabotage plot against the West. Parcel bombs found at courier depots in Britain, Germany and Poland last summer are thought to have been test runs for a covert operation to start fires on planes flying to North America. A Polish investigation revealed crude homemade explosives containing highly reactive magnesium were hidden inside massage pillows and packed into parcels. The chemicals were ignited by pre-timed detonators adapted from cheap Chinese gadgets used to track items. Flammable gel hidden inside tubes of fake cosmetics then enhanced the explosions, a source with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters. They added: The proceedings in this case concern criminal activities inspired by GRU [Russian Federation]. The findings provide a rare insight into how suspected Russian sabotage campaigns are executed on the ground. A manifestation of blind Russophobia Last October, European security chiefs made public details of the parcel fires, condemning them as part of a hybrid war being waged by Russia to destabilise countries supporting Ukraine. Tactics used in the attacks include arson and cyberattacks. The parcels, which caught fire in warehouses but caused no injuries, were seen as a dry run for a future Russian plot to detonate similar packages in mid-air on cargo flights bound for the US and Canada. The detonations occurred on July 19, 20 and 21 at DHL depots in Birmingham, Leipzig in Germany and a warehouse in Warsaw, the Polish capital. Poland said it had arrested four people in November who allegedly belonged to the sabotage cell, charging them with participating in sabotage or terrorist operations on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency. EU security officials warned the alleged attacks were typical of Moscows foreign intelligence methods. Russian handlers often recruit local criminals, providing instructions via the Telegram messaging app and paying operatives up to a few thousand euros per job. The bomb ingredients were cheap, widely available to buy in shops and often difficult to detect. The Kremlin rejected the allegations of a Russian sabotage or hybrid warfare campaign. We know nothing about it, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. This is just more fake news or a manifestation of blind Russophobia. Western officials have repeatedly warned of an escalating threat from Russia, which is seen as attempting to deter support for Ukraine. There have been multiple reports of mysterious fires at businesses linked to the Wests backing of Kyiv, as well as a spate of sabotage attempts on undersea cables. Ken McCallum, the Director General of MI5, warned last year that the GRU was trying to cause mayhem in Britain, conducting arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions with increasing recklessness since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. European dry run A fourth parcel, which failed to detonate, was seized at a Warsaw depot, allowing investigators to examine its contents. Polish investigators allege Vladyslav D, a 27-year-old Ukrainian, played a central role in the European dry run, acting on instructions from a GRU handler known only as Warrior. On July 18 2024, he allegedly drove from his home in southern Poland to the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, where he collected over a dozen items from the trunk of a parked car. He then drove to Vilnius, Lithuanias capital, where he boxed up four packages, each with a pillow plus a few of the cosmetics tubes and sex toys. Before sealing them, he activated the pre-timed detonators, the source said. The following day, he allegedly handed the parcels over to a man codename Mary who posted them. Vladyslav was arrested in Poland in early August and charged with performing terrorist acts on behalf of Russian intelligence. He has denied the charges. Polish prosecutors have also accused a Russian national, 44-year-old Alexander, of being part of the same Polish sabotage cell helping to gather information on parcel-processing methods for North American-bound cargo planes. Alexander was extradited from Bosnia in February. He has claimed to have had no knowledge of any plot to target depots or cargo planes. Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces court action - Kirsty O'Connor/Treasury Care homes are taking Rachel Reeves to court over her National Insurance rise, threatening to blow a 1billion hole in her wafer-thin budget headroom. Private providers are set to launch a judicial review of the Chancellors decision to hit them with the full cost of the increase to employers contributions. They warned the policy risks sparking a collapse in the sector, which would ultimately cause the NHS to crumble under the weight of extra demand. It comes as the controversial 26billion National Insurance Contributions (NICs) raid comes into force on Monday amid warnings it will spark mass job losses and business closures. The Treasury said the decision to raise National Insurance, including on care homes, was a necessary one to help rebuild public services. Ms Reeves has put aside money to reimburse the public sector for the cost of the extra tax but did not exempt private firms which provide public services. The Chancellor rebuffed calls for the care sector to be granted a reprieve, with Labour whipping its MPs to overturn a Lords amendment calling for one. Care England, the industry body for private care homes in the UK, has announced that it is launching legal action in an attempt to secure a carve out. Prof Martin Green, the groups chief executive, told The Telegraph: This Judicial Review marks a critical moment for adult social care. The decision to increase National Insurance Contributions without exempting the care sector is a political signal that social care remains an afterthought. Successive governments have reinforced a damaging divide between the NHS and social care through policy, legislation and funding. But the reality is clear when social care crumbles, the NHS follows. Protester in Westministers Parliament Square - Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images He warned that providers were already being pushed to the brink by government policies, the consequences of which are being felt by millions. Prof Green added: We are standing up for a sector that has been routinely overlooked, and for the interconnected system of care that underpins the health and wellbeing of this country. The Nuffield Trust, a leading health charity, has warned that almost 18,000 care providers in England face a 940million-a-year bill as a result of the hike. Meanwhile, it can be revealed that the 1.7billion-a-year financial blow the NHS faces would be enough to hire an extra 46,000 nurses. The Tories, who carried out the analysis, said that the cash could have been used to relieve the pressure on frontline services such as A&E instead. Julian Kelly, NHS Englands chief financial officer, has told MPs that the money will have to come out of the 10.6billion uplift the service received in the budget. Rachel Reeves conducts Downing Street press conference - Ben Stansall/PA Edward Argar, the shadow health secretary, said: Labours NICs jobs tax has piled more costs onto the NHS, meaning a huge amount of money that should have gone on improving frontline health services for patients, and recruiting more nurses and staff, is simply having to go straight back to the Treasury to pay for these tax hikes. With Labour, what they give with one hand theyre taking away with the other. Their choice to impose this tax hike on the NHS, as well as hospices, social care providers and charities, leaves them having to prioritise paying an increased tax bill, instead of being able to recruit additional frontline staff to care for patients. Separate analysis by the Tories also found the National Insurance hike is set to cost car makers 200million a year at a time when they face punishing US tariffs. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, said: This week lays bare two of Labours worst blunders failing to fix our US trade relationship and slamming businesses with a punishing jobs tax. British firms are already on their knees now Labour delivers a one-two punch that could flatten them. They dont understand that its business, not big government, that drives growth. If they dont reverse course fast, working people will pay the price. A government spokesman said: This Government delivered a once-in-a-Parliament Budget that took necessary decisions on tax to stabilise the public finances, including the NHS which has now seen waiting lists fall five months in a row. The blaze started in the Newton Stewart area on Thursday then spread northwards over the weekend to reach Loch Doon. Photograph: Galloway MRT Emergency services were on Sunday continuing to battle a wildfire that started in Galloway in the south of Scotland, and has spread north into East Ayrshire, forcing the evacuation of walkers and wild campers. The blaze started in the Newton Stewart area on Thursday, then spread northwards over the weekend after a change in wind direction to reach Loch Doon. Residents living nearby were advised to keep windows and doors closed and police told people to avoid the area. On Sunday evening the Scottish government held an emergency meeting to coordinate its response. In a statement posted to X, it said: The Scottish governments Resilience Room (SGORR) has been activated in response to a wildfire in the area of Galloway Forest Park. Justice Secretary Angela Constance will chair a meeting this evening. By 10.20pm on Sunday, the Scottish fire and rescue service (SFRS) confirmed that fire crews had withdrawn from the area due to low light, but planned to resume operations at first light on Monday. Stewart Gibson, the team leader at Galloway mountain rescue, told BBC Scotland fire crews had employed four helicopters to drop water on the flames from above, with the fire front several miles wide at one stage. Rising temperatures across the UK earlier this week led to wildfire warnings being put in place, with the Scottish fire and rescue service saying there was a very high to extreme risk of fires spreading because of warm, dry conditions. The service has warned the public to avoid outdoor fires and barbecues, and to dispose of cigarettes and glass safely. Further north in the Highlands, crews were tackling another wildfire north of Ullapool on Sunday with roads closed and heavy smoke hampering visibility. Six crews were in attendance, with personnel travelling almost 70 miles to offer assistance and firefighters at the scene reporting a firewall stretching more than 3 miles and large plumes of smoke descending over the area. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, fire brigades were called to the scene of a blaze in County Antrim on Sunday afternoon. Six fire engines attended the incident near Conogher Road, Dervock, while 40 firefighters were involved in tackling the flames. Danny Ard, the group commander for the Northern Ireland fire and rescue service, said the firefighters had utilised jets and specialist wildfire equipment to contain the fire. It was extinguished at 8pm on Sunday. A significant wildfire that broke out on Saturday and triggered a major incident in Northern Irelands Mourne mountains district was extinguished on Sunday morning. One man was arrested by police. More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze, which was believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said. Northern Ireland fire and rescue service said the fire had a front of approximately 2 miles including a large area of forestry close to property. A covid testing centre sign at Heathrow Terminal 5 on November 28, 2021 Our courts are facing unprecedented strain. It is taking many months and sometimes years for criminal prosecutions to come to trial. Fraud cases are now being listed for 2027. Yet five years after Covid restrictions were first imposed and over three years after all controls were lifted, cases for alleged Covid violations are still coming to court. The Telegraph has disclosed that around 130 people have faced criminal hearings in the past six months, including 38 this year. Many of these prosecutions are for seemingly inadvertent breaches of the law. Dodi Wexler, an American expat, flew back to London in 2021 with her three teenage sons after a Christmas break in Massachusetts. She had booked a day-five Covid test for herself and her family, when she should have booked day-two and day-eight tests. Mrs Wexler then bought the correct tests as instructed by Border Force for 840. More than a year and a half later she received fixed-penalty notices fining her a total of 4,000. This was eventually reduced at a magistrates hearing last November to 400. Mrs Wexler is not alone. A 60-year-old British man returning on business from Paris to London on the Eurostar says he took a Covid test before boarding the train, but by the time he arrived at St Pancras his phone had run out of battery. As a result, he could not show his certificate. Late last year he received notification from Border Force that he was being fined 1,295. The case was dropped this January. What possible purpose do such prosecutions serve? There is a great reluctance by the authorities to admit that our approach to lockdown was ludicrously heavy handed. It is surely time to draw a line under this unhappy episode and free up our courts to tackle real crime. Cargo containers line a shipping terminal at the port of Oakland in California. Photograph: Noah Berger/AP Donald Trumps 10% tariff on all imports from many countries, including the UK, has come into force after 48 hours of turmoil. US customs agents began collecting the unilateral tariff at US seaports, airports and customs warehouses on Saturday, with higher levies on goods from 57 larger trading partners due to start next week including from the EU, which will be hit with a 20% rate. Trumps sweeping changes have roiled global markets, with China, hardest hit by the tariffs, announcing a slew of countermeasures, including extra levies of 34% on all US goods and export curbs on some rare earth minerals. The market has spoken, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a post on Facebook on Saturday. Despite the turmoil, Trump has continued to champion his liberation day tariffs. China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close, Trump said on social media on Saturday. THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it wont be easy, but the end result will be historic. The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, was expected to spend the weekend speaking to foreign leaders about the tariffs, after calls with the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni, on Friday in which the leaders agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging. Starmer was clear the UKs response will be guided by the national interest and officials would calmly continue with our preparatory work, rather than rush to retaliate, a No 10 spokesperson said. Related: China hits back hard at bullying Trump tariffs as global recession fears grow Up until now, UK ministers have avoided voicing any criticism of Trump as they sought to secure a trade agreement with the US hoping for some exemption from the tariffs. However, the UK government has drawn up a list of products that could be hit in retaliation, and was consulting with businesses on how any countermeasures could affect them. Ralph Goodale, the high commissioner for Canada in the UK, told BBCs Radio 4 Today programme that the US needed to feel the pain and Canada would stand firm. The action taken by the US government is completely illogical. It will damage the United States itself, he said. It will raise costs in the United States. It will eliminate jobs in the United States. It will reduce growth in the United States and we have to make it abundantly clear not just that that is going to happen rhetorically, but the US has to feel the pain, because ultimately it will be Americans who will persuade their government to stop this foolishness. Trumps announcement of the tariffs on Wednesday shook global stock markets to their core, wiping out $5tn in stock market value for S&P 500 companies by Fridays close, a record two-day decline. The prices of oil and commodities plunged, as investors fled to the safety of government bonds. This is the single biggest trade action of our lifetime, said Kelly Ann Shaw, a trade lawyer at Hogan Lovells and former White House trade adviser during Trumps first term. Related: In economic terms, Trumps tariffs make no sense at all While speaking at a Brookings Institution event on Thursday, Shaw said she expected that over time the tariffs would evolve as countries started negotiating lower rates for themselves, but she called the change huge. This is a pretty seismic and significant shift in the way that we trade with every country on Earth, Shaw said. Australia, the UK, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are among countries initially hit with the 10% tariff. Trumps higher reciprocal tariff rates of 11% to 50% are due to take effect on Wednesday. EU imports will face a 20% tariff, while Chinese goods will be hit with a 34% tariff, bringing Trumps total new levies on China to 54%. Canada and Mexico were exempt from Trumps latest duties because they are still subject to a 25% tariff related to the US fentanyl crisis for goods that do not comply with the US-Mexico-Canada rules of origin. Reuters contributed to this report Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected by Israeli immigration due to suspicions they planned to spread anti-Israel hatred Composite: Antonio Olmos, The Observer / House of Commons The UKs foreign secretary has criticised Israeli authorities for denying two Labour MPs entry into the country and deporting them. Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected because they were suspected of planning to document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry cited by Sky News and Politics UK. Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley in Berkshire, and Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, flew into Ben Gurion airport from Luton with their aides, according to reports. They said they were part of an MPs delegation coming to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank with UK charity partners. The pair were on their way back to the UK on Sunday, according to the chief secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, said in a statement on Saturday: It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. The UK governments focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza. In a joint statement posted on X, the two MPs said they were astounded at being denied entry, and that it was vital for parliamentarians to be able to witness the situation on the ground in Palestine. Dame Emily Thornberry, the chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, said that Israel would rue the day that they did this to British parliamentarians. Yang and Mohamed said: Were astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank. It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. They added: We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons without fear of being targeted. Their deportation comes amid the resumption, after a short truce, of Israels offensive in Gaza, in which it has killed 1,249 people since last month, according to the strips health ministry. It puts the overall death toll since the war began at 50,609, mostly civilians. The military campaign began after the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel by Hamas that resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, and in which 250 people were taken hostage according to Israel. While the worlds focus has been on Gaza, the Palestinian-Israeli rights group Btselem has documented 64 airstrikes that killed 261 Palestinians including militant and civilian casualties, and at least 41 minors in the West Bank since the 7 October attacks. Additionally, military operations in three West Bank refugee camps in January forced 40,000 people from their homes. Describing the two deported MPs as potential leaders, Thornberry told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: They are highly respected parliamentarians, and Israel is badly advised to try to alienate them, to humiliate them, and to treat them in this way because people listen to what these two young women say, and they will do for decades to come. In my view, Israel really needs to start making friends as opposed to alienating people in this way. I think that its an insult to Britain and an insult to parliament. She added: I think that they will rue the day that they did this to British parliamentarians. This is the first time that theyve ever refused MPs access to the country. The Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map) said they had organised the delegation to Israel that included Yang and Mohamed and that they had run such trips to the occupied West Bank for more than a decade. Amid the fury at Israel over the MPs treatment, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, also faced criticism after she told Sky Newss Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme: I think that every country should be able to control its borders, and thats what Israel is doing, as far as I understand. She said she understood they were coming in to do something that they were not allowed to do, and so I respect that decision. In response, Lammy wrote on X: Its disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China? Feelings like shame and guilt can hinder your happiness. Ippei Naoi via Getty Images In a culture of toxic positivity, it can feel particularly bad when you wake up and arent feeling totally happy. This is likely exacerbated when you open up your Instagram or Facebook feeds only to see smiling friends on vacation or at their wedding. Its easy to feel like you just should be happy, but experts say it is much bigger than that and there are probably some behaviors and beliefs that keep you from feeling your best. Below, mental health professionals share the thought patterns, limiting behaviors and beliefs that affect your happiness and fulfillment most, plus their best advice for combating the negativity. Shame, Guilt And Worry I think shame, guilt and worry are the most common disruptors of happiness, just in what I see in working with people, said Tamika Lewis, the clinical director and founder of WOC Therapy in California. When youre experiencing one of these feelings, youre holding yourself hostage to past life experiences or worrying about the future, she said. So were not in the present moment, and that really disrupts ... that contentment and joy. Practicing self-compassion is one way to combat these feelings, Lewis noted. She said its also important to have grace for yourself and practice mindfulness so you stay in the present moment. Additionally, Lewis said she talks a lot about the Hawaiian practice of hooponopono with her clients. Its four phrases, simply saying, Im sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you, she explained. Lewis encourages folks to close their eyes and recite this mantra four times. They really hit all these areas; the guilt, the shame, all of that. And then the love as a reminder of self-love, and sometimes it could help too to even do this in the mirror as youre looking at yourself, Lewis explained. She said gratitude is another way to help combat feelings of shame, guilt and worry. I know its kind of cliche, but I think if we can keep our focus on the things we are grateful for ... . So, if we tend to be critical about our bodies or our performance, really just giving thanks to the ways that our bodies are holding us or the ways that were showing up can be a quick hack, Lewis said. (For any Peloton fans, this is exactly like instructor Jess Sims exercise mantra: You dont have to, you get to.) Not Taking Action In Your Life Some of the therapists we spoke to said many of their clients often dont pursue the activities, decisions or passions that make them happy. This might look like staying in an unfulfilling relationship or avoiding a job switch because youre comfortable. I think for some people, they get stuck in these cycles of rumination. And what that prevents them from doing is actually taking action, right? said Sadaf Siddiqi, a psychotherapist and mental health consultant in New York City. Procrastination can be at play here or even fear and anxiety, but for other people, its a way of deflecting behavior in the sense that theyre so overly focused on someone else and not attuned to what they need to be doing, she said. Do you find yourself obsessing about your sisters bad love life decisions? Then you may fall into the category of deflection. Not taking action in your life is sometimes also linked to not having a strong connection with yourself, so maybe those are two branches ... to happiness, Siddiqi said. Taking action to live a more joy-filled life has to be intentional. In a society that overproduces and is always on the go, sometimes action can actually be a step back, she said. Taking action needs to be relevant to whats going on in your life like your goals and aspirations. Doing this can feel scary to many people because of the risk involved. So its important to understand that no matter what trajectory you take, you will make mistakes; its a non-negotiable in your path, she said. So if youre always preventing taking action because youre so afraid of messing up, its going to really be a paralysis its almost going to be a decision paralysis, an action paralysis, Siddiqi said. When it comes to taking action, Siddiqi said she tells her clients to take micro-steps, which may not feel as exciting as big steps because there isnt immediate gratification, but change often comes from the small shifts, she noted. Comparing Yourself To Others According to Stephanie Dahlberg, a licensed independent clinical social worker at Thriveworks in Nashua, New Hampshire, comparative thinking is another behavior that takes away from your happiness. Comparative thinking is what you think of when you think about scrolling through social media and you see this person who seems to have it all ... their lives on the little pictures and posts are just amazing, Dahlberg said. Even if you arent actually saying or thinking to yourself I want this or I wish I had this, just seeing a different situation can make you naturally compare yourself to the folks you follow on social media, she noted. I think our culture and our society is kind of set up that way, unfortunately, Dahlberg said. Sometimes it can be good, keeps things competitive and keeps us learning and growing and always striving to be the best, but I think sometimes our culture and society kind of goes a little too far with it, where youre kind of constantly comparing yourself to everyone else or comparing what you have to what someone else has or doesnt have. To stop comparing yourself to others so much, Dahlberg said, you can limit your time on social media. Instead of opening up Instagram or Facebook as soon as you wake up, open up your Notes app and write down five things youre grateful for, she said. Starting the day with gratitude ... can be a great way to frame your day in a positive way and get those endorphins going and having more of those happy feelings, Dahlberg said. Additionally, try to remember that what youre seeing on social media or the curated stories you hear from loved ones arent the full picture. It can be really hard to be satisfied with your life when youre comparing yourself to other people who are really showing the best of their life, said Shavonne Moore-Lobban, a psychologist in Washington, D.C., and author of The Black Womans Guide to Overcoming Domestic Violence. We dont often have a lot of access to peoples most challenging moments, the natural ebb and flow of the ups and downs. Moore-Lobban noted that kind of vulnerability is often not affirmed by society. Just think about times when youve thought someone was oversharing or attention-seeking when they share information that isnt positive. I think in this unintentional way, weve really encouraged people to present the best sides of themselves and to show the good moments and to be optimistic, Moore-Lobban said. So remember that the next time your favorite celebrity shares photos from a glitzy party or your neighbor posts an update about their home renovation. Instead of scrolling social media and comparing yourself to the lives on your phone screen, take a few moments to jot down what you're grateful for. Morsa Images via Getty Images Should Statements Another thing that kind of goes along with comparative thinking is expectations, like what your life should be or should look like, Dahlberg said. These are called should statements. They could be as minor as I should have done the laundry today or, more often, nebulous, like I should be further along in my career by now or I should be more fulfilled. When thinking about should statements, Dahlberg noted youre leaving the present moment. If you can, try and focus on really being present where you are, taking a look at whats around you, whats right in front of you in the moment and trying to find what you can appreciate from it, even ... in a really difficult circumstance, she said. This can help you feel lighter and happier. Not Having A Strong Connection With Yourself According to Siddiqi, when it comes to adults, lacking a strong connection with yourself damages your happiness. That can look like outsourcing your worth, not knowing your own values, your own limitations, your own strengths, she said. If youre someone who outsources your own worth, your feelings about yourself come from the opinions of other people and society as a whole. Additionally, if you dont know your own values, limitations and strengths, youll have trouble determining the things that make you feel fulfilled or, on the contrary, empty. Its important to understand yourself, which includes accepting your flaws, she said. It doesnt mean you turn a blind eye to what your limitations are, but its really about how you approach them, Siddiqi said. And when you have a stronger connection with yourself, you can learn what you need to fill your cup, such as setting healthy boundaries. It really starts with those small things. Positive small talk, affirmation, doing things independently ... so you feel more confident taking action, Siddiqi said. Ignoring Deeper Problems It can feel hard to be honest and vulnerable in a society that encourages a glass-half-full mentality. But when you push down deep-seated issues, youre actually harming your happiness and this especially goes for trauma, Moore-Lobban said. We know that trauma is very prevalent in our society in lots of different ways, right? Whether its trauma that people have experienced in relationships or with family and their childhood, in their adulthood, racial trauma ... homophobia against folks, xenophobia: All the things of life that are hard and really overwhelm our ability to cope for a particular time stick with us, Moore-Lobban said. As difficult as it is, she said its important to unpack your trauma to achieve the joy you deserve in life.[We have to] look at what has happened underneath if were really going to find a place of healing from it, Moore-Lobban said. I think that being able to explore and understand the experiences that people have had in life, even when they are challenging and negative, I think thats a part of getting to happiness, she added. If you dont find a way to address and be honest about the challenges in your life, then youre being inauthentic to yourself, which isnt fair to yourself and is not going to help your happiness or your healing, Moore-Lobban said. Additionally, Siddiqi said she thinks it is hard for people to feel happy because of underlying mental health issues that biologically prevent them from feeling joy things like depression, mood disorders. In these cases, additional interventions may be necessary, such as lifestyle changes, medication management or support from a therapist. If you think you fall into this category, you can look to databases like Psychology Today to find a mental health provider to help you feel better. Isolation Isolation is a major source of unhappiness and even depression, according to Lewis. Were connected on social media, but I think its important for us to think about who are we connecting with in our day. Lewis said its becoming all too common to go days without connecting with loved ones or your community, and that can lead to feelings of loneliness and can make you feel isolated. Were all interconnected. Were all in this together, Lewis stressed. To keep yourself from feeling isolated, call your family members, invite a friend or neighbor over for a drink or make plans with a co-worker to get dinner after work. How Else To Capture More Joy In Your Everyday Life The first step is creating an intention. When we wake up, most people think about their extensive to-do list ... I like to think about how do I want to feel today you know that sets the day off in a different way, Lewis said. For example, if she says that she wants to feel at ease today, she will think about the things she can add to her day to evoke that feeling. Then I think about, too it could be a little dark but I do consider, what if this were my last day? How do I want to do this life? Lewis said. And I try to remember that and make choices from that place. So if Lewis doesnt want to be in a funk or doesnt want to hold a grudge, she makes sure her actions mirror this throughout the day. And I know there [are] deeper traumas that were all likely working through, but the one thing we can control is really just the moment we have in front of us, she said. Additionally, try not to make happiness your final outcome. For my young adult clients, one thing I always encourage them to remember is that you have to avoid thinking of happiness as a goal or your final outcome, Siddiqi said. One thing I see all the time: My clients will say I just want to be happy, and then Ill ask them What does happiness look like for you? and theyll say I want to get married, I want to get into this graduate program, I want to lose 10 pounds, and there are all these concrete goals a lot of them find that when they [reach their goals], there are still a lot of problems in life, there are still issues, they havent reached this happiness, Siddiqi said. Instead of looking at happiness as a destination, think of it as the choices along the way, she noted. Part of embracing and being open to happiness is accepting the ups and downs, Siddiqi said. She encourages folks to remember that even in your lowest moments you have to be open to finding things that are good, and even in your highest moments you have to be grounded enough to remember that everything is temporary and the ebbs and flows of life are normal. Its not one goal, its not one final outcome that I need to associate my happiness with, she said. Because, if you do that, youll forever be searching for a fleeting moment. Lewis added that even beyond happiness, you should strive for a life full of joy and fulfillment. Theres a lot of toxic positivity around I just want you to be happy, Lewis said. Lewis said happiness looks different for different people, which can put pressure on the term happiness. Its much easier to decipher if you feel joyful and if you feel fulfilled in your life. Related... Trae Patton/Paramount+ Spoilers for 1923 season 2 ahead. 1923 has had an explosive season 2 so far. The Duttons are preparing for war against Banners men, whore tasked with going after Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), then taking out the rest of the family one by one. In episode 6, they already managed to kill Jack (Darren Mann). And Spencers wife, Alex (Julie Schlaepfer), is still struggling to get to Montana after a road trip with a pair of good samaritans goes awry. Then theres Teonna ( Aminah Nieves ), whos reeling from her fathers death and outrunning U.S. marshals. Its safe to say everyone were rooting for is in peril right now. Taylor Sheridan has set up a whole lot of stakes for this chapter of the Dutton saga, and with a movie-length finale (about 111 minutes!), it looks like the show somehow resolved them all. Episode 7, A Dream and a Memory, begins back at the Dutton household, where Cara (Helen Mirren) waits patiently outside for her husband, Jacob, and the rest of the men to return. Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) appears, worried, and reveals Jack went out on his own and never came home. Cara tries to reassure her but Elizabeth already has a bad feeling. We then cut briefly to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and the sheriff at the train station, waiting for Spencers arrival. At Banners (Jerome Flynn) home, he talks to his wife, Ellie, as he grapples with the dark choice hes made to hunt the Dutton family down. He reveals that he respects Jacob and doesnt think hes evil, now that hes seen what Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) is capable of. He decides to leave rather than see the plans through. Alexlost in a frozen expanse somewhere on the way to the ranchtries to keep warm in the car left behind by the British couple she traveled with. To survive, she grabs matches, a handkerchief, and pages of a newspaper to make a fire. Meanwhile, Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) finds the bodies of Father Renaud and Runs With Horses at the small camp Teonna and her father made the night before. With Teonna gone, Mamie and her crew will have to work backwards to figure out how the men ended up dead. Lauren Smith/Paramount+ We then briefly cut to Whitfield. Hes gleeful at the prospect of the Dutton familys downfall and his dreams of a ski resort business coming to fruitionand celebrates by abusing Mabel once more. Back at the train station, the sheriff and Jacob learn Spencers train is coming at 2:20. Jacob then sees Banner arrive with Ellie and his son. He buys three tickets to Portland, which is where Spencer's train will head next after it lands in Livingston. Jacob confronts Banner for his cowardice, and refuses to let him leave. So they compromise: Ellie and his son get to leave, but Banner himself has to stay. Banner also warns Jacob there are men headed to his house too. The U.S. marshals continue to hunt for Teonna. Mamie argues that Teonna is gone, and despite a warrant, theres no reason to keep looking for her. But just then, they spot Teonna hiding, and a chase ensues. Mamie begs the others not to shoot, but its no use. Teonna is shot off her horse, and she kills one marshal before shes cornered. Lauren Smith/Paramount+ Mamie and Teonna have a standoff. Mamie says Teonna can plead her case to a judge with testimony and witnesses. But Teonna asks how shell be able to prove all the wrongs that have been done to her: which relative will they dig from their grave to speak for me? The marshals still take her into custody and set off for a court hearing. Banners men close in on the Dutton house and decide that rather than wait for a signal, theyre going to just start killing. A shootout begins between the ranch hands and Banners men. While the women and children are ordered to the basement, Elizabeth decides to stay on the main floor, hunkered down with a rifle. Cara snipes at the incoming men from a window. Back at the train station, theres 25 minutes left before the 2:20 train rolls in. Jacob sees scores of men arrive in preparation for Spencers arrival. While Banner is desperate to leave, he doesnt tell his confused son the true reason for their exit. He explains to his child that theres nothing for him in Montana; its only a place where the rich get richer. Its better they leave so he can make a start somewhere else. Trae Patton/Paramount+ In the car, Alexs fire is dying. Shes saved the most important paper for last: her letters from Spencer. Reluctantly, she begins to burn them, while asking God if this is really the plan he has for them. Was she really meant to meet Spencer, carry his child, then become separated and freeze to death? But just as shes given up, Alex hears the whistle of a passing train. Its Spencers! Alex and her companions were actually driving alongside the tracks, which means shes in the perfect line of sight for her husband to spot her. Alex pours alcohol over the fire to put the whole car ablaze. Its enough for the train conductorand Spencerto see her. He runs through nearly every car and jumps right off the back of the moving train. Alex cries, believing shes lost her final chance at salvation, then she sees her husband racing toward her. Finally, we get the reunion weve been waiting for. Plus, Alex reveals shes having a boy. Lauren Smith/Paramount+ A doctor on the train sees to Alex and reveals shes suffering from frostbite on all her fingers and toes. He says she was minutes away from death when Spencer found her. As they begin to warm her up, Alex asks about her babys health. The doctor says if theres a way to keep the baby safe, her body will find a way. The doctor also advises Spencer not to get off at Livingston. Instead, theres an ambulance waiting for them at the next stop, Bozeman, to take them to a hospital. Back at the house, the group have managed to hold off Banners men for now, but theyre still outnumbered. Zane (Brian Geraghty) suspects the men will come back at night. All they can hope for is Jacob and Spencers return, along with the sheriff and any other backup he can bring too. Trae Patton/Paramount+ The train finally nears the station. Jacob readies his pistol. Banner advises his wife and son to climb aboard, no matter how much chaos is around them. Jacob and the sheriff manage to hold their own, and Ellie and Banners son get on the train. Spencer even gets a shot in and saves Jacob in a pinch. The sheriff gets downed, but manages to shoot Banner twice. When the shooting stops, the platform is littered with bodies, and Jacob stands over Banner for one final conversation. Hes pleased to see Banner kept his word, and Banner is pleased Jacob has kept his. Banner didnt leave, and his family will get to Portland. Jacob and the sheriff board the train to be seen by the doctor. He decides to send Alex off to Bozeman with Jacob; meanwhile, Spencer grabs his gun on the way out and heads to the ranch. We then get our first voiceover from Elsa in this episode. She narrates whats running through Alexs mind as she watches her husband go off to defend his familys home. She fears its the last time shell see him. But now that theyve had their long awaited reunion, Elsa explains, for her, that was enough. Alex can only hope to be proven wrong. Night falls on the house and Banners men begin to close in, shooting out the windows and throwing a molotov cocktail inside. Two men storm the house, but Elizabeth and Zane manage to take them down. At Whitfields house, he gathers businessmen together to present his grand idea of tourism, particularly his ski resort. Theyre not convinced at first, but Whitfield describes his idea of a debauched Disneylandwhere every customers whims are met and men can traverse untamed land. Lauren Smith Jacob and Alex arrive at Bozeman and take an ambulance to the hospital, while Spencer and the sheriffs men arrive at the house. With Caras help, they manage to defeat the last of their attackers. Elizabeth asks after Jack again, and Spencer sends men to go looking for him. Then, Cara points Spencer in the direction of the man whos the real source of all their problems: Whitfield. At the hospital, doctors cant find the bullet in Jacob. They fear if there is a bullet in him, the lead could slowly poison him. Jacob says theres nothing to sew up; its only old wounds bleeding again. And besides, hes 80 years old! Slow poisoning is the least of his worries. He searches for Alex and discovers shes in labor. The odds are stacked against her: Not only is her baby only six months along, but most of her limbs have gone necrotic from frostbite. Theyll have to be amputated or shell die. She gives birth to a premature baby, and while the doctor doubts itll live long, she demands to hold it regardless. Alex believes the baby will live. And shes so sure of it that she tells Jacob shell name him John. The men sent to search for Jack find him dead on the ground. At the same time, Spencer and Cara meet up with Jacob and Alex at the hospital. Cara and Jacob embrace, and Alex tells Spencer she refused to give up her baby or her limbs. She asks Spencer to look after John, and he lays by her side for one final night. In the morning, Spencer wakes to find Alexs body cold. He calls Cara in and admits he doesnt know what to do. Youre not supposed to, my dear, she says, But I do. Trae Patton/Paramount+ As Cara takes the baby (who we assume is John Dutton II, the father of Kevin Costners John Dutton III), Spencer tells Jacob its time to go; they still have to kill Whitfield. Inside his house, Whitfield sits with Lindy and Mabel at the dining table. Mid-conversation, Spencer comes in and shoots both Whitfield and Lindy. He tells a clearly scared Mabel to leave. Whitfield gets a few last words in. He tries to scare Jacob and Spencer, telling them theyll have a lot of explaining to do if they kill an unarmed man in his own home. Jacob replies, I think we about killed everybody wed have to explain it to. With one more shot to the head, Whitfield is finally dead. Spencer and Jacob then set the house ablaze and leave. After a whole season of evading arrest, Teonna appears before a court. First, the judge asks why the case isnt held in North Dakota, where Teonnas school was based. The prosecutor answers that the witnesses were all in Oklahoma territory, so the case will take place here instead. Teonnas lawyer then brings up the death certificates of all of those witnesses. With no living witnesses to any of the crimes, or concrete evidence, theres basically no case at all. The prosecution brings forth a motion to dismiss the case, and the judge grants it. After everything shes been through, Teonna is finally free! Teonna doesnt know where to go after this whole ordeal, but Two Spears gives her a horse and a gun, and suggests she head to California. She rides out west, and her story finally comes to a close. Elsa cuts in with narration again, as Spencer and the rest of the Duttons lay their dead to rest. Back at the house, Cara feeds baby John and says goodbye to Elizabeth, who doesnt have much left at the house after Jacks death. Cara tells her its okay to move on. Ill remember him enough for the both of us, she says. Spencer tells Jacob hes off to gather up cows at the Crazies, and asks if hes coming along. But Jacob just wants to sit on the porch with his wife and baby John and ponder the meaning of life. Jacob admits to Cara that hes finally retiring. Cara asks what Alex was like, and Jacob describes her as if a shooting star could talk. Elsa then gives us the epilogue: Spencer never remarries. He does take up with a widow and has another son, but that second relationship doesnt last. She then recounts Alexs birthday and death, and reveals Spencer dies 45 years later. Then we cut to a ballroom with Alex and Spencer, both alive and well, dancing together (in the afterlife, it seems). There, the episode ends. With Whitfield and Banner dead, along with Alex and Jack, this chapter of the Duttons sweeping saga comes to a tragic close. Theres no word yet on a season 3, but with many Yellowstone spin-offs (including 1944) on the way, you can rest assured this isnt the last youve seen of the Dutton family. You Might Also Like Cook County Sheriff's Office (2) Barbara and Patricia Grimes It was supposed to be a fun night out at the movies for Barbara and Patricia Grimes, who ventured out from their Chicago-area home on Dec. 28, 1956, to see Elvis Presley star in a new film. But after Love Me Tender ended, the two sisters aged 13 and 15 never showed up at the bus stop where they had planned to meet their older sister and younger brother before heading back home. Weeks later, a gruesome discovery would confirm the terrible truth for the Grimes family: The two young sisters were never coming back. PEOPLE is looking back at the 1956 murder case, which has remained cold for nearly 70 years despite a renewed interest from several retired local detectives who have vowed not to give up on searching for Barbara and Patricias killer. A Movie Night Gone Wrong Bettmann Archive William J. Willingham, Jr., 26, of Richmond, VA., alleged accomplice of accused slayer Bennie Bedwell in the murder of 15-year-old Barbara Grimes and her sister, Patricia, 13, hold pictures of the Grimes sisters and Bedwell during questioning in the city prison here Three nights after Christmas, the Grimes sisters planned to see Presleys new film at the Brighton Theater in Chicago and then meet back up with their siblings, according to A&E. However, when the girls never showed up to meet their siblings and didnt return home later on their own, the Grimes family grew worried and contacted police, according to NBC News. The search for the girls became one of the most intensive missing persons searches in the history of the Chicagoland area, according to the outlet. The outlet reported that several hundred officers joined the search, which lasted more than three weeks in the coldest months of winter. Even Elvis made a public plea for the girls' safe return, according to the Illinois Missing Persons Awareness Network. But still, the Grimes family was left without answers until late January 1957, when a gruesome discovery confirmed the worst. Grimes Girls Are Discovered Cook County Sheriff's Office Patricia Grimes The search for Barbara and Patricia ended when a local man discovered their bodies abandoned naked in the snow on Jan. 22, 1957, along a road in Willow Springs, Ill., a western suburb of Chicago, according to the Missing Persons Awareness Network. Although an autopsy initially ruled they had likely died because of the freezing weather, police ruled their deaths homicides, the organization recalled in its account of the Grimes case. Chicago detectives soon zeroed in on Bennie Bedwell, an out-of-state drifter who was spotted with the girls by witnesses, according to local WGN. Police thought the case was closed when Bedwell confessed to the killings, but he later recanted his statements and said he was beaten by police into a confession. Since then, investigators havent found another suspect, according to the outlet. A New Interest and Renewed 'Hope' Cook County Sheriff's Office Barbara Grimes Decades since the trail went cold, theres still immense interest in finding out what happened. Retired Chicago Police detective James Hennigan has dedicated a large chunk of his retirement years to investigating the Grimes murders, launching a Facebook page with thousands of members dedicated to researching and solving the case. One of Hennigans leading theories is that the Grimes girls murders have a possible link to the 1955 murders of three young brothers, John, Anton, and Robert Schuessler, according to local WGN. The Schuessler boys similarly went to see a movie and never returned home, and were later discovered naked in a forest preserve on the northwest side of Chicago. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Meanwhile, retired police officer Ray Johnson has also dedicated years to hunting for the killer. But nearly 70 years since Barbara and Patricia first went missing, there are still no answers. It bothers me, especially around Christmastime and the holidays, the Grimes sisters younger brother James Grimes told The Chicago Tribune in 2013. I always wonder if they were alive today how many nieces and nephews would I have? James added: I just assumed it was never going to be solved. (But) maybe theres hope. Read the original article on People Updated at 10:19 a.m. ET on April 7, 2025 After a few months of shivering through Severances blank white corridors and icy exterior shots, Ive appreciated the sultry visual texture of The White Lotuss third season: the vivid prints of high-end resort wear; the ominous blue of the ocean; the verdant setting (as wild and seething as anything manicured into luxury-hotel perfection can be). The show is thrilling as a sensory experience, humming with sinister percussive beats and the occasional muffled animal squawk in the distance. Against this backdrop, it feels only natural that wed fall in love with the characters who seem the most real, the most alive. Im talking, of course, about Chelsea, played by Aimee Lou Wood, and Chloe, played by Charlotte Le Bontwo gorgeous women who meet at a bar after Chelsea says, I love your outfit, and Chloe replies, Thank you! I love your teeth. This quick moment set off a good-natured riot of online debatelabeled the smile discourse by Allureabout what it means to see not just imperfect teeth on-screen, but also imperfect teeth on women who are undeniable knockouts. Ill defer to others regarding the particulars of dental trends, but I can tell you how it made me feel to see such gloriously irregular beauty amid all the identical Instagram faces with the same Tic-Tac veneers, stenciled eyebrows, and contoured cheekbones: relieved. Lately, Ive been finding myself more and more unsettled by digital faces tweaked and pixelated into odd perfection and real bodies buffed and whittled down into obscene angularitywomen who look less like flesh-and-blood beings than porcelain ornaments. At the Oscars last month, Rachel Tashjian wrote in The Washington Post, the eerie flawlessness of so many red-carpet looks seemed to encapsulate how weight loss drugs and technology, including photo editing and AI-generated imagery, have ushered in an outrageous drive for perfection that has overtaken Hollywood. If you compare the poreless, rose-toned face of the superstar Ariana Grande with the sculpted cheekbones and button nose of the Spanish influencer Aitana Lopez, its hard to discern even infinitesimally minute flaws in either. Unlike Grande, though, Lopez is computer-generatedone of a new breed of models with hundreds of thousands of followers and horny men continually sliding into her DMs, despite the fact that shes wholly nonexistent. Much has been written over the past few months about the propagandist tendencies of artificially generated artthe way its been gleefully adopted by right-wing trolls to create photorealistic but recognizably fake images of Elon Musk giving out wads of cash, or the surreal 30-second clip that Donald Trump recently posted imagining Gaza as a gilded beachside temple to wealth and potentates. These kinds of pictures are intended to provoketo catch the eye with their mawkish absurdity and uncanny-valley optics. But to me at least, the beautified AI faces are no less offensive. They reflect back at us toxic values that were in thrall to, and capture none of the qualities we should truly appreciate. The writer Daphne Merkin once observed that in reality, we find imperfection enchanting because we recognize that behind the visceral image lies an internal life. Which, Id wager, is why the wonky smiles of Wood and Le Bon are so compelling in this moment: They assert the intangible beauty of having a soul. We have never, as mere human bags of flesh and bone, been so perfectible. Weve never had as many tools in our arsenal with which to maximize our superficial value: weight-loss drugs that can make slim bodies even smaller, Botox and fillers that smooth out wrinkles, contouring pens that define features. This is even before we get into the realm of augmented reality. On TikTok, I can broadcast myself using a filter that makes me look exactly as I did at 23: lifted, smoothed, softer, and also somehow lighter and less harried. Ninety percent of British women and nonbinary people polled in 2020 confessed to sometimes using filters before posting selfies, and 85 percent to using external editing software such as FaceTune to tweak pictures of themselves. Every single woman surveyed said they had been served videos promoting plastic surgery in their feeds: before-and-after reels selling lip fillers, teeth-whitening treatments, butt enhancers. A few months ago, I too was suddenly inundated with clips of scrub-wearing surgeons analyzing Lindsay Lohans face, after new images of the actor suddenly began to circulate revealing catlike eyes, a heart-shaped face, and the skin of a well-rested teenager. What struck me about the Lohan images was less what work she had or hadnt done, and more the way in which, virtually overnight, a battalion of influencer-doctors jumped onto social media, selling us on the idea of our own transformation. To some extent, each generation has lived through its own freakout regarding what technological advances might be doing to beauty standards, and to our fragile sense of self. In 2006, The Guardian noted that Photoshop was making even supermodels outraged, and that tabloids were reacting to the prevalence of perfected images by seeking out unflattering candid shots for balance: stars with straggly hair, or visible cellulite, or slight paunches. In 2019, the cultural critic Jia Tolentino coined the term Instagram Face for the single, cyborgian look being popularized on social media by models and influencers. And in her new book, Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, the journalist Vauhini Vara writes about how technology has managed to change the way human beings look by altering our ideals, giving us a funhouse-mirror reflection of how we think we should look. To live like this, endlessly comparing our imperfect fleshy selves with the sanitized digital simulacra of selfhood that appears online and finding ourselves wanting, Vara notes, exerts such a subtle psychic violence that we might not even be aware of it as its happening. [Read: How to have a realistic conversation about beauty with your kids] In some ways, though, technology also primed us for what was to come. The more fault were compelled to find with our own unsymmetrical, lined, irredeemably lived-in faces, the more were set up to be swayed by the unreal smoothness of AI imagery. In 2023, when the AI image generator Stable Diffusion XL was launched, the company behind it boasted that the product created the most photorealistic images yet available. (It offered, by way of emphasis, a picture of a panda in a spacesuit sitting at a bar.) What was clear early on, though, was that Stable Diffusion XL had the same biases and prejudices humans do, amplified to an absurd extent. Prompts for a person at social services generated pictures of predominantly Black women; prompts for a productive person generated largely white men in suits. AI image generators also had, as my former colleague Caroline Mimbs Nyce reported, a hotness problem, generating pictures of people who were all improbably attractive. Possibly this is because they were built by scanning edited and airbrushed photosnot just of professionally attractive people, but of us. (Every time you FaceTune a selfie, the theory goes, a neural network further distorts its sense of what humans actually look like.) Recently, I asked Microsofts Image Creator for a picture of a normal woman. It gave me four extraordinarily beautiful women with curly hair, sculpted jawlines, and plump lips. (All four were wearing glasses, a supposed de-beautifying trick that didnt work in Shes All That and doesnt work now.) Then I asked for a picture of an average woman, for which I received four images of radiantly smiling women in baggy sweaters with slightly frizzy hair. Finally, prompted to give me a picture of an average 42-year-old woman (my birthday is this month), the program gave me the eeriest images of all: four Anne Hathaway look-alikes with monstrously oversize grins and visible clavicles, betraying only slight lines around their eyes, and inexplicably surrounded by other grinning hot people, as if advertising a cult. Whats so unsettling about these images, I think, is how they reflect what were allowing technology to do to us, what its already done. Given the ability to amend our own faces, weve helped normalize and propagate a horribly restrictive vision of beauty and humankind, and the more we distort ourselves in turn, the more confining the ideal becomes. Recently, the art historians Sonja Drimmer and Christopher J. Nygren argued that artificial intelligence was essentially useless for the purpose of studying history, because historians look for untold stories and elements of the history of mankind that are novel and unexpected. Programs such as ChatGPT, by contrast, can only skim and interpret texts and images that already exist, extrapolating them into likely outcomes. If youre looking for nuance, or uncertainty, or subtext, it cant help you. With regards to beauty, Id bargain that everyone knows someone who shouldnt, by all superficial accounts, be attractive, and yet they are. Because: Were better than computers at reading between the lines and can see other peoples faces not just as structural compositions of bone and skin, but also as reflections of personality, of humanity, of depth. And the more we can defend beauty as nonconformist, as the essence of something internal and unmeasurable, the more we protect ourselves from the narrowing grip of techno-homogenization. In The White Lotus, and in reality, Woods face isnt just beautiful. Its guileless, openhearted, kind, tender. Youre never going to look like what you think perfect is, the actor told Glamour. And the more I see perfect, the less I can bear it. When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic . Article originally published at The Atlantic Alison Sweeney returns to Days of our Lives as her character Sami Brady makes her way back to the Peacock soap opera beginning April 10th. Sweeneys return couldnt come at a busier time for her character as Samis ex-husband E.J. (Daniel Feuerriegel) is currently hospitalized after being shot by an unknown assailant. Upon returning to town, Sami walks in on her sister Belle (Martha Madison) declaring her love for E.J. Most importantly, her son, Johnny (Carson Boatman), just found out the tragic circumstances surrounding his conception. Discussing her reaction to her return with TV Insider, Sweeney said, I liked the idea, but it seemed to me that it was common knowledge. I never thought about the idea that, right, people wouldnt have told Samis kids. Back in December 2006, on screen, Sami went on a romantic cabin getaway with her on-again/off-again love interest Lucas Roberts Horton (Bryan Dattilo) when tragedy struck, and Lucas was trapped as the roof of the cabin collapsed . Desperate for help, Sami ran to the street to find help. There she ran into E.J. (James Scott), on the run for having shot her stepfather John Black (Drake Hogestyn). E.J. forced Sami to help him avoid a police checkpoint, and afterward offered to assist her and save Lucass life, but in exchange E.J. explained that he was tasked by his father Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) to plant the DiMera seed with the Brady of his choice, and Sami was to be given the honor. After discussing the situation, Sami gives in to E.J.s demands, thus conceiving her son John Johnny Roman DiMera. E.J. proceeds to hold up his end of the deal and saves Lucass life. Now, 19 years later, the ripple effects of the storyline are playing out as Johnnys grandfather Roman (Josh Taylor) and step-grandmother Kate (Lauren Koslow) revealed the circumstances of his conception, ultimately leading to a heated exchange between father and son, and setting up the perfect motive for Johnny to be a lead suspect in the tale of Who Shot E.J. Discussing her scenes with her on-screen son, Sweeney said, I felt such a responsibility to honor the storyline, she expounds. I have so many conflicting feelings because there are so many Sami fans who have stayed with me and post on my social media, so I feel very connected to them. I remember what a huge uproar this storyline caused when it happened, and how all the different fan bases felt about it. I know a lot of them still watch the show, and I felt immediately like I was neck-deep trying to tackle a Days of our Lives fan controversy, never mind the real-life controversy of this particular issue. I worked really hard on the material and worked with the writers about the material. I hope I put our best foot forward in regard to the scene. Days of our Lives Breakdown Writer Jamey Giddens took to X and teased writing one of Sweeneys episodes, stating, I wrote the breakdown/outline for the upcoming episode of #DAYS, where Sami and Johnny share a painful, powerful, and poignant conversation about his conception. This will not be the only time Days of our Lives fans will see Sweeneys character, as the actress is set to make additional visits to Salem this year as the soap honors the passing of Drake Hogestyn this summer, and will be participating in the soaps 60th anniversary this November. Days of our Lives streams weekdays on Peacock. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available 24 hours a day through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. People who have used antidepressant for at least a year may have a higher risk of higher cardiac death with some differences depending on the persons age and biological sex. Image credit: MementoJpeg/Getty Images. This article originally appeared on Medical News Today Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for about half of all deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. Past studies show a link between some antidepressant medications to a high risk of cardiovascular issues like SCD. A new study further confirms that antidepressant use may increase a persons risk for SCD, with differences between age groups and years of medication use. Past research shows that sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for about half of all deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. SCD occurs when a person experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) where their heart suddenly stops pumping is not treated successfully, and usually happens within 1 hour of disease symptoms occurring. People with heart disease are also at an increased risk of developing depression, and some studies further show that depression is a risk factor for SCD. Previous research has moreover suggested that some antidepressant medications are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular issues, including SCD, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Antidepressants are commonly prescribed for psychiatric conditions such as depression or OCD, Jasmin Mujkanovic, MD, a doctoral researcher in the Department of Cardiology at Rigshospitalet Hjertecentret in Denmark told Medical News Today. These medications can have potential adverse effects such as QT prolongation [when the heart muscle takes longer to contract and relax], which may increase the risk for adverse arrhythmic events, and in rare cases, SCD. It is important to recognize that having depression is itself an independent risk factor for SCD/cardiovascular disease. Jasmin Mujkanovic, MD Mujkanovic is the first author of a new study recently presented at EHRA 2025, the scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology, which further confirms that antidepressant use may increase a persons risk for SCD, and differs between age groups and years of medication use. 1-year antidepressant use linked to 56% increased risk of SCD For this study, Mujkanovic and his team analyzed medical information and death certificates for Denmark adult residents between the ages of 18 and 90 in 2010. Researchers categorized participants by whether or not they had experienced SCD, and by their antidepressant medication use between 1 and 5 years, or 6 years and longer. At the studys conclusion, researchers found that participants who used antidepressants for a period of 1 to 5 years had a 56% increased risk of SCD. Participants who used antidepressants for 6 or more years had a 2.2 times higher risk for SCD. The significance of these findings suggest that longer exposure time increases the risk for SCD, Mujkanovic said. However, it is important to be cautious when interpreting this. Longer duration might reflect more severe or persistent depression, which itself contributes to cardiovascular risk. It is difficult to disentangle the effects of medication from the underlying condition. High SCD incidence rate for those taking antidepressants for 6+ years When breaking down study results by age groups, researchers found some differences in antidepressant use and SCD risk. For participants between the ages of 3039, those who used antidepressants for 1 to 5 years were three times more likely to experience SCD than those who did not take the medications. This risk increased to five times higher if they used antidepressants for 6 or more years. In the 50-59 age group, 1 to five years use of antidepressant medications doubled their SCD risk, and quadrupled for those using the drugs for 6 or more years. And when looking at participants between the ages of 40 to 79, scientists found their SCD incidence rate ratio was significantly higher for those who used antidepressants for 6 years or more compared to those who used them for 1 to 5 years. Within each age group, those exposed to antidepressants had a higher risk of SCD, compared to their unexposed peers, Mujkanovic explained. However, overall, a 30-39 year old on antidepressants would still have a lower absolute risk than an unexposed 70-79 year old, he noted. This is largely due to competing risk, as baseline risk for SCD increases with age. While antidepressant exposure may increase relative risk in younger individuals, their absolute risk remains lower than that of older individuals. However, Mujkanovic also provided some reassurance: The main takeaway [from this study] is please do not panic if you are on antidepressants. Although the study shows that the risk is increased among the exposed, depression is itself an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and SCD. The increased risk is most likely multifactorial, and this highlights the need for a more holistic approach to managing mental health as well as cardiovascular health in these patients. Why might antidepressant use contribute to heart problems? MNT had the opportunity to speak with Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, about this study. This study found an association between antidepressant use and future risk of SCD, Chen, who was not involved in the research, commented. As this was a population study, the direction of causality cannot be determined. It may be that the antidepressants increased arrhythmias in patients, leading to an increased risk of SCD, he hypothesized. However, it is also possible that the underlying depression itself led to increased SCD, through increasing cardiovascular risk factors. Patients taking antidepressant medications should talk to their physicians before making any changes to their medications. There is a close relationship between depression and other areas of a persons health, such as their heart health, he continued. Untreated depression can increase someones risk of developing heart disease, and many people with heart disease experience depression, Chen further explained. Antidepressant medications can thus play an important role in improving many aspects of an individuals health. Future research is needed to determine the mechanisms by which antidepressants might increase someones risk of SCD. Should you worry about antidepressant use? MNT also spoke with Grant R. Simons, MD, chief of Heart Rhythm Services at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, not involved in the study, about this research. Simons commented that while the findings might seem alarming at first glance, it is crucial to consider the limitations of observational studies and avoid jumping to conclusions about causality. Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between psychiatric disorders, antidepressant use, and SCD risk, he continued. Patients should discuss any concerns about their medication with their doctor and not discontinue treatment abruptly. While a 56% increased risk and a doubled risk with longer-term use sounds dramatic, its important to interpret these findings cautiously and within a broader context. For example, Simons said the study shows an association, not necessarily a causal link, and this research needs to be examined for whether it differentiates between classes of antidepressants. Its possible that other factors related to having a psychiatric disorder and taking antidepressants, such as lifestyle, other medications, or the underlying illness itself, contribute to the increased risk of SCD, he continued. For example, it is important to recognize that the use of antidepressants for longer periods of time may be a marker for other risk factors for sudden death. The study may have controlled for some of these, but its difficult to account for everything. Its important to see how this study aligns with previous research on this topic, Simons added. If other studies have shown similar findings, it strengthens the evidence. If this study contradicts previous research, more investigation is needed. View the original article on Medical News Today Killer whale breaching Tory Kallman/Shutterstock.com What is it like kayaking where killer whales swim? If you paddle in the Puget Sound in Washington, you may find yourself face-to-face with a pod of killer whales, also known as orcas. Despite their frightening name, orca attacks on humans in the wild are exceedingly rare. However, this changes when orcas are kept in captivity, and there are multiple instances of captive orcas attacking and killing humans. But in the wild, generally, when kayakers encounter orcas, they have nothing to fear. You are most likely to encounter orcas near Washington during the fall and winter. Kevin Godfrey / YouTube Original A Kayaker Encounters an Orca Pod in the Puget Sound In a video posted on YouTube, Kevin Godfrey shared a video where a kayaker in the Eld Inlet of the Puget Sound sits and watches as a pod of killer whales approaches. The tension grows as the orcas approach, and the sound of water spraying from their blowholes becomes louder and louder. The water grows quiet as the whales swim underwater, but each time they emerge, they are a little closer to the paddler. And finally, one appears to dive directly under the kayak. And then all is quiet as they continue through the bay. A kayaker on Puget Sound has the encounter of a lifetime when a pod of killer whales approaches. Kevin Godfrey / YouTube Original Orcas Live in Pods Made of Family Groups Orcas are extremely intelligent and social. They live in pods led by an older female, or matriarch. Males will stay in their mothers pods for their entire lives. Adult females may have their own children and leave the pod, however, they are often found living near their mothers. The pods associate with each other in groups called clans. Groups of clans are called communities. How Likely Are You to Encounter Orcas in Washingtons Puget Sound? A popular kayaking spot in Washington is the southern part of Puget Sound near Olympia, known as the Eld Inlet. This long, narrow bay is home to a diverse wildlife population including shellfish, salmon, humpback whales, and orcas. Because boating, kayaking, and paddling are such popular activities here, some wildlife experts are concerned that the orcas are getting overcrowded by the sheer number of people and boats in the water. Depending on the time of year, it can be common for kayakers to encounter orcas in the water. Be Whale Wise, a program from the Whale Museum at Friday Harbor, provides guidelines for anyone encountering orcas in the water. For example, boats are required by law to stay 1,000 yards away from whales. Traveling the area by kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard is a low-impact way to explore the beautiful area and see wildlife up close. However, there are ways to avoid disturbing the marine wildlife. Be Whale Wise also offers guidance to paddlers and kayakers when they spot pods of orcas. Such as moving out of the path of orcas if possible when you see them coming. If its not possible to do so, paddlers should stop paddling until the whales pass. Where Did Orcas Get the Name Killer Whale? Orcas are toothed whales and are closely related to narwhals and belugas, sperm whales, beaked whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are massive, and male orcas can weigh up to 22,000 pounds. Experts believe they got the name killer whale, not for hunting humans, but when ancient sailors saw them hunting large whales. Orcas are carnivores and eat a large variety of marine animals, from fish to dolphins to large whales. Despite their danger to marine mammals, orcas dont usually attack humans. Erich Hoyt, author of Orca: The Whale Called Killer, told Live Science that killer whales simply dont eat humans. They are fussy eaters, he said, really conservative in terms of whatever they learned from their mothers and from their pod about what constitutes food. Why Are Orcas Attacking People in Captivity? Unlike orcas encountering people in the wild, in captivity, the story is different. There have been dozens of violent encounters between humans and orcas in captivity in the past 30 years. Scientists dont know the exact reason for the attacks, but they theorize that living in an aquarium for an orca is similar to a jail cell for a human. The orcas may have attacked the human handlers out of frustration or simply boredom. What Is Happening in the Iberian Peninsula? Since 2020, orca behavior in the Iberian Peninsula has baffled scientists. A small pod of orcas has been ramming and sinking boats near the coast of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. Over 600 encounters have been recorded, but not every one resulted in damage to the boat. Scientists studying the behavior believe the orcas are not trying to be aggressive, but are having fun, playing with the boats. Boaters in the area are advised to move away from the whales when they spot them. Scientists speculate it could be a temporary fad among the pod of whales to interact with the boats. Scientists have noticed orcas sometimes engage in fads, such as the time when a group of orcas was seen wearing dead salmon on their heads like hats. The behavior, just like a human fad, came and left quickly. The post A Brave Kayaker Plays a Game of Chicken With a Charging Pod of Killer Whales And Wins! appeared first on A-Z Animals. Getty Images. EatingWell design. Key Takeaways The most popular banana-ripening hack doesnt actually work. Bananas are triggered to ripen during distribution, in large temperature-controlled rooms. Temperature can speed up or slow down the ripening process. Growing up, my moms go-to method for speeding up the banana-ripening process was to stash the fruit in a brown paper bag and leave it on the counter for a few days. My mom is not alone in using this trick. A quick Google search yields plenty of articles touting it as the best option for ripening fruit. The theory behind this method is that the bag traps and concentrates the ethylene, the naturally produced gas that helps plants grow and mature, changing in their texture, color and flavor. In the case of those bananas, it helps them turn from a starchy fruit into creamy, sweet perfection. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that the most popular banana-ripening hack is actually pretty ineffective. Eager to understand the secrets to perfectly ripening bananas, we spoke with Randy Beaudry, Ph.D, a postharvest physiologist who researches plant biochemistry at Michigan State University. Beaudry helped us unpeel the process behind banana ripening. Understanding the Ripening Process So how does ripening start in the first place? Bananas are shipped to large distribution centers where theyre stored until its time to be sent off to stores. Beaudry explains that distributors often have ripening rooms, where bananas are intentionally exposed to ethylene to begin the ripening process. They trigger them to ripen over a single day at a specific temperature, and then they maintain them at a specific temperature, he says. By the time [the banana] reaches the retail store, its going to ripen, no matter what you do to it. Related: Why One of Americas Most Popular Fruits Is on the Verge of Disappearing Now that weve established how ripening begins, lets look closer at the paper bag trick, and why its not effectiveor at least not how you think it is. Most people think that bananas are a high producer of ethylene. So the theory is that if you enclose them in a paper bag, the ethylene will be more concentrated. But according to Beaudry, bananas naturally produce so little ethylene that putting one in a bag doesnt really do much. Its absolutely untrue, he says. Theyre a low producer of ethylene its almost meaningless. What does speed up banana ripening, though? The only thing that would speed ripening up would be enclosing it in an environment where the temperature goes up, he says. So if you put it in a warm spotmaybe even in a paper bag to trap the heatthat will ripen bananas faster. What About Covering the Banana Crown? You might have also been told that the crown of the banana is where the most ethylene is produced, leading some people to wrap the crown in plastic wrap or purchase specially made caps to encourage bananas to ripen faster. Beaudry debunks this idea entirely: No, no, its baloney. This myth most likely started as a marketing tactic for those aforementioned caps. How to Keep Ripe Bananas from Ripening Further Once your bananas are ripe, you can pop them in your refrigerator. While the fruit under the peel will taste great, they may look a bit funky on the outside. Beaudry explains that when bananas are refrigerated, their peels will lose moisture. Youll see like a graying of the outside but the fruit on the inside should be just fine, he says. Once you take the bananas out of the fridge, be prepared to enjoy them immediately. The cold temperature of the fridge essentially slows their metabolism, so switching things back to room temperature means your bananas will overripen quickly. Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Bananas Every Day The Bottom Line So there you have it. Banana-ripening rooms do the bulk of the work, triggering the process before they even reach the store. And as surprising as it may be, the oldest banana-ripening trick in the book is a sham, unless youre adding heat to your paper bag. Temperature works both ways, with cooler temperatures slowing the ripening process and keeping ripe fruit in good condition on the inside, and your cool porch will be your bananas new best friend. And if all else fails, you can always make banana bread. Read the original article on EATINGWELL FotoDuets/Getty/Allrecipes Key Takeaways Cheese brand Sartori is adding new snack-sized Cheese Bites to its expanding lineup. The Cheese Bites will be available in two varietiesMontAmore Cheddar and Italian Herb Cheddarat select grocery retailers nationwide. Not to sound dramatic, but I could eat cheese for every meal, every day, for the rest of eternity. Because of that, my deli drawer in my fridge is always stocked to the gills with blocks of cheese for charcuterie boards, slices of cheese for sandwiches, shredded cheese for recipes, and, of course, snacking cheese for when I want some grab-and-go Cheddar. Within those product categories, I also have my favorite brands for each. Kerrygolds Cheese Snacks are one of my favorites, Tillamooks shredded cheese is the perfect melting consistency, and Sartoris BellaVitano soaked cheese will always make an appearance at my get-togethers. While Sartoris merlot- and chardonnay-soaked cheeses are some of my favorites, theyre not the only products the award-winning, Wisconsin-based cheesemakers sell. Sartori offers a robust lineup of Cheddar, Parmesan, and Asiago cheese that customers loveincluding our staff. Editor Andrea Lobas says her kids call Sartoris SarVecchio Parmesan "winner cheese" because its their favorite out of all the cheeses on the market. Now, after success selling blocks and shredded cheeses, Sartori is offering its fan-loved cheese in a new wayand I couldnt be more excited. Sartori is releasing snack-sized Cheese Bites. Sartori Cheese Launches New Cheese Bites Sartori / Allrecipes The new Cheese Bites will be available in two varieties, including Sartoris popular MontAmore Cheddar and Italian Herb Cheddar. The snacking rounds are 4.5-ounce cheese wheels that took Sartori multiple years to perfect. Now, youll be able to buy the Cheese Bites in six-count packs at select grocery retailers nationwide. Sartoris MontAmore Cheddar Cheese Bites are a creamy white Cheddar with hints of that crunchy, aged "winner" Parmesan that the Lobas family loves. Its a sweet, yet savory cheese that youll have to try to understand what makes it one of Sartoris best-selling offerings. Its Italian Herb Cheddar Cheese Bites are perfect for bold snackers as the buttery, sharp Cheddar is loaded with savory Italian herbs. The cheesemakers at Sartori say this cheese is perfect for individual snacking on its own, but is also delicious paired with crackers, fruits, and nuts, or used as a salad topper. Personally, I say "yes, yes, and yes" to those suggestions, but Ill likely find myself eating the wheels straight out of the fridge. With this multi-year project finally hitting shelves, Sartori promises more innovation is coming from the brand with more than eight decades of history in cheesemaking. And if its as delicious as what weve seen from the cheesemakers thus far, I cant wait to learn whats next. Read the original article on ALLRECIPES The average U.S. household will pay $3,800 more annually as a result of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. (Allen J. Schaben / Getty) President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries this week and that will result in significant price shocks to U.S. consumers, economists and analysts say. Everything from clothes to iPhones to homes to cars could be impactednot to mention retirement accounts as result of a meltdown in the stock market. (Scroll down to see the list). The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the average U.S. household will pay $3,800 more annually as a result of levies announced this week and earlier in the year, which include a 10% universal tariff along with specific additional tariffs for 60 countries that face higher rates under an unusual formula. These come in addition to earlier tariffs placed on Canada, China, Mexico, automobiles, and steel and aluminum tariffs. The U.S. economy at large could lose $100 billion to $180 billion annually. The right-leaning Tax Foundation says the tariffs are the largest tax increase on Americans consumers since the 1980s. "You can view it as a tax on consumers," said Ashish Shah, chief investment officer of public investing at Goldman Sachs, at a media event Thursday. Consumers are "going to bear the cost of higher goods." It's too soon to know exactly how the tariffs, which are taxes on goods imported from other countries, will affect prices, or even what the final rates will end up being. Trump has left the door open to negotiations. But here are some financial analysts and economists predictions for price increases as things stand now. 1. Groceries The high price of eggs was a salient issue during the presidential election, and Trump said he would bring down prices on day one of his presidency. With the announced tariffs, not only will prices not drop, but the cost of many other perishable groceries will likely increase before the end of the month, experts say. Around 15% of the U.S.'s overall food supply is imported, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Prices for produce like avocados, bananas, grapes, and melons are all expected to rise, as are the prices for items including beef, cheese, chocolate, coffee, olive oil, seafood, and more. Fresh produce is expected to see a higher increase, according to the Yale Budget Lab. 2. Cars Even without Trump's tariffs, car prices have spiraled so high as to be unaffordable for many. The average price for a new car hit $49,500 in Q1 2025, according to CarGurus. Meanwhile, new vehicles priced under $30,000 accounted for just 13% of inventory, compared to 37% in Q1 2020. With tariffs, the average list price could increase by over $3,300 to approximately $52,800, according to a CarGurus analysis. Meanwhile, the share of listings priced under $30,000 would decline even more, while vehicles priced above $50,000 would increase by 15%. The Yale Budget Lab puts the average expected increase even higher, at $4,000. "I couldn't care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American cars," Trump told NBC News' Kristen Welker last week. Even used cars aren't immune. The tariffs will likely increase repair costs, because many components are sourced from other countries. 3. Homes Homes, already historically expensive and priced out of reach for many buyers, would rise dramatically under universal tariffsbuilders estimate the average home cost could increase by $9,200, according to the March 2025 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. That's because many of the supplies used to build homes are imported from other countries. For example, the U.S. imported 11.8 billion board feet of softwood lumber from Canada in 2024, which is a primary component in home building, according to the NAHB. NAHB also notes that the cost of many other components of homes, including appliances, will increase. "NAHB estimates that approximately 7.3% of all goods used in new residential construction originated from a foreign nation in 2024." While Trump has said the goal is for companies to produce more goods and items domestically, experts say doing so will take yearsif not decades. And there are many items that the U.S. simply cannot get or produce domestically, like all of that Canadian lumber. "NAHB has urged the president to reconsider his directive to impose tariffs on Canadian, Mexican and Chinese goods, given the long lead time and significant production capacity needed to create additional domestic supply," the organization says. 4. Clothing The tariffs "disproportionately affect clothing and textiles, with apparel prices rising 17% under all tariffs," according to the Yale Budget Lab. Leather products and apparel are expected to increase 18.3% and 16.9%, respectively, overall, according to the Yale Budget Lab. 5. Alcohol Booze prices are likely to increase since the U.S. imports large amounts of wine from countries in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand. It also imports beer from Canada, Mexico and Europe. As with other items in the list, the scope of the price increases will depend on the producers, what country they are being imported from, and how much of the cost increase they pass onto U.S. consumers. This includes at restaurants and barsconsumers' nights out just got more expensive. 6. iPhones and other technology Apple produces most iPhones in China, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. The "reciprocal" tariff placed on the country will send the cost sky-rocketing by as much as 43%, according to analysts. Other Apple productsincluding iPads, Apple Watches, and Airpodswill face similar increases. Apple isn't the only tech company that will be hard hit. Most rely on products from countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, and China. Those countries have been hit with tariffs of 32%, 34%, and 46%, respectively. Tariffs won't affect everyone equally Experts say low-income families will feel the cost of the increases more acutely than other socioeconomic groups, as the price of basics like food and clothing rise. "Tariffs burden households at the bottom of the income ladder more than those at the top as a share of income," Yale's Budget Lab notes. Historically, tariffs have resulted in higher prices and reduced quantities of goods and services for business and consumers, according to the Tax Foundation. That has resulted in lower income, reduced employment, and lower economic output in the past. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty An AirAsia aircraft (stock image) A 46-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trying to open emergency exit doors on a plane, per Australian Federal Police The passenger has since been charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assaulting the crew Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the suspect has been identified as Shadi Taisser Ayed Alsaaydeh A man has been charged with endangerment and assault after allegedly trying to open emergency exit doors during a flight. On Saturday, April 5, the 46-year-old man from Jordan allegedly attempted to open the rear emergency exit door of a plane traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Sydney, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Police said he was "escorted to a seat in the middle of the aircraft," where he allegedly attempted to open another emergency exit door. "The man was then restrained by crew and passengers, during which he allegedly assaulted an airline staff member," police added. Getty Sydney International Airport (stock image) Related: Flight Carrying 200 People Forced to Turn Around After 'Disruptive' Passenger Tries to Open Plane Door Over Ocean The passenger has been charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assault crew of Division 3 aircraft. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, per police. Davina Copelin, the AFPs detective acting superintendent, condemned the alleged actions of the passenger in a press release, saying, "The actions of this man could have had tragic consequences, and passengers and airplane staff shouldnt have to put up with unruly, violent, or dangerous behavior on flights." Copelin added, "The AFP will not hesitate to take action against people who engage in criminal behaviour on airplanes, especially where this behavior has the potential to endanger the safety of passengers, crew or the flight itself." The Guardian reported that the incident occurred on an AirAsia flight. PEOPLE reached out to AirAsia for additional information on Sunday, April 6, but did not immediately hear back. AirAsia told The Guardian in a statement that the cabin crew did their due diligence during the incident. "Our cabin crew, who are professionally trained to respond to such situations, took all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone on board," the airline said. "At no time was the safety of guests or crew compromised," AirAsia continued, adding that the airline has a "zero tolerance policy for [alleged] inappropriate behavior of any kind and as per procedure alerted the AFP and relevant authorities to meet the aircraft on arrival in Sydney." nuttapong / Getty Images AirAsia plane (stock image) Related: Man and Woman Killed in Louisiana Small Plane Crash Identified, Authorities Say AirAsia added that the incident is being handled by authorities. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the suspect has been identified as Shadi Taisser Ayed Alsaaydeh and was arrested by police when the flight landed at Sydney International Airport. The public broadcaster stated that Alsaaydehs lawyer told the court during his bail hearing that Alsaayded had consumed pseudoephedrine, a sleeping pill, and alcohol before the flight. The lawyer added that his client does not remember the incident. Per the broadcaster, police stated that Alsaayded allegedly choked a flight attendant who intervened when he attempted to open the second emergency exit. Several passengers allegedly also intervened. Alsaaydeh, who the broadcaster said was not granted bail, is said to be a Jordanian government employee who was traveling to Sydney to meet with other officials. His lawyer said he has no prior criminal history. He is due to appear in court on April 9. Read the original article on People Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger told The Independents Sam Kiley that Vladimir Putin lacks rationality unless in a permanent state of antagonism, offering Russia only security. This remark comes just months after the third anniversary of Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. What does Putin have to offer the Russian people really? He offers them security, Sir Alex said. What you need in that environment though, is a threat, particularly when you have no other offer. He added, Putin doesnt have a rationale unless hes in a permanent state of antagonism, specifically with Europe. This statement follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys remarks that Putin is not seeking a ceasefire after one of Moscows deadliest attacks of the year. Journalism (1), with Umberto Rispoli aboard, wins the Grade I $500,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. (Benoit Photo via Associated Press) There is little doubt that Journalisms performance in Saturdays Santa Anita Derby makes him the favorite for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. His troubled trip, which he swatted away with ease, cemented his reputation as a special horse from whom, its believed, has not yet run his best race. In the winners circle after winning the 1 1/8-mile race, he wasnt even breathing heavily. As for the 1-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby, it should be no problem. Trainer Michael McCarthy told Santa Anita publicity on Sunday that things are all good after Saturdays win by three-quarters of a length. I thought he showed a lot of poise being down inside, McCarthy said. He had to kind of bide his time and wait for a seam to get through. As I said [Saturday], he is amenable to whatever [jockey] Umberto [Rispoli] asks of him. Read more:Appreciation: How Trevor Denman revolutionized the art of horse race calling McCarthy said he was going to give the 3-year-old colt a couple of easy days before resuming training at the end of the week. Its unclear when he will ship to Churchill Downs in Louisville. What made Journalisms performance so special was overcoming adversity, where a front-running horse, Westwood, started to back up at the three-eighths pole causing Journalism to significantly slow down, even risking clipping heels with the horse in front of him. This would have been the end for a lesser horse, but Journalism rallied out of the trouble and ran down Baeza in the stretch. We knew we had a target on our back, said Aron Wellman, the managing partner of the ownership group. He was on the rail and facing two [Bob] Bafferts and two [John] Shirreffs. We knew they were going to be riding us and they did. For him to overcome that adversity just proves what a spectacular horse he is. His accomplishment was not lost on Rispoli. Its rare for a horse to get held up at the three-eighths pole and to get back in the race that way, Rispoli said. Its always difficult, especially for such a big horse. But he has such an amazing style and is just an amazing horse. I was trapped on the fence and thought, Wow, this isnt looking good. Not many horses that big could make it out of there especially on a track like Santa Anitas. Even before the race, bettors showed their confidence in the horse by making him the 5-1 favorite in the final futures pool from Churchill Downs. On May 3, there is no way he will go off at odds that long. The last Southern California-based horse to win the Kentucky Derby was Authentic in 2020, when COVID forced the race to be run in September. Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in 2021 but was subsequently disqualified when he tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day. It took a couple years and several court hearings before that case was finally resolved. Its still unknown how many Southern California horses will make the 20-horse starting field for the Kentucky Derby. Normally, the field is almost set after Saturdays 100-point qualifying races. But, because of weather, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland was moved to Tuesday. Churchill Downs changed the qualifying structure to penalize races that have small fields. The Santa Anita Derby was only worth 75% of its usual point total because of the five-horse field. It could cost Baeza, the second-place finisher, a trip to the Derby because he was awarded only 37.5 points instead of the usual 50. The current cutoff, barring injuries and the uncertainty of horses coming from Japan, Europe and Middle East, has the cut point at 46 points, with Blue Grass points still to be determined. Admire Daytona, with Christophe Lemaire aboard, wins the $1-million UAE Derby in Dubai on Saturday. (Martin Dokoupil / Associated Press) Journalism is definitely in, as is Rodriguez, winner of Saturdays Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Citizen Bull (71.25 points) and Madaket Road (46 points) are also currently in the field. All three horses not named Journalism are trained by Baffert. Baffert has long had a strategy that to go to Louisville a horse has to finish first or second or a troubled third to make that trip. However, Citizen Bull and Madaket Road both finished fourth in their last race. We will figure this out, Baffert said. We have a week and then well decide what is next. Built, a colt who like Journalism is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, is on the cut line but its likely he will opt for the Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby day. The marquee status of Journalism, Citizen Bull and Barnes, a $3.2 million purchase, brought out a big crowd at Santa Anita on Saturday. The track announced an attendance of 34,312, the biggest Santa Anita Derby day since 2018, when eventual Triple Crown winner Justify was running. Read more:Inside California horse racing's complex problems that could hurt the sport nationwide Santa Anita is known for inflating attendance figures, even forcing the California Horse Racing Board to send a memo to commissioners as to why crowd sizes are no longer part of its annual report because of a lack of accuracy. But, for those at the track on Saturday, there was little doubt it was a much larger crowd than normal, even for a big day. The track also reported a verifiable mutuel handle of $22.388 million, a 24% increase from last year. It was in part because of race card cancellations at major tracks Keeneland and Oaklawn Park because of weather, thus shrinking the number of national betting options, sending more wagering to Santa Anita. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Photo: William McKinley presidential campaign poster; Everett Collection Inc./Alamy On his first day back in office, Donald Trump praised his new presidential role model, William McKinley, for having "made our country very rich through tariffs." He then signed an executive order re-renaming the highest peak in North America "Mount McKinley." The 25th president, Trump wrote in the order, "heroically led our Nation to victory in the Spanish-American War. Under his leadership, the United States enjoyed rapid economic growth and prosperity, including an expansion of territorial gains for the Nation. [He] championed tariffs to protect U.S. manufacturing, boost domestic production, and drive U.S. industrialization and global reach to new heights." Twelve days later, Trump announced (then waffled on) blanket 25 percent tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico. "Anybody that's against Tariffs," he contended on social media, "is only against them because these people or entities are controlled by China, or other foreign or domestic companies. Anybody that loves and believes in the United States of America is in favor of Tariffs." Who knew that McKinley was controlled by China? It is true that the self-styled "tariff man"his political opponents preferred the more derisive "Napoleon of protection"was the biggest public face of mercantilism during America's high-tariff era of 18701912. As a congressman, he wrote what came to be known as the "McKinley tariff" of 1890, and as president he signed another increase in 1897. But a funny thing happened after the U.S. came out of the Panic (and subsequent four-year depression) of 1893: Goosed by sharp increases in domestic iron and copper production, Americans had too many goods chasing too few consumers. And McKinley himself began agitating to tear down some of those trade barriers. "What we produce beyond our domestic consumption must have a vent abroad," he said in September 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. "The excess must be relieved through a foreign outlet, and we should sell everywhere we can, and buy wherever the buying will enlarge our sales and productions, and thereby make a greater demand for home labor. The period of exclusiveness is past," he continued. "The expansion of our trade and commerce is the pressing problem. Commercial wars are unprofitable.If perchance some of our tariffs are no longer needed, for revenue or to encourage and protect our industries at home, why should they not be employed to extend and promote our markets abroad?" McKinley's presidency was ended by an assassin's bullet the very next day. Even before his late-life pivot to freer trade, McKinley had long been a champion of reciprocity, i.e., the bilateral, mutually beneficial reduction of targeted, asymmetrical tariffs. Or, as he put it in his first inaugural address, "the opening up of new markets for the products of our country, by granting concessions to the products of other lands that we need and cannot produce ourselves, and which do not involve any loss of labor to our own people, but tend to increase their employment." In his second term, Trump has demonstrated less enthusiasm for reciprocity than he has for the other two Rs of traditional protectionism, revenue and restriction. Asked last October by Joe Rogan whether he was serious about replacing the federal income tax with tariffs, Trump said, "Yeah, sure. Why not?"and then engaged in some historical revisionism. "Our country was the richest in the [world], relatively, in the 1880s and 1890s. A president who was assassinated named McKinleyhe was the tariff king. He spoke beautifully of tariffs. And then around in the early 1900s, they switched over, stupidly, to frankly an income tax. And you know why? Because countries were putting a lot of pressure on America: 'We don't want to pay tariffs, please don't.' You know they, believe me, they control our politicians." Trump's account, besides skipping over McKinley's second-term second thoughts, vastly overstates the then-negligible foreign influence on early 20th century American politicians while ignoring the primary motivation for swapping tariffs for an income taxwhat could have been called a fourth R, rent seeking. Put plainly, the tariff system and perennial adjustments thereof was a cornucopia of corruption, putting the gilded in Gilded Age. Far from being a sophisticated manipulation of import/export duties to nurture nascent industries, the tariff schedule was a Christmas tree decorated by special interests. "The struggle for unearned advantage at the doors of the government tramples on the rights of those who patiently rely upon assurances of American equality," Grover Cleveland wrote in his 1892 letter accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for president. "Every governmental concession to clamorous favorites invites corruption in political affairs by encouraging the expenditure of money to debauch suffrage in support of a policy directly favorable to private and selfish gain. This in the end must strangle patriotism and weaken popular confidence in the rectitude of republican institutions." Cleveland, the only Democratic president from 1870 through 1912, was also the only before Trump to serve nonconsecutive terms (188589, 189397). He was anti-corruption, anti-tariff, and anti-imperialist, correctly viewing those three stances as inextricably linked. So boggy was Washington's swamp at the time that Cleveland's core campaign promise of freer trade became riddled with special-interest carve-outs, to the point where the president accused his own party of "perfidy" and "dishonor," and refused to affix his signature to the 1894 tarrif-reduction law. It was the blatantness of the palm greasing, whether import duties were going up or down, that eventually led to shifting the federal government's main income source away from tariffs. "The sheer extravagance of the public corruption around tariff schedule revisions," economic historian Phillip W. Magness wrote for the Cato Institute in 2023, "came to a head in the late 19th century, eventually leading reformers to call for the abandonment of a tariff-based revenue system." Trump has great executive latitude to increase or enact tariffs; any tax reduction (let alone abolition), on the other hand, would have to skate through the GOP's razor-thin margin in Congress. He is almost certain to increase protectionism over a first term that saw more than 200,000 individual tariff waivers granted to special-pleading U.S. companies. Perhaps instead he should listen more to his hero McKinley. "Isolation is no longer possible or desirable," the Tariff Man said the day before he was shot. "We must not repose in fancied security that we can forever sell everything and buy little or nothing." The post Trump Is Wrong About McKinley's Tariff Legacy appeared first on Reason.com. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images/Kevin Winter Oprah Winfrey is well known for her love of dogs. The media mogul, whos had numerous dogs as an adult after her family wasnt able to afford one while she was growing up, has often shared glimpses into the life of her beloved pups with fans. Weve seen them playing with the best dog toys , enjoying their food together, and posing for the most adorable photos. One way in which Oprah is caring for her pups is by putting a dog trust fund in place so theyll be cared for according to her wishes after she dies. The billionaire has ensured that theyll be well looked after for the rest of their own lives by putting aside enough money for them to live how shed like them to. But how much money is Oprah planning on leaving her dogs? Heres what we know, as well as everything you might have wanted to find out about dog trust funds with some expert advice. How much money is Oprah leaving her dogs? Its thought that Oprah, who has a net worth of $3 billion, per Forbes, will be leaving her pups a combined $30 million after her death. It was first reported in 2007 that shed set up a trust fund for her dogs, with a source telling Australian magazine Womans Day, via International Business Times UK , Oprah has a menagerie of animals and she wants them to be pampered for the rest of their lives if she were to die first...so she rewrote her will to include millions for their care. Credit: Getty Images/Jason Kirk What is a dog trust fund? A pet trust or dog trust fund is a legally binding contract by which pet owners can specify money to care for their pet in the case of death or incapacitation, says Luca Dalzotto, the founder of financial data management software Convert Bank Statement . The American Pet Products Association (APPA) puts the number of United States households that own a pet at 66%, and about 500,000 pets become homeless every year because their owners died with no provision in place. A trust fund for dogs will include monetary funds to pay for the dogs care for the rest of their life, and you can also include how youd like your dog to be cared for. For example, if youd like your dog to be fed a particular brand of food. If you think it would be a good idea to set up a dog trust fund, you could choose to do it on your own, or by using tools online. Alternatively, you might prefer to get help from an estate planning attorney to ensure that everythings in place properly. Meanwhile, each state will have its own laws relating to pet trust funds, so its important to be aware of the legislation in your area. When setting up a pet trust fund, consider how much money will be needed take into account your pets age and life expectancy, their lifestyle, and whether you have multiple pets or just one. Credit: Getty Images/Westend61 You can add funds as time goes on, however, so you wont need to pay everything into it right away. The cost of establishing a pet trust is generally between $500 and $5,000 based on complexity, adds Dalzotto, who explains that trusts can have investments, cash, or life insurance policies. He provides the example of a retired business owner client who set up a $50,000 pet trust for her two golden retrievers . The funds cover veterinary bills, gourmet chow, grooming, and an allowance to a named caregiver, he explains. The trust also has a contingency provision in the event the caregiver becomes incapacitated to perform their duties to ensure the continued health of the dogs. Her pets otherwise might have been in limbo. A dog trust fund will also address what happens when your pet dies for example, whether youd like them to be buried or cremated, and how youd like any remaining funds to be used. Often, people choose beneficiaries like animal shelters or charities. Youll have to decide who will be your trustee and caretaker, too, and whether theyll be the same person or not. The trustee is responsible for making payments to the caregiver, also known as the human beneficiary its important to discuss your plans with them beforehand so there are no surprises! It can be easiest if theyre the same person, but this does mean that theres nobody to monitor how and when the money is spent. In theory, they could use the money for a vacation or a car without a separate trustee to stop them. While we often associate dog trust funds with the super-rich, you dont need to be Oprah to set up a dog trust fund. Anybody with a pet can set one up to help prepare for the future. For some people, a less formal arrangement might work, like an adult son or daughter agreeing to take in an elderly parents dog after their death, but its still worth putting in writing your wishes for your pet so your loved one can care for them just how youd like. What dog does Oprah Winfrey have? Oprah has had 21 dogs over the years, as of March 2025. Currently, she has springer spaniel Lauren, born in 2009, and cocker spaniel Sadie, adopted that same year from PAWS Chicago. Among the other dogs Oprah has had in the past included cocker spaniels Solomon and Sophie, golden retriever siblings Luke, Layla and Gracie, and springer spaniel Sunny. Solomon was a Christmas present from her partner, Stedman Graham, in 1994, and he died in 2008. Sophie was born a year later, and also died in 2008. Oprah lost Gracie at the age of two after she sadly choked on a toy, while in 2019 Oprah Daily wrote that shed lost Luke and Layla in the previous two years, too. In March, Oprah discussed having to euthanize Sunny Laurens sister who was 15 years old and had been suffering from renal failure. Oprahs dogs are thought to live a luxurious life. They travel alongside her on her private jets, enjoy personalized grooming sessions, and are treated to the best gourmet meals. If youre thinking of getting a dog in later life, and dog trust funds are something youre thinking about, why not take a look at our list of the best dogs for seniors ? Or read all about these famous cats Edited by Megan Milstead . Fans line the track during the Oregon Relays Friday, April 19, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. On March 25, the Oregon track and field program announced the signing of Diana Cherotich, a freshman distance runner from Kenya. On Friday, in her Ducks' debut, Cherotich demolished the school record in the 10,000 meters and moved into the collegiate all-time top-10 with a time of 31 minutes, 45.22 seconds for the win at the Stanford Invitational. Cherotich's time, ninth-fastest in collegiate history, was more than 21 seconds faster thank Jordan Hasay's previous program record of 32:06.64 from 2013. Oregon's Juliet Cherubet also ran under Hasay's best Friday with a third-place finish in 32:02.78. Other notable performances for Oregon track and field The Oregon men also had a trio of top-10 times in the 10,000 at Stanford, led by Aiden Smith, who ran 28:21.32 to become the No. 6 performer in school history. Quincy Norman (28:27.08) and Abdel Laadjel (28:29.17) moved to seventh and ninth on the UO all-time list, respectively. At the Battle at the Beach meet in Long Beach, Calif., Kyle Gibbs became the first Duck since 2017 to clear 18 feet in the men's pole vault when he went over 18-1 to move into fifth on the programs all-time list. Oregon swept the triple jump at the Battle at the Beach, with Safin Wills winning the men's event with a mark of 51-10, and Ryann Porter winning the women's event at 42-8 1/4. The Ducks also swept the javelin in Long Beach, with wins from Kohana Nakato (162-4) in the women's event and Pat Vialva (225-11) in the men's event. Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, mens basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon track freshman demolishes school record in the women's 10,000 FOSTER, R.I. The baby owl, just two or three weeks old, was out of the nest and in trouble. Still a few weeks shy of learning to fly, the young great horned owl was found on the ground after the winds of March destroyed the nest holding the owl, its sibling and parents. The property owner spotted the fluffy baby and summoned a staffer from the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island, but there was no easy solution to the young raptor's plight. "The little guy was obviously too small to be out of the nest," said Arianna Mouradjian, director of operations at the clinic. The baby great horned owl was only two or three weeks old when rescued in Foster. Sure, the staff member could scoop up the baby and bring it back to the clinic, but young raptors do best being raised by their parents, not humans (See: learning to fly), Mouradjian said. "If we know the parents are alive and well, we always try to re-nest if possible," Mouradjian said. "It's 100% better for them to be with their parents." Home tweet home: Rehabilitators rebuild owl nest The problem is, returning the baby back to its parents would require a 30-foot climb up the pine tree and repairing the broken nest to ensure the baby wouldn't fall out again, so the clinic staff called for help. Across the state line in Connecticut, A Place Called Hope has a team of skilled tree climbers who specialize in returning fallen babies high up into trees and their family nests. Rescuers had to put the new nest about 30 feet up in the pine tree. "Without hesitation, they agreed to help us," the clinic recounted in a Facebook post. Just a day after the bird was found, a team from A Place Called Hope met rescuers from the clinic under the tree that had housed the family of four owls. There was no saving the original nest and A Place Called Hope had already built a replacement platform nest, then hauled it high in the tree. The fallen baby was placed in the new nest, as was its sibling, which had somehow managed to stay in the tree. As the humans worked, they noticed a pair of adult owls keeping their distance but also watching. Owl rescue: He has single-handedly relocated more than 900 snowy owls. And now he stars in a film "I think both parents were in the woods nearby," Mouradjian said. "Once the young were back in the nest, [the rescuers] waited for about an hour. They saw the mother return to the nest." The property owner has since seen "both parents attending to the nest, ensuring their babies are safe and cared for." Soon, Mouradjian said, the baby owls will start hopping along tree branches as they build up to following their parents in flight. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Great horned owl chick rescued by rehabilitators tree-climbing experts When Korean skin care arrived in the United States several years ago, it became the stuff of legend among beauty enthusiasts. They raved about the sunscreen from the Korean brand Beauty of Joseon, which used advanced UV filters and left no white film behind; currently, it costs $18its closest American counterpart would be about $40 and gloopier. Korean snail mucin promised to hydrate skin and improve fine lines, and prompted a buying frenzy, during which I did drop my own American dollars on a facial essence made from the secretions of snails. It has made my skin softer and only grossed me out twice. Now my snail mucin is caught in a trade war. On Wednesday, President Donald Trumps announcement of nearly global tariffs included a 25 percent hike on goods imported to the U.S. from South Korea; his administration has also repealed a customs loophole used by certain K-beauty exporters based in Hong Kong. Some skin-care enthusiasts had been preparing for possible trade disruptionsspent my paycheck on korean skincare because those tariffs are about to go crazy, one person posted in December. But now, theyre springing into action. If you love your glow, get it now, one skin-care influencer said on TikTok. This is your last chance before it becomes unaffordable. Americans love affair with K-beauty was fostered by many years of free trade with South Korea, when our mucin came free of additional fees. The new tariffs will be a good test to see how powerful the K brand is in America, Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies U.S.South Korea relations, told mehow much soft power Korea has accumulated here. If people have been buying K-beauty products because they love K-beauty (or K-pop or K-dramas), a price hike might not matter. But if they decide Korean products havent done that much for their skin, maybe theyll switch to Neutrogena. Beauty enthusiasts have, at times, gone to great lengths to import Korean serums, face masks, moisturizers, sunscreens, and the like from exporters usually based in Korea or Hong Kong. When Joshua Dupaya, a beauty influencer, first got into Korean products in 2016, for instance, he sourced them mostly from trusted eBay sellers, he told me. Cosmetics have become a fairly significant part of Koreas exports$10 billion globally last year, nearly $2 billion of which went to the United States. And certain K-beauty brands are more beloved here than in their home country. A co-founder of Beauty of Joseon said on a podcast in December, Were not really popular in Korea, I have to admit. (Their Korean brand name means beautiful woman in Joseon, referring to the former, long-reigning Korean Joseon dynasty. She said Koreans think the name is so tacky.) Part of K-beautys appeal is its price point$15 for a high-quality moisturizing cream compares favorably with a $20 bottle of CeraVe, and extremely favorably with the $390 La Mer creme touted by the upper echelon of skin-care influencers and celebrities. Korean beauty products also contain ingredients that are uncommon in U.S. skin care, but that some American consumers swear byCentella asiatica (Asiatic pennywort), rice water, ginseng extract, and of course, snail mucin. Their sunscreen is also just objectively better. The FDA is notoriously slow to approve new UV filters, which has meant that sunscreen in America is generally worse than it is in Europe and Asia. Formulations here feel chalkier and oilier, and they can leave white residue behind, because American chemists have a smaller palette of UV technology to draw from. For $12, someone could buy American sunscreen in uninspiring packaging that makes them look like a ghost. For the same $12, they could buy a K-beauty sunscreen in expensive-looking packaging that will not make them look like a ghost. When my friend returned from South Korea with an entire carry-on full of Korean skin care, we applied gobs of sunscreen, feeling like royalty with our advanced UV protection. For skin-care aficionados, K-beauty was an ideal trifecta: a product that feels luxurious, seems effective, and is relatively affordable. [Read: Youre not allowed to have the best sunscreens in the world] The tariffs will test whether a higher price outweighs those other benefits. Yesterday, the founder of the Korean company KraveBeauty announced on TikTok that the tariff will hit their next shipment to the U.S. and will have to be passed on to customers. Were still calculating what the implications of this new trade policy would be to our business, but this will change pretty much everything, she saidfor her company and others. She said the tariffs could upend her brands long-standing policy of keeping all their products under $28; those responding in the comments already spoke of K-beauty in the past tense; many included crying-face emoji. Trumps tariffs, of course, apply only to imported K-beauty. In the past several years, a handful of major K-beauty manufacturers have opened factories in the United States and will be able to avoid the tariffs, Yeo told me. But he expects that other Korea-based companies will wait about a year to see if these tariffs last and how U.S. consumers respond to the price hike before they consider relocating to America. I dont know if Koreans want to invest that much, he said. It depends how bullish you think the U.S. market is. American demand for K-beauty has grown a lot, but brands will have to decide if they think itll keep growing. The U.S. isnt their only market, and companies may choose to focus on countries such as China instead. But if the tariff succeeds and more K-beauty is soon made in America, the industry could lose its major selling point: it is not made in America. These non-U.S. formulations are the whole allure of using Korean beauty, Dupaya told me. Beauty of Joseon recently began making versions of its beloved sunscreen specifically for the U.S. market, which meant it could use only UV technology approved by the FDA. Fairly or not, American users seem to think they have the same problems as U.S. sunblock. Garbage, a skin-care influencer said about one of the American formulations. Absolute garbage. Article originally published at The Atlantic The Pope smiled and waved as he met with crowds in the spring sunshine - Vatican Media/The Associated Press 2020 Pope Francis surprised pilgrims on Sunday with his first public appearance since leaving hospital two weeks ago following intensive treatment for pneumonia. The Pope entered St. Peters Square in a wheelchair and greeted the crowds at the end of a special mass honouring healthcare workers and the sick just before noon as part of the Catholic Churchs Jubilee 2025 celebrations. Stopping in front of the main altar for the service in spring sunshine, the Pope waved to the crowds before speaking briefly. Happy Sunday to everyone, he said in a fragile voice, while receiving oxygen through a small nasal tube. Thank you so much. The Pope, 88, has stayed out of the public eye since March 23, when he greeted a crowd of faithful while leaving Romes Gemelli hospital. He had spent more than five weeks at the hospital in the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy, and doctors have openly spoken about how he nearly died. He has continued his treatment for pneumonia from his private apartment at Casa Marta, inside the walls of the Vatican, but on Friday, a Vatican source said he had not received any visitors or left the house since returning. His voice was said to be improving, however, and he was reported to be eating normally. The Pope was wheeled through St Peters Square to cheering crowds - Handout/ Vatican Media/ AFP /via Getty In a homily delivered during the mass on his behalf, the Pope said he had much in common with those who had experienced illness and weakness, and who had to rely on others for their support. He said: This is not always easy, but it is a school in which we learn each day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without being demanding or pushing back, without regrets and without despair. The Pope received oxygen through a small nasal tube while thanking those gathered as part of the Catholic Churchs Jubilee celebration - Remo Casilli/Reuters In the written text delivered at the end of the mass, the Pope also noted that doctors and health workers were sometimes victims of aggression, and called for peace in Ukraine and Gaza, where he said people are reduced to living in unimaginable conditions, without shelter, without food, without clean water. Pope Francis was admitted to hospital on Feb 14 for bronchitis, but it developed into double pneumonia within days. The appearance marks the first time the Pope has been seen publicly since he left hospital two weeks ago - Handout/ Vatican Media/ AFP/via Getty Images He suffered four respiratory crises in which he struggled to breath, raising fears among Catholics around the world that he would die. His doctors said two of the breathing crises were potentially critical, putting the Pope in danger of his life. His recovery is expected to take some time, and the Pope has been forced to cancel several events and meetings during this period, including a scheduled appointment with King Charles and Queen Camilla this week as part of their state visit to Italy. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Traverse City, Michigan, has won me over with its wine, small-town vibes, and fairly affordable prices. Amanda Adler The wine-growing region near Traverse City, Michigan, is often called the "Napa of the Midwest." It has stunning lakefront views, a small-town feel, and epic outdoor adventures. Affordable prices and lower crowds make this hidden gem my favorite drinking destination. Napa Valley is renowned for its exquisite wine, stunning scenery, and outdoor activities. However, when I'm looking for a wine-fueled getaway I skip the pricey and overcrowded tasting rooms in Northern California and instead head for Traverse City, Michigan. The charming, small-town gem has striking water views and a burgeoning wine scene that consistently brings home awards from international competitions. Often referred to as the "Napa of the Midwest," this boutique wine-growing region, offers so much more than just wine. Here's why it consistently tops my vacation wish list. Its lake views and picturesque wineries offer all the beauty of Napa at a fraction of the cost. Michigan has some incredible lake views. Amanda Adler Much like Napa Valley, the area around Traverse City, Michigan, is full of rolling hills dotted with vineyards. Instead of views of distant mountains, Michigan offers a different beauty: the blue waters of Lake Michigan. The city is nestled between two wine-growing peninsulas Old Mission and Leelanau which jut out into this Great Lake, offering a scenic backup for a wine-tasting adventure. What makes me prefer these sweeping vistas to the ones found in California is the cost. Even during the peak summer season, it's not uncommon to find hotel rooms here for under $200 a night. Napa prices are easily double (or triple) that cost. The quality of the wines here is stellar, with unique cold-weather varietals waiting to be uncorked. I've tried a range of wines while in this part of Michigan. Amanda Adler Traverse City sits on the 45th parallel, just like some of the world's most famous wine regions. The unique microclimate of the area creates perfect conditions for cool-climate wine production, with boutique wineries crafting rieslings, pinot noirs, and other varietals that are surprisingly great. Its cozy tasting rooms found here tend to feel less stuffy than the ones I've visited in California. As a casual wine enthusiast, I appreciate how this informal style offers more welcoming vibes. Beyond wine, Northern Michigan is a haven for family- and dog-friendly breweries and cideries Sutton Bay Ciders is kid-friendly and dog-friendly. Amanda Adler The craft-brew scene in Michigan is similarly booming, making this an ideal destination for savoring a taste of hops. Plus, Michigan is the third largest apple producer in the US and the cherry capital of the world, making its fruit ciders a must-try. This variety of drinking experiences means that there's always something delicious on tap. One of my favorite spots is Sutton Bay Ciders, which features idyllic leaf-peeping opportunities in autumn, kid-friendly seasonal events, and dog-friendly seating areas that make this a place my whole family can enjoy together. The charming small-town atmosphere offers a laid-back place to stay with fewer crowds. Traverse City has small-town vibes that I appreciate. Amanda Adler Downtown Napa is pretty, but it can also be a busy scene. Traverse City offers a slice of small-town Americana that I find much more endearing. Quirky shops and comfy cafes make me feel like I've stepped into a Hallmark movie, and the pace here feels decidedly more relaxed. The city's waterfront locale makes it a fun beachy getaway during the summer, and it's just a short drive from other interesting communities like Leland, where visitors can learn about the area's Native American history. Michigan's natural wonders provide underrated outdoor exploration opportunities Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of our favorite stops nearby. Amanda Adler California's national parks are well-known for their beauty, but Pure Michigan offers plenty of outdoor opportunities that often feel overlooked. In addition to the ample boating, swimming, and other lake life options found in Traverse City, the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features miles of towering sand dunes that feel worlds away from the flat plains most associated with the Midwest. Whether I'm hiking the dunes, sampling local flavors, enjoying a day out on the water, or setting off in search of striking lighthouses (Michigan has over 100), I always enjoy a stress-free and budget-friendly stay in Traverse City. Read the original article on Business Insider The weeks between spring break and summer can feel like a lull to many travelers, but it's actually one of the best times to go on that big international trip. Spring shoulder season, arriving in April and May, brings lower prices and fewer crowds before the peak summer rush sets in. Travelers can enjoy cheap airfare along with a more relaxed atmosphere at some of the top destinations. (For many places, you'll also score temperate weather as the sweltering summer heat has yet to hit.) This year, spring shoulder season could save travelers up to 30%, with price drops between $250 and $380 to popular international destinations, according to Kayla Inserra DeLoache, KAYAKs consumer travel trends expert. Stretch your dollar: 5 international destinations where US money goes further Here's another bonus of traveling during the off-season: It also makes you a more sustainable traveler. Going when there are no crowds means you won't be joining the hordes of summer tourists overwhelming a destination that may already be dealing with overtourism. For any travelers looking to book that summer trip and facing some sticker shock from popular destinations, I recommend widening your travel dates to spring or fall," said Laura Lindsay, global travel trends expert at Skyscanner. "The shoulder season can be a great way to stretch your budget and get amazing deals. Flexibility in travel booking, whether its travel dates, destinations, airports, or airlines, will always yield the best deals." In recent years, Skyscanner has seen more travelers book summer vacations before peak season to beat the crowds. Here are the best shoulder season deals, according to some of the top travel platforms: Tokyo Tourists wearing Japanese traditional kimono clothes stroll near Sensoji temple at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo, Japan March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato This year, Japan is stealing the hearts of travelers who want to explore its ancient temples, delicious cuisine and tranquil onsens. (The favorable conversion rate for Americans doesn't hurt either.) Spring is an ideal time to visit, with a round trip flight from the U.S. costing $1,194, about 13% less than in June and July this year, according to Hopper. London Tourists walk past the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in Parliament Square, London, Britain, March 18, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes London, during the spring, offers cooler temperatures and cheaper flights for travelers. Last year, the average airfare to London in April cost $581 and shot up to $718 in July, Skyscanner found. This year, travelers can save up to 18% if they go during April or May instead of June and July, according to Hopper. Paris Flowers bloom near the Eiffel Tower on a sunny spring day in Paris, France, March 27, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor The City of Lights is one of the most romantic perennial destinations with endless gastronomy, history and art. Last April, the average flight cost to Paris was $518 in April but rose to $803 in July an increase of 55%, according to Skyscanner. Flights to Paris this April and May go for $768 compared to $939 during June and July, for a savings of 18%, according to Hopper. Seoul Tourists visit Bukchon Hanok Village, a historic neighborhood known for its traditional Korean houses, in Seoul on March 23, 2025. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images) Seoul is another emerging destination for American travelers, with a 25% increase in lodging searches this spring, according to Expedia. Travelers can score up to 17% in flight savings if they book in April or May for flight costs of $1,326. In June and July, prices go up to $1,605, according to Hopper. Rome ROME, ITALY - MARCH 25: Tourists gather at the Trevi Fountain on March 25, 2025 in Rome, Italy. The Eternal City has been struggling with overtourism and crowding at its most popular destinations, prompting it to consider fixed time slots at sites like the Trevi Fountain. Visiting during shoulder season not only helps you avoid those peak summer crowds but leaves more money in your bank account. Last April, the average airfare to Rome was $658 and shot up to $982 in June, according to Skyscanner. Hopper data shows that a round trip flight during April and May costs around $813, about 18% cheaper than the $988 airfare in June and July. Athens Tourists walk in front of the Parthenon temple atop the Ancient Acropolis archaeological site, in Athens, Greece, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi Spring travelers to Athens, Greece, can roam ancient ruins and indulge in fresh Mediterranean cuisine, all without breaking the bank. Last April, flights to Athens went for $869 on average, and reached $1,131 by June, according to Skyscanner. Round trip airfare in April and May costs $861 for a savings of 21% compared to the summer, according to Hopper. Taipei Tourists visit Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Ann Wang Ancient temples, affordable street food, and modern skyscrapers comprise the bustling capital of Taiwan, and spring is one of the best times to visit. Travelers can score big savings during this shoulder season a whopping 29% with airfare for April and May costing $971, Hopper data found. Helsinki An HKL company's tram of Line 4T passes in Helsinki's main street Mannerhejmintie on January 20, 2010. Helsinki Tramway is 120 years old and is perodicaly renovated. AFP PHOTO/ OLIVIER MORIN line 4 T rides on the (Photo credit should read OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images) The coastal capital of Finland seamlessly blends together modern architecture, sustainable living and historic landmarks, like the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fortress Suomenlinna. According to KAYAK airfare between March and May, airfare is $793 on average, about 32% cheaper than in June to August. Glasgow LUSS, SCOTLAND - JULY 03: Members of the public visit the village of Luss on the west side Loch Lomond on July 3, 2020 in Luss,Scotland. The five mile travel limit has been lifted and self contained holiday accommodation is now reopen as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased further in Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Scotland's Glasgow is the ideal destination for travelers seeking out a vibrant arts and culture scene along with eye-catching gothic architecture. Although spring will be a bit chillier than summer, a visit before peak season can save travelers up to 32% on airfare, according to KAYAK. Flights between March and May are priced at $854 on average before rising to $1,129 from June to August. Bali People walk with their dogs at Sanur beach during sunrise in Denpasar, Indonesia's Bali island, on January 18, 2025. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP) (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images) Known for its beaches and spiritual atmosphere, Bali has long been enchanting travelers looking for solace. Spring shoulder season offers cheaper airfare without contributing to overtourism at the Indonesian destination. KAYAK data shows flights between March and May costing $1,335 on average, about 29% less than the $1,719 price tag for June to August airfare. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Temples, tapas and Trevi Fountain vibes all for less this spring Sen. Ted Cruz Pro-Trump Sen. Ted Cruz is warning that the presidents steep and dramatic tariff increases against virtually every country on the planet could usher in a political bloodbath for Republicans in the 2026 cycle. Cruz (R-Texas), 54, said the suite of tariffs could spark a global trade war and ultimately a recession that risks Republicans losing control of even the Senate despite a somewhat favorable map. Im seeing a lot of Republican cheerleaders reflexively defending what the White House is doing, Cruz said on his Verdict podcast Friday, noting that a trade war would destroy jobs here at home and do real damage to the US economy. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) fears that Republicans could face a political bloodbath over President Trumps tariffs. REUTERS If we go into a recession, particularly a bad recession, 2026, in all likelihood politically, would be a bloodbath, Cruz said. You would face a Democrat House, and you might even face a Democrat Senate. Cruz admitted that hes not a fan of tariffs and hoped that Trumps move is merely a negotiating ploy. A hundred years ago, the US economy didnt have the leverage to have the kind of impact we do now. But I worry, there are voices within the administration that want to see these tariffs continue forever and ever, he said. Unlike a century ago during the trade war sparked by the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, the US has become a net importer, which some backers of Trumps plan believe gives America significant leverage this time around. Thats because countries may struggle to find sufficient demand for their goods and services elsewhere. Cruz recounted a conversation he had with an American car manufacturer who said prices are estimated to go up by an average of $4,500 by June. The senators explained that he views tariffs as a tax on consumers. Trump has been on a crusade to reindustrialize the US. Getty Images The Lone Star State Republican joins a growing chorus of GOPers jittery over Trumps dramatic protectionist shift. Cruz warned that an economy in freefall would be detrimental politically. If were in the middle of a recession and people are hurting badly, they punish the party in power, Cruz contended, arguing that tariffs wont create a booming economy. Republicans have a threadbare majority in the House of Representatives. According to recent history, the party in power loses control of the lower chamber during the first midterm election. The president faced mass protests over the weekend. AFP via Getty Images In the Senate, where the GOP has a 53-47 seat majority, Republicans have only two vulnerable seats. Democrats have also faced a handful of retirements in Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire, leading to GOP hopes that they can hold onto the upper chamber. Look, I want this to succeed, Cruz said of the Trump tariff move. But my definition of succeed may be different than the White Houses. Cruzs version of success would be dramatically lower tariffs abroad and result in dramatically lowering tariffs here. Thats success for the American workers, American businesses, American growth, American prosperity, he said. Last week, Republican Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted to overturn Trumps tariffs against Canada. Later in the week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation alongside Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to claw back the presidents powers on tariffs. There are now at least half a dozen Republican senators backing that legislation. Still, the measure is a far cry away from the level of support it would need to override an all-but-certain veto from Trump. US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he has arrived in West Texas after a school-aged child died at a local hospital where they were receiving treatment for measles marking the second death of a minor in the state linked to the ongoing outbreak. My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief, Kennedy said in a post on X Sunday. A funeral for the latest victim was scheduled for Sunday afternoon, according to an obituary. HHS is partnering with Texas health officials to better combat the measles outbreak in the state and has deployed teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the area, Kennedy added. As of Friday, Texas has reported 481 outbreak-associated cases, according to the Texas Department of Health. We are deeply saddened to report that a school-aged child who was recently diagnosed with measles has passed away. The child was receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized, Aaron Davis, vice president of UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, told CNN in a statement. It is important to note that the child was not vaccinated against measles and had no known underlying health conditions, he continued. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles, Kennedy said Sunday. A Trump administration official told The New York Times the childs cause of death is still being looked at. CNN did not immediately hear back from inquiries sent to the Texas Department of Health and HHS. Texas first measles death linked to the ongoing outbreak was in an unvaccinated school-aged child in February. A death in New Mexico remains under investigation. The outbreak now spanning Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and possibly Kansas reached at least 569 cases Friday, according to data obtained from state health departments. In Texas, nearly all outbreak-related cases were in unvaccinated people, and 70% were among children and teens, health department data shows. Many of those cases have broken out in West Texas, with Gaines County accounting for nearly 66% of cases. In Lubbock County, which accounts for nearly 7% of the confirmed cases in Texas, UMC Health has started offering drive-up measles screenings at both of its 24/7 urgent care centers. Meanwhile, New Mexico has reported 54 cases, and Oklahoma reported 10 cases eight confirmed and two probable as of Friday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department said may be linked to the outbreak, reached 24 as of Wednesday. Many of those cases are among unvaccinated people, and experts say the numbers are most likely a severe undercount because many cases go unreported. With most reported cases among minors, experts worry about increasing hospitalizations, especially in younger children who are at higher risk of complications. The more children who get the disease means that theres an increased chance that there will be more children getting sicker with complications from measles, said Dr. Christina Johns, a pediatric emergency physician at PM Pediatrics in Annapolis, Maryland. US Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is a physician, called on top health officials Sunday to address the measles outbreak. Everyone should be vaccinated! There is no treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles. Top health officials should say so unequivocally b/4 another child dies, Cassidy wrote on X. Kennedy has downplayed the severity of the outbreak and faced criticism of the agencys response. Kennedys response to the outbreak has been abysmal, said Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Philadelphia Childrens Hospital. Offit highlighted the secretarys history of decrying vaccines and minimizing the risk of measles. The disease has returned because a critical percentage of parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children, in large part because of misinformation provided by people like RFK Jr, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com by Mathias Hariyadi Archbishop emeritus of Kupang passed away at the age of 78. President Prabowo - who knew him well because he came from the same region - also wanted to personally pay his respects to his remains. Fr Mangkey tells AsiaNews: Called to be part of the Commission for Truth and Friendship, he made a decisive contribution to healing the wounds of the conflict with Dili. Jakarta (AsiaNews) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto personally attended the funeral of Mgr Petrus Turang, Archbishop Emeritus of Kupang, in Jakarta Cathedral. He died yesterday at the age of 78. Monsignor Turang - who led the most important Catholic community in the province of East Nusa Tenggara from 1997 to 2024 - died in a hospital in the capital due to complications from kidney failure. It is not usual for the President of Indonesia to pay tribute to a Catholic bishop in Jakarta Cathedral: the last time was in February 1999, when the then President Prof. Habibie wanted to express his sympathy in this way to Fr. J.B. Mangunwijaya, his personal friend and a priest well known for his social commitment, who died suddenly. Among Indonesian Catholics it is well known that President Prabowo Subianto had a close personal bond with Bishop Turang, as they are both originally from North Sulawesi. In fact, Monsignor Turang was born in Tataaran, in the same region where the mother of President Prabowo also comes from. However, the Indonesian Church remembers the bishop emeritus of Kupang above all for the great contribution he made to the path of reconciliation after the long war in East Timor. Monsignor Turang was in fact one of the five Indonesian representatives on the Commission for Truth and Friendship between Indonesia and East Timor: a task that reflected the great trust placed in him by the Indonesian government, not only as a religious leader, but also as a man of integrity, able to help overcome the distances between the two nations with their painful shared history. Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Yance Mangkey of the Indonesian Province of North Sulawesi of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus recalls: The involvement of Msgr. Turang in this commission was anything but symbolic. The inclusion of a religious leader in the team was fundamental in bringing a moral, ethical and humanitarian perspective to serious issues such as human rights violations and the wounds left by history. A figure like him helped to find a balance between the military, legal and political points of view and the true values of reconciliation. The commission played an essential role in strengthening relations between Indonesia and East Timor after the conflict. Furthermore, the trust placed in its members by both countries, including Monsignor Turang, is proof that diplomacy centred on the individual and the value of bringing people together remain profoundly relevant in peace building. Late in the evening, the body of Bishop Turang was transferred to Kupang, where local Catholics will bid their final farewell to the prelate in the Cathedral of Christ the King. 6 April 2025 14:00 (UTC+04:00) Three people, including two children, were injured in a landmine incident in the village of Galaychilar, located in Azerbaijans Aghdam region, according to a report from TABIB (Management Union of Medical Territorial Units), Azernews reports. The injured individuals two males and one female were admitted to the Emergency Department of the Barda District Central Hospital following the explosion. Mammadov Sabuhi Elman oglu, born in 1983, sustained severe injuries and was diagnosed with a traumatic amputation of the right hip joint. He has been scheduled for surgery and is currently in serious condition. Mammadova Deniz Sabuhi gizi, born in 2012, and Mammadov Elmar Sabuhi oglu, born in 2014, were both diagnosed with shrapnel wounds. Deniz suffered injuries to both lower limbs and her chest, while Elmar was wounded in both legs, his abdomen, and his left arm. Their conditions are reported to be stable and treatment is ongoing. The incident highlights the continued danger posed by landmines in the liberated territories, where clearance operations are still underway. ****11:06 Another mine explosion occurred on April 6 in the village of Galaychilar, located in the liberated Aghdam region, Azernews reports, citing a joint statement by the Press Services of ANAMA, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. Sabuhi Elman oglu Mammadov, a resident of Galaychilar born in 1983, sustained a leg injury after stepping on an anti-personnel mine in an uncleared area. He was immediately evacuated to the hospital. The Aghdam district prosecutors office has launched an investigation into the incident. Authorities once again urged the public to adhere to safety regulations, watch for mine hazard signs, and refrain from entering unfamiliar or uncleared areas. It should be noted that a similar incident involving an ANAMA employee was recently reported in the Jabrayil region. 6 April 2025 15:30 (UTC+04:00) The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to take urgent action following another mine explosion that seriously injured four Azerbaijani citizens, including young children, Azernews reports. The ministry shared a statement on its official social media platform, highlighting that 392 people have been killed or injured since the 2020 war as a result of Armenia's extensive mine contamination. We call on the international community to recognize the urgency of mine action, to stand with Azerbaijan in its ongoing mine clearance efforts, and to hold Armenia accountable for its deliberate and widespread mine pollution, which continues to endanger the lives of innocent people and hinder post-conflict reconstruction efforts, the statement reads. The latest incidents occurred in the Jabrayil and Agdam regions. An Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) employee was injured during demining efforts in Jabrayil, while three members of a family were wounded in Aghdam. Baku continues to urge global partners to assist in demining efforts and ensure accountability for what it describes as Armenias ongoing violation of humanitarian norms. 6 April 2025 20:30 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The Armenian side continues to express its misguided stance regarding peace, humanitarianism, and security. While Armenian officials speak of humanitarian gestures and accurate minefield maps, the reality on the ground in Azerbaijan tells a different, harrowing story. In what can only be described as another carefully crafted manipulation campaign, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan recently claimed that Armenia has fulfilled its humanitarian obligations by unilaterally providing Azerbaijan with minefield maps on multiple occasions, both in 2021 and early 2024. Badalyan asserts that the maps were correct and blames Azerbaijan for questioning their reliability. She even added that Armenia is ready to verify the maps with international experts, framing Armenia as a cooperative, peace-seeking party. Yet such declarations starkly contrast with the bloodied and amputated bodies of Azerbaijani civilians, children, and deminers injured or killed in areas supposedly covered by these accurate maps. Just this week, today in fact, a tragedy struck in the Aghdam region when a landmine exploded in the village of Galaychilar, injuring three members of the same family a man and his two young children. According to the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB), the father, born in 1983, suffered a traumatic amputation of his right hip and remains in critical condition. His children, born in 2012 and 2014 respectively, sustained multiple shrapnel wounds to their limbs, chest, abdomen, and arms. Their conditions are stable, but the psychological and physical scars will be long-lasting. This horrific incident came on the heels of another explosion in Mehdili village in the Jabrayil region. There, an employee of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), Heydar Khankishiyev, was severely injured while performing demining duties. His right ankle had to be amputated. These recent cases are not isolated. Since the end of the Second Garabagh War, 388 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured by landmines including 70 fatalities, 55 of them civilians. A staggering 318 others have been wounded, according to ANAMA. The carnage continues despite Armenias repeated claims of having provided accurate and complete minefield maps. If those maps were even remotely reliable, why does the number of landmine victims continue to rise? Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has been vocal in challenging these fabrications. In a public statement, it emphasized that Armenias maps cover only a fraction of mined areas and are barely 25% accurate. Over half of recent landmine incidents have occurred outside the areas allegedly mapped. Armenia had initially estimated 400,000 mines; the real number is closer to 1.5 million. Behind the polished press statements and legal defenses lies an ugly reality: a deliberate and sustained effort by Armenia to weaponize landmines as a tool of post-war sabotage. Far from being an act of goodwill, Armenias partial and misleading provision of minefield maps serves as a dangerous smokescreen one that has already cost hundreds of lives. Adding insult to injury, Badalyan cited the International Court's decision not to apply provisional measures against Armenia, attempting to dismiss Azerbaijan's accusations. Yet legal technicalities cannot erase the human cost of deliberate negligence and misinformation. The tears of mothers and the cries of injured children cannot be silenced by courtroom jargon. The international community must not be swayed by this charade. Azerbaijan has consistently called for urgent action, asking its global partners to support its demining efforts and hold Armenia accountable for its violations of humanitarian law. Baku is now expanding its outreach, with plans to host an international conference in Aghdam this May on The Impact of Mines and Unexploded Ordnance on Cultural Property, followed by events in Zangilan and Baku to address the environmental devastation caused by landmines. Moreover, Azerbaijans recent agreement with the UN Development Programme to establish a Centre of Excellence for mine action education reflects a broader commitment: to transform a national tragedy into global expertise that can benefit other post-conflict regions. Armenia, however, continues to cling to its disinformation campaign, branding itself a victim while its actions persistently undermine peace and recovery efforts. If Yerevan truly seeks peace and humanitarian progress, it must come clean fully and transparently and hand over all accurate minefield data without caveats, conditions, or propaganda. Until then, the minefields of Garabagh will remain not only physical death traps but also symbols of a political duplicity that betrays the very ideals of peace and human dignity. 6 April 2025 10:29 (UTC+04:00) A new chapter is unfolding in energy cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said in an interview with Anadolu, Azernews reports. He noted that discussions are underway on the possibility of transmitting electricity produced in Azerbaijanespecially from renewable sourcesto Turkiye via Georgia and Nakhchivan: Of course, we want to connect this with the European market. Bayraktar also announced that Turkiye will host the energy ministers meeting of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) this year: We plan to turn the ongoing bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan into multilateral cooperation and thus expand the economic scope. Emphasizing the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor, Bayraktar called it a global project that was realized thanks to the strong political will of the two countries leaders. Our goal is to increase TANAPs capacity from 16 billion cubic meters to 31 billion cubic meters, he said. Turkiye, as always, is ready to do its part as both an important market and a natural gas hub. The transportation of Azerbaijani oil via Turkiye through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline makes significant contributions to world oil markets. A meeting was held between the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation, led by the Speaker of the Milli Majlis and Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, Sahiba Gafarova, and Aktoti Raimkulova, the head of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, as part of the delegation's business trip to Uzbekistan yesterday. According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis, during the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. The document was signed by Sahiba Gafarova and Aktoti Raimkulova. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis emphasized the importance of the document, noting that the Memorandum would serve to strengthen cooperation between the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. 6 April 2025 11:29 (UTC+04:00) Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova took part in the opening ceremony of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Azernews reports, citing the Press and Public Relations Department of the Azerbaijani Parliament. At the opening event, Senate Speaker of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva, IPU President Tulia Akson, and Secretary General Martin Chungong addressed the participants, highlighting the importance of the topics on the Assembly's agenda. Speaker Gafarova is expected to deliver a speech during the Assembly and is also holding bilateral meetings with heads of parliaments from various countries on the sidelines of the event. 6 April 2025 13:25 (UTC+04:00) Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, Numan Kurtulmus, held a meeting with Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, on the sidelines of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tashkent, Azernews reports. The Georgian Parliaments press service noted that Kurtulmus congratulated Papuashvili on his re-election, emphasizing that the will of the people must be respected and serve as a foundation for progress. The two speakers highlighted the long-standing friendship and cooperation between Turkiye and Georgia, while also exploring future avenues for enhancing inter-parliamentary ties. During the meeting, they discussed the recent initiative to establish a trilateral cooperation format involving the parliaments of Georgia, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan. Regional developments and global challenges were also addressed, with Papuashvili thanking Turkiye for its continued support of Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides agreed to deepen their strategic partnership moving forward. 6 April 2025 16:16 (UTC+04:00) Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, met with the Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Amir Ohana, during her working visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Azernews reports. According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis, the sides expressed satisfaction with the successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, particularly emphasizing cooperation in economic, trade, and energy sectors. The role of high-level visits and inter-parliamentary dialogue was underlined as a key element in strengthening ties between the two countries. Both speakers noted the positive contribution of legislative institutions to overall bilateral relations. Speaker Gafarova also shared insights on Azerbaijans traditions of tolerance and multiculturalism, noting that representatives of the Jewish community, alongside other ethnic and religious groups, live in peace and mutual understanding in the country. She emphasized the historical friendship between Azerbaijanis and Jews, as well as the active role of the Azerbaijani diaspora and Jewish-origin compatriots in Israel in advancing bilateral ties. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana expressed his appreciation to the Azerbaijani government for upholding the values of peaceful coexistence and diversity, and welcomed the ongoing progress in Azerbaijan-Israel relations. The two sides also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest during the meeting. 6 April 2025 16:40 (UTC+04:00) The Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, delivered a comprehensive address on Azerbaijans social development achievements at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, under the theme Parliamentary activities for social development and justice, Azernews reports. As reported by the Press and Public Relations Department of the Milli Majlis and Azernews, Gafarova emphasized that Azerbaijans approach to social policy is deeply rooted in the principle that economic strength enables meaningful social progress. Citing President Ilham Aliyevs words, she stated: The citizen of Azerbaijan is at the center of our policy, and the principles of social justice have always been important for us. She outlined key achievements, noting that unemployment and poverty levels have been reduced to 5.5 percent. Over the past five years, four social reform packages have been adopted, covering 40 percent of the population. During this period, the minimum wage has increased 2.7 times, the wage fund 2.6 times, and social benefits and pension payments fivefold. Gafarova stressed that Azerbaijan's development priorities are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development strategy lists the creation of a dynamic and inclusive society based on social justice as one of the countrys five strategic pillars. She also pointed to the role of the Constitution and the legislative process in shaping the nations social framework. Our parliament has adopted fundamental laws covering key areas of social development, and we continue to revise them to reflect the evolving needs of society, she noted. Turning to the post-conflict recovery process, Gafarova underlined the governments commitment to restoring the territories liberated in 2020. She highlighted efforts in demining, reestablishing economic activity, and launching green energy projects. So far, around 10,000 former internally displaced persons have returned to their homeland. By the end of 2026, this number is expected to reach 140,000, she said, describing it as a powerful example of people-centered and sustainable development. She also reminded participants that for three decades, Azerbaijan faced the challenges of integrating nearly one million refugees and internally displaced persons due to Armenias occupation of 20 percent of its territory. This includes over 250,000 Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. Despite the massive destruction of cities, villages, and cultural heritage sites, the government has consistently met the social needs of displaced citizens, she added, reaffirming Azerbaijan's commitment to rebuilding war-torn regions and supporting affected populations. 6 April 2025 17:29 (UTC+04:00) In response to the latest mine explosions in the Jabrayil and Agdam regions that left four Azerbaijani civilians, including children, seriously injured, Azerbaijans Ombudsman has issued a strong appeal urging international accountability and cooperation in the fight against Armenias ongoing mine terrorism, Azernews reports. The Ombudsman stated that this tragedy once again highlights the ongoing threat mines pose to innocent lives in the region: Innocent people are losing their lives and health as a result of Armenia's ongoing mine terrorism... The mine threat in the region continues and the lives of innocent people are under threat at all times. According to the appeal, since the end of the 2020 war, a total of 392 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured due to mines planted by Armenia and unexploded ordnance. This, the Ombudsman said, is not only a physical threat, but also one that deeply affects victims psychologically and socially. The mines planted in our territories during the occupation pose a serious threat to the establishment of lasting peace in the region, the statement reads. It emphasizes the need for robust international cooperation and assistance to counter the mine threat and ensure long-term security. The appeal also highlights the legal and moral responsibility of the global community: Serious consideration of the humanitarian situation in the areas contaminated by mines by Armenia and holding Armenia accountable under international law remain an important obligation before relevant international organizations. Calling the deliberate planting of mines a serious violation of human rights, the Ombudsman urged international bodies to recognize the urgency of mine clearance and actively support Azerbaijans efforts in this field. As the Ombudsman, I call on the international community to recognize the urgency of mine clearance activities, support Azerbaijans ongoing mine clearance efforts, and also hold Armenia accountable for the deliberate and large-scale planting of mines, the statement concludes. 6 April 2025 18:35 (UTC+04:00) The Chairman of the Chamber of Advisors of the Kingdom of Morocco, Sidi Mohamed Er-Rachid, has expressed his countrys strong interest in enhancing cooperation within the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), emphasizing Moroccos support for multilateral platforms initiated by Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. This was stated during Er-Rachids meeting with the Speaker of Azerbaijans Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova, held in Uzbekistan as part of his working visit. The two sides exchanged views on the current state and future prospects of AzerbaijanMorocco relations, noting that bilateral tiesparticularly in the political sphereare developing steadily on the basis of mutual respect and support in international forums. Gafarova highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bilateral relations and recalled her official visit to Morocco with satisfaction, noting that high-level exchanges continue to enhance cooperation between the two countries. She also provided detailed information about the NAM Parliamentary Network, launched under the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, and outlined the progress made in institutionalizing the network under Azerbaijans chairmanship. Er-Rachid praised Azerbaijans leadership role within the NAM and reaffirmed Moroccos readiness to deepen its engagement within the Parliamentary Network, noting its potential to contribute to international dialogue and the peaceful resolution of global challenges. The parties also discussed opportunities for greater collaboration between parliamentary committees and deputies and shared views on other issues of mutual interest. China reports robust travel figures on 1st day of Qingming holiday Xinhua) 09:27, April 06, 2025 Tourists enjoy the spring view at Taohuayuan scenic spot in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 4, 2025. (Photo by Qiu Hongbin/Xinhua) BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- China, the world's second-largest economy, saw an increased number of people travel to all corners of the country on the first day of this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday on Friday, with all types of transport services reporting surging passenger numbers. On April 4, the first day of the holiday, the nation's railways recorded more than 20.09 million passenger trips, up 8.4 percent year on year, according to data from the Ministry of Transport. Passenger trips made by water hit 880,000, up 24.4 percent, and air passenger trips neared 1.79 million, up 8.6 percent. Passenger trips made on roads accounted for the biggest share of journeys, totaling 264.72 million, up 9.7 percent year on year. More and more people in China are traveling in private vehicles, with these trips totaling 228.23 million on Friday, up 11.1 percent. Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, fell on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival during which people pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for China's residents to engage in outdoor activities or go sightseeing. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) 6 April 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Pakistan and the United States have expressed their commitment to advancing mutual energy goals and exploring new avenues of cooperation in the sector, Azernews reports, citing Tribune. They expressed the resolve at a meeting held on Friday between US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker and Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, where they discussed bilateral energy collaboration, sustainable development, and opportunities for enhancing Pakistan-US relations. The meeting focused on strengthening partnerships in renewable energy initiatives, minerals, hydrocarbons and infrastructure investment. Baker and Malik exchanged views on critical energy challenges, technological innovation, and policy measures to support Pakistan's growing energy demand, future roadmap for mutually beneficial partnership and sustainability of the energy sector. "We are keen to explore joint ventures in oil, gas, and renewable energy to ensure sustainable development and energy affordability for our citizens," the minister remarked. On the occasion, it was revealed that acting US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Eric Meyer would attend the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum scheduled for April 8. This marks an important visit by a US official from the State Department after a long time. In her remarks, Baker commended Pakistan's economic recovery and successful implementation of critical reforms as well as emphasised that the United States had positive engagements on security with Pakistan. 6 April 2025 19:05 (UTC+04:00) Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on Sunday while delivering a speech, that the United States is "the worst negotiating partner," as it broke promises and cannot be trusted, Azernews reports. Presenting the details of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's letter to the US regarding nuclear negotiations, Bagheri revealed that Tehran has no intention to start a war but "any blow will be met with the full force of the country." He further insisted that nuclear weapons aren't the country's goal. "We will not hold direct talks, but there is no problem with indirect talks. Iran is not closing the door to negotiations," Bagheri remarked. He repeated that while Tehran is not a "warmonger," it won't accept "bullying." Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official, who was cited by Reuters, said that Khamenei put the country's military on high alert. 6 April 2025 19:35 (UTC+04:00) Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly ordered the countrys armed forces to be placed on combat readiness, as tensions with the United States escalate once again, Azernews reports via Reuters. According to report, a senior Iranian officialspeaking on condition of anonymitysaid Tehran has rejected US President Donald Trumps proposal for direct talks, though it remains open to continuing negotiations through Oman, a traditional intermediary in US-Iran diplomacy. In a warning that further heightens regional concerns, Iran has notified several neighboring countries hosting US military basesincluding Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrainthat any support for a potential US strike, whether through the use of their territory or airspace, would be considered a hostile act by Tehran. The developments come amid growing uncertainty over the future of diplomatic engagement between the US and Iran, and a marked increase in military posturing in the Persian Gulf region. 6 April 2025 23:00 (UTC+04:00) Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed, for the first time, communications between Tehran and slain Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinwar, Azernews reports via Jerusalem News Syndicate. This is definitive proof of Irans support for Hamass plan to destroy Israel and for the October 7, [2023], massacre, Katz said. Deif and Sinwar demanded $500 million from the Quds Force commander to support the annihilation of Israel and the fight against the U.S.and they got it. Katz visited the IDFs Intelligence and Technological Systems Unit (AMASHT) on Saturday and received a briefing from unit commanders on its intelligence and operational activities. Im here today visiting the AMASHT unita special unit established during the Swords of Iron war and composed of reservists with extensive civilian-sector expertise, who developed national-level capabilities that did not yet exist, he said. He added that this intelligence capability holds critical material physically collected from deep inside enemy territory, including Hamas archives, Hezbollah documents and other sensitive intelligence sources. Today I am presenting, for the first time, a transcript of conversations found in the tunnels of senior Hamas officials in Gaza, which proves a direct connection between Iran and Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, as part of Irans support for Hamass plan to destroy Israel. The document shows they requested $500 million from the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force to help destroy the State of Israel, Katz said. According to the document, the head of the Quds Forces Palestinian Affairs Branch, Hassan Izadi, responded affirmatively to the request, saying that despite Irans dire economic situation and the hardships faced by the Iranian people, the regime would continue funding Hamas, because the fight against Israel and the U.S. remains the regimes top priority. Katz concluded, Iran is the head of the snake. Despite all its denials, it continues to finance and promote terrorism across all frontsfrom Gaza, Lebanon and Syria to Judea and Samaria, and now even with the Houthis in Yemenall under the banner of Israels destruction. Over 100 firefighters battled deliberate blaze on Saturday nightSeveral new gorse fires underway on SundayShocked MP calls for arsonists to face swift justiceSilent Valley Mountain Park closed until further notice The Deputy First Minister has slammed the appalling destruction of Northern Irelands countryside following a spate of gorse fires. Emma Little-Pengelly said the wanton destruction of our natural landscape must stop after another huge blaze engulfed a vast stretch of the Mourne Mountains. Emergency services declared a major incident on Saturday evening as dozens of firefighters tackled the wildfire, which is believed to have been started deliberately. A man was arrested on suspicion of arson. He was later released. View of the fire in the Mourne Mountains at Slievenaman Road in Newcastle. Photo by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye. Today new gorse fires were spreading across the Mournes. Fire crews were sent to tackle wildfires in the Silent Valley and Ben Crom areas of Newcastle. A senior PSNI officer urged anyone engaging in this reckless behaviour to carefully consider the consequences of their actions. Superintendent Norman Haslett said: Gorse fires have the potential to cause widespread damage to the environment and harm to wildlife as well as threatening homes, farms and the people living in those areas. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Haslett, who is District Commander for Newry, Mourne and Down, said: The gorse fire, which is being treated as deliberate ignition, was ablaze in the Sandbank Road area of Hilltown. Road closures were in place overnight, with local diversions in place. These closures have now been lifted. Police also assisted with the evacuation of nearby residents. Officers conducting follow up enquiries have since arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences. This evening the PSNI said the man had been released on bail to allow further enquiries to take place. It is the latest in a spate of gorse fires across Northern Ireland, exacerbated by days of dry weather. In a post on X, the Deputy First Minister slammed those who are torching the countryside deliberately. Ms Little-Pengelly said: It really is appalling, and while I'm glad that the PSNI have arrested someone it is incredibly sad to see wanton destruction and abuse of our beautiful natural heritage by fire on such a regular basis when we have a spell of good and dry weather. It needs to stop. A view of the wildfires South Down MP Chris Hazzard said those responsible for fires in the Mournes should be held to account. "Authorities have indicated that the fire is believed to have been started deliberately. This is deeply concerning, he said. There must be a full and rigorous investigation into the causes and consequences of these fires. Colin McGrath, an SDLP MLA, said he cannot understand why anyone would want to destroy the natural beauty of his constituency. We cannot allow these fires to become an annual threat to our homes, health and environment and if we continue to see fires of this magnitude I fear that someone will be seriously hurt or even worse, he said. Alliance MLA Andrew McMurray said many of the fires are deliberate. They are causing significant damage to our environment and wildlife, while also putting many lives at risk," he added. Over 100 firefighters dealt with Saturday nights blaze. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said it was mobilised at 5pm to a significant wildfire on Sandbank Road in Hilltown. It said there was a fire-front of approximately two miles including a large area of forestry close to property. At its height, 15 fire appliances worked with partner agencies in difficult conditions and high winds through the night. Some residents were evacuated from their homes on the Sandbank and Kilbroney roads. At 3am, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service began reducing resources at the wildfire incident. However, the PSNI said a new gorse fire was underway in a separate location today. A PSNI spokesperson said: The Slievenaman Road, Newcastle is closed this morning due to a gorse fire in the Mournes. Ott Car Park is also closed members of the public, including road users, are asked not to travel to the area. NI Water also announced that Silent Valley Mountain Park will be temporarily closed. The fire began raging in hills outside Hilltown (main image - stock) We know how much our visitors love Silent Valley and earlier this week we had partially reopened the park in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, NI Waters Ciaran Diamond said. However, NI Water must ensure public safety so the park will be closed from today, Sunday, until further notice. We would like to reiterate our appeal to the public to be vigilant. Wildfires not only pose a risk to human life, wildlife and the environment but also our drinking water catchment areas, he added. Chief Fire & Rescue officer Aidan Jennings said from midnight on April 3 to midnight on April 5, the fire service has received 741 calls into its regional control centre. An amber warning remains in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland. NIFRS are asking the public to remain particularly vigilant to the risk of fire at this time. We can reassure members of the public that normal service delivery is being maintained. Stock Image: Firefighters are battling the gorse fire in Co Antrim Firefighters are battling a major gorse blaze on the outskirts of Ballymoney. Crews responded to reports of the incident shortly after 2.10pm today. Six fire appliances and 40 firefighters are now at the scene of the wildfire involving forestry close to the Conogher Road. Its understood the fire now spans around 200 acres of land with a 800m fire front. Units are employing specialist wildfire equipment and jets to extinguish the flames. Emergency crews on the ground said some flames from the blaze have reached around two metres in height. Stock Image: Firefighters are battling the gorse fire in Co Antrim 100 Firefighters battle major gorse fire in Mourne mountains A spokesman for the NIFRS said: Following an initial call at 2.14pm firefighters have been dealing with a wildfire involving forestry on Conogher road. Firefighters are utilising jets and specialist wildfire equipment to contain the fire. We expect to remain at this location for a number of hours. "A total of 6 appliances from Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portrush, Carnlough, Castlederg and Ballycastle and a Command Support Unit from Strabane. There are 40 firefighters involved in operations at present. A police spokesperson said: Fire Service are dealing with a large fire in Garry Wood. As a result the Conogher Road between the Benvardin Road and Knock Road is not passable. Please avoid the area. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt praised firefighters for their efforts in tackling the wildfires. The Minister said: The gorse fires are damaging our environment and putting significant pressure on our Fire Service which is maintaining normal service delivery while dedicating considerable resources to the wildfires. I am grateful to NIFRS for handling the response so effectively and for the tireless efforts of the fire crews who work in extreme circumstances, often in quite remote areas, to bring the fires under control and keep people safe. Mr Nesbitt said an amber warning remains in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland. NIFRS are asking the public to remain particularly vigilant to the risk of fire. Mr Nesbitt added: Not only are these wildfires damaging the environment and wildlife, theyre also putting peoples homes, farms and lives at risk. I would appeal to people to be particularly careful when it comes to fire safety, especially in the countryside. Fires like this can be prevented but only if we all do our part. I think everyone will join me in paying tribute to the bravery, commitment and determination of our firefighters as they continue to work in very difficult circumstances. An Irish man man shot dead by police at Milton Keynes railway station last week has been named by the UK police watchdog as 38-year-old David Joyce. Officers were called to the station at around 12.55pm on Tuesday following reports of a man carrying a gun. Armed officers challenged a man who was carrying a knife outside the station before he moved at speed towards them. Shortly afterwards he was shot at close range, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched an investigation into the incident, said. The scene at Milton Keynes railway station (Andrew Matthews/PA) A single shot was fired by one officer, the watchdog added. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said: The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of this case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases. The Irish Mirror reported that Mr Joyce is a native of Co Galway. An IOPC statement continued: We have viewed police officers body worn video footage and a substantial amount of CCTV footage and established that, at around 1.04pm, the man was just outside the railway station main entrance with a knife in his hand and ran towards the officers. The man, David Joyce, 38, who lived in Milton Keynes, was given first aid by Thames Valley Police officers but died at the scene. His next of kin has been informed and he was formally identified at a post-mortem examination this morning. The provisional cause of death is a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. We attended the police post incident procedures on Tuesday, where the officers involved provided their initial accounts of the incident. All officers who attended the scene are currently being treated as witnesses. We will be taking statements from members of the public who were at the station at the time and are looking to secure further CCTV from nearby public buildings. IOPC director Derrick Campbell said: Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this man and all of those affected by this tragic incident. Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police. We appreciate that this incident outside a busy train station will understandably cause concern. We know the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts as we piece together what happened and how. We have obtained details of some members of the public who witnessed the incident who we will be contacting, however we know there were many people near the station around the time of the shooting and we want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or has footage of it. We have contacted the mans family and will meet with them soon to explain our role. We will keep them regularly updated throughout our investigation. Forensic investigators at Milton Keynes train station (Andrew Matthews/PA) 100 Firefighters battle major gorse fire in Mourne mountains Residents in flats above Milton Keynes station reported hearing a single loud noise before a large police and ambulance presence arrived on Tuesday. Alan Brockbank, 70, said: All I heard sounded like something heavy had been dropped, it didnt sound like a shot or anything. A large police presence attended around 10 minutes later, he said, adding: Then, of course, they were all around the front of the building, actually we could see the person lying on the floor and they were trying to resuscitate him. He saw a man receiving CPR chest compressions who was partly obscured by the awning at the station exit. Another man who lives in the flats, but did not want to be identified, said he thought it was a gunshot immediately because it was really loud. David Lammy has said it is deeply concerning that two British MPs have been refused entry to Israel. It is understood that Labour MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed are the two parliamentarians involved. The Foreign Secretary said that he had made clear to his counterparts in the Israeli government that it is no way to treat parliamentarians. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In a statement on Saturday evening, the Foreign Secretary said: It is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. The UK governments focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza. Ms Yang represents the constituency of Earley and Woodley while Ms Mohamed represents Sheffield Central. Both were elected to Parliament last July. One person was killed as Russian air strikes hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while the death toll from Fridays deadly attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih continued to rise. The Kyiv victim was found close to the strikes epicentre of the attack in the citys Darnytskyi district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. A further three people were injured in the strike, which saw fires break out in several nonresidential areas, damaging cars and buildings. In a statement on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the intensifying Russian attacks showed that there is still insufficient international pressure on Moscow. He said Russia has launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles at Ukraine in the past week alone. These attacks are (Russian President Vladimir) Putins response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners the United States, all of Europe, the entire world has seen that Russia intends to continue the war and the killing, Mr Zelensky said. That is why there can be no easing of pressure. All efforts must be aimed at guaranteeing security and bringing peace closer. Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire in Kyiv, Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Mr Zelensky also said that the missiles fired into Ukraine had been launched by Russian ships stationed in the Black Sea. While US negotiators announced on March 25 that both Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to a Black Sea ceasefire, the Kremlin has pushed for some Western sanctions against Russia to be lifted before such an agreement comes into force. This is one reason why Russia distorts diplomacy and will not agree to an unconditional (Black Sea) ceasefire: They want to retain the opportunity to strike at our cities and our ports from the sea, Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. A ceasefire at sea is not only about free navigation and maritime food supplies, it is, above all, about security. Meanwhile, officials said that the death toll from Fridays attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rih had continued to grow, with 20 dead, including many children, and a further 75 wounded. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rihs military administration, declared three days of mourning for the attack, starting on April 7. A car burns following a Russian missile attack that killed more than a dozen people, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service/PA) He said that there was pain in the hearts of millions of people. Together we will stand. And no matter how difficult it is, we will win, he said. The enemy will be punished for every Ukrainian and for every mothers tear. A team from the UN Human Rights Office in Ukraine visited the impact site on Saturday to document the damage and establish the identities of the nine children killed in the attack. They described it as the deadliest single verified strike harming children since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Local authorities said the Kryvyi Rih strike damaged 44 apartment buildings and 23 private houses. The Russian defence ministry claimed on Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place. Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The militarys claims could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims. Elsewhere, Russian troops fired 23 missiles and 109 strike and decoy drones across Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said on Sunday. Thirteen missiles and 40 drones were shot down, while 53 decoy drones were jammed and did not reach their destinations, it said. A 59-year-old man was killed on Sunday morning by a Russian drone strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Russias defence ministry said that its air defences had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones, including eight over the Rostov region and two over the Kursk region. Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 32 people, including more than a dozen women and children, local health officials said on Sunday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed to the United States to meet with President Donald Trump about the war. Israel last month ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground offensive, carrying out waves of strikes and seizing territory to pressure the militant group to accept a new deal for a truce and release of remaining hostages. It has also blocked the import of food, fuel and humanitarian aid for over a month to the coastal territory heavily reliant on outside assistance. Stocks are getting low and the situation is becoming desperate, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said on social media. Palestinians move around the Muwasi camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Israels military late on Sunday ordered Palestinians to evacuate several neighbourhoods in central Gazas Deir al-Balah shortly after about 10 projectiles were fired from Gaza the largest barrage from the territory since Israel resumed the war. The military said about five were intercepted. Hamas military arm claimed responsibility. Police said a rocket fell in Ashkelon city and fragments fell in several other areas. The Magen David Adom emergency service said one man was lightly injured. The military later said it struck a rocket launcher in Gaza. Israeli strikes overnight into Sunday hit a tent and a house in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing five men, five women and five children, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. A female journalist was among those killed. My daughter is innocent. She had no involvement, she loved journalism and adored it, said her mother, Amal Kaskeen. Israeli shelling killed at least four people in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The bodies of seven people, including a child and three women, arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, according to an Associated Press journalist there. And a strike in Gaza City hit people waiting outside a bakery and killed at least six, including three children, according to the civil defence, which operates under the Hamas-run government. Dozens of Palestinians took to the streets in Jabaliya for a new round of anti-war protests. Footage circulating on social media showed people marching and chanting against Hamas. Such protests, while rare, have occurred in recent weeks. There is also anger inside Israel over the wars resumption and its effects on remaining hostages in Gaza. Families of hostages along with some of those recently freed from Gaza and their supporters on Saturday urged Mr Trump to help ensure the fighting ends. Mr Netanyahu on Monday will meet with Mr Trump for the second time since Mr Trump began his latest term in January. The prime minister said they would discuss the war and the new 17% tariff imposed on Israel, part of a sweeping global decision by the new US administration. There is a very large queue of leaders who want to do this with respect to their economies. I think it reflects the special personal connection and the special connection between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time, Mr Netanyahu said while wrapping up a visit to Hungary. The US, a mediator in ceasefire efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, expressed support for Israels resumption of the war last month. Hundreds of Palestinians since then have been killed, among them 15 medics whose bodies were recovered only a week later. Israels military this weekend backtracked on its account of what happened in the incident, captured in part on video, that caused anger by Red Cross and Red Crescent and UN officials. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Fifty-nine hostages are still being held in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israels offensive has killed at least 50,695 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says another 115,338 people have been wounded. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. Exclusive | Ex-UDA boss linked to Pat Finucane murder comes out of hiding and sips cocktails with Jamie Bryson Jim Spence meets terror chiefs and has drinks with Jamie Bryson months after splitting from wife and leaving Belfast Jim Spence and Jamie Bryson leave the Clayton Hotel Ciaran Barnes and Chris Woodhouse Sun 6 Apr 2025 at 08:00 Ex-UDA boss Jim Spence is back in Belfast and spending his afternoons sipping cocktails with Jamie Bryson. NI child images pervert dodges prison over breach of sex order Paedophile neglected to tell risk manager he had entered into a new relationship David Adams pictured outside Lisburn Court. Paul Higgins Sun 6 Apr 2025 at 20:00 A paedophile has narrowly avoided an immediate custodial sentence after breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo). Belfast legend joining Taylor Swift, U2 and Boomtown Rats in Record Store Day drive Sir Van Morrison is helping child victims of war with a special release of three songs. The Belfast legend is one of a number of artists and acts, including Tayor Swift, U2 and the Boomtown Rats, who are donating tracks on vinyl to raise funds for the War Child charity. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Isaac Evans-Frantz, a volunteer for End Homeless Vermont, talks with Rahul Chaudary, general manager at the Econo Lodge in Brattleboro, about different tenants who are in trouble of losing their funding and ways to help. Vermont reduced the number of people eligible for the housing program, which, without proper paperwork, could cause Caslin to face homelessness if not eligible for the program. PITTSFIELD This was the protest Rose Wessel had been waiting for. Ive been to a couple other protests and they werent bad, but the horrors just keep coming, Wessel said. When she heard about the masses gathering for the "Hands Off!" rally in Pittsfield, she knew she had to be there. Wessel was one of the hundreds of weather-battered protesters who came to the rally at Park Square to decry President Donald Trumps policies, including his slashing of federal programs and staff, increased deportations and across-the-board tariffs. For some in the crowd, the turnout was among the biggest theyd seen at Park Square Ward 4 City Councilor James Conant said it was the most people hed seen gathered since his high school days, when residents congregated to protest against former President Richard Nixon. Lee Everett, one of the events hosts and organizers, estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 people were at Park Square during the protests peak. Over half a million people signed up to attend "Hands Off!" rallies nationwide through a coalition of groups such as Indivisible and MoveOn, but the turnout in Pittsfield well exceeded the pre-registered roster. Residents also gathered in Adams, Williamstown, Great Barrington and West Stockbridge and Stockbridge Saturday as part of the protests. The grassroots organization Greylock Together chartered a bus to head to a larger rally in Boston, bringing 55 people to the state capitol and inviting others to follow by carpool. In Pittsfield, protesters endured frigid drizzles, but were buttressed by a near-constant cacophony of car horns from all directions. The park was filled with folk songs, call-and-response chants and speakers airing their grievances against the administration. John Bonifaz, president and co-founder of Free Speech For the People, were among the speakers. He urged attendees to support bringing articles of impeachment against Trump. Pointing to Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, Bonifaz said the Founding Fathers wrote it as a safeguard to presidents like Trump. They put that provision into the Constitution to address the very moment we have today: a lawless president who commits multiple abuses of power and must face impeachment and removal that is why we have the impeachment clause! Bonifaz said during his speech. No kings in America! Many signs took aim at the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort spearheaded by Trump adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk to shrink the size of the federal government, while others pushed back against recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and economic unrest from the recent tariffs. I didnt vote for Trump, and nobody voted for Elon, and the destruction theyre doing to our institutions and the pillars of American democracy, thought and our role in the world are just being blown up chopped, willy-nilly, said protester Karin Stack. For Wessel, Medicare and Medicaid was top of mind her spouse is disabled, and relies heavily on those programs to get the care she needs. Were lucky enough that I earn enough at the moment that well be okay without the Social Security, but her health care costs would crush us instantly if she loses her Medicare coverage for all her different conditions, Wessel said. The erosion of the social safety net was critical to Shannon Stephens, who worries for her mother, a recipient of Medicare and Social Security benefits. My mom is on oxygen, so she needs these social safety nets literally just to survive, Stephens said. Surviving is the bare minimum, and I feel like the current administration is trying to take away the bare minimum. Stephens thinks, too, of her 5-year-old son and the example she wants to set for him in trying times. I dont want my son to wonder why things got this bad and we didnt do anything to stop it, Stephens said. 'Everything's at stake' On the streets outside Great Barrington Town Hall, a crowd of hundreds rallied Saturday morning in South County. Im here because I feel like everything that makes America great is about to be destroyed, said Rachel Bart, adding that shes worried about the recent cuts to federal health spending. Protesters voiced concerns about potential cuts to higher education funding, immigration policy changes, elimination of diversity programs and what several described as a troubling move toward authoritarianism. Claude Fethiere and Natasha Tarpley said that they feel like their heritage is under attack amid recent government actions, such as the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives under the Trump administration. I'm worried about the culture of our country becoming one of violence and going back to white supremacy in a way that has never left us, but that becomes our day-to-day life, and that is very threatening to us as African Americans, said Tarpley. Also the elimination of our history, Fethiere added, referencing recent efforts from the Trump administration to diminish Black history in public schools and beyond. Black people have been here from the very beginning. They're okay [with] just eliminating any trace of contributions that were made and just taking away our humanity. John Stouter, who traveled from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to attend the protest, said he is appalled by recent government actions. For me, it's the move toward authoritarianism and the absolute arrogance of people in political charge of the country ... not fulfilling their constitutional duties, said Stouter. Protesters said they came to rally support and send a message of solidarity to others who share their concerns. We want the world to know that our democracy is at stake everything's at stake, said Beth Gordon from Hillsdale, N.Y. It's hands off our bodies, our rights, our money, our health care, education hands off everything that has to do with living in this country. PITTSFIELD What does it take to make it to 100? Having a happy life helps, Alberta Phillips, who celebrated her 100th birthday Wednesday, said. On Friday, she was surrounded by loved ones at the Wingate Residences at Melbourne Place in Pittsfield and presented with a proclamation from Mayor Peter Marchetti commemorating the milestone. Phillips was born over the state line in Stephentown, N.Y., on April 2, 1925. She grew up on a farm where she earned a penny a day for chores like feeding the familys workhorses, Mitch and Mike. That penny often went straight to the local candy store, where shed buy herself a full bag of treats, her daughter Kathleen Came said. Alberta Phillips met her husband, William Phillips Sr., while dancing in Cherry Plain, N.Y. It was an instant attraction, William Phillips Jr., their son, said. My dad would do anything for her. According to his obituary, William Phillips Sr. served in the Pacific theater in World War II. He enlisted in the Navy and was aboard the USS Belle Grove and the USS Firedrake. Alberta Phillips lost a brother during the war. Pvt. Harold J. Geerholt was killed in action while serving in France in 1944. A military funeral was held for him in Stephentown in 1948. After the war, Alberta and William Phillips married on March 8, 1947. They settled down in Stephentown, where they started a family. William Phillips Sr. worked at General Electric in Pittsfield for 35 years, in the plastics and power transformer divisions. Meanwhile, Alberta Phillips spent most of her life as a homemaker. "But oh boy, she was working," Came said. Alberta Phillips said she is most proud of her kids Donna Diamond, Kathleen Came and William Jr. and Randolph Phillips. She said she raised her kids with strong values of honesty and holding people to their word. She always made certain we had food and we were taken care of and we felt very secure, William Phillips Jr. said. She taught us whats right and wrong. Phillips also has a large extended family that includes four grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren. First Name First Name should not be empty! Last Name Last Name should not be empty! E-mail Email address should not be empty! Password Show Password should not be empty! Confirm Password Show Confirm Password should not be empty! Newsletter E-magazine Biospectrum Infomercial Bio Resource I accept the terms & conditions & Privacy policy Sinn Fein is calling for Taoiseach Micheal Martin to convene all party leaders to discuss the potential impacts of US President Donald Trump's tariffs. The EU is due to sign off on a list of countermeasures on Monday. Advertisement According to Reuters, European Union countries will seek to present a united front in the coming days against Trump's tariffs, likely approving a first set of targeted countermeasures on up to $28 billion of US imports from dental floss to diamonds. Such a move would mean the EU joining China and Canada in imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States in an early escalation of what some fear will become a global trade war. This has the potential to make goods more expensive for billions of consumers and push economies around the world into recession. The 27-nation bloc faces 25 per cent import tariffs on steel and aluminium and cars and "reciprocal" tariffs of 20 per cent from Wednesday for almost all other goods. Advertisement Trump's tariffs cover some 70 per cent of the EU's exports to the United States - worth in total 532 billion last year - with likely duties on copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber still to come. The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, will propose to members on Monday a list of US products to hit with extra duties in response to Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs rather than the broader reciprocal levies. It is set to include US meat, cereals, wine, wood and clothing as well as chewing gum, dental floss, vacuum cleaners, and toilet paper. World Over 50 nations want to start trade talks with US... Read More Louise OReilly, Sinn Fein spokesperson for social protection and TD for Fingal West, said now is the time for action. Speaking on NewsTalk, she said: "There are practical things that can be done that we would like to see the government moving on and I think those requests are reflected in the polls. "The people are nervous, they appear to be anxious. "But now is the time to start sharing that information, so when we say we're looking for things like the Taoiseach to convene all of the party leaders together - that's to share information." Donald Trump's tariffs once again dominate the front pages this Sunday, with 60,000 Irish jobs reportedly at risk amid recession fears. The Sunday Times reports up to 60,000 Irish jobs are directly at risk as a result of the US tariffs. Government is in "crisis mode" amid fears of a global recession, the Sunday Independent reports. Advertisement The Business Post includes a 10-page special report on Trump's tariffs. Our front page today. Pick up a copy in stores or subscribe at https://t.co/LyVcHklEWC for these stories plus: 10-page special report on Trumps tariffs The latest in the Rippling spy case Izzy Englanders hedge fund giant Millennium expands in Dublin pic.twitter.com/mNRKgDOgOa Business Post (@businessposthq) April 6, 2025 The Sunday World leads with a story on a 'secret summit' between crime bosses. The Irish Sun on Sunday leads with Patrick Mullins' Grand National win. Today's Irish Sun on Sunday front page. pic.twitter.com/ivZJgEXhnn The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) April 6, 2025 The Irish Mail on Sunday leads with a story on gardai allegedly mishandling seized weapons. EXCLUSIVE In tomorrows @IrishMailSunday we begin a series of exposes that will rock An Garda Siochana. Industrial level mishandling of dangerous weapons and explosives. Four pages inside pic.twitter.com/XFPTWErQjV John Lee (@leeofthemail) April 5, 2025 The UK edition of The Sunday Times leads with a story on Kremlin spy sensors found in British waters. THE SUNDAY TIMES: Kremlin's spy sensors found in British waters **This front page replaces a previous version**#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/jjX5uOR5TW Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 The Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Mirror lead with stories on UK Labour MP Dan Norris, who has been suspended from the party after he was arrested on suspicion of non-recent sexual offences against a girl and rape. SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Labour MP arrested on rape and child sex offences#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Qo6heqwzQV Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 SUNDAY MIRROR: Labour MP's child sex & rape arrest#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/8Bb4f0pcsv Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 The Sun on Sunday leads with a story on a row at Strictly Come Dancing. THE SUN ON SUNDAY: I'm the only judge on Strictly#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Kn2uoy9fej Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 5, 2025 The New York Times leads with stories on the domestic impact of Trump's tariffs and the war in Ukraine. Another round of torrential rain and flash flooding came on Saturday for parts of the US South and Midwest, already heavily waterlogged by days of severe storms that also spawned deadly tornadoes. Heavy rains have pounded the central US, rapidly swelling waterways and prompting a series of flash flood emergencies from Texas to Ohio. Advertisement The National Weather Service (NWS) said dozens of locations in multiple states were expected to reach what the agency calls major flood stage, with extensive flooding of structures, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure possible. At least 16 weather-related deaths have been reported since the start of the storms, including 10 in Tennessee. A 57-year-old man died on Friday evening after getting out of a car that washed off a road in West Plains, Missouri. Flooding killed two people in Kentucky a nine-year-old boy swept away that same day on his way to school and a 74-year-old whose body was found inside a fully submerged vehicle in Nelson County, authorities said. Advertisement Storm-damaged homes are seen in Selmer, Tennessee (George Walker IV/AP) Also on Saturday, a five-year-old died at a home in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a weather-related incident, according to police. No details were immediately provided. Tornadoes earlier in the week destroyed entire neighbourhoods and were responsible for at least seven of the deaths. And interstate commerce is affected the extreme flooding across a corridor that includes the major cargo hubs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis could lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather. The outburst comes at a time when nearly half of NWS forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates after Trump administration job cuts twice that of just a decade ago. Advertisement Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg said on Saturday that the Ohio River rose five feet (about 1.5 metres) in 24 hours and would continue to swell for days. We expect this to be one of the top 10 flooding events in Louisville history, he said. Flash flood emergency and tornado warnings continued to be issued on Saturday across Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, with more heavy rains and damaging winds in the mix. All of eastern Kentucky was under a flood watch through to Sunday morning. Hundreds of Kentucky roads across the state were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides. Advertisement Downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reopened in the morning after floodwaters from the Little River receded, giving a much-needed reprieve, but still more rainfall was on its way, mayor James R Knight Jr said. In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River. The warnings were similar to catastrophic flooding nearly 30 years ago when the river reached a record 50 feet (15 metres), resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed. At least two reports of observed tornadoes were noted on Friday evening in Missouri and Arkansas (George Walker IV/AP) In Arkansas, weather officials pleaded with people to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary due to widespread flooding. Advertisement BNSF Railway confirmed that a railroad bridge in Mammoth Spring was washed out by floodwaters, causing the derailment of several cars. No injuries were reported, but there was no immediate estimate for when the bridge would reopen. Since Wednesday, more than a foot of rain (30.5 centimetres) has fallen in parts of Kentucky, and more than eight inches (20 centimetres) in parts of Arkansas and Missouri, forecasters said on Saturday. Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. At least two reports of observed tornadoes were noted on Friday evening in Missouri and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service. One, near Blytheville, Arkansas, lofted debris at least 25,000 feet (7.6 kilometres) high, according to NWS meteorologist Chelly Amin. The states emergency management office reported damage in 22 counties from tornadoes, wind, hail and flash flooding. In Dyersburg, Tennessee, dozens of people arrived on Saturday at a storm shelter near a public school in the rain, clutching blankets, pillows and other necessities. Two Labour MPs who were denied entry to Israel have said they are astounded by the decision. Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang have said it is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation on the ground in Palestine. Advertisement On Saturday evening David Lammy said it was deeply concerning that they had not been allowed into the country. In a joint statement posted on X on Sunday, Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang said: Were astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank. It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. The statement, shared on Ms Mohameds X page, said they have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons without fear of being targeted. Advertisement They said they had made the trip with charity partners as part of an MPs delegation to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank. Ms Yang represents the constituency of Earley and Woodley, in Berkshire, while Ms Mohamed represents Sheffield Central. Both were elected to Parliament last July. The UK foreign secretary said he had made clear to his counterparts in the Israeli government that it is no way to treat British parliamentarians. In a statement on Saturday evening, Mr Lammy said: It is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. Advertisement I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. The UK Governments focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza. One person was killed as Russian air strikes hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while the death toll from Fridays deadly attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih continued to rise. The Kyiv victim was found close to the strikes epicentre of the attack in the citys Darnytskyi district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Advertisement A further three people were injured in the strike, which saw fires break out in several nonresidential areas, damaging cars and buildings. In a statement on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the intensifying Russian attacks showed that there is still insufficient international pressure on Moscow. He said Russia has launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles at Ukraine in the past week alone. These attacks are (Russian President Vladimir) Putins response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners the United States, all of Europe, the entire world has seen that Russia intends to continue the war and the killing, Mr Zelensky said. Advertisement That is why there can be no easing of pressure. All efforts must be aimed at guaranteeing security and bringing peace closer. Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire in Kyiv, Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Mr Zelensky also said that the missiles fired into Ukraine had been launched by Russian ships stationed in the Black Sea. While US negotiators announced on March 25 that both Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to a Black Sea ceasefire, the Kremlin has pushed for some Western sanctions against Russia to be lifted before such an agreement comes into force. This is one reason why Russia distorts diplomacy and will not agree to an unconditional (Black Sea) ceasefire: They want to retain the opportunity to strike at our cities and our ports from the sea, Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Advertisement A ceasefire at sea is not only about free navigation and maritime food supplies, it is, above all, about security. Meanwhile, officials said that the death toll from Fridays attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rih had continued to grow, with 20 dead, including many children, and a further 75 wounded. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rihs military administration, declared three days of mourning for the attack, starting on April 7. A car burns following a Russian missile attack that killed more than a dozen people, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service/PA) He said that there was pain in the hearts of millions of people. Advertisement Together we will stand. And no matter how difficult it is, we will win, he said. The enemy will be punished for every Ukrainian and for every mothers tear. A team from the UN Human Rights Office in Ukraine visited the impact site on Saturday to document the damage and establish the identities of the nine children killed in the attack. They described it as the deadliest single verified strike harming children since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Advertisement Local authorities said the Kryvyi Rih strike damaged 44 apartment buildings and 23 private houses. The Russian defence ministry claimed on Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place. Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The militarys claims could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims. Elsewhere, Russian troops fired 23 missiles and 109 strike and decoy drones across Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said on Sunday. Thirteen missiles and 40 drones were shot down, while 53 decoy drones were jammed and did not reach their destinations, it said. A 59-year-old man was killed on Sunday morning by a Russian drone strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Russias defence ministry said that its air defences had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones, including eight over the Rostov region and two over the Kursk region. The US Justice Department told an appeals court that a judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a man who was mistakenly sent to a notorious El Salvador prison, and it suspended a government lawyer who admitted in court that the deportation was an error. The governments lawyers asked the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a Friday ruling by US District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to facilitate and effectuate Kilmar Abrego Garcias return to the US by late on Monday night. Advertisement A judicial order that forces the Executive to engage with a foreign power in a certain way, let alone compel a certain action by a foreign sovereign, is constitutionally intolerable, they wrote. The appeals court asked Mr Abrego Garcias lawyers to respond to the governments filing by Sunday afternoon. Mr Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Maryland and deported last month despite an immigration judges 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs. His mistaken deportation, described by the White House as an administrative error, has outraged many and raised concerns about expelling non-citizens who were granted permission to be in the US. Advertisement Prisoners look out from their cell at the Terrorist Confinement Centre in Tecoluca, El Salvador (Salvador Melendez/AP) During a court hearing on Friday at a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni conceded to Ms Xinis that Mr Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the US or sent to El Salvador. Mr Reuveni could not tell the judge upon what authority he was arrested in Maryland. Im also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions, he said. But by Saturday, Mr Reuveni had been placed on leave by the Justice Department, a department spokesperson confirmed. Advertisement His name was not on Saturdays filing to the appeals court. At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Ms Xinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, ruled on Friday that there was no legal basis for Mr Abrego Garcias detention and no legal justification for his removal to El Salvador, where he has been held in a prison that observers say is rife with human rights abuses. Advertisement Mr Abrego Garcias attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said the government has done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting its errors. Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right, he told the judge on Friday. The White House has cast Mr Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member and repeated that claim after Fridays hearing. Mr Abrego Garcias lawyers have countered that there is no evidence he was in MS-13. Advertisement Mr Abrego Garcia had a permit from DHS to legally work in the US, his lawyer said. He served as a sheet metal apprentice and was pursuing his journeyman license. His wife is a US citizen. Mr Abrego Garcia fled El Salvador around 2011 because he and his family were facing threats by local gangs. In 2019, a US immigration judge granted him protection from deportation to El Salvador. Government lawyers say they have no control over Mr Abrego Garcia and no authority to arrange for his return any more than they would have the power to follow a court order commanding them to effectuate the end of the war in Ukraine, or a return of the hostages from Gaza. It is an injunction to force a foreign sovereign to send back a foreign terrorist within three days time. That is no way to run a government. And it has no basis in American law, they wrote. Suspected US airstrikes killed at least four people on Sunday in Yemens rebel-held capital Sanaa, the Houthi-run health ministry said, while a bombing video posted by US President Donald Trump suggested casualties in the overall campaign may be higher than the rebels acknowledge. The strikes in Sanaa hit a home and injured 16 other people, the ministry said. Advertisement Earlier on Sunday, the Iranian-backed Houthis said suspected US airstrikes killed at least two people overnight in a rebel stronghold Saada and wounded nine others. Footage aired by the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel showed a strike collapsing what appeared to be a two-storey building. The rebels aired no footage from inside the building, which they described as a solar power shop. The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under Mr Trump targeting the rebels over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 69 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis. Advertisement However, the Houthis have not acknowledged any casualties from their security and military leadership, something challenged after an online video posted by Mr Trump. Early on Saturday, Mr Trump posted what appeared to be black-and-white video from a drone of a group of several dozen people gathered in a circle. An explosion detonates during the 25-second video, with a massive crater left in its wake. These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack, Mr Trump claimed, without offering a location for the attack or any other details about the strike. Advertisement Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again! A Yemeni soldier visits the tombs of Houthis during Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP) The US militarys Central Command, which oversees the USs Mideast military operations, has not published the video, nor offered any specific details about the strikes it has conducted since March 15. The White House has said there have been over 200 strikes so far targeting the Houthis. The rebel-controlled Saba news agency in Yemen, citing an anonymous source, described the bombing as targeting a social Eid visit in Hodeida governorate. Advertisement Muslims across the world just celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the festival at the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Saba had published images of other commanders meeting fighters during the holiday, though not any high-level Houthi officials. Those present at that gathering had no connection to the operations carried out by the (Houthis), which are implementing the decision to ban navigation on ships linked to the American and Israeli enemy, the Saba report said, adding that the attack killed and wounded dozens. However, the Houthis previously have not acknowledged any strike on Hodeida during that time with such a high casualty count. Advertisement The Saba report also did not describe those killed as civilians, suggesting those killed had ties to the rebels security or military forces. Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert of the Basha Report risk advisory firm, cited social media condolence notices suggesting a colonel overseeing police stations for the Houthis in Hodeida had been killed in the strike Mr Trump highlighted alongside his two brothers. The strikes have expanded significantly, hitting multiple governorates simultaneously, alongside telecommunications infrastructure, command nodes, properties tied to senior Houthi leadership and previously untouched tunnel networks in mountainous areas, Mr al-Basha said. Weve also seen direct targeting of Houthi force gatherings, indicating a more aggressive and evolving shift in the targeting strategy, Mr al-Basha said. An Associated Press review has found the new US operation against the Houthis under Mr Trump appears more extensive than those under former US President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities. The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting US warships without success. The attacks greatly raised the profile of the Houthis, who faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers in Yemen amid a decade-long stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation. The campaign shows no signs of stopping as the Trump administration repeatedly has linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Millions of people with roof solar panels could find it easier to buy a home battery, as installers say the Albanese governments plan to heavily discount the upfront cost will wipe years off the payback time and turbocharge uptake of the energy-storage technology. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised on Sunday that a re-elected Labor government would spend $2.3 billion to provide discounts of up to 30 per cent on household battery systems from July 1 in a push to slash power bills and accelerate the grids shift to cleaner sources of energy. Anthony Albanese has pledged to cut the cost of home battery installations by up to 30 per cent if Labor is re-elected. Credit: Glenn Hunt The move was applauded by renewable energy advocates and home battery installers, who described the program as a bill buster that would cut power costs for at least 4 million households. Government and industry calculations suggest households with solar panels and a battery could save up to $1100 a year on power bills by reducing household power consumption, while benefiting consumers more broadly by easing strain on the electricity system in the evenings after the sun goes down and prices typically rise. In 1967 Bryan Magee, a British philosopher and author, noted that 40-year-old songs by the likes of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern still had wide currency. Given an indifference to melody in favour of rhythm and intriguing new sound mixtures, he doubted that the songs of the 1960s would fare so well. Does anyone seriously believe that Beatles music will be an unthinkingly accepted part of daily life all over the world in the 2000s? he dared to ask. Fab Four: (from left) Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison in 1968. Credit: AP The question now seems daft. Today, Eleanor Rigby, Norwegian Wood and Yesterday are widely judged to hold their own in the company of American songbook classics. But there is more to the Beatles continuing currency than the songs, and more, too, than the performances and recordings (those intriguing new sound mixtures) that made them known. In a way, it would be unreasonable to blame Magee for missing that the invention of teenagers as a market and television as a medium changed what it was to be famous. And they did so through the Beatles, making them the very model of a sort of fame that is still around 60 years on. McCartney and Lennon: Friends and rivals in a partnership that changed the world. Credit: AP The combination of songs and story means the Beatles remain fascinating; the fact that they are still fascinating means there is a market for fresh stories about them. And, happily, in recent years, those works have been good enough to add to the fascination rather than tapping it out. Insurance claim data has revealed who is at fault in an increasing number of collisions involving scooters and bicycles across the state. RACQ says claims for collisions involving scooters and bicycles have jumped 20 per cent in the past year, but it says drivers are at fault in about half of all claims. The insurer received 186 motor claims for crashes involving bikes and scooters over the past 12 months, an average of one every second day across Queensland, with the Gold and Sunshine coasts among the hotspots. Were seeing a fairly even split between motorists and riders being at fault, says Joshua Cooney, RACQ general manager of advocacy. According to the claims data, most collisions occur between 3pm and 5pm. The data highlights a real danger period in the busy afternoon commute with road users generally more tired and the sun setting which can impact visibility, Cooney says. As we enter the holiday period with more families, children, and tourists out and about, we urge everyone to slow down ... and exercise an extra level of caution to prevent crashes on shared roads and pathways. Washington: Elon Musk lashed out at Donald Trumps top trade adviser over the US presidents sweeping tariffs, prompting Peter Navarro to tell Musk to stay in his lane, in a sign of growing tensions in the White House as financial markets dive and banks start to forecast a recession. The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder responded to a video of Navarro talking about tariffs on CNN that had been posted by a user on Musks social media platform X. The user praised Navarro, pointing out he had a PhD in economics from Harvard University. President Donald Trump and his son Eric go golfing in Florida as markets tank. Credit: Getty Images A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing. Results in the ego/brains>>1 problem, Musk replied in a 1.30am post. When another user said Navarro was correct about trade regardless of his PhD, Musk replied: He aint built shit. A man has been sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple theft offences at Carlow District Court. Cameron Gibbons with an address at Woodstock Way, Townspark, Athy, who had been on remand since early December, appeared before Judge John OLeary charged with five counts of theft. The court heard that on 23 September last, 27-year-old Mr Gibbons took food and alcohol to the value of 16.85 from SuperValu, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny and made no attempt to pay. On 27 October, he took 28 worth of alcohol from Dunnes Stores, Graiguecullen, followed by the theft of beer cans valued at 14.80 from the same retailer on 28 November. The court was told that on 6 December 2024, the defendant took an Under Armour tracksuit worth 105.95 from Intersport Elverys at Fairgreen Shopping Centre. He brought the tracksuit into the changing rooms and subsequently attempted to leave without paying. He ran from the store but was apprehended. It was also heard that earlier in September, Mr Gibbons had taken a bottle of Chanel perfume from Shaws department store on Tullow Street, Carlow. The total value of goods stolen amounted to 332.60. The court heard that the defendant has 33 previous convictions. His most recent theft prior to these incidents was on 25 April 2023, for which he paid a 400 fine. Judge OLeary noted that Mr Gibbons had appeared in the circuit court for another theft charge on 9 March 2023, receiving a four-month sentence suspended for 18 months, which the judge remarked was eight days away from a triggering offence. Defence solicitor Chris Hogan said his client wished to apologise to the court and noted that he has cognitive disabilities compounded by difficulties with intoxicants. Mr Hogan told the court that Mr Gibbons has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, Aspergers and autism, adding that there is evidence that individuals with some of these conditions can have a tendency to self-medicate. The solicitor said his client had made steps to address his addiction, having sought a place at Cuan Mhuire, which he could not pursue due to being in custody. The court was told that in 2024, Mr Gibbons had carried out five weeks of work experience and had been actively seeking work. Taking all facts into account, Judge OLeary noted the defendants previous convictions for theft and said he had received lots of warnings in relation to this behaviour. He sentenced Mr Gibbons to one month imprisonment for the Shaws theft, one month consecutive for the SuperValu theft, two months for the second theft from Dunnes and two months consecutive for the Elverys theft, totalling six months imprisonment. The sentence was backdated to 11 December 2024, when the defendant was first taken into custody. By Cate McCurry, PA Tanaiste Simon Harris is to tell US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick about the importance of Irish trade to America during their meeting later this week, according to a Fine Gael minister. Patrick ODonovan, Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, said that Mr Harris will be advocating for bilateral relations between Ireland and the US. The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is expected to meet the US secretary of commerce on Wednesday. It comes as government ministers and businesses grapple with the 20 per cent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Mr Lutnick has been critical of Irelands tax arrangements, claiming it runs a trade surplus at Americas expense. Mr Harris held a late-night call with Mr Lutnick a number of weeks ago, which the Fine Gael minister described as a useful opportunity to exchange views. Speaking on RTEs The Week In Politics programme, Mr ODonovan, said the Tanaiste will be doing two things during his conversation with Mr Lutnick. He will obviously be articulating, as we all did in the United States during the St Patricks Day visit, the importance of bilateral relations and the importance of Irish trade to America, he said. The minister added that Irish companies employ tens of thousands of people across the United States. But the other thing you need to be doing is to be articulating a very simple message from the European Union, which is that this is a European Union competency, and we will negotiate on behalf of all the member states of the European Union. Mr ODonovan was critical of the characterisation of the US as a importing only nation by some in America. He said: American politicians and some American media outlets have characterised the United States as some sort of importing nation only, and it doesnt export anything, which, of course, couldnt be further from the truth. Theyre exporting to a block of 450 million people. We are not insignificant here. Thats the other thing that were being portrayed as, as some sort of insignificant group of countries, which, of course, were not. We are a very significant purchaser of global goods, and we have a number of free trade agreements with a number of different countries. Tanaiste Simon Harris is expected to meet the US secretary of commerce on Wednesday Sinn Feins Claire Kerrane, who is the partys children and disability spokesperson, said the government needs to prepare for a worst-case scenario. She also backed calls from industry leaders for government supports to be put in place for workers and firms affected by US tariffs. The Roscommon-Galway TD said: We have to be very careful in terms of next step and what our next step is. I think more important than any of that, we have to do our proprietary work here to ensure that we are given supports, that supports are available, theyre on the table for businesses, that theyre ready to go tomorrow. We need that analysis, sector by sector, and we also need to ensure that we prepare for a worst-case scenario here in Ireland. She said a worst-case scenario would see the pharma and tech sector hit by tariffs. We need to work hand in hand with the North as an all-Ireland economy, because the bottom line is, we are dealing with a leader who does not make decisions based on facts and we saw that with the US trade document, she added. Labours enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson and TD for Wexford, George Lawlor, said there is funding available through the national Social Insurance Fund to back such a scheme. We need to ensure that the workforce feels that they have a future in the context of the companies that theyre working in, Mr Lawlor told RTE. If we abandon them, we go back, if we look at what happened in the recession and when the economy was bankrupt, if we had have been able to hold on to some of our construction workers, for instance, we probably wouldnt have been in the position that we are. Eva Osborne Irish people travelling to the US are being warned to delete any social media comments criticising Donald Trump, to avoid detention. The warning from cybersecurity experts comes after President Trump's executive order to "enhance vetting", which has resulted in more passengers being asked to hand over their devices for inspection at borders. A Sunday Times piece detailed how American border officials are increasingly scrutinising travellers devices, prompting advice to anyone who may have been critical of President Trump online. Deleting social media apps completely and leaving phones or other devices at home are other tips being recommended. Chief executive of BH Consulting, Brian Honan, said the law supports border agents to check your phone like they check your bag. Speaking on NewsTalk, he said: "Border agents in many countries do have the legal authority to search your devices. "So, if they do find material on it that they find is illegal or offensive, it could mean that you could be either detained or your entry to the country could be refused." However, queries are being raised about how US customs could patrol this practice on a large scale for every passenger. Chair of SmartTech247, Ronan Murphy, said the likelihood of everyone's phones being checked at security is low. "The level of sophistication that would be required for the border control agents to be able to filter out specific individuals, to be able to have the time and the wherewithal to go and take their devices - it just sounds like it's not overly realistic to me," he said. Sign up to get our news digest delivered directly to your inbox twice a week. Sony Pictures has acquired worldwide theatrical rights, excluding Japan, to the anime Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc. The studio has set an October 29, 2025 release date in the United States, while global release in 80+ countries will begin from September 24. Toho will distribute the film in Japan on September 19. Directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara and written by Hiroshi Seko, the film is a direct sequel to the 2022 television series Chainsaw Man. The film is produced by Japanese studio Mappa. The franchise is adapted from Tatsuki Fujimotos manga series of the same name. The new film, which is an adaptation of the mangas Bomb Girl arc, takes place after the events of the first season. The overall story of Chainsaw Man follows Denji, a teenage boy living with a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita, who is working to repay his fathers debts by harvesting devil corpses. When he is betrayed and killed, he makes a contract with Pochita to become resurrected as Chainsaw Man a man with a devils heart. Key credits on the upcoming film include Kazutaka Sugiyama (character design), Riki Matsuura and Kiyotaka Oshiyama (devil design), Souta Yamazaki and Shun (sub character design), Sota Shigetsugu (action animation director), and Shoichi (lead animator). A new poster for the film can be seen below: Sale Creek author and historian Curtis Coulter has just completed a book titled The Flight of the Dove A Story Wanting to Be Told about the crash of a De Havilland Dove aircraft on Waldens Ridge near Brayton and the Sale Creek Mountain community on July 23, 1954. This true story recounts the tragedy that claimed the lives of six individuals from five families in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Lawrence, and Pontiac, Michigan, including Howard Anthony, the nationally known electronics manufacturer and owner of the Heath Company, maker of the popular Heathkit do-it-yourself electronic sets. Mr. Coulter is hosting a book signing at the Sale Creek Independent Presbyterian Church on Sunday, May 18, from 3-6 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. Mr. Coulter will present a brief PowerPoint presentation highlighting the book's key points. Also present will be the daughter of the aircraft's pilot and the two sons of the copilot. They will give their accounts of their families experiences before and after the crash. Others who witnessed the crash scene will also attend, including one person who heard the crash but did not see it due to the fog that veiled the area. The story includes biographical information on all six victims of the crash and how each of them was connected, either personally or through business, to Howard Anthony. The group included a heating engineer and his wife, a designer and artist who was Anthony's best friend, the pilot who owned and sold the plane to the Heath Company, and the copilot who was Anthonys company pilot. The book tells the reason the Heath Company was in the process of purchasing the plane. Also, the book describes the flight's origin in Michigan and its destination. The dual purpose of the trip is also revealed. Mr. Coulter said two family members felt a sense of impending doom for their loved one and urged them not to go. The copilot's wife was initially meant to be on the plane but was miraculously replaced at the last moment by another passenger's wife at Howard Anthony's request. This act was recently described by one of her sons as a "God thing." The book contains 24 photographs, including images of four of the six victims, as well as a picture of the aircraft taxiing to the runway for takeoff that morning. Family members accounts of the morning's activities and goodbyes are documented, along with the trauma of receiving the announcement that the plane had crashed on Waldens Ridge at 2:20 p.m. killing everyone on board. Eyewitness accounts of the crash are derived from official documents, newspaper articles, personal testimonies, and quotations provided to the author. The mystery of a seventh charred billfold found in the crash debris raised the possibility of an unidentified seventh victim. Other mysteries surrounding the crash are examined, including the possibility that the plane exploded in midair. Another mystery involving the spectacle of several thousand people converging on the crash site and continuing to come for two months is explained. The book tells the object of their curiosity at the crash site and about the additional dangers encountered by visitors to the crash site, including navigating the rocky terrain and the presence of rattlesnakes that congregated there, hindering recovery operations. The narrative examines how each family coped with the aftermath of the crash and how the disaster impacted their lives. It includes the investigations conducted by the Civil Aeronautics Board and the De Havilland Company, along with their findings concerning the cause of the crash, which was initially thought to be an explosion but was later disproven. Additionally, it discusses the lawsuits filed in 1955 against the plane's owner, seller, and pilot. Mr. Coulter said Mr. Anthonys widow provided financial assistance to two families. This included funding high school and college education for his best friends children, purchasing a new car for their mother, and building a new house for the copilots wife and her three sons, actions that may have been driven by a sense of guilt of Mr. Anthonys widow since she was half-owner of Heath Company. Several family members later perceived those sentiments. Mr. Coulter said, "I narrate the story as the author; however, I also rely on the actual words of the copilots two sons, the pilot's daughter, the son and daughter of Anthony's best friend, and Anthony's niece. Those individuals share their families stories in their own words. Also included are the testimonies of people from Sale Creek, Brayton, Hendon, Dayton, and Pikeville, who remembered the crash and shared their accounts of the sights and experiences that day." Two successful searches for the crash site were mounted by the copilots three sons in 1994 and the pilots daughter in 2004. The copilots sons' quest ended with a miraculous discovery of the impact site just a few minutes before they were scheduled to leave the area and return to Knoxville Airport to fly back to Denver, Colorado. Mr. Coulter's searches for the crash site are included in the narrative. The six searches by up to seven individuals were unable to locate the impact site, even though they felt they could have thrown a rock and probably hit the point of impact. Metal detectors, residents memories of the crash area, and photographs of the crash site were used in attempts to find the impact site. Contact with the sons, daughters, and nieces of the crash victims was facilitated by a distant relative of Mr. Anthony from Three Rivers, Mich. Contact was made with the son and daughter of one passenger in Irondequoit, New York, and Traverse City, Mich., respectively; the copilots sons in Colorado through a contact with a relative in Idaho; Mr. Anthonys niece in Parma, Mich.; and the pilots daughter in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Flight of the Dove is described as "an informative and compelling story about a plane crash that occurred almost three-quarters of a century ago. Imagine the wonder of gathering firsthand information about the crash and the victims after nearly three-quarters of a century, as well as the local reactions to the disaster. The facts and revelations presented in The Flight of the Dove provide a deeper understanding of the various facets of this story about the catastrophe, informing readers about how the victims families attempted to cope with the loss of their loved ones on that fateful day and move forward toward a sense of normalcy again. Those individuals comments reflect another human truth how tragedies affect human hearts and how those memories are forever etched in their minds as if carved in stone." The theme for this years symposium is Reclamation for an Indigenous Future. Home News Evangelicals troubled by CoE's same-sex stance urged to consider alternative spiritual oversight The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is encouraging Anglicans distressed by the Church of England's blessings for same-sex couples to consider alternative oversight. It has released a new video that highlights its alternative spiritual oversight (ASO) scheme for orthodox Anglicans, and the ways in which they're being supported. ASO has been operating since November 2023 and stems from the division within the Church of England on the issue of sexual ethics. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The conflict has arisen over the introduction of Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex couples and to allow members of the clergy to enter same-sex marriages. In the film by the CEEC, members of the Church speak of the unfortunate division this has caused, primarily between the leadership of the denomination and those lower down in the hierarchy. A common theme is bishops supporting the more liberal line on sexual matters that many priests and parishioners believe to be unbiblical. Those uncomfortable with the changes often speak of their respect for the legal authority of the bishop, but feel they can no longer accept spiritual oversight from someone they feel has strayed from biblical truth. ASO provides those who feel that way with a method that would allow them to receive spiritual oversight that would not involve them leaving the Church of England altogether. The Rev. Canon John Dunnett, national director, CEEC, wants more struggling Anglicans to consider ASO. People from across the country told us that it was becoming impossible for them to receive spiritual oversight from their bishop(s), because they were moving away from a biblical understanding of marriage and sexual ethics. This has left many, both clergy and laity, feeling increasingly isolated," he said. We facilitated ASO in order to help clergy and parishes receive spiritual oversight without having to look outside of the Church of England. It has been in place for just over a year and we are hearing just how much of a difference it is making to those contending on the ground. "We would love for more people to be able to draw on this provision and make use of it. This article was originally published at Christian Today Home News Lives have definitely been changed: Texans on Mission share their faith in wake of Okla. wildfires STILLWATER, Okla. Wednesday marked the final full day of Texans on Missions two-week-long response to the wildfires that tore through Stillwater in mid-March, affecting about 200 homes in the area, including 96 in Stillwater and 74 campers at nearby Lake Carl Blackwell. While TXM teams battled high winds and blowing ash as they helped survivors sift through the ashes for valuables, the final day was markedly different. A series of stormfronts dumped rain on the crews, turning the ash into a fine mud that caked onto their protective suits as they worked. Ernest McNabb was unit leader for the TXM Disaster Relief team, working primarily with members of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo. He said his team is responding to a fire scene that is really kind of crazy. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The fires that came through here in Oklahoma, in this area, they acted like a ball of fire that was just bouncing around from house to house, he explained. And it [the fire] would just land on a house and burn it down, and then it would move on to another house. McNabb said responding TXM teams have been cleaning up the ash and getting the metal and stuff out of it. It's just really a mess. These people, they lost everything." The volunteers work in the mud and in the ash and in the rain just trying to salvage a little memento or two, he said. The volunteers find some treasured items, but most of it just burned up. In addition to cleaning homesites, the team has also been clearing burned trees. In the week or so we've been here, weve probably cut down 120, 130 trees that have burned up, McNabb said. So it's a lot of cleaning up, getting them ready to rebuild, and a lot of tree trimming. And its really, really sad, McNabb said. When asked about the impact on survivors of the fires, Amarillo team member David Pinales, a retired firefighter, became emotional. Well, I heard about the fires, but I had no idea that it was to this extent, he said. This is my first full year of deployment and this has been a real eye-opening. He paused, choked with emotion, before continuing: It's a real eye-opener. I can't imagine what these people think, and I can't imagine what the people living next door to all this devastation must feel. You know, all their neighbors and friends that quite possibly may not even move back. Lives have definitely been changed for a long time, Pinales said, and I'm just really happy that maybe through the little bit of work that we do that we can give them a little bit of hope. I'm really thankful that the Lord is able to use us to do that. And we may never say one word to them, but when they come and they see what we have done, we're hoping that they see the love of Jesus through that work. For volunteers Rhetta and R.J. Rogers of Lubbock, the experience has also been amazing, with a twist. The couple is on their first-ever TXM deployment. I was retiring, and I needed to find something to do," R.J. said. A friend at church, Brad, who operates a TXM skid steer, recommended R.J. consider volunteering for disaster relief, and he signed up. Then Rhetta retired the day before they departed for Oklahoma. Rhetta had been a hairstylist for 48 years and didnt plan to retire. I thought I would do it until I was 100 because I loved it, she said. And so then he found this and I thought, Oh, I could do that. I retired on Thursday, and we deployed out on Friday, and I think it's so cool to be deployed. She called the fires impact amazing how fires just jump around different houses. [Someone] was telling me a while ago that the family in this house said it was like a giant fireball, that it was just a ball that bounced from house to house. I feel so sorry for them and glad that we can be here to at least share our faith and spirit, she said. And my spirit's been so blessed. McNabb called the volunteer response our calling to help people in need, and it doesn't make any difference where they are, what the situation is, we're willing to be the hands and feet of Christ and come up and serve. As one of our chaplains told us the other day, McNabb quoted, We're also the voice of Christ, so we get to talk to homeowners and witness to them and tell them that, you know, Christ still loves them and that things will be better. Home News 'You cant box it in': Pastor Tony Suarez on seeing spiritual awakening across cultures, generations GRAPEVINE, Texas Pastor Tony Suarez is quick to challenge the notion that the American church is dying. Were not going to empty churches, he told The Christian Post during a sit-down interview at the National Religious Broadcasters convention. Were seeing growth everywhere. And what I love is that its being demonstrated in every age group and every ethnicity. You cant box it in. Suarez, founder of Revivalmakers Ministries and vice president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), said hes seeing hunger for God expanding across denominational and cultural lines, sparking what he believes is a spiritual revival in the United States. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe These are the days our parents prayed for, he said. Our grandparents prophesied that there would be one last great awakening before Christs return, and I believe were living it out right now. While some headlines highlight concerns over dwindling church attendance and cultural disengagement among young people, Suarez said he's seeing something vastly different. Young people are hungry for the real things of God, Suarez said, stressing that young people are seeing an authentic worship experience. What they dont want is smoke machines and a concert. My own kids say, If I want a concert, Ill go to one. But when I go to church, I want it to be church. With five children between the ages of 15 and 21, Suarez sees firsthand what he calls a craving for authentic, Spirit-led worship. His ministry regularly emphasizes a clear message: Revival is not coming. Revival is here. Suarez said while some may contend they havent seen it, the spiritual climate in the churches he visits suggests otherwise. I dont have concern for the church right now, he said. I have a lot of optimism. Central to Suarezs vision for revival is the growing role of the Hispanic church in the United States. According to the NHCLC, Hispanic and Asian Pacific communities represent the fastest-growing segments of nearly every denomination in the country. The Hispanic church is pro-life, pro-marriage, and committed to the authority of Scripture, he said. Theres a reverence not just for God but for the people of God. According to Suarez, this demographic growth is one of the most hopeful signs for the future of American Christianity. It's one of those glimmering moments of hope that we're seeing again within the Church, he said. In 2024, Suarez helped lead a series of revival events along the U.S.-Mexico border, hosting large gatherings in Texas, Arizona and California that drew thousands of attendees, including migrants, law enforcement officials and local residents. There is an invasion at the southern border, Suarez said. But its not a political invasion, its a spiritual one. During the two-week campaign, his team documented more than 10,000 spiritual encounters, including salvations, baptisms and testimonies of healing. One of the beautiful things about Christianity is that its a gathering place for anyone who wants to drink from the fountain of God, he said. We had migrants, Border Patrol agents and residents all worshiping together. Nobody cared who was who. We just wanted people to be legal for Heaven. According to Suarez, the movement will continue in 2025, with plans to bring revival events deeper into Mexico. In addition to his evangelistic work, Suarez advocates with politicians for immigration reform that prioritizes border enforcement, assimilation and a non-amnesty path to legal status. The pastor, who served as a member of Donald Trumps Evangelical Advisory Board and My Faith Votes, acknowledged that fear has gripped many in the Hispanic community in recent months, especially around immigration enforcement. After President Trumps inauguration, Hispanic church attendance fell by nearly 30%, he said. There was real fear about mass deportations and raids on churches, something that was never actually proposed but was spread in Spanish-language media. Suarez urged people to seek accurate information and encourage their Hispanic friends. Theres a lot of fear-mongering, and we need to be messengers of truth and hope, he said. Born to a Colombian family with deep missionary roots, Suarez has been a longtime advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. He has served on national policy committees and regularly meets with lawmakers through his work with the NHCLC. We havent had real immigration reform since Ronald Reagan, Suarez, who was named by Newsmax as one of the 50 most influential Republican Latinos in the United States, said. That was when I was in kindergarten. The pastor stressed he supports border security but believes it must be paired with realistic immigration solutions for the estimated 14 to 20 million undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. You cant deport that many people, he said. Theyre part of our economymilking cows, picking crops, building homes. We need to remove the criminal element, yes, but we also need to offer a path for others to come out of the shadows. He advocated for measures such as background checks, fines, pledges of allegiance and English proficiency. While not all may qualify for full citizenship, he said, a form of legal residency is essential, both for the economy and for national security. We created this problem, Suarez said. We told them, Dont come, but then put up a big Help Wanted sign. We hired them, and now were complaining. He also emphasized that the situation at the southern border is no longer solely a Latino issue: When we prayed along the border, we found IDs from Haiti, China, Vietnam, this is now a global migration issue, he said. In a time marked by division, Suarez said the Churchs role is more important than ever, emphasizing spiritual renewal over political rhetoric. Theres more work to do, and Im not diminishing the seriousness of the border crisis, he said. But I believe God is using what the enemy meant for evil, and turning it for good. Home News Travel: Postcard from the Gulf of America I found myself here in Galveston on the Texas coast not long after President Donald J. Trump renamed the Gulf of America. By almost any American context, Galveston is an old city. Located about 52 miles from Houston, Galveston is a city and county on a 30-mile-long barrier island of the same name. Anyone who has ever taken a gulf cruise has probably come through the port. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Once the largest city in Texas, the first real settlement here sprung up in the days of the Texas republic after it won independence from Mexico. In the late 19th century, this was also a major port for immigrants searching for a better life and their piece of the American dream. But theres a rich history here dating back even further to the days of Spains colonial empire. Galveston takes its name from Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish colonial official who in 1786 ordered the first mapping of the Texas coast. Then theres the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, whose operation was based here from 1817 to 1820. Theres virtually no sign of that past, save for a few houses, some churches and quite a few commercial buildings that date to the second half of the 19th century. In some cases, the facade is all thats left, as the interior has been built and rebuilt a few times due to hurricanes, namely the Great Storm in 1900 that killed more than 10,000 people. Had it not been for that disaster the deadliest disaster in U.S. history Houston might have never become the fourth-largest city in the United States. Today, Galveston instantly reminded me of a classic Rust Belt city somewhere in the Great Lakes or Upper Midwest. Think brick and stone facades and landmark churches from across the predominately (and then-dominant) mainline Protestant spectrum. Many structures owe their continued existence to the decades of decline that kept them from being demolished and replaced by newer buildings. The philanthropy of local boy-turned-billionaire oilman George Mitchell unquestionably saved others. While architecture enthusiasts will appreciate the streetscape, Galvestons best asset is the island-citys location directly on the Gulf of America. And yet, there are few upscale hotels or resorts. Bizarrely, the Walmart store and fast-food restaurants like Wendys and Chick-fil-A occupy prime real estate locations that anywhere else, including straight across the gulf on the Florida coast, would consist of resorts and condos. Many of the National Register of Historic Places-listed buildings are found in and around the Strand, as the five-block downtown around the cruise ship port is called. On the other side of the city is Seawall Boulevard, which runs along a massive concrete seawall built to save Galveston from a repeat of the 1900 hurricane. The overall vibe is part tourist trap kitsch and part Key West or New Orleans French Quarter especially during Madri Gras celebrations leading up to Shrove Tuesday and the start of Lent. Noteworthy religious edifices include the antebellum Trinity Episcopal Church, Grace Episcopal Church with its high Victorian Gothic revival architecture, St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church and First Baptist Church, a relatively modern building that is modeled after St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London and the meeting house-style churches of New England. If you go Getting to Galveston is not as easy as competing destinations. The closest major airport, Houstons George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is nearly 70 miles away. I stayed at the Grand Galvez. The Marriott Autograph Collection hotel is a fine example of a grand hotel built around the turn of the last century. The best alternative is the San Luis Resort. Most other options are mediocre chain hotels, like a Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. The best value is probably a short-term vacation rental from Airbnb or Vrbo. Recommended restaurants include Katies Seafood House; Gaidos, a family owned restaurant since its opening in 1911; and The Fancy inside Hotel Lucine. Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post. Home Opinion Oklahoma divided over religion in public schools: Who is right? Theres a battle right now related to religion and Oklahoma schools. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters is in favor of greater religious expression in the public schools of that state. Others in the The Sooner State, including the state attorney general and some confused clergy, oppose what Walters is attempting to do. Walters wants schoolchildren to have access to the Bible and the Ten Commandments in school. Walters said in reference to Engel v. Vitale, the 1962 Supreme Court decision that threw out school prayer as unconstitutional: I think they were dead wrong on that. Individuals have the right to express their religious beliefs. That does not stop in a school building, Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Walter also said, What Im trying to make sure is our kids understand American history. The opposition is claiming that, in effect, Walters wants to establish religion in the schools. But what does our history show? The First Amendment begins, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Historically, this was understood to mean that there would be no established church at the federal level in the United States. Even at the time the First Amendment to the Constitution was adopted in 1791, prohibiting a federal church, a handful of states had their own established churches at the state level, and saw no conflict between that and the First Amendment. The last of these to wither away was that of Massachusetts in 1833. Meanwhile, one of the great legal scholars at Harvard in the 1800s was Joseph Story, who went on to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court. In 1851, Story wrote a commentary on the Constitution. Story wrote: Probably at the time of the adoption of the Constitution, and of the amendment to it now under consideration [the First Amendment], the general if not the universal sentiment in America was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the State so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience and the freedom of religious worship. He added, An attempt to level all religions, and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation. Justice Story continued, The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less to advance, Mahometanism [Islam] or Judaism or infidelity by prostrating Christianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects, and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government. In other words, according to a great legal scholar writing fairly close to the founding era, the purpose of the First Amendment was not to banish God from the public arena. Jumping ahead to the twentieth century, another associate justice of the Supreme Court, William Rehnquist, who would go on later to serve as the Chief Justice, wrote this about the founders and the First Amendment: The true meaning of the Establishment Clause can only be seen in its history ... The Framers intended the Establishment Clause to prohibit the designation of any church as a 'national' one. The Clause was also designed to stop the Federal Government from asserting a preference for one religious denomination or sect over others. Rehnquist gave an example from the very same men who wrote the First Amendment: George Washington himself, at the request of the very Congress which passed the Bill of Rights, proclaimed a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God. History must judge whether it was the Father of his Country in 1789, or a majority of the Court today, which has strayed from the meaning of the Establishment Clause. Thankfully, since Rehnquist wrote those words in 1985 in the case of Wallace v. Jaffre, there have been more originalists ruling on the high court adding needed balance to the treatment of Christian expression in the public arena. Nonetheless, the battle for religious liberty is far from over. As to the current battle, NBC observes: Whatever happens in the Oklahoma case, more religious rights cases touching upon the establishment clause are on the horizon. Litigation is already underway over a law in Louisiana that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments. A federal judge blocked the measure. Thomas Jefferson is often invoked as effectively the patron saint of secularism in the public arena. But even that is a misreading of history. For example, Jefferson wrote, In the holy cause of freedom Heaven has rewarded us. And he added, that it may flow through all timesis my fervent prayer to heaven. The founders of America never intended to banish God from the public arena, including the public schools. HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- After learning of a Kenbridge Drive homeowner who was in violation of the citys moratorium on short-term rentals, City Council heard during a March 11 meeting from frustrated residents of that street who complained of loud parties taking place at the home. After that meeting Law Director Michael Lograsso and council took action to strengthen penalties for those who violate the citys six-month moratorium, which was instituted in January. At a March 19 special meeting council voted, without opposition to add three layers of penalties for offenders. When we put the moratorium in place, it didnt come with penalties. Maybe we were a lot a little naive, said City Council President Ann DAmico. But now, based upon calls weve got from residents, we felt we needed to have those (penalties) in place. So now its clear up front what the penalties will be if somebody violates the moratorium. If somebody violates the moratorium, there needs to be a consequence, and council managed to reach a consensus on what the penalty should be. The penalty for a first offense of renting a home for a short term of less than 30 days during the moratorium, or for one who violates other city rental regulations, will be a third-degree misdemeanor. A second offense will be classified as a misdemeanor of the first degree, with an accompanying revocation of the homeowners occupancy permit or rental license for a period of six months. If there is a third violation, or any following a third offense, the homeowner will face a first-degree misdemeanor and a permanent revocation of their occupancy permit or rental license. A first-degree misdemeanor can carry a penalty of up to 180 days in jail, and/or a fine of as much as $1,000. A third-degree misdemeanor has a penalty of up to 60 days in jail, and/or a fine of as much as $500. Lograsso said that there was a previous, general penalty for violating the rental code, but that it was a minor one -- a $100 fine. Council wanted to give the ordinance/moratorium more teeth, Lograsso said of the action taken. Lograsso said that, since the March 11 meeting, no other short-term rentals have been found operating in Highland Heights. Meanwhile, proposed Ohio Senate Bill 104 remains a concern for Highland Heights city leaders, and those of other communities. Lograsso has stated that SB 104 would chip away at municipalities home-rule, meaning governance by a municipalitys charter. If passed, SB104 would prohibit local governments from: Adopting regulations to prohibit short-term rentals Prohibit charter cities from using zoning requirements to prohibit or limit short-term rentals Prohibit cities from restricting the number of short-term rental properties Forbid requirements that the owner of short-term rental property must occupy that property Limit any fee a city may require for registration of a rental property to $20 (an amount Lograsso called ridiculous) Ensure that any fees a city collects must only be used for the regulation of short-term rentals. If SB 104 is passed, Lograsso said of Highland Heights increased penalties, I believe these penalties would be superseded by state action. Commenting on the matter, Mayor Chuck Brunello, Jr. said, Im not in favor of the state taking away home rule, as Im sure most mayors are not. But we have taken strides to try and alleviate any of these (situations) with the moratorium. We created a letter that we sent out to all current rental properties (owners) informing them that the city does not allow short-term rentals. The more I think about it, I just think its best for the community to prohibit any short-term rentals moving forward. Im not anti-business, I just think it allows for less concern from our residents. I think its a better approach at this point in time. Long-term rentals are perfectly fine. Its the short-term rentals that raise awareness and concern in neighborhoods because its more transient people. I think for safety and accountability, its best to prohibit these (short-term rentals). Read more from the Sun Messenger. Worries about tariffs may have rattled global investors, but analysts still expect China's technology sector to keep riding this year's wave of interest in homegrown generative artificial intelligence. The latest salvo of U.S. tariffs on China and its Southeast Asia trading partners sent Chinese stocks tumbling at the open Thursday, but they closed well off their lows. Local markets were closed Friday for a holiday. "Many of the larger tech names (and most of the consumer names) have limited exposure to the U.S. market despite some overreaction at first," Kai Wang, Asia equity strategist at Morningstar, said in a statement Thursday. "We are expecting some fiscal policy intervention," he said, "should there be incremental macro weakness." China's finance ministry indicated last month it was holding onto some dry powder given domestic and overseas uncertainties. Chinese policymakers are expected to hold a regular meeting later this month. Chinese tech stock valuations still look inexpensive relative to those in the U.S., Citi China equity strategist Pierre Lau and a team said in a report Thursday. They pointed out that average price-to-earnings ratio of seven leading tech-related Chinese stocks is 52% below that of U.S "Magnificent Seven" not yet recovered to the historical average of 33% in the past five years. "We prefer domestic over export plays amid uncertainties stemming from higher tariffs," the Citi strategists said. They also prefer services over goods sectors, and also like growth more than value. The firm is overweight on China internet, technology and transportation stock sectors. Citi's top China stock buys include social media and gaming company Tencent , electric car giant BYD and home appliance company Haier , all listed in Hong Kong. Growing investor interest In a sign of how much investor interest has grown, nearly one-quarter of international investors have turned more positive on Chinese tech, the Citi strategists said, citing the firm's U.S. marketing work last month. Global emerging markets equity funds' allocation to China hit a 16-month high in late March , according to EPFR. Chinese startup DeepSeek released an AI model in late January that claimed to outperform OpenAI's ChatGPT, despite U.S. restrictions on Chinese access to advanced chips for AI training. AI adoption is also expected to help Chinese companies cut costs , while policy aims to support consumer growth. Initial upgrades to Chinese companies' earnings expectations are being driven by high-tech sectors and selected consumer companies, HSBC analysts pointed out Thursday. An index of 10 major Chinese tech companies traded in Hong Kong closed 1.2% lower Thursday, slightly better than the overall Hang Seng index's 1.5% drop. The tech index remains more than 20% higher year to date, versus gains of just under 14% for the Hang Seng index. Another sector investment analysts say is relatively sheltered from the new tariffs is Chinese health care as pharmaceuticals were excluded from Trump's latest round of tariffs. "Even if Trump imposed any tariffs in the future, most Chinese biotechs have U.S. partners and are not considered exporters, and tariffs on bulk drug makers could easily be transferred to downstream U.S. pharma," Jefferies equity analyst Cui Cui and a team said in a note Wednesday. They also don't expect reviving targeted legislation, such as the expired Biosecure Act , to become a U.S. priority soon. The Biosecure Act sought to restrict Chinese drug companies such as Wuxi Biologics from federal contracts. "Given that lowering drug prices in the U.S. is supported by both Republicans and Democrats, giving U.S. pharma companies the flexibility to operate efficiently and maintain an optimal cost structure is essential," the Jefferies analysts said, highlighting expectations that Wuxi Biologics can operate at least twice as efficiently than competitors Samsung Bio and Lonza. Hong Kong-listed Wuxi Biologics said in late March that it expected " accelerated and profitable growth in 2025 ." Jefferies rates the stock a buy. However, the extent of new U.S. tariffs and impact on China's economy remains unclear. Morningstar's Wang cautioned that tariffs would indirectly affect the tech sector given the likely negative impact on China's gross domestic product, while market volatility may increase. Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller made a rare post on the social media platform X on Sunday, reiterating his opposition to tariffs exceeding 10%. The founder of Duquesne Family Office has been consistent in opposition to the U.S. imposing tariffs above 10% threshold. In January, he said on CNBC: "As long as we stay in the 10% range, ...I think the risks [from tariffs] are overblown relative to the rewards, the rewards on high, it's more like they're the lesser of two evils." On tariffs broadly, Druckenmiller also said at the time that he views them as "simply a consumption tax, that foreigners pay for some of it." (Tune in to CNBC Sunday at 7 p.m. ET for a live special report on U.S. markets.) His latest post on X one of just a handful of posts he's made on the platform distances himself from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plan, which imposes rates as high as 50% and a baseline rate of 10% on most countries. In response to a video on X of the CNBC interview with Druckenmiller from January, the veteran investor wrote: "I do not support tariffs exceeding 10% which I made abundantly clear in the interview you cite." Stock prices have fallen sharply following Trump's tariff announcement, with markets experiencing losses not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said it will pause U.S. shipments for a month as it assesses the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on vehicle imports. It comes as disruption from the Trump administration's sweeping tariff rollout roils global stocks and sends shockwaves through the automotive industry. The U.S. president has implemented a 25% tariff on all foreign cars imported into the country, a move that came into effect on Thursday. The White House also said it intends to place tariffs on some auto parts no later than May 3. "As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are enacting our planned short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans," a spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover told CNBC via email on Sunday. Jaguar Land Rover, which is one of Britain's biggest carmakers, described the U.S. as "an important market" for the firm's luxury brands. An escalating trade war is expected to have a profound impact on the global car industry, particularly given the high globalization of supply chains and the heavy reliance on manufacturing operations across North America. Indeed, in the days since Trump's auto tariffs came into effect, car giants have responded by announcing plans to raise prices, impose import fees, pause production and even lay off staff. On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya. Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for pic.twitter.com/W9lK1UgpmA Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2025 Image: PTI Image: Narendra Modi/X Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a 'darshan' of the Ram Setu during his flight back from Sri Lanka to India on Sunday, April 6, which also marks the occasion of Ram Navami.Sharing a video on X, Modi said, "On the way back from Sri Lanka a short while ago, was blessed to have a Darshan of the Ram Setu. And, as a divine coincidence, it happened at the same time as the Surya Tilak was taking place in Ayodhya."He added, "Blessed to have the Darshan of both. Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us. May His blessings always remain upon us."The Ram Setu is believed by many to be the bridge built by Lord Ram and his army to reach Lanka.Modi landed in Tamil Nadu to inaugurate development projects and pray on the occasion of Ram Navami He inaugurated the Pamban Sea bridge , providing rail link between Rameswaram island and the mainland and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service. The PM also flagged off a Coast Guard ship which passed under the bridge.He also offered prayers at the famous Ramanatha Swamy temple in Rameswaram. Clad in the traditional 'veshti' (dhoti), shirt and 'angavastram' (worn around the neck), the PM visited the holy shrine for the second time in a little over a year.He had offered prayers at the temple last year , ahead of the Pran Pratishta of Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of Spaniards took to the streets in 40 cities on April 5 to protest against the soaring cost of rents and the scarcity of affordable housing in a country that, despite experiencing the fastest economic growth in Europe, is grappling with a severe housing crisis worsened by a tourism boom. Spain's centre-left government has faced significant challenges in balancing the need to attract tourists and migrants to fill labour gaps while ensuring rents remain affordable for local citizens.Short-term rentals have surged in major cities and coastal areas, further inflating housing costs. "No matter who governs, we must defend housing rights," activists shouted as they shook keychains in Madrid, where over 150,000 protesters marched through the heart of the capital, according to the local tenants' union.Data from property website Idealista revealed that average rents in Spain have doubled, and house prices have risen by 44% over the past decade, vastly outpacing wage growth. Meanwhile, the supply of rental properties has halved since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020."They're kicking all of us out to make tourist flats," said Margarita Aizpuru, a 65-year-old resident of the popular Lavapies neighbourhood. Nearly 100 families in her building had been told by the owners that their rental contracts would not be renewed, she explained.Homeowners' associations and experts argue that current regulations discourage long-term rentals, with landlords finding it more profitable and secure to rent to tourists or foreigners for short stays rather than offer long-term leases.Also read | 'We are spending half our wages on rent...' Thousands protest in Spain against overtourism Spain welcomed a record 94 million tourists in 2024, making it the second most-visited country in the world, alongside an influx of thousands of migrants. Both factors have contributed to a housing deficit of around 500,000 homes, according to the Bank of Spain.Official figures indicate that only about 120,000 new homes are being built each year in Spainjust a sixth of the number constructed before the 2008 financial crisisworsening the already dire shortage.Wendy Davila, 26, stated that the problem was not confined to the city centre, as rents were unaffordable "everywhere.""It cannot be that to live in Madrid you need to share a flat with four others," she added.(With inputs from Reuters) Billionaire Elon Musk told Italy League leader Matteo Salvini on Saturday that he hoped in the future the US and Europe could create "a very close, stronger partnership" and reach a "zero-tariff zone".Musk spoke to Salvini in a video conference during the League's US Congress in Florence. Salvini is the leader of the far-right, anti-migrant League party and vice premier of the Italian conservative government led by Premier Giorgia Meloni.He said that, ideally, there will be a "zero-tariff zone in the future with a free trade zone between Europe and North America".Musk, an adviser to President Donald Trump who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Chinese travelers invigorate global tourism with visa-free, convenient trips Xinhua) 09:34, April 06, 2025 TAIYUAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Tomb-Sweeping Day, traditionally a time for remembering the deceased, is also a perfect occasion for spring outings and sightseeing. While the country has a three-day holiday that started on Friday, Chinese tourists are leveraging visa-free policies, cost-effective flights and tech-driven tools to embark on "instant getaways" abroad, injecting new vitality into global tourism. Wang Liuqing, a white-collar worker from Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, headed to Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for the holiday. "A visa-free destination is a priority," said Wang, adding that the island's jelly-like sea and cherry blossoms have offered fantastic opportunities for photography. On the social platform rednote, numerous Chinese tourists have shared their travel tips for Jeju Island, with over 1 million related posts. The latest booking data from the Chinese travel platform Tuniu shows the number of outbound travelers during this year's holiday is expected to reach a three-year high. As of 2025, over 80 countries and regions offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to Chinese citizens. Wang Liyang, the operation manager of Fliggy, a leading online travel agency, said that individual travel has become the main way for Chinese tourists to travel abroad. Consumers are keen on designing their own itineraries based on online travel guides and booking unique local attractions and activities online, such as diving, sea fishing, hot spring soaking and boat tours. New digital tools are optimizing travel routes for Chinese tourists. Several domestic travel apps have introduced AI solutions, offering customized international travel guides, personalized itineraries and real-time ticket booking -- making short trips more convenient than ever. Low-cost air tickets and efficient customs clearance have also contributed to the popularity of international travel. Online ticketing platforms show that direct flights from Beijing to cities like Hanoi and Bangkok, and from Shanghai to cities like Seoul and Osaka, all cost less than 1,000 yuan (about 140 U.S. dollars). "A budget-friendly trip sparks more passion for travel," said Wang with Fliggy. According to Skift, a U.S. travel industry news site, China's outbound tourism market is projected to surge to 200 million trips by 2028. Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said that more Chinese tourists are now willing to pay for a better lifestyle -- opting for good hotels, fine dining, and high-quality cultural performances during trips. These minor but exquisite, beautiful and heartwarming experiences with deep immersion will bring warmth and vitality to international destinations, said Dai. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) Remind me again why Jack Black went nearly 20 years between hosting appearances on Saturday Night Live? The guy killed it three times in the early aughts but has been pictured on the side of SNL milk cartons ever since, missing in action so that the likes of Jacob Elordi and Halsey could get their turns. It probably has something to do with Blacks late-career turn into kiddie fare Lorne Michaels likely didnt see much wow factor in having Black promote Kung Fu Panda 3 or Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle but last nights return to SNL proved that Black can still bring it with the best of them. For example, compare any recent SNL monologue to Blacks turbo-fueled, School of Rock-style anthem to kick off last nights show. Don't Miss Black is older and heavier than he was 20 years ago, but hes still bringing the manic comedy force and heavy-metal singing chops that shake the ceiling. Hosts like Mikey Madison dont stand a chance against a performer like Black, who had the Studio 8H bleachers rocking. The lyrics underline the fact that Black is in his Super Mario Bros. era, but that didnt stop the comic actor from strutting through the audience like he was headlining the worlds funkiest AC/DC tribute band. Sketch concepts that might have died on the vine with a pretty-boy host got juiced by Blacks infectious energy, like the bit in which he played a dating-show contestant who dresses like Indiana Jones. Thats pretty much the joke, but Black sells it like its Shakespeare, cracking Indys whip like a rim shot to punctuate the punchlines. Advertisement The same goes for One-Uppers, a sketch about a group of old friends who try to out-impress one another with their humble brags. Their accomplishments arent especially funny, but each one is driven home by a triumphant turn to camera, accompanied by a majestic eagle screech. In other words, its an excuse to mug to the audience. No one commits to the bit more than Black, and each look convinces us that hes won the war. Advertisement Advertisement The entire night was more of an exercise in silliness than wit, but hey, Ill take silly over lifeless. In Bass Lake, Black is the leader of a dad band who invites enterprising musicians to join him in a group jam unfortunately, everyone who takes him up on the offer plays the bass. Its one of those Kenan Thompson is about to crack up sketches as each successive bass player tries to out-weird the one who came before. Advertisement Blacks performance is a good reminder that the show works best when it has a killer host, someone with serious comedy chops rather than a celebrity with a movie that opened on Friday. Up next is Jon Hamm, another soon-to-be four-time host and another great example of a guest who can carry a show. As SNL rounds out Season 50, lets hope Michaels leans into the funny versus whatever random celeb his kids tell him is hot that week. Patrick Vallance loves to pontificate on the importance of transparency in science, peppering his speeches and interviews with grandiose statements about how openness is so fundamental to understanding our world and making progress. His words carry great weight as one of the countrys most influential scientists. He was, after all, chief scientific adviser to the government during the pandemic and has now been elevated to the House of Lords and appointed as science minister. As this owlish character says so rightly, openness is one of the guiding principles of science and, as new evidence emerges, furthering our understanding of the world, transparency allows scientists to change their mind freely. That is an exciting part of progress, he told the BBC. For a politician that feels like a U-turn. This is not a U-turn it is new evidence that gives you a new position. Yet perhaps his lordship sees himself now as a politician rather than a scientist. For how else to explain his abandonment of oft-stated principles regarding one of the most important scientific issues facing the world: the origin of a pandemic that led to 20 million excess deaths and economic devastation around the planet? The harsh truth is that Vallance now looks like a grubby elitist hypocrite another arrogant politician contemptuous of the taxpayers funding his salary as he dodges questions over a sordid cover-up that stains science. As I reported in The MoS last month, Vallance has serious questions to answer over his involvement in a multinational group of scientists that stifled debate on Covid origins and helped undermine public faith in their profession during the pandemic. Sir Patrick Vallance was chief scientific adviser to the government during the pandemic and has now been elevated to the House of Lords and appointed as science minister A police officer standing guard outside the Huanan Seafood Wholesale market, where the coronavirus was detected, in Wuhan They pushed a debunked idea that Covid-19 can be traced to a market selling wild animals in the Chinese city of Wuhan while helping brand dissidents who refused to rule out the lab leak theory as conspiracy theorists assisted by supine science journals, weak politicians and a patsy media cowed by their supposed expertise. As more evidence emerges to suggest the heads of Western funding bodies in grim alliance with the Chinese dictatorship tried to dupe the public over Covid-19s origins, his position looks untenable, I wrote. Given the need for more clarity on such a seismic issue, I sent Vallance 20 detailed questions over the origins of Sars-CoV-2 the virus that causes Covid and his involvement in the clandestine group that tried to stifle debate on a lab leak. I asked him to explain his statement that from all the evidence I have seen Covid was a zoonotic disease (one that can be transmitted from animals to humans). He has, after all, dismissed the hypothesis that the virus might have escaped a lab after being engineered by scientists, claiming that its biology does not look like that and insisting that the concept of a designed virus was very, very, very unlikely. Yet we know Vallance himself informed intelligence agencies in the early weeks of the pandemic over suspicions that the virus might have come from a laboratory. Then he helped quash such concerns, as a part of a secretive group led by former US presidential adviser Anthony Fauci and Sir Jeremy Farrar, who was then the director of Europes biggest medical research charity, the Wellcome Trust, and is now chief scientist at the widely-discredited World Health Organisation. They pushed a now notorious statement known as the Proximal Origin article that refuted the origin of Sars-CoV-2 being linked to any laboratory-based scenario in Nature Medicine and in a letter to The Lancet attacking conspiracy theories suggesting that Covid-19 does not have a natural origin. Sir Vallance gave evidence at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry in 2023 Mr Vallance has dismissed the hypothesis that the virus might have escaped a lab after being engineered by scientists So, given his publicly-stated view on the importance of scientific openness and the essential need to share methodology not to mention his taxpayer-funded post as science minister it seemed fair to ask him to explain his actions. These are, after all, issues of immense global significance. Recent reports suggest that at the beginning of the pandemic, the BND Germanys foreign intelligence agency believed there was at least an 80 per cent chance that Sars-CoV-2 leaked from a Chinese lab. Their findings, though, were covered up by former chancellor Angela Merkels team. The CIA now concurs that it is more likely to have leaked from a Wuhan lab than to have had a natural origin, joining the FBI and the USs Department of Energy, which runs advanced biology labs, in adopting this position. Many scientists have shifted their view also following a welter of circumstantial evidence pointing towards a possible lab leak. Yet those backing the idea that it originated in wild animals have failed to find a species that transmitted the disease from bats to humans, despite an intensive search by Chinese authorities. Given the disgraceful refusal of the Communist dictatorship to share key data on the origin of the virus, one would think that Vallance the minister who preaches about scientific transparency would show his evidence or explain his stance. But instead of a fascinating exposition of his viewpoint let alone any admission that his views might have altered I was sent just a couple of bland lines from a spokesman on the need to find Covids origins to help prevent and prepare for future pandemics. His team pointed me again towards a cosy chat Vallance had on BBC Radio 4s PM programme earlier this month in which he claimed to have been clear from the start of the pandemic that the virus could have been designed, escaped from a lab or spilled over naturally from animals. Yet the minister insisted again that a designed virus was much less likely for a number of biological reasons and said that a natural spillover from animal to human is still probably the most likely. He was not challenged, of course, by the genial host Evan Davis, who failed to ask his guest to explain those biological reasons or detail his evidence for spillover. Yet, as I reported in The MoS, Robert Redfield a world-renowned virologist who headed the key US public health body when the pandemic erupted told me that he is now 100 per cent convinced Covid resulted from bat virus researchers becoming infected at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The CIA now concurs that the virus is more likely to have leaked from a Wuhan lab than to have had a natural origin Yet you do not have to be a top scientist to see the glaring coincidence that Covid emerged in a city hosting a secretive laboratory with the worlds biggest repository of bat coronaviruses. That the Institute took its database offline shortly before the pandemic was detected, had known safety concerns and was carrying out risky research to boost infectivity of coronaviruses, only emboldens the view that Covid might have been Made in China, which is shared by the majority of the public but conspicuously not by our science minister. Yet Lord Vallance shamefully hides behind his officials and loftily declines to set out his alternative stance. Given his extraordinary hypocrisy, is it any wonder that the public is losing faith in both his professions of science and politics? Some years ago a Polish man attended my NHS cancer clinic, speaking little English. As my father was Polish, I was able to converse, and two things became clear pretty quickly: he was not entitled to NHS care and had come to Hammersmith Hospital, where I spent 25 years as clinical director of cancer services, because he wanted to be treated there by some of the world's best doctors for free. I was sympathetic. But when I queried his right to treatment, he began screaming at me an angry confrontation that went on for an hour. This kind of thing is happening the length and breadth of the country. Health tourism is a perennial problem that NHS management has failed time and time again to address, as these figures show. And it puts doctors like me in an invidious position. No one disputes that if someone becomes suddenly ill, or has a road accident or a heart attack, they should be treated immediately on the NHS without worrying about the cost. But we have become a soft touch when it comes to elective treatments such as knee-ops and kidney transplants, where foreign patients are able to routinely abuse a system that lacks the checks and balances of other services in Europe. Those who fail to pay are unconscionable, but even those who do will lengthen the already eye-wateringly long waiting lists for UK patients. Health tourism is a perennial problem that NHS management has failed time and time again to address, writes Prof Karol Sikora (stock photo) No one disputes that if someone becomes suddenly ill, or has a road accident or a heart attack, they should be treated immediately on the NHS without worrying about the cost (stock photo) The contrast with the private sector could not be sharper. My hospital had a private wing with robust billing systems. Patients paid a deposit before walking through the door, which gave us their identity and card details. We even put one private patient, a Nigerian woman, on a plane home because it became clear she had no way of paying in full for her cancer treatment. I arranged for a colleague to see her in Lagos. Any private hospital manager who had let the bill for unpaid treatment balloon to the levels we can now see in NHS Trusts would be sacked. Yet, because the NHS draws its funding from a bottomless well of taxpayer money, managers there can afford to ignore a foreign patient's ability to pay. Neither party cares because it's not their money. Yet every penny should be precious. The NHS could pay for 8,500 newly qualified nurses with an extra 250million; or treat 27,000 women for breast cancer. These are the figures which, above all, should embolden managers to act. Survival kits of Swiss army knives and bottled water. That is what our defences have been reduced to, thanks to decades of cowardice and complacency. So rattled have our security services become by the potential for Russia to cut our undersea power supply that they have urged the Government to tell households to pack a three-day survival kit. But asking us to fumble by torch light for cans of food in the case of emergency is a woeful indictment of the impotence of our Armed Forces and their political masters in countering this threat. Our island nation is uniquely vulnerable to attacks on the undersea pipelines, data cables and power interconnectors that link us to the rest of the world. Russian president Vladimir Putin knows this, and has been menacing our underwater infrastructure for two decades. At the weekend it was revealed Russian sensors, suspected of attempting to spy on UK nuclear submarines, have been found in the seas around our coast. Meanwhile, fears of sabotage escalated after Russian spy ship, the Yantar, was detected mapping North Sea cables. Theres no question that Putin has been laying the groundwork to wage war on Nato for years. But his latest actions now highlight an existential threat to the UKs security. Imagine this scenario: Sir Keir Starmer puts British troops in Ukraine as part of a post-ceasefire security force. Russian drones or rockets attack them, causing fatalities. We have no choice but to strike back. But as the Prime Minister is about to give the order, warning lights flash in the National Grids control centre in Wokingham. Power interconnectors with Europe are reporting faults. We switch to our gas-fired power stations only to find the main gas pipeline to Norway has sprung a leak too. What then? With no power, chaos would spread in hours. No banking. Riots and looting. A three-day survival pack isnt going to be much help. Putin has been laying the groundwork to wage war on Nato for years Asking us to fumble by torch light for cans of food in the case of emergency is a woeful indictment of the impotence of our Armed Force The problem is that our defence chiefs have only belatedly woken up to the danger. Yes, Britain has one modern vessel, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Proteus, which is hunting Russian sabotage and surveillance attempts. But she came into service in 2023 a decade too late and we need at least two such ships, not one. For years our defence chiefs have blustered and postured, claiming that our Army, Navy and Air Force are the best in the world. Faced with the all-too-real threat of Putin attacking our essential infrastructure, they have responded with denials and outright deceit. So what now? We need to rethink the way we run our economy and society, taking a lesson from countries such as Finland, which build resilience to attack into all aspects of life, with bomb shelters, stockpiles of essential goods and training for civilians. Most importantly, we need to reinforce our deterrent. We cant protect every distant cable and pipe, but we must deter such attacks in the first place by rebuilding our hollowed-out Armed Forces. Putin and his cronies should regard Britain as a daunting target, sure to mount a devastating response to any attack. Instead, they see us as weak. Our politicians have allowed Kremlin murders, arson and political meddling on UK soil to go unpunished. Raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, as Starmer has promised, is not nearly enough and terrifiyingly perhaps too late. We are reaping the consequences of decades of inaction and bravado. We can restock our cupboards, but the real gaps are elsewhere. Edward Lucas is author of The New Cold War: Putins Threat to Russia and the West While the word 'bop' will make boomers, Gen X-ers and even millennials think of a school disco or an awkward dance, it has very different connotations for today's teenagers. In fact, 'bop', 'school bop' and 'lala bop', terms which adults of all ages may reasonably consider harmless, have taken on new meaning and are being used to shame young girls by labelling them as promiscuous. For teenagers, both online and offline, 'bop' is a derogatory slang term for a supposedly promiscuous woman who 'bops' between different men. 'Sl**-shaming' - when someone criticises another person, usually a girl or woman, for their real or perceived sexual behaviour - is nothing new, but social media sites like TikTok have allowed it to take on new forms and develop on a much larger scale. And, according to US website Parents, this novel form of sl**-shaming goes even further than name-calling since 'users claim to provide digital proof, whether real, taken out of context or entirely fabricated.' Calling someone a 'bop' or 'school bop' as an insult based on their supposed sexual history started a few years ago when someone posted a song called 'Lala Bop' - and there are now more than 321,000 TikTok posts with the hashtag '#bop'. Titania Jordan, Chief Parent Officer at Bark Technologies and co-author of Parenting in a Tech World, took to TikTok herself to warn parents that their children - and especially their daughters - might be being targeted. In a video that's been viewed more than 3.1 million times, Titania said: 'What's "Lala bop"? I'm so glad you asked. It's not kind and it's a trend that started in late 2022 when a TikTok user posted a song by that same name. Titania Jordan (pictured), Chief Parent Officer at Bark Technologies and co-author of Parenting in a Tech World took to TikTok herself to warn parents that their children - and especially their daughters - might be being targeted The term 'Lala bops' is used extensively in cyber bullying situations, the parenting expert warned 'The song has since started being used in call out videos that shame people for allegedly dating around or being promiscuous. 'Lala bop has also evolved to become a general video call out for any sort of ill-favoured behaviour. 'Someone may be targeted really for anything deemed negative. 'Not surprisingly, lala bops are used extensively in cyber bullying situations. 'Unfortunately, lala bops are most commonly directed at females as it implies that they have a high "body count", which is slang for how many people someone has hooked up with. 'Lala bops may not even be true and could just be vicious rumours circulating.' One example, which was posted on Facebook, shows two teenagers 'recreating' a situation where a boy has been spotted hanging out with the supposed 'school bop'. In the video, the boy is seen holding the girl's hand as they walk together. As soon as they come into view of others, however, he shakes her off and appears uninterested all of a sudden. The caption reads, 'How mans move when they get caught talkin' to the school bop', while the boy says sarcastically, 'How is she a bop? She has 66 bodiesit's average.' The reference to '66 bodies', as Titania Jordan pointed out, is another way of saying the girl has had 66 sexual partners. The video not only engages in slut-shaming, reinforcing gender stereotypes, but also makes fun of those who associate with the person who's being shamed. Another TikTok video, which has been viewed 1.9 million times, also seeks to shame girls as 'bops'. Posted by the account @thematthewsfamliy, it features an image of a young girl with the caption '17 bodies at 13 is crazy' written across her face and then another image of a middle-aged woman with the caption 'your daughter a big bop'. The video then appears to reveal 'the daughter in question' before going on to shame her father. The comments below the clip only continue and add to the public shaming by putting emphasis on the girl's supposed sexual history. One person wrote: 'Im almost 20 and mine is no where near 17 what!!??' Another exclaimed: 'NO WAY??' A third video takes a different tact with South Africa-based influencer Nicca, who goes by @niccamassynxx, aiming to draw attention to the proliferation of the bullying term and turn the shame back on those who use it as an insult. She tells her 228,500 followers: 'So I just found out what a 'bop' is. Y'all are nasty. South Africa-based influencer Nicca's video aims to draw attention to the proliferation of the bullying term and turn the shame back on those who use it as an insult 'I thought "bop" is maybe like "Baddie on Point" or, I dunno, like "Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo" or, you know, the High School Musical movie and they go "bop bop bop bop to the top".' The clip ends with Nicca covering her mouth with her hand and shaking her head in disgust. Being targeted as a supposed 'bop', whether in real life or in an online video, could be extremely harmful for a young woman. In the case of online content, it is being beamed around the world and becomes very difficult to eliminate. Those affected may find it extremely difficult to shake off a TikTok clip, which could lead to them being ostracised at school, and could in turn have a negative impact on their mental health. To try to minimise the damage that those using 'bop' as an insult can do, parenting expert Titania Jordan encourages parents to recognise the social media videos as 'a teachable moment'. In her own TikTok video, she explained that this kind of content provides an opportunity 'to discuss the lasting implications of hurtful words, gossip or memes posted on social media. 'For the lala bop trend specifically, it's an opportunity to talk about three things with your kids: consent, digital literacy and judgement.' In terms of 'consent', parents are encouraged to ask children to consider if someone has the right to post a video in which they brand someone a 'bop'. For 'digital literacy', Titania wants parents to help children question why someone would spread damaging stories about someone else. And, when it comes to 'judgement', parents should see that their offspring question what gives someone the right to call another person a 'bop', with all its negative connotations. Spending money to question my entire existence? Sign me up! I decided to take three of the most popular DNA tests on the market - MyHeritage, AncestryDNA and 23andMe - because why not dive headfirst into an existential crisis? Being from Bulgaria and knowing next to nothing about my dad's side of the family, I figured, 'This is the way to go!' He left home as I was entering my teenage years and was never close to his own parents. That left me with a lifetime of questions about where I really came from. Growing up in the remote mountain village of Glozhene as an only child, our house was often quite empty. As a child, I didn't have access to any tools that could help me figure out my background. The only clue my dad left me was a vague story about his family having ties to the Roman Empire. A few months ago, I delved into the online world of genetic testing. Little did I know that the results would make for some frustrating and uncomfortable reading! So, If you're ready to come face to face with the truth that you may have dated a family member, jump right in. Stella tried three of the most popular DNA tests on the market - MyHeritage, AncestryDNA and 23andMe Stella, 5, and her lookalike mother, 32, in the remote mountain village of Glozhene, Bulgaria Stella's grandmother was always present during her childhood, helping to raise her Stella, 11, organises the fourth birthday party for her beloved dog Ronnie As a child, Stella didn't have access to any tools that could help her figure out her background Each test is DIY-friendly: order online, follow the instructions and send off your sample. With MyHeritage, youll need to swab your cheek, while AncestryDNA and 23andMe require you to spit into a tiny tube. Once thats done, just register your kit, pop it in the post and wait. Prices ranged from 'budget-friendly but probably accurate?' to 'why did I pay this much to end up more confused? A word of warning: patience is key. On average, my results took about four weeks to arrive, with one test taking nearly two months. All three tests are DIY-friendly: order online, follow the instructions and send off your sample With MyHeritage, you'll need to swab your cheek, while AncestryDNA and 23andMe require you to spit into a small tube Test one: MyHeritage The bargain revelation First up, MyHeritage, which cost a modest 33. The results? Turns out, I'm not as Eastern European as I thought. That said, I was impressed by how my geographical data was presented - my results appeared in a swirling globe animation, highlighting my ancestors' former homes. According to them, I'm 71.1 per cent Balkan, 18.6 per cent Greek and Italian, 6.2 per cent North and West European and 4.1 per cent East Asian. Should I be learning how to make baklava or pasta from scratch? The crisis had officially begun. However, I told myself - with an Italian name like mine, it was bound to happen! But that was just the beginning. Stella finds out she is not as Eastern European as she thought MyHeritage claims Stella is 71.1 per cent Balkan and 18.6 per cent Greek and Italian Stella's results appeared in a swirling globe animation, highlighting her ancestors' former homes Plot twist: I also discovered that my childhood crush is actually my third cousin. Yes, you read that correctly. An innocent browse through my DNA relatives turned into an uncomfortable phone call with my grandmother. Me: 'Grandma, this name looks very familiar' Her: 'You dont remember? You told everyone youd marry him!' Well, guess I dodged that bullet. I still remember how we met - at a gathering for Bulgaria's National Day. I was ten, anxiously waiting to recite a poem with the other kids. He happened to be the kid next to me, holding my hand to calm me down. I was never the same after that. But at the time, it didnt work out - there was a three-year age gap, and that felt like a lot back then. For a moment, I thought about messaging him, just to see if he remembered. But some mysteries are best left unsolved - especially after discovering hes now married with a baby. Stella discovered that her childhood crush was actually her third cousin Test two: AncestryDNA The pasta betrayal Next up, AncestryDNA, setting me back 79. This test, I thought, would confirm my MyHeritage results and solidify my identity... First, the website is sleek, with interactive visuals and vibrant diagrams that made exploring my ethnicity estimate simple and engaging. However, according to this one, I'm 87 per cent Balkan and 13 per cent Greek and Albanian - no Italian in sight. The betrayal! I had already promised my Italian flatmate we'd be making homemade pasta together. Now I have to pretend I'm still connected to my fake Italian roots or come clean about my culinary fraud. The moral dilemma is real. So far, we know one thing for sure - I am definitely not a fake Bulgarian. The mild disappointment on Stella's face when she discovers Italy is not in the mix According to AncestryDNA, Stella is 87 per cent Balkan and 13 per cent Greek and Albanian Test Three: 23andMe The expensive vague one Lastly, the creme de la creme of DNA tests - 23andMe. At 89 for the basic version (or up to 159 if you want a health report to tell you that you might have anxiety - groundbreaking), I thought this was the big one. The test that would tell me once and for all who I really am. And the result? 99.8 per cent Southern European. No further details. Nothing too specific about Italians, Greeks or any distant Scandinavian warriors. Just a vague, 'Yep, youre from somewhere in this massive chunk of Europe.' The only new detail? I will admit - it pinpointed the Bulgarian Mountains. Great, but what do I do with the other ten countries lumped into 'Southern European'? Flip a coin? After clicking through a large map highlighted in blue, it suggests I could just as easily be from Romania or Serbia as from Greece. Greece, it seems, triumphed over Italy in my genetic results - so I suppose Ill take that along with my expected Bulgarian roots. But even this test couldnt solve the mystery of where I truly come from! Stella is bamboozled by the shockingly unspecific 99.8 per cent Southern European After clicking through a large map highlighted in blue, it suggests Stella could just as easily be from Romania or Serbia as from Greece The mystery of Stella's true heritage remains unsolved The fact that the genetics testing giant recently filed for bankruptcy only adds to my worries - just whats happening with my genetic data now? Some 15 million users were urged to wipe their profiles over fears their DNA information could be sold. For a company that's been used by law enforcement to solve high-profile cold cases, I believed that there would no longer be a question mark above Stella's heritage. After all that, the most conclusive test in my opinion was actually the cheapest one - MyHeritage. It broke down more components and even revealed to me that maybe my dad's stories were true. For once... It turns out I do have an Italian heritage. So, what have I learned from this expensive genetic rollercoaster? There is always a chance you might be dating your cousin. Would I still recommend it? Absolutely! Because nothing says 'fun' like paying for a full-blown identity crisis! It took just one woman sinking her teeth into a chocolate bar oozing with gooey green filling to send the internet into a sugar-fuelled frenzy last year - but is Dubai's viral chocolate all it's cracked up to be? Since TikTok got a taste of Dubai chocolate, appetite for the treat has skyrocketed - with influencers and foodies alike claiming to have travelled thousands of miles and shelled out hundreds just to get their hands on the crunchy bar. The viral chocolate first gained notoriety in 2024 when a Dubai-based chocolatier, inspired by her pregnancy cravings, began inventing filled chocolate bars to satisfy her sweet tooth. Sarah Hamouda launched her brand Fix Dessert Chocolatier in 2021, later inventing the pistachio cream and filo-pastry filled pudding which went on to land global acclaim after TikTok Maria Vehera posted a video sampling the treat in all its crunchy glory. Maria's original video triggered a global obsession, as thousands began posting ASMR videos sinking their teeth into the thick chocolate bars, leaving a flurry of salivating foodies desperate to sample it for themselves. The viral bar is inspired by a Middle Eastern dessert called Knafeh and are filled with pistachio cream, tahini and Kataifi pastry - a pastry made from shredded filo dough. On TikTok alone, billions have searched for the cocoa treat with hundreds sharing recipes and offering their thoughts on the viral bar. And brands from across the globe have leapt on the trend, with the likes of Nestle, Lidl and Lindt having rushed to made their own versions. But Dubai chocolate doesn't come cheap, with even affordable options such as those available from Lidl, selling for an eye-watering 3.44 for just 122g of product. The viral chocolate first gained notoriety in 2024 when a Dubai-based chocolatier, inspired by her pregnancy cravings, began inventing filled chocolate bars to satisfy her sweet tooth (FIX Dessert chocolate pictured) Trainee reporter, Emily (pictured) taste tested three varieties of Dubai chocolate Elsewhere, Selfridges have had their shelves cleared after fans flocked to the department store in a desperate bid to score the crunchy treat, where prices range from 5 to 27. So popular are the chocolate bars that a number of sellers had their entire stock sold almost instantly, with a Lindt version having cleared within just 72 minutes on TikTok shop. Dozens of TikTokers shared clips queuing up outside supermarkets in the early hours of the morning in the hopes of getting their hands on the retailer's spin on the viral chocolate when it was released last week. As it becomes one of the internet's most sought after foods, FEMAIL has put to the test three popular variations to the bar to ask the all important question - is it worth the hype? Four MailOnline reporters have put three Dubai chocolate bars to the test to see if they can decipher which is the most expensive. Lidl - 3.99 Influencers all across the country raced to their nearest Lidl in the early hours of the morning last week in an bid to get their hands on the supermarket's hotly anticipated Dubai chocolate. At just 3.99, Lidl's option is by far the cheapest of those we sampled, a factor that appeared to show up in the quality of the chocolate. Trainee reporter Emily wasn't convinced it was totally up to what had been proffered online, noting that it was lacking the distinctive crunch of the Kataifi pastry. 'It has a bit less of the pastry I think,' she noted, adding that it was one of the key components and one of the main reasons 'why people are going crazy online.' It took just one woman sinking her teeth into a chocolate bar oozing with gooey green filling to send the internet into a sugar-fuelled frenzy last year TV reporter Jack noticed Lidl's chocolate was 'sweeter' than it's rival varieties, packing a sugar punch that gave away it's cheaper price point (TV reporter, Jack, pictured) While it it by far one of the cheapest options out there, Lidl's variation of the Dubai bar was perceptibly inferior in taste, with all four reporters accurately detecting it had a lower price mark Others were less than impressed. Sport reporter Henry said Lidl's version was 'nothing fancy'. Dismissing the budget option, Henry said he 'wouldn't be getting out of bed early to try that one'. Elsewhere, trainee reporter Cameron observed the taste was 'mostly chocolate' with a hint of a 'nutty' flavour inside. TV editor Jack noticed Lidl's chocolate was 'sweeter' than its rival varieties, packing a sugar punch that gave away its cheaper price point. While it it by far one of the cheapest options out there, Lidl's variation of the Dubai bar was perceptibly inferior in taste, with all four reporters accurately detecting it had a lower price mark. Godiva - 20 Next up and coming it the mid-range price point of 20 was the Godiva crispy 'kadayif chocolate tablet', which boasts an intense pistachio filling sandwiched between decadent layers of smooth Godiva milk chocolate. At 20, the Godiva chocolate 'tablet' is even more expensive than the original Fix Dessert bar which is $18 or 14. It comes as a 180g bar, which is just slightly larger than a standard-size Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar, which is typically just 1.50. Oozing opulence, the Belgium-born chocolate bar is elegantly encased in gold foil wrap and accompanying carboard case to mimic the look of a bar of gold. Next up and coming it the mid-range price point of just 20 was the Godvia crispy 'kadayif chocolate tablet', which boasts an intense pistachio filled sandwiched between decadent layers of smooth Godiva milk chocolate (pictured) Elsewhere, trainee reporter, Cameron observed the taste of Lidl's was 'mostly chocolate' with a hint of a 'nutty' flavour inside (pictured) Oozing opulence, the Belgium-born chocolate bar is elegantly encased in gold foil wrap and accompanying carboard case to mimic the look of a bar of gold. Putting the pricey chocolate treat under the microscope, MailOnline reporters were impressed to say the least, with some even ranking it as their favourite among the three. Inspecting the cocoa slab, Emily immediately noticed that it was 'really nice and filled', particularly in comparison to its supermarket rival. But she was less impressed after taking a bite and pointed out the 'artificial' flavour compared to Lidl's cheaper version. Meanwhile, Henry was completely enamoured by Godiva's offering, describing it as 'luxurious'. 'You're getting a lot of bang for your buck with this one,' he said, pointing to the generously stuffed interior. 'I definitely think that's more luxurious, this has got to be the most expensive one,' he added. Jack noted that the Godiva variation was reminiscent of a Kinder Bueno, arguably an early iteration of the stuffed chocolate treat. 'If you like praline, hazelnut, almond, pistachio, those kind of flavours, I think you'll really like this,' he said. So impressed was he with the chocolate Jack even guessed it was the most expensive of the three. The same mistake was made by Henry, who thought the Godiva version was the most expensive of the three. Emily also correctly guessed the price position of each bar The most expensive on the list, Laderach's variety comes as a generous slice of fresh chocolate packed with a creamy pistachio filling, hand-crafted crispy baked kataifi threads and roasted nut pieces Others were less than impressed. Sport reporter Henry said Lidl's version was 'nothing fancy'(Sport reporter, Henry) Laderach - 32 The most expensive on the list, Laderach's variety comes as a generous slice of fresh chocolate packed with a creamy pistachio filling, hand-crafted crispy baked kataifi threads and roasted nut pieces. Offering a unique twist on the recipe, the Swiss chocolatiers also include almond gianduja in their filling and top each bar with a swirl of sweet blond chocolate. However, in comparison to luxurious packaging of its cheaper rivals, Laderach's chocolate bar was simply bagged in a sheet of plastic. The luxurious recipe was not wasted on Jack, who instantly swooned after taking a bite of the nutty treat. 'I have to say, I do think that it's absolutely delicious,' said Jack after taking a bite of the crunchy chocolate,' he said. Henry was equally impressed and compared it to the high-end brand, Hotel Chocolat. 'This is good quality', he said, evidently impressed. But tasting it, he thought it was 'so grainy' but still 'nice'. 'You've got the white chocolate stripe on there,' he said, pointing to the glossy swirl of blonde chocolate spiralling across the face of the chocolate slab. 'The flavour hits - at first I thought it was a bit bland but it's actually really nice,' Emily observed. 'It's got quite a natural pistachio flavour.' Cameron also thought the Swiss variety was 'the most tasty' compared to the other chocolate bars, correctly guessing the price order of three chocolate bars. Emily also correctly guessed the price position of each bar. Thankfully, there's now no need to travel halfway across the world to get your hands on Dubai chocolate - but now you're spoilt for choice in the UK, it's worth knowing what your money can get you. Dear Jane, My girlfriend and I have been together for just over a year and we make each other very happy. Recently, she's opened up about struggling with her self-esteem and experiencing body image issues but, to me, she is perfect! She's naturally gorgeous and has a great body one that most women would envy. Anyway, she recently went on a bachelorette weekend trip to Miami with her college friends who are a little crazy and did something extremely impulsive and reckless. Apparently, all the girls got drunk and decided to get their nipples pierced. My girlfriend didn't want to be a party pooper, so she did it too. When she got home and told me, I was furious. I think she should've at least told me before doing something like that to her body! We're a couple, after all, and things like this should be a joint decision. To make matters worse, I hate the piercing. It looks so tacky. Dear Jane: My girlfriend loves her new cosmetic enhancement... But I hate it. And every man I know does too. She has small-ish boobs, so she usually goes bra-less and now her piercing pokes through her clothes. I feel like everyone in public is staring at her chest. I asked some of my guy friends what they think of nipple piercings, and all of them agreed that they're a massive turn-off which makes me feel even more ashamed of my girlfriend's new body bling. The piercing is honestly giving me the ick, and it grosses me out when we're intimate. I really want to tell her how I feel and ask her to take the stud out to let the hole close up, but she says she loves it, and that it makes her feel sexy and confident. Knowing that she has struggled with body issues in the past makes me feel guilty about hating something she finds so empowering. What do I do? From, Nipple it in the bud International best-selling author Jane Green offers sage advice on readers' most burning issues in her agony aunt column Dear Nipple it in the bud, There are a few issues that jump out at me here. First is your thinking that, because you and your girlfriend are a couple, she has to seek your approval before she does something to her body. I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. She is not your property, nor is she even your wife. She's your girlfriend, and has absolute autonomy. As for why she didn't discuss this with you beforehand perhaps she knew you wouldn't like it. A few years ago, I wanted a tattoo. But my husband at the time hated tattoos. If I had told him that I planned to get one, he would have gone to great lengths to talk me out of it and I (as a people-pleaser) would probably have agreed to stand down. But this tattoo was important to me, and it was my body, so I made the decision to go ahead without telling my husband. As some might put it, I asked for forgiveness rather than permission. The second issue I see here relates to communication which is a vital component of any relationship. While I don't think your girlfriend had to ask your permission to get her nipple pierced, I do think it's generally healthy to discuss large decisions together as a couple. Although, certain circumstances like being drunk at a bachelorette party can make that tricky. The final issue is your mention of the dreaded ick. The ick is a real thing, and once we have it, it's hard to get over. Although, when we reveal that we have the ick, often our aversion dissipates. I remember a friend telling me she'd developed the ick for her boyfriend, and when she finally told him, he confessed that something she had done had also given him a bad feeling. As they were able to talk and laugh about it, their respective icks disappeared. My point being, you need to be open with your girlfriend and tell her how you really feel about the piercing. Just as she has the right to do something to her body, you have the right to tell her how you feel about it. If she decides she wants to keep it, maybe this relationship has to end. And if that's the case, accept that this was not the right person for you. Dear Jane, My wife and I have been together for over a decade and we are now in our 30s. A few weeks ago, she went on a night out with some friends to celebrate a birthday. The next morning she confessed to me that she had drunkenly made out with one of the other girls. She was worried I was going to be furious and consider it cheating - but honestly, it's the complete opposite. I have always found this friend in particular extremely attractive, so the thought of my wife having a drunken steamy make-out with her really turned me on. At first, I didn't tell her this because I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. So we just laughed about it and moved on. But then I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss, so a few nights ago, when I was a bit drunk myself, I asked my wife if her friend would be down for a threesome. My wife flatly refused. Now I find myself unable to let go of the idea, and I'm having intrusive thoughts during our lovemaking about the two of them kissing. It seems like I might never get this out of my head. Please help! From, Kiss & Tell JANE'S SUNDAY SERVICE There was once a play that ran in New York called 'I love you, you're perfect. Now change'. It is unfair for us to want our partners to be different from who they truly are. We must learn to accept our loved ones with all their flaws, rather than expect them to change in order to make us content. Acceptance will lead to happier, healthier and longer lasting relationships. Advertisement Dear Kiss & Tell, A drunken make-out session does not a threesome make. Your wife has actually just spiced up your sex life in a way that sounds exciting rather than intrusive. Everyone fantasizes! Instead of punishing yourself by thinking of your fantasies as intrusive thoughts, simply appreciate the fun they add to your lovemaking. I will say, it's probably wise not to suggest a threesome again. As much as you are turned on by the thought of your wife kissing this other woman, it doesn't sound like she is harboring similar fantasies. And, even if she is attracted to this friend of hers, attraction to someone alone does not mean there should be an automatic invitation for them to join the marital bed. Rather than asking your wife for a threesome, perhaps tell her how much the kiss turned you on, and that you fantasize about it. Telling her about it may help you to stop thinking about this as intrusive, and therefore wrong. Sex ought to have a playful element, and there should be no shame in revealing our desires. In fact, the more fun you have, the more likely you are to avoid the dreaded 'married sex' an occasional quickie just to get it over and done with. The Duchess of Sussex's As Ever brand finally launched last week Meghan Markle fans have been left disappointed after ordering her $28 honey - only to be told they won't be getting the products. The Duchess of Sussex's highly anticipated As Ever lifestyle products finally launched last week and sold out just minutes after going live. Among the products included in the limited-edition drop were wildflower honey with honeycomb priced at $28 (21.60) and some flower sprinkles at $15 (11.60), while a jar of raspberry jam set punters back $14 (10.80). According to the As Ever website, the honey is said to have been 'inspired by Meghan's own appreciation for the art of harvesting this natural delight at her family home in Montecito', containing 'earthy and floral notes' and a 'glimmering golden hue' to 'elevate the everyday'. But it seems that even the lucky few who managed to place an order weren't able to get their hands on the prized item, as some fans were informed that the products were already sold out when their purchase was confirmed. Instead, they were comforted by news that they would be getting a full refund and another item of their choice, while a personal message from Meghan promised first access to future launches. Fans claimed they received an email from the company, which read: 'The excitement created a volume of traffic on the site that even we couldn't have anticipated (with everything selling out in an hour). 'The orders were happening so quickly that the backend of the site didn't have a chance to keep up. The Limited-Edition Honey that you purchased was, unfortunately, already sold out.' Meghan Markle fans have been left disappointed after ordering her $28 honey - only to be told they won't get the products Fans were then told they would be getting refunds, and that they would be able to choose another As Ever item free of charge 'We are working on replenishing inventory and will gladly send you an item of your choosing to thank you for your understanding,' the message continued. The notice was then accompanied by 'a personal message from our founder', as Meghan penned a notice to those facing disappointment. 'Dear friend,' she wrote, according to the emails posted online. 'My goodness, what a whirlwind this week has been! Thank you so much for the support. It really means so much to me. 'I was so sorry to hear about what happened with your order, and that due to overselling we are not able to get you the Limited-Edition Honey. Please know the team worked very hard in every department, and felt just as sad when we learned what had happened.' Meghan promised fans they would be first to receive the next item in a future drop, saying 'no need to order, it will come to you in the mail as a gift from me.' Promising that 'more goodness is coming soon', the Duchess signed off the email with her name in calligraphy. Meghan fans, known as the 'Sussex Squad', soon rushed to X/Twitter to praise the Duchess for her 'excellent customer service' in the face of the blip, despite admitting they were 'sad' about not receiving the honey. On the As Ever website, the honey is said to have been 'inspired by Meghan's own appreciation for the art of harvesting this natural delight at her family home in Montecito' Meghan sent a personal message to fans, promising they would be the first to receive items from the 'next limited-edition item drop' Fans had received an email telling them the limited-edition honey was already sold out Though they were 'sad', fans were excited to receive a message from the Duchess One fan wrote: 'Omg!! So....I refreshed the #AsEver page so much that I caused a glitch in the matrix (IYKYK). The honey I thought I ordered is sold out. Received this message from #MeghanSussex #AsEverMeghan.' A second person added: 'I got the same email as well. I am sad about the honey, but I'm genuinely happy that their launch was such a huge success!' It is not currently known if the same issue has affected the other products in the launch. FEMAIL has reached out to representatives for the Duchess of Sussex for comment. some For each of her products, Meghan has shared her best 'tips for enjoyment'. For the honey, these including having it at 'breakfast with the little ones', drizzling over salmon for 'easy entertaining with friends' or making a vinaigrette for a 'ladies' lunch with rose'. Other goods in the Duchess's lifestyle range included shortbread and crepe mixes - both being sold for $14 - and various herbal tea mixes for $12 (9.30) each. When the items went on sale in the US last week, they were snapped up within minutes, selling out within half an hour of going live. The Duchess's flower sprinkles, which have sold out, cost 11.59 - and are also featured on Meghan's cookie mix Meghan is also selling peppermint tea, ready made crepe mix and shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles Meghan's As Ever products launched last Wednesday and rapidly sold out However, despite the sell-out opening day, some have seemingly cast doubt on the success of the 43-year-old royal's latest business venture. The Telegraph quoted what they called a well-placed source as saying the items had been made available in small quantities and quickly marked as sold out to generate interest, which is 'a common marketing ploy'. In a post on social media, Meghan wrote: 'We're live! Come shop the As ever collection I've poured so much love into. So excited to share this with you', before adding 'limited quantities for each seasonal drop'. Launching the range, Meghan told her followers in a newsletter that it's a 'love language' rather than a brand. In a gushing message to her followers, she wrote: 'If you've been receiving these newsletters, you've been reading my musings about this brand and why it means so much to me - why it's person, why it brings me joy, and how I hope that it becomes both personal and joyful for you too. 'You're now familiar with the line-up of products, and as of today you can order them for yourself to experience at home. I can't wait to hear what you think! 'Welcome to As Ever...this is just the beginning!' However, the lead-up to the launch of the products did not run as smoothly as anticipated by Meghan's team. In a newsletter to announce the imminent launch of her jam, fans were surprised to note a spelling error. The Duchess of Sussex admits the launch of her lifestyle brand is a 'pivotal moment' but hopes it will inspire others At the bottom of the email, Meghan provided links for fans so they could 'follow the As Ever story'. But fans noticed that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error - reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial. When the link was clicked, it still took fans to the correct page - as did the accompanying link to the Duchess's Instagram account, @meghan, but fans were surprised by the lack of attention to detail. Fans noticed the typo at the bottom of the email relating to the link, with one writing: 'Her freakish attention to detail is amazing. Truly. Astonishing. SMH'. Another added: 'This can't be real.' And a third added: 'I still don't understand the capitalization choices.' A fourth wrote: 'Her capitalization and fonts are wonky.' The mother-of-two debuted her raspberry jam to her famous friends last year when she was still under the name American Riviera Orchard. Meghan only made 50 jars of the product, and sent it to Kris Jenner, Mindy Kaling and Chrissy Teigen, among others. Last year, sources claimed Meghan has a 'freakish attention to detail' in the wake of the Princess of Wales's Mother's Day photo controversy, alleging the Duchess would never make such a mistake. Meghan has faced a series of hurdles while seeking to launch her lifestyle brand. Due to trademarking issues, she made a decision at the 11th hour to rebrand her business from its original name, American Riviera Orchard. Fans were quick to notice that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial Her trademark for As Ever is still pending, while the Instagram handles @asever and @asevermeghan were quickly snapped up following her rebranding announcement. Following her announcement, it was revealed her business awkwardly had the same name as a New York-based clothing brand, as well as a photography business. Meanwhile her Netflix cookery show, With Love, Meghan, was postponed from January to March due to the devastating impact of the LA wildfires. The mystery of the ranked jars was finally solved earlier this month, when she released her Netflix cookery show, With Love, Meghan. 'When I received that in the mail, a box of your preserves, it was probably one of the most glamourous moments of my life,' Mindy gushed. However, she continued, the TV actress was thrown by the labelling on it that said '50' because 'I'm a very hierarchical person'. 'Does having a lower number make me more special? Does having...' she trailed off before Meghan replied: 'I did not think about it. It was not a ranking.' 'It was just let me share them and then, people started to take it very personally,' she continued. However, the first one was reserved for Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, the duchess added. The other recipients - including Chrissy Teigen, Kris Jenner, Tracee Ellis Ross, and fellow polo wife Delfina Blaquier - were all on equal footing, Meghan reassured Mindy. 'Anyone who got one of those 50 jars that I was making on my stove, in my actual kitchen, at my house, I hope they all felt like 'No, I want to share this with you',' the mother-of-two said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are thought to have very different views when it comes to sharing photographs of their children with the public. This is the view of Matt Wilkinson, the royal editor of the Sun, who discussed the topic while appearing on Hello! magazine's Right Royal podcast. Also appearing on the episode were the podcast hosts Emmy Griffiths and Andrea Caamano, as well as HELLO!'s royal editor, Emily Nash. Meghan's use of the children on social media was among the topics discussed on this week's episode - which also touched on Prince Harry having a 'difficult month' after leaving the charity Sentebale. However, his wife, 43, has reportedly been having a much better time recently, after launching her business As Ever, and seeing the products sell out within minutes, despite the less than stellar reviews of her recent Netflix show With Love, Meghan. In the run-up to the programme and brand launching, Meghan has been sharing a lot more content on social media - notably via Instagram. Among the pictures and videos she has shared online, are some featuring glimpses of the Sussex's two children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three. For example, one of her posts, shared several days before the launch of her Netflix show, showed Meghan and her three-year-old daughter joined by 'Auntie' Serena Williams, with the trio playing a game of Candy Land. An Instagram post Meghan shared ahead of the launch of her lifestyle programme featured a glimpse of three-year-old Lilibet (pictured, centre) Another video the Duchess shared featured Archie's voice, as he helped her to water some plants. Speaking during the podcast, Matt Wilkinson gave his opinion on how Harry may feel about the children appearing on social media. According to the Sun's royal editor, he does not believe the Duke would be overjoyed. 'My understanding of this is that, up to a certain stage, Harry would much rather his children were not seen,' Matt said. He added: 'Whereas Meghan grew up in California, she once said she would like to have a more California style lifestyle, take them down the beach, go out, do stuff. She doesn't want to hide them away.' He noted that the Duchess does not share her children's faces in images and videos she posts - something the panel said Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also do when it comes to images of their children. When appearing on the Drew Barrymore Show last month, Meghan revealed she had enlisted the help of her children to make cookies for the show's crew and audience - and shared a short video clip (here, she is seen with Archie) While the panel discussed the possibility of Archie and Lilibet getting snapped when they are older, Matt said: 'I think Harry's living in [like things are] the way they were when he was a child [...] the media landscape has shifted.' Many of the posts Meghan shared on Instagram featuring glimpses of the children were in the run-up to the release of With Love, Meghan. The video Meghan shared featuring Lilibet (alongside Serena Williams) was tagged with the caption: '3 days until the party begins. All are invited @Netflix.' Archie and Lilibet were also featured briefly in a short clip played when Meghan appeared on the Drew Barrymore show at the beginning of March. During the episode, the Duchess revealed she had enlisted her children to help in the kitchen as she baked hundreds of cookies for guests attending the Drew Barrymore Show. While appearing on the episode, Meghan revealed that she made treats for the entire cast and crew, as well as all the lucky people who snagged tickets to the show. A clip of her working on the desserts then flashed across the screen, and it showed her and Prince Harry's two young children lending a hand. It comes as Meghan revealed the best piece of business advice that she's ever received - just days after she released the first lineup of products from her new lifestyle brand, As Ever. The product range, which included her infamous raspberry spread as well as flower sprinkles and pancake mix, sold out in just under an hour. And, the most expensive item, the wildflower honey with honeycomb, was out of stock in five minutes. The product range, which included her infamous raspberry spread and fun things like flower sprinkles and pancake mix, sold out in just under one hour. But according to Meghan, some of the best business advice she's gotten was actually something that she heard many years ago. 'If it takes five minutes to do it, do it,' Meghan told Inc. in a new interview published Friday. 'Otherwise, you end your day with what feels like a laundry list of things to do, as opposed to being able to tackle them in real time,' she shared. The Duchess explained to the magazine that this piece of advice can help expedite the decision-making process. 'It also encourages you to trust your gut on a lot of those decisions that can be made in real time and don't require as much ruminating,' she said 'Sometimes you have to get really quiet and really trust what feels right for you and your brand and go back to the intention of what you wanted to put out in the world.' Meghan's As Ever launch comes just one month after her eight-episode home entertainment show on Netflix premiered, where she saw a rolodex of famous friends like comedian Mindy Kaling and actress Abigail Spencer come in and out of her set kitchen. The show has already been renewed for a second season. Meghan's As Ever products launched last Wednesday and rapidly sold out Meghan is also selling peppermint tea, ready made crepe mix and shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles The Duchess's flower sprinkles, which have sold out, cost 11.59 - and are also featured on Meghan's cookie mix Meghan made the announcement via Instagram just a few days after the show premiered, as she shared a video of some different snippets from various episodes. 'If you're loving Season 1, just wait until you see the fun we cooked up on Season 2!' the mom-of-two wrote in the caption. 'Thanks for joining the party, and an endless thanks to the amazing team and crew who helped bring it all to life!' her message continued, as she tagged the Netflix Instagram account. It's been a big few months for Prince Harry's wife, as she's even stepped into the world of influencing as she launched a store on ShopMy to link outfits she's worn on the show and even her favorite beauty items. The app is popular with influencers, as they can profit by simply linking and sharing certain items with followers. Meghan can earn commission from some of these items. Among the items she has linked is a $1,415 beige cashmere crewneck from designer Loro Piana, an ivory silk maxi dress by Heidi Merrick listed $1,350, and a pair of loose brown pants for $388 from Brochu Walker. She even added bottles of the exact nail polish color she was wearing on With Love, Meghan. 'You've asked me about my nail polish on "With Love, Meghan," - one coat of each, plus a few of my other essentials! Enjoy,' she wrote in an Instagram story last week.# Last Wednesday, Meghan finally launched a limited selection of products for her first As Ever drop, with the products rapidly selling out. Meghan Markle has had her new Netflix show 'renewed for a second season' just days after the first episodes were panned by critics and fans Among the products included in the limited-edition drop were wildflower honey with honeycomb priced at $28 (21.60) and some flower sprinkles at $15 (11.60), while a jar of raspberry jam set punters back $14 (10.80). Other goods in the Duchess's lifestyle range included shortbread and crepe mixes - both being sold for $14 - and various herbal tea mixes for $12 (9.30) each. When the items went on sale in the US last week, they were snapped up within minutes, selling out within half an hour of going live. However, despite the sell-out opening day, some have seemingly cast doubt on the success of the 43-year-old royal's latest business venture. The Telegraph quoted what they called a well-placed source as saying the items had been made available in small quantities and quickly marked as sold out to generate interest, which is 'a common marketing ploy'. The lead-up to the launch of the products did not run as smoothly as anticipated by Meghan's team. In a newsletter to announce the imminent launch of her jam, fans were surprised to note a spelling error. At the bottom of the email, Meghan provided links for fans so they could 'follow the As Ever story'. But fans noticed that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error - reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial. The Duchess of Sussex admits the launch of her lifestyle brand is a 'pivotal moment' but hopes it will inspire others When the link was clicked, it still took fans to the correct page - as did the accompanying link to the Duchess's Instagram account, @meghan, but fans were surprised by the lack of attention to detail. Fans noticed the typo at the bottom of the email relating to the link, with one writing: 'Her freakish attention to detail is amazing. Truly. Astonishing. SMH'. Another added: 'This can't be real.' And a third added: 'I still don't understand the capitalization choices.' A fourth wrote: 'Her capitalization and fonts are wonky.' Meanwhile, fans who ordered the $28 honey were left disappointed - as fans were told the product had been 'oversold' amid the mayhem of the launch. Instead, they were comforted by news that they would be getting a full refund and another item of their choice, while a personal message from Meghan promised first access to future launches. Fans claimed they received an email from the company, which read: 'The excitement created a volume of traffic on the site that even we couldn't have anticipated (with everything selling out in an hour). 'The orders were happening so quickly that the backend of the site didn't have a chance to keep up. The Limited-Edition Honey that you purchased was, unfortunately, already sold out.' Fans were then told they would be getting refunds, and that they would be able to choose another As Ever item free of charge 'We are working on replenishing inventory and will gladly send you an item of your choosing to thank you for your understanding,' the message continued. The notice was then accompanied by 'a personal message from our founder', as Meghan penned a notice to those facing disappointment. 'Dear friend,' she wrote, according to the emails posted online. 'My goodness, what a whirlwind this week has been! Thank you so much for the support. It really means so much to me. Meghan sent a personal message to fans, promising they would be the first to receive items from the 'next limited-edition item drop' Fans had received an email telling them the limited-edition honey was already sold out 'I was so sorry to hear about what happened with your order, and that due to overselling we are not able to get you the Limited-Edition Honey. Please know the team worked very hard in every department, and felt just as sad when we learned what had happened.' Meghan promised fans they would be first to receive the next item in a future drop, saying 'no need to order, it will come to you in the mail as a gift from me.' Promising that 'more goodness is coming soon', the Duchess signed off the email with her name in calligraphy. Meghan fans, known as the 'Sussex Squad', soon rushed to X/Twitter to praise the Duchess for her 'excellent customer service' in the face of the blip, despite admitting they were 'sad' about not receiving the honey. One fan wrote: 'Omg!! So....I refreshed the #AsEver page so much that I caused a glitch in the matrix (IYKYK). The honey I thought I ordered is sold out. Received this message from #MeghanSussex #AsEverMeghan.' A second person added: 'I got the same email as well. I am sad about the honey, but I'm genuinely happy that their launch was such a huge success!' Lying in a sterile room partially naked while someone I've just met probes my cervix is hardly a way I like to spend an afternoon. I was so scared ahead of my first smear test that I put off booking it for nearly a year. Once I did get in the room, I almost immediately burst into tears. 'I'm so sorry,' I remember telling the kindly nurse in front of me. 'I'm terrified. This is a really big deal for me.' After I had composed myself, I explained that I - just like millions of other women in the UK - have a medical condition which meant I knew I was in for an uncomfortable smear experience. Vaginismus - a condition which causes pain whenever something is inserted into the vagina - is just one of a myriad of reasons why women like me can be left anxious, or even traumatised, at the prospect of a pap smear. I can't even use tampons for my periods: the prospect of a metal speculum entering my vagina is up there with my worst fears. Even without a medical condition like mine, smear tests are infamously scary for many women. Not only are you vulnerable - half-naked, fully exposed on a table - you are also allowing a complete stranger to poke and prod at your most intimate areas. Having never had a smear before I felt afraid, embarrassed and plain ignorant ahead of my pap, and for anyone who has experienced medical or sexual trauma, it's easy to see why this can turn into outright panic. So it's little wonder - if worrying - that according to the latest figures, around 30 percent of women aged 25 to 64 in England did not get a cervical smear or were not up to date with their screening in 2023. Partly to blame is the continued taboo surrounding the test: there are many reasonable adjustments we can ask for, but just one in ten women are aware of them, a recent study by The Eve Appeal found. Having never had a smear before I felt afraid, embarrassed and plain ignorant ahead of my pap, writes Elizabeth Haigh It's little wonder - if worrying - that according to the latest figures, around 30 percent of women aged 25 to 64 in England did not get a cervical smear or were not up to date with their screening in 2023 Fortunately, I was one of the first school years to be eligible for the HPV vaccine - so my chances of getting cervical cancer are, statistically at least, very low. But it is one of the most common cancers in women around the world, and one woman still dies from the disease every two minutes. For months I debated simply not going - perhaps never going. But a small voice in the back of my head knew that the chances of me one day developing cervical cancer, while reduced, are not zero. So after receiving several reminder letters in the post I finally turned to my therapist for help, researched my rights and booked an appointment at my GP surgery. To my surprise, booking the test was surprisingly easy. For all the bureaucracy and delays in the NHS, I was able to get an time within a matter of weeks. I double-checked with the receptionist it would be with a woman - this isn't guaranteed, but anyone can ask for a female nurse or doctor to carry out the test. If this is impossible, you can also ask for a female chaperone to be in the room throughout - whether that's a friend or family member, or a female member of staff from the surgery. Then I asked for a double appointment slot to be booked, allowing time for my anticipated trauma-fuelled breakdown to take place. On the day of the test itself, I made sure to stay hydrated and took ibuprofen half an hour before the time of the appointment. When the kindly nurse called my name in the waiting room, I felt a wave of anxiety wash over my whole body. As I stood up, I seriously contemplated making a dash for the exit doors. But taking a deep breath, I managed to follow the nurse and take a seat inside her room. The number of women taking up smear tests has declined in recent years Tears aside, it was deeply reassuring to hear the nurse explain exactly what she would be doing and how long it would take. After explaining the intricacies of my body, she opted to use the smallest speculum possible, along with extra lubrication, to try and make it as pain-free as she could. And as for the actual test itself - it took less than 30 seconds. It was over practically as soon as it began. I'm not going to pretend my first pap smear was pleasant - it wasn't. But I was genuinely surprised at how accommodating and helpful staff were throughout the process. They listened to me, took my medical history seriously and gave me all the information I needed. Most importantly, my nurse made sure I felt in control of what was about to happen and that I knew I could tell her to stop at any time. Most reassuring was the fact I received the all-clear within a month. In England, we are lucky to have our results so quickly. In Northern Ireland, women were recently waiting as long as six months for theirs. That's 182 days of worry, wondering if they are about to receive news that will change their lives forever. Despite knowing I would have a more difficult smear test than the majority of women, having had such a positive experience I won't think twice about going for my second. For anybody debating whether to go to their screening, I felt such a strong sense of relief leaving that surgery. I did my research, knew exactly what to ask for and advocated for myself with my health professionals. Twenty seconds of mild discomfort for the knowledge that I don't have cancer - it's a no-brainer. How to make your first smear test more comfortable - according to the experts Women are typically first invited to have a smear test around six months before they turn 25. They are then invited every three years until the age of 64 - although they may be asked to return more frequently if any HPV cells are found. It is never too late to book your first smear test, but it is bound to be nerve-wracking whatever your age. Here MailOnline spoke to women's health experts to find out how women can make their smear test more comfortable. Dr Ellie Cannon said that for any women who may be nervous about the test, knowledge is power. 'I would recommend watching or reading about the test to find out what it is actually like,' she said. 'You can ask for a nurse appointment just to talk through a smear test before you even have one. I would also advise people to look at the Eve appeal online, which is filled with useful information.' Dr Ellie Cannon told MailOnline that for any women who may be nervous about the test, knowledge is power Dr Phillipa Kaye added that patients should not be afraid to talk to their practitioner openly about their concerns She added that cervical screening is vital as it is the only test for women that can actually prevent cancer. 'Now that the test has changed so it looks for HPV, we are picking up more cervical cancer than ever before and preventing more cervical cancer than ever before,' she said. 'It's the only test that literally prevents cancer. By picking up HPV cells, we can then look for further issues to stop a person ever actually getting cancer.' Dr Phillipa Kaye added that patients should not be afraid to talk to their practitioner openly about their concerns. 'Talk to us. We want to do it the way you feel the most comfortable. So if you want us to stop or need to take a breath, we will do it. 'It's important to understand why someone feels what they feel. Taking the time to communicate and support the patient - often there is some fear or worry we can counter.' Both said women can feel more comfortable during the test if they wear clothing that helps them to feel relaxed - such as a dress or skirt which means a patient does not have to undress, or a baggy T-shirt or jumper so they still feel covered. Dr Kaye added: 'There are lots of things that we can do [to make the test more comfortable], because while it may be uncomfortable, it shouldn't be painful. 'You can ask for a smaller speculum and you can insert it yourself. Having that control over the speed of the speculum can make a big difference.' Dr Kaye advises to take a trusted love one along to the appointment if concerned, so that a patient feels supported. Dr Cannon added that women can request a double appointment slot for the test. 'It's really important that you're not rushed - a smear test shouldn't be something that you fit in in five minutes or during a lunch break. It's worth taking the morning or afternoon off work.' Finally, Dr Kaye told MailOnline it's important to remember that the vast majority of tests will come back negative for HPV. 'And for those that don't, often the body can clear the HPV virus on its own,' she continued. 'Thankfully any cell changes are usually fairly slow. But if you test positive for HPV and negative for any cell changes, then we will call you back for a follow-up test in a year. 'If changes are seen, then you will be offered further advice and treatment if needed.' Results should arrive in between 2-6 weeks, according to Cancer Research, but doctors advise women to check in with their GPs if they still haven't got their results within a month. North East Lincolnshire is the teenage pregnancy capital of England and Wales, MailOnline can today reveal. Nearly 7 per cent of all births in the council area, home to fishing port Grimsby as well as neighbouring seaside towns Cleethorpes and Immingham, were to women under 20 in 2023. Despite being the hotspot for teen pregnancies, rates have more than halved in the authority since the early noughties. North East Lincolnshires decline mirrors the nationwide slump over the past decade, with teen pregnancies at the lowest levels since records began in the 1960s. Only one authority Babergh has bucked the trend. Your browser does not support iframes. Little more than 3.2 per cent of women giving birth in the area, stretching from the southern outskirts of Ipswich to the Essex border and deep into Suffolk, last year were under 20. In 1993, when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) began collecting birthing data by age and authority, the rate stood at 3 per cent. Experts say falling rates might be down to youngsters nowadays being put off getting pregnant young because theyre inspired to focus on their future career and education instead. Teen pregnancy rates have plunged, even in deprived areas, since the launch of Tony Blairs Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, which was designed to increase sex education and contraception. Easier access to the morning-after pill, long-term contraception and abortions has also encouraged rates to fall, as well as youths being more responsible and drinking less than previous generations. Alison Hadley OBE, who led the then-Government's strategy, said: 'Before the introduction of the previous Labour Government's 10 year Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in 1999, our historically high teenage pregnancy rates were often viewed as an intractable part of English culture, impermeable to prevention. 'The strategy proved that wrong. 'Through improving relationships and sex education - at school, home and community - making effective contraception easy to access, and linking to programmes aimed at reducing alcohol and drug use, and raising young people's aspirations, the Strategy equipped young people to make well informed choices about if and when they became pregnant, and rates came down.' Hadley, director of the Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange at the University of Bedfordshire, added: 'This is not the time to say rates are falling so the job is done. 'Instead, we should refocus on equipping young people to prevent pregnancies they don't want, and provide dedicated support for young parents to halt widening inequalities. 'Joining teenage pregnancy work with other government youth programmes will help re-build an effective prevention eco-system for all young people. Spending on young people now is investment in the future.' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Despite plunging rates of pregnancy among young women, Britain remains one of the teenage mother capitals of Europe. Of 23 Western European nations, the UK ranks behind just Malta, Monaco and Gibraltar in terms of fertility rates of teenage women. For every 1,000 British women aged 15-19, there are 8.4 births, according to data held by the World Bank. France's equivalent rate is below four while Ireland's is close to 4.2 The decline in teenage pregnancies comes after MailOnline last month revealed how fertility rates have plunged in every local authority in England and Wales over the past decade. Alarming figures laying bare the 'baby bust' revealed some boroughs saw a 60 per cent decline in women having children since 2013. Experts fear the freefalling rates will trigger an 'underpopulation' crisis, potentially leaving Britain reliant on immigration to prop up our economy. Women in England and Wales, on average, now only have 1.44 children. This is the lowest since records began in the 30s and half of levels seen during the mid-60s baby boom. Almost a third of all 591,000 babies born were to foreign mothers in 2023, the latest year with full data available. Doctors are raising fears that patients may be avoiding preventative colon cancer care because of hidden costs - even as the disease is surging among young adults. A colonoscopy - the golden standard of colon cancer screening - is recommended for every 10 years starting at the age of 45. On most insurance plans, the procedure should cost on average $79 out-of-pocket, with health insurers footing the rest of the about $2,125 bill. But recently, patients have come forward to say they've been charged upward of $5,000, $7,000 and even $20,000 for the procedure, despite having health insurance. In some cases, patients were just trying to 'do the right thing' and often didn't have symptoms suggesting they had cancer. Doctors slammed these bills, warning surprise - and unaffordable - costs could put people off getting screened, meaning cancers may not be detected until it's too late. Dr Glenn Littenberg, a physician who recently chaired the reimbursement committee of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, told DailyMail.com: 'The majority of people who do preventative screening should have very little out-of-pocket cost, regardless of where they go. 'But there are horror stories, with the exception being when someone goes out of network for their physical or hospital.' Doctors are raising fears that patients may be avoiding colonoscopies because of hidden costs even amid alarm over rising cases among young adults (stock) The above shows the expected out-of-pocket cost for a colonoscopy, based on a survey of 333,000 claims from 2014 to 2019, and the price some patients have been faced with He added: 'Screening reveals benign polyps that aren't cancer, but by removing them we are reducing the risk of cancer developing. 'If patients are putting off colonoscopies worrying about costs, then this means these aren't removed.' He warned: 'If you put off screening and don't do anything, there's certainly a much higher probability that when you go in, you have symptoms,' which may raise the risk of being diagnosed with cancer. Colon cancer often causes no symptoms until it has spread to other areas of the body, where it becomes harder to treat. But warning signs can include trouble using the bathroom, blood in feces and persistent diarrhea or constipation. Doctors fear that, faced with the risk of high prices, patients may put off any screenings which can find pre-cancerous growths and eliminate them, slashing the risk of developing the cancer. They may also put off screenings even when they have symptoms, risking the cancer reaching an advanced stage making it harder to treat and deadlier. About 67 percent of adults adhere to current screening requirements, below the US government target of at least 70 percent. In one case, a small business owner from Illinois was hit with a bill for $7,000 after getting a colonoscopy. Tim Winard, 57, had no symptoms of the disease, but opted to get screened to 'do the right thing' and be on the safe side. He had six-month short-term health insurance, which he took out while he worked on his business. He said his insurer told him he could get the cancer screening 'anywhere'. He went to Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital outside Chicago and was in and out of the center the same day. Later, he was told his results were normal. Rates of colorectal cancer in Americans under 50 have risen over the past two decades. This graph shows the latest year for which data is available But then his bill came. He was charged $7,000 after his insurance paid only $814.47 towards the cost. Confused, he contacted the insurance company and said a representative told him the insurance would not pay more because his procedure was 'out of network'. Mr Winard then contacted the media, with his story first reported by KFF Health News. After they contacted the health insurer, he was issued a new bill for only $770 with no explanation given for the shift in the price. In another case, Mike Meier from Georgia, who had health insurance through Alliant, went to get a colonoscopy after it was recommended by his doctor. The screening found a benign polyp on his colon and it was successfully removed. But then he received the bill, totaling $10,745, prompting him to immediately contact his insurer and hospital Aurora Health Care to ask about the cost. Your browser does not support iframes. Through numerous complaints and appeals, it eventually emerged that his insurance company had misprinted his insurance card to suggest he had out-of-network coverage for more than just emergency care - when he actually did not. Despite the error, however, his insurer was still unwilling to pay because he had taken out an insurance plan with a $20,000 deductible. (Most plans have a deductible around $1,790). Under the Affordable Care Act, healthcare plans are required to cover certain preventive services, including screenings for colon cancer in asymptomatic adults, for those who are 45 to 75 years old. But Mr Meier was short of that when he had the procedure, just a few months from his 45th birthday. In a third case, a patient on Reddit came forward two months ago to say they had a colonoscopy with an in-network doctor and was charged $20,000. The patient, who was not named, said beforehand they had contacted their doctor and the billing office who said the procedure was covered by insurance. Tim Winard, 57, had no symptoms of the disease, but opted to get screened to 'do the right thing' and be on the safe side. Despite having health insurance, he was slapped with a $7,000 bill But after receiving two denial letters, the patient had been billed, with the insurance saying the surgery center and anesthesiologist were out-of-network. Colonoscopies are complex procedures, that often require a doctor to undertake them as well as an anesthesiologist to ensure a patient's comfort when deep sedation and general anesthesia are used. A breakdown of the costs was not revealed, but people commenting said the patient was likely being billed for their doctor, the surgery center and the anesthesiologist. The post was flooded with 236 comments from others who also said they had been charged outrageous amounts for colonoscopies or similar procedures. Doctors said that to get a colonoscopy at a lower price patients should always contact their insurer first to ensure the colonoscopy is in network. They also recommended going to a freestanding endoscopy center or ambulatory surgery center not associated with a hospital, which tends to be cheaper. A 2021 study that examined healthcare claims among 333,000 adults with average risk of colon cancer between 2014 and 2019 found that they paid, on average, $79 out-of-pocket for a colonoscopy. Misleading and confusing payment and coverage information has doctors worried because of the rapid surge in colon cancer cases, particularly among young adults. About 12 cases per 100,000 people under the age of 45 years were reported in 2021, data suggests, compared to less than six per 100,000 in 2021. Thousands of women may be putting their health at risk by taking erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra in a bid to perk up their sex lives, experts have warned. A revealing survey by LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor found up to 40 per cent of women suffered flagging libidos, or found sex uncomfortable or painful. Yet experts sounded the alarm after one in ten admitted they believed Viagrawhich has only been tested for use by menwas safe for them to take. Viagra works by relaxing blood vessels which, in men, helps improve erections. While generally safe in rare cases, the drug can cause heart-related side effects, especially in those with pre-existing heart conditions or who take certain medications. These include heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat, and low blood pressure. LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor GP, Dr Bhavini Shah, warned women against taking the drug in the mistaken belief it could improve their bedroom performance. 'It's thought, or hoped, by some, that Viagra may increase sexual pleasure in women by increasing blood flow to the female genital area,' said Mr Shah. Thousands of women may be putting their health at risk by taking erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra in a bid to perk up their sex lives, experts have warned 'However, the medical trials to date have failed to produce significant evidence that Viagra works for women. 'Viagra has been shown to be ineffective in women who have sexual difficulties.' The survey, which involved questioning 500 women across the UK, found eight in ten struggled to achieve orgasm, with a quarter struggling often. Almost half said they didn't enjoy sex as much as they thought they should. Dr Bhavini Shah said: 'Female sexual dysfunction, or FSD, affects around 40 per cent on women. 'This may cause loss of libido, difficulties reaching orgasm or cause sex to be uncomfortable or painful. 'We diagnose FSD if these problems have occurred for more than six months. 'It can be triggered by illness, life experiencesduring pregnancy, after having a babystress, hormonal changes like menopause, medication side-effects, cancer treatment, chronic illness or depression. A revealing survey by LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor found up to 40 per cent of women suffered flagging libidos, or found sex uncomfortable or painful 'It can also 'sneak up on you' for no apparent or obvious reason.' She adds: 'Many women have difficulties with sex at some stage in their life and for most this is temporary. 'But if you're finding sex is more of a chore than a pleasure, these feelings have been occurring for a long time, or it's affecting your relationship you could be experiencing female sexual dysfunction.' Treatments for FDS include counselling or psychotherapy, reducing alcohol consumption and pelvic floor exercises. If medication may be causing the issue, there might be a way to switch to another drug or reduce the dose, under the guidance of a doctor. While Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs are proven to be effective in men, a similar drug is yet to be made available to women. A number of tablets have been trialled but have failed to produce consistent results. Part of the reason, say experts, is that FSD is a far more complex condition that the male equivalent, erectile dysfunction. Dr Shah said: 'FSD may not occur in every situation and with every partner, or only in some situations or with some partners. It may resolve by itself, or it may need help. 'To find the reasons for sexual dysfunction you may need to look at physical, psychological and relationship factors. 'If you think you might have FSD, try and identify the aspects of sex that are difficult for you and/or are causing distress in your relationship. 'Is it a lack of libido? Do you find it difficult to orgasm or do you experience pain when having sex? 'Being clear about what the issues are will help talking to your GP.' Soaring infertility, forcing couples to rely on arduous, expensive medical procedures in order to have children. Birth rates plummeting across the world. Governments issuing dire warnings over the future of the human race. It seems the stuff of dystopian novels, but some experts say this bleak future may not be far off. A growing body of research has shown that sperm counts a measure of male fertility are declining globally, with some estimates showing a fall of as much as 60 per cent in little over a generation. And its only getting worse. Before the year 2000, studies showed the average sperm count falling by roughly one per cent each year since then, the rate of decline has doubled. In fact, according to the UKs most recent Fertility Index Survey, young men today are nearly three times more likely to have fertility issues than older generations. And its being reflected in our birth rates. Britain has now fallen below its fertility replacement rate meaning not enough babies are being born to maintain the population. Worryingly, by as soon as 2045 by one estimate, the average male sperm count will be approaching zero. The consequence, says Professor Shanna Swan, one of the leading experts tracking the trend, could be that the majority of British couples are soon forced to rely on assisted reproduction. Research claims that over-the-counter painkiller paracetamol could be wreaking havoc on mens reproductive systems Now some say they have identified the factors fuelling the alarming decline. And one of them could be a pill that millions of us take every day. Research claims that over-the-counter painkiller paracetamol could be wreaking havoc on mens reproductive systems. Chemicals in everyday items such as till receipts, milk cartons and moisturisers could also be having a damaging effect. Known as endocrine disruptors, they can mimic and replace hormones throwing our reproductive systems into disarray. These are controversial views that some say lack sufficient scientific evidence. But perhaps more surprisingly, some of the experts pointing the finger at these man-made toxins now believe their impact can also be reversed. Professor Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist, was one of the first to raise the alarm around plummeting sperm counts. Now shes convinced it can also be treated within your own home. In fact, shes in the process of running a first-of-its-kind study on the topic looking at couples struggling to get pregnant and guiding them through the process of changing their lifestyle. From swapping scented lotions to unscented alternatives, cutting out processed foods and removing plastics from their kitchens, these are easy changes to make. Professor Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist, was one of the first to raise the alarm around plummeting sperm counts And while the results of the trial are still under wraps, Professor Swan says it makes one thing clear: there are tangible ways to avoid sperm-killing chemicals. It takes paying attention and the will to do it, but we can lower our exposure, she tells The Mail on Sunday. There are things we can do in our homes that can increase our chances of having a baby. And many, many people are willing to make these changes. Unlike women, who are born with all the eggs they will ever have, men begin to produce sperm between the ages of ten and 12 and continue to do so for the rest of their lives. The average man will make millions of sperm cells every day, that then take about three months to fully mature. Once fully formed, sperm is mixed with seminal fluid a whitish liquid produced by the prostate gland to form semen. But despite being able to survive outside the body, sperm cells are surprisingly fragile. Seemingly small changes in body chemistry can have a profound impact on their ability to move, grow and fertilise an egg. And any shift in the amount of sperm in a given quantity of semen the sperm count can impact a mans ability to conceive a child. Scientists track changes in sperm counts by collecting samples from thousands of men and calculating an average. According to researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who analysed data from more than 42,000 men from across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, sperm counts fell by an average of 1.2 per cent per year from 1973 to 2018 dropping from 104 million sperm per millilitre (million/ml) of semen to just 49 million/ml. At 40 million/ml, explains lead researcher Professor Hagai Levine, you start to see real fertility problems. Professor Swan says: There are things we can do in our homes that can increase our chances of having a baby. And many, many people are willing to make these changes And to make matters worse, the drop in sperm count is now increasing each year, with an annual 2.6 per cent reduction since 2000. Many point out that toxins in our environment have increased at the same time that male fertility rates have declined. We know its not genetics because genetic changes take a long time to have an effect, and what were seeing has occurred over mere decades, says consultant urologist Dr Jonathan Ramsay. So it must be something in the environment. Increasing obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles in the latter half of the 20th century have long been cited as a cause of declining birth rates. Obesity levels in Britain doubled from 1993 to 2022 64 per cent of the population are now either overweight or obese. Excess fat affects fertility by causing hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities and reduced sperm quality making it much harder to conceive and increasing pregnancy risks. But a growing number of experts claim other factors are at play including exposure to the most commonly taken medicines. One of the pills linked to declining sperm counts is paracetamol. While its still unknown exactly how it changes sperm quality, some believe it does so by reducing production of nitric oxide the substance responsible for regulating sperm movement as well as the ability to process testosterone. Researchers from Brunel University in London examined levels of paracetamol in the urine of nearly 1,000 adult men in Denmark and found every one had levels higher than was considered safe. They concluded that, in combination with other endocrine-disrupting chemicals, high doses of paracetamol can build up in the body, creating a near-constant toxic exposure that depletes male sperm count. But its pregnant women who should be the most cautious with the drug, say other experts. Lab experiments have shown that paracetamol given to mice grafted with foetal testicle tissue can reduce the production of testosterone in male foetuses, making it harder for them to produce sperm in adulthood. Unlike exposure in adulthood which can usually be reversed by removing the chemical and allowing three months for new sperm to develop exposure in the womb tends to be permanent. In light of this, Dr Rod Mitchell, professor of development endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh, feels women in their first trimester should only take the lowest dose of the drug if its medically necessary, and for the shortest possible time. He says: The first trimester is a critical period in foetal development where you need enough testosterone to be circulating in the foetus to program its future reproductive health. Significant reduction in the hormone during this period could give that baby problems with fertility as well as an increased risk of testicular cancer in adulthood. But, as a clinician, Professor Mitchell is also wary of scaring women off the drug. Fever and pain are also not necessarily good for mother and baby, he adds. Ibuprofen has also been linked to a reduced sperm count. As with paracetamol, some researchers believe the drug can impact sperm production by lowering testosterone levels. Endocrinologist Professor Annice Mukherjee said: The effect of endocrine disruptors is an issue all good endocrinologists are genuinely concerned about. Not everyones fertility will be affected equally genetics and other lifestyle factors will play a role. The average man will make millions of sperm cells every day, that then take about three months to fully mature Cause and effect is very hard to prove, as there is so much at play. But all the research we have suggests these chemicals, are a risk to fertility. Im worried for my own children. But not all experts are as convinced, however. Male health expert Professor Allan Pacey, based at the University of Manchester, is sceptical of the claim that environmental factors are behind the falling birthrate. Instead, he believes it is due to people having children later in life. The single thing you can do if you want to be fertile is have a baby when youre young, he says. A century ago, the average father was in his late teens, early 20s. Now hes in his late 30s. Older men not only produce fewer sperm but the sperm they do produce is less healthy. But Professor Swan says people simply choosing to have children later cannot explain why animals are seeing a decline in fertility. She says: Theyre not subjected to pressure to join the workforce or use contraception or delay their childbearing. But they are subject to the same chemicals in the environment we are and this is one of the reasons why I am convinced environmental chemicals are playing a major role in declines in reproductive function. Prof Swan also argues that, if her theories hold, the damage could be reversible. And thats what she is setting out to prove in her study, tracking couples who are struggling to conceive. The results will be published in the next few months. However Professor Swan says changes like the ones the couples made swapping their personal care products and home items for plastic- and chemical-free versions do work. Ive worked on studies that have taken five to ten years to complete, and cost five to $10 million to do, and I published them and spoke about them at conferences, and it didnt change anything, she says. So now Im doing quicker studies that will get peoples attention. And this is the first. We want to show people that there are things they can do in their life to increase their chances of having a baby. Id give anything to be a dad Postal workers Ryan and Megan Lamour are about to begin their third round of treatment, which they hope will be successful Megan and Ryan Lamour, 27 and 28, knew they were each others one from the moment they first met, aged just 16. After moving in together in 2020, the postal workers, pictured, from Northern Ireland, decided to take the next step and try for a baby. But after two years with no luck, they realised something was up. It was during the pandemic, so they ordered an at-home fertility test for Ryan which came back inconclusive. Confused, the couple booked an appointment with their GP, who sent them for further testing. But while Megans came back normal, Ryan received some devastating news his sperm count was so low that their chance of conceiving naturally was just 0.5 per cent. It was tough, Ryan says. I feel more guilt than anything else, because the issues on my side. All I want to do is be able to give Megan the gift of being a mother and I cant do it as easily as other people can. Its taken a while to come to terms with that. The couple say they have no explanation as to why Ryans sperm count is so low hes not a heavy drinker or smoker, and eats healthily. But after cutting out alcohol, Ryans sperm count has improved enough to start IVF. The couple are about to begin their third round of treatment, which they hope will be successful. I cant put into words how much it would mean to have this baby, Ryan says. Id give anything to be a dad. Worried young men are increasingly paying for private prostate cancer tests as they are not eligible for them on the NHS, figures have revealed. Over the past three months Britains biggest online pharmacy has seen a 600 per cent rise in sales of blood tests that looks for signs of the disease. According to Pharmacy2U, men under 50 are most likely to order the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. The trend followed the news last year that Olympic champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy had terminal prostate cancer. He was diagnosed at 48, having never been offered a PSA test. NHS guidance states that men under 50 can have the test only if they have symptoms, which include difficulty urinating, erectile dysfunction, blood in the urine and semen, weight loss, back pain and loss of appetite. But most men with early-stage prostate cancer do not have any. Sir Chris along with Prostate Cancer UK is calling for the age at which men are offered the test to be lowered to 45. More than 55,000 men a year are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK, with 12,000 dying from it in the same period. Caught early, most cases can be managed or cured. Men over 50 can request a PSA test which looks for cancer particles in the blood and younger men may be offered one if they report symptoms. But experts say that, often, by the time symptoms appear, the disease has begun to spread. Over the past three months Britains biggest online pharmacy has seen a 600 per cent rise in sales of blood tests that looks for signs of prostate cancer Sir Chris Hoy - who said this had been the 'toughest year of my life' following his own incurable prostate cancer diagnosis - is calling for the age at which men are offered the test to be lowered to 45 Some doctors argue that access to the PSA test should be limited as it is not always accurate. This means some men with a positive result will undergo unnecessary, and sometimes invasive, procedures to look for cancer they do not have. But others say access to testing should be expanded in order to catch all forms of cancer earlier. Access is so poor now on the NHS for tests, its no surprise some patients are going private, says Dr Dean Eggitt, a Doncaster-based GP. However, patients should know that the accuracy of these tests is poor and can cause undue anxiety in people who are well and, worryingly, also give false reassurance to sick patients. An urgent recall has been issued for a popular Easter Egg over fears that the product may contain metal. Tony's Chocolonely has recalled their milk chocolate and caramel sea salt 242g Easter Eggs with a best before date of June 2025. Customers are being asked to return the two eggs to where they bought them for a refund. A statement from Tony's Chocolonely said: 'If you have purchased the above products with the affected lot codes, please do not consume and instead return the product to the store of purchase for a refund. 'The rest of the Easter range, including all its small eggs and other products are safe to consume.' It added: 'The source of this issue has been identified and resolved. Tony's Chocolonely is working in partnership with retailers and food authorities who are in the process of removing impacted products from sale and distribution.' Tony's Chocolonely has recalled their milk chocolate and caramel sea salt 242g Easter Eggs with a best before date of June 2025 Customers are being asked to return the two eggs to where they bought them for a refund It comes just a few days after Tony's Chocolonely issued an urgent nationwide recall over fears its bars contain a potential choking hazard. Two flavors of Tonys Chocolonely sold in a spread of stores across the country including Whole Foods, Target, Safeway and CVS, have been found to contain small stones. The FDA warns that 'hard or sharp foreign objects in food may cause traumatic injury including laceration and perforation of tissues of the mouth, tongue, throat, stomach and intestine as well as damage to the teeth and gums.' To date, 12 consumers have filed complaints with the Dutch chocolate manufacturer, triggering the decision to recall the compromised product. The two products affected are the Dark Almond Sea Salt and the Everything Bars (containing milk chocolate with caramel, pretzel, almond nougat and sea salt), and both are in 180g sizes. The urgent safety recall affects the bars with the specific lot codes: 163094, 162634, M162634, 4327, 4330, 4331, M4331. Dark Almond Sea Salt bars with the best before dates 28 February 2026 and 2 April 2026 should be avoided. While Everything bars should be returned if the best before date lies between the 22 and 26 November of this year. A spokesperson for Tonys Chocolonely said the small stones made their way into the bars during 'third-party almond harvesting and the almond processing process'. The company, which launched out of Amsterdam in 2005, currently manufacturers more than eight flavors of chocolate, ranging from honey almond nugget to milk chocolate caramel sea salt. Consumers who still have the compromised product are urged not to eat it. It was the screw-up heard 'round the world, and now - after weeks of speculation - three White House moles reveal just how Mike Waltz's now-notorious group chat leak occurred. Speaking to The Guardian Sunday, the sources gave a first-time glimpse into the White House's probe into the slip-up - and several 'missteps' made by Waltz in the process. The first, they said, occurred during the 2024 campaign. The last was the security advisor's inclusion of Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg in the unsecured Signal chat. In it, figures such as JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed the ongoing military strikes occurring in Yemen in real-time - all while Goldberg was present. The White House went on to confirm the breach - as figures like Hegseth denied it. Such claims were quickly put to bed by Goldberg late last month, when the Atlantic released several of the messages in question. They showed high-powered chat-members openly discussing forthcoming strikes on the Houthis in Yemen - strikes that ultimately came to fruition. This caused many to question the Trump team's security practices - a dynamic that seemingly gave way to several officials who'd worked under Waltz being abruptly fired Thursday. Despite Waltz being spared, a 'forensic review' from the White House appeared to peg him as the one at fault - showing how he mistakenly saved Goldbergs number after the latter contacted the Trump campaign last October. How Mike Waltz's now-notorious group chat leak actually occurred has been laid bare, thanks to three people familiar with matter Sources gave a first-time glimpse into the WH probe, and several 'missteps' made by Waltz uncovered in the process. The first, they said, occurred during the 2024 campaign. The last was the security advisor's inexplicable inclusion of the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg (seen here Asking for comment on a story eventually published on October 22, Goldberg had been honing in on Trump's previous comments to press about service members wounded in action, the three sources each said. Goldberg's message was then forwarded on to then-Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes, they explained - adding how Hughes had copied and pasted the content of the email into a text message. With the signature block containing Goldbergs phone number and information still attached, he sent the message to Waltz, the sources revealed. Hughes had intended to connect the two so Waltz could be briefed on the forthcoming story, the insiders explained, Instead, Waltz ended up saving Goldbergs number in his iPhone under a contact card that was automatically - and erroneously - labeled as Hughes'. The former Trump campaign aid, today, is the spokesperson for the national security council Waltz oversees. The sources said Goldberg's info came up as Hughes' purely because of a 'contact suggestion' - a feature seen on iPhones that uses an algorithms to pick up on content seen in messages sent by previously unknown numbers in a bid to identify them. In this case, the algorithm picked up Hughes' name from the message he had forwarded on - one Waltz saw the day of the leak and wrongly assumed was Hughes, a credentialed government official. Instead, it was Goldberg, the sources pointed out - reiterating how the oversight went unnoticed even as the detailed war messages were being sent. Waltz ended up saving Goldbergs number in his iPhone under a contact card that was automatically labeled as then-Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes,' thanks to a 'contact' suggestion that came up on Waltz's iPhone. Seen here is a section of the compromised chat He went on to add the contact he believed was Hughes (seen here with Trump after being hired to run his campaign. Today, Hughes is the spokesperson for the national security council that Waltz oversees The insiders proceeded to point to comments from Waltz to the press during the incident's immediate aftermath, where he appeared to express genuine confusion as to how Goldberg made it into his contacts. In an interview with Fox News, the 51-year-old insisted the journalist's number had somehow been 'sucked' into his cellular device - comments that begin to make more sense when hearing some the White House probe's findings. One of the Guardian's sources said Trump was briefed on those findings last week, around the time he decided to keep Waltz on. At least six others working underneath him, thought, were not so lucky - caught in a purge of officials within the Pentagons National Security Agency and the White House's National Security Council, both of which are headed by Waltz. Despite the debacle, Trump has publicly defended his security advisor in recent days, saying he has learned from 'his mistake.' Laura Loomer, meanwhile, incited speculation as to her part in the scandal Wednesday, after a summit with Trump in the White House where she reportedly brought a list of national security officials whom she believed could not be trusted . The far-right conspiracy theorist touted her involvement in the firing the Saturday after, seemingly taking credit for the maneuver days after complaining about not being included in Trump's administration. Trump, however, suggested otherwise, after figures such Thomas Boodry, senior director of legislative affairs for Waltz's National Security Council; and David Feith, senior director of technology and national security, found themselves fired. Waltz mistakenly added The Atlantic editor-in-chief to the Signal chat as a result, spawning widespread outrage. He has not been fired Despite the debacle, Trump has publicly defended his security advisor in recent days, saying he has learnt from 'his mistake' 'No,' he said, when asked whether Loomer had been involved Thursday. Instead, the president said that Loomer met with him to provide recommendations as people he could hire - hailing her as 'a great patriot'. The Trump team has also taken responsibility for the officials' use of the unsecured group chat app, saying it ordered them to due so temporarily as they transition to a new platform. Natasha Jugo only popped out to buy some milk and pick up her fathers prescription from the Rite Aid down the block. The 31-year-old had stuffed a $100 bill in her pocket, headed out the door of her parents home in Queens, New York, and got into her car. In all, it was a round trip that should have taken less than 10 minutes. But Jugo never returned that night - or over the coming days or weeks. Three months later, her body was found washed up 30 miles away on the very same Long Island beach that had become a depraved serial killer's 'human graveyard'. While police were quick to rule out any connection between Jugo's death and the haunting crimes, new details about a mystery vehicle spotted the night she vanished have now suggested a potential link to Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann. Now, prominent attorney and former assistant district attorney in the Suffolk County DAs office Raymond Zuppa is voicing fears that Jugo could in fact be another victim of the suspected serial killer - and is calling for a new investigation into her death. I cant rule Rex out, he tells DailyMail.com. But we cant rule anybody out right now. Natasha Jugo (pictured) vanished in March 2013. Her body washed up on Gilgo Beach three months later Aerial view of Ocean Parkway where the bodies of multiple victims were dumped by a suspected serial killer As far as he is concerned, Jugos death being ruled as suicide is just phantastic. It doesn't make sense, he says. It was March 16, 2013, when Jugo was last seen leaving the home she shared with her family in Bayside, Queens, to head to the Rite Aid. According to the store workers - who knew Jugo well - she never made it to the store and her dads prescription was never collected. Fearful for the safety of the 31-year-old - who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia - Jugos parents reported her missing that night. The following morning, a local resident of West Gilgo Beach came across Jugos wallet and drivers license more than 30 miles from her home in Bayside, on the shore near Tobay Beach, on the south side of Ocean Parkway. Officers from multiple agencies rushed to the scene, returning to the Long Island dumping ground of a depraved serial killer or killers to launch a new search for a different missing woman. Suffolk County Police, the NYPD, New York State Troopers, the Suffolk Marine Bureau and the Nassau County Police Department all responded: it was a remarkable level of manpower for a missing persons case. Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann appears at a court hearing on March 28, 2025 Jugos car - a blue Toyota Prius - was soon found abandoned on the shoulder of Ocean Parkway. According to police, footprints in the sand led from the car to the sea. A robe and other clothing that appeared to match what Jugo was last seen wearing were also found close to the water. The $100 bill was still in one of the pockets. From that very first day, police were quick to rule out any possible connection to the string of murders that had rocked the Long Island enclave - despite the serial killer case being nowhere close to being solved. There is no association; the only common denominator is the beach, Nassau Police spokesperson Maureen Roach told Newsday at the time. At that time, it had been two years since the first victims' bodies were found along Gilgo Beach. No suspects were even on law enforcements radar in the Gilgo Beach killer case. There was also no telling if the serial killer was still actively preying on more victims. In fact, it would be another long decade before Massapequa Park local and Manhattan-based architect Heuermann was arrested in the summer of 2023 and charged with multiple murders. Yet, by early May - with no sign of Jugo's body - her death was ruled a suicide. Despite the efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, the search for the missing 31-year-old went cold. The following month, on June 24, 2013, three friends were walking along Gilgo Beach when they noticed something floating in the water off the shore. Jugo was the latest in a growing list of young women who had met their end along the south shore. Her body was found around a mile from where her car and personal items had been found. An autopsy found no sign of trauma or injury that would indicate anything other than a drowning. But Zuppa has doubts that Jugo died by suicide. The backyard of Rex Heuermann's home in Massapequa Park during a search in June 2024 The location alone - as the dumping ground of the notorious suspected serial killer - means her death warrants further investigation, he says. The area of the occurrence is infamous, Zuppa wrote in a petition filed in Manhattan Supreme Court in February seeking to get access to records about the case. Given the geographical location, as well as current and historical events, there is a compelling public interest in information that illuminates and elucidates the competency of police investigations of missing or inexplicably deceased young women. Zuppa tells DailyMail.com that he has visited the scene multiple times and learned that Jugos personal belongings were found close to the remains of suspected victim Karen Vergata. Her body then washed ashore close to where the Gilgo Four victims were found, he says. Two years earlier - between December 2010 and December 2011 - the remains of 11 victims were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. Natasha Jugo's death was ruled a suicide but attorney Raymond Zuppa is calling for an investigation The human graveyard was unearthed during a search for Shannon Gilbert - an escort who disappeared in May 2010 after making a terrified 911 call saying someone was trying to kill her while visiting a client in the Oak Beach Association gated community. That December, a K-9 officer looking for Gilbert came across the remains of Melissa Barthelemy. Within days, three more victims - Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello were found close by, together becoming known as the Gilgo Four. By April 2011, 10 victims had been found. Most were petite women who had gone missing while working as sex workers. A toddler and a biological Asian male dressed in womens clothing were also found. Gilbert was the last to be found in December 2011. Unlike the others, her death was ruled as accidental drowning - a ruling fiercely contested by her family. The chilling discoveries were clear: a serial killer or killers were at large. Following his arrest in July 2023, Heuermann - a married father to two adult children - has been charged with the murders of seven victims: Barthelemy, Brainard-Barnes, Waterman, Costello, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla (whose remains were found in a different location in Southampton). The 61-year-old is accused of committing these murders over a two-decade period between 1993 and 2011. He has not been charged in connection to the deaths of Gilbert, Vergata or the unidentified victims known as Asian Doe, Peaches and the toddler. Rex Heuermann in selfies submitted as evidence in the case. The accused serial killer is charged with murders dating from 1993 to 2011 This belt, with the monogram 'WH' or 'HM' was tied around one of the victims' bodies Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has long made it clear there could be more victims out there - and that more charges could still be brought against the suspected serial killer. Heuermann has lived his entire life in Massapequa Park and would commute to his architecture job in Midtown Manhattan, where some of the victims worked and were last seen alive. He was especially familiar with Ocean Parkway, where the victims bodies were dumped, thanks to a job he had at Jones Beach in his 20s, according to prosecutors. When Heuermann was arrested in the case in 2023, Zuppa says Jugos death instantly sprung to mind and he began looking further into the case. For the top attorney, it doesnt make sense that Jugo would have driven around 30 miles from her home in Queens to Gilgo Beach for the purpose of killing herself. Travelling to the vicinity of West Gilgo Beach from Jugos home required a large amount of deliberation and intention. She did not just end up there accidentally, he wrote in the petition. Further young women from Queens and indeed all parts of New York City have little idea that Gilgo Beach even exists. Zuppa points out that Jugo lived just five minutes from a bay which, if the sole purpose was to drown herself, would have made more sense. Melissa Barthelemy (top left), Amber Costello (top right), Megan Waterman (bottom left), and Maureen Brainard-Barnes (bottom right) became known as the 'Gilgo Four' So what the hell is she doing in Gilgo? he says, adding that he has not been able to find any connection Jugo may have to the area. He also believes the method of suicide is unlikely. Walking into the Gilgo Surf up to her head and then inhaling the ocean water would have been an excruciatingly painful way for Ms. Jugo to commit suicide. And quite improbable, he wrote. Such suicidal mechanisms are simply unheard of in science. No suicide note was found at the scene and Zuppa says it would not have been possible to find footprints in the sand from the car to the surf. He explains that there is a thick area of bramble between Ocean Parkway where her car was found abandoned and the beach, rendering footprints unlikely. A maritime expert also revealed that the tidal patterns in the hours she went missing means Jugos footprints and items of clothing would not have been found by the waters edge. Besides the disturbing history of the location, Zuppa has found other eerie similarities between Jugos disappearance and death and some of the Gilgo Beach victims. Valerie Mack (left) disappeared in 2000 and parts of her body were discovered in Long Island that November. Jessica Taylor (right) vanished in 2003 with some of her remains being found in Manorville that year Sandra Costilla (left) was murdered in 1993, making her the earliest known victim. Karen Vergata's (right) remains were identified in 2023. Heuermann has not been charged in connection to her death He tells DailyMail.com he has learned about an eyewitness account from the night she went missing. A couple driving along Ocean Parkway around midnight had noticed a car - later identified as Jugos - parked up on the eastbound lane, which was closed for construction, he says. Right next to her car, parked at an angle, is a hybrid SUV pickup truck, Zuppa says. It's a long stretch of roadway closed for construction. Why would a hybrid SUV pickup truck be right next to her car? There is so much highway to park on. Heuermann was linked to the murders following a tip about a pickup truck. According to a witness, Costello had disappeared after going to see a client who drove a green Chevy Avalanche in September 2010. Following the launch of a new taskforce, investigators learned that Heuermann drove that same type of vehicle at the time of the murders, prosecutors say. He also matched the description of the client seen by the witness. Police search a marsh in Oak Beach for the remains of Shannan Gilbert in December 2011 The search for Gilbert (pictured) after she made a terrifying 911 call led cops to the accused killer's graveyard Following Heuermanns arrest, the truck was located and seized from his brothers home in South Carolina. In another parallel, Zuppa points out that Costello also left her cell phone behind the day she disappeared - a move that limits the ability to track an individuals movements. What are the chances? Zuppa asks. He had the SUV truck and her cell phone was left home. I spoke to Natashas friend who said that she wouldn't leave her cell phones home. The length of time Jugo was missing before her body washed ashore also doesnt seem to add up, he says. The interactions between currents, waves, and the seabed creates a large amount of visible trauma to a human body when the body is on the seabed for a prolonged period. Decapitations and amputations are common, he wrote in the petition. Furthermore, sea creatures such as fish and crabs feed on human bodies turning said bodies into bones. In addition, the reaction of a body to prolonged saltwater exposure is dramatic. It literally causes layers of skin to peel off rendering the body further unrecognizable. Yet, there were no obvious signs of trauma on her body and she was able to be quickly identified as the missing 31-year-old. This, Zuppa says, means its unlikely her body was in the ocean for more than three months - and raises questions as to whether she was being held for some time. Prosecutors allege Heuermann held his victims in the basement of his home, torturing and killing them while his family was out of town. Massapequa Park local and Manhattan-based architect Rex Heuermann (center in court in February 2025) was arrested in the summer of 2023 and charged with multiple murder A chilling planning document found on a hard drive in his home allegedly detailed his prep for preying on victims, including setting up an area to detain them. Several of the victims were also found with bindings, belts or ligatures around their remains. In Zuppas petition, he wrote that scene photos of Jugos body reveal a rope was tied around either her legs, waist, or neck. There is no explanation. And I will not engage in sinister speculation, Zuppa wrote. Yet there are several differences in the cases too. There has never been any suggestion that Jugo was engaged in sex work and there is no evidence she had any connection to or plans to meet Heuermann or anyone else that day. DailyMail.com has reached out to Jugos family for comment. Zuppa believes there are enough unanswered questions in the case that mean the Gilgo Beach task force needs to investigate her death. Law enforcement search for Shannan Gilbert in the marshes of Oak Beach in December 2011 Im trying to gather enough evidence together to have the task force actually look at her case, he tells DailyMail.com. A spokesperson for DA Tierney's Office tells DailyMail.com 'we do not confirm or deny that we are launching investigations' when asked if the task force is looking into Jugo's case. So whether or not Jugo is another victim of the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer remains a mystery. But, either way, Zuppa fears theres no doubt that the accused serial killer has more victims out there. The first murder [he is charged with] was in 1993. They dont catch him until 2023, he says. So God knows how many there are. God knows. When Karen Pryor first saw the shocking headlines in 2022 about the massacre of four Idaho college students inside their home, her mind instantly went back to a time more than four decades earlier. 'It made me think about what happened to us as it just sort of seemed random,' she tells the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview. 'I just thought thank God that two [of the students] survived. And please give the families strength.' It was around 3am on Sunday, January 15, 1978, when notorious serial-killer Ted Bundy broke into the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University in Tallahassee and attacked four students. The victims, who included Pryor, were all sleeping in their beds, unaware that the depraved murderer had chosen them as his latest prey. Pryor suffered horrific injuries including a skull fracture and had to undergo multiple rounds of surgery. Her roommate, Kathy Kleiner, was also seriously injured but survived. Two of their sorority sisters Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy died after being savagely beaten with firewood and strangled with pantyhose. Left to right: Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke Bryan Kohberger (seen in a selfie six hours after the brutal Moscow murders) is facing the death penalty Ted Bundy seen in July 1978. He did not know the dozens of victims he murdered across seven states A fifth student, Cheryl Thomas, living in a house a few blocks away, was also brutally attacked by Bundy but lived. It was an unfathomable, violent rampage in a place of carefree innocence and youth that shocked the nation and made headlines across the globe. And one that has eerie parallels with the chilling crime that unfolded 44 years later, 2,500 miles away in the college town of Moscow, Idaho. In the early hours of Sunday, November 13, 2022, a group of University of Idaho students had returned to their off-campus home after enjoying their Saturday nights out. Most of them were in their rooms in bed when a killer broke into 1122 King Road and slaughtered four victims Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. At least some of the victims were also sleeping at the time, defenseless against the attack. All four had also been part of Greek life at their college. Goncalves was a member of Alpha Phi, while Kernodle and Mogen were Pi Beta Phi sisters. Chapin, Kernodle's boyfriend, was part of Sigma Chi and the young couple had spent their last night together at a party at the frat house. Karen Pryor then Karen Chandler testifies during Ted Bundy's trial in July 1979 A woman looks out of the second story balcony of the Chi Omega sorority house on January 15, 1978 hours after Ted Bundy broke in and went on a murderous rampage Margaret Bowman (left) and Lisa Levy (right) were murdered by Ted Bundy in the attack on the Chi Omega sorority house In both cases, survivors lived to tell the tale. Idaho roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke both escaped the slayings. But there was something else that struck Pryor as being chillingly similar to what she went through back in 1978: The victims didn't know their killer. 'When I heard about the case, I thought: I bet this is not somebody they know,' Pryor tells the Daily Mail. 'I sort of had a feeling that I bet this is somebody who is just mad at the world or saw somebody that caught his eye walk into that house.' She adds: 'The number of people who were attacked, and them being male and female, it made me think, I bet you it's somebody that just saw this house, saw the girls walk in maybe, and something snapped.' When Bryan Kohberger was arrested and charged with the murders a month later on December 30, 2022, Pryor's gut instinct appeared correct. The accused killer had no known connection to any of the victims found dead inside the home. Even now, more than two years later and with the case barreling toward a blockbuster trial in August Kohberger's potential links to the four slain students and the alleged motive for the murders remain a mystery. Bundy also did not know his victims. He preyed on young women, female college students and teenage girls, kidnapping, raping and murdering them in a campaign of terror that spanned at least seven states. Days before his execution in 1989 after spending years professing his innocence he confessed to at least 30 murders. Even before Bundy was captured about a month after the bloody rampage Chi Omega Pryor says she felt sure the attack was random and that her attacker was someone she did not know. So much so that, when she left the hospital to continue her recovery at her parents' home, no part of her feared he might return. 'I never felt like he was after me,' Pryor says. 'There were four girls in the house and one down the street [who he attacked]. I didn't know who it was but I didn't feel like he was after a particular person.' 'I felt like he was after a female body,' she adds. On January 15, 1978, Ted Bundy (left) broke into the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University in Tallahassee and attacked four students. Bryan Kohberger (right) is accused of breaking into a student home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, and killing four students The off-campus home where the four University of Idaho students were murdered on November 13, 2022 (seen on November 29, 2022) Young couple Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle (left) were found dead in her room on the second floor in the attack in Moscow, Idaho. Best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen (right) were found dead in the same bed in Mogen's room on the third floor While Pryor will likely 'never get over' the murders of her two friends, Lisa and Margaret, she insists she has 'never had survivor's guilt' and has never let that night rule her life. It's something she hopes, too, for Mortensen and Funke. Pryor says she imagines they feel some guilt over their response during those fateful hours. Through court documents, it was revealed that Mortensen, then aged 20, heard some disturbing noises and a man's voice she did not recognize inside the home at around 4am. When she opened her bedroom door, she saw a man dressed in all black and wearing a mask walk past her room and head toward the back door. In a moment of panic, Mortensen and Funke sent each other a flurry of texts and phone calls. They also desperately called and messaged their four friends inside the home. No one answered. Bundy seen in 1977 at the Pitkin County courthouse, in Aspen, Colorado. Pryor testified at his trial Karen Pryor (seen on Dr Oz in 2019) instantly believed the victims in Idaho did not know their killer Around eight hours would pass from the terrifying encounter before a 911 call was made just before midday and the horrors inside the home came to light. The delay in alerting authorities would have made no difference to the victims' chances of survival, according to Goncalves' father. He said the coroner informed him that an earlier 911 call would not have saved the victims, who were stabbed multiple times and suffered 'extensive' wounds. Still, Mortensen and Funke have been hounded online with attacks and pointed questions from critics. 'I'm sure they've gone through some really bad times and there is probably guilt there,' Pryor says. 'If they had called 911 earlier, though, [the victims still] wouldn't have lived, so there should be no guilt about trying to save them.' When Pryor thinks about her own experience, her sorority sisters' quick actions may have meant the difference between life and death for her and her roommate. 'A girl saw somebody running out it was sort of the same thing, he was dressed in dark clothing with a cap over his head, not a mask, so his face showed and she immediately went upstairs, woke somebody up, said let's walk around and see if anything is amiss,' she says. During that search, the sorority sisters came across Pryor, who had managed to stumble into the hallway seriously injured and covered in blood. She and her roommate were rushed to hospital for treatment and survived. Pointing to the case in Idaho, she adds: 'There has to be a reason why they didn't reach out or call for help or go and knock on the door.' Pryor says her 'heart breaks' for Mortensen and Funke, and for what the two young women have gone through. 'I feel sorry for them. I know they lost friends,' she says. 'My heart breaks for that.' The two surviving roommates are expected to be key witnesses at Kohberger's trial this summer, where he is facing the death penalty. For Pryor, who testified at Bundy's trial, her attacker's execution in 1989 finally gave her some 'closure.'. Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen together. The Moscow murders shocked the close-knit college town Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin together. The motive for the attack in November 2022 remains a mystery 'People talk about closure and ask victims' families if they have closure and they'll say 'well no, because our loved one is still dead,' she says. 'I don't think that's what closure means. I think closure is, even if you don't get the outcome you want, it's at some point you close the book and say I've got to live with the consequences and go on. And I've got to live with the memory and honor them. 'So for me, his execution was my closure.' Pryor ended up moving back into the Chi Omega sorority house and finishing her studies at Florida State University. She never once saw a counselor or psychiatrist to help her deal with the traumatic experience of that night in 1978. For her, talking with friends and family about what happened has helped over the years. 'When I talk about it, it's almost like you hand a little bit of the grief over,' she says. 'Every time you talk about it, it's a little easier to talk about.' Now a happily married mother-of-two and grandmother living in Atlanta, Pryor urges other survivors to open up what they have gone through - and to seek medical and professional help if they need it. But her most poignant message to fellow survivors is to not let the experience - or the person who attacked them - have any power over their lives. 'Just remember: you're in control of your life,' she says. 'My advice is that the best you can do is put one foot in front of the other and move on.' The bodies of the two young jackeroos lay in the Great Sandy Desert. They were found on a remote seismic grid road among the spinifex scattered on the red earth about 500km south-east of Halls Creek. The vast 290-square-kilometre expanse of red sand in northeastern Western Australia where James Annetts and Simon Amos perished is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Temperatures had been in the mid- to high-40s when the teenagers abruptly vanished, making the earth so hot it burnt through the rubber soles of shoes. It was only slightly cooler five months later when two surveyors happened upon their stricken vehicle. The two station hands were found a kilometre apart. Seventeen-year-old Simon's stripped and skeletal remains had been torn apart by camels and wild dogs, a bullet hole through the forehead of his skull. The body of James, 16, which still bore some flesh, hair and clothing, was 19km north of their abandoned Datsun. James Annetts went looking for adventure but found himself in a dangerous, isolated job in the Outback James Annetts with his dad Les. The Annetts didn't want their son to go to the Outback station to work, but were reassured by the station manager's wife that all would be fine On the roof of the car, the two boys had arranged an 'SOS' using spanners. Near the car was an arrow, made from a star picket and charred branches, pointing in the direction where they took off on foot. James, who had left a heartbreaking message to his family scratched on a water bottle found next to him, was thought to have pressed on further north and finally dropped dead from dehydration. And yet, according to James' father, Les Annetts, there was an uncanny similarity in what was left of the two teenagers which suggested that, at some point before their deaths, they had been tied up. 'They were both missing the same bone from their arms,' Mr Annetts tells Daily Mail Australia. 'James from the right arm, Simon from the left arm, the same bone missing as if their arms had been tied together. 'My wife and I believed they were running from something, they were being chased. We believed Bradshaw, the black tracker, who followed their tyre tracks and he could tell they were being chased. 'When they got through Balgo, there were the tracks of another ute which came through a back way into Balgo and it was chasing them.' Surveyors found the Datsun ute with 'SOS' spelled out on the roof in spanners on a remote track five months after the two teenage boys vanished in the vast Great Sandy Desert Balgo, in Western Australia's Tanami Desert, is just one of the locations Les and his late wife Sandra Annetts visited or became familiar with in their long-running quest to find the truth of what happened to their son almost 40 years ago. After all, from the moment James went missing, in December 1986, it was the Annetts who had to do much of the investigation amid a botched police probe and inadequate search. Les believes James and Simon died while being pursued as a result of what had happened to them after they were hired to work in virtual slave-labour conditions in WA's eastern Kimberley district. From their suburban homes, James in Griffith in the New South Wales Riverina, and Simon in Adelaide, the boys had answered job advertisements calling for 16 to 18-year-olds to work on cattle stations. Scratched on his water bottle was a heartbreaking message to his family which read: 'James, My Follt. I always love you Mum and Dad, Jason, Michelle, Joanne' A jackeroo in the quarters at the station, which were described as filthy, with sewage coming up through the showers and electric shocks when lights were switched on The remote Outback where James Annetts perished is in northeastern Western Australia in a vast 290 square kilometre expanse of red desert The ads stated 'no experience necessary'. For each of the teenagers, who didn't know each other before arriving at Flora Valley Station, it was meant to be their first big adventure. Les and Sandra Annetts had been reluctant to let James go, concerned about his safety, meals, working conditions and wages. But he was insistent that he wanted to earn his own money and, as Les says, James was 'a very quiet giant, but don't get him riled or he'll give you backchat'. And the station manager's wife, Vicki Loder, assured them all would be fine. What the Annetts didn't know was the cattle industry was in depression and living conditions were sub-standard at Flora Valley and two associated properties, Nicholson and Sturt Creek stations. Darwin cattle baron Peter Sherwin's Australian Stations Pty Ltd had bought the stations on which staff were kept at a minimum to cut costs. James arrived in July 1986 at Flora Valley, which stretches from the Kimberley to the Great Sandy Desert, with Simon turning up the following month. Flora Valley's manager, Giles Loder, was a man with a fierce reputation. Within seven weeks of their arrival, he ordered James to Nicholson and Simon to Sturt Creek to manage the stations alone. The boys found themselves working seven days a week for a $100 wage. After James Annetts' (left) and Simon Amos' (right) remains were found in the Great Sandy Desert, a forensic investigation would find that James was missing his right humerus and Simon his left humerus, suggesting they were tied up, according to James' father They did daily 'bore runs' to get water for the cattle, and checks that windmills and other equipment were working properly, meaning round trips of 12 to 14 hours a day over ungraded tracks in vehicles with no air conditioning. The conditions were so substandard that a woman employed as a cook at Flora Valley until she quit in disgust over a pay dispute, Debbie Davis, would recall that 'when the toilets were flushed, sewage would come up through the floor. We would get electric shocks when we switched on a light.' A former yard builder at Flora Valley said the owner and manager were authoritarian and unforgiving. Loder kept in contact with the boys via twice daily two-way radio calls to his wife Vicki at Flora Valley, but they had no other support. Les Annetts said his son's entire four months of wages, aside from 'one tick of $35' was unspent when he disappeared. 'He hadn't cleared anything.' On the night of Sunday, December 1, 1986, the boys, whose properties were 150km apart, took off into the desert in a white Datsun utility that was so unroadworthy it would only travel for a couple of hours at a time before it needed fixing. To those who claimed the boys were running away, Mr Annetts points out that they both left behind wallets, cash and belongings. Police would find $384 and an uncashed pay cheque in James room, along with letters from friends and relatives. Black tracker Jungarri Bradshaw would later tell the Annetts that the boys drove in an easterly direction towards Caranya station, site of the Wolfe Creek Crater, the world's second-largest meteorite crater which features in the 2005 horror movie Wolf Creek Black tracker Jungarri Bradshaw would later tell the Annetts that the boys drove in an easterly direction towards Caranya station, site of the Wolfe Creek Crater, the world's second-largest meteorite crater which features in the 2005 horror movie Wolf Creek. They then went back because they couldn't get through the locked gate, and then crossed at Billiluna, an Aboriginal community, and turned south. 'He tracked them to Balgo, through Balgo and on to Yagga Yagga [an Aboriginal community]. They were being chased,' Mr Annetts says. 'At Balgo, another ute came through via a back road and chased them. They probably became partially bogged on a sand dune.' Back at Flora Valley Station, standard protocol was if the boys missed two radio calls, a search patrol was sent out to their stations. But Vicki Loder had left in November to give birth to her second child, and the replacement head stockman Shane Kendall, who was meant to conduct the radio calls, didn't send out a patrol. While 48 hours passed from Monday evening to Wednesday evening, with no calls from James or Simon, no search patrol was dispatched. Les Annetts, a glazier, pointed out to hostile police that the blood pattern on his son's hand was an arterial spray. Tests would prove it wasn't his son's or Simon's blood type Flora Valley Station (above) in the Kimberleys was managed by the authoritarian Giles Loder who the young jackeroos hired by the owner found unyielding Giles Loder landed his plane at Flora Valley on December 3 and drove to Nicholson station, where he noticed James' belongings were still there, but not the jackaroo, and busied himself getting water to the Brahman cattle. He drove to Sturt Creek station the next day and found that Simon was also missing, although his cigarettes and personal effects were there. It was only then that Loder called police and reported Simon missing, but did not mention James Annetts. The boys had now been missing for three days in heat of more than 40C. It was unknown how much water they were carrying. Les Annetts said the veteran researcher of his son's case, Norm Barber, who has written the book Death in the Sand, had accurately portrayed the twists and turns of what happened from the moment that James and Simon vanished. Loder told police who had arrived from Halls Creek to search that there was a second boy missing, James, and that he believed the boys had stolen a vehicle and gone hunting, and may have met with trouble. At this point, 96 hours had passed since the teenagers had last been in contact. Loder flew the police to search for the boys, landing at Caranya station. A white couple who lived in the Tanami desert got a rough description from a group of Aboriginals of two white boys travelling in a ute near Balgo. The three-year-old ute was so unroadworthy that it stalled often and was difficult to restart. It was an unlikely vehicle to take on a long trip through the desert But instead of travelling south to Balgo, Loder's plane went north. He told police he had organised a ground search around Flora Valley, but this proved to be untrue, as he had simply told other young jackaroos to 'keep an eye out' for the missing teens. At 2.45pm on Saturday, December 6, an officer from the NSW Police at Griffith phoned the Annetts to say WA Police had informed him their son was lost after going hunting, and that grave fears were held for his safety. WA Police characterised James and Simon as thieves, and the sergeant at Halls Creek relied on Loder's knowledge of the area to spearhead the search. After two days of inadequate and fruitless searches, police eventually hired tracker Jungarri Bradshaw who flew with a policeman to Balgo, where the Aboriginal community was not used to police and wary of authority in general. The policeman, Drummond, was Aboriginal, but lighter-skinned and from a coastal community, and foreign to the Balgo locals. No one mentioned the two white boys who stopped at the Balgo store in an 'orange ute', which could have been James' white Datsun covered in red dust. Nor did they say the boys looked as if they were fleeing someone. The Balgo elders did speak with Bradshaw, and he would later relate some of what he heard to the Annetts before he was 'shut up' by the police. Back at Sturt Creek, Giles Loder and the Halls Creek sergeant flew over the station in ever-expanding circles, finding no clues. The newspaper ad that both Simon and James saw that lured them to Flora Valley Station where they would live in harsh conditions until they left and then died in the desert Another plane and a helicopter joined to search, but it was not enough to use a dozen men flying over 100,000 square kilometres of desert and bush. Police opined the boys had got lost while hunting, but Jungarri Bradshaw disagreed. He later followed Datsun tyre tracks to the Tanami Road, but police didn't trust Bradshaw's tracking ability, distrusted Aboriginal people in general, and had no understanding of their knowledge of the land. The Balgo elders had told Bradshaw that the boys had been killed, and their bodies would be found in the desert. The media had descended on Halls Creek for what had become an international story about two boys missing in the Outback. One reporter wrote that police suspected the boys had stolen the station vehicle and driven home for Christmas. The insinuation was that police did not believe the boys worthy of a real search. The WA Police froze out James Annetts' desperate family. A pilot in NSW offered Les and Sandra his twin-engine plane with night search capability to fly to Western Australia to help look for the boys, if they paid for the fuel. Griffith locals raised $4,000. The Annetts were informed that Giles Loder 'is not allowing any private planes to land at Flora Valley. The area is so remote and large that any person not familiar with the country would also become lost', but that a plane could land at Halls Creek's public airport. Roads in the Kimberley region of far north Western Australia (pictured) are so poor it can take seven hours to drive 150km. James Annetts, 16, and Simon Amos, 17, were left alone on cattle stations about 180km apart and had to drive up to 14 hours a day checking water bores When Sandra Annetts phoned one police superintendent in charge of the search, he told her the skies over the area were already too crowded for another plane. By December 16, looking for the boys had become a backburner task for Halls Creek police. But a single-engine plane dispatched by Perth police arrived there on December 18, just as daytime temperatures were reaching 45 degrees. Over the next five days, the crew flew for 34 hours over an area of 18,334 square kilometres, none of which was south of Balgo. They flew back to Perth on December 22. In mid-January, after borrowing money for a bus trip via Alice Springs and Katherine, Les and Sandra Annetts arrived in Halls Creek. A kind couple, Stan and Clare Tremlett, offered to put them up. Mrs Annetts had doubts the boys had 'gone hunting' or stolen the Datsun and felt James wouldn't have abandoned his job at the station without contacting them first. James had written to his parents each month he'd been away. He wrote that he would fly back home for Christmas, returning between December 17 and 21, and then return to Nicholson Station. In another letter, which was found sealed but unposted among his belongings, he stated that when he came home he would not be returning to Nicholson, and told his parents not to send any more mail there. On April 26, 1987, surveyors marking out seismic lines for oil drilling prospects spotted the ute on the slope of a sand dune The Annetts had done their own research and learnt of the sightings at Balgo and the Tanami track. Mrs Annetts told one journalist police had told lies. 'We learnt that instead of a continual air search, they sent up two planes and a helicopter for a total of one-and-a-half days. 'There was no further search until December 17, when planes were in the air for a total of about 36 hours. 'They only flew as far south as Balgo, even though Les had told them to check the Canning stock route and Rabbit Flat.' Les Annetts described the situation at Halls Creek as 'total confusion... no one knew what was happening. No one would believe us when we told them James would not run away without contacting us.' When they checked the boys' belongings at Halls Creek police station, they found two rolls of undeveloped film which hadn't been developed and printed by police. James' hat with the initials 'JAA' written inside was splashed with dried blood. Les, a glazier, knew how a cut artery sprayed blood and said that was the pattern of blood on his son's hat. Halls Creek police were furious and scoffed at the Annetts' 'interference' in the case and their engagement with the media. James' hat with the initials 'JAA' written inside was was splashed with dried blood. Les, a glazier, knew how a cut artery sprayed blood and said that was the pattern of blood on his son's hat It would later emerge that the blood on James' hat was neither his nor Simon's but it was human, of unknown origin. On January 27, 1987, seven weeks after the disappearances, the Annetts flew to Flora Valley Station where most of the jackeroos who had worked with Simon and James had shot through. By this time the boys were certainly dead. Giles Loder offered no condolences, instead questioning why the boys had stolen his vehicle. Vicki Loder handed over cheques amounting to almost $1,000 - James unpaid wages. Back in town, the Annetts heard stories from Aboriginals and whites who had worked under the hard regime which operated at the Australian Stations properties and quit. They returned home in early February. They had three other children to care for, Jason, Michelle and Joanne, but lost interest in eating and both lost weight. When the media whirlwind began to die down, Sandra Annetts announced that after spending their life savings to travel to Halls Creek, she was selling her wedding rings and furniture to fund another search. WA Detective Inspector Arnold Ian Davies would mount the new search. He concluded that the five-day delay in searching by police after Loder found the boys absent, and the implied blame that they were thieves, had made it nearly impossible to find them alive. 'A sad loss not forgotten by the people of the Kimberleys': The deaths of James Annetts and Simon Amos remain a mystery almost four decades after they disappeared in the desert The reported sightings of the boys near Balgo by Aboriginals and others, totally ignored by searchers, would come back to bite WA Police. Les Annetts returned to Halls Creek with an Adelaide TV crew for the second search, on April 5, 1987. Police were still hostile to the Annetts, and told the media the couple was telling them 'bulls**t' about the case. They visited Flora Valley, but were ordered off the property and then the jackeroos' quarters whose dirty rooms Les described as 'unfit for a dog'. On April 26, 1987, surveyors marking out seismic lines for oil drilling prospects arrived at a spot in the Great Sandy Desert near White Hills, 200km south of Balgo. It was a Sunday at 7.15am and halfway up a dune they spotted a Datsun ute, number plate HC 529. The men had heard the missing boys had been lost in this area. The 'SOS' in spanners on the roof was still intact after 20 weeks of wind and weather. So was the arrow on the ground pointing north. Police arrived at the scene from Halls Creek and, joined by Aboriginal guides, drove in the direction of the arrow until they found Simon and James' camp. There was a strewn out line of white bones, Simon's, spread over a 50m radius, and scarred from teeth marks and surrounded by dog and camel tracks. The hole in Simons forehead was smaller than the exit wound in the top of his skull. Residents of an Aboriginal settlement the boys drove through said they saw another vehicle following the Datsun they were driving. Pictured is a diesel fuel station in the Kimberley The police continued on, and one kilometre north they saw a water bottle in the sand and stopped. A few feet away in the spinifex was what appeared to be a pair of Levi's jeans and a Dunlop volleys shoe. Bones stuck out from the hips of the jeans, and one leg appeared to be intact, with its foot in the shoe. Further up a track was a flannelette shirt and a singlet, and then a backbone and ribs. Then there was a head with the jaw still attached. On the lid of the water bottle, James Annetts had scrawled, 'James, My Follt. I always love you Mum and Dad, Jason, Michelle, Joanne'. On the handle were the words: 'I found peece'. James' utility knife was in one of the jeans' pockets. The difference in the condition of Simon's and James' remains led the men in attendance to conclude that Simon had died long before James and had been killed before going into the desert. Skinned animals in a paddock took up to two years to be reduced to bleached bones. Officers at Halls Creek police station failed to conduct a proper search for the missing boys and believed the teenagers were car thieves and were hostile to the families Les Annetts was still on his trip with the Adelaide TV crew when news came through. The media arrived at the crime scene in helicopters. The boys' remains were examined at the Perth morgue. On Body 1, Simon's left humerus, the arm's long top bone, and his left ulna, the forearm's longer bone, were missing. When Body 2, James, was examined, his right humerus and left ulna were missing. Dental charts confirmed both teens' identities. Les Annetts faced the media. Halls Creek police were still labelling his son and Simon Amos as runaway thieves. It emerged that the message James had scratched on his water bottle for his family had been darkened by police with a pen for the cameras. Les returned home. The Annetts buried James' remains at Griffith Lawn Cemetery. In Halls Creek, two churches and the United Aboriginal Mission raised money for a plaque to commemorate the boys, and in May 1987, the Annetts and their three remaining children attended a memorial and unveiling ceremony. A requiem mass was held in Adelaide for Simon. An inquest by Western Australian Coroner David McCann opened in December 1987. It was meant to last two days, but would continue for years. Apart from determining the causes of death, it would investigate conditions for young workers on Outback stations. Les and Sandra Annetts with their children Jason, Michelle and Joanne in 2015 Questions, even after the inquest's conclusion, continued to have no satisfactory answers. They included: Why were two teenagers from the suburbs sent out alone to huge and isolated cattle stations in a dangerous location with unreliable communications? Why did the police search for the boys not begin until four or more days after their disappearance? Why did police assume the boys had run away when they had left behind all their belongings, including their money? If the boys decided to run away, why did they use a vehicle which was unreliable? Why did police know nothing about blood on James Annetts' hat, which was recovered immediately after his disappearance? Was this connected with a bloody wound observed on one of the station employees? The coroner found James died of dehydration and Simon from one rifle shot that went through his skull. But Les and Sandra Annetts remained deeply suspicious of their son's death and angry at what they believe was the incompetence of the police search for the boys, and lack of duty of care. The Annetts would later sue Australian Stations over the psychiatric injuries they suffered during the months they waited for news of their son's fate. They claimed their son died due to negligence of the company, which put him on an isolated outstation with a defective vehicle and no training in survival skills. They further claimed the company failed to keep in radio communication with James and did not tell police of his disappearance for several days. The WA Supreme Court rejected the couple's negligence claim in the year 2000, finding the they were too far removed from events surrounding their son's death to be compensated. The High Court subsequently found Australian Stations did owe a duty of care to James's parents, which allowed them to plan an appeal before the WA Court of Criminal Appeal. The family has never been satisfied with any explanation of why the boys had driven off into the desert. Sandra Annetts died in 2016. She believed to the end that James and Simon had met with foul play. Do YOU have a story or tip? A Cornish pasty seller in one of Britain's most picturesque villages has complained that whingeing locals are stopping her from charging 13.50 per pasty. Terri Munday runs the Mousehole Deli and Kitchen near Penzance, Cornwall, where it costs 10 to have a pasty to eat in. She had planned to increase her prices to 13.50 this month - but told MailOnline she was prevented by 'abusive' customers moaning about money. Fellow Cornish pasty sellers a few miles down the road charge as little as 4.60 for similarly sized pasties and blasted Terri for flogging her food at such 'extortionate' prices. However, Terri defended her prices and said the 10 tag for the pasties made by local mother and son duo Ann and Fergus was actually evidence of her 'trying to keep the costs down' as she also had to provide and wash the plates she serves them on. She told MailOnline: 'As if life is not hard enough. Our pasty prices have absolutely nothing to do with making money off tourists or second home owners. 'It should be 13.50 to make [the] 70 per cent margin we need to run a business. This is us trying to keep the costs down. 'My team have had abuse on the phone and over the counter about prices, which has been totally heartbreaking for us and them, particularly in April when prices are due to increase. Your browser does not support iframes. Terri and Caleb Munday (pictured), who run the Mousehole Deli and Kitchen, charge 10 for a pasty. Terri (right) complained to MailOnline that locals whining about her high prices were stopping her from raising the price of a pasty to 13.50 Currently, Terri sells pasties in her shop for 10 to eat in and 6.50 to take away. Pictured: Pasties in her shop last week. Pork pies were also on sale for as much as 12.50 'Now I am going to have to run at a loss and delay this process.' Terri's deli sits in the heart of Mousehole, a beautiful village long considered to be Britain's second home capital. Last week, MailOnline revealed that Cornwall County Council was urging locals to fight back against out-of-towners turning their stunning haven into a ghost town. Yet this week the talk of the town has been Terri's 10 pasties. Locals said the pasties were delicious but even the local councillor who had lived in Mousehole for almost 20 years admitted she would never pay a tenner for them. Thalia Marrington, 50, the deputy leader of the Cornwall County Council Liberal Democrats and a Mousehole villager for 18 years, said she expected pasties to cost 'a little more' in Mousehole. She said: 'I know they are expensive. They are nice. It's what I expect in Mousehole. You do pay a bit more. 'They do try, but we live in a goldfish bowl. They have to make it out to [the] season. Terri's Mousehole Deli and Kitchen (pictured) overlooks a stunning harbour and sells pasties for up to 10 each Terri was perplexed as to why anyone wouldn't fork out 10 to pay for this Cornish pasty accompanied with salad Pictured: The stunning view outside the expensive delicatessen in the Cornish village of Mousehole Mousehole (pictured last week) is thought to be the second home capital of Britain 'I wouldn't pay 10 for a pasty but I would spend 6.50 for an Ann's pasty and eat out.' Former police officer Elaine Bawden, 66, who grew up in Mousehole, admitted the pasty price at Terri's shop was expensive but understandable. She said: 'The delicatessen in the village [is] aimed more at the holiday trade rather than residents. 'Yes they are more expensive but that's the case wherever you purchase quality goods. You wouldn't buy your weekly shop there!' Elaine's friend Neil Brockman, 61, also grew up in the village and said the pasties were his favourite. When other pasty sellers in neighbouring villages within five miles of Mousehole heard about the 10 pasties, they were shocked. Pasty maker Sarah Shaw owns the Cornish Hen Deli in Penzance and charges 4.60 for a traditional pasty. Elaine Bawden, 66, (pictured) grew up in Mousehole and said it made sense that Terri charged high prices because the pasties were high quality Neil Brockman, 61, (pictured) was born in Mousehole and lived there for 45 years. He said the pasties sold at Terri's deli were his favourite Local Lib Dem councillor Thalia Marrington, 50, (pictured) said she wouldn't pay 10 for the pasties but was happy to give 6.50 for a takeaway When she heard about Terri's prices in Mousehole, she said they were even more expensive than London prices. Sarah said: 'Are you kidding me? 'I don't know how they can justify 10 for a pasty. They must be gold-plated. 'They can't be making them themselves. We make everything from scratch. 'The beef is from the local butcher, we use Cornish butter. 'But good luck to them. I can't quite believe that.' Ian Lavender, 70, runs Lavenders Deli Bakery in Penzance with his wife and son. He charges 4.70 for a pasty, although he admitted he increased the prices this week from 4.20 because of rising costs. Ian Lavender, 70, (pictured) runs Lavenders Deli Bakery in Penzance with his wife and son He charges 4.70 for a pasty, although he admitted he increased the prices this week from 4.20 because of rising costs At Lavenders even a giant steak pasty was only 6.90, more than 3 cheaper than a 10 Mousehole Deli and Kitchen pasty to eat in When he heard Terri's deli in Mousehole was charging 10 for a pasty and had hoped to increase to 13.50, he said: 'I'm going to move to Mousehole!' Ian added: 'That's extortionate. We have always tried to keep our prices at a reasonable rate because the area is not wealthy. 'We have to try keep the prices within people's budgets.' Yet not all pasty sellers were surprised. Hellys Bistro in Penzance stocks pasties from Lavenders and sells them for 7. Tom Murray, manager at Loafs Bakery in Penzance, pauses before taking a bite of one of the bakery's pasties The Cornish store charges 4.85 for a pasty, each of which is around 450g in weight Linda Jeha (pictured) is the owner of Aunty May's in Newlyn, where she sells pasties 4.95 Pictured: A fresh batch of Aunty May's Cornish pasties are readied to be sold to the public Pictured: Elle Toms at Warrens bakery in Newlyn, a few minutes drive from Mousehole Warrens is one of the oldest pasty chains in Cornwall and boasts loyal customers across the region The shop charges just 4.75 for a medium traditional steak pasty (pictured this week) Assistant head chef Ethan Willie, 23, said he wasn't shocked because of Mousehole being a tourism hotspot, which he suggested made everything naturally more expensive. He explained: 'With the summer coming, Mousehole is one of the more touristy destinations.' MailOnline analysis of shops selling pasties between Mousehole and Penzance at the moment found the Mousehole Deli and Kitchen sold the most expensive ones at 10. The cheapest were sold at Rowe's Cornish Bakers in Penzance for 4.30, where you could also buy two for 7.30, coming out at an average of 3.70 per pasty. Pictured: Pasty shop worker Lee Parsons at the Cornish Hen Deli in Penzance, which sells traditional pasties for 4.60 each Owner Sarah Shaw couldn't believe her ears when MailOnline revealed one of her rivals was selling psaties for a tenner She said: 'Are you kidding me? I don't know how they can justify 10 for a pasty. They must be gold-plated' Even so, Terri was horrified that people might view her shop in a negative light and strongly defended her staff and her business style. She said: '[10 is] just the price to make less than industry standard margin. 'They are hand made by Ann and her son Fergus, not [a] fake chain-baked product you might be used to! 'They are massive and weight approximately 475g with steak from Fergus's farm. 'Ann and Fergus sell them to us for 3.15. 'Then you have to add on pasty tax for a ''reheated baked good'' unless it's straight out of the oven, which is what we try to do as we bake them on site. So we should sell them for 7 if reheated! 'Then I have to pay 12.45 per hour for a chef to bake them plus extortionate electricity, equipment, maintenance [and] parchment. 'Then we have to pay someone the same hourly rate to sell it, plus equipment to reheat, storage, bags, cleaning etc. 'Then to have [pasties] in I have to buy plates, have a premises, hire more staff to serve you, and make it into a restaurant item. 'Seriously, you think that's not ok for 10?' She added: 'Locals get a discount and monthly deals so we look after [everyone], not that we can afford to but to us, community is everything. 'We employee 32 local staff, have eight apprenticeships and need to stay open all year to service this. 'We embrace tourism in Cornwall. That brings in 2billion to the county each year and supports over 35,000 jobs. 'It's hard enough to run a small restaurant in this climate with national living wage, supermarkets monopolising retail items so it becomes cheaper to shop there than with our suppliers [and dealing with] the extra 15k increase in national insurance we as a business have to try and find.' Siobhan McCann has shot thousands of people in her job as a photojournalist. Yet, she landed her biggest story by aiming her camera at herself. Nearly every day for almost three years now, McCann has snapped selfies staring straight into the lens of her smart phone with the same neutral gaze. She has woven the images into powerful time-lapses that chronicle her metamorphosis from a man to a woman, demystifying the process for millions on social media. Her tightly-edited montages on Instagram and TikTok track obvious changes such as shaving off her facial hair and growing her buzz cut into a long red mane. They also capture subtleties like the ways hormone replacement therapy has softened her skin and rounded out her face, making it look more feminine. Yet what is most striking isn't the change in McCann, but rather her consistency, as if we're directly witnessing the 25-year-old's gender-affirming transformation which gives us a better view into what was always essential about her a groundedness that has little to do with gender at all. 'That was the point of going through all this in the first place,' she told DailyMail.com. Born in Plymouth, England, and raised in South Florida, McCann says it would have been easier to have come of age as she says most non-trans folks assume knowing she was a girl trapped in a boy's body. Siobhan McCann, 25 documented her three-year journey transitioning from a man to a woman shedding the buzz cut and beard for long red hair Once out of college, she became a photojournalist for South Florida TV station where she has the startling realization that she had gender dysmorphia Instead, as a gay teenager and young man, her image of herself was blurred by 'a sense of detachment' about the way she looked that for years she was unable to articulate. Once she graduated from Florida State University and went to work as a news photographer for a South Florida TV station, she started noticing that the people whose pictures she took seemed more at ease with themselves than she ever felt. 'I was just going about my daily life, interacting with people and realized what had been building up subconsciously that I wasn't comfortable with myself as a guy,' she said. That feeling prompted her to fish around online about males who become female. Something clicked when she came upon a series of before-and-after photos. 'I suddenly realized, "Oh, I'm transgender," and that I'd be happier as a woman.' The realization came as a relief, she said, because, 'It was something I could take action on, something that I could change.' McCann describes going ahead with hormone replacement therapy as an 'easy decision to make, although a difficult thing to do'. Around that time in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis had placed restrictions on adults seeking gender-affirming medical treatment. She was so certain about her path that she started taking Estradiol, a female hormone, at age 22, only two or three weeks after realizing she was trans. McCann was born in Plymouth, England, and raised in South Florida where she constantly felt disconnected from what she would see in the mirror before her transition In 2022, McCann covered Hurricane Ian while dealing with the immense damage done to her family home in Florida When she first started her transformation, only three weeks after realizing she was transgender, she began taking daily selfies - including playful ones that showed her mustache being gradually shaved off That's when she also started taking daily selfies. Between rising from bed and brushing her teeth each morning, she sits near a window bathed in natural light and snaps a photo of herself without makeup or primping. She wants to look completely natural so she can track her progress as accurately as possible. McCann's over 900 selfies, seamlessly pieced together through stabilization techniques that align her face from one image to the next, give a raw, unvarnished view of her transition. At one point, in 2022, she looked exhausted after Hurricane Ian slammed her family's home in Florida. Another from 2023 showed her with red eczema all over her face. Halfway in, she looks at once completely non-gendered and also utterly herself. There is an honesty, a rootedness in these shots, that are remarkable given that gender affirmation all too often is seen as a makeover rather than an unveiling. McCann's time lapses take viewers from the point when she started hormone therapy while living with her parents in Fort Myers through her move to New Hampshire for more reliable medical treatment, a better job and proximity to a man she met online in 2023, about a year into her transition. That beau, 27-year-old sound technician Noah Vandewerf, can be seen in quick cameos in McCann's morning selfies kissing her and making silly faces in the background. She has not updated her montage since moving in October to Boston where she now works at the local FOX affiliate and lives even closer to Vandewerf, who says his type is 'pretty girls' like her. She took over 900 photos that she made into a time-lapse video. Some of those photos showed her boyfriend Noah Vandewerf, 27, who can be seen in quick cameos McCann moved to New Hampshire to be closer to Vandewerf, a sound technician, who she connected with in 2023. She said she's also got a better paying job there and better treatment for her transition She then moved to Boston in October to be even closer to her beau and to work at a local FOX affiliate 'I recognize that her previous self was just as genuine and crucial in realizing the person she is today,' he told DailyMail.com. 'Now I'm straight and normal,' McCann added. For her, that means opting against genital reassignment surgery and voice training that would help her speak more like a biological woman. Although losing an inch of height and a good bit of muscle mass has made her work hauling heavy cable reels, tripods and TV cameras more challenging, she says she has gained a sense of comfort that would not have been possible as a man. 'I'm more confident, more sociable. I was never as outgoing as I've been over the last three years,' she said. The hormones also enable her to cry more easily and release all manner of feelings that were pent up in manhood. 'It's not that I'm a different person, just a more authentic version of myself.' At first, McCann created time-lapses each month as a way to avoid what she calls the 'doom spiral' of worrying that hormone replacement therapy wasn't working. At first, McCann said she created time-lapses each month as a way to avoid what she calls the 'doom spiral' of worrying that hormone replacement therapy wasn't working McCann doesn't update or watch her time-lapses as frequently any more, but she said she hopes it raises awareness about gender-affirming care which is currently being hindered by the Trump administration 'I'd watch them every day to see how far I'd come when I felt like I wasn't making progress,' she said. Then she started playing with the process, making it look like she shaved asymmetrical portions of her mustache over a few weeks when she actually did away with it in a day. At one point, she framed her transformation not as a gender identity change, but as the result of '5 months living next to the 5G tower'. Worried male viewers in Russia and the Middle East wrote her in confusion. 'They didn't get it was a joke.' Humor, she says, helps 'defang and demystify' the transgender process 'for people who might be curious or skeptical about it.' McCann doesn't update or watch her time-lapses as frequently any more, preferring to enjoy her transformation rather than keeping track of it. Still, she hopes her montages will help raise awareness of gender-affirming care in a time when access to it is being hindered by the Trump administration. She also hopes it will inspire guys like the one she used to be, whom she asks not to name in order to avoid confusion. 'A lot of people have commented over the years that they saw this and it helped influence their decision. It's sweet,' she said. The input moves her not just as a trans woman, but also as a journalist: 'As a piece of work, recording something authentic and true, I think it's the best I'll ever do.' The daughter of a domestic abuse victim whose murder was wrongly labelled a drug overdose by police has lifted the lid on her family's eight-year fight for justice. Chloe Van Hagen-Weekes, 21, was just nine years old when her mum Suzanne Van Hagen was brutally murdered by her new boyfriend at her home in Frankley, Worcestershire, in February 2013. Chloe - who was in the house at the time - discovered her mum's body alongside violent partner John Worton, 34, and covered them with sheets before calling 999, an inquest at the time heard. But that was only the start of the family's nightmare as cops told them marks around 37-year-old Suzanne's neck indicated she had been murdered - but then issued a press release saying that their deaths were due to an accidental drug overdose during a sex game. A battle ensued with the family launching a campaign to reveal the truth behind Ms Van Hagen's tragic death, insisting Ms Van Hagen had been the victim of domestic abuse by Worton. Chloe, now 21, was raised by her grandparents and wider family following the tragedy. She told MailOnline: 'It hurt because a lot of people believed what the police said, people we thought were friends shunned my family because of it. 'Nobody had asked us what happened, they completely jumped the gun, I assume they found drugs in the house and just put two and two together and made six. 'To this day if you type mum's name into Google the false story comes up. It's upsetting because people think if the police say something it's true but this wasn't. Chloe Van Hagen-Weekes (pictured), 21, was just nine years old when her mum Suzanne Van Hagen was brutally murdered by her new boyfriend at her home in Frankley, Worcestershire, in February 2013 Chloe was raised by her grandparents and wider family following the tragedy Chloe - who was in the house at the time - discovered her mum's body alongside violent partner John Worton, 34, and covered them with sheets before calling 999, an inquest at the time heard 'I always knew it was a lie because I was there, I knew what happened and it was so hurtful to read. 'My family tried to keep it from me as much as possible at the time but even then as a nine-year-old you hear things and you read things.' After a lengthy campaign led by Suzanne's father, a police review in 2017 found that the Senior Investigating Officer in the case had failed to make proper enquiries about marks to Ms Van Hagen's neck when her body was discovered. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority also concluded in 2019 that the marks were an act of violence committed by Worton. And in 2021, then-Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Sir David Thompson issued a public apology to Ms Van Hagen's family, addressing what he described as a 'number of failings' by the force. He said: 'On behalf of West Midlands Police, I wish to apologise for a number of failings by the force in the handling of Suzanne's case, both before and after her death, and to acknowledge the immense, additional distress that this has caused to Suzanne's family. 'We deeply regret a number of missed opportunities to investigate Suzanne's circumstances more widely and to engage with her. 'We could and should have done more to protect Suzanne and her daughter from the abuse they were suffering. Police said marks around 37-year-old Suzanne's neck indicated she had been murdered - but then issued a press release saying that their deaths were due to an accidental drug overdose during a sex game In 2021, then-Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Sir David Thompson issued a public apology to Ms Van Hagen's family, addressing what he described as a 'number of failings' by the force To compound the family's pain, they were let down by a failure to properly investigate Suzanne's death. 'I am deeply sorry for the many failings identified in 2017 when the Force conducted a full review of the investigation,' Sir Thompson added. West Midlands Police paid 'substantial' damages to the family. But Chloe told MailOnline the incident has undermined her trust in the police, adding: 'I'm definitely a lot more wary because you hope when they say something it's the truth but that isn't always the case.' Chloe, from Birmingham, who has just completed a degree in nursing, insists her mum never had a problem with drugs but recalls new partner Worton isolating her from friends and family. She has embarked on a challenge to run 60 miles in September in her mum's memory and has launched a GoFundMe for domestic abuse charity Women's Aid. She said: 'Sometimes he would be absolutely fine then five minutes later he would be a completely different person. 'Mum was an amazing mum, I remember movie nights on the sofa, she'd always make sure I was happy. She got me into a stage school and would always make sure I was there, her first priority was I had something to do and I was active. 'She had loads of friends that she would keep in contact with and that's how people realised something was wrong. 'I hope she would be proud of everything the family has done to clear her name. She cared so much about people, she would always very clear about morals and right and wrong.' A battle ensued with the family launching a campaign to reveal the truth behind Ms Van Hagen's tragic death, insisting Ms Van Hagen (pictured with her nephew) had been the victim of domestic abuse by Worton An inquest in 2014 revealed Worton was diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered paranoia and auditory hallucinations. He had a history of being abusive to former partners. A post mortem found he had taken a lethal dose of paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) - also known as Dr Death. But after police sent out a press release saying that Ms Van Hagen had also died of an overdose, the family launched a fight to find out the truth. They successfully appealed for a Domestic Homicide Review with the help of the charity Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA). In 2017 an internal review by West Midlands Police found the officer in charge of investigating Ms Van Hagen's death failed to make proper enquiries about marks to Suzanne's neck. And the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority concluded in 2019 that the marks around Suzanne's neck were not caused by a sexual act but by a crime of violence perpetrated by Worton. Suzanne's mother, Ann Van Hagen, said in a statement: 'My beautiful daughter Suzanne deserves to be remembered as she was, not as this person who the police tried to portray her as. 'Suzanne was one of the kindest, most thoughtful people you could ever meet. 'She loved spending time with her family and kept a very wide and long-standing network of friends. 'She worked hard to build a career for herself in insurance so that she could enjoy a good life with her daughter. 'Sometimes I think she is still with us which makes it easier to cope. We miss her every single day.' AAFDA CEO Frank Mullane said: ''The only credible conclusion is that Suzanne was killed by domestic abuse. 'How many other deaths, in domestic circumstances, following violent crime, have been inadequately investigated?' The family's lawyer Sarah Ricca, of Deighton Pierce Glynn, added: 'This is a truly shocking case that starkly highlights the institutional discrimination women continue to face from the police in relation to domestic violence.' For those who haven't heard of Gail's, it is a chain of artisanal coffee shops, loved by those who enjoy splurging 4.30 on an iced latte and despised by others who claim the sourdough-lined shop is actually a corporate enterprise ruining the high street. But whether you're a lover or a hater, the one thing everyone is desperate to debate is the 'Gail's theory' - a longstanding idea that Gail's bakeries boost house prices. MailOnline can reveal that house prices in neighbourhoods blessed by the red and white awnings and exposed brick aesthetic of a Gail's bakery are not actually rising any faster. Our analysis using Government figures looked at house prices in the immediate vicinity of each established Gail's store. It compares the prices of homes sold in the quarter ending September 2024 to the same period the previous year. MailOnline ran its audit for every MSOA a geographical area home to around 1,500 people in authorities where Gail's operates. It found that the presence of a Gail's bakery doesn't seem to have any meaningful effect on house prices. Before the bakery established itself as a middle-class phenomenon, it was originally a wholesaler called The Bread Factory founded by Gail Mejia in 1993. Ms Mejia along with a handful of London's 'best bakers' supplied artisanal bread and cakes to restaurants and hotels, baking communally from a site in Hendon, north London. Your browser does not support iframes. Before the bakery established itself as a middle-class phenomenon, it was originally a wholesaler called The Bread Factory founded by Gail Mejia in 1993 The original shop was in the borough of Camden, which has 27 MSOAs or neighbourhoods It was 2003 when two businessmen working at one of the world's biggest consultancy firms - McKinsey - had the foresight to capitalise on sourdough. Tom Molnar and Ran Avidan bought half the company and two years later opened the cafe's first branch in Hampstead. The small shop nestled on the corner of a leafy street attracted customers willing to pay slightly more for high-quality homemade food from a seemingly independent bakery. The original shop was in the borough of Camden, which has 27 MSOAs or neighbourhoods. Of Camden's MSOAs, 10 are now home to a Gail's, including some with more than one. But house prices in Camden have fallen by 6.3 per cent, on average. For five of those MSOAs possessing a Gail's, MailOnline's analysis shows prices plunged even more than that. One particular district saw a decline exceeding 20 per cent. Prices fell in two other neighbourhoods but by less than Camden's average as a whole. In the following years after Gail's first opened, a few branches popped up around London, nestling themselves on higher-end high streets close to suburban areas of the City Gail's mainly appears to have no market affect on house prices, dealing a killer blow to residents hoping that Gail's arrival will add tens of thousands of pounds onto their homes In 2021, EBITDA Investments and Bain Capital invested over 200million in Bread Holdings Limited, handing over control of the bakery's expansion plans For the other three, house prices actually shot up. In Kensington and Chelsea out of the seven neighbourhoods, five saw a positive correlation between house prices and the appearance of a Gail's. A similar trend occurred in Richmond upon Thames, Islington and Buckinghamshire. The most significant example of the 'Gail's effect' can be found in central Billericay where house prices shot up by 12 per cent in the year to September 2024, after the bakery opened in 2022. But Gail's mainly appears to have no market affect on house prices elsewhere in the country, dealing a killer blow to residents hoping that Gail's' arrival will add tens of thousands of pounds onto their homes. Sonny Dawes, Head of Asset Repositioning and London Land at JLL told MailOnline, 'Anecdotally, Gail's clearly targets locations where there's a certain demographic or emerging demographic. 'By them going to that area it almost further catalyses the effect, encouraging more people to the area. 'It's not all of Gail's creation though, but they can definitely contribute significantly to gentrification of an area. The bakery definitely capitalise on property opportunities - regularly repurposing existing buildings such as banks and old restaurants 'In my own town, a Gail's opened up in the past six months and it was a big deal for locals. One small bakery or cafe doesn't change a neighbourhood, but it's a vote of confidence in the location from Gail's, which boosts consumer appeal and confidence in an area too. 'I think people associate Gail's with locations that have a certain amount of amenity and certain demographic. If people relate with that, it draws them in.' In the following years after Gail's first opened, a few branches popped up around London, nestling themselves on higher-end high streets close to suburban areas of the City. The bakery began to expand rapidly in 2012, when Risk Capital Partners, co-founded by the former chairman of Pizza Express bought a 'large stake' in Bread Holdings Limited - the holding company for both Gail's and The Bread Factory. Subsequently, the store began to garner a fanbase of coffee lovers willing to splurge on oat milk cappuccinos and 3.45 pain au chocolats. At this point, the store was relatively uncontroversial, noticed by foodies and overlooked by the rest of the population. But in 2021, EBITDA Investments and Bain Capital invested over 200million in Bread Holdings Limited, handing over control of the bakery's expansion plans. From there, the bakery exploded becoming prominent in Manchester, Surrey and appearing on every street corner in London. In 2003, Tom Molnar (pictured) and Ran Avidan bought half the company and two years later opened the cafe's first branch in Hampstead According to speculation from analysts, the company could now be worth as much as 500million This mass expansion has led to the bakery becoming a hot topic especially among those looking to buy a house. Mr Dawes added that buyers 'almost certainly' find an area more appealing if it has a Gail's. 'The presence of a Gail's would not turn someone off from living there,' he said. The bakery definitely capitalise on property opportunities - regularly repurposing existing buildings such as banks and old restaurants. As a result, they tend to be found at the centre of gentrification rows. Most recently, the bakery attracted backlash from residents in Walthamstow, north-east London. Hundreds of locals signed a petition to stop the company opening on their High Street amid fears it could run independent cafes out of business. The petitioners said they wanted to protect 'the unique identity of our community' by 'safeguarding the soul of a beloved neighbourhood'. At the time, Fanie, 30, told MailOnline: 'In one week we got a Banksy and a Gail's, it's not a good sign. It's not great. I am part of the problem (of gentrification), moving into Walthamstow. 'But I want it to stop with me. I want it stay nice and cool while I live here. It's not great for business, it's not great for diversity, it's not great for coolness factor.' Jane Leeker, 54, added: 'I am definitely against it. We've got lots of independent coffee shops already in the village and around, and I wouldn't want to see the profits go to, essentially, a chain. 'I'd prefer that that money stays with our independents, and I think they'll take their business away. I like Gail's personally, and if they were going into Walthamstow itself where there's lots of chains, lots of empty spaces, I'd be much more supportive of that. 'I can see that there is a certain hypocrisy, I get that. 'But I don't know, maybe it is the ultimate sign of gentrification. But that doesn't change my view. I think generally we should support traders and family businesses.' But the store went ahead and opened in October. And it seems Gail's is going nowhere as Goldman Sachs are set to run an auction of the chain next year - which will likely lead to further expansion. According to speculation from analysts, the company could now be worth as much as 500million. Despite the company having such a high value and popping up in areas on the cusp of gentrification, the borough has no affect on house prices. So next time you're looking to buy a property maybe don't make Gail's a requirement. Gail's declined to comment. With his canonisation imminent, pilgrims have been rushing to see the preserved body of British-born Carlo Acutis. Acutis, who died aged 15 from leukaemia in 2006, is to become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. But his body, which lies in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, is far from the only symbol of the Christian faith which has been preserved for posterity. Strange Christian relics include the head of the executed Archbishop of Armagh, the hands of at least two Catholic matryrs and, perhaps most bizarrely of all, the foreskin of Christ himself. Below, we delve into the story of each. With his canonisation imminent, pilgrims have been rushing to see the preserved body of British-born Carlo Acutis in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome The head of John the Baptist In Christian theology, John the Baptist foretold the coming of Christ. Most biblical scholars also agree that the preacher really did baptise Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament. What is less verifiable is the claim that the head of John now lies in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens in France. The head first arrived at the church since 1206, when it was allegedly brought from Constantinople. During the French Revolution, the head was among church property confiscated. It was returned to the church in the early 19th century. However the faithful in Amiens are not the only Christians to claim to possess John the Baptist's head. A church in Rome and a museum in Germany also possess heads which they attribute the same identity to. The reputed head of John the Baptist in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens in France The Holy Foreskin It is the one Christian relic that you might have thought is part of an April Fools joke. But no, the so-called Holy Foreskin, or Holy Prepuce, is claimed, by some at least, to exist. More than a dozen churches in Europe have claimed to have possessed the foreskin removed from Jesus Christ during his circumcision. Emperor Charlemagne - the King of the Franks and 'Father of Europe' - is credited with 'resurrecting' Christ's foreskin during a supposed visit to the Holy Land in the late 8th century. The so-called Holy Foreskin, or Holy Prepuce, is claimed, by some at least, to exist. Above: Friedrich Herlin's Circumcision of Christ scene from Twelve Apostles Altar, 1466, St. Jamess Church, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany According to legend, he was praying in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre - which is built over the reputed tomb of Christ - when an angel appeared. The tale was recounted in journalist David Farley's 2009 book An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town. Farley wrote: 'Placed in front of him was something called the Holy Virtue. Before Charlemagne could look inside, a boy appeared on the right side of the altar. 'Claiming to be the Christ child, the boy said to Charlemagne, "Most noble prince, accept with veneration this small gift, which, it is sure, [comes] from my true flesh and my true blood." 'Charlemagne looked inside the package and found both a piece of the True Cross and the Holy Foreskin.' Charlemagne is then said to have gifted the foreskin to Pope Leo III. The relic allegedly eventually ended up in the Italian village of Calcata. Farley recounted how the relic became an 'embarrassment' to the Catholic Church, and so they passed a decree stating it could only be displayed once a year, on New Year's Day. But in 1983, Calcuta's priest, Don Dario Mangoni, announced to his congregation that the foreskin had been stolen. Farley spent a year living in Calcuta in search of the Holy Foreskin, but he had no luck in tracing its whereabouts. The hand of a Catholic martyr St Edmund Arrowsmith, a priest, was another Catholic martyr in the 17th century. He was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1628 after being arrested for celebrating Mass. After his death, one of his hands salvaged. It has now housed in a small cylinder in St Arrowsmith's Church in Ashton-In-Makerfield, near Wigan. Arrowsmith was canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI in 1970. St Edmund Arrowsmith was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1628 after being arrested for celebrating Mass. After his death, one of his hands salvaged. It has now housed in a small cylinder in St Arrowsmith's Church in Ashton-In-Makerfield, near Wigan The hand of a Catholic butcher's wife St Margaret Clitherow, a Catholic butcher's wife, met a very grisly end. She was pressed to death in York in 1586 after being accused of allowing a Mass to be held in her house. Britain was then ruled by Queen Elizabeth I, who was a Protestant. St Margaret's hand was allegedly retrieved by a friend who had tried to salvage her body from a rubbish tip. The hand is now in the possession of the Bar Convent in York. St Margaret was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. The hand of St Margaret Clitherow. She was pressed to death in York in 1586 after being accused of allowing a Mass to be held in her house The head of an Irish archbishop Oliver Plunkett, the unfortunate Archbishop of Armagh, was the last victim of the infamous Popish Plot; the invented Catholic conspiracy to assassinate King Charles II. Plunkett, who was declared a saint in 1975, was falsely accused of being part of the conspiracy and therefore of committing treason. After being arrested in December 1679, he was put on trial and found guilty of high treason. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn - London's centre of public executions for centuries - on July 1, 1981. Oliver Plunkett was the last victim of the infamous Popish Plot, the invented Catholic conspiracy to assassinate King Charles II. His head has been in Saint Peter's Church in Drogheda in the east of Ireland since 1921 His remains were buried in two boxes but were exhumed not longer afterwards. Plunkett's head eventually ended up in Ireland after being taken to Rome. Most of his body was taken to Downside Abbey in England, but his head has been in Saint Peter's Church in Drogheda in the east of Ireland since 1921. Plunkett's skull is housed in a specially made shrine. The churchman was beatified in 1920 and then canonised in 1975. Pope John Paul II venerated Plunkett's head when he called in on his resting place during his visit to Ireland in 1979. Virgin Mary's breast milk Christians from Bethlehem will recount stories about the wonders of the Milk Grotto. The Virgin Mary and Joseph are said to have sought refuge there with Baby Jesus during King Herod's Massacre of the Innocents. According to legend, the stone in the grotto turned from reddish to chalky white when Mary spilled some of her breast milk. The local faithful believe that having a drink made from what is called 'milk powder' - ground from the limestone - can help with health issues, especially infertility. The powder can even be bought and then mixed at home. Christians from Bethlehem will recount stories about the wonders of the Milk Grotto When a dog walker and his young son stumbled across two knotted bin bags in the woods by a theme park in 1998, they could never have imagined what lay inside - and the mystery that would leave the nation in the dark for 27 years. It was 10.45am on March 14, 1998, when a Warrington man walking his dog in the woods near Gulliver's World theme park in Cheshire saw the bags and poked a hole in them with a stick. Tragically, he found the lifeless body of a newborn baby boy inside. The child had been suffocated. The police were soon on the case. But despite searching for the baby's mother and father, detectives were stumped. The cops named him Callum after the Callands district of the Cheshire town where he was found dead and a funeral service was arranged by locals for the boy, who was believed to have been born at full term. He was buried in Warrington Cemetery a few months later. The headstone, paid for with money raised by locals, said: 'Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington.' Even so, the police kept searching with Callum's and his mother's DNA that was found on the bin bags. They found no matches on their system and for decades the case went cold. But in 2022, everything changed. Police got a match. They knew Callum's mother was 55-year-old Joanne Sharkey. And when she was arrested, she told her husband: 'I'm not gonna f***ing deny nothing, it is what it is isn't it. I f***ing did it'.' But this week, despite admitting she killed her baby and concealed his birth, a judge let her walk free. This is the reason why. Joanne Sharkey, 55, (pictured) was revealed to be her baby's killer 27 years after his death in 1998 Pictured: The coffin of her son Callum during his funeral at St Elphin's Church in Warrington on July 27, 1998 This is the approach road to Gulliver's World theme park in Warrington, where baby Callum was found In 1998, Sharkey was a 28-year-old housing benefit officer at West Lancashire Council. Twenty months before she killed Callum, she gave birth to another son, Matthew, in 1996. Both boys had the same father, Joanne's husband, who is believed to have been married to the killer for 31 years. The couple are still thought to be together. During the killer mother's trial, prosecution barrister Jonas Hankin KC said psychiatrists agreed Sharkey was 'fearful of becoming a mother to another child' and developed a depressive illness which 'substantially impaired (her) ability to form rational judgment and exercise self-control'. After Matthew's birth, Joanne Sharkey found the combination of a full-time job and motherhood challenging, and she has since been diagnosed as suffering from postnatal depression during that period. When she became pregnant again in the summer of 1997, she did not tell her husband and instead kept her pregnancy a secret. When the baby was born in the bathroom of her house in Croxteth, Liverpool, she heard him starting to make a noise and covered his nose and mouth 'to make him quiet'. On March 12, 1998, a man saw a young woman walking quickly out of the woods near Gulliver's World in Warrington who looked 'upset'. Callum was discovered close to Gulliver's World theme park in Warrington in March 1998 The people of Warrington held a funeral for the tiny tot. Pictured: The funeral procession for baby Callum at St Elphin's Church in Warrington on July 27, 1998 The headstone, paid for with money raised by locals, said: 'Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington' The man walked into the woods and saw a black bin bag lying on the ground to the left of the track but did not touch it. Two days later, a dog walker saw the same bag, was curious about what was inside and punctured it with a stick to find the body of an infant. Upon the discovery, he sought help from the theme park and a paediatrician happened to be present, who confirmed the body was that of a baby boy. Callum was pronounced dead at 11.25am on March 14. His body was taken to Warrington General Hospital, where a pathologist found the baby had been a 'normally developed, full-term infant' with no structural abnormality or natural disease. He found a number of bruises over the infant's face, head and neck, and wads of tissue in his mouth. Due to findings from a post-mortem, Cheshire Constabulary launched a murder investigation - and a full DNA sample was taken from the baby, as well as from blood found on the bin bags. This identified the DNA profile of the mother of the baby, but there was no match on the police database for her. Joanne Sharkey pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child A court artist's sketch of Joanne Sharkey at Warrington Magistrates' Court on April 16, 2024 Sharkey dabbed her eyes with a tissue and became tearful as she delivered her guilty pleas On Friday, Sharkey sat shaking with emotion and wiping away tears as the judge said she would pass a suspended sentence A partial DNA profile for the father was obtained, but there was again no match. Police said DNA swabs were taken from a large number of people living locally at the time, but none provided a match. Officers carried out house-to-house enquiries with hundreds of people interviewed, and spoke to local hospitals, midwife services, GPs, other medical services and schools, to identify any women or girls who may had given birth recently. But despite all the force's efforts and anniversary media appeals in the following years, nothing led to the identification of Callum's parents. It was only in January 2022 that the case was cracked after the DNA of Callum's elder brother Matthew Sharkey, Joanne's first child, was uploaded to the national database because he had been arrested for an unrelated offence. His DNA was found to be a close match to that of the infant. DNA samples were then taken from Joanne and Neil Sharkey, who were identified as the biological parents. Cheshire Constabulary's Major Crime Review Team carried out further DNA analysis and identified Callum's mother and father as Joanne and Neil Sharkey. The pair were arrested on July 28, 2023, on suspicion of murder, and DNA samples were obtained, which confirmed that they were his parents. Both were later released on bail while enquiries continued. When Joanne Sharkey was taken into custody she showed little emotion, pointing to a man, thought to be her husband in another room, saying that he knew 'nothing about this' Sharkey appeared unsurprised when she was taken into custody by police in 2023 Joanne's husband was released without facing charges - but the 53-year-old mother from West Derby, in Liverpool, was charged in April 2024 with murder and concealing a birth. On March 6 this year, Sharkey pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and concealing the birth of a child. Speaking at the time, Adam Till from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'This has been a complex case about a baby whose life was unfairly cut short. 'He would have been an adult today and it's devastating to think of the life he could have had. The circumstances of his death have deeply affected everyone who has been involved in this case as well as the wider community. 'We carefully considered and accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter following a thorough review of the psychiatric reports and medical evidence. 'The evidence concluded that Sharkey's mental state was significantly impaired at the time of the offence due to a medical condition which diminished her criminal responsibility. 'While the outcome of this case will never bring the baby back, we hope it brings a small measure of comfort to everyone who has been affected by this awful case.' The CPS said medical evidence concluded that Sharkey had an 'abnormality of mental functioning' at the time of the offence 'arising out of a medical condition' and this 'substantially impaired her ability to form a rational judgement and to exercise self-control'. It was added that this 'caused or was a significant contributory factor in causing her to kill her newborn child'. This year, Joanne Sharkey admitted that she killed Callum. However, she received a two-year suspended sentence on Friday at Liverpool Crown Court that saw her walk free. Despite admitting to killing her own baby, the judge suggested letting her avoid prison was the compassionate thing to do. Passing sentence at Liverpool Crown Court, the judge Mrs Justice Eady told Sharkey she accepted her mental state at the time had 'substantially impaired your ability to form rational judgments' and since then had been 'haunted' by what she had done. Sharkey sat shaking with emotion and wiping away tears as the judge said she would pass a suspended sentence. The defendant's family in the public gallery broke down in tears and exchanged hugs. Revealing the exact reason the killer did not go to jail, the judge told Sharkey: 'I'm clear you suffered a lengthy postnatal depression. 'The events that bring us to this court are both terrible and tragic. Nothing I can do or say can turn the clock back to resolve the tragedy of this case. 'You lived isolated with this terrible and tragic knowledge. You had carried this with you the whole time, thinking about it every day. 'I'm satisfied your offending was not planned or premeditated. 'I'm satisfied that this very sad case calls for compassion. No useful purpose would be achieved by immediate imprisonment.' Gun laws around the nation may soon change in seismic fashion should a Republican concealed carry proposal wind up on Trump's desk. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Rich Hudson, R-N.C., wants to make it easier for law-abiding gun owners to pack heat when crossing state lines, he told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. Hudson, 53, has proposed a bill to dramatically shake up the status-quo for obtaining a concealed carry licenses, which vary by state. His Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, if signed into law, would enable individuals with concealed carry licenses to carry a firearm in any state they please, as long as they follow local laws. In some states like Arizona, Utah and Texas, that is as simple as obtaining a state-issued ID. Speaking with DailyMail.com the lawmaker argued that he wants concealed carry licenses to be more like driver's licenses recognized by every state, though holder's still must follow local laws. 'You know, when I come from North Carolina to D.C., I don't have to stop at the Virginia state line and take a driver's test to get a Virginia license,' he said. 'We ought to treat this concealed carry permits just like we do driver's license.' 'Anyone who's who takes the time and puts the effort into getting a concealed carry permit is a law abiding citizen, and the fact that they can become a criminal just by crossing a state line just doesn't seem right,' the NRCC chairman continued. North Carolina Republican Rep. Rich Hudson introduced a bill earlier this year to allow those permitted to carry concealed firearms in one state to have reciprocity to do so in other states The measure would allow those with concealed carry permits from states like Utah to concealed carry their handguns in New York and California President Donald Trump has supported concealed carry measures. Last month he signed an executive order to speed up the permitting process in Washington, D.C., a place where it is notoriously difficult to obtain a concealed carry license The measure specifically allows people with state-issued concealed carry licenses or permits to conceal a handgun in any other state. It also allows residents of constitutional carry states to carry their firearm in other states. Currently, 29 states have constitutional carry laws on the books, meaning state issued IDs, in many cases, are the only permits needed to carry concealed. Should Hudson's law pass, Americans who have state issued IDs from constitutional carry states like Alaska and Idaho would be able to concealed carry in deep blue states like California and New York, which normally require concealed carry licenses. 'In the case of states with constitutional carry, a valid state-issued ID would qualify,' as a concealed carry permit, Hudson shared. Still, those who choose to carry concealed must abide by local laws, like restrictions on magazine sizes. 'If I were to go to New York state, they have a limit on magazine size, and so I'd have to comply with that law,' the Republican told DailyMail.com. In New York, for example, concealed carry license applicants must complete at least 18 hours of classroom and live-fire training and provide references to prove to the state they have 'good moral character.' In Texas, by contrast, residents who are at least 21-years-old and who can legally posses a handgun are allowed to concealed carry as long as no part of the firearm is visible. Concealed carry laws enable qualified citizens to covertly carry handguns Times Square in New York City was declared a gun-free zone by local lawmakers after the Supreme Court struck down a ruling restricting concealed carry in 2022 Hudson claims that the bill would even the playing field for those who want to carry concealed but have been restricted by onerous state laws that make the process of getting licensed difficult. He told DailyMail.com that he was inspired to introduced the bill after hearing about a single mother who was arrested for accidentally crossing state lines with a firearm she bought legally to defend herself and her children. Shaneen Allen, of Philadelphia, spent nearly 50 days behind bars after accidentally crossing into New Jersey with her firearm in her car. She later received a pardon from the governor to get her out of custody. Hudson hopes the effort will empower more women to carry concealed. 'Women are the fastest growing concealed carry permit holders in America because they want to be able to defend themselves and their family,' he noted. To those in restrictive areas like Washington, D.C., or California, Hudson says this legislation would remove barriers and inconsistencies that have deterred people from carrying concealed. Liberal state residents who are over 21 could simply pay $62 online to get licensed to concealed carry in Utah and then use that permit to carry in say California or New York, where the process to obtain the license is way more difficult. Todd Settergren of Setterarms gun shop in Walnut Creek, California, said he welcomes federal gun law changes as the Golden State's restrictions, he says, have gone too far A sign restricts patrons from carrying guns into this California business Hudson noted how the House previously passed a version of the bill but that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not allow the legislation to move forward. Now with the GOP supermajority in both chambers of Congress and Republican control over the White House, the effort is closer to becoming law than ever before. 'I believe the prospects of getting through the Senate are the best we've ever had,' Hudson said. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from gun-loving South Dakota where gun ownership per capita is third behind Wyoming and West Virginia, is supportive of the bill, Hudson told DailyMail.com. And most importantly the president is behind the effort, too. 'I've talked with the president, you know, he campaigned on this issue, so he will sign the bill,' Hudson shared. President Trump has supported concealed carry measures. Last month he signed an executive order to speed up the permitting process in Washington, D.C., a place where it is notoriously difficult to obtain a concealed carry license Hudson said he hopes to get the bill through Congress and onto Trump's desk by the end of summer. If he succeeds, concealed carry would presumably become much more widespread. To those who fear additional guns on the streets, Hudson pushes back, claiming criminals are not deterred by any gun laws, and that empowering law-abiding citizens to protect themselves is crucial. 'A criminal is not going to be concerned about whether it's illegal when they conceal that handgun to carry in their daily lives or to commit a crime,' the Republican shared. 'Folks who go to the effort of legally concealed carry are the most law-abiding citizens among us,' he continued. A 16-year-old boy from Florida 'passionately and violently' murdered a teen girl in a brutal crime that has sparked unsettling comparisons to the Netflix series Adolescence. Abbriella Elliot, of Hernando County, was tragically found dead by a hiker on a trail near Cypress Lakes Preserve last week, just weeks after celebrating her 16th birthday. Police arrested 16-year-old Cameron Cubel in connection with the killing shortly after the heartbreaking discovery. 'We could tell pretty quickly that there was a lot of passion and a lot of violence involved in the particular death,' Sheriff Al Nienhuis of the Hernando County Police Department said. 'So we were relatively confident that it wasn't a random act,' he added. 'It was nothing short of very violent.' Shortly before 9.40am on March 27, a passerby walking along the Cypress Lakes Preserve Trailhead discovered the body of a teenage girl, prompting a 911 call to authorities. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the teenage girl 50ft to 100ft inside the wooded trail, where investigators believe she was 'violently' killed. Authorities said she was likely killed with an 'edged weapon', though they haven't yet confirmed exactly what the weapon was. Abbriella Elliot, 16, of Hernando County, Florida, was killed in a 'passionate and violent' attack just weeks after celebrating her birthday Police arrested 16-year-old Cameron Cubel, identified by her family as their loved one's ex-boyfriend, in connection with the killing shortly after the heartbreaking discovery Abbriella was tragically found dead by a hiker on a trail near Cypress Lakes Preserve, about 50 to 100 yards inside the wooded area As investigators worked to piece together the scene, a witness - who had also reported Abbriella missing - approached officers and revealed that the girl had left home in the middle of the night, around 1.30am, to meet with someone. 'We were relatively confident almost immediately that she went to go meet an individual who was likely the person who killed her,' Nienhuis said. Based on the the witness's admission, officers were able to identify the body as that of Abbriella. Officers began conducting 'old-fashioned police work', going door to door to gather information and dozens of interviews, both formal and informal. Additionally, officers combed through electronics and social media, securing search warrants and preservation orders to gather crucial evidence. During their investigation, authorities discovered that Cameron, one of the individuals they interviewed, had lied about where he was the night of the murder. Although Nienhuis told reporters that the suspect and victim knew each other in the past, he wouldn't elaborate how. However, Abbriella's parents revealed that Cameron was their daughter's ex-boyfriend, with the two having broken up roughly six to eight months ago, KHOU News reported. Sheriff Al Nienhuis of the Hernando County Police Department told reporters that they 'could tell pretty quickly that there was a lot of passion and a lot of violence involved in the particular death' Authorities said Abbriella was likely killed with an 'edged weapon,' though they haven't yet confirmed exactly what the weapon was As investigators worked to piece together the scene, a witness - who had also reported Abbriella missing - approached officers and revealed that the girl had left home in the middle of the night, around 1.30am, to meet with someone 'My granddaughter Abby didn't have a chance to grow into what your supposed to be,' Abbriella's grandmother told the Hernando Sun. 'Her ex-boyfriend took that from her.' Cameron, who has a prior battery charge, was named the primary suspect and was taken into custody the following day in connection with Abbriella's murder. Abbriella's family held a vigil on Sunday afternoon, where dozens of people gathered to share their most cherished memories of the beloved 16-year-old girl, Bay News 9 reported. 'She could put a smile on anybody's face,' Danyel Caltagirone, Abbriella's mother, said during the vigil, according to the outlet. 'Everyone who met her, she left an impact on.' Leo Lind, Abbriella's stepfather, told the gathered crowd that he never imagined he would have to hold a vigil like this, while also expressing his gratitude to everyone who attended and thanking them for their support. 'The light she brings to people, her smiles, she's just fun to be around,' Lind said. 'I'm just so happy, and I know she's here with us and she saw the turnout.' Cameron was in the process of being charged with first-degree murder as of Friday. He is currently being charged as a juvenile, though that may change as the case progresses. 'I'm talking with the state attorney,' Nienhuis said. 'I don't want to put words in her mouth, but in these types of cases, it's very likely he will be charged as an adult. If they haven't already done that.' Abbriella's family held a vigil on Sunday afternoon, where dozens of people gathered to share their most cherished memories of the beloved 16-year-old girl During their investigation, authorities discovered that Cameron, one of the individuals they interviewed, had lied about where he was the night of the murder - making him the primary suspect in the killing Cameron was in the process of being charged with first-degree murder as of Friday. He is currently being charged as a juvenile, though that may change as the case progresses A GoFundMe has been set up to help raise funds for Abbriella's memorial, ensuring she is laid to rest with peace and love. 'She was loved by every person that met her, she was always smiling and singing and acting goofy and she had so much life ahead of her,' the fundraiser page said. As of Friday afternoon, the family has raised $10,345 - an amount exceeding their initial goal of $10,000. The horrific murder has since drawn eerie parallels to the new Netflix series, Adolescence. The four-part series, which follows the story of a young boy called Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) who is accused of killing his female classmate Katie (Emilia Holliday), has received rave reviews thus far. Since being aired on the streaming service on March 13, the show has gained a whopping 96.7 global views and has landed a spot on Netflix's all-time Most Popular English TV list. It has even replaced Bridgerton Season 2 on the list and pushed Stranger Things 3 down to the tenth spot. If the show continues it's record-breaking streak, it has a chance to replace top spot Wednesday: Season 1 which holds 252million views. Abbriella's parents revealed that Cameron was their daughter's ex-boyfriend, with the two having broken up roughly six to eight months ago Abbriella's horrific murder has since drawn eerie parallels to the new four-part Netflix series, Adolescence, which follows the story of a young boy called Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) who is accused of killing his female classmate Katie (Emilia Holliday) Adolescence has drawn unsettling comparisons to Abbriella's case, as both of the victims were young girls who were stabbed and discarded on the street. In the show, the two teens knew each other, similar to Abbriella, and both attacks were described as 'violent' Or steal second spot from Stranger Things 4, which garnered a staggering 140million views. Adolescence draws unsettling comparisons to Abbriella's case, as both of the victims were young girls who were stabbed and discarded on the street. In the show, the two teens knew each other, similar to Abbriella. Additionally, both attacks were described as 'violent'. Anyone with information about Abbriella's death is encouraged to call the Hernando County Sheriff's Office at 352-754-6830 and ask to speak with Detective J. Mitro. Hernando County Crime Stoppers can also be reached at 866-990-TIPS (8477) or through text at **TIPS from a mobile device. The thriving hotel in Carna hosted weddings, christenings and festivals during busy summer months when tourists flocked to the tiny scenic coastal resort on the west coast of Ireland. They brought with them a buzz of excitement and a welcome revenue stream for locals. But three years ago the holidaymakers and day-trippers stopped coming to the Carna Bay Hotel after it closed its doors to the public to welcome in Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn country. It was supposed to be a temporary measure after the owners of the charming B&B, the village's only hotel, signed a lucrative contract with the government. Now locals, fearing for their livelihoods, have decided enough is enough after an application was put forward to turn the establishment into a centre of asylum seekers. The proposals would see its 28 rooms occupied by 84 migrants from around the world - significantly increasing the population of the tiny village which has fewer than 180 residents. Now locals, dressed in high visibility jackets, are taking it in turns to guard the hotel following rumours that a bus carrying migrants was heading to the village in Connemara, County Galway. Operating a shift system, they plan to maintain a round the clock presence until they believe the crisis has been averted, and the hotel is back in the community fold. Locals in Carna, Ireland (pictured: Carna Bay Hotel) fear for their livelihoods after an IPAS application was placed by the owner Mulcahy Steel LTD Three years ago the holidaymakers and day-trippers stopped coming to the Carna Bay Hotel in Connemara, County Galway after it closed its doors to the public to welcome in Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn country MMA fighter Conor McGregor took to the White House stage claiming the country was 'potentially losing its Irishness' due to an 'illegal immigration racket ravaging [the] country' For more than a week, the group known as the Carna Bay Hotel Action Group, have been camping outside the property kitted out with deck chairs and food wrapped in tin foil, taking turns protesting whilst remaining wary of new faces. It comes as hopes have been raised that the hotel can be saved after officials paused the opening when a local group put forward alternative plans to buy Carna Bay and turn it into a 'community-led hotel'. But amid growing tensions, a thick atmosphere of distrust remains after locals in the predominantly Irish-speaking community rose up in their quiet rebellion. Immigration has been a sore topic in Ireland in recent weeks with the growing emergence of International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centres in rural areas such as the 300-year-old Dundrum House Hotel in County Tipperary. It comes as MMA fighter Conor McGregor launched a scathing attack on Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin during a speech at the White House. He claimed the country was 'potentially losing its Irishness' due to an 'illegal immigration racket ravaging our country'. McGregor added: 'There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop.' He went on to hit out at the massive bill taxpayers were left facing with Ireland spending 1.43 billion euros (1.2 billion) on accommodation for asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees in the first nine months of last year. Heading the protest in Carna, Meadhbh Ni Ghaora, 28, told MailOnline that local businesses are already 'suffering' after the hotel closed its doors to customers. The hotel has been closed for the last three years, being used to house Ukrainian refugees (pictured: Protesters outside the hotel in Ireland) A lavish room inside the hotel, situated in the quaint Irish countryside, in a village of only 170 people While the IPAS application has been put forward, it has been paused for three months (Pictured: The reception area of the Carne Bay Hotel Carna's Community Development Co-op are drafting plans to create hopefully buy the B&B and create a 'community-led hotel' Heading the protest in Carna, Meadhbh Ni Ghaora, 28, told MailOnline that local businesses are already 'suffering' after the hotel closed its doors to customers three years ago. She said: 'There was a lovely atmosphere in the village when we had the hotel opened and trading - and that's the way we want it back.' Noting the nearest town is Clifton and the nearest city is Galway, both respectively around 23 and 50 miles away from Carna, the bus driver stressed that only one bus passies through the village. She insisted there simply aren't the amenities to cope with the volume of new arrivals. And she raised concerns over the 'huge' impact the hotel's closure had already had on local tourism. As well as hosting popular local festivals, the hotel accommodated cycle tours and the parents of Irish summer school students while serving the local community with events such as funerals and parties. She said: 'The culture and the livelihood of the village has declined without somewhere to stay. 'It's not even just somewhere to stay - a lot of gatherings were held in there. 'The culture and the livelihood of the village has declined without somewhere to stay,' Ms Ni Ghaora told MailOnline (Pictured: Two protesters standing guard) John Foalan, 64, (pictured) warned that if the IPAS application went ahead, the village of Carna would 'end up like' Lisdoonvarna in County Clare, where a government plan to settle asylum seekers was approved despite a vote of 197 against and only 15 in favour Landlord Peter Fitzpatrick fears the shrinking business would only decline further if the plans go ahead 'The community is browned off because we have spent the last three years without our hotel and we knew it was always temporary but how far can temporary go? This is year three,' Ms Ni Ghaora added The village was once thriving with droves of tourists from cycle tours and celtic music festivals (Pictured: A sign for the hotel 'There was always hope that the hotel was going to open. It was said last year the hotel would be open and trading in April and now we are in April and there's talks of an IPAS. An International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre provides accomodation to those applying for refugee status. 'The community is browned off because we have spent the last three years without our hotel and we knew it was always temporary but how far can temporary go? This is year three.' She continued: 'Sometimes you wonder if the government even know we are here, then something like this happens and it's like 'yeah they know where we are now'.' Describing the aims of the protest she said: 'I do hope [the Irish government] are seeing this and it might open their eyes to the danger they're putting our culture, our traditions into.' Another local, John Foalan, 64, said: 'When the Ukrainians came we welcomed them, but we see what's happening in other areas, people turning up with no papers, no documents, no nothing, just expecting to walk in.' He warned that if the IPAS application went ahead, the village of Carna would 'end up like' Lisdoonvarna in County Clare, where a government plan to settle asylum seekers was approved despite a vote of 197 against and only 15 in favour. He said: 'We know what it would be, a bus load of males of unknown origin with no proper identification. 'It's happening in Lisdoonvarna. It's happening in every small town and village - it's all the same. It's a recurring pattern. 'It's happening in Lisdoonvarna. It's happening in every small town and village - it's all the same. It's a recurring pattern,' Mr Foalan said (Pictured: Protesters outside the hotel) He told how touirsts would visit and use the hotel all the time, but now the village is 'bypassed' (Pictured: Protesters outside the hotel) 'We used to have tourists and they used the hotel, but now they bypass us all the time. There's nothing here. 'It's the quietness of the place. There's just no stopping, nothing to see - no reason to stop here. 'It was a lovely hotel. They would have weddings, christening, events - all these things, but nothing now and it's just not fair I think.' Maureen, 74, who works in a local shop, added: 'Something has to be done to stop this all from happening. It's just not on. The place is not suitable for them and we need a hotel badly. 'There's no work for local people, never mind having more people coming in and there's nothing for them to do, it's crazy. It doesn't make sense especially in small communities.' A few minutes walk up the road lies a cosy Irish pub called Tigh Mhorain ran by Peter Fitzpatrick, who fears the shrinking business would only decline if the plans are approved. The publican, who has leased the pub for nearly three decades, has seen his business dwindle dramatically since the hotel was 'temporarily' closed to tourists, with his workforce declining from five to one, while his beer taps have depleted from 12 to only five. He said: 'The impact has been huge. The first year wasn't too bad, the second year was worse and the third year was diabolical altogether. A twin bedroom inside the Carna Bay Hotel, which is currently being used to house Ukrainian migrants The reception area of the hotel, which is owned by Mulcahy Steel Limited A bathroom and a shower in the Carna Bay Hotel where protesters are holding a 24-hour vigil 'It used to be six months good and six months bad, and now it's eight months bad and three months where you make a few pound to keep you going. 'We are sympathetic and very caring but we thought it would only last a couple weeks or months and it would be back to normal. 'Now it's going into the third year and there are rumours of other things happening, we are panicking.' He added: 'If the wrong clientele came it would force me to close. It's as simple as that.' Mr Fitzpatrick said some locals were even considering moving out of the village if the plans for the asylum seeker centre go ahead. He said: 'It's hard to hear people saying that they are going to sell up and leave, it's devastating - it's awful, but locals aren't going to hang around. 'I think it would destroy the community. 'Looking at Claire and other parts of the country, now it's only hearsay, but it has destroyed those areas.' The Carna Bay Hotel Action Group were in their eighth day of protesting when we spoke to them in Carna in County Galway, Ireland However it isn't only tension between Dublin and the group bubbling, former owner Karl Rogers (pictured left) has told how villagers have directer their anger at him for selling up Carna's Community Development Co-op, manager Mairin Ni Choisdealbha-Seoige, 51, told MailOnline they are currently in a 'sensitive' phase of negotiations as they hope to buy the hotel and stop the appraisal following its three-month pause Mr Fitzpatrick also insisted it would be unfair to the proposed migrants to be housed in Carna as there are no facilities to cater for their needs. He said: 'There's nothing here for them - walk the roads? It's okay in the summer time but in the winter it's dark at 3.30pm and 9am what do you do? 'For their own mental health. It would be totally unfair on them. You come here in the summer and winter, it's two different places.' Noting a 'huge distrust' among the people of Carna and the powers that be, he added: 'The government are to blame for this full stop. It's a different situation living in Dublin to living out here.' And the proposal of a migrants centre hasn't only stoked tensions between the group and government. Animosity has also been brewing between locals and the former hotel owner, Karl Rogers, 45. He told how a couple of years of poor trading after the Covid pandemic led to him selling up. But he said that did not stop some villagers aiming their anger over its closure towards him and his family. Former owner Mr Rogers said: 'We wouldn't have sold the hotel - 100 percent - if we knew it wasn't going to be owned as a hotel - not a chance' (pictured: The Carna Bay Action Group) The proposals would see the hotels 28 rooms occupied by 84 migrants from around the world - significantly increasing the population of the tiny village which has fewer than 180 residents Pictured: The stunning landscape surrounding the rural village in Connemara, County Galway He said: 'We wouldn't have sold the hotel - 100 percent - if we knew it wasn't going to be owned as a hotel - not a chance.' Explaining how the hotel was only open for nine days after he officially became the owner before the pandemic struck, he decided to take in Ukrainian refugees because he believed it would be short-term. He said: 'We never thought it was going to be three years, and we always knew or thought it would go back as a hotel. 'Even though we have been gone two-and-a-half years, people are still blaming us. We were hoping it was going to blow over. We just hope it will go back as a hotel.' Mr Rogers claimed there was an agreement in place with the current owner, Cork-based firm Mulcahy Steel, to ensure the hotel would be back up and operational. Speaking of the tensions which have impacted his family, he added: 'It's not nice, especially for my daughter in school. 'She's thick skinned but it's not pleasant, even the way people are looking at us now locally. He said the new owners were not local people and didn't realise the effect it is having on the family. Mr Rogers added: 'You can feel an atmosphere.' Despite the fear and anger within the community, hopes have been raised by the local Carna's Community Development Co-op A sign which reads: 'In memory of the the elders and preservationists of the past in this community' The former owner also said he felt sympathy with Ukrainians inside the hotel He said: 'I just feel sorry for the people up there. The families, the Ukrainians living at the hotel - we had a great relationship with them 'I don't think it's fair on them that there is protesting outside the hotel. I understand the locals' frustration alright but I don't agree with them standing outside the hotel. 'The families inside deserve better.' Despite the fear and anger within the community, hopes have been raised by the local Carna's Community Development Co-op, The organisation's manager Mairin Ni Choisdealbha-Seoige, 51, said it is carrying out a survey of the premises and exploring different options to see if it could turn it into a 'community led-hotel'. She said: 'It is a business plan, it is sensitive negotiations because I have to get finances to enable us to not only buy the hotel but upgrade it and actually manage it and open it to the public. 'But in the meantime there is a fear factor developing in the community, which is fair enough and I understand that but at the same time we are trying to balance what's happening.' The group hope to secure funding through a number of sources, which would include locally-backed crowdfunding, in a bid to save the hotel so it can be 'passed on from 'generation to generation'. A pizza takeaway called Pizza Max located within the town of Carna in County Galway Cottages in the rolling fields surrounding the quaint village of Carna in West Ireland Pictured is a double room at the hotel in Western Ireland Ms Ni Choisdealbha-Seoige, who has worked in the area for 14 years, added: 'I am still very focused on the need for the hotel within the community because it's the last hotel in the community.' Despite their vastly different approach, the community development manager and the protesters want the same ending - the site back in the hands of locals so they can breathe a new lease of life into the area. Last summer 72 people travelled to Carna for four days for Tionol Gaeltachta, a national event of workshops, events and cultural sessions. Ms Ni Choisdealbha-Seoige told how she had to launch a campaign asking people to open up their homes to offer accommodation to visitors. She said: 'We had no hotel, it was a nightmare to get accommodation. I got accommodation but it was through callouts and asking people to open up their houses. 'If the hotel was there it could have been a hub but instead I had buses coming back and over the road like lunatics bringing people from A to B.' She added of her hopes for the future: 'The wellbeing of the whole community has to be brought into consideration. We have three months to produce a plan and what we need is the space to deliver that.' MailOnline has approached Mulcahy Steel LTD for comment. A spokesperson for Ireland's Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said: 'There is no contract in place or planned to accommodate international protection applicants at this site. Some people fleeing the war in Ukraine remain accommodated there. An aerial view of the Carna Bay Hotel - a site the locals are desperate to have back into the community fold Pictured is the sitting room inside of the hotel 'The Department had received an offer of accommodation for International Protection Applicants from a provider at this location. 'We informed the community and media in recent weeks that we had decided to pause the appraisal of this offer for three months. 'This is because the community are making a proposal about developing a community hotel. Our Department have paused the appraisal in order to let the community advance this proposal with the appropriate bodies. 'After three months, our intention is to resume the appraisal of the site. 'Responsibility for international protection accommodation and Ukraine accommodation will be transferring to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. 'This transfer has not yet taken place and is due to be completed in the near future.' It used to be known as the Island of Speed.. but now with the news that assisted dying, votes for 16-year-olds and legalised growth of cannabis have been passed on the island - but what do locals think? In recent weeks, the Manx community of the Isle of Man have been hit with many soul-splintering dilemmas. Should they introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit on the Island? Should they accept the introduction of assisted dying? And should they open their arms to a Wetherspoons? The answer to at least two of those is yes. From last week, the Isle of Man became the first place in the British Isles to pass legislation that would permit assisted dying, despite opposition from campaigners. When the MailOnline visited the self-governing British Crown Dependency earlier this week, the rock was bathed in spring sunlight and the inhabitants were busying themselves. Residents expressed concerns over the island becoming associated with assisted dying. Residents expressed concerns over the island becoming associated with assisted dying The birthplace of the Beegees has introduced a raft of out there policies As of last week, the island is the first place place in the British Isles to pass an assisted dying bill Young couple Logan Gaskell, 24, and Rocky Poole, 26, were broadly for it however, although for differing reasons Isle of Woke? The wackiest policies of the Isle of Man Derestricted roads: Many roads on the island have no set speed limit Currency: The Isle of Man has its own banknotes which are legal tender on the island The world's oldest parliament: Tynewald, the IOM parliament, dates back over 1000 years Medicinal cannabis: The Isle of Man is the only place in the British Isles where medicinal cannabis is legal Votes at 16: The Isle of Man is also only area that allows teenagers at school to vote Advertisement Though the island is only 33 miles long and 13 miles wide, there is a great deal packed into such a small space. The main town is Douglas, on the east coast. Built around a crescent moon of a bay, it has a large and sturdy harbour protecting ships from sea storms. MailOnline spoke to shoppers enjoying themselves on Strand Street which runs parallel to the prom, and many expressed fears about the island's lurch to the left. Student Sean Christian told MailOnline he was dismayed the island could soon add death to its connotations. He explained: 'I just think it's not something we really want to be associated with. With a place with very high suicide rates, it's not something you want to be known for. 'We used to be known for speed, now its taxes, assisted dying and old people retiring.' Long-time resident Kevin Woodford offered a more sage assessment. He said: 'It's complicated. It has to be properly looked after or I fear it will be manipulated. 'I understand the complexities but it has to be controlled. The worst thing that could happen is it becomes this concept of death tourism.' Young couple Logan Gaskell, 24, and Rocky Poole, 26, were broadly for it however, although for differing reasons. Rocky said: 'I'm really for it. People should have the freedom. We are worried about people abusing it. Logan said: 'It doesn't really matter if people abuse it? If someone is dying from ALS, why would you want them to suffer. People should have the choice. Rocky added: 'Also, for people in the UK it could save them a fortune. Rather than go to Switzerland, come to the Isle of Man, if they have a pint at the same time, it would be great for business.' Many of the island's more libertarian policies have been in affect for years and made the island's new inhabitants feel more at home. 27-year-old Harry Matthews recently moved to the island with his dog Woody from Devon. He said: 'Assisted dying is pretty intense, and we can buy weed and vote at 16! It is a respectful place, people will listen to these laws. 'I'm not worried about death tourism. If people want to come here to pop their clogs, that's up to them. I used to live in Devon and just moved here - I love it! 'It's getting more progressive here, we have an independent government so it makes it easier.' When the MailOnline visited the sunny Isle earlier this week, the rock was bathed in spring sunlight Student Sean Christian was concerned the island would become known for 'death tourism' Though the island is only 33 miles long and 13 miles wide, there is a great deal packed into such a small space 27-year-old Harry Matthews recently moved to the island with his dog Woody from Devon Even if the bill is successfully brought into law, an assisted dying service would not be in place until 2027 at the earliest The island is likely to become the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, after its proposed legislation was voted through by the parliament's upper chamber. Members of what is known as its legislative council approved a final reading of the Assisted Dying Bill on Tuesday. Terminally ill people will be given 'autonomy and choice' at the end of their lives, a GP and politician said. The Bill will now be put forward for royal assent, at which point it will become law. Dr Alex Allinson, the member of the House of Keys - the directly elected lower house on the island - who introduced the private member's bill in 2022, said he is hopeful it can become law later this year. But even if it does successfully go into law, an assisted dying service would not be in place until 2027 at the earliest. The introduction of the UK's first assisted dying bill already places the Isle of Man as an outlier in terms of health policy, however the island's local MP insists that as with all the island's out there policies due consideration will be given. Speaking to MailOnline, Alex Allison insisted that the island's new bill would be properly scrutinised and pointed to a number of places where the island was soaring ahead of the UK. He claimed: 'I have been realistic to say that within the bill, although it's been passed, we do need to get quite a lot of secondary legislation 'We do need to make sure we've got the right guidelines, codes of practice, and most countries that bring in assisted dying, it's taken them a good 18 months to two years to do all that sort of work, but also to do the right amount of public education, the right amount of training for people who are going to be involved with providing the service. The island is likely to become the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying However the island's local MP insists that as with all the island's out there policies due consideration will be given Offering a more sage assessment, long-time resident Kevin Woodford dubbed it 'complicated' The flag of the Isle of Man flying high on one of the buildings situated on the 'woke' island 'And so, certainly, you know, I've said, you know, if you get royal assent this year, I wouldn't expect it to come into operation [indistinguishable] until 2027. 'We bought our ferry company a couple of years ago, just before Covid, it just seemed like a very good idea at the time. 'We've got our own nationalised water industry that we've never sold off and are investing in. So, we've got cleaner waters than the UK which has obviously become an issue there. 'And so we've looked at those areas which would benefit from public-private partnership and those elements that really should be within a government ownership.' From confronting violent attackers to dealing with drug-related crime, police officers face any number of life-threatening situations. But it seems Scotland Yard has identified one more PowerPoint presentations. The force has issued guidance banning loud noises during presentations, in case they trigger a heart attack. It says that 'loud noises can cause an unsuspecting reader with heart problems to suffer an attack', adding: 'Images that spin or flash, or animations, can increase the possibility of sufferers of epilepsy having an attack and must not be used.' The 34-page document was drawn up by MetBats the Metropolitan Police's Briefing and Tasking System for officers, supervisors and response teams. Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, said: 'You'd think someone with such a weak heart that a loud noise can trigger cardiac arrest would avoid Scotland Yard altogether.' MetBats the Metropolitan Police's Briefing and Tasking System has issued guidance banning loud noises during presentations, in case they trigger a heart attack When The Mail on Sunday asked whether the advice on heart attacks was appropriate for a force tasked with racing around to protect the public in stressful circumstances, a Met spokesman said: 'These presentations are for staff across an organisation of 50,000 who work within different roles. 'This advice is for consideration to those who may not deal with the scenarios mentioned.' Perhaps chiefs are anxious to avoid further accidents. A Freedom of Information request revealed the Met reported nearly 6,000 accidents at work in a year, one of which was from 'exposure to noise'. Australia's Airbnb boss has won a lengthy legal battle to demolish and rebuild her multi-million dollar home in one of the ritziest suburbs in the country. Susan Wheeldon bought the house for $4.03million in Vaucluse, in Sydney's eastern suburbs in 2017, before launching a bid in 2023 to redevelop the site. A case before the Land and Environment Court ended last week after Ms Wheeldon and Woollahra Council came to an agreement about the size of the redevelopment. Ms Wheeldon and the council agreed on a final design at a conciliation conference. The case was launched in October last year. The demolition and subsequent construction is expected to cost $2.1million. Currently, the property worth an estimated $8million boasts a sky blue, single-storey, brick home and detached garage. The redevelopment will instead see a two-storey mansion, swimming pool, and wine cellar constructed on the 812sq metre block. However, Ms Wheeldon will have to ensure a Blueberry Ash and two Small Leaved Lilly Pillies on the property survive the demolition and construction, according to council's demands. Susan Wheeldon snapped up the property for $4million in 2017 AirBnB's Australia New Zealand boss has won her bid to redevelop her Vaucluse home She was permitted to remove five other plants. Some Vaucluse locals and the Aboriginal Land Council had raised objections with the development plans, the Daily Telegraph reported. Ten neighbours who were not named had raised objections over the plans, according to council records. The case was due to go to a hearing in the court, but the parties agreed on a design on March 6. Ms Wheeldon has spent five years at the helm of Airbnd's Australian and New Zealand arm. Shes grew up in Morven, rural Queensland, before becoming a flight attendant. She began her career as a flight attendant before an HR innovation launched her high-flying, executive career. Vaucluse is an exclusive suburb that counts the Packer family and PR guru Roxy Jacenko among its residents. The median house price in the suburb is $7.5million - a figure that is significantly more than the $1.014million price tag across Australia. Prince Andrew is said to have demanded a face-to-face meeting with MI5 amid the Chinese spy controversy, with it later cancelled at the last minute by the intelligence agency's boss. The Duke of York had requested to speak to MI5 head Sir Ken McCallum in a bid to find out more about the security worries about his close confidant, Yang Tengbo. Yang, a businessman and former York University student, was barred from returning to the country after intelligence agencies suspected he was gaining access to influential public figures on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]. Mr Yang denies the allegations. According to the Telegraph, Sir Ken agreed to meet Prince Andrew in June 2024, however the security chief later cancelled the meeting in the eleventh-hour. The Duke was unenlightened to the situation regarding Yang, it is believed, even though he has the highest security clearance to this day, despite no longer being a working royal. However any meeting between the MI5 boss and the royal would have been extremely abnormal due to the fact that the Prince's close confidant and business partner was under investigation. Sir Ken reportedly cancelled the meeting when former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election. The face-to-face discussion was not rescheduled with the pair never meeting. It is also understood that Sir Ken did brief the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young during the height of the probe into Yang at Buckingham Palace in December 2021, where he raised concerns about his blossoming friendship with the Duke. The Palace meeting was planned weeks after Yang was detained by police at a British airport, where he handed over his mobile phone as well as other devices, where messages said he was 'at the top of the tree' of Andrew's closest friends. Prince Andrew 'demanded a face-to-face' meeting with MI5 amid the Chinese spy, with it later cancelled at the last minute by intelligence agency bosses. Yang Tengbo - who has since been banned from Britain on national security grounds - at an event alongside a laughing Prince Andrew, who is now facing questions about the pair's relationship Sir Ken McCallum (pictured) agreed to meet Prince Andrew in June 2024, however the security boss later cancelled the meeting in the eleventh-hour Sir Ken's meeting with Sir Edward indicates a high-level of concern held by the security agency about the possibility of the late Queen Elizabeth II's son becoming influenced by the Chinese entrepreneur. It also suggests that MI5 were privy to the sensitivities of launching a probe into the close friend and business partner of the senior royal, whose reputation was already marred by his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew asked for the in-person briefing with the MI5 boss two years after his Chinese business partner was first detained at a British Airport, and a year after the then home secretary, Suella Braverman, banned Yang from the UK. The meeting would have happened a month before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission heard a second appeal from the Chinese businessman, which was later rejected. It is understood Prince Andrew was never formally told by MI5 or Buckingham Palace to cut off contact with Yang. MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. It comes as Prince Andrew could face fresh embarrassment after judges ruled that further documents relating to his dealings with an alleged Chinese spy can be released. A witness statement made by the Duke's 'senior aide' Dominic Hampshire, containing comments about his work with Andrew which 'might seem embarrassing or indiscreet', will be among a cache of files released to the public. At an earlier hearing, a court heard that Yang had become a 'close confidant' of Andrew who had 'won a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust'. Yang Tengbo went by the more Anglicised name of Chris Yang in his business dealings in the UK King Charles was recently dragged into the Chinese spy scandal engulfing Prince Andrew after new court documents claimed he was personally briefed about an investment fund involving the alleged agent Following an appeal by the media for the release of further documents in relation to Yang's appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission [SIAC], Mr Justice Bourne, sitting alongside Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon yesterday said documents including Mr Hampshire's witness statement could be disclosed. 'Substantial parts of the witness statement contain material which cannot possibly be said to be confidential, such as information about Mr Hampshire's background or about how he came to know Mr Yang,' Mr Justice Bourne said. 'There is information about his own activities which has no appearance of any particular confidentiality. There is also information about the Duke of York which is in the public domain, for example the negative impact of the Duke's 2019 Newsnight interview.' He added: 'There are also comments about Mr Hampshire's work with the Duke which might seem embarrassing or indiscreet, but they are not such as to give rise to the inference that a legal duty of confidentiality attaches to them.' Representing the media, including the Daily Mail, Adam Wolanski KC said it was 'extraordinary' that Mr Hampshire, a former Scots Guard and equerry to the Duke of Kent, did not take legal advice before providing his statement. Mr Hampshire was said to be of the belief that his statement would remain private. Documents previously released in the case show Mr Hampshire had thanked Yang for standing by Andrew following his 2019 Newsnight interview over his relationship with late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrews senior aide Dominic Hampshire, a former soldier and equerry to the Duke of Kent, said there were two meetings between Yang, Prince Andrew and the King between December 2023 and May 2024 The now-infamous photo of Prince Andrew, his accuser Virginia Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein's close confidante Ghislaine Maxwell in Maxwell's London townhouse Yang was also invited to Andrew's 60th birthday party and was integral in launching the duke's Dragons Den-style investment roadshow, Pitch@Palace, in China. One letter written by Mr Hampshire to Yang and released following an earlier court hearing, said: 'I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal [Andrew] and indeed his family. 'You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship... Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.' The documents are due to be released next month. More recently His Majesty King Charles was dragged into the Chinese Spy scandal engulfing Prince Andrew after new court documents claimed he was personally briefed about an investment fund involving the alleged agent. Prince Andrew is interviewed by Emily Maitlis on BBC's Newsnight in which he denied a series of explosive claims A witness statement made by Andrews senior aide Dominic Hampshire in support of Yang Tengbo said there were two meetings with Charles between December 2023 and May last year. Mr Hampshire, the Duke and the King discussed what the Duke can do moving forwards in a way that is acceptable to His Majesty after his business opportunities dried up following disclosures about his relationship with billionaire American paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Part of their discussions centred around an investment vehicle called the Eurasia Fund, in which Yang was directly involved. The fund was intended to use Chinese investment in renewable energy projects in Africa but never got off the ground. There is no suggestion the King was aware of any security concerns relating to Yang. The price of an iPhone is set to skyrocket under President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs crackdown, experts have warned. The cost of producing the latest model of its popular smartphone is set to surge from $580 to $850, TechInsights analyst Wayne Lam told The Wall Street Journal. This is because Apple manufacturers its iPhone in China, which has been hit with a staggering 54 percent tax on its imported goods. The tech giant would likely pass these inflated costs onto the consumer, taking the price of a 256GB iPhone 16 Pro from $1,100 to an eye-watering $3,500, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. The president claims his tariffs will encourage domestic manufacturing by increasing the price of foreign products. But since Apple would still need to import the raw materials used to make its devices, experts say there is not an economical way to make iPhones on US soil. Moving iPhone production to America would be a, 'massive, mammoth undertaking,' senior research analyst at brokerage firm Rosenblatt Securities Barton Crockett told the WSJ. The cost of making an iPhone 16 with 256 GB will go from around $580 to $850, experts explained to The Wall Street Journal (stock image) Part of Trump's motivation for imposing taxes or international imports was to encourage domestic manufacturing In response to Trump's Liberation Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the country will tack on an additional 34 percent tariff on all US imports 'Its not clear you can make a competitively priced smartphone here,' he told the outlet. Currently the cost of assembly is around $30 in China, but this would soar by ten times if production moved to the US, Lam explained. Apple declined the WSJ's request for comment on any potential price increases related to the newly imposed tariffs. On 'Liberation Day', Trump declared that foreign trade and economic practices have sparked a national emergency. All nations will be faced with at least 10 percent tariffs on all US imports starting on Saturday. But more than 90 countries will be hit with additional reciprocal tariffs in order to make the US 'wealthy again' by April 9. Reciprocal tariffs, according to the White House, are the rates 'necessary to balance bilateral trade deficits between the US and each of our trading partners.' Your browser does not support iframes. Several countries - including China - will be subjected to these individualized taxes, which are calculated by the White House while factoring in those nation's trade policies. In response to Trump's Liberation Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the country will tack on an additional 34 percent tariff on all US imports. The new tariff, which comes into effect on April 10, matches the rate of the 'reciprocal' 34 percent levy imposed by Trump. The levies are in addition to the existing tariffs already imposed on US goods. 'Chinas new tariffs stop short of full-blown trade war, but they mark a clear escalation - matching Trump blow-for-blow and signaling that Xi Jinping wont sit back under pressure,' Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Associated Press. Prior to Wednesday's announcement, Trump had already hit China with two rounds of 10 percent importing tariffs. 'The longer this drags, the harder it becomes for either side to deescalate without losing face,' Singleton warned. A British version of Israel's 'Iron Dome' system would fail to protect the whole of the UK against Russian missile attacks - because the system needed would be 'too prohibitively expensive' to cover every part of the country, experts have warned. The threat of such an attack on the UK is the highest since the end of the Cold War, analysts previously revealed. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asked for a review to determine where Britain's armed forces are vulnerable, with the findings handed to ministers who are now deciding how much of the review should be made public. It is expected that - if published in full - the report will outline the armed forces' lack of air defences against missiles, as Britain's Type 45 naval destroyers would struggle to fend off attacks like the ones Russia is currently raining down on Ukraine. As such, there have been increased calls for Britain to replicate the Iron Dome, Israel's missile defence system, which is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of two to 43 miles away. The system was '90 percent effective' in October when Iran fired 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. Last year Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff, confirmed that the Government had been looking into whether the adoption of such a system could be possible - but added that the cost - which would run into the billions - would be a major factor. And yet the threat against Britain is very real. A British version of Israel's 'Iron Dome' system would fail to protect the whole of the UK against Russian missile attacks - because the system needed would be 'too prohibitively expensive'. Pictured: Projectiles being intercepted by Israel near Baqa al-Gharbiya on October 1 Earlier this year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asked for a review to determine where Britain's armed forces are vulnerable Vladimir Putin's fleet of rocket-laden submarines and warships off the coast ofNorway, for example, pose an acute threat to the UK, a study by a think tank called the Council on Geostrategy has found. Russia's Northern fleet, which carries 800 cruise missiles including ones like the Kalibr capable of hitting a target more than 1,500 miles away, could be used to launch an attack on Britain, which does not have enough air defences to protect itself, according to the report. 'The missile threat is the most stark it has been since the end of the Cold War,' the report states. Analysts have said 'it may be wise' to boost Britain's air defences on Royal Navy carriers due to the cost of ground-based systems, even though the latter should also be bought 'in an ideal world'. Other European countries have already bolstered their air defences, with Germany signing a 3billion deal to buy Israel's Arrow 3 antiballistic missile systems - considered one of the best in the world. According to the Council of Geostrategy, Russia has a 'limited' amount of ballistic missiles capable of reaching the UK. But the report warns that Russia, China and Iran are putting money towards the development of hypersonic and ballistic missiles. 'As ranges increase, the British Isles will increasingly come under potential threat,' the authors reportedly warned. Vladimir Putin's fleet of rocket-laden submarines and warships off the coast of Norway are posing an acute threat to the UK, a study by a think tank called the Council on Geostrategy has found (file image of a Russian warship) Your browser does not support iframes. The authors added that the UK should buy 'several more' batteries of the Sky Sabre and other existing ground-launched systems to defend British military bases. Additionally, anti-aircraft guns like the German Gepard system used in Ukraine should be bought as a defence against drones. Off Norway, where a fleet of Russian warships are located, the report argues that the Royal Navy should focus on defending the 'Svalbard-Tromso gap' and keep an eye on Russian submarines positioning themselves in range for cruise-missiles to hit Britain. Meanwhile, ministers should increase the order of E-7 Wedgetail aircrafts that can detect incoming missiles early on from three to five, which were initially ordered. Britain's best chance against an attack by sea, other than a submarine, remains the RAF's powerful fleet of 9 Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, which can drop sonobuoys and torpedoes. But analysts say the UK would need at least 15 to cover the entirety of the country - rather than the nine Britain currently has. In Israel, the Iron Dome system uses a sophisticated radar to detect incoming airborne objects such as a drones, rockets, and missiles, and then sends the information back to a command-and-control center where it is determined whether the threat needs to be neutralised. Overall the system, made up of at least 10 missile-defence batteries strategically distributed around the country, has been hailed a huge success - but it does not come cheap. Image of HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, currently on operations in the Mediterranean sea, seen here with her Wildcat helicopter test firing it's defensive aid suite 'We've done a lot of things to help people have a sense of security in Israel, and Iron Dome is just one element but it's expensive,' an IDF commander of an Iron Dome battery protecting a town of 35,000 people told The Express. Alongside the Iron Dome, Israel employs a Home Front Command app to direct every citizen to the nearest shelter within 1.5 minutes from their location - and every new building is constructed with a shelter. In the UK however, there are not even any public shelters being considered for civilian protection. Shadow Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois, said: 'The UK has nothing remotely comparable to Israel's multi-layered missile defence system, of which iron dome is but one part.' And Falklands hero Admiral Chris Parry, a former director general of the MoD's Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) said: 'The fact is that if war breaks out in the short to medium term, we will be in real trouble as far as defending the UK is concerned.' The debate over whether the UK could install an Iron Dome comes as security advisers warned that fears of a plot by Russia to sabotage Britain's energy pipelines means families should pack a 72-hour 'survival kit'. As the UK pursues Net Zero environmental targets leading to the closure of coal-fired power stations the country has become increasingly reliant on supplies of gas and electricity from abroad in order to 'keep the lights on'. Nearly 40 per cent of the UK's gas supply is imported from Norway, much of which comes through the single, 700-mile Langeled pipeline. Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip in January 2024 Concerns that the Russians are planning a sabotage operation have escalated since one of their spy ships, the Yantar, was detected mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure in the North Sea in recent months. With the UK reported to have come close to blackouts during the past winter saved only by emergency reserves and electricity imported undersea from Denmark security experts have argued that British households should follow the example of the EU, which has advised citizens to pack a three-day survival kit. This should include water, non-perishable food, medicines, a battery-powered radio, a torch, identity documents and a Swiss Army knife. The protection of critical undersea infrastructure will form part of the Government's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) by former Nato secretary-general Lord Robertson this year. It comes after Moscow was linked to a string of apparent sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea in the past two years, affecting cable and pipeline links. Germany's Nord Stream gas pipelines were also sabotaged in 2022. Separately, the Russians are also believed to have placed listening devices on offshore UK wind turbines in an attempt to track the movement of British submarines. An MOD Spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The UK stands fully prepared to defend itself against any threat alongside our NATO allies. 'Our military is equipped with a range of advanced capabilities to provide a layered approach to air and missile defence. 'While the UK and Israel face different security environments, we take the threats we face very seriously and the Strategic Defence Review is examining the capabilities we need to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.' What is the Iron Dome? The Iron Dome is an all-weather mobile system in Israel that is made up of at least 10 missile-defence batteries strategically distributed around the country. The device is made up of three main sections: a radar detection system, a computer to calculate the incoming rocket's trajectory, and a launcher that fires interceptors if the rocket is deemed likely to hit a built-up or strategic area. It uses a sophisticated radar to detect incoming airborne objects such as a drones, rockets, and missiles, it sends the information back to a command-and-control center. Here, the threat is tracked to assess whether it is a false alarm and the potential destination of the flying object. Each truck-towed unit then fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats like rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air. The system fires the interceptors - just 6 inches wide and 10 feet long- at the incoming threats that seem most likely to hit an inhabited area. Each Iron Dome battery consists of three to four launchers that can each carry up to 20 Tamir interceptor missiles. The batteries can neutralise threats launched from up to 43 miles away, while at the same time ignoring projectiles that are projected to strike unpopulated areas. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Israel's Iron Dome uses a sophisticated radar to detect incoming airborne objects such as a drones, rockets, and missiles In late 2012 Israel said that it hoped to increase the range of Iron Dome's interceptions, from a maximum of 43 to 155 miles away and make it more versatile so that it could intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously. The 10 Iron Domes placed throughout the country are able to defend up to nearly 60 square miles of land - protecting countless civilians and critical infrastructure. The system was developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries and was upgraded in 2012, but the details of the changes were not made public. The United States backed the initial project with a $200,000 grant in 2006. The David's Sling and Arrow Defences The Iron Dome is just one of Israel's three-tiered missile defence system along with the The Arrow, and David's Sling. Israel's Iron Dome system garners the most attention of the country's air defences as it's used most frequently to bring down unguided, short-range rockets often fired by Hezbollah and Hamas. However, the country's air defences are made of three critical 'overlapping' systems that can blast threats out of the skies at different ranges. The targeting of guided ballistic missiles that travel at higher altitudes, longer ranges and faster speeds requires a different system from the Iron Dome to take them down. For this, Israel uses both 'David's Sling 'and the 'Arrow 2 and 3' home-grown air defence systems which are built to destroy medium-range and long-range ballistic missiles. Iranian state TV broadcasted the moment it launched nearly 200 missiles towards Israel Israel's David's Sling system operates for interception as rockets are fired from Lebanon, as seen from Tel Aviv, Israel, September 25, 2024 The Arrow system developed with the US is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles Iran launched at Israel. Both the Arrow 2 and 3 systems are capable of handling much longer-range missiles like Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's) that will likely travel at altitudes beyond the Earth's atmosphere, a capability similar to the US military's THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) air defense system. The Arrow 3 system is believed to have a range of 1,500 miles and can reach an altitude of 100 miles. The Arrow 2 is designed to explode near a missile to bring down an incoming missile, but the Arrow 3 is a hit-to-kill missile. The systems are designed to engage threats both in and outside the atmosphere, and they operate at an altitude that allows for the safe dispersal of any non-conventional warheads. State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries is the project's main contractor, while Boeing Co. is involved in producing the interceptors. David's Sling, also developed with the US, is meant to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The two-stage missile has no warhead, it destroys incoming ballistic missiles with the sheer force of impact, making it what is known as a 'hit- to- kill' which has been characterized as hitting a bullet with a bullet given the high velocities involved. How effective is the Iron Dome? Iron Dome's effectiveness has improved since it first successfully took out a hostile projective in April 2011, and has gone on to achieve a reported success rate of around 90 per cent, according to Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. In a large Iranian attack in October 2024, most of the roughly 180 missiles were intercepted by the defensive weapon before reaching Israeli territory, while others were shot down by the United States and other allies. It has also been proven to be highly effective in recent years, with its abilities especially highlighted in 2021 after militant groups in Gaza fired at least 4,000 rockets during the 11-day May war. In the first 24 hours of the conflict 470 rockets were fired with Iron Dome system intercepting about 90% of the rockets heading to populated areas within Israel. In the US, Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering wrote in Defence News: 'Iron Dome has stopped over 2,000 rockets fired at Israeli population centres with a remarkable success rate, an achievement that also shifted US thinking about homeland missile defence. 'Iron Dome is the most proven and affordable option against very short-range fire.' He hailed it as a 'gamechanger'. Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in central Israel, in November 2023 On the battlefield during Operation Pillar of Defence in November 2012, and when used in Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the system had 84 per cent and 91 per cent rates of success, respectively. But things become more complicated if the drones are flying so low that the radar can't detect them. Israel has hundreds of interceptor missiles at its disposal, but the Iron Dome has come under immense pressures as seen on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel with a barrage of thousands of missiles. Hamas said it launched 5,000 rockets in the initial attack and Israel's military countered by saying just 2,500 rockets were fired. 'That quantity was simply too much for Iron Dome to manage,' said the Modern War Institute report. This suggests the Iron Dome has a limit to the number of rockets it is able to intercept, and if that number is exceeded, the rest of the rockets will permeate the system, according to a Forbes report from 2021. Just two days after the October 7 massacre, the Israeli government asked the US to provide more precision-guided munitions for its combat aircraft and more interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system, according to a US official. A retired top detective who has solved some of the country's most gruesome and baffling murders has put forward the theory that a missing mum may have been killed by a backpacker. Former Victoria Police homicide detective Charlie Bezzina told Daily Mail Australia investigators probing the disappearance of young Queensland mum Tayla Spies would already be honing in on murder suspects. Mr Bezzina's insight comes after police searching for Ms Spies discovered human remains on Friday, 1km from where the 29-year-old's 2017 Toyota Hilux was found the day before. Officers 'suspect' the remains may be that of Ms Spies, but cannot confirm until a forensic examination has been completed. The mother-of-three was seen driving on the Carnarvon Highway after she had earlier been captured on CCTV at a service station in the small town of Surat on February 2. Two months later, investigators found her abandoned vehicle near Noorindoo, a town 460km west of Brisbane, about 3pm on Thursday. The Hilux was discovered at a Yuleba-Surat Road private property about a five minutes' drive from where the young mum was last seen. Mr Bezzina, who helped capture Melbourne serial killer Paul Denyer, said Ms Spies' disappearance appeared to be sinister. Queensland mum-of-three Tayla Spies has been missing for more than two months Ms Spies' Hilux was discovered at a Yuleba-Surat Road private property about five minutes' drive from where the young mum was last seen Its a missing persons case but with a mystery like this you start to look at all aspects of this persons life you ask yourself, Why would a 29-year-old mum want to disappear?, he said. Anyone connected to this case in anyway is a person of interest.' Mr Bezzina, who retired from Victoria Police in 2009 with several commendations, said police will almost certainly be focusing on how the ute arrived at the location it was found. 'If someone drove the ute there then how did they leave? Is there a second vehicle that was driven away?' he said. How did the ute get to where it was found, was she with someone else, did she pick up someone? Did she pick up a backpacker? 'Its definitely sinister, if she did pick up a backpacker then where did that person go? Did they do something to her and drive the vehicle to its location or did she drive the vehicle? 'How did they leave area? Did they walk way? Was there another vehicle? Police would be trying to answer all these questions.' Queensland Police detective Chief Inspector Garry Watts told a press conference on Friday that a landowner contacted police after coming across the vehicle on their land. Ms Spies stopped at a service station in Surat where she was captured on CCTV Ms Spies stayed at motel in Dalby before driving towards her hometown of Roma 'He does not believe it has been there over two weeks, however, we are making inquiries just to ascertain the veracity of that,' he said. 'The vehicle was locked and an amount of property that we believe belongs to Tayla was located in the vehicle. 'It was not in a good condition, put it that way.' Det Insp Watts said investigators also found the pink shirt Ms Spies was seen wearing in CCTV footage on the day she went missing. He said investigators are yet to find a connection between Ms Spies and the property. Police had been searching a 9,000sq kilometre area of bushland around the towns of Surat, Yuleba, Meandarra and Glenmorgan before they found Ms Spies' ute. Investigators have also accessed her social media accounts and were monitoring her bank accounts. Officers have set up a search and recovery base at the landholder's address and, along with the SES, they are conducting a grid search to locate any items of interest. Officers 'suspect' they may be the remains of Ms Spies but cannot confirm until a forensic examination has been completed Mr Bezzina described it as a 'hard missing persons case' as 'Queensland is a big state'. They have a 9,000sq kilometre search radius in bushland, they would have the helicopters out for sure, theyll be looking into flights,' he said. 'But its not as if police have nothing, they have the motel she stayed at in Dalby, was she with anyone? They have the CCTV, theres no one in the ute but maybe she picked up someone (to divert her off to the backroad); they have the ute, they have human remains. The public is very important, police will use the public to get as much information as they can, like any investigation police would work backwards. Det Insp Watts admitted the case was proving to be one of the more difficult missing persons investigations due to the vast area police are looking at. 'Now that we've got a location of the motor vehicle, we can hone our resources into that area and conduct a full and thorough foot search,' he said. The location of the vehicle is a backroad deviation from the more direct route to Ms Spies' hometown of Roma on the Carnarvon Hwy. Ms Spies was captured on CCTV in Surat before she was last seen driving on the Carnarvon Highway Ms Spies - pronounced 'Speez' - had spent the night at the Windsor Hotel in Dalby before she disappeared. The next day the mother-of-three drove west and stopped at a service station in Surat, where she was captured on CCTV. She was later observed north of Surat, driving on the Carnarvon Highway - this was the last time she was seen. On Saturday, shortly after police announced they had found human remains, Ms Spies' sister Rebecca Spies vowed she will 'bring her home'. Rebecca Spies shared a TikTok video addressing the gruesome discovery and shared a powerful message to her missing sister. 'I'm not done fighting for you sissy, your story is far from over!' she said. 'I really have tried my hardest to find her and bring her home where she belongs, and I'm not done yet.' A friend of the Spies family had offered a $5,000 reward for information that could lead to her discovery. Secondary school children in the UK are being taught that Joan of Arc may have been 'non-binary'. The 'Who We Are' anthology, published by Collins, features a lesson plan which contains a biography of the French heroine which states 'Joan of Arc (1412-31) is today considered by some to have been non-binary.' The wording has caused fury among some in the academic community, with one professor calling it 'insulting' and a women's rights campaigner calling it 'another ridiculous example of attempting to rewrite history.' Born as a peasant girl around 1412, Joan of Arc became a knight and ultimately a patron saint of France after helping to repulse an English attempt to conquer her nation. Believing she was enacting God's will, she led the French army to victory at Siege of Orleans in 1429, a tipping point in the Hundred Years' War between France and England. Joan famously had short hair and took to wearing male clothing, a key fact against held her during her trial for heresy in 1431, which ultimately led to her being burnt at the stake. However, she never claimed to be anything other than female and did not use the term 'non-binary' which only gained traction in the 1990s. 'Joan of Arc fought as a woman and died as a woman,' Robert Tombs, professor emeritus of French history at the University of Cambridge, told The Telegraph. Joan of Arc is one of the most famous and inspirational women in French history and one of the country's patron saints A publicity picture for the 2022 play at The Globe, which prompted some controversy after portraying Joan as non-binary and referring to her with 'they/them' pronouns The Globe Theatre, on the South Bank in London, is one of the word's most famous attractions 'To call her something else is insulting to her and indirectly to all women who are brave enough to risk their lives for their beliefs as if women are incapable of heroism.' 'This is yet another ridiculous example of attempting to rewrite history and erase strong, rebellious female characters from our past,' Carolyn Brown, of the Women's Rights Network, added. She called it 'another example of the junk science of queer theory being visited on children' and claimed non-binary was a 'nonsense term'. However, the Collins anthology is not the first cultural artefact to seek to claim Joan for the non-binary community. In the summer of 2022, The Globe theatre hosted a play called 'I, Joan' which prompted controversy after portraying Joan as non-binary. Pre-publicity used the pronouns 'they' and 'them' when referring to the French historical figure. The theatre defended itself and insisted Shakespeare would have approved. But one academic told MailOnline at the time that it 'completely violated the meaning of history' and reframed the real-life heroine in terms completely alien to her time. Pre publicity for the play 'I, Joan' used they/them pronouns to suggest Joan was non-binary Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, told MailOnline: Playwrights are allowed to have a bit of poetic license but I think what is interesting about the play is that it very much falls in with the idea of rewriting history. The reinterpretation violates the historical reality. Its plundering history to legitimise views in the here and now. Someone like Joan of Arc would not have any idea what non-binary was. It is a recharacterisation of something that did not even exist at the time. It completely violates the meaning of history its the projecting of a fantasy backwards. I imagine in time someone will suggest Jane Austen was transgender or George Elliot was non-binary. It completely violates the meaning of history its the projecting of a fantasy backwards. For French patriots Joan of Arc is someone very special. Her role was all the more heroic because she was a woman. Harry Potter author JK Rowling also ridiculed the Globe Theatre's portrayal of Joan of Arc as non-binary after women's rights campaigners said the switch was 'insulting and damaging'. Harry Potter writer JK Rowling is a long-time campaigner for women's rights who has faced a strong backlash for her takes on trans-related issues Ms Rowling liked a tweet ridiculing the new no-binary Joan of Arc production at The Globe It came after a Twitter user criticised The Globe's production. Her remark of 'Coming next: Napoleon was a woman because he was defeated at Waterloo' was liked by Ms Rowling on what was then Twitter. It came moments after Heather Binning from Women's Rights Network told MailOnline the play was damaging to women. She said: 'This demonstrates just how our arts and creative industries have taken on the woke mantle without realising that 'being kind' to one group of people actually hurts and damages another important and fundamental group. 'Joan of Arc was female. Her early years were spent cooking and cleaning and looking after the animals. When she was 10 she had a vision that she was to fight for France. In order to do this she took on the outward appearance of being male. 'This had nothing to do with 'feelings' and everything to do with the biological reality and disadvantage that being female brought. Many women throughout the ages have had to adopt 'maleness' in order to be taken seriously and advance their ambition. The row over school books comes only days after MailOnline reported that a toddler was kicked out of nursery after being accused of transphobia. The child, aged either three or four, was suspended for 'abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity', data from the Department for Education shows. The child, aged either three or four, was suspended for 'abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity' (file image) Statistics indicate 94 pupils at similar primary institutions were suspended or permanently excluded for transphobia or homophobia in the same year (file image) The offences took place in the 2022-23 academic year at a state school, according to The Telegraph. Statistics indicate 94 pupils at similar primary institutions were suspended or permanently excluded for transphobia or homophobia in the same year. This included ten pupils from Year 1 and three from Year 2, where the maximum age was seven, and one child was of nursery age. MailOnline has contacted Collins for comment. Virginia Giuffre has broken her silence for the first time since her frightening social media post claiming she had 'four days to live'. Giuffre - an alleged victim of disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein who has accused Prince Andrew of abusing her as a teen, which the royal denies - shared the disturbing post last Sunday. 'I've gone into kidney renal failure, they've given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,' she wrote. Now Giuffre has spoken out about her deteriorating health, telling US publication People of an incident she says occurred in January. 'I was able to fight back against Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein who abused and trafficked me... I can no longer stay silent,' she told the publication in a statement. 'Again, I thank everyone for their support.' Giuffre had been involved in a collision with a bus travelling in rural Western Australia on March 24, but the bus driver, WA Police and multiple other witnesses said the crash was not as serious as she had made out online. Giuffre's American brother, Sky Roberts, clarified his sister's 'four days to live' claim, saying she was told by doctors she would have died in that timeframe if she did not receive treatment. Virginia Giuffre shared a photo from hospital claiming she had 'four days to live' following a collision with a bus in WA Virginia Giuffre, then Virginia Roberts, pictured with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2001 Mr Roberts said his sister's injuries likely weren't solely caused by the bus crash. 'Let's be clear, she never stated in the bus accident the cause of all her other injuries,' Mr Roberts said. While Giuffre's brother admitted he didn't know the specifics of 'what happened internally to her', he said her injuries were 'consistent' with a car crash. 'Nobody ever said her liver issues and kidney failure were ever from that,' he said. 'We still don't know if it is, I'm not a medical professional. That's up to her doctor to determine.' Giuffre's spokeswoman told People she is 'marginally better but still in serious condition' after undergoing treatment at a hospital in Perth. The update on her condition comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed the lonely life Giuffre has led since the breakdown of her family. Giuffre claimed she was trafficked as a 17-year-old to have sex with Prince Andrew. Ms Giuffre's brother claimed it's possible not all of her injuries were caused by the bus crash Giuffre has been living there alone since a 'messy' split from her husband Robert earlier this year (pictured together) In February 2022, the Duke of York paid her an undisclosed amount, reportedly in the millions, to settle the case, though he denied any wrongdoing and the payment came with no admission of liability. Afterwards, Giuffre made a fresh start by acquiring a $1.3million country property for her family, with the sprawling 40-acre farm boasting two separate homes, stables and multiple outbuildings. It is less than an hour north from the family's beachfront mansion in Perth. To outsiders, the high-security gated property looks like an idyllic place to bring up children with a babbling brook, horses and a custom-built dirt bike track around the perimeter. But in reality, the 40-acre property is a gilded cage, surrounded by barbed wire fences and high-tech CCTV. No doubt Giuffre wanted to shield her three teenage children, a daughter and two sons, from prying eyes, previously admitting her profile was 'a lot for them to carry'. Giuffre has been living at the farm alone since a 'messy' split from her husband Robert earlier this year. She also appears to be estranged from her children. They attended school this past week though no sign of them was seen at Guiffre's hospital during visiting hours. Her eldest son is no longer 'friends' with his mum on social media. Giuffre is also accused of breaching a family violence restraining order at the family home and is due to face Joondalup court on April 9. She is yet to enter a plea. 'You don't know the half of it,' one neighbour told Daily Mail Australia. 'I can't really say anymore, but none of this surprises me.' It is not known if she will be discharged for the court date as hospital sources said 'it looks like she may be here for a few more days still'. When she does leave hospital, she is expected to return to the farm where she now lives an almost reclusive life, cut off from the outside world and now, it appears, her family. The family's picturesque farm (above) had become a gilded cage with CCTV and barbed wire A man flying from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney will face serious charges after allegedly attempting to open the plane's emergency door several times during the flight. Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, a 46-year-old Jordanian man, is accused of trying to open the rear emergency exit door on an AirAsia X flight on Saturday evening. The alleged act sparked immediate concern from crew and passengers and Alsaaydeh was escorted back to a seat in the middle of the plane. However, the 46-year-old allegedly made a second attempt to open the middle emergency exit door. He was restrained by crew members and passengers with one worker allegedly assaulted in the process. Australian Federal Police arrested Alsaaydeh once the plane landed safely in Sydney. It is unclear which airline was affected by the incident. Alsaaydeh was charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft, as well as one count of assaulting crew members. Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh will face Parramatta Local Court on three charges (stock image) Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars. AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Davina Copelin warned dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated in Australia. 'The actions of this man could have had tragic consequences, and passengers and airplane staff shouldn't have to put up with unruly, violent, or dangerous behaviour on flights,' he said. 'The AFP will not hesitate to take action against people who engage in criminal behaviour on airplanes, especially where this behaviour has the potential to endanger the safety of passengers, crew or the flight itself.' Alsaaydeh will face Parramatta Local Court. Daily Mail Australia has contacted AirAsia for comment. Once hailed as President Trump's right-hand man, Elon Musk is now facing a serious fall from grace in Washington. The tech billionaire has been riding high since his appointment as the president's special adviser, but his time in the White House is rapidly drawing to a close. Musk is currently overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the brand-new federal agency tasked with 'making the government leaner, faster, and cheaper'. He rolled out big plans to cut hundreds of thousands of government jobs and reduce federal spending by a whopping $2 trillion. But his aggressive slash and burn approach to the federal work force and his frequent outbursts on X - his social media platform - have upset Trump cabinet members. He is seen as a political liability. Foes have highlighted his dismal failure in Wisconsin where he ploughed $20m into doomed Republican candidates in the state's Supreme Court race. It was widely viewed as a referendum on Musk. The president himself was reportedly incensed that Musk was given clearance for a Pentagon briefing on China, as he was concerned it represented a potential conflict with the tech mogul's business dealings. And in another split, Musk took to X over the weekend to bash Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro over his defense of the president's tariffs. Once hailed as President Trump's right-hand man, Elon Musk is now facing a serious downfall in Washington. Pictured: President Donald Trump and Elon Musk speak before departing the White House on his way to his South Florida home in Mar-a-Lago in Florida on March 14, 2025 Trump is a still a big fan of Musk sources say, but it appears that two are destined to part despite the SpaceX boss' whopping $288 million campaign donation. Trump recognized potential difficulties early on, according to the WSJ. He asked his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to have weekly meetings with the billionaire 'first buddy' after receiving reports of friction among his top staff. But, Wiles wasn't the only person Musk clashed with. He and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly had it out during a Cabinet meeting - an argument that took place in front of Trump and Wiles. Many Trump officials - including Wiles - were said to be frustrated that Musk wasn't sharing his plans before he made public announcements about what his DOGE team was doing to their agencies. His lack of coordination would throw off the White House message of the day and rollout plans for the administration's initiatives. Yet, one of the most shocking moments in Musk's downfall came when reports emerged that he was scheduled to receive a sensitive Pentagon briefing aimed at covering US war plans and issues related to China. News of Musk's involvement reportedly sparked a furious reaction from Trump who was 'concerned' as Tesla has a major presence in China. Trump was 'not happy' when he found out Musk would be in on this briefing without telling him first and saw the tech mogul's involvement as a potential conflict of interest, the WSJ reported. Trump recognized potential difficulties early on, according to the WSJ. He asked his chief of staff, Susie Wiles (pictured), to have weekly meetings with the billionaire 'first buddy' after receiving reports of friction among his top staff At a major conservative event, Musk made a public spectacle of himself when he walked on stage holding a chainsaw to show how serious he was about cutting government waste. Pictured: Elon Musk wears a Cheesehead hat as he speaks during a town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin on March 30, 2025 Although Trump publicly dismissed the story as 'fake news,' behind closed doors, he was seething, according to sources. In February, at a major conservative event, Musk made a public spectacle of himself when he walked on stage holding a chainsaw allegedly to show how serious he was about cutting government waste. While the X owner felt it was a bold move, the jaw-dropping stunt was seen as 'too extreme' by many of Trump's allies. GOP Senator Lindsey Graham warned that the shocking moment would end up being used against other Republicans in the upcoming elections. Musk's increasingly erratic style in the White House earned the him a reputation for being difficult to work with. Critics say he offers little explanation for his wild ideas or sudden changes of direction. The Tesla CEO made headlines when he claimed that the US Social Security system had major problems, like listing people who were over 120 years old. While it seemed like an important issue, Musk exaggerated the claims and Trump even repeated them in a speech without checking the facts first - adding to the confusion surrounding Musk's role in the White House. Trump has reportedly informed his Cabinet and inner circle that Musk will be stepping back from his high-profile government role in the coming weeks. Pictured: Elon Musk, joined by his son X, delivers remarks alongside President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on February 11, 2025 While Trump continues to say that he likes Musk personally, it's clear that their professional relationship is in trouble. Trump has reportedly informed his Cabinet and inner circle that Musk will be stepping back from his high-profile government role in the coming weeks. 'Musk will soon be returning to the business world,' Politico reported. But many don't expect Musk to entirely disappear. One aide told Politico that anyone who thinks Musk is going to vanish from Trump's orbit is 'fooling themselves.' The Tesla founder will likely still have regular access to Trump and an open invitation to the Oval Office. And he's likely to still hang out a Mar-a-Lago, where he and Trump frequently dine together. Musk has cemented himself as one of the most powerful figures in the Republican Party, using his vast financial resources to make himself a force to be reckoned with. Insiders say that Musk has an erratic style of working which is at odds with the work flow in the White House But Democrats are expected to use him as a boogeyman - as the Republicans did to Nancy Pelosi - in the upcoming midterm election where control of Congress is at stake. A recent NBC News poll found a majority of voters nationwide (51 percent) hold a negative view of Musk, while 39 percent viewed him positively. Musk will also have to deal with the fallout of Trump's decisions when he gets back to the business world. Tesla will be subject to Trump's automotive tariffs as its key suppliers are in Mexico and China. 'Important to note that Tesla is NOT unscathed here,' Musk wrote on social media last week of the tariffs. 'The cost impact is not trivial.' Trump's 25 percent tariff went into effect on April 2 as part of the president's broader trade war. Meanwhile, Tesla's global vehicle deliveries fell 13 percent in the first quarter from a year ago, in what investors saw a sign of backlash against Musk's government work. DailyMail.com has contacted the White House for comment. The power-couple behind Aussie fashion success White Fox are actioning their plans for a 'super compound' in Sydney's exclusive east. Daniel, 34, and Georgia Contos, 33, have reportedly capped off a $150million spending spree with the purchase of their fifth property in Vaucluse. A caveat on the title of the Vaucluse Road home shows the pair added it to their bourgeoning portfolio for a rumoured $30million. The 848sq metre block adjoins three of their four previous purchases in the suburb. Together the blocks comprise a 4,000sq metre footprint. Mr and Ms Contos acquired the properties over the past four years, at a cost of $34.5million, $25million, and $36million. Luxury sales page Million Dollar Listing Sydney suggested a deal had been struck between buyer's agent Simon Cohen of Cohen Handler and estate agents DLeanne Lewis and Jacob Hannon facilitating the $30million sale. The trio were involved in Mr and Ms Contos' previous, adjoining purchases. Daniel, 34, and Georgia Contos, 33, have reportedly capped off a $150million spending spree The pair bought another Vaucluse mansion for a rumoured $30million Sources told realestate.com.au the White Fox pair were planning a 'special' project. 'It will be like nothing Sydney's ever seen, right in front of the (Harbour) Bridge with magnificent views,' one said. Mr Contos and Ms Moore will have to amend existent plans approved by Woollahra Council to consolidate three homes on the block to include the final piece of the puzzle. Their development plans will see a $22million home and swimming pool constructed on the lots, which will now likely include their most recent purchase. The 'compound' is a separate pursuit to their $25million Wentworth Road home bought prior to auction less than two years ago. That property, about 800m away, was acquired as an investment. Since launching in 2013, White Fox's business has grown exponentially, landing its co-founders on the AFR Young Rich List. Mr and Ms Contos started the label as a small start-up, selling clothes on eBay. White Fox proved to be a huge success. The brand has been worn by the likes of the Kardashian sisters, Sofia Richie, Hailey Baldwin and Emily Ratajkowski. The five-bedroom home has a 848sqm footprint and backs onto three of their other properties Georgia and Daniel Contos previously bought this 1920s residence designed by architect F. Glynn Gilling in Vaucluse for more than $25million 'I was working a full time job so I had no idea that it was going to be as big as it is now or be recognised by a lot of people I meet,' Ms Contos previously told Daily Mail Australia. She said the main driver of the label's success was social media. Known for their skimpy dresses and oversized hoodies, White Fox now has showrooms in Sydney and Los Angeles Covid-19 lockdowns saw their business skyrocket as shoppers flocked to the retailer to stock up on activewear and loungewear for all those extra hours at home. They had a massive 154 per cent increase in activewear sales after NSW plunged into its second shutdown in June 2021. Insiders don't yet know if the pair are finished splashing their cash in the coveted East Sydney suburb. But it is likely their 'compound' masterplans can begin to take their final form. Peter Dutton has dumped a Liberal candidate over his previous comments about women less than a month out the federal election. Benjamin Britton, who was running for the Liberals in the NSW seat of Whitlam south of Sydney, called for all women to be removed from frontline roles in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Speaking on a right-wing podcast last August, Mr Britton said the ADF 'need to remove females from combat corps' in order to 'fix' our military. He said 'diversity and equity quotas, Marxist ideology and woke ideologies' were to blame for weakening Australia's defence. Speaking to podcaster Joel Jammal, Mr Britton, who previously served in the Australian Army, said the ADF had become burdened with diversity and equity quotas and other 'bureaucratic nonsense'. 'If we're to fix our defence force, unfortunately they're going to need to remove females from combat corps,' he said. But after being roundly condemned for his comments in recent days, the Liberals announced on Sunday that Mr Britton was no longer its candidate and removed his profile from the party's website. 'This follows a decision to disendorse Benjamin Britton over views expressed which were not previously disclosed and are inconsistent with the party's position,' a statement read. In January, Mr Dutton (pictured left) described Mr Britton (pictured right) as an 'outstanding candidate' Benjamin Britton (pictured) made the comments about women in the ADF during an interview on a right-wing podcast in August Mr Britton has swiftly replaced as the Liberal candidate by Nathaniel Smith, chief executive of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW. The married father-of-two previously served one term as the state MP for Wollondilly before he was ousted at the 2023 NSW election. 'Nathaniel has been a passionate advocate for small businesses and investment in trades and training,' a party statement added. 'He will campaign to ease Labor's cost of living burden on local households and small businesses, and help people struggling under the growing burden of mortgages, rents, and everyday expenses.' The seat is currently held by retiring Labor assistant Treasurer and financial services minister Stephen Jones on an 8.3 per cent margin. Mr Jones has held the seat since it was first created in 2016. Mr Britton's interview emerged after the Coalition leader Peter Dutton praised him as an 'outstanding candidate' in a social media post earlier this year. The January 22 post showed Mr Dutton visiting Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands, which falls under the Whitlam seat. Benjamin Britton (centre) is pictured with Peter Dutton (right) when the former was still a Liberal Party candidate 'Ben's working hard in his community and standing up for local families and small businesses, drawing on his dedication as a veteran and his leadership in the defence industry,' the post read. 'This area has been ignored by a local Labor member who is asleep at the wheel, but with our positive plans and an outstanding candidate like Ben, we'll get this region and our country Back on Track.' In his now infamous podcast interview, Mr Britton seemed to realise that his comments could come back to haunt him, saying his views were 'not an attack on females, I served with some of the greatest females in the defence force. 'Tremendous people, and I'm very very glad to have met them and known them because they made my life better knowing them,' he said. But Mr Britton, who unsuccessfully ran as an United Australia candidate at the 2022 election said young women were being 'pushed' into infantry and front-line combat roles in the ADF in the interest of 'woke Marxist ideologies'. 'The medical discharge rate for females is off the planet. Seventy to eighty per cent are getting medically discharged,' he said. 'Their hips are being destroyed because they can't cope with the carrying of the heavy loads and the heavy impacts required from doing combat-related jobs.' Young women were being 'put on the altar and sacrificed' for the sake of ideology, Mr Britton added. Mr Britton has been swiftly replaced by former state MP Nathaniel Smith (pictured) as the Liberal candidate for the NSW seat of Whitlam There's no suggestion that Mr Dutton shares his former candidate's views on females serving in ADF combat roles. Professor Peter Dean, the Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre, condemned Mr Britton's comments. 'These are extreme views and they are certainly not the policy of the Coalition or the Government,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'To take such an approach would undermine morale and recruitment abilities of the ADF and remove one of its strengths, which is its diversity and its need to reflect the whole of Australian society.' Women currently make up about 20 per cent of people serving in the ADF. Mr Britton has been contacted for comment. David Lammy has blasted the 'unacceptable' detention of two Labour MPs who were refused entry to Israel. The Foreign Secretary said it was 'unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning' that Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were held and then deported. The pair were rejected because of their plans to 'document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred', according to Israeli officials. Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said they were part of a parliamentary delegation and planned to visit charity projects and communities in the West Bank. In a joint statement, the MPs said they were 'astounded' by their treatment. Ms Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central, flew to Israel from Luton Airport with two aides on Saturday afternoon, the BBC reported. Israeli officials said all four passengers were denied entry after being questioned and the MPs left the country at 6am local time (4am BST) on Sunday. Mr Lammy said: 'It is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. 'I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support. David Lammy has blasted the 'unacceptable' detention of two Labour MPs who were refused entry to Israel The Foreign Secretary said it was 'unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning' that Yuan Yang (right) and Abtisam Mohamed (left) were held and then deported The Foriegn Secretary added the Government's focus 'remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza'. In a joint statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday morning, Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said: 'We're astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank. 'It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. 'We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. 'Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons without fear of being targeted. 'We had come on an MPs' delegation to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank, with UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations. 'We thank them, the staff at the British embassy in Tel Aviv, the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the Middle East minister and the Foreign Secretary for their tireless support.' Israel's UK embassy said: 'Israel will not permit the entry of individuals who act against the state and its citizens, promote calls for its boycott, falsely accuse it or call for sanctions against its ministers and public officials. 'Today, in accordance with the law, two members of Parliament were denied entry to the State of Israel after accusing Israel of false claims, calling for a boycott, spreading lies and actively promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers while supporting campaigns aimed at boycotting the State of Israel. 'The visit was intended to provoke, harm Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them. It is Israel's responsibility to prevent the entry of such individuals (just as is the practice in the UK).' Both Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed were elected to Parliament last July. A hung parliament is now looking less likely as the Albanese government extends its lead over the Coalition. With less than four weeks to go before Aussies head to the polls on May 3, Labor has taken a 52-48 lead over the Coalition on a two-party basis in the latest Newspoll for The Australian, despite its primary vote staying static at 33 per cent. While the Coalition remains ahead with 36 per cent of the primary vote despite a one point drop to its lowest level since June 2024, the preference flow to Labor from the Greens and other minor parties has made the government more likely to retain power in its own right. The last time Labor led the Coalition 52-48 on a two-party preferred basis was almost a year ago in May 2024. It now mirrors the 2022 federal election result, where Labor formed a majority government. The Coalition will take heart that Peter Dutton has retained a substantial lead over Anthony Albanese on who is considered the more decisive and stronger leader 62 per cent to 48 per cent. With the opening of pre-polls just a fortnight away, the Opposition Leader has also narrowed Mr Albaneses lead as preferred prime minister to just eight points. Mr Dutton (61 per cent) is also narrowly ahead of the Prime Minster (60 per cent) on who has the best vision for Australia. Labor has surged to a 52-48 lead over the Coalition on a two-party basis in the latest Newspoll. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and fiancee Jodie Haydon are pictured on Sunday Peter Dutton has retained a substantial lead over Anthony Albanese on who is considered the more decisive and stronger leader. Mr Dutton is pictured with Katie Mullens, the Liberal candidate for Parramatta But Mr Albanese has increased his lead over Mr Dutton on the question of which leader is less arrogant, more caring and more likeable, with the Prime Minister favoured by 57 per cent on this measure, while his rival is on 39 per cent. On the question of being in touch with voters, Mr Albanese leads by 49 per cent to 43 per cent, while on trustworthiness, the Prime Minister leads the Opposition Leader by 52 per cent to 40 per cent. Among the minor parties - whose preference flows will determine who wins the election - One Nation is on seven per cent, the Greens are on 12 per cent, and other small parties and independents such as the teal candidates are also on 12 per cent. Labor's 52-48 lead after preferences is almost the exact same as the result of the 2022 federal election, when it got 52.1 per cent and won a three-seat majority. Its primary vote three years ago was 32.6 per cent, while the Coalition under then leader Scott Morrison got 35.7 per cent. As the election campaign kicks up a gear, neither potential prime minister is proving all that popular with voters. Mr Albanese's approval rating fell a point to 42 per cent against a rise in dissatisfaction to 53 per cent in the latest poll. Mr Dutton's approval rating went up a point to 38 per cent, while his dissatisfaction rate stayed the same at 55 per cent. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) is pictured talking with Opposition leader Peter Dutton at the Wishing Tree at Parliament House in Canberra in November 2024 A combined picture of Opposition leader Peter Dutton (left) drinking a beer at the XXXX beer factory and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese drinking a Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Both pictures were taken on March 29 The head-to-head contest over who would make the better prime minister saw Mr Dutton go up two points to 40 per cent while Mr Albanese dropped a point to 48 per cent. The Coalition's primary vote of 36 per cent, which has been falling in most recent polls, is now at its lowest level since June 2024. Just three months ago, in January, the Coalition had an eight-point lead over Labor on the primary vote, leading by 39 per cent to 31 per cent at the time. Last November, the Coalition's primary vote was 40 per cent, meaning it has fallen by four per cent in just five months. Some of that loss is likely to have gone to Pauline Hanson's One Nation, which is now polling at seven per cent, which is a two per cent rise from its result in the 2022 election. The disappointing poll for the Coalition comes on the same day that Mr Dutton dumped a Liberal candidate for comments he made about women. Benjamin Britton, who was running in the NSW seat of Whitlam south of Sydney, called for all women to be removed from frontline roles in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Aussies will go to the polls on Saturday May 3. Pictured are voters casting their vote in 2022 Speaking on a right-wing podcast last August, Mr Britton said the ADF 'need to remove females from combat corps' in order to 'fix' our military. But after being roundly condemned for his comments in recent days, the Liberals announced on Sunday that Mr Britton was no longer its candidate and removed his profile from the party's website. 'This follows a decision to disendorse Benjamin Britton over views expressed which were not previously disclosed and are inconsistent with the party's position,' a statement read. Keir Starmer is readying emergency measures to support British industry after Donald Trump sparked global chaos with his sweeping trade tariffs. The Prime Minister will announce action this week to bolster UK businesses who have been stung by the US President's 10 per cent tariff on goods imported into America. Mr Trump has also slapped a 25 per cent levy on foreign car imports, which has prompted Jaguar Land Rover to announce it will 'pause' shipments to the US. Sir Keir is expected to admit 'globalisation is over' after the US President sparked an international trade war, which has led to carnage on financial markets. The FTSE 100 had its worst day of trading since the start of the Covid pandemic on Friday, with banks among some of the firms to suffer the sharpest losses. Following a weekend of calls with other world leaders, the PM is set to use a speech tomorrow to unveil fresh measures to try and boost economic growth, as fears mount of a worldwide recession. He will reportedly bring forward parts of Labour's industrial strategy and also ease regulations on electric car manufacturers. Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to step up efforts to achieve a trade deal with India while also securing a fresh agreement with Australia. The UK has been hit by Mr Trump's 'baseline' 10 per cent tariffs while others - such as the EU - have been stung by much higher trade levies. A senior Labour minister this morning begrudgingly admitted that Britain dodging the higher tariff rate imposed on Brussels was a 'Brexit dividend'. Keir Starmer is readying emergency measures to support British industry after Donald Trump sparked global chaos with his sweeping trade tariffs The Prime Minister will announce action this week to bolster UK businesses who have been stung by the US President's 10 per cent tariff on goods imported into America Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the UK had been 'treated differently to the EU' as a result of Brexit Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the UK had been 'treated differently to the EU' as a result of Brexit. Asked if the lower 10 per cent tariff imposed by the US was a 'Brexit dividend', the Labour MP - who was part of the Remain campaign in 2016 - told Sky News: 'It is, there's one. 'I've struggled to find one in the past but there is one we've ended up with. It's good, but what we're not going to do is pick or trade off the US or the EU.' Mr Jones said the Government would respond to Mr Trump's action in a 'calm-headed and considered way', adding that 'a trade war is in no one's interests'. But he rejected the US President's claim that Sir Keir was 'very happy' with the level of tariffs he has imposed on Britain. 'Keir has been clear that he's unhappy about the tariffs,' the Treasury minister said. 'I suspect what's being referred to there is the fact that the UK had the lowest tariff, and puts us in a much stronger position than other complex, large economies.' Mr Jones said this was 'a vindication of our engagement with the US in the run up to the President's announcements. 'But clearly, we don't like tariffs; we're not happy about that,' he added. He confirmed 'there will be further announcements from the PM this week on support for British business' in the wake of Mr Trump's tariffs. Mr Jones added: 'He (Sir Keir) thinks globalisation has failed in the current context, 'And that we need to go further and faster in supporting British industry and the British economy. He'll be saying more about that this week.' In a later interview this morning, Mr Jones reiterated the view that globalisation had 'come to an end'. Asked the if era of 'cheap fast-fashion or cheap TVs' was over, he told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'Yeah, it's ended. 'Globalisation, as we've known it for the last number of decades, has come to an end. 'That's why we need Britain to be strong and resilient, also build out our relationships with our allies and partners around the world. 'But also why we have to invest in the domestic economy, both for UK businesses, but also our public services, so that we have workers and communities who are well-skilled and able to take advantages of jobs in the UK.' Sir Keir reiterated his disappointment over Mr Trump's new tariffs in further calls with world leaders on Sunday. Downing Street said the PM spoke to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and leader of the German Christian Democratic Union party Friedrich Merz on Sunday. Issuing a readout of their conversations, a Downing Street spokesperson said: 'Discussing the announcement of additional tariffs by the United States, they all agreed that as with defence and security this is a new era for the global economy. 'Europe must rise to meet the moment and ensure the impact on hard-working people is minimised, while working closely with other countries to help maintain wider economic stability. 'The PM reiterated that he was disappointed by the new tariffs and stressed he will continue to act in the UK's national interest remaining calm while preparing for all eventualities. 'He updated on his plans to go further and faster to strengthen the UK's economy and ensure it is as resilient as possible and can withstand these kinds of global shocks. 'He added that it would be important for the UK to strengthen its trading relationships with others across the globe at the same time.' A trader at the end of the trading day on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, as financial markets went into meltdown over Mr Trump's tariffs Your browser does not support iframes. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Sir Keir said that when it comes to tariffs, 'the immediate priority is to keep calm and fight for the best deal'. The PM said that in the coming days 'we will turbocharge plans that will improve our domestic competitiveness'. He added: 'We stand ready to use industrial policy to help shelter British business from the storm. 'This week, the Government will do everything necessary to protect Britain's national interest. 'Because when global economic sands are shifting, our laser focus on delivering for Britain will not. And these new times demand a new mentality.' Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said there is 'a place for tariffs' but that the ones imposed by the US will be 'destructive for businesses'. She told the BBC: 'The retaliatory tariffs will make people in our country poorer. 'There is a place for tariffs, we did use them, but right now what they will do is make life more expensive for British consumers.' Mrs Badenoch spoke about the previous Conservative government negotiating a trade deal with Mr Trump's first White House administration in 2020. 'I would like the Government to pick up where we left off,' Ms Badenoch said. 'We had six rounds of negotiations where there were some decisions that were concluded, and they can pick that up and take it. 'But the most important thing is removing tariffs. The tariffs are going to be destructive for our businesses.' Sir Keir has been taking calls from foreign leaders throughout the weekend to discuss the tariff changes. He shared his 'concerns' about the impact on global economics and security in a call with Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, after separate conversations with the PMs of Italy and Australia on Friday. Mr Trump has warned Americans that the tariffs 'won't be easy', but urged them to 'hang tough'. In a post on his TruthSocial platform, the president said: 'We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. 'Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. 'HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic.' Digital reconstruction has revealed the face of a royal who lived 3,500 years ago in the late bronze age Mycenae, Greece, and she looks 'incredible modern'. The woman was in her mid-30s when she was buried in a royal cemetery on the Greek mainland at Mycenae and was discovered in the 1950s. Mycenae is an ancient city located on a small hill between two larger hills on the Argolid Plain in Peloponnese, Greece. In Homer's epic poems, Mycenae is ruled by the mythical King Agamemnon, who led the Greek forces in the Trojan War. The historian who commissioned the digital reconstruction, Dr Emily Hauser, told the Observer: 'She's incredibly modern. She took my breath away. 'For the first time, we are looking into the face of a woman from a kingdom associated with Helen of Troy Helen's sister, Clytemnestra, was queen of Mycenae in legend and from where the poet imagined the Greeks of the Trojan war setting out. 'Such digital reconstructions persuade us that these were real people.' Dr Hauser, a senior lecturer in classics and ancient history at the University of Exeter, called the reconstruction 'incredibly exciting' and added that the woman died 'at the beginning of the late bronze age, several hundred years before the supposed date of the Trojan war'. The woman was in her mid-30s when she was buried in a royal cemetery on the Greek mainland at Mycenae and was discovered in the 1950s The clay reconstruction of the same woman used as a reference for the digital reconstruction Mycenae (pictured) is an ancient city located on a small hill between two larger hills on the Argolid Plain in Peloponnese, Greece The digital artist who created the image, Juanjo Ortega G., used a clay reconstruction of the same woman as a reference which was made in the 1980s by Manchester University - pioneers of one of the major facial reconstruction methods. Development and innovation in forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, radiocarbon dating and 3D digital printing, have dramatically improved reconstructions of ancient people. The woman was buried with an electrum face mask and a warrior kit of weapons including three swords which were assumed to be associated with the man buried beside her, but are now believed to belong to her. Dr Hauser, whose new book Mythica: A New History Of Homer's World, Through The Woman Written Out Of It releases next week, said: 'The traditional story is that, if you have a woman next to a man, she must be his wife.' Facial similarities had previously been noted but DNA confirmed they were brother and sister. 'This woman was buried there by virtue of her birth, not her marriage. That tells us a different story about how important she was,' Dr Hauser added. She continued: 'Data that is coming out is suggesting that far more of what archaeologists call warrior kits are associated with women than with men in these late bronze age burials, which is completely overturning our assumptions of how women are associated with war.' Dr Hauser explained that archaeological evidence and DNA analysis were allowing 'the real women of ancient history to step out of the shadows'. She said: The woman's bones suggest she suffered from arthritis in her vertebrae and hands, perhaps 'evidence of repeated weaving, a common and physically wearing activity among women, and one which we have seen Helen undertaking in the Iliad. 'So this is such a wonderful way to connect real women's experiences to the ancient myths and tales.' The son of a British couple who are being held hostage by the Taliban has urgently pleaded to Donald Trump for help, revealing what conditions are like in the jail. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, have been held captive for more than nine weeks in Afghanistan's most notorious prison. No charges have been issued, nor any explanation given for why they were arrested on February 1 with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. They were detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan, known for its giant Buddha statues, which were blown up by the previous Taliban regime. The pair are being held in Pul-e-Charkhi maximum security jail in Kabu. Mr Reynolds has pleaded with his family not to pay any ransom and demanded the Taliban apologise for detaining them. Their son Jonathan has called on the White House to intervene after Hall was released last weekend following the Trump administration lifting bounties worth $10 million from the heads of senior Taliban figures including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister. The couple have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, having fallen in love with the country when they travelled there as students at Bath University. They got married in Afghanistan in 1970 and have two sons and two daughters after a third son died. Jonathan said: 'It's now been over nine weeks since Mum and Dad were taken by the Taliban. Despite being told constantly that they are innocent, they still haven't been released. Their American friend Faye Hall is now back with her family in the States. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, have been held captive for more than nine weeks in Afghanistan 's most notorious prison The couple have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, having fallen in love with the country when they travelled there as students at Bath University Their son Jonathan has called on the White House to intervene after Hall was released last weekend following the Trump (pictured) administration lifting bounties worth $10 million from the heads of senior Taliban figures They got married in Afghanistan in 1970 and have two sons and two daughters after a third son died 'The hardest part for Mum and Dad will be that this is the longest they've gone without speaking to each other since they became sweethearts in the 1960s. 'We are able to talk to Dad several times a week, and he keeps insisting that his (locked and barred cell) is the VIP suite - because he only has to share a toilet with his interpreter, and they have a bunk bed! 'He says they are given one meal a day, but he's given extra food from the commanders table. He's lost weight, and has had some health scares, but Dad can find light in the darkest of places.' He and his interpreter, Juya, are allowed to leave their cell and call their families at a time when the rapists, murderers and 'out of control' prisoners are back in their cells. 'While the guards scream at the other prisoners, they don't ever shout at Dad. This is because he's earned respect in a system that is terrifying and unpredictable,' his son continued. Peter Reynolds, 79, and wife Barbie Reynolds, 75, are being held by the Talban at Pul-e-Charkhi maximum security jail in Kabul The couple were detained as they travelled back to their home in the country's Bamyan province on February 1 of this year Mr Reynolds said he was living in 'a cage rather than a cell' but said this was 'VIP' compared to where his wife is being held captive 'Mum too has found a way to help those around her. She's creating an informal programme for the women in prison to help them with spoken English. While they can read and write, they don't know how to speak it. She's showing a group how to instruct others when she's not around anymore. 'This is who our parents are! Mum and Dad are still true to themselves in the middle of thisloving people, keeping peace, and creating solutions in one of the very darkest, violent and most hopeless places in the world.' He added: 'We will continue to wait in hope that the Taliban will not only release them, but choose to work with them for the good of the country. 'In the meantime, we couldn't be prouder of them. We stand with them, cheering them on as they continue to love and support the people they are now imprisoned with, still without breaking any laws.' Mr Reynolds recently described the prison as 'the nearest thing to hell I can imagine'. In a recording of a phone call, he voiced fears for his wife who is being held in the women's section of the prison. The couple's visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, was released from Taliban jail at the end of March after the Trump administration lifted bounties worth $10 million from the heads of senior Taliban figures including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister Their arrest was by ordered by a commander linked to the Haqqani network, a faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister (pictured) Your browser does not support iframes. A Taliban soldier attends a rally to celebrate the withdrawal of US forces in Kandahar, Afghanistan on September 1, 2021 Mr Reynolds said he was living in 'a cage rather than a cell' but said this was 'VIP' compared to where his wife is being held captive. 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man,' he said in recordings heard by The Sunday Times. He said he had lost weight thanks to a single meal a day, usually naan bread and chickpeas with green tea for breakfast. 'The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. It's a horrible atmosphere the nearest thing to hell I can imagine.' A lawyer working for the European Union mission was allowed to bring him medicine last week after Reynolds ran out of the heart pills and beta blockers, which he needs after a mini-stroke last year. An acclaimed British charity that feeds Ukrainian children fleeing Vladimir Putin's invasion hired a convicted paedophile who posed as a paratrooper, it has been revealed. Siobhan's Trust, known for sending pizzas to destitute Ukrainian children and their families fleeing their war-torn nation, hired Lee Callaghan to make regular visits to orphanages, schools and camps for displaced refugees in Ukraine from early 2023, the Telegraph revealed. Callaghan, who went by Jack Morgan during his time at Siobhan's Trust, was reportedly paid 500 a month and given access to the charity's fleet of vehicles. He was seen playing with children in photos posted by the charity, which changed its name to HopeFull, and its volunteers. But the newspaper revealed that shortly before he was hired, he was convicted by Cardiff Crown Court for breaching child protection orders. He had been convicted of being in possession of category A child abuse images, and was jailed for two years and issued with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), meaning he was not allowed to travel abroad without notifying authorities. During his sentencing, he was said to have displaced no remorse. Judge Daniel Williams told him at the time: 'You minimise the clear sexual interest you have in young children.' Siobhan's Trust hired Lee Callaghan (pictured) to make regular visits to orphanages, schools and camps for displaced refugees in Ukraine The charity is known for sending pizzas to destitute Ukrainian children and their families fleeing their war-torn nation And Martin Ludlow, from the National Crime Agency, said at the time: 'In his communications with others, it became clear Callaghan was a dangerous man who wanted to abuse children.' Callaghan is believed to have changed his name via deed poll, before being charged for violating his SHPO. He then travelled to Ukraine, where he was hired by HopeFull, which shut down its Ukraine operations the same month it fired Callaghan. A hearing at the London Central Employment Tribunal for a separate case brought against the charity revealed that it does not carry DBS checks on its employees, instead relying on simple internet searches. Trustee Chris Mackintosh told the hearing: 'We don't tend to do DBS checks. It would be too difficult to do for all volunteers and only a small group are British. We've had 19 nationalities [volunteering with us] and DBS is only relevant to British volunteers.' He added: 'If we were aware of anyone with a criminal conviction, clearly, we would not accept them as a volunteer.' But the charity's workers were reportedly furious that Callaghan was accepted into the charity without proper checks. Shortly before he was hired, he was convicted by Cardiff Crown Court for breaching child protection orders The charity gave Callaghan access to its fleet of vehicles Sources told the Telegraph that 'all hell broke loose' when his true identity was revealed in August 2024. A spokesman for the charity told the newspaper: 'HopeFull is committed to the safety of its volunteers, employees, and the communities it serves. 'As part of the charity's safety processes, no volunteer is left unsupervised with vulnerable children or adults, and we always operate in teams of at least four people. 'This individual gained his position under an assumed identity and was then dismissed by the charity in February 2024, at which point the charity was unaware of the allegations against him.' MailOnline has contacted HopeFull and the National Crime Agency for comment. A 15-year-old boy who drowned after getting into difficulty swimming in a lake had been celebrating the start of the Easter holidays with friends. Emergency crews were called to Beckenham Place Park in south east London shortly after 3pm on Friday to search for Izaiah Smith, 15, who had gone missing in the lake. Crews found Izaiah's body in the water around eight hours later at 10.42pm. The teenager was taken to hospital but unfortunately pronounced dead. It is understood that the 15-year-old had been out celebrating the start of the Easter holidays when he got into difficulty swimming, with fears that he may have gone into cold water shock. 'The lake is dangerous - it's so cold,' one local dog walker said. Dozens of teenagers have visited the south London park over the past couple of days to pay respects to Izaiah, who was thought to be a talented footballer. 'Forever 15. Gone but never forgotten,' one note read. 'He was really good at football,' said a friend. Police officers stand in the entrance to Beckenham Place Park in South East London after a 15-year-old boy got into difficulty in water The scene inside Beckenham Park Place on Friday after a 15-year-old boy went missing while swimming in a lake A police tent is set near the swimming lake in Beckenham on Friday following the teenager's disappearance 'He was a winger and a striker - he was so fast.' The boy's tragic death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious. His family have been informed. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said on Friday evening: 'Met Police has suspended a search for a 15-year-old boy at Beckenham Place Park, following the discovery of a body. 'Officers were called to the park shortly after 15:00hrs on Friday, 4 April following reports of a boy going missing after getting into difficulty in the water. Dozens of teenagers have visited the south London park over the past couple of days to pay respects to Izaiah 'Specialist diving teams were in attendance alongside the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade. 'A boy was recovered from the lake at around 22:42hrs on Friday, 4 April. He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious. 'His family are aware and continue to receive support.' The popular park re-opened on Saturday but the lake remained closed with security in place until further notice. 'We are working closely with the police in order that their investigation establishes the full facts of what's happened,' Lewisham Council said. A missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Sunday injured at least three people and caused several blazes, the city's mayor said, two days after a Russian strike killed 18 people in President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown. Vitali Klitschko said paramedics had been sent to two districts in Kyiv, while the Ukrainian air force said missiles had entered the northern Chernihiv region. 'Explosions in the capital. Air defence is in operation,' Klitschko said on Telegram. 'The missile attack on Kyiv continues. Stay in shelters!' He added that three people were injured so far, while fires broke out in non-residential buildings and eight cars were damaged. The attacks come as US President Donald Trump pushes for a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, more than three years into Moscow's full-scale invasion, and seeks a thaw in ties with the Kremlin. Poland's military said it and allied forces had taken to the skies in response to Russian strikes across the border in western Ukraine, with ground-based air defence systems on high alert. 'Due to the intensive activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, performing strikes on objects located, among others, in the west of Ukraine, the operation of Polish and allied aviation in our airspace has begun,' its operational command said on X. Smoke rises at the site of a rocket hit in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion The site of a rocket strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 2025 Vendors put their wares on display at a flea market as smoke rises from a nearby site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6, 2025 'The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas.' Russia's defence ministry said Sunday its air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones. On Saturday, Zelensky slammed the US embassy for what he called a 'weak' statement that did not blame Russia for the deadly missile strike on his home city Kryvyi Rig. The Russian missile struck a residential area near a children's playground in the central Ukrainian city. In an emotional statement on social media, Zelensky named each of the nine children killed in the attack, accusing the US embassy of avoiding referring to Russia as the aggressor. Zelensky said the children killed in the strike ranged in age from three to 17. 'Unfortunately, the reaction of the American embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people - and such a weak reaction,' Zelensky wrote. 'They are even afraid to say the word 'Russian' when talking about the missile that killed the children.' Firefighters work at a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 6, 2025 A missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Sunday injured at least three people and caused several blazes The attacks come as US President Donald Trump pushes for a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine Ukraine has been battling Putin's invasion for over three years The Ukrainian president took aim at the US Ambassador Bridget Brink after she posted a message on X on Friday that said: 'Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant.' Zelensky said in his evening address: 'It is wrong and dangerous to keep silent about the fact that it is Russia that is killing children with ballistic missiles. 'It only incites the scum in Moscow to continue the war and further ignore diplomacy.' Zelensky was born in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rig, which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people. Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rig's military administration, said three days of mourning had been declared on April 7, 8 and 9. 'This is nothing less than a mass murder of civilians,' he said. Pictures circulated by rescue services showed several bodies, one stretched out near a playground swing. Russia's defence ministry said it 'delivered a precision strike' in the city 'where commanders of formations and Western instructors were meeting'. The General Staff of the Ukrainian army retorted that Moscow was 'trying to cover up its cynical crime' and 'spreading false information'. It accused Russia of 'war crimes'. Trump is pushing the two sides to agree to a ceasefire but his administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both. Trump is pushing the two sides to agree to a ceasefire but his administration has failed to broker an accord acceptable to both A vehicle lies damaged near a business center in the city Obolonskyi district after a Russian ballistic missile strike on April 6, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine This handout photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on April 6, 2025, shows a firefighter working on a fire following the Russian missile attack in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine Zelensky said the missile attack showed Russia had no interest in stopping its full-scale invasion. The president hailed 'tangible progress' after meeting British and French military chiefs in Kyiv on Friday to discuss a plan by London and Paris to send a 'reassurance' force to Ukraine if and when a deal on ending the conflict is reached. Zelensky wrote on social media that the meeting with British Chief of the Defence Staff Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkhard agreed 'the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed'. It is one of the latest efforts by European leaders to agree on a coordinated policy after Trump sidelined them and opened direct talks with the Kremlin. Pope Francis has appeared in public for the first time since his return to the Vatican after his battle with a serious case of pneumonia put him 'on the brink of death'. The Pope made a surprise appearance as he mingled with crowds while being wheeled through Saint Peter's Square in a wheelchair just two weeks after leaving hospital. 'A good Sunday to all. Thank you very much', the 88-year old Pope said after a mass dedicated to the sick. Francis had been out of public view since March 23, when he had given a short greeting before leaving Rome's Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of treatment in the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy. The pope, in a previously unannounced move, came out to the square shortly before noon at the end of the celebration of a Mass for the Catholic Church's Jubilee year. Coming in front of the main altar for the service in bright sunshine, Francis waved to the crowds, before speaking briefly to greet the crowd. Surrounded by a mass of smartphones and cameras, and attached to nasal breathing tubes, his voice was fragile but more audible than when he left the Gemelli hospital on 23 March. His last public appearance was 14 February. Francis is, in theory, undergoing two months of convalescence following his life-threatening health scare, with strict rest, no public activity and no contact with crowds. Pope Francis has appeared in public for the first time since his return to the Vatican after his battle with a serious case of pneumonia put him on the brink of death The Pope made a surprise appearance as he mingled with crowds while being wheeled through Saint Peter's Square in a wheelchair just two weeks after leaving hospital Surrounded by a mass of smartphones and cameras, and attached to nasal breathing tubes, his voice was fragile but more audible than when he left the Gemelli hospital on 23 March. His last public appearance was 14 February Catholics and others worldwide have been praying for the Pope's speedy recovery, with many leaving flowers, candles and notes for him outside the Gemelli hospital during his hospitalisation. A number of leading cardinals too held prayer services at the Vatican to pray for the Pontiff's good health, with thousands gathering on a daily basis to recite the Rosary Prayer. Even as he remained in hospital, the Pope expressed his gratitude for the widespread support he has received. The Pontiff too continued holding almost nightly phone calls with Palestinian Catholics in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In updates on X posted during his hospital stay, the 88-year-old also wished his best to Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and Kivu in early March. A doctor involved in the Pope's treatment at the Gemelli hospital said the pontiff came close to dying and told hospital staff 'it's bad' as they battled to save his life. In an interview with Corriere Della Sera, Professor Sergio Alfieri, who was on the Gemelli hospital team treating the Pontiff, gave rare insights into his treatment and his brush with death. Late February the world held its breath as the Vatican announced the Argentine Pope who lost part of his lung as a child - was struggling to breathe and needed oxygen. A woman prays for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Thursday, March 20, 2025 Pope Francis greets and blesses the faithful from a balcony of the Gemelli Hospital on March 23, 2025 in Rome Pope Francis leaves in a car the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025, where he was admitted on Feb. 14 for bilateral pneumonia Pope Francis leaves on a car after appearing at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025 Professor Alfieri said: 'The worst was the night of February 28. He whispered: "it's bad". Those who were next to him had tears in their eyes. 'For the first time I saw tears in the eyes of some of the people around him. People who, I understood during this period of hospitalization, sincerely love him, like a father. 'We were all aware that the situation had worsened further and there was a risk that he wouldn't make it. 'We had to choose whether to stop and let him go or force it and try with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the very high risk of damaging other organs. And in the end, we took this path.' When asked if the Pope had known he was at risk of dying Professor Alfieri said: 'Yes, also because he was always alert. Even when his condition worsened, he was fully conscious. 'That evening was terrible, he knew, like us, that he might not survive the night. We saw the man who was suffering. However, from the first day he asked us to tell him the truth and he wanted us to tell the truth about his condition.' Professor Alfieri also revealed how Pope Francis almost choked to death while having a meal and said: 'We were emerging from the hardest period, while he was eating Pope Francis had a regurgitation and inhaled. It was the second really critical moment because in these cases - if not promptly rescued - you risk sudden death in addition to complications in the lungs which were already the most compromised organs. 'It was terrible, we really thought we wouldn't make it,' Alfieri said. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was today embroiled in a furious political row over her support for Israel's right to refuse entry to two Labour MPs. Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were detained and then deported after travelling to Israel this weekend. Israeli officials claimed the pair were rejected because of their plans to 'document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred'. Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said they were part of a parliamentary delegation and planned to visit charity projects and communities in the West Bank. They added they were 'astounded' by their treatment - while Foreign Secretary David Lammy blasted the 'unacceptable' action by Israeli authorities. But Mrs Badenoch supported Israel's right to 'control their borders' and said she was 'not surprised' that two Labour MPs had been denied entry to Israel. Mr Lammy led a backlash as he branded the Tory leader 'disgraceful' for 'cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs'. 'Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?,' he asked Mrs Badenoch, as the top politicians engaged in a social media spat. 'This Government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party.' In an escalating row, Mrs Badenoch shot back: 'Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Secretary would be able to make that distinction.' Tory leader Kemi Badenoch stirred up a row today after she backed Israel's right to refuse entry to two Labour MPs Yuan Yang (right) and Abtisam Mohamed (left) were detained and then deported after travelling to Israel this weekend Foreign Secretary David Lammy branded Mrs Badenoch 'disgraceful' for 'cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs' In an escalating row, Mrs Badenoch shot back: 'Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good Foreign Secretary would be able to make that distinction.' She added: 'Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in Parliament.' The Tory leader had also come under fire from senior Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, the chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee, who labelled her comments 'nonsense'. And Mrs Badenoch even appeared to be contradicted by one of her own Tory frontbenchers. Conservative MP Richard Fuller, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said MPs on an official trip should be 'welcomed in any country'. Ms Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central, flew to Israel from Luton Airport with two aides on Saturday afternoon. Israeli officials said all four passengers were denied entry after being questioned and the MPs left the country at 6am local time (4am BST) on Sunday. The MPs have been sent messages of support by a number of other parliamentarians, who have joined widespread criticism of Israel's actions. But, asked if Israel was entitled to deport them, Mrs Badenoch told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show: 'Countries should be able to control their borders. 'What I think is shocking is that we have MPs in Labour who other countries will not allow through - I think that's very significant.' She added: 'If you look at the reasons the Israeli government has given for why they're not letting them in - they don't believe they're going to comply with their laws. 'MPs do not have diplomatic immunity. I believe the people who represent us in Parliament should be people who should be able to go anywhere in the world. 'And people not be worried about what they're going to do when they go into those countries.' Asked if she thought Israel was right to worry about the Labour MPs breaking the law if they were granted entry, the Tory leader replied: 'That's the reason they gave. 'And what I believe is that every country should be able to control its borders. We do the same thing. 'There are many people we don't allow into our country and I don't think we should be setting precedents in a different way.' In an earlier interview on Sky News, Mrs Badenoch had said she was 'not surprised' that two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel. 'Those Labour MPs, according to the Israelis, were coming in to do something that they were not allowed to do, and so I respect that decision,' she added. Dame Emily hit back at the Tory leader's comments, telling the BBC: 'I am outraged and I cannot believe the Leader of the Opposition would simply take on the face of it what it is that the Israelis say. 'Because we know that there are times when what the Israelis say first time isn't what they say when they've had a chance to think about it.' She added: 'I know Abtisam Mohamed and I know Yuan Yang very well. 'These are two young women who are potential leaders - people listen to what they say, they are highly-respected parliamentarians. 'Israel is badly-advised to try to alienate them, to humiliate them and to treat them in this way. 'Because people listen to what these two young women say and they will do for decades to come. 'In my view, Israel really needs to start making friends as opposed to alienating people in this way. I think it's an insult to Britain and I think it's an insult to Parliament.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the Tory leader of 'unbelievably poor judgement by failing to back two British MPs denied entry to Israel', adding: 'Yet another complete shocker.' Mr Fuller, a member of Mrs Badenoch's top team, told Times Radio he was unaware of the details of the Labour MPs' trip to Israel. But he added: 'Any MP who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country. 'They're going there to be better informed about the situation and then report back to their parliamentary colleagues about what they have found.' Senior Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, the chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee, said she was 'outraged' by the Conservative leader's stance In a statement late on Saturday night, Mr Lammy said: 'It is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities. 'I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.' The Foreign Secretary added the Government's focus 'remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza'. In a joint statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday morning, Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed said: 'We're astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank. 'It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. 'We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law. 'Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons without fear of being targeted. 'We had come on an MPs' delegation to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank, with UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations. 'We thank them, the staff at the British embassy in Tel Aviv, the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the Middle East minister and the Foreign Secretary for their tireless support.' Israel's UK embassy said: 'Israel will not permit the entry of individuals who act against the state and its citizens, promote calls for its boycott, falsely accuse it or call for sanctions against its ministers and public officials. 'Today, in accordance with the law, two members of Parliament were denied entry to the State of Israel after accusing Israel of false claims, calling for a boycott, spreading lies and actively promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers while supporting campaigns aimed at boycotting the State of Israel. 'The visit was intended to provoke, harm Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them. It is Israel's responsibility to prevent the entry of such individuals (just as is the practice in the UK).' Both Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed were elected to Parliament last July. Former Liberal premier of Tasmania Tony Rundle is being remembered as a reformist who oversaw one of the most difficult periods in the island state's history. News of Mr Rundle's death, aged 86 on Sunday has sparked an outpouring of tributes, led by current Premier Jeremy Rockliff and former Prime Minister John Howard. It's understood he died late Friday night after dealing with a number of health issues. Mr Rockcliff served as an MP in Tasmania for 16 years and reigned as premier from 1996 to 1998. He was in power when 35 people were killed in a shooting spree at Port Arthur and oversaw Tasmania's subsequent widely-lauded gun law reform. 'We've lost a fine Tasmanian,' Mr Rockliff said. 'Tony will always be remembered as a tower of strength and compassion, as he led Tasmanians through the shock and grief of the tragedy at Port Arthur. 'He was a kind, intelligent man, and one that I was truly fortunate to count as a mentor. Former Tasmania Premier Tony Rundle (right) has died aged 86. He's pictured with current Premier Jeremy Rockcliff (left) who regarded him as a mentor Tony Rundle is pictured inspecting illegal fishing vessels in Darwin Harbour in 2004 in his role as Australia Fisheries Management Authority chairman 'We are a better state because of his service.' Mr Howard, who as, then Prime Minister worked closely with Mr Rundle in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy hailed him as a fine premier and 'a true gentleman'. He said the massacre shocked the nation and was keenly felt by the Tasmanian community. 'Tony Rundle's dignified and compassionate yet firm response was reassuring to his fellow Tasmanians,' Mr Howard said. A former journalist, Mr Rundle was also a keen sailor, a Rotarian and a strong and considered leader for his community for many years before he was elected to parliament. He also oversaw gay law reform, the development of Basslink, the signing of the Regional Forest Agreement and commissioned the Nixon Review of the Tasmanian economy. Tasmania also became the first state to make a public apology to the Stolen Generations under Mr Rundle's reign as premier. He also served as Australia Fisheries Management Authority chairman after departing politics. Tony Rundle was Tasmanian Premier when the 1996 Port Arthur massacre shocked Australia 'Tony led changes that endure today and for which Tasmanians are better off,' Tasmanian Liberal senator Richard Colbeck said. 'First among those was his leadership following the Port Arthur massacre, an enormously distressing time for Tasmanians and Australians alike. 'Tony led the aftermath with great dignity and empathy and set the state on the path to recovery.' Mr Rundle is survived by his wife Caroline and daughters Helen and Jane. Sir Lindsay Hoyle has defended his lavish spending on overseas trips by suggesting he'd have his own private jet if he was Speaker in another country. He said that Speakers in other nations 'have their own aircraft and travel around the world all the time without criticism' as he addressed a recent row over his expenses. Sir Lindsay, who has been Speaker of the House of Commons since 2019, sought to justify the huge bill he has racked up. It comes after the Daily Mail revealed how he splurged more than 250,000 in little over two years on 19 foreign jaunts. He spent more than 180,000 on first and business class flights alone, with thousands more on chauffeur-driven cars, five-star resorts and dining in top restaurants. The 67-year-old said that representing Parliament abroad was one of his key roles as Speaker, as he argued current global instability made this more important. As Speaker and MP for Chorley in Lancashire, Sir Lindsay receives a pay package of more than 160,000 as well as a grace-and-favour flat in Parliament. The number of staff that Sir Lindsay takes on jaunts abroad - such as the G7 Speakers' Conference in Verona, Italy, last year - has also been questioned. Sir Lindsay Hoyle has defended his lavish spending on overseas trips by suggesting he'd have his own private jet if he was Speaker in another country Sir Lindsay, who has been Speaker of the House of Commons since 2019, sought to justify the huge bill he has racked up. Defending his spending in an interview with the Sunday Times, the Speaker said: 'People see the Prime Minister going off to the G20 and G7. 'But, of course, there's the Speaker's equivalent of that in the same way that the secretaries of state also have their international conferences. 'Now, there's two ways we could do it. Leave an empty chair without the UK attending. 'What does that say about the UK's standing in the world - especially with global events at the moment? 'But also it's about using my power and influence in that sense to speak out, because it is about speaking truth to power to the Chinese and to Russia. 'For example, when I go to these conferences, it's about standing up and leading the rest of the room to tell Russia it had no right to invade the sovereign territory of Ukraine and [that it has] no right to continue that war.' Sir Lindsay also said he used his role to champion the 'forgotten' Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. 'Nobody was bothering about them before,' he added. He claimed his travel expenses were modest compared with his international counterparts. 'Other Speakers have their own aircraft and travel around the world all the time without criticism,' he told the newspaper during a two-day visit to Ukraine. 'Other countries recognise the soft power of their Speakers and recognise the value that it adds. 'We see the Russians with 40 people in their delegation and the Americans travel with a huge contingent. Most are flying in private jets. We're not. We're taking commercial airlines. 'When I was flying to Brasilia for the G20 Speakers' conference in November, I was literally in the air for more than the 32 hours I was on the ground. 'I left work to go and I came back and went straight back into meetings at work. 'I'm in then out to do the jobs that I am there for. That's why I fly business class and most people flying for business would do the same.' Defending the costs of his accommodation, Sir Lindsay added: 'When we stay in these hotels, it's not the hotel we've chosen, it's the hotel where the event is being hosted for security reasons. 'Or it's the hotel the government we are visiting has booked. It is quite naive to think that we say, 'well, let's go here or let's go there'.' A 17-year-old who was brutally stabbed to death during a broad daylight fight in west London has been pictured. Keiron Charles, from East Acton, who had his 'whole life ahead of him', died after being stabbed at around 1.10pm yesterday on Erconwald Street, Shepherd's Bush. Police were alerted to a brawl in the street on Saturday lunchtime, near the junction with Du Cane Road and Old Oak Common Lane, where they found two teenagers with stab wounds, Met Police said. Two 16-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of murder. One had been taken to hospital with stab injuries but was discharged and taken to custody. The other fled the scene and was arrested in the early hours of this morning. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder. Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila, whose team is leading the investigation, said: 'This is an awful incident in which a teenager has lost his life. Keiron Charles, from East Acton, who had his 'whole life ahead of him', died after being stabbed in Shepherds Bush, west London Police were alerted to a brawl in the street on Saturday lunchtime, where they found two men with stab wounds, Met Police said Two teenagers, both aged 16, have since been arrested on suspicion of murder A second teenager was rushed to hospital following the fight and later arrested on suspicion of murder 'The thoughts of everyone in the Met remain with Keiron's family and loved ones as they begin to come to terms with their tragic loss. 'Detectives have worked around the clock to follow every possible available line of enquiry and Im pleased that we have made two arrests as part of our early enquiries. 'While we are working hard to understand the exact circumstances, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident at this stage.' The force said Keiron's family are being supported by officers. Police have appealed for anyone in the area between 1pm and 1.20pm or anyone who witnessed the stabbing. 'Keiron had his whole life ahead of him and any information might prove vital in achieving justice on behalf of his family,' DCI Gammampila added. Rupa Huq, Labour MP for East Central and Acton posted on X yesterday that she was 'deeply saddened at the news of a fatal stabbing.' A London Ambulance Service spokesperson yesterday said: 'We were called at 1.08pm today (April 5) to reports of a stabbing at Erconwald Street, East Acton. 'We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer, members of our Hazardous Area Response Team and a car from London's Air Ambulance. 'Our crews treated two people at the scene, unfortunately despite the best efforts of our crews and emergency partners, one person was pronounced dead at the scene. 'The other was conveyed to a major trauma centre.' Laura Loomer has spoken out following speculation about her involvement in the firings of at least a half dozen government officials said to be involved with last month's Signalgate slip-up. The far-right conspiracy theorist - and well-known Trump stan - responded to a tweet touting her involvement in the prospective talks Saturday, despite the president saying she did not play a part. Loomer, 31, met with Trump in the White House and reportedly brought a list of national security officials whom she believed could not be trusted Wednesday - days after publicly complaining that she had still not received a White House press pass. The purge of officials in the Pentagons National Security Agency and the White House's National Security Council occurred the following day, sparking scrutiny as to whether Loomer had been the one pulling the strings. On X, conservative media account 'Diligent Denizen' perpetuated that theory, leading to Loomer's response. 'CONGRATS: After meeting with @LauraLoomer, President Trump fired 6, SIX, Mike Waltz staffers involved with the Signalgate debacle,' the account insisted. 'Loomer proves that citizen journalists & independent media CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 'Congratulations on your vindication Laura, you've earned it.' Within two hours, Loomer - a self-admitted 'white nationalist' - had offered a response, one that seemingly took credit for the firings and contradicted a direct statement from the commander-in-chief. Laura Loomer has spoken out after speculation swirled surrounding her involvement in the firings of at least a half dozen government officials involved with the Signalgate slip-up. The unlikely pair are seen together during the president's campaign this past August The far-right conspiracy theorist - and well-known Trump stan - responded to a tweet touting her involvement in the prospective talks Saturday, despite Trump saying she did not play a part 'Thank you! I appreciate all of the kind messages and support! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!' Loomer, an independent podcaster and journalist, wrote. 'The truth always comes to light!' 'Keep going Laura!' the well-followed account responded, as the post continued to rack up views. 'She brought the receipts and he responded accordingly,' it added of the podcaster and president, respectively. 'This is why he's a man of the People.' A host of onlookers appeared to agree, even though Trump seemingly put such theories to bed on Thursday afternoon. When asked by reporters whether Loomer had influenced his decision to fire the officials who had worked under National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, he simply said, 'no.' 'Laura Loomer is a great patriot. She's a very strong person,' Trump added during a flight to Miami on board Air Force One. 'She's been in the party a long time, she's done a good job,' he later added. Instead of being behind the firings, the president said that Loomer met with him Wednesday and gave him recommendations as people he could hire - hailing her as 'a great patriot' and a 'strong person.' Loomer met with Trump in the White House and reportedly brought a list of national security officials who she believed could not be trusted Wednesday, before several security officials working under National Security Advisor Mike Waltz were fired Thomas Boodry, senior director of legislative affairs for Waltz's National Security Council; and David Feith, senior director of technology and national security, were fired last week as well When asked whether Loomer's word had influenced his decision to fire the officials, Trump on Thursday flat-out said, 'no' 'She's been in the party a long time, she's done a good job,' Trump said of the podcaster he proudly touted on last year's campaign trail. 'Sometimes I listen to [her] recommendations, like I do with everybody,' he said of their meeting. 'I listen to everybody, and then I make a decision. 'But I saw her yesterday,' he added, hours after other officials who work under Walz were fired. They include Thomas Boodry, senior director of legislative affairs for Waltz's National Security Council; and David Feith, senior director of technology and national security. Maggie Dougherty, the senior director for international organizations for the NSC; Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command; as well as Haugh's deputy, Wendy Noble, were also let go for reasons yet to be disclosed. Waltz - despite finding himself at the center of pushback from both sides of the aisle as a result of the scandal he himself started - avoided the axe. He's facing heat for accidentally adding Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg into the supposedly clandestine chat. When asked about their meeting Thursday, Loomer told DailyMail.com directly: 'Out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, Im going to decline on divulging any details. Maggie Dougherty, the senior director for international organizations for the NSC; Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command; as well as Haugh's deputy, Wendy Noble, were also let go for reasons yet to be disclosed. The polarizing podcaster who rose to prominence pedaling conservative conspiracy theories during Trump's first term confirmed to DailyMail.com that she met with Trump, but wouldn't reveal the content of their conversation 'It was an honor to meet with [him] and present him with my research findings,' she went on. 'I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of strong vetting, for the sake of protecting the President and our national security.' Waltz sat in on the meeting and defended members of his team, The New York Times reported. Loomer is best known celebrating the deaths of migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea last year, and pedaling conspiracy theories such as one surrounding Kamala Harris not being black. She gained prominence after being suspended from Barry University in Florida for attempting to create the 'Sympathetic Students in Support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' club, after which she offered theories that the 2018 Parkland school shooting - where 17 people were killed - was staged. It was reported in April 2023 that Trump was intent on offering Loomer a job only for the proposition to be met with dismay from his aides - after which she appeared repeatedly with him over the course of his campaign. Months later, Loomer said she was coming for the role Karoline Leavitt currently holds - another bid that has seemingly failed to come to fruition. 'Someday I will be his [Trumps] Press Secretary,' she wrote at the time. 'I will protect him from all of his enemies and haters. 'They will meet their match in me,' she concluded. '#Trump2024.' A father and his ten-year-old daughter who perished in a caravan fire early yesterday have been pictured and named as Lee and Esme Baker. They perished at Golden Beach Holiday Park at Ingoldmells on the Lincolnshire coast early on Saturday morning, on what was the first day of the school Easter holidays in the area. In a statement released through police this afternoon, a member of the father and daughter's family said: 'Lee and Esme were excited to be spending the first weekend of the holidays together. We are all utterly devastated at whats happened. 'This loss is incomprehensible at the moment, and we ask for people to give us space to process this utterly heartbreaking loss.' Esme's mother, Genette Baker, was yesterday being comforted by relatives at her home in Retford, north Nottinghamshire, and was too upset to comment. Another family friend told MailOnline: 'Whats happened is awful. I just can't bear to think about it.' Mr Baker 48, and his daughter were described as 'two peas in a pod' in an online fundraising page, while relatives and friends this morning began posting tributes and messages of sympathy online. One family friend posted: 'Love you all, sleep well Esme you beautiful girl.' Esme Baker, 10, was killed when a horror blaze broke out at a caravan park yesterday Her father Lee Baker was also killed in the fire at Golden Beach Holiday Park in Ingoldmells Senior Investigating Officer, Det Insp Lee Nixon, of Lincolnshire Police, said: We believe we might be close to arriving at a working hypothesis. 'We are working hard to validate the facts available to us to be able to provide answers for the family and loved ones of those who were very tragically taken by this fire. Yet the evident intensity of the fire has made this task incredibly challenging. Dan Moss, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, added: 'Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family at this time. 'Our Fire Investigation Team is working with colleagues from Lincolnshire Police, and a full investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. 'Once investigations are complete, local fire crews and our community fire safety team will be on hand to talk to people in the area and address any fire safety concerns they may have, at what will be an upsetting time.' The pair were initially identified as a father-and-daughter called Lee and Esme in an online fundraising page which described them as two peas in a pod. The GoFundMe page described the pair as happy go lucky people who loved life and had been set up by a local bar owner to raise money for their family. The page added that a charity night would be announced in due course to celebrate the pair. The caravan site in Ingoldmells is just minutes from the Fantasy Land tourist attraction The tragic father and daughter were described as 'two peas in a pod' The owners of the holiday park have expressed their deepest sympathies to the victims' families. In a statement the park's owners said: On behalf of everyone at Golden Beach Holiday Park we would like to send our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends affected by today's tragic events. We would like to thank all the emergency services for their help and continued support. We ask for patience and privacy whilst they carry out their investigations. Jack Price works at the Sandancer pub adjacent to the caravan park which was behind the GoFundMe page - said the tragic father and daughter were regular visitors. He told the BBC: They weren't just customers to us he said. Everyone behind the bar knew them. They were coming in every weekend [we] always just had a good chat, and [at the] end of every night was a handshake, a hug and see you tomorrow. Police were called to reports of a caravan fire at the site at around 3.53am on Saturday. Emergency services from Skegness, Wainfleet, Spilsby and Alford attended the blaze, with investigators still probing the cause. Lincolnshire Police said on Saturday: 'We are very sad to confirm that two people have died following a caravan fire at Golden beach Holiday Park, Roman Bank, Ingoldmells. 'We were called at 3.53 am today (5 April) to a report of a caravan fire at the holiday park where two people have tragically lost their lives. Only the frame of the caravan can be seen amongst the charred remains Drone footage shows the extent of the damage caused by the early-hours inferno Members of the public have been told by East Lindsey District Council to avoid the area so that emergency crews can work safely 'Their next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.' 'We have Crime Scene Investigators on site, and we are carrying out inquires to determine the exact cause of the fire.' National Grid said its engineers had disconnected and isolated the electricity supply in the area, affecting 50 customers, to allow emergency services to investigate. East Lindsey District Council said the 'significant power outage' had potentially affected properties within a two mile radius. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue also attended a caravan fire in Ingoldmellson at around 10.45pm on Tuesday. Tuesday's fire, which was caused by an electrical fault within a fuse board, was extinguished using two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet, and one thermal imaging camera, they said. Ingoldmells is a coastal village just three miles north of Skegness and has a population of around 2,000. Saturday's fatal blaze comes three years after another deadly fire broke out in a caravan at Sealands Caravan Park in Ingoldmells, claiming the life of two-year-old Louisiana Brooke Dolan. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue also attended a caravan fire in Ingoldmellson at around 10.45pm on Tuesday The blaze broke out on what was the first day of the Easter school break in Lincolnshire Natasha Broadley with tragic daughter Louisiana Natasha Broadley, 37, had been staying with her four children and managed to escape the inferno with the elder three, Lexus, 14, Timothy, 12, and James-Dean, seven - but was unable to save Louisiana. Lincolnshire Police announced in August 2022 that it did not intend to bring any criminal charges over the death but Ms Broadley thinks it was caused by a faulty boiler. An inquest into Louisiana's passing in 2023 then ruled the death was accidental after not being able to definitively identify the cause of the fire. A man has plunged to his death from a Times Square hotel window as investigators work to determine whether it was a tragic accident or foul play. The 39-year-old victim fell from the 15th floor of the 45 Times Square Hotel on West 45th Street near Seventh Avenue on Saturday morning, landing on a neighboring building. First responders found him unresponsive shortly before 6:30am. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took a woman into custody for questioning, the New York Post reported. It is unclear at this point whether the man fell or was pushed off the building. The identities of the deceased man and the woman being questioned have not yet been released. An Italian tourist staying at the hotel told the Post that he was awakened by disturbing sounds coming from the room where the tragedy allegedly occurred. A man has plunged to his death from a Times Square hotel window as investigators work to determine whether it was a tragic accident or foul play 'This morning I woke up to some noise, somebody was shouting,' the man who only gave the name Davide told the Post. 'I heard some ladyshouting that someone needs to come back. 'Because I heard the noise, 'come back, come back, come back.' Another hotel guest reported hearing a series of troubling sounds before the man's death. Anna Katsrarou, visiting from Germany was staying on the 14th floor. She described hearing 'a bump, almost like someone fell out of his bed, but it was more louder.' She said it was followed by intense crying 'like a woman or a child.' About 15 minutes later, Katsrarou said she heard what sounded like a 'big table' crashing down. The 39-year-old victim fell from the 15th floor of the 45 Times Square Hotel on West 45th Street near Seventh Avenue on Saturday morning, landing on a neighboring building 'Then someone was crying, 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,' and then I heard police,' Katsrarou recalled. She added that she heard a male voice desperately calling out 'ayuda, ayuda' Spanish for 'help.' Authorities are now investigating whether the man fell accidentally or was pushed from the 16-floor midtown Manhattan hotel. The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey today called for smartphones to be banned in all schools in England. Esther Ghey said she supported a 'blanket ban' on phones in schools across the country amid concerns about how devices can be misused by students. Her 16-year-old daughter was murdered by classmate Scarlett Jenkinson and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe in a premeditated attack in Cheshire in 2023. Brianna, who had thousands of followers on TikTok, struggled with her mental health, which was worsened by accessing eating-disorder and self-harm content on X. From the age of 14, Jenkinson enjoyed watching videos of real killing and torture on the dark web, fantasised about murder and developed an interest in serial killers. As well as calling for stronger measures to protect children in schools, Ms Ghey also said she was 'frustrated' by the Government's approach to online safety. It follows claims that landmark legislation could be watered down as part of Labour's bid to secure a trade deal with US President Donald Trump. According to a recent report, a draft US-UK agreement contains commitments to review enforcement of the Online Safety Act - which was passed by the previous Tory government in 2023 - as well as other tech-focused legislation. Esther Ghey said she supported a 'blanket ban' on phones in schools across the country amid concerns about how devices can be misused by students Brianna Ghey was murdered by classmate Scarlett Jenkinson and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe in a premeditated attack in Cheshire in 2023 It has been claimed that landmark legislation could be watered down as part of Labour's bid to secure a trade deal with US President Donald Trump Allies of Mr Trump have repeatedly expressed concerns about free speech in Britain and the monitoring of social media content. Ms Ghey told the BBC: 'While we are questioning whether it's strong enough or whether it should be watered down, young people are at harm, and young people are losing their lives. 'Young people shouldn't be struggling with mental health because of what they are accessing online, and we really do need to take a hard stance on this.' Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, both 15 at the time, lured Brianna to Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington where she was fatally stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in February 2023. Jenkinson was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in December 2023 to a minimum sentence of 22 years in prison, and Ratcliffe to a minimum term of 20 years. Ms Ghey has campaigned for an age limit on smartphone use, stricter controls on access to social media apps, tougher action on knife crime and for mindfulness to be taught in schools. Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, she expressed her support for a 'blanket ban' on smartphones in schools. 'We need to support teachers in a blanket ban across England,' she said. 'If a school has banned phones in one area and in the same area another school hasn't it becomes an issue with parents. It needs to be done across the board to make it easier.' A senior Labour minister told the same programme that 'basic protections' in the Online Safety Act 'are not up for negotiation'. Asked whether the legislation was up for discussion with Washington DC, Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'The protections in the Online Safety Act are not negotiable. 'Because it's the principle that if it's illegal offline, it should be illegal online. Clearly, that is not negotiable, it's illegal.' He added: 'Where there is harmful content online, especially where it's targeted at children, these social platforms need to be designed in a way to protect children from that harm. 'We won't be walking away from that.' A Government spokesperson said: 'The Online Safety Act is about protecting children online from harmful content like self-harm and eating disorders as well as making sure what is illegal offline is illegal online. 'These laws are not part of the negotiation and our priority is getting them in place quickly and effectively, while exploring what more can be done to build a safer online world.' The mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey has revealed she now considers the mother of her daughter's killer 'a friend'. Brianna was just 16-years-old when she was murdered by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, who were both 15, in a premeditated attack in Cheshire in 2023 that shocked the nation. Ratcliffe was partly motivated by transphobia while Jenkinson was obsessed with torture and death on the dark web as well as serial killers. Esther Ghey - Brianna's mother - has become known for her courage and empathy, channelling her grief and tragedy into a force for good. She attended almost every day of the trial yet said she holds 'no hate' for Jenkinson and Ratcliffe. She said she now considers the mother of her daughter's killer 'a friend', having developed a close bond with Scarlett's mother Emma, because she 'had lost a child too'. Ms Ghey told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'I really appreciate Emma. I would call her a friend now.' She added that Ms Jenkinson is 'just a normal mother' who was unaware of her child's online activities, highlighting 'the danger with smartphones'. Reflecting on their shared grief, Ms Ghey said: 'It's helped me to see that we are both navigating something extremely difficult - and she's lost a child too.' Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered 16-year-old Brianna Ghey, during a vigil in Golden Square, Warrington, to mark the first anniversary of her daughter's death Brianna Ghey (pictured) was just 16 when she was murdered on February 11, 2023, by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, then 15 years old Phone torches are lit to mark a minutes silence during a vigil to mark the 1 year anniversary of Brianna Ghey's death in the Old Market Hall on February 11, 2024 in Warrington Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, both 15 at the time, lured Brianna to Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington where she was fatally stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in February 2023. Jenkinson was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in December 2023 to a minimum sentence of 22 years in prison, and Ratcliffe to a minimum term of 20 years. In the same interview, Ms Ghey also called for stronger measures to protect children in schools. She supports a 'blanket ban' on smartphones in schools across the country, citing concerns over how these devices can be misused by students. She explained: 'We need to support teachers in a blanket ban across England. If a school has banned phones in one area and in the same area another school hasn't - it becomes an issue with parents. 'It needs to be done across the board to make it easier.' Ms Ghey has met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his predecessor Rishi Sunak to discuss the issue and has criticised the Online Safety Act, saying it does not go far enough. She has campaigned for an age limit on smartphone use, stricter controls on access to social media apps, tougher action on knife crime and for mindfulness to be taught in schools. Ms Ghey even joined forces with Emma to organise a Peace Festival, which took place in Warrington. Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, both 15 at the time, lured Brianna to Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington where she was fatally stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in February 2023 Pictured is Brianna Ghey, whose mother has become known for her courage and empathy, channelling her grief and tragedy into a force for good Esther Ghey speaks at a vigil to mark the one year anniversary of Brianna's death in 2024 She is also currently working closely with the Mindfulness in Schools Project to see mindfulness rolled out in schools across Warrington. To this end, she set up a community called Peace in Mind UK, with the strapline: 'Planting seeds of resilience, empathy and unity'. 'We've got over 100 teachers that are signed up to the training in Warrington now, which is almost every school in Warrington,' she said. From this pilot scheme, funded by the 90,000 of donations, Ms Ghey hopes mindfulness training can be rolled out across the rest of the country. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, she said: 'Everyone needs to have the opportunity to be able to learn how to take care of their mental health.' While she is motivated by the fact that Brianna had struggled with her mental health, she is equally driven by what she considers 'an increase of anxiety and lack of mental resilience in young people nowadays'. Ms Ghey also called for stronger measures to protect children in schools. Brianna is pictured Ms Ghey has met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his predecessor Rishi Sunak to discuss the issue and has criticised the Online Safety Act, saying it does not go far enough The prevalence of online hate has convinced her that our society would benefit from the empathy and resilience that mindfulness training can help build. In addition to the Peace Festival and her campaign to get mindfulness taught in schools, she is also working towards making 'the online world and phones a safer place for young people.' 'Everybody needs to come together to do this because it's such a massive issue that only one person or one group of people can't tackle.' she said. Ms Ghey added: 'I'd like to see more unity because I think we're kind of separated and put in boxes, but we do need to come together to change.' The Trump Administration wants the IRS to provide private details of seven million people it claims are in the US illegally, so it can find and deport them. Department of Homeland Security officials requested the tax agency hand over their names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The request is a dramatic escalation in Trump's attempts to use the IRS to aid in deporting millions of migrants he claims are in the country illegally. DHS originally asked for the personal details of 700,000 people in February, but was shot down by acting commissioner Doug O'Donnell, who insisted it would be illegal to grant the request. However, O'Donnell retired the next day and his acting replacement Melanie Krause appeared more amenable to working with DHS. Personal tax information, even names and addresses, is closely guarded by the IRS and only disclosed in very strict circumstances. Handing it over for the purpose of facilitating immigration enforcement would be a major departure from established IRS procedure. The Trump Administration wants the IRS to provide private details of seven million people it claims are in the US illegally, so it can find and deport them The IRS has for decades assured undocumented migrants, who contribute tens of billions of dollars in tax revenue every year, that they are safe to file their tax returns without fear of being deported. Undocumented immigrants are 'subject to US taxes in spite of their illegal status' the IRS website read. A court can ask the IRS to share some information with law enforcement for the purpose of building a criminal case against a taxpayer. But IRS executives told DHS officials that their request likely does not fall into that very narrow exception, and may be illegal, according to the Washington Post. Being in the US illegally is not a crime, merely a civil offence. Despite warnings from those executives, six people close to the matter told the Post there were ongoing negotiations about handing over the requested information. Federal workers and allies hold signs as they listen to a speech during a rally across the street from the Internal Revenue Service headquarters They have not yet reached an agreement about how much data would be shared and how it would be disclosed, but Krause reportedly told staff she expected the IRS to comply with the request. DHS has only asked for data on two million taxpayers so far, but said they expected to make seven million requests. The administration claims there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US. If you're experiencing nightmare delays accessing your Social Security benefit - you're not the only one. Desperate Americans seeking help with their Social Security benefits have faced unprecedented delays and frustration at field offices across the nation as the agency undergoes major cutbacks. At one Seattle-area office, the line began forming 30 minutes before the doors opened, with dozens of people - many elderly or disabled - waiting anxiously to resolve crucial financial matters, the Wall Street Journal reported. Mark DeLaurenti, 70, from Bellevue, Washington, found himself trapped in bureaucratic limbo while trying to resolve a simple issue involving an uncashed $2,000 check made out to his late father who died in January 2024. After spending hours trying to make an appointment online and by phone, DeLaurenti visited his local field office only to be told to come back in '3 to 4 hours' just to schedule an appointment. 'I'm giving up. They beat me,' DeLaurenti told the WSJ. 'It's so inefficient, it's unbelievable.' His experience is like thousands of other Americans across the country's approximately 1,200 Social Security Administration field offices. Desperate Americans seeking help with their Social Security benefits have faced unprecedented delays and frustration at field offices across the nation as the agency undergoes major cutbacks Elon Musk's DOGE is conducting the clean-up of Social Security Administration databases Staff shortages, system failures and overwhelming demand have created what workers describe as a crisis situation. The agency is slashing its workforce from 57,000 employees to about 50,000-its lowest level in decades-even as millions of baby boomer's retire. Meanwhile, computer networks have crashed a staggering 10 times in just six weeks, according to union representatives. 'It's like a house of cards that's about to collapse,' John Pfannenstein, who works at a Seattle-area field office, told the outlet. 'It's just been a gradual degradation of service, of staffing, of funding,' added Pfannenstein, who serves as a regional vice president for the AFGE. The chaos comes as Social Security has become a central focus of President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk. Musk has controversially referred to the program as a 'Ponzi scheme' while pressing for dramatic reforms. At one Seattle-area office, the line began forming 30 minutes before the doors opened Musk defended the changes in a Fox News interview last month, claiming DOGE's modernization efforts would ultimately benefit Americans Musk defended the changes in a Fox News interview last month, claiming DOGE's modernization efforts would ultimately benefit Americans. 'As a result of the work of DOGE, legitimate recipients of Social Security will receive more money, not less money,' said Musk. This comes as it was announced that millions of Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks may get a surprise once we reach the summer. The 7.1 million people that qualify for the payments through disability or financial hardship usually expect their checks by the first of the month. But the government only sends the payments on the first if it does not fall on a federal holiday or weekend, meaning the short month of June may not have any payments. In May, SSI recipients will receive two checks, one on May 1 and the next on May 30, because June 1 falls on a weekend. That means that those that receive SSI payments will not get a check in the calendar month of June. The quirk is far from uncommon, with SSI beneficiaries previously receiving two checks in March. Still, the payment schedule is important to note for millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck, timing grocery runs for the day when the money hits their accounts. The quirk in the calendar falls again in August when SSI recipients will receive two checks, one on August 1 and another on August 29. This means that beneficiaries will again have to wait an extra day after September to receive their checks, before again getting two in October. The glamorous New York wigmaker involved in a shocking crash that claimed the lives of a mother and her two children has been accused of threatening her neighbors with a hammer. Miriam Yarimi, 32, had an eviction petition filed against her by her landlord after she allegedly banged on her neighbor's door with a hammer and 'verbally' abused them. The petition was filed on April 24, 2024, in a Brooklyn civil court after Yarimi allegedly violently disturbed her neighbor a month prior. The neighbor, who agreed to speak to the New York Post under anonymity, confirmed to the publication that Yarimi went on an unhinged hammer attack in their apartment building last year. She had allegedly pounded on the neighbor's door while 'verbally abusing, cursing, threatening, yelling, and screaming,' according to court documents and the resident's recollection to the Post. Yarimi was then accused of banging a hammer against the door of her neighbor's apartment, who had a child present at the time. The woman told the Post she had 'no idea' why Yarimi targeted her apartment. She allegedly damaged the door and ruined the keypad. 'It's very emotional. . . . it's been too much,' the woman revealed to the Post. Miriam Yarimi, 32, was accused of banging on her neighbor's door with a hammer and 'verbally assaulting' her in an eviction petition filed last spring The alleged altercation occurred in a luxury apartment building in Brooklyn, New York. A neighbor told the New York Post that her interaction with Yarimi was 'very emotional' Yarimi faces a slew of charges, including manslaughter for a horrific car crash in New York City on March 29 that claimed the lives of a mother and her two children The building's management company, P and 21 LLC alleged that if the door wasn't locked, Yarimi could have hurt her neighbors. The petition slammed Yarimi's alleged actions as 'dangerous' and 'detrimental,' which negatively impacted the 'well-being of the residents in the building.' At the time of the alleged altercation, Yarimi was living in the luxury Brooklyn apartment building with her now ex-husband, Shneur Kovitz. The news of Yarimi's past controversy comes just a few days after she appeared in court for the first time. Yarimi appeared virtually for her arraignment at the Brooklyn Criminal Court on Thursday. She was arraigned on manslaughter charges for the deaths of Natasha Saada, 34, and her daughters Diana, 8, and Deborah, 5. Yarimi attended the arraignment from NYU Langone Hospital while she a psychological evaluation. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Nocella revealed to the court the disturbing remarks Yarimi allegedly made after her arrest. Diana, 8, and Deborah, 5, were killed in the horrific car crash, but a third child in the car survived with critical injuries Yarimi appeared virtually for her arraignment on Thursday where she was held without bail for the car crash 'The devil is in my eyes. I am haunted inside. I didn't kill anyone. I didn't hurt anyone. Prove it. Show me the proof. You have no proof,' Yarimi allegedly told police. She then allegedly told police that she was sexually assaulted by a cop when she was 14 and needed CT scans in her eyes. The remark referred to a court case Yarimi filed in 2023 claiming that a New York City police officer groomed and raped her after she was arrested for shoplifting as a teen. Yarimi posted an update on her Instagram last year announcing that she won the case and was awarded $2 million from the police department. In addition to her alleged comments to cops referencing the sexual assault case, she also allegedly mentioned her daughter. 'Where's my daughter? My daughter's always in my heart. I need to use the bathroom. I don't want to pee in the pan,' she allegedly told cops after the crash. Law enforcement sources also told the New York Daily News that Yarimi allegedly told medics on the scene that she was possessed and the CIA was following her. Nocella said that Yarimi was a 'flight risk' and argued that she should be held without bail and her license should be suspended. Yarimi's lawyer, Joseph Amsel, argued that she should be released without bail or on cash bail as she didn't have a criminal record and was a part of the Brooklyn community. 'She is not a flight risk. She is well known. Where is she gonna go, your honor?' Amsel argued, as reported by the NY Daily News. 'I think remand is grossly inappropriate.' However, Judge Jevet Johnson agreed with the prosecution and ordered Yarimi to stay in custody without bail. Yarimi reportedly remained silent in court and only spoke to confirm that she had consented to the virtual arraignment. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Nocella alleged during the arraignment that Yarimini had told cops after the crash that the 'devil' was in her eyes and she was 'haunted inside' The judge agreed with the prosecution and decided not to release Yarimini without bail As Yarimi awaits her legal fate, the Saada family mourns a mother and her two children. The three were buried on March 31 in Jerusalem, Israel. Since Saada was born in the UK, a rabbi from London traveled to the funeral. Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet told Jewish News that the 'whole community' was grief-stricken. The Jewish family was reportedly on their way back from a Shabbat service in an Uber when the horrific crash occurred. The three were pronounced dead at the scene, but a fourth child, a four-year-old boy, survived the crash with critical injuries. Yarimi faces a slew of charges, including three counts of manslaughter in the second degree, driving with a suspended license, criminally negligent homicide, reckless driving, speeding, and four counts of assault in the second degree. DailyMail.com reached out to Yarimi's lawyer for comment on the case and the accusation that she attacked her neighbor's door with a hammer. A beloved mother and her daughter were shot to death at a red light in California by her ex-boyfriend, according to police. Tameeka 'La'Von' Hall, 45, and her 22-year-old daughter Ma'Laysia 'Lay Lay' Martin were allegedly 'gunned down' by Hall's estranged boyfriend Donte Lamont Brown, 41, on Tuesday in Compton. Deputies with the Compton Sheriff's Station responded around 7.05pm to reports of a shooting at the intersection of Caldwell Street and South Central Avenue and found both women suffering from gunshot wounds, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Investigators believe Donte, who remains on the run, 'drove up alongside the victims in their vehicle while it was stopped at the signal light,' before allegedly opening fire on his ex-partner and her child. Tameeka then exited the drivers side of the vehicle before falling to the ground while the driverless car traveled across the street and smashed into a traffic signal pole with Ma'Laysia inside. They were both pronounced dead at the scene after the mother was discovered lying on the ground while her daughter was found unresponsive in the passenger's seat. After the alleged attack, Donte fled the scene and has not been seen or heard from since. He is known to frequent both Compton and Long Beach, according to police. He is 'considered to be armed and dangerous,' the department said, adding that 'detectives have exhausted all leads' and now need the public's help locating the suspect. Tameeka 'La'Von' Hall, 45, and her 22-year-old daughter Ma'Laysia 'Lay Lay' Martin (pictured), were shot to death on Tuesday night in Compton, California Police believe Tameeka's ex-boyfriend, Donte Lamont Brown, 41, is the suspect responsible for their deaths. He is currently on the run It is unclear what transpired between Donte and Tameeka leading up to the fatal shooting and how long they were together. DailyMail.com contacted the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department for more information. A GoFundMe page, created by Tameeka's brother Uron, and another family member, Habeeb Rasheed, shared beautiful images of the late mother and daughter. Habeeb said when he got word that Hall and Martin had been 'gunned down,' he had 'hoped' it would be about 'a small family reunion,' but instead, he received unimaginable news. 'It's pretty hard to believe that this is happening and I am here writing this. I am here with my Nephew Uron Hall her brother helping with funeral arrangements and the logistics of picking up remains,' he continued. He went on to call Donte a 'coward' that 'took a shining star' from his family. 'I am dealing with the shock and rage that one has when it's their own family. These were beautiful Black Queens even though the story of their end was horrible,' he added. Tameeka worked at a school district for several years, while Ma'Laysia was a 'brilliant young artist,' he added. They were both pronounced dead at the scene after the mother was discovered lying on the grown while her daughter (pictured) was found unresponsive in the passenger's seat Tameeka (pictured) worked at a school district for several years, while Ma'Laysia was a 'brilliant young artist' As of Sunday afternoon, more than $2,800 was raised to support the grieving family. A funeral service has been scheduled for the mother and daughter on April 24, according to the donation page. Debbie Shaw, who was at the scene consoling someone who knew the victims, told ABC 7 she lost her brother just years before around the corner. 'I can't imagine the pain they were going through at the time. Just to come out here to see a mother and a daughter - that's really heartbreaking,' she said. Compton City Councilman Johnathan Bowers also spoke on the double tragedy, telling the outlet: 'It's just very tragic for our community. We don't like to hear anything like that. We don't want that sort of thing to happen in anyone's community. 'We've had enough violence occur here in Compton. We're not pleased with this at all.' A growing memorial (pictured) has been made at the intersection. A funeral service for the mother and daughter has been scheduled for April 24 Ronnie, another local who brought flowers to the growing memorial at the intersection, told Fox 11 just how often crime ravages through the city. 'Sometimes, you cant even have a party [at] your house because somebody [will] drive by and shoot up the party. It's ridiculous,' she said. 'When I heard on the news, being a mother and a woman, it just touched my heart. I felt for the family.' In a message directed at Donte, Ronnie told the outlet: 'I hope you get caught because you need to go to prison. 'You need to stay off the streets. Why dont you go and turn yourself in, and were going to pray for you anyways.' Supermarket giant Asda has launched a massive trial of live facial recognition technology in its stores to combat soaring shoplifting and assaults on staff. In a move branded disproportionate and chilling by anti-surveillance groups, the retailer is introducing the scheme in five shops across the Manchester area. The technology has been integrated into Asdas existing CCTV network and works by scanning images and comparing the results to a known list of individuals who have previously committed criminal activity in one of its stores. If a match is found by the automated system, in a matter of seconds head office security will conduct a check and report it to the store in question immediately. The trial is just one of a battery of measures being taken by major stores to combat an epidemic of retail crime - just as plummeting conviction rates have led to accusations that shoplifters are able to act with impunity. They include Co-op, which has installed fortified kiosks featuring toughened screen and keycode-controlled entry in hundreds of stores. It is also trialling AI that uses CCTV to track suspicious behaviour. Meanwhile Tesco controversially introduced weighing scales at its Gateshead to check whether customers using Scan as you shop arent taking home extra goods. Asda says introducing live facial recognition at five superstores in the Manchester area will make customers and staff safer following a surge in shoplifting and 1,400 assaults on employees last year, an average of four per day Live facial recognition technology has been integrated into Asdas existing CCTV network and works by scanning images and comparing the results to a known list of individuals who have previously committed criminal activity in one of its stores (stock image) Campaign group Big Brother Watch has urged Asda to abandon the live facial recognition trial and demanded proper checks on the roll-out of such invasive technology According to trade body the British Retail Consortium, there are more than 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse against shopworkers every day a threefold increase since 2020. Yet in the year to December, 245,500 shoplifting offence cases were closed without a suspect being identified - averaging 672 a day. Unsolved offences have jumped 38 per cent in five years. Asda alone recorded around 1,400 assaults on employees last year, an average of four per day. It says introducing live facial recognition implemented from the start of the month in its Ashton, Chadderton, Eastlands, Harpurhey and Trafford Park stores will make customers and staff safer. After two months the results will be assessed before Asda decides whether to role it out across other branches. Liz Evans, its chief commercial officer for non-food and retail, said: The rise in shoplifting and threats and violence against shopworkers in recent years is unacceptable and as a responsible retailer we have to look at all options to reduce the number of offences committed in our stores and protect our colleagues. The potential of surveillance technology is of particular interest to retail bosses battling a massive increase in shoplifting Asda rejects accusations that it is adding customers to secret watchlists with no due process, insisting the live facial recognition trial fully complies with all data protection regulations, with only mathematical data of offenders being retained Giant trolley scales are being trialled by Tesco at its Gateshead store for customers using Scan as you Shop to ensure the weight is the same as the items scanned Already live facial recognition technology has been used by at least six police forces, while convenience chain Southern Co-op deploys it in some of its branches. But campaign group Big Brother Watch has urged Asda to abandon the trial and demanded proper checks on the roll-out of such invasive technology. Its senior advocacy officer Madeleine Stone said: Asda is adding customers to secret watchlists with no due process, meaning people could be blacklisted despite being innocent. Facial recognition is dangerously out of control in the UK. In a statement, Asda insisted the trial fully complies with all data protection regulations, with only mathematical data of offenders being retained. Additionally it said all stores would continue to alert the authorities when they believe an offence has been committed. A Labour MP is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police over an allegation of sexual assault at the well known celeb hangout The Groucho club. The male politician was interviewed under caution over the alleged attack at the private members club in Soho in August 2023. He was then questioned about the incident again last month, The Sun reported. It is unclear whether the MP knew he was under investigation when he stood for election last year. A Met spokesman said: 'We are currently investigating reports of a sexual assault at Groucho Club in Soho in August 2023. 'A man in his 30s was interviewed under caution at a London police station on Thursday, March 13. 'A file of evidence has now been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service and enquiries continue.' The Groucho closed late last year after an alleged rape on its premises in November, for which a 34-year-old man was arrested. However, the allegation against the MP is not connected to the incident on November 30, 2024. A Labour MP has been questioned over an allegation of sexual assault at the Groucho Club in Soho The alleged attack happened in August 2023, but the politician was questioned by Scotland Yard last month It comes after Labour MP Dan Norris was arrested on suspicion of rape, child sex offences, child abduction and misconduct in a public office. Dan Norris, a former Labour minister who ousted Jacob Rees-Mogg as MP for North East Somerset at last year's General Election, was taken into custody after police raided his constituency home on Friday. They were later seen removing boxes of Mr Norris's goods from the property Mr Norris, who trained with the NSPCC and worked as a teacher and child protection officer, has been suspended from the party pending the investigation. A spokeswoman for Avon and Somerset Police said: 'In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl. 'Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we're also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s. 'An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage. Dan Norris, a former Labour minister, is seen returning to his home following his arrest Dan Norris, who ousted Jacob Rees-Mogg as the MP for North East Somerset at last year's General Election, was taken into custody after police raided his constituency home on Friday Mr Norris, who trained with the NSPCC and worked as a teacher and child protection officer, has been suspended from the party pending the investigation (Pictured: Mr Norris with Sir Keir Starmer in 2021) 'The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs. 'A man, aged in his sixties, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. 'He's been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue. This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we'd respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.' A Labour Party spokesperson said: 'Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.' A knife-wielding suspect was shot and four young girls injured following a police-involved shooting in New York. The shooting happened after the unidentified man attacked 'a number of children' ranging in age from 8 to 16 with a meat cleaver at a home in Bensonhurst, NYPD commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. It occurred at around 10:30am Sunday at a home on 1671 84th Street, where Tisch told reporters at the scene that officers had received a domestic violence call from - reported an 11-year-old girl who lived at the address but was not injured. Within minutes, officers were at the domicile's door after being let into the building by 'an uninjured child', Tisch said. After being led into a small vestibule that contained two more closed doors, officers 'heard screams coming from behind' the other side, the commissioner recalled. The first-responders, at that point, '[forced] their way into the apartment, kicking down the door,' the top cop said. Upon entering, the officers found themselves face-to-face with a suspect 'holding a large meat cleaver covered in blood,' she said. Blood could also be seen on both the floors and the walls, Tisch added - before detailing the altercation that ensued. 'The officers ordered the suspect to drop the weapon several times,' she said. 'He refused and advanced toward them. Two officers discharged their firearms, firing seven total rounds between them.' A knife-wielding suspect was shot and four young girls injured following a police-involved shooting in Brooklyn, New York, Sunday The shooting happened after the unidentified man attacked 'a number of children' ranging in age from 8 to 16 with a meat cleaver at a home in Bensonhurst, NYPD commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. The bullets, she said, ended up 'striking the suspect, ending the threat.' She added how the entire ordeal was captured on the officer's body-cameras, though the footage, as of 3pm ET, has yet to be released. Footage from the chaotic scene, meanwhile, showed a female victim covered head-to-toe in blood, with Tisch saying her department found 'four female victims aged 16, 13, 11, and 8 inside the blood spattered apartment. 'All had serious slash and stab wounds,' Tisch said in an in-person statement delivered at the scene. 'Responding officers and EMS provided emergency medical care on-scene before the victims were removed to Maimonides [Medical Center]. 'At this time, all four children are expected to survive,' she added, 'But this could have ended very differently. Other clips show officers crowding the scene where officers hours earlier discharged their weapon - a decision law enforcement sources told the Post came after the still-unnamed suspect ignored the officers' orders to drop the knife. Afterwards, the suspect lunged at the first responders, they said - recalling how he was then shot multiple times. The suspect has been left with life-threatening injuries as a result, they said - as neighbors spoke to the paper and other local publications about what they witnessed Sunday morning. It occurred at around 10:30am Sunday at a home on 1671 84th Street, where Tisch told reporters at the scene officers had received a domestic violence call. Within minutes, officers were at the domicile's door after being let into the building by 'an uninjured child', Tisch said. After being led into a small vestibule that contained two more closed doors, officers 'heard screams coming from behind' the other side. The first-responders, at that point, '[forced] their way into the apartment, kicking down the door,' the top cop said Upon entering, the officers found themselves face-to-face with a suspect 'holding a large meat cleaver covered in blood,' she said. Blood could also be seen on both the floors and the walls, Tisch added - before detailing the altercation that ensued 'They brought out a guy on a stretcher, all bloody without a shirt,' he said. 'I dont know who it was, but they shot him twice. 'They took him out and put him in the ambulance,' eyewitness Humberto Hureta said of the suspect. 'Probably 40 years old.' As it stands, cops have yet to announce any casualties, with both the victims and shooter having been hospitalized. Insiders and witnesses both recalled EMS removing one adult and two children from the scene, with one of the young ones said to be in critical condition. amNewYork initially reported the unnamed suspect succumbed to his wounds after being shot, before amending their report to state he was only 'seriously injured.' 'I saw a guy come out on a stretcher,' eyewitness Hureta told the station as well, as the Post produced images of the suspect being stretchered away. 'He wasnt moving, his shirt was all bloody and he was handcuffed to the stretcher. His eyes were rolling back in his head,' Hureta further recalled. 'I never saw anything like it.' 'I was watching through the window and the girl covered in blood came out,' another witness who asked to be identified only as Maria told the paper. 'And then there was another girl. The two girls were just covered in blood. 'The officers ordered the suspect to drop the weapon several times,' she said. 'He refused and advanced toward them. Two officers discharged their firearms, firing seven total rounds between them' The bullets, she said, ended up 'striking the suspect, ending the threat.' She added how the entire ordeal was captured on the officer's body-cameras, though the footage, as of 3pm ET, has yet to be released Footage from the chaotic scene, meanwhile, showed a female victim covered head-to-toe in blood, with Tisch saying her department found 'four female victims aged 16, 13, 11, and 8 inside the blood spattered apartment 'I was shaking. Im still shaking now,' she went on to add, after early reports suggested there had been a casualty. 'I dont usually see them,' she added of the victims, which early reports suggested numbered at a least half-a-dozen as opposed to four. 'They just moved here. I lived here seven years and there are a lot of new people moving here.' Sources who spoke with amNewYork said they believed the suspect was the uncle of the victims, though details surrounding that prospective link remain hazy. DailyMail.com has reached out to the NYPD for comment. As of 3pm, their investigation remained ongoing. The suspect is said to be in 'critical condition.' This is a developing story; please check back for updates. Adolescence star Ashley Walters has won a battle to build a swimming pool and gym at his 1million family home despite a slew of objections from neighbours. The actor, who plays DI Luke Bascombe in the hit Netflix show, angered locals when he asked for permission to introduce the single-storey detached outbuilding to his house in Herne Bay, Kent. Those nearby objected on multiple grounds including that the development - complete with a gym, games room, pool and changing facilities - would be out of character for the area. But the positive decision by planners at Kent County Council marked the second time Mr Walters was granted approval for a controversial development in the area. A two-year long battle to build a two-storey front and rear extension and a single-storey rear extension with balcony saw him given the green light in August last year. In approving the latest decision, council planners wrote: 'The proposal is considered to be acceptable in terms of mass and scale in relation to the overall size of the plot. 'The outbuilding will be finished under a flat roofed design and in a mixture of slatted cladding and render. Given its position to the rear of the property it would not be visible form public vantage points so would have a neutral impact on the streetscene and landscape. The actor, who plays DI Luke Bascombe in the hit Netflix show, angered locals when he asked for permission to introduce the single storey detached outbuilding to his house in Herne Bay, Kent. Pictured: Ashley Walters in Adolescence 'Given the above, the proposed development would have sufficient regard for the context and character of the site.' After a site notice was placed in the area and neighbouring properties were informed, an objection was raised as well as a few concerns. They argued there were no buildings of that size and type at the rear of the properties, it was out of character with the rural area, and there was access to the rear, representing an unreasonable breach. But in response, planning officials said: 'The outbuilding will be positioned to the rear of the plot which results in the development being in excess of 50m from any neighbouring property. 'As such, given its single-storey nature it is considered that there would be no unacceptable overlooking, overbearing impact, sense of enclosure or loss of light as a result of the development.' Mr Walters, 42, previously said he would consider moving away if he could not secure permission for extending his home. He said: 'It is highly likely if we cannot get it the way we want to, we will have to move out of this part of Kent. 'We would just have to find somewhere else locally that suits our needs.' After a site notice was placed in the area and neighbouring properties were informed, an objection was raised as well as a few concerns Mr Walters stressed he was a 'big fan' of the area, and his children were settled in school, so he did not intend to move his family back to London. Speaking of his extension plans, he added: 'It's about making it slightly bigger in height because it's a bungalow conversion. 'The top floor is essentially in the roof, which means you're kind of ducking, and as the kids grow they'll be banging heads on the ceiling. 'So we are just trying to make that a bit higher.' A 26-year-old man who pretended to be a Home Office fraud expert to steal 4,000 from an elderly couple has been jailed for two years. Abdi Ali, of the town of Northolt, Ealing, called a woman in her 80s in September 2023 pretending to be a Home Office employee called 'Jason' who worked in the Canary Wharf area of London. The Londoner told the woman, of Maidenhead in Berkshire, that her bank account had been targeted by fraudsters - but he would help prevent further theft and would need to examine her bank card to do that. Trusting him, the woman handed her card to a courier in the next few days, along with her mobile phone - Ali as 'Jason' had told her it had a virus on it, which had enabled the fraudsters take her money. Then, two days after first calling her, he knocked on her door, this time pretending to be a Home Office fraud expert called 'Alex'. He said she and her husband, in his 90s, needed to come to their local Nationwide bank branch to resolve the issue - and after they agreed, he went there with them in a taxi. Ali told them to pretend he was their son-in-law and ask for 4,000 for a family holiday - but suspicious bank staff called police, who arrested Ali that day. He was sentenced to two years in prison at Reading Crown Court on March 21, after previously pleading guilty to one count of fraud by false representation - and Thames Valley Police have since warned the public to be alert to the dangers of courier fraud. Abdi Ali (pictured), of the town of Northolt, Ealing, called a woman in her eighties, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, in September 2023, pretending to be a Home Office employee called 'Jason' The force has since warned the public about the dangers of the 'despicable' and 'insidious' crime of courier fraud. The crime sees fraudsters pose as trusted figures to deceive victims into handing over money, valuables or sensitive information, according to lead investigating officer on this case, Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn. It typically unfolds in several stages, in the same way this elderly couple was 'systematically targeted' over several days, he said. Courier fraudsters often unfortunately target vulnerable or elderly people, he added. The officer, who is also head of Thames Valley Police's Central Fraud Unit, advised the public to be cautious when receiving cold calls or requests for sensitive information. He urged people to verify who is really calling them by contacting the organisation the person says they are from, using only official contact details to do so. He said members of the public should not share personal or financial details over the phone - and should be wary if asked to act immediately or keep something secret. DI Wynn said courier fraudsters are often 'preying on the victim's trust, vulnerability, and fear of authority, making it a particularly insidious form of deception'. He asked the woman and her husband to come to their local Nationwide bank branch in Maidenhead (pictured) and bring identification so the fraud issue could be sorted The 26-year-old first contacted the woman on September 11, 2023, calling her landline to claim he was a Home Office employee called 'Jason' who worked in the Canary Wharf area of London. Pictured: File photo He added: 'In this case, the victims, an elderly couple, were systematically targeted over several days and the offending was only stopped due to excellent diligence from staff at Nationwide Building Society, who alerted police to their suspicions. 'Abdi Ali was convicted following our investigation, and his guilty plea is testament to the thorough work of the High Harm Fraud Team. 'The sentence reflects how serious these offences are and should send a clear message to those engaging in this despicable criminal activity that they can expect to go to prison. 'To protect yourself from being a victim of courier fraud, exercise caution when receiving unsolicited calls or requests for sensitive information. 'It is essential to verify the identity of the caller by independently contacting the purported organisation using official contact information, such as the phone number listed on their website, bank cards or statements. 'Additionally, refrain from disclosing personal or financial details over the phone and remain sceptical of any requests for immediate action or secrecy. 'We will continue to pursue those who offend against vulnerable victims as a priority.' Two members of the prestigious Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society were facing calls for their resignation yesterday after pews from a church the architect designed were sold for scrap. Chairman Michael Dale and executive director Stuart Robertson have been accused of vandalism for allowing the items of furniture to be sawn up and then sold for 80. The row broke out after a society member, Glasgow architect Ruairdh Moir, learned that the church pews were being advertised for sale on Facebook for 40 each. They had previously been in Queens Cross Church which Mackintosh designed in 1897 and is now the Societys HQ. The building, in Maryhill, no longer operates as a church and instead hosts concerts and musical events like Celtic Connections. Mr Moir was alerted to the sale by a friend and paid 40 for each of the pews to a removal firm. He added: When they were delivered, we discovered they had been broken up. It was explained to me that the pews were too long for the van. Pews from the Mackintosh church in Glasgow were listed for sale on Facebook Glasgow is proud of its famous son, Charles Rennie Mackintosh They then phoned the society who gave permission for them to be sawn up. Mr Moir said significant parts of one pew were missing and said he feared they have been destroyed and are now lost forever. He added: Its literally incredible that senior figures of a society that was established to celebrate and protect Mackintosh would allow this to happen. They have a duty of care. I was an active member of the society but have since resigned. They dont seem to understand why people have been upset by this. Art critic Clare Henry has also slammed the sale of the two pews and called for both men to resign from their positions which are voluntary. She told the Sunday Times: The fact that they allowed these pews to be sawn up has left me struggling for words. What were they thinking? The societys honorary vice-president, celebrated filmmaker Murray Grigor, said he was appalled and described what had happenned to the pews as vandalism. However, Mr Robertson told the Mail that the two items of church furniture were just ordinary pews and there was no proof they had been designed by Mackintosh. They had been kept in storage elsewhere in the city since 2016. But the decision was taken to sell them off when the society was told the storage space was no longer available. Mr Robertson said he has no plans to resign and added: We removed the pews to allow more space for hosting concerts and to give disabled access for wheelchair users. Pews have been removed in the past, in the 1940s. They are just general pews, they are not Mackintosh. Mr Robertson said the allegations over the church pews were being fuelled by disgruntled former Trustees and that the claims were undermining the Society. He added: We have a lot of work we are currently planning on Queens Cross like restoration and conservation. Instead, we are having to spend time fending off all this negativity. We are trying to develop Queens Cross to survive in this difficult time. Doing concerts has been a great way of showcasing the building. We are trying to move forward and do things with the building, but this group of people are trying to destroy that. Queen's Cross Church, in Maryhill, Glasgow, is the only one in the world designed by renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh There is so much disinformation going on, it is quite appalling. Mr Dale, a former director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, also said he had no intention of resigning. He added: I dont think we have done anything wrong. It isnt as if they were unique. There are plenty of other pews that we are looking after. Nobody is coming into the church to look at the pews. We should not be frittering money away on storing things that have no future. They were sawn up because that was the only way to move them. Mackintosh, who was the fourth of 11 children born to Margaret Rennie and William Mackintosh, a police superintendent, spent most of his life in Glasgow but died in London at the age of 60 in 1928 after treatment for cancer. His other famous works include The Glasgow School of Art and the Willow Tea Rooms. Less than a third of work visas handed out in the last three years have gone to highly-skilled professionals required to boost Britains economy, a new report has warned. The UK visa system is unfit for purpose and should be reformed to allow more highly-skilled workers to come here, a business consultancy firm said. Its analysis of Home Office data showed that in the four years to the end of 2024, 32 per cent of work visas just under 181,000 of a total of about 560,000 were allocated to experts in eight key fields. The areas were those identified by the Government as growth-driving sectors which are crucial to Britains economic prospects, business expansion specialist Centuro Global said. For example, although 133,000 more workers are needed by 2030 in the life sciences sector, only 16,000 visas were issued for highly skilled professionals with such skills in the last four years, the report said Other sectors examined by the report include financial services, advanced manufacturing, defence, clean energy industries, creative industries and the digital and technology sector. Zain Ali, chief executive of Centuro Global, said: The UKs visa system is unfit for purpose and fails to differentiate between roles critical to our economy and those that could be filled domestically. The study by business expansion consultancy firm has called for a new type of visa to be created - with a minimum qualification of a bachelor's degree or equivalent - to provide highly-skilled workers for key sectors As it stands currently, the skilled worker visa route covers too broad a swathe of possible occupations. The restrictions already placed on this visa route have harmed firms ability to hire for particularly specialised roles. Last week the Mail highlighted how the Home Offices skilled worker visa list includes market traders, dog groomers, curtain fitters and teachers of English as a secondary language. Labour has rejected Tory plans for a cap on the total number of migrant visas issued each year. Instead, the Government plans to encourage employers to hire from the pool of employees already here and suggests that as a result immigration will naturally fall. Quangos will work together to boost training levels and ensure the jobless have skills that are required by employers, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said. The Home Office, pictured, has been urged to shake-up the work permit system and introduce a new 'growth visa' for top-level migrant employees But Mr Ali said: Domestic training initiatives are highly unlikely to fill this gap. We propose the creation of a new specialist visa, limited to foreign nationals with the rarefied skillsets these industries need. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out how she believes improving training for people already in Britain will automatically lead to a decline in migrant numbers The report said changes to the skilled worker visa a year ago had made it more challenging and expensive to hire through this route. The Conservatives brought in restrictions including a higher salary threshold amid concern over record levels of net migration the difference between long-term migrants arriving in Britain and those emigrating which hit 906,000 in the 12 months to the end of June 2023. In the following year it fell 20 per cent to 728,000 thanks to the Tory measures - but it remains high compared with pre-pandemic levels of a typical 300,000 a year. Latest net migration figures are due to be published by the Office for National Statistics next month. Centuro Globals report said any further limits on visas would also hinder high-value firms access to genuinely scarce skill sets. It suggested a new growth visa should be set up to prioritise overseas candidates for key industries. The visa should require a minimum of a bachelors degree or equivalent, it proposed. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Under the last government there were a large volume of visas were granted seeing net migration in the millions. 'This government is getting a grip of this problem. 'Under our Plan for Change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system, linking immigration, skills and visa systems to grow our domestic workforce, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth.' A huge wildfire raging in the southwest of Scotland this weekend was burning so intensely it could be seen from space. Satellite images released by the Met Office showed how the blaze had engulfed a large part of Galloway Forest and the surrounding area. The inferno broke out shortly before midnight on Friday at Glen Trool, near Newton Stewart, with fire crews continuing to battle the flames yesterday. Four helicopters carrying water bombs were deployed to try and douse the inferno after it spread to the neighbouring Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire. They were also used to spot people who may have become trapped by the fire. Yesterday Police Scotland renewed previous warnings for people to stay away from the Galloway Forest area and urged anyone camping nearby to leave. A spokesman said: Emergency services and partners are continuing to deal with a wildfire in Galloway which is also affecting the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire. Residents living nearby are advised to keep windows and doors closed. Met Office satellite picture taken on Saturday shows the wildfire in the Galloway Forest park, bottom left of picture Aerial footage showing in a wildfire in the Galloway Hills by Skyhook Helicopters One woman, Fernanda Marbrow, said she feared her two sons Bruce and Jack may have become trapped on Saturday by the flames while on a camping and fishing weekend. In a social media post she said: At 2.30am Dumfries police called to say their car had been found in a carpark in Galloway National Park and that sudden wild fires were now burning out of control, worsened by severe weather conditions. There was no mobile signal in the area- all I could do from home was point the police in the direction of the general area pin Id made Bruce send me before they set off. What followed was four hours of searching, more worry than I think Ive ever felt and a dramatic rescue by helicopter. As they were airlifted to safety it became clear that the area around where their camp was completely engulfed by fire. Heartfelt thanks to Dumfries and Galloway Police, HM Coastguard Prestwick Search and Rescue and everyone else involved. They have lost all of their gear and theyre exhausted and shell shocked but theyre home and theyre safe. With the spring sunshine expected to continue, a woman goes paddle boarding on Loch Morlich, in Aviemore Retired Royal Navy engineer Ron Baird also posted a dramatic account of a rescue on his local Whithorn History Group Facebook page. The 76-year-old said: My brother was staying at Glenhead with his wife when they were woken by police banging on the door in the middle of the night. He was not aware the flames were blazing right next to his property, with fire crews trying to batter them down. It sounds as if they had a lucky escape. Members of the Galloway Mountain Rescue were used over the weekend as spotters for any hillwalkers trapped by the flames. The Galloway Forest blaze is the latest wildfire in Scotland following bone-dry conditions since the beginning of March. In the last 10 days, fires have broken out in Aberdeenshire, Inverness-shire, Stirlingshire and East Dunbartonshire. The A835 was also closed yesterday close to Achiltibuie, near Ullapool, in Ross-shire after a wildfire broke out shortly before 10am. Six crews from around the Highlands were tackling a wall of flames, reportedly stretching over three-miles. Group Commander Garry Douglas of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it was important that people act responsibly when outdoors. Friends Paula and Raquel enjoyed the rays at Portobello Beach - despite the cold wind He added: At this time of year in early spring, we typically have a large volume of dead, bone-dry vegetation across large areas of countryside. This essentially acts as a fuel for fire. There are currently vast areas that are tinder-dry and vulnerable, which provides all the ingredients for fire to take hold and spread. Yesterday the Met Office warned that the spell of warm weather, which has sparked the wildfires, is expected to continue with temperatures reaching 21C in some areas. Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: Its looking dry and sunny pretty much for the next few days. There are hints that by Friday morning, there could be some patchy, light rain with an increased risk of rain at the weekend. He added: Otherwise well see light wind with the direction changing to southerly, south-westerly on Thursday making it very pleasant indeed and on Friday we could see 20C or even 21C. Despite a cold start yesterday with temperatures plunging to -5C in some rural areas, a woman braved the freezing waters of Loch Morlich, in Aviemore, for a spot of paddle boarding, while friends Paula and Raquel sunned themselves on Portobello Beach. John Swinney has opened the door to the Scottish Greens returning to government despite their first taste of power ending in disaster. The First Minister said it would depend on what the election throws up next year. The Scottish Conservatives said it was astonishing the SNP leader would even think of it given the calamitous results first time round. Nicola Sturgeon struck the Bute House Agreement in 2021, making Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater the first Green ministers in the UK. The pro-independence pact was beset by policy flops, including gender recognition reform, the deposit return scheme, and bid to ban fishing in 10 per cent of inshore waters. Humza Yousaf collapsed the deal last spring after Mr Harvie refused to accept the science behind the Cass Review on gender services for young people. Mr Swinney has since backed away from many Green policies, including a household boiler ban as part of the drive to Net Zero. But talking to the Herald on Sunday, the SNP leader refused to rule out a similar power-sharing deal after the 2026 election. John Swinney has hinted the Greens - Patrick Harvey and Lorna Slater are currently the party's co-leaders - could return to the Scottish Government depending on next year's Holyrood election Nicola Sturgeon welcomed Patrick Harvey and Lorna Slater to the Scottish Government following the Bute House Agreement in 2021 A recent Survation poll suggested the SNP could win 55 MSPs and the Greens ten, giving the two parties a knife-edge majority of Holyroods 129 seats. Mr Swinney said: Well see what the election throws up. We just have to see what comes from the election arithmetic. Obviously we want to win the election - to win it outright. He added: Ive been crystal clear since I came into office that I had to get the SNP government back into a position where it commanded the respect of the public, and it was focused on the publics priorities, and thats what Ive been doing. And then weve got a record to defend at the 2026 elections, and ambitions to set out to the public. Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said: The SNPs independence-obsessed coalition with their anti-growth Green partners was a disaster from start to finish. Its astonishing that John Swinney wont rule out another deal with them. Their calamitous spell in government will be remembered for the botched deposit return scheme, backing Sturgeons reckless gender self-ID policy, and blocking new oil and gas projects. This is why voters are sick of nationalist politicians at Holyrood, theyre completely out of touch. Only the Scottish Conservatives are standing up to the cosy left-wing consensus. Author JK Rowling yesterday mocked Mr Harvie as less self-aware than a goldfish. Speaking to the Sunday Times, the MSP accused politicians who are against giving puberty blockers to children of trying to tell doctors what drugs they should prescribe to which patients for profoundly ill-judged reasons. He then told doctors they should prescribe puberty blockers if there were good medical reasons, adding which there are. Ms Rowling wrote on X: Ive met more self-aware goldfish. Appearing on BBC Scotlands Sunday Show, Mr Harvie also denied being divisive and refused to take any blame for the end of the Bute House deal. The Scottish Green co-leader said: I think the Greens and myself as a person have always tried to seek out the common ground between political parties, work together, and bring constructive ideas to bear, and I think thats got a track record of success. He added: I hugely regret the fact that Humza Yousaf decided to unilaterally pull the plug on an agreement that had locked in a progressive, pro-independence majority government. For displeasing Zeus, Sisyphus was condemned to spend eternity in the underworld rolling a giant rock up a hill, only for it to tumble back down every time. It is a fate Scottish taxpayers can relate to, for that is the situation productive members of society find themselves in under this SNP government. Having displeased John Swinney presumably by showing the slightest glimmer of ambition Scottish workers are doomed to strive in vain, as their hard-won prosperity is knocked back downhill in a flurry of fiscal blows. Your income tax continues to creep up, up, up. Your council tax just increased. If youre an employer, your National Insurance contributions are eating even deeper into your already scant profit margins. Everywhere you look, someone is picking your pocket. Why do you even bother? The Chartered Institute of Taxation warns that middle-earners are being squeezed because of the SNPs one-two punch income tax policy, which makes Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK while also freezing bands, meaning more taxpayers are being dragged into a higher bracket. Perversely, this much-vaunted progressive approach to taxation only gives low-income households an extra 54p per week while tightening the screws on middle-income families. The magic number is 30,318. Thats the point at which the Nationalists latest Budget begins costing Scots more of their cash than an English taxpayer on the same salary. Economists call this tax divergence, which is a technical term for rip-off Scottish families forced to pay more John Swinney is more interested in redistribution than growing the economy for the privilege of living in their own country, all because the SNP is more interested in redistribution than in growing the economy. Westminster was warned that expanding Holyroods tax powers would lead to this, and chose not to listen. While just over 30,000 is where the divergence kicks in, it gets much sharper the higher up the income scale you go. Someone on 50,000 will be worse off to the tune of 1,528, while anyone on 100,000 is looking at an extra tax burden of 3,332. Thats a 14-day family holiday in Italy or new decking out the back. Now, I know some will hear six-figure salary and think: My heart bleeds. Quite literally, as it happens: 100,000 is what a cardiothoracic surgeon makes working for the NHS. In a country where heart disease remains a major killer, it is imperative that we attract the best and brightest specialists to the health service. Slapping such people with a 3,000 tax hike is not only economically foolhardy, its an act of national self-harm. Unfortunately, some feel an atavistic lust for using the tax system to punish the affluent and aspirational. Scotland is not as far removed from the pious moralism of John Knox as we like to tell ourselves. These days it is to the monstrous regiments of higher earners that our fire and brimstone are directed. But success is not a sin and prosperity is not something to be punished. Innovation, achievement, discovery and productivity these are to be venerated. Their prize ought to be the freedom to take more risks and reap more rewards, not a spiteful levy on accomplishment. Scotland will never again be a prosperous country while it vilifies profit out of socialist sentimentality and idolises mediocrity in the name of equality. These attitudes, as articulated through our tax system, will not only deter talent from migrating here, but convince gifted and driven Scots to seek their fortunes in foreign climes, as so many generations have done before. Higher taxes might be easier to thole if public services were noticeably improving, but the opposite is true. The SNP continues to miss its own targets for A&E waiting times and cancer diagnostics while in education the attainment gap yawns as wide as ever. A huge number of Scots pay more tax than their English counterparts Research from the Nuffield Trust and the Kings Fund released last week revealed Scottish patients are twice as likely as their English counterparts to express dissatisfaction with the range of treatments available on the NHS. We are being overtaxed and underserved, and few at Holyrood seem all that bothered by this state of affairs. Its no wonder so many are mulling a vote for populist alternatives. Ordinary people work hard and want to keep as much of what they earn as possible, so they can spend it on their children, grandchildren, family home or business. They resent being thought of as selfish when they do the right thing and take responsibility for themselves. There is a lot of talk now about the importance of empathy for peoples lived experience, but there is very little understanding among the political class for the lived experience of ordinary taxpayers. It doesnt matter if you live in Inverleith or Inverness, Holyrood is just as distant from your priorities and circumstances. Devolution was supposed to address a democratic deficit but repatriating parliamentary democracy to Scotland has done nothing to close the empathy gap between the elites who make decisions and those whose lives are affected by them. The public know this. Theyre not daft. They can intuit that the priorities of ministers and MSPs are very different from their own. Parliamentarians and bag carriers often complain to me about growing public cynicism, and to most of them it is obviously a failing on the part of the voters, rather than a rational response to being treated like an instant access account for every pet project that comes across a ministerial desk. While the entire Holyrood establishment is owed some of the blame, there can be no doubt about the primary culprit. Under the SNP, Scotland has become an enterprise-free zone, no country for young professionals. If you have specialist skills or entrepreneurial talent, if you aspire to better for your family or your business, you are simply not wanted here. The Scottish Government could not make that clearer if it handed every high-earner a one-way rail ticket to Carlisle. Do not despair, however, for things need not be this way. There were early warnings that devolving some tax powers to Scotland could lead to higher taxes north of the Border If there must be a Scottish parliament and it must have income tax powers, they should be used to make us more competitive with England. Adopt a fiscal rule that the top rate of income tax in Scotland should always be at least 3 per cent lower than the additional rate down south. The downstream effect would be to reduce the advanced and higher rates, ultimately cutting tax for anyone earning 43,663 or more. In addition to stimulating the economy by increasing households disposable income, this would make Scotland much more attractive to the hospital consultants, senior teachers and investors that we want to lure here. It might also tempt those further down the public sector pay scale, including mid-career police officers and allied health professionals. The impact on revenues and the block grant would require a substantial overhaul of public spending no bad thing and the end result would be worth it. Attracting more high-earning professionals would benefit our public services in both recruitment and the revenue available to invest in them. Making a go of it should not be a Sisyphean feat. The role of government should be to help ambition where it can and get out of the way where it cant. Wanting to do better for yourself and your loved ones is not selfish, its human nature. Scotland needs to change its tax rates but first it needs a political class that doesnt consider success to be a dirty word. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department's decision to suspend an attorney who did not enthusiastically defend the Trump administration's position on a major deportation case. Erez Reuveni, the federal attorney, argued in court Friday on behalf of the Trump administration that he did not know why a Maryland man accused of being an MS-13 gang member was deported to El Salvador. Salvadorian Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, has an American wife and son and lived in Maryland before being deported to El Salvador last month. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) testifies he is a gang member, Bondi says, though lawyers for the migrant have reportedly denied that. Reuveni, who was supposed to argue on behalf of the Justice Department for why Abrego Garcia was rightfully removed, stunningly tossed his case, admitting to Judge Paula Xinis that the migrant 'should not have been removed.' 'Im also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions,' Reuveni told the judge at one point. A 15-year veteran of the immigration division, federal attorney was then suspended by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for not effectively executing his position. Bondi, speaking on Fox News Sunday, told host Shannon Bream Reuveni should have never been put on the case to begin with. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Sunday's Shannon Bream that DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni should have never been placed on the case regarding a Maryland father who was deported to El Salvador for being a suspected MS-13 member This undated photo provided by CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia Abrego Garcia is now in detention in the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador 'Our client in this matter is Homeland Security,' Bondi said. '[Reuveni] did not argue for it, he should not have taken the case.' She also confirmed that the Justice Department employee had been placed on administrative leave. 'On day one I issued a memo that you are to vigorously advocate on behalf of the United States,' Bondi continued. 'You have to vigorously argue on behalf of your clients.' The attorney general likened Reuveni's behavior to a criminal defense lawyer admitting their client is guilty. 'We'll see what happens,' Bondi said, indicating that a review is underway. When reached for comment a DOJ official sent DailyMail.com a copy of Bondi's February 3, 2025, memo requesting all department employees emphatically take up the cause of their clients. 'Attorneys are expected to zealously advance, protect, and defend their client's interests,' the memo stated. 'Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences,' Bondi said in a statement provided to DailyMail.com. Abrego Garcia arrived in El Salvador on March 15 Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA's Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., Friday, April 4, 2025 Abrego Garcia's wife wipes away tears at a press conference about her husband Though Bondi is clearly sending a warning to Reuveni and other likeminded DOJ employees, the Trump administration has already admitted that it sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador on accident. 'Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador,' Trump's legal team said in paperwork filed in the migrant's case. 'This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcias purported membership in MS-13.' Abrego Garcia arrived at the notorious supermax El Salvador prison CECOT on March 15. Judge Xinis ordered the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. by Monday, however, the administration attempted to get another court to nullify that order by arguing they have no power to release the migrant from the Salvadorian prison. On Friday, she noted how the DOJ had yet to make a compelling argument about why Abrego Garcia should stay in El Salvador. 'In a court of law, when someone is accused of membership in such a violent and predatory organization, it comes in the form of an indictment, complaint, criminal proceeding a robust process, so we can address the facts,' Xinis said. 'I havent yet heard that from the government.' The ex-Marine who choked Jordan Neely to death has been seeing walking the catwalk in a runway show just months after his acquittal in the manslaughter case. Daniel Penny - who was found not guilty of choking Jordan Neely to death - made his New York City runway debut Saturday night at a high-profile charity fashion show. The 27-year-old controversial figure strutted down the catwalk in a kilt to Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding Out for a Hero,' TMZ reported. He walked at the 'Dressed to Kilt' event held on Manhattan's Upper East Side, just months after his December acquittal. 'Dressed to Kilt' was co-founded by late 'James Bond' actor Sean Connery and Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll in 2003. The ex-Marine's runway style reportedly embodied the event's theme 'Country Couture From the Scottish Highlands to Fifth Avenue,' as reported by the New York Post. The event is now known as the most prestigious and largest Scottish fashion show in the world, according to the Scottish Banner. Event organizer praised him during the show as co-founder Geoffrey Scott Carroll introduced Penny as a 'hero.' Daniel Penny - who was found not guilty of choking Jordan Neely to death - made his New York City runway debut Saturday night at a high-profile charity fashion show He publicly praised him for his actions during the fatal May 2023 subway confrontation that left homeless street performer Neely dead. 'The next gentleman, the next model, can actually trace mention of his family back to the 12th century in Scotland. Having said that, he's a very proud New Yorker and a very, very proud Marine.' 'Far from being a villain, this man was a hero to all the inhabitants of that subway car,' he continued. [Penny] leaped into action as a passenger on a subway car when a potential assailant started threatening women, children and elderly people with a knife,' Carrol said. Penny's acquittal divided New Yorkers, with many branding him a 'hero' for his actions in May 2023 when he put Neely, a schizophrenic former Michael Jackson impersonator, in a headlock. Although witnesses said the confrontation came after Neely threatened to kill people on the subway car, telling passengers that 'someone is going to die today', others saw the case as an overzealous Marine veteran using unreasonable and ultimately lethal force against a mentally-ill black man who was known fondly by many in the neighborhood. Penny's acquittal divided New Yorkers, with many branding him a 'hero' for his actions in May 2023 when he put Neely, a schizophrenic former Michael Jackson impersonator, in a headlock Penny had faced second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges in the high-profile case. He was ultimately let off the hook for the lesser charge after prosecutors dropped the more serious manslaughter charge. OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji was shot a second time by a bullet that was missed by the autopsy that ruled his death a suicide, his parents claim. The tech prodigy, 26, was found dead on November 26 only a month after revealing the company's dubious methods of training ChatGPT. Balaji was found next to his bathroom door with a gunshot wound to the head and blood all over part of his apartment in San Francisco's Mint Hill neighborhood. His parents, Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy, insist he couldn't have killed himself, and paid for their own autopsy, toxicology, and other tests. They are yet to release the entire reports, but revealed bombshell new evidence they claimed would help prove he was murdered to keep him quiet. CT scans of his head were sent for analysis to two radiologists who knew little of the case and hadn't seen any of the other evidence. Balaji's parents claimed both saw evidence of two gunshots to the young man's head, neither of them immediately fatal. 'A second bullet probably entered through the mouth, no clear entry wound seen but it is lodged in the back of the throat at the skull base/clivus,' Dr Daniel Cousin at Radsurity in Weston, Florida, wrote in his report. Suchir Balaji, 26, was found in his apartment in San Francisco on November 26 with a gunshot to the head and his death ruled a suicide Photos obtained by DailyMail.com show blood was pooled next to the bathroom door where his head lay, but also splattered around the bathroom far from the body 'This bone stopped it and it did not cause any damage likely, perhaps it traveled through the air passage of the mouth to the back of the throat without causing problems.' Ramarao said the second autopsy revealed injuries to her son's tongue that couldn't have been caused by the gunshot to his forehead, which travelled at an odd downwards angle, missed his brain, and lodged in the back of his neck. 'The tongue shows extensive laceration and discoloration over the margins, with a centralized, nearly oval-shaped defect at the distal,' the report read. Ramarao also claimed Balaji had a broken cheekbone along with the previously claimed injury to the side of his head, both of which weren't listed on the medical examiner's report. A graphic photo from the scene showed him lying diagonally across the floor with his head in the corner of the bathroom door, where the biggest blood patch was found. It also showed Balaji had blood on his knee, which his parents believe was from yet another injury, and 'obviously it's an assault'. 'Why there is there bleeding and a wound on his knee? Why there is there a head injury? Why ripped tongue?' Ramarao said. 'Why is he spitting blood outside the bathroom where the crime occurred? Why [was a] date rape drug found in the body? Balaji's parents claimed radiologists saw evidence of two gunshots to the young man's head, neither of them immediately fatal. This is from the report of Dr Daniel Cousin at Radsurity in Weston, Florida Another image from the report showing where Dr Cousin believed a bullet was stopped by a bone at the back of his throat, at the best of the skull, circled in green The path of the bullet that went through Balaji's forehead at an odd downward angle, missed his brain, and lodged in his neck (blue arrow) 'Why [does the] autopsy report not account for the wounds? Why [doesn't the] autopsy report include metal object in the skull that was not removed? 'How can someone sedated shoot themselves in a weird downward angle? Why is his cheekbone broken? 'All these questions are not answering the cause of death [of suicide] as made by authorities.' Ramarao also revealed clumps of what initially appeared to be synthetic hair, such as from a wig, found in the pool of blood next to his body was Balaji's own hair. His parents now believe it was ripped out during a struggle before he was murdered. The gun used to shoot Balaji, a 9mm Glock pistol he bought on January 4, 2024, didn't have any blood on it, Ramarao claimed, speculating someone may have put the gun in his hand and fired it. The medical examiner's report found Balaji had a blood alcohol level of 0.178, which his parents said was out of character for him, as he never drank to excess. He also had between 67,000 nanograms per milliliter and 54,000 ng/ml of GHB, a common 'date rape' drug, in his system. Balaji's parents also revealed evidence they claimed showed their son wasn't suicidal, because he was receiving job offers and planning to speak at academic events. A recruiter from Jane Street contacted him on LinkedIn to discuss an open job for a machine leaning expert with a $850,000 to $2 million salary. Another exchange of messages asked Balaji if he was interested in speaking to two classes of University of California, Berkley, students on November 18. 'Shoot, unfortunately I'm out of town on vacation 11/16-11/23. If there's another date that works for you, I'm up for it,' he replied. Balaji's parents also revealed evidence they claimed showed their son wasn't suicidal, because he was receiving job offers and planning to speak at academic events The final footage of Balaji alive showed him appear relaxed as he strolled to the door to collect his last meal from a DoorDash delivery about 7.30pm on November 22. He emerged from the elevators of his apartment building, hungry and with a spring in his step, turned toward the front door and disappeared around a corner, returning 15 seconds later clutching a brown paper bag. Inside was a box of take-out rice, meat, and vegetables - the scraps of which were found sitting on his desk when his body was found days later. Balaji dressed casually in jeans, sneakers, and a zip-up sweater, strolled back to the elevator, pumping tunes through the wireless earbuds planted firmly in his ears. Balaji spoke to his father, Balaji Ramamurthy, from 7.12pm until a few minutes before he arrived home. He told him him he was getting dinner and they discussed his recent holiday, and tentative plans to meet in January. Earlier CCTV footage showed Balaji arriving home from his birthday holiday with friends to Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles, at 1.33pm. His luggage, a large canvas bag, hung from a strap slung over his left shoulder and he was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and black shoes. The last image of Suchir Balaji alive as he pressed the elevator call button in the lobby on the day he died, his other hand clutching a bag containing his last meal. His parents say the camera in the elevator itself had been disabled His last meal, a half-eaten ready-meal with brown rice still in the plastic tray, sits on his cluttered desk with a fork and a restaurant receipt Like the final video just six hours later, he was walking towards the elevators in the lobby of his apartment building. 'Does he look stressed?' Ramarao asked, rhetorically. Balaji's exact time of death remains unknown, but police and the medical examiner said he likely died on the night of November 22. His body was not found until four days later when a welfare check was requested by his worried parents. Ramarao added that security cameras in the elevator, building garage, and neighbors were not working. 'His murder conspiracy was executed over long term planning and watching Suchir,' she claimed. Despite the family's pleas, the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the police suicide ruling with the release of Balaji's autopsy report last month. The report included some shocking new findings including that Balaji was drunk and had multiple drugs including GHP in his system when he shot himself. Ramarao posted another CCTV image of Balaji arriving home from his birthday holiday, six hours earlier at 1.33pm, carrying his luggage over his shoulder The report also noted the only way into Balaji's fourth-floor apartment number #404 was via his front door. 'The apartment windows are stories above the shared courtyard and street and are equipped with devices that restrict the window opening to approximately four inches,' it read. 'There was no evidence of forced entry to the unit or disturbance within the unit.' Security camera footage and key fob records also showed that no one else entered the apartment during the time he could have died. Balaji's parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy (pictured with him) insist he was murdered and have spent more than $100,000 trying to prove it San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott wrote a joint letter with the ME's office to Balaji's parents, accompanying the report, further explaining the ruling. 'These facts, taken together, support that Mr Balaji was alone at the time of the incident,' it read. 'The SFPD found no evidence or information to establish that Mr Balaji died of means other than a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.' Scott wrote that his investigation, along with that of the ME's office, found 'there is insufficient evidence to find Mr Balaji's death was the result of homicide'. 'We realize that this information is difficult to receive, and we extend our sincere condolences to the Balaji family,' he added. 'We hope that this response may help bring some amount of closure to his grieving parents, friends and family.' Police now consider the case closed and will only reopen the criminal investigation if there is a basis for a chargeable offense and the statute of limitations has not expired. The autopsy report appeared to confirm one of Balaji's parents' claims: That the gunshot wound would not have instantly killed their son. Instead, the bullet entered through his forehead at a downward angle and missed his brain entirely, before lodging in the back of his neck. The autopsy report noted the bullet passed through his facial bones, skull sinuses, cervical vertebra C1, and cervicomedullary junction of the spinal cord. Balaji had just returned from a holiday to Los Angeles with some friends, who were former colleagues or worked in tech, for his birthday a day earlier His apartment sits frozen in time - never cleaned, and touched as little as possible since police left it on November 26 Balaji's parents argued he would have been alive for some time after he was shot and bled to death on his floor. However, the autopsy found a medulla/high cervical spinal cord injury and a fracture of the C1 vertebra, both of which cause death if not immediately treated. A toxicology report found Balaji had a blood alcohol level of 0.178 and amphetamine, norephedrine/norpseudoephedrine, and GHP were present in his blood. The report concluded Balaji was an otherwise healthy young man and was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, a black belt, black underwear and black socks. Balaji's parents claimed there was a blunt force injury to their son's head, indicating a struggle before he was murdered, but no such injury was recorded in the autopsy. The autopsy report also examined the gun found next to Balaji's body, a Glock pistol that he bought on January 4, 2024, with one spent casing in the chamber. The report noted that police found gunshot residue on both of Balaji's hands, and his DNA on the gun. The bullet was confirmed to have been fired by that gun. Medical examiners did not find soot and unburned gunpowder particles on the skin around the wound, which 'may be obscured by changes of postmortem decomposition'. Recent searches for brain anatomy including 'Total Gray Matter Volume' and 'White Matter' were found on Balaji's desktop computer. Balaji lived in this high-end building on Buchanan Street in San Francisco's Mint Hill neighborhood Blood both inside the bathroom, and pooled on the floor outside the door where his head was found The report noted that the deadbolt was engaged on Balaji's door and entry was made by the building manager. Paramedics pronounced him dead at 1.20pm. 'Our counsel and we disagree with their decision. There are tons of inconsistencies in their decision,' Ramarao said of the autopsy's conclusion. 'Underlying assumptions are not supporting the facts in reports. We continue our investigation.' Ramarao referenced two tufts of synthetic hair found next to Balaji's body, one of the unexplained factors she has long claimed point to foul play. 'We have sent the hair found in apartment for testing. We are fighting for justice and [will] not back up,' she said. She insisted police wrote 'inaccurate information in autopsy and police report' when they concluded no one else could have entered his apartment. 'They have never retrieved CCTV footage from [the] leasing office,' she said. Ramarao also pointed to a report revealing that none of Balaji's neighbors were contacted by police or the medical examiner's office during their investigation. Their lawyer, Kevin Rooney, who is suing the city of San Francisco for the full police incident report, added that the family would continue its own probe. The bachelor pad is relatively orderly through the entrance and lounge area, but rapidly changes as you get closer to where he died The kitchen table, strewn with clutter, some of which spilled onto the floor along with pieces of chocolate Rooney said they would take up the SFPD offer to request bodycam footage and 'any other information' they sought, as the investigation was closed. 'We intend to do so forthwith, because, while we appreciate receiving some of the information Suchir's parents have asked for since his death, we believe the investigation is far from complete,' he said. 'We disagree both with the conclusions the city has reached and with some of the underlying assertions and assumptions upon which those are based.' Balaji's parents hired Joseph Cohen, former chief forensic pathologist of Riverside County, California, to conduct a second autopsy in December, but are yet to reveal the report. A lawsuit filed by Balaji's parents, demanding the city release the police incident report and other case files to them, listed some of the results. 'Significantly, Dr Cohen also noted a contusion to the back of Suchir's head,' the lawsuit detailed. But it did not reveal the second report's findings on whether Balaji took his own life, or if it determined another manner of death. Photos obtained by the Daily Mail show blood was pooled next to the bathroom door where his head lay, but also splattered around the bathroom far from the body. Lying on the bloodstains were one of Balaji's wireless earbuds and two mysterious tufts of what appeared to be synthetic hair, like from a wig. Inside the bathroom were drops of blood across the tiles, on the cabinet next to the sink, and on the cabinet handle, on the other side of the room Also on the floor was a knocked over trash bin and a plastic floss pick The stock layout of Balaji's apartment with the bathroom where he was found on the left His home, in a high-end building on Buchanan Street, was also ransacked, 'like someone was searching for something'. 'After seeing there is so much blood everywhere, I don't know how they think it's a suicide, it doesn't look close,' his father, Ramamurthy, told the Daily Mail. His apartment sits frozen in time - never cleaned, and touched as little as possible since police left it on November 26. The family are also yet to hold a proper funeral or bury his body, instead raising $85,000 to pay lawyers, investigators, and forensic experts to prove he was murdered. One of these experts was Professor Dinesh Rao, who wrote a preliminary report on the scene obtained by Daily Mail. The report includes dozens of photos showing the condition of Balaji's one-bedroom apartment, along with earlier images taken by his family. Rao wrote that the disturbed scenes were 'more likely seen in homicidal death scene and rarely observed in alleged suicidal cases'. Splattered blood extended up the door and the doorframe about 18 inches, dripping down to the floor, and a splash extended just past the threshold on the bathroom tiles Blood drops inside the bathroom looking inside from the door A splash of lighter blood next to a red shopping bag that was stuck to the biggest blood pool Blood on the other side of the doorframe to the vast majority of the blood splatter, as seen from inside the bathroom Balaji's parents theorize their son was attacked from behind while he was listening to music and cleaning his teeth, and his head smashed into the wall or cabinet. After fighting back, he was pulled up onto his knees or sitting down, and shot in the head. As the wound wasn't fatal, he survived for some minutes and got out of the bathroom before dying from blood loss. 'A 10-minute struggle, probably,' his father claimed. His parents believe the apartment was ransacked because the killer was looking for a storage device that had damning evidence on it. Balaji never expected to become a lightning rod for those wary of the emerging power of artificial intelligence - or his boss, OpenAI founder Sam Altman. He joined the company in November 2020, having previously spent four months interning there two years while studying at UC Berkley. But from as early as 2022 he began to question the work he was doing, training GPT-4 - the engine behind ChatGPT - with reams of data from the internet. Balaji had justified his work by treating it like a research project, but after it was launched in late 2022 and sold commercially, he began to rethink this. Balaji worked for OpenAI founder Sam Altman until last August, when he quit and and wrote his findings in a detailed essay on his personal website, then spoke to the New York Times Ramarao berated him for speaking out by himself instead of joining forces with other whistleblowers, and for posing for photos so everyone knew what he looked like Balaji (center) with friends. His parents said he had a very active social life He came to the conclusion that OpenAI was grossly violating copyright laws to such an extent that it was not only illegal, but unsustainable for the internet itself. Eventually he quit last August and wrote his findings in a detailed essay on his personal website, then spoke to the New York Times. Balaji's NYT interview was published on October 23, shocking his parents and even his friends - none of whom he told in advance. Balaji told his mother not to worry he wasn't giving away confidential secrets, just expressing his opinion on the work, and he had enough money from his OpenAI stock. 'He said he wasn't looking for another job, he said he was planning to found a startup,' his mother said. Then a week before his death, the NYT named him as a 'custodian witness' in its copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. His mother believes that implied he had more damaging information up his sleeve, and was targeted for it. It also appeared Balaji wasn't finished going public. Days after his death, his phone rang and his parents picked it up. On the other end was an Associated Press reporter who didn't know Balaji was dead, and was calling to schedule an interview he agreed to do. 'Maybe he had some new information to share with AP and somebody doesn't want that liability, so they targeted him,' Ramamurthy said. Balaji's parents have three main reasons they believe he couldn't have killed himself - the crime scene, the timing of his death after going public, and that he had too much to life for A second autopsy was done in early December at the cost of thousands of dollars, and Ramarao insisted it called the suicide explanation into question 'This doesn't seem like a suicide,' Elon Musk, arch-nemesis of Sam Altman, wrote when reposting one of Ramarao's tweets, and also shared other articles and posts about the case Balaji's parents have three main reasons they believe he couldn't have killed himself: the crime scene, the timing of his death after going public, and that he had too much to live for. 'There's no depression, he didn't have a suicide note or anything, he was financially stable, he has a good friends circle, going around having a good time,' his father said. Conspiracy theories about Balaji's death started almost immediately after it became public in news reports on December 13. Social media provocateurs and true crime buffs quickly began sharing and debating the story, declaring that the AI industry had him killed. The online avalanche became so intense that it reached the attention of Altman's arch-nemesis Elon Musk. 'This doesn't seem like a suicide,' he wrote when reposting one of Ramarao's tweets, and also shared other articles and posts about the case with comments like 'hmm' and 'concerning'. Musk has had a longstanding feud with OpenAI and Altman since they refused his offer to buy them out in 2018. Michelle Obama's new podcast with her brother Craig Robinson has failed to meet expectations after it launched with great fanfare in early March. The new media venture, titled, IMO [In My Opinion] with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, follows the sibling duo as they give advice, discuss current events, and interview a variety of special guests. The podcast is underperforming on the charts, with recent statistics placing it as the 34th most listened to show on Spotify, according to the streamer's charts. Her embarrassing podcast ratings come as divorce rumors plague the Obamas - especially after the former president attended the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral solo and then went to President Donald Trump's inauguration alone. As well as the podcast falling off the charts, other shows like The Ezra Klein Show with the New York Times and The Determined Society with Shawn French have been rising. Meanwhile, the podcast is only ranked 19 on Apple Podcasts, with shows like The Mel Robbins Podcast, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, and The Joe Rogan Experience outperforming the sibling duo. Good Hang with Amy Poehler launched on February 10, only a month before IMO and is already ranked second on Apple Podcasts and third on Spotify. Poehler's show has also released two less episodes than Obama and is still outperforming on the charts. Michelle Obama's new podcast hasn't generated impressive numbers after the show was met with great fanfare upon release Her embarrassing podcast ratings come as divorce rumors plague the Obamas - especially after the former president attended the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral solo (the couple are pictured in 2019 together) IMO released two episodes on its launch date, the first titled, You Should Start a Podcast with Your Sibling. The second episode featured executive producer and actress Issa Rae, and was titled, Some Friendships Need to Go. The sibling duo also had episodes featuring Seth Rogen and his wife Lauren, psychology professor Dr. Laurie Santos, Keke Palmer, and podcaster Jay Shetty. IMO is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's media production, Higher Ground, which was behind films such as the Julia Roberts-led Leave the World Behind and Colman Domingo's depiction of civil rights icon Bayard Rustin in Rustin. The production company also produced Michelle's previous podcast, The Light Podcast, that ended its run last February. Since the launch of her new venture, Michelle has dropped numerous hints about her marriage - while the former president also noted recently that he is in a 'deep deficit' with his wife. During the podcast's inaugural episode, Michelle shared she would not be able to 'get through' her eight years in the without Robinson. 'Being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that that none of us kind of banked on,' she said. 'We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know...' Michelle never wanted her husband to run for the highest office - and it was her brother who convinced her to support her husband's political ambitions. Earlier this month in an interview with Hamilton College's President Steven Tepper, Barack Obama told a crowd what he had been up to recently. Obama said he'd mostly been working on the second half of his memoir, but also that he'd been forgetting to have 'fun' with his wife Michelle. 'This is like 50 term papers. I mean, it just goes on forever,' he said. 'I'm hoping to get to the finish line on that.' 'Beyond that, look, I was in a deep deficit with my wife, so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things,' the former Democratic president admitted. Michelle Obama and her brother Craig attended the SXSW Conference on March 13 to promote their new podcast Divorce rumors continue to swirl around the couple (pictured in 2018) Amid the swirling rumors that their marriage is on the rocks, Obama attempted to quash the speculation by posting a loved-up selfie of the couple smiling on Instagram for Valentine's Day. 'Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentines Day, Michelle Obama!' the Democrat wrote in a social media caption. It was unclear when the image was taken, but Michelle shared the same selfie on her own account. She wrote: 'If there's one person I can always count on, it's you, Barack Obama. You're my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine's Day, honey!' Michelle Obama's YouTube account, where fans can watch the podcast currently has 67,000 subscribers, which pales in comparison to Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast with a whopping 1.2 million. The Joe Rogan Experience has a jaw-dropping 19.6 million subscribers and the Jay Shetty Podcast has 3.91 million. The statistics come after IMO kicked off with a slow start, with the first episode only clocking in about 50,000 views upon release. The disappointing numbers come as Democrats strategize to find a, 'Joe Rogan of the left,' after podcasts seemed to help Donald Trump appeal to the younger generation during the presidential election. Obama hosts the show with her brother, Craig Robinson (pictured). The show ranks lower than other recently released podcasts like Amy Poehler's Good Hang Michelle Obama's YouTube account currently has 67,000 subscribers, which pales in comparison to Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast with a whopping 1.2 million and Joe Rogan's channel with 19.6 million A recent study from Media Matters revealed that conservative podcasts and pundits dominate the alternative media space, with left-leaning shows paling in comparison. Joe Rogan was the most listened to right-leaning figure, clocking in at 39.9 million followers. Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro, and Jordan Peterson also had substantive followers, all clocking in at over 18 million. Meanwhile, the top left-leaning online show was hosted by Trevor Noah, with only 21.2 million. The Young Turks and The Breakfast Club only had about 12 million followers each, paling in comparison to the following of right-leaning figures. Other prominent Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom has also thrown his hat in the ring with a new podcast called This is Gavin Newsom. The podcast launched on February 26, just a few weeks before IMO, and is ranked 47 on Spotify and 57 on Apple Podcasts. The devastating storms that tore through the Midwest since Wednesday have officially taken the lives of 18 Americans, including at least two children, as the East Coast braces for impact. Among the fatalities were a boy, 5, found in a storm-battered home in Arkansas; a nine-year-old boy named Gabriel Andrews who was swept away by floodwaters while walking to his bus stop in Kentucky; and a 74-year-old who was found dead in a fully-submerged vehicle in Nelson County, according to CNN. A 16-year-old volunteer firefighter in Missouri also died in a crash while seeking to rescue people caught in the storm, and in Tennessee, a Carroll County Electric Department lineman died on the job. The state has reported the most deaths from the wild weather that battered the state and left towns fully flooded, with 10 storm-related deaths. Half of those were in McNairy County, where an EF3 tornado on Thursday damaged 332 buildings, leveling 108, the Emergency Management Agency announced on social media. But the deluge isn't yet over, as rivers continue to rise and torrential rains persisted across the South and Midwest, threatening the already waterlogged communities with 'moderate to major' flooding, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly 22 million people are now at risk of severe storms, as the system moves east. John Clayton, 56, carries his cat in a kayak as the Kentucky River begins to flood his house on Sunday Excessive rainfall flooded parts of Casey County, Kentucky Structural damage is visible at Christ Community Church after a tornado struck on Thursday in Paducah, Kentucky Storm-damaged homes and broken trees are seen Thursday in Selmer, Tennessee The highest-risk zone for wild weather now extends from northern Georgia to eastern Louisiana, and includes cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, Mobile and New Orleans. A tornado watch is also in effect for southern and eastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and western and northern Georgia - affecting 8 million people. If any tornadoes did form on Sunday, it would mark the eleventh consecutive day with twisters reported somewhere in the country, according to CNN. There were four tornadoes reported on Saturday, along with 87 reports of severe weather, 78 reports of high wind and five reports of hail. Over a foot of rain has now fallen across the mid-South since Wednesday, setting over a dozen daily rainfall records in Arkansas and Tennessee. As a result of the deluge, more than 118,500 people remained without power across the Midwest as of Sunday evening, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks outage reports. At the same time, there were 898 delays and 29 flight cancelations, following 523 domestic and international flights canceled within the U.S. and more than 6,900 delayed on Saturday, per FlightAware. Major highways were also left impassible in Kentucky and Tennessee due to the rising water levels, including sections of Interstate-40 in Memphis and Interstate-69 in Kentucky. The National Weather Service is now urging drivers to 'turn around' if they encounter flooded roadways, and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky declared: 'Turn around, don't drown is more than saying it's the difference between life and death,' Wide Open Country reports. Thomas Fenwick, 42, and Jo Rodriguez, 33, embrace as their neighborhood floods on Sunday in Frankfort, Kentucky Meanwhile, utility companies from Texas through Ohio scrambled to shut off power and gas, while cities closed roads and deployed sandbags to protect homes and businesses. In Frankfort, Kentucky, rescue crews checking up on residents in the state capital had to traverse inundated streets in inflatable boats. 'As long as Ive been alive - and Im 52 - this is the worst Ive ever seen it,' said Wendy Quire, the general manager at the Brown Barrel restaurant in downtown Frankfort. As the swollen Kentucky River kept rising on Sunday, officials diverted traffic and turned off utilities to businesses in the city built around it, Quire said. 'The rain just wont stop. Its been nonstop for days and days,' she said. For many, as the rain kept falling, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come. 'This flooding is an act of God,' said Kevin Gordon, a front desk clerk at the Ashbrook Hotel in downtown Frankfort. The hotel was still open Sunday and offering discounted stays to affected locals, but Gordon said the hotel could eventually be forced to closed. A storm-damaged home is seen on Thursday in Selmer, Tennessee Structural damage is visible at Christ Community Church after a tornado struck on Thursday State officials have since ordered evacuations in parts of the state, including in Montgomery County, where the Kentucky River is forecast to crest at 47 feet - high enough to cause near record flooding, according to the New York Times. Flood warnings also remain in effect in Tennessee and Alabama. The National Weather Service has even warned on Sunday dozens of locations in multiple states were expected to reach a 'major flood stage,' with extensive flooding of structures, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure possible. It said on Sunday there is still some threat for heavy rainfall and flash flooding for portions of the Southeast and the Gulf Coast region going through this evening and overnight.' Communities in areas affected by flooding 'should prepare for possible long duration and severe disruptions to daily life,' with 10 to 15 inches of rain expected over the weekend. It was shortly after 10pm last Thursday when Viktoriia thought her luck had finally run out. She heard the gentle humming noise every Ukrainian fears most and then... a deafening explosion. Her chandelier crashed to the floor. Seconds later, another blast shook the walls of her fourth-floor apartment. Flowerpots flew off her shelves. As she sprinted for cover, a third explosion shattered her windows, twisted the door frames and slammed the 53-year-old HR manager into the wall. 'A little longer, just a few minutes, maybe even less and that would have been it,' said Viktoriia, who later found part of the Iranian-made Geran-2 kamikaze drone on the couch next to her front window. She was still trembling from her brush with death when we arrived within an hour of the attack on civilians in Kharkiv. 'Only now I've calmed down a little I couldn't even speak before,' she said. While she counts herself lucky, her home has been ripped apart. One floor up, her son and daughter-in-law's apartment was totally destroyed. Thankfully, they made it to a shelter in time. The attack on the Novobavarskyi district, involving suicide drones, killed a couple in their 30s and their 12-year-old daughter together with a 45-year-old neighbour. An 88-year-old man later died from his injuries. It was shortly after 10pm last Thursday when Viktoriia thought her luck had finally run out Anastasiia (pictured), 21, stood traumatised, cradling her dog Busia on the street, having narrowly escaped being hit by a blast which knocked her to the floor Dozens more were hurt, with hundreds more left traumatised. They included Olha, 53, whose son's home was destroyed. He is a soldier who went missing while fighting the Russian invaders over two years ago. 'I don't have a son anymore and now I don't have an apartment either,' she said, breaking down in tears. 'Everything is gone.' Anastasiia, 21, stood traumatised, cradling her dog Busia on the street, having narrowly escaped being hit by a blast which knocked her to the floor. Nearby, Oleksandr, 21, clutched a box containing his two cats after he had helped a frail neighbour who had been hurt by shattered glass reach medics. Three years into the war, and with the focus on the conflict in the Middle East, little attention is being paid any more to what the Ukrainians are still suffering. Today, president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was increasing its aerial bombardment after it mounted a 'massive' overnight missile and drone attack, killing two people and wounding at least seven. Over the past week, Russia has launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and over 30 missiles, he said. A ballistic missile attack on his hometown of Kryvyi Rih, which killed 18 people on Friday, hit the headlines. But what happened in Kharkiv barely registered outside the country. There has only been one day this year when Vladimir Putin has not launched attacks on civilians. His forces send in 100 or so kamikaze drones along with a handful of missiles. For Ukrainians, this is the terrible game of Russian roulette which they must endure each night. Yet Putin's favourite negotiator Kirill Dmitriev last week praised Donald Trump for his 'de-escalation' of the war during a visit to Washington. The attack on the Novobavarskyi district (pictured), involving suicide drones, killed a couple in their 30s and their 12-year-old daughter together with a 45-year-old neighbour. An 88-year-old man later died from his injuries The US President has yet to call out these strikes on civilians, nor heed Mr Zelensky's calls to force Moscow to halt them as a precursor to peace. In cities like Kharkiv, most residents have stopped paying attention to the air raid sirens, which sound half a dozen times each day. With Ukraine's second city now home to 1.3million, including about half a million internally displaced people, they would rather take the chance that they will not be hit than spend their days cowering in shelters. Some monitor social media channels which track the drones on their 30-minute journey towards a pre-determined target. But for many, they only know if the strike is coming when they hear that distinctive hum. For Maryna, who lives five minutes' drive from Viktoriia's apartment, she too thought that day had come last Thursday. Amid the explosions, she sprinted from her block just as a kamikaze drone smashed into the building opposite. 'It was a direct hit,' said the 45-year-old mother. 'Everything was completely in flames. It was terrifying. Ever since the war started, we have been through it all planes, S-300s [missiles], everything. 'But it was the scariest night. For the first time during all of this, I really want to leave.' The drone which killed her neighbours has an accuracy of about 15 metres, roughly the distance between their homes. 'It was just luck,' she said of her survival. 'I don't know what angels saved us.' Additional reporting by Olha Cherenkova Vaccine skeptic health boss Robert F Kennedy Jr. was met with mass vitriol and backlash after revealing he visited the epicenter of the measles outbreak to attend the funeral of a second unvaccinated child who died of the virus. The US Health Secretary, and known vaccine critic, traveled to West Texas to comfort the families who have buried two young girls, aged six and eight. Daisy Hildebrand died on Thursday amid the mass measles outbreak, as cases near 500 in and around the epicenter of Gaines County. Just weeks earlier, six-year-old Kayley Fehr became the first child to die of the measles in a decade in the United States. 'My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief,' Kennedy wrote on X. In his post, Kennedy tried to urge followers and communities to take the MMR vaccine, insisting it is 'the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.' But Kennedy has built his reputation and brand around vaccine skepticism as the longstanding face of the anti vaccine nonprofit Childrens Health Defense - a role which he stepped down from ahead of being sworn in as the Department of Health Secretary. 'Maybe supporting RFK Jr. wasn't such a great idea after all,' one critic wrote on X. 'Thank you for installing RFK Jr. into HHS... no telling how many people will die unnecessarily,' another wrote. Vaccine skeptic health boss Robert F Kennedy Jr. was met with mass vitriol and backlash after revealing he visited the epicenter of the measles outbreak The little girl died on Thursday amid the mass measles outbreak, as cases top 500 in and around the epicenter of Gaines County 'RobertKennedyJr needs to be FIRED for his total incompetence and damage he's doing by pushing Vitamins that are sending kids to the hospital over vaccines.' Simultaneously, staunch, long term RFK supporters who have defended his vaccine skepticism are furious that he has 'sold out' his beliefs by promoting the MMR. 'RFK Jr. in a 2021 book wrote that Americans had been misled into believing that measles is a deadly disease. He said measles outbreaks had been fabricated to push people towards vaccines,' one former supporter pointed out. 'I was most hopeful that you wouldn't be the one to sell your soul so easily. You've made it quite obvious that there will be no meaningful change. Evil will continue to prevail,' another said. 'Sad day to hear you back track on this. I never thought you would. So disappointing!' Another said they thought 'Bobby was one of the good guys' before the post. Daisy died Thursday from 'what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure,' and did not have underlying health conditions, the Texas State Department of State Health Services said Sunday. Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock, said that the child was 'receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized.' President Trump said on board Air Force 1 on Sunday that his administration would respond 'very strongly' if the crisis continues to worsen. 'It's a fairly small number of people relative to what we're talking about... this is not something new and we'll see what happens, but certainly if something progresses, we'll have to take action very strongly,' he told reporters. There are concerns for the West Texas community as the measles continues to rip through The second little girl to die from measles in Texas this year was farewelled in a funeral on Sunday (pictured) The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for more than 60 years and is 97 percent effective against measles after two doses. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention teams have been 'redeployed,' Kennedy added. The nation's public health agency never relayed it had pulled back. Neither the CDC nor the state health department included the death in their measles reports issued Friday, but the CDC acknowledged it when asked Sunday. The devastating spread of the virus comes as RFK Jr implemented sweeping cuts to his department, including a reported 2,400 from the CDC, which works to prevent diseases caused by infections, genetics, environmental poisons and other causes. The number of cases in Texas shot up by 81 between March 28 and April 4, and 16 more people were hospitalized. Nationwide, the US has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024. Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a liver doctor whose vote helped cinch Kennedy's confirmation, called Sunday for stronger messaging from health officials in a post on X. 'Everyone should be vaccinated! There is no treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles,' he wrote. 'Top health officials should say so unequivocally b/4 another child dies.' He was inundated with criticism from furious voters who noted he helped to ensure Kennedy ascended to the top Health Department role. Huge cuts have taken place to the health department, sparking fears about who is left to handle the outbreak 'Remember that time you voted to confirm a life long anti vaccine activist as HHS Secretary?' one said. 'You supported RFK Jr to lead our public health agencies - a man who has been the pre-eminent anti-vax leader globally. When you had a chance to make a real impact on an issue you claim to deeply care about, you were a coward to the MAGA cult.' Cassidy has requested Kennedy to appear before his health committee Thursday, although Kennedy has not publicly confirmed whether he will attend. Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration's former vaccine chief, said responsibility for the death rests with Kennedy and his staff. Marks was forced out of the FDA after disagreements with Kennedy over vaccine safety. 'This is the epitome of an absolute needless death,' Marks told The Associated Press on Sunday. 'These kids should get vaccinated - that's how you prevent people from dying of measles.' Marks also said he recently warned US senators that more deaths would occur if the administration didn't mount a more aggressive response to the outbreak. Experts and local health officials expect the outbreak to go on for several more months if not a year. In West Texas, the vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated people and children younger than 17. The former head of MI6 has suggested Britain may need to introduce a form of conscription in the face of new international threats. Sir Alex Younger said the Government could require powers to compel Britons to 'give their service one way or another'. The ex-spy suggested a new type of enrolment would stop short of full military service for all. 'In extremis, I think we'd be looking at something like the model I understand exists in places like Sweden, where the government theoretically has the power to compel people to give their service one way or another, but doesn't exercise it except in areas where it's really needed,' he told the BBC's Today Podcast. Sir Alex said he was not proposing 'blanket conscription' but that he was interested in 'ways in which the broader country would participate and contribute to security in a time of an emergency'. Sweden reintroduced a form of conscription for over-18s in 2017 in response to Russia's invasion of Crimea. In a separate development, families have been warned to pack a 72-hour 'survival kit' in case Russian attacks on energy pipelines plunge Britain into a blackout. Households should be 'ready for all eventualities', security sources told The Mail on Sunday, to prepare for possible sabotage of the UK's infrastructure by Vladimir Putin. Each stockpile of emergency supplies should include enough bottled water and non-perishable food for each family member for three days. It should also include medicines, a battery-powered radio and torch, identity documents and a Swiss army knife, it was suggested. The former head of MI6 has suggested Britain may need to introduce a form of conscription Sir Alex Younger said the Government could require powers to compel Britons to 'give their service Ssources told The Mail on Sunday, households should prepare for possible sabotage of the UK's infrastructure by Vladimir Putin The warning comes in the wake of increasing concern over Russian activity in the North Sea close to crucial energy links with continental Europe. One of Putin's spy ships, the Yantar, was detected mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure in recent months. In another development, sensors thought to have been planted by Russia to spy on Britain's Vanguard nuclear submarines have been found in waters off the coast. Nearly 40 per cent of the UK's gas supply is imported from Norway, much of which comes through the single, 700-mile Langeled pipeline. Vital telecommunications cables also run undersea. When it comes to royal weddings, every detail, from the dress, the decorations, the service, the guest list, and the menu, is meticulously planned to ensure it goes off without a hitch. They are, after all, events of national importance, not a regular family affair. But the high profile nature of the events often means greater scrutiny, which can understandably lead to stress. Prince Harry admitted in his memoir while drinking with friends on the eve of his wedding in April 2018, one of them commented he 'seemed a bit distracted', with him replying: 'Yes, well. There's been a lot going on.' He wasn't lying. In the leadup to his and Meghan Markle's big day there had been reports of numerous rows, ranging from disputes over the catering, a fight over the tiara, and an argument with the then Dutchess of Cambridge Catherine over a bridesmaid dress that ended in tears. So when Harry and Meghan walked into the same venue they got married in, St George's Chapel near Windsor Castle, five months later for his cousin Eugene's wedding - he noticed she had decided to do things differently. Although both were lavish celebrations, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's daughter had opted for a more traditional ceremony and invited 150 more guests than her older cousin. But while the Sussexes waited in the church for the ceremony to begin, Harry seemed to marvel at the differences - to the apparent annoyance of his wife. Meghan Markle appeared to tell off Prince Harry in St George's Chapel before Princess Eugenie walked down the aisle in October 2018 It appears Harry had mentioned the differences in the chapel compared to their big day five months prior, but Meghan gesticulated at him before turning away to speak with Zara Tindall Prince Harry looked sheepish after the brief exchange and then fiddled with his suit jacket Footage from the event shows Meghan seeming telling him off as he fidgeted and interrupted her as she chatted to Zara Tindall. She fired a few words back at him and briefly gesticulated before turning away from him to continue speaking with Zara. Lip readers' accounts of the conversation were inconclusive due to Harry turning his head to the side as he spoke to Meghan. At one point the couple appeared to be discussing the chapel, as Harry said: 'Everything's different'. To which Meghan snapped back: 'Yes, of course, that's the way.' She then appeared to gesture with her hands at how full the venue was as she said: 'Fill up as much.' But Body language expert Judi James noted their strained poses and facial expressions. She told Femail at the time: 'Harry appears to be anxious and fidgety when they sit in their choir seats, rocking about and fiddling with the tails of his jacket. The bride and groom: Jack Brooksbank and Eugenie leaving the chapel after the wedding ceremony Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank walk down the aisle as the choir sang after they were married at St George's Chapel Members of the Royal family sit in pews behind Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank Despite the awkwardness of the family drama displayed around them, Eugenie and Jack always looked like the ultimate loved-up couple Princess Catherine speaks with Prince Harry and Meghan while waiting inside St George's Chapel 'Meghan looks calmer and politely sociable, chatting in a much more demure way to Zara in the seat in front. 'Harry starts to talk to her and she performs a subtle eye-dart to her left, a bit like a mother whose kid is trying to interrupt her grown up conversation. 'She turns to Harry and seems to have a slightly firmer conversation, raising her hands and then bringing them together and using a small head-baton gesture for emphasis. 'Meghan leans back towards Zara, resuming her polite social smile along with their conversation. 'Harry rubs his face, chews his lips and leans into the side of his seat like a child that has just been told to sit still.' The apparent dressing down probably wasn't how Harry imagined the day to go, as he and Meghan had specifically postponed the departure of their Royal Tour to Australia to attend the ceremony. Although the Prince has now fallen out with most of his family, he and Eugenie are still friends as they have always had a special relationship. Their connection is rooted not only in their shared experience as young royals and younger siblings finding their own path in life, but also as children of parents whose dirty laundry was aired in the press. Childhood bond: Prince Harry (left) and Prince William with Princess Eugenie (left) and Princess Beatrice on a family holiday to Klosters, Switzerland, in 1995 The bride and groom leaving Windsor Castle and heading to Royal Lodge for their evening reception 'Out of all the Queen's grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections,' Sussex-friendly authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in their biography Finding Freedom. So of course Harry wanted to be there as she married Jack Brooksbank, the UK brand manager for Casamigos Tequila, a company founded by George Clooney. But Eugenie wanted a more formal affair than Harry, requesting men wear morning coats to the nuptials on October 12. In contrast Harry and Meghan gave men the option of wearing a morning coat, military uniform or a more casual lounge suit to their wedding at the same venue in May. Eugenie's ceremony was more muted than the Sussexes, with Zara Tindall telling Harry 'it's very quiet compared to the screaming at your wedding'. The service was more traditional than Harry and Meghan's more multicultural gospel ceremony, with a greater focus on hymns and choral music. There was also opera star Andrea Bocelli's spine-tingling rendition of Ave Maria but a reading by Princess Eugenie from The Great Gatsby was an unconventional touch as was using abstract art on the back cover of the Order of Service. The guests included 850 royals, aristocrats, VIPs and friends, with the security operation to protect them costing taxpayers 2million. Princess Eugenie of York and her husband Jack Brooksbank leave after their wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018 Prince Philip, Meghan, Prince William and Catherine walk out together at the wedding However the Queen and the Duke of York paid for the wedding from their own funds, the Palace said. A-listers at the wedding included Naomi Campbell, Liv Tyler, Demi Moore, Robbie Williams, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt and Kate Moss. And thousands of members of the public lined the streets of Windsor to catch a glimpse of the couple whose bridesmaids and pageboys included Princess Charlotte and Prince George. Brooksbank drove his wife to the reception at Royal Lodge in an Aston Martin DB10, one of the eight made for the 007 movie Spectre. It was reported at the time that Harry and Meghan were keen not to overshadow the biggest day of the couple's life, and instead of walking through the main entrance they entered via a side door followed by William and Kate. But it later emerged that the Sussexes were indeed happy to steal some of Eugenie's attention by sharing their own good news. They were pregnant with their first child, Archie and though some were delighted to hear about the news, choosing to share the the announcement at his cousin's wedding left some in the family a little disgruntled. 'The various gatherings connected to the wedding would give us a chance to pull aside family members one by one and tell them our good news,' Harry wrote in his memoir Spare. Prince Harry, with his wife Meghan, talking to the late Queen Elizabeth outside St George's Chapel after Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding in 2018 Sarah Ferguson, pictured wearing a Eugenie bracelet, wanted the whole day to be about her daughter and was reportedly left 'furious' after Harry and Meghan told guests they were expecting a baby The bride's mother, Sarah Ferguson, spots people she knows as she arrives at the wedding They told Prince Charles shortly before Eugenie and Jack's drinks reception at Windsor while he was in his study. Charles was 'delighted to learn that he was going to be a grandfather for a fourth time,' Harry wrote. The Duke and Duchess also informed Prince William later on, after the drinks reception, with Kate later congratulating them. The Queen and Prince Philip were also told in person at the wedding celebrations. However, the big news coming at the same time as Eugenie's and Jack's celebrations was not welcomed by everyone in the Royal Family. 'Many wondered why Meghan chose to reveal her news on the bride's big day,' Tom Bower wrote in his book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors. Eugenie and her mother, Sarah Ferguson, were particularly displeased by the timing and were said to be 'furious'. 'Meghan put her foot in it when she decided that it would be the ideal moment to announce that she and Harry were expecting their first child. 'This was a huge social gaffe, even if you were not a Royal stealing the limelight from Eugenie, who was furious, as was her mother, Sarah,' wrote Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett in Royals at War: The Untold Story of Harry And Meghan's Shocking Split With The House Of Windsor. Princess Eugenie arriving at her wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor on October 12, 2018 Since their big day, the couple have had two sons. Pictured, Eugenie and Jack with their eldest son August in February 2021 Their appearance at the event caused the social media rumour mill to go into overdrive after Meghan wore a wide-fitting Givenchy coat to the service Harry was spotted repeatedly rubbing her lower back. The couple made their official baby announcement to the public through official channels via Kensington Palace days later on October 15, 2018. But Harry and Meghan's dramas seemed to be a relatively minor episode in an otherwise hugely successful day. Even Fergie and Prince Philip put aside their differences and were pictured together for the first time in 26 years. Philip never forgave Fergie for the notorious occasion she was pictured having American financial advisor John Bryant suck her toes in 1992. She and Prince Andrew divorced in 1996, and despite now living together at the grand Royal Lodge, they were not allowed to remarry because Philip forbade it. Despite the awkwardness of the family drama displayed around them, Eugenie and Jack always looked like the ultimate loved-up couple. Since their big day, they have had two sons, August, born on February 9, 2021, and Ernest, on May 30, 2023. And Eugenie seems to have forgiven Harry for upstaging her day by dropping the news of Meghan's pregnancy, as the cousins are still reportedly close. After being admitted to hospital and undergoing a procedure for an existing heart condition, Prince Philip died peacefully in his sleep at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021. The Queen had been so determined to be with her husband when he died that she barely left his side in the last few weeks of his life. But the Duke of Edinburgh, who was aged 99, 'slipped away so quickly', according to Gyles Brandreth, that palace staff were unable to wake her in time to say goodbye. Brandreth, who occupies a unique position as both friend and biographer of the Royal Family, wrote in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait that Philip was not afraid of dying. 'Death is part of life,' he told Brandreth. 'You've got to face it. You've got to accept it - with a good grace.' He laughed. 'When you get to my age, there's a lot of it about.' Death had been part of Prince Philip's life from the beginning. His grandfather, King George I of Greece, was assassinated some years before he was born. And his favourite sister, Cecile, was killed in an aeroplane accident when he was still a teenager. His favourite uncle (and guardian), George Milford Haven, died of cancer soon afterwards. His father, Prince Andrew of Greece, died when Philip was just 23. His other favourite uncle, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was murdered by the IRA in 1979. 'I'm quite ready to die,' the Duke said to Brandreth. 'It's what happens - sooner or later. I certainly don't want to hang on until I am 100, like Queen Elizabeth [the Queen Mother]. I can't imagine anything worse. The Duke of Edinburgh takes off his hat as a mark of respect at his last individual public engagement in 2017 Prince Philip and the then Princess Elizabeth during their honeymoon at the Broadlands Estate in Romsey, Hampshire, in 1947 The couple walking through Broadlands Estate to mark their diamond wedding anniversary in November 2007 'I have absolutely no desire to cling on to life unnecessarily. Ghastly prospect.' Although Brandreth is convinced that Philip 'died happy', his death understandably left a 'huge void' in the Queen's life. Speaking on her behalf in the days after his death, Prince Andrew said: 'The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person. 'She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we're there to support her.' The Duke of York said the Queen had 'described his passing as a miracle', thought to refer to the fact Prince Philip died peacefully at home and not alone in hospital under Covid regulations. Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, who was attending a Windsor church service alongside Andrew, told a congregation member: 'It was right for him [Prince Philip]. 'It was so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went. Very, very peaceful, and thats all you want for somebody, isnt it? I think its so much easier for the person that goes than for people that are left behind.' The Queen, who famously described Prince Philip as her 'strength and stay', was forced to 'walk alone' from that point onwards. The last photograph of Philip with the Queen was in November 2020, where they looked at a homemade card given to them by their great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for their 73rd wedding anniversary The Duke of Edinburgh, seen arriving home at Windsor Castle on March 16 - the final picture of him in public Philip's funeral, which took place the weekend after his death, would be the first time Prince Harry saw the Royal Family since his bombshell interview with Oprah. Ever stoic, the Queen is believed to have discussed the arrangements with Prince William, including how her feuding grandsons would walk behind the coffin. 'Elizabeth was coping with her bereavement by personally supervising every detail of her husband's farewell - complicated as it was by the Covid requirement that there be no more than 30 mourners in the chapel,' Robert Lacey explained in his book Battle of Brothers. Harry, who attended the funeral alone as his wife Meghan was heavily pregnant, walked in line beside Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips who served as a 'diplomatic buffer' between the brothers, wrote Lacey. At the time, body language expert Judi James observed that the brothers 'almost looked like strangers', noting their lack of acknowledgment towards one another. She added that Harry appeared 'desperate to avoid' his brother. But it was a picture of the Queen sitting six-feet away from her family members and wearing a black mask that broke hearts across the nation - and served somewhat of an allegory of the times. Only 29 other mourners - including Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry - were allowed inside St George's Chapel as social distancing rules were still in place. Immediately after Prince Philip's funeral, the Queen returned to her apartment in Windsor Castle in silence. Prince Philip was in hospital following a heart procedure when Prince Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey aired in March 2021 Harry, who attended Philip's funeral alone as his wife was heavily pregnant, maintained a noticeable distance from William Philip's coffin had his standard, navy cap and a sword given to him by the Queen's father when they had married 73 years before. The Queen, all in black, sat alone as it was placed ahead of the altar Queen Elizabeth sits alone at the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021 due to coronavirus restrictions 'I helped her off with her coat and hat and no words were spoken,' senior dresser Ms Kelly told royal expert Brandreth. 'The Queen then walked to her sitting room, closed the door behind her, and she was alone with her thoughts.' Though her grief was private, in public the Queen was determined to carry on as normal. 'Life goes on,' she said. 'It has to.' The surface of Mars looks like an empty red wasteland. But if you look a bit closer, the remnants of an ancient alien civilization begin to take shape. At least, that's the conclusion of George J. Haas, the founder and premier investigator of the Mars research group known as The Cydonia Institute. In his new book, 'The Great Architects of Mars,' Haas analyzed dozens of photos of structures on the Martian surface that he is sure are man-made. Those include pyramids, a keyhole-shaped formation and even one that looks like a parrot. According to the author, these formations may be the remnants of once-magnificent cities, towering pyramids, gigantic geoglyphs and more. Geometry, Haas said, is the marker of civilization. He has spent more than 30 years meticulously studying NASA images of the Martian surface to look for geometric features and patterns that can't be explained by nature alone. As a formally trained artist, Haas has an eye for deciphering the subtle differences between a natural formation and an object that was intentionally crafted. 'You don't have to be a geologist to know the difference between a rock and a sculpture something that's geometric,' he told DailyMail.com. The 'keyhole' structure on the surface of Mars consists of two main parts: a wedge-shaped formation and an attached circular dome However, scientists have said Haas' claims are a result of 'pareidolia,' a common brain phenomenon in which a person sees faces in random images or patterns. 'Sometimes we see faces that aren't really there,' explained Robin Kramer, Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology, at University of Lincoln, in an article for The Conversation. 'You may be looking at the front of a car or a burnt piece of toast when you notice a face-like pattern. 'This is called face pareidolia and is a mistake made by the brain's face detection system.' Even so, Haas is sure that the structures in the images prove there is life on Mars. 1. The keyhole In 2011, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft snapped a photo of a bizarre formation on the surface of Libya Montes, an area of high-elevation on Mars. The raised structure consists of two main parts: a wedge-shaped formation and an attached circular dome. Together, they resemble an enormous exclamation mark. The Mars keyhole structure bears resemblance to the Kofun Tomb in Japan (pictured) 'Traditionally, the basic shape of a conjoined wedge and dome formation are commonly referred to as a keyhole,' Haas wrote. In 2013, the 'exquisite' geometry of this strange landform captured his attention. Three years later, Haas and several colleagues published a formal analysis of the keyhole in the Journal of Space Exploration, concluding that its geometry and symmetry suggest it could have been intelligently built. Without considering that possibility, 'there's no way you can explain that keyhole formation,' Haas said. 'While there are known geological mechanisms that are capable of creating and destroying the individual angles and planes presented in this formation, the natural creation of two opposing geometrically designed formations seems to go well beyond the probability of chance,' the author explained. Haas also pointed out the keyhole's similarity to monuments constructed by New World, Middle Eastern, and Japanese cultures, such as the Kofun Tomb in Japan. 2. Parrot geoglyph The parrot geoglyph has 22 points of anatomical correctness, according to Haas A sketch of the parrot geoglyphs' shape In 2002, independent researcher Wilmer Faust noticed an odd shape captured in a Mars Global Surveyor image of the large-impact crater known as Argyre Basin. He showed the image to Haas and his colleagues at The Cydonia Institute, highlighting features throughout the area's topography that looked like a head with an eye and beak, a mound-shaped body, a leg and foot, and an extended wing with feathers. In his new book, 'The Great Architects of Mars,' George J. Haas analyzed dozens of photos of structures on the Martian surface that appear to be man-made 'After seeing the image, I immediately saw the parrot formation,' Haas noted. This bizarre structure has since become known as the 'parrot geoglyph,' or 'Parrotopia.' A geoglyph is a large design or image made on the ground using stones, gravel, mounds of earth or other natural objects. The human brain tends to look for familiar patterns in abstract shapes, like when you see a face in the clouds. But the parrot geoglyph is different. '[Cloud shapes] are usually just silhouettes,' Haas explained. 'They don't have a lot of secondary or tertiary detail. There's no eyes, there's no irises, there's no eyelids, there's no eyebrows... That's what we have with the parrot.' 'It's got 22 points of anatomical correctness... It's a sculpture, it's a work of art,' Haas contended. Five different veterinarians, including an avian specialist, confirmed the lifelike anatomy of this Martian structure, the author added. Geoglyphs can be found in many different locations on Earth, such as Peru, Israel, England, Australia, and even in the US. However, Haas wrote that there are no geoglyphs anywhere on Earth which match the fine detail of the parrot on Mars. 3. The Sagan pyramids The Sagan pyramids are three-sided pyramids located on Mars that caught the attention of famed astronomer Carl Sagan in the 1970s While gathering information about Mars' atmosphere and mapping the planet's surface in 1972, NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft captured an image of anomalous formations in the Elysium area the second largest volcanic region on the planet. These triangular, three-sided pyramids stood out amid steep-sided volcanic cones and impact craters. At an average height of more than 3,200 feet and a width of nearly 10,000 feet, they would dwarf even the largest pyramids on Earth. George J. Haas is the founder and premier investigator of the Mars research group known as The Cydonia Institute, and the author of 'The Great Architects of Mars' The pyramids caught the attention of renowned astronomer Carl Sagan, who speculated that they might have been made by high winds and harsh sand blasting large mounds of rock and dirt into pyramid shapes. But even the late astronomer acknowledged that scientists would need to observe these formations up close to actually determine what they are and how they were made. While Haas does not rule out Sagan's explanation, he thinks it's possible that these pyramids were built by intelligent beings, and notes that there is some evidence to suggest this region of Mars could have supported ancient life. 'Recent data suggests that volcanic activity may have occurred as recently as 53,000 years ago, creating an environment that was suitable for supporting life,' Haas said. 'Water had also left its mark on the region in the form of riverbeds and canyons.' What's more, Haas argued that natural pyramid formations tend to be cone-shaped and lack similarly-sized faces. And while three-sided pyramids are very rare on Earth, they do exist. One of them lies just 65 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada in the top secret military base known as Area 51. This pyramid is part of the Big Explosives Experimental Facility at the Nevada National Security Site. 'I believe it is fair to say that this triangular formation looks a lot like the three-sided pyramid that Sagan saw in the original Mariner 9 images,' Haas noted. 4. The Martian Atlantis Complex A detailed view of the Martian Atlantis Complex The Martian Atlantis Complex resembles the city of Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia (pictured) The Atlantis Chaos region of Mars, located in the planet's southern hemisphere, is characterized by areas of blocky, steep-sided mesas interspersed with deep valleys. Scientists generally believe this terrain resulted from the slow erosion of a once-continuous solid plateau, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). But in 2019, Greg Orme of the Society for Planetary SETI Research pointed out that part of the Atlantis Chaos region captured in a NASA image contained the remains of a 'tightly-knit grid of cellular formations.' Then, independent researcher Javed Raza took a closer look at the image and began highlighting linear formations that appeared to be part of a 'massive city-like complex.' 'Raza suggested that the arrangements of these evenly spaced foundations with broken walls and towers are typical of the kind of remains one would see in built-up areas on Earth,' Haas wrote. Further analysis revealed that the entire 'city complex' can be divided into two distinct 'twin' cities, one Eastern and the other Western. The cubic grid design of the Eastern City resembles the remains of mudbrick and stone adobe houses built throughout the midwestern US and at Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia a once-bustling city that became largely unoccupied in the 1980s. The Western City also shares similarities with another terrestrial metropolis: Berlin. Specifically, a small section of this Martian terrain resembles a bombed-out area of the German city during World War II. 5. The starburst structure The starburst structure on the surface of Mars The starburst structure is roughly the same shape as Fort Henry in Tennessee (pictured) While studying ESA images of the Nepenthes Mensae region of Mars, a rugged, flat-topped plateau in the planet's eastern hemisphere, an odd-shaped formation caught Haas' eye. The raised patch of land resembled an irregular star shape 'with five radiating arms that stretch out like a giant starfish.' 'There is a large mound positioned at its northernmost point and three smaller mounds of various sizes located at its center. The formation projects so much energy in its shape and design that I have titled it Starburst,' Haas said. The author believes the Starburst bears strong resemblance to a star fort with triangular bastions at each corner, which were commonly found in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, and in America during colonization and the Civil War period. 'Many of these star-shaped fortifications included interior buildings and had raised platforms within their main structure allowing military fire over the main ramparts,' he explained. The Starburst looks especially similar to Fort Henry, which was built on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River in 1861 to defend the river and the critical railroad route between Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Memphis, Tennessee. 'When Fort Henry is compared to the Starburst structure found on Mars their common polygonal star design is remarkably similar,' Haas continued. 'Notice the various sizes and shapes of the extending bastions of Fort Henry and its truncated star point at the tip. It is this truncated section of Fort Henry that looks very similar to the blunted star point observed on the Starburst structure on Mars.' Uncovering a lost alien civilization Haas' work raises intriguing questions about how certain structures on the Martian surface came to be. But in order to confirm his theory that these formations are the remnants of an ancient alien civilization, scientists would need to take a much closer look. Although humans have never stepped foot on the Red Planet before, that could become a reality within the next decade. 'Elon [Musk] wants to go there next year,' Haas said. Indeed, the SpaceX Chief Executive has set an ambitious goal of launching the first uncrewed Starship mission to Mars in 2026, and hopes to send astronauts there by 2029. Haas hopes that once humanity establishes a presence on the Red Planet, scientists can actually begin investigating some of these unusual structures to learn how they formed or were built. 'Mars is just going to be a treasure trove of technology and all kinds of information,' he told DailyMail.com. From friendly smiley faces to cheeky aubergines, emoji now form a staple part of many of our messages. While most popular characters are harmless fun, other seemingly-innocent symbols have secret sinister meanings. Viewers of the hit Netflix show, Adolescence, were shocked to learn of the double meanings behind emoji including the '100', pill, beans, and orange heart. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. MailOnline's interactive chart reveals the true meaning of 60 popular emoji. Some of the emoji - including the pill, mushroom, and balloon - are code for drugs, while others have Neo-Nazi connotations. And if you spot your child sending a fruit emoji, it could indicate that they're talking about sex. So, do you know the meanings behind these 'sinister' emoji? Hover over each character to find out what it really means. Your browser does not support iframes. MailOnline's interactive chart is based on a table created by education charity, For Working Parents. It exposes 60 seemingly innocent symbols being used to hide disturbing messages across six categories. This includes drugs, violence, sex, self-harm, extremism, and incels (involuntary celibates). Amit Kalley, the founder of For Working Parents, urged parents to 'keep researching and asking the right questions' about their children's digital lives. 'I created it to raise awareness and to be a helpful tool for parents to spark important conversations with their children,' he explained on Instagram. 'It's not exhaustive and, of course, it can be interpreted in ways not intended.' Drugs The table includes 11 emoji that are secretly related to drugs. The 'snowman', 'snowflake', or 'eight ball' emoji can all be used as code for the various slang names of cocaine 'Every generation has its own drug slang, and the terms and shorthand change with every passing decade,' Bark explained What the emoji in Netflix's Adolescence mean Red pill - incel - incel Dynamite - incel - incel 100 - incel - incel Kidney beans - incel - incel Red heart - love - love Purple heart - horny - horny Yellow heart - I'm interested - I'm interested Pink heart - I'm interested, but not in sex - I'm interested, but not in sex Orange heart - you're going to be fine Advertisement The 'snowman', 'snowflake', or 'eight ball' emoji can all be used as code for the various slang names of cocaine. Marijuana, meanwhile, can be represented by a wide range of emoji including herbs, leaves, trees, or other plants. The horse emoji might be used to refer to the horse tranquiliser and popular recreational drug ketamine, while the mushroom refers to magic mushrooms. Two popular emoji - the candy and the pill - can be used as code for MDMA, while the dragon refers to heroin, and the balloon to nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Finally, if you see the phone and money emoji being used in conjuction, this may be code for a drug dealer. 'Every generation has its own drug slang, and the terms and shorthand change with every passing decade,' Bark explained. 'For Gen Z, it's a little different. Kids today talk about drugs in a way that adds a new twist, using a language they're fluent in emojis. 'These emojis can look like ordinary, harmless symbols, which means parents may easily overlook them.' Unsurprisingly, the water gun and knife emoji refer to weapons, while the dynamite and pirate flag simply refer to crime in general The emoji that could get you arrested Gun or knife emoji Sending emoji can be interpreted as threatening in certain contexts. Peach, cherry, aubergine, and water drops emoji Legal experts say these emoji have been used in sexual harassment cases. Crown emoji This emoji was a key piece of evidence in a sex-trafficking case after lawyers argued it was code for 'pimp'. Advertisement Violence Ten emoji have been linked to violence, according to For Working Parents. Unsurprisingly, the water gun and knife refer to weapons, while the dynamite and pirate flag simply refer to crime in general. The 'face with crosses for eyes' and skull emoji can be used as code for murder. And while you might think that the ambulance would be a safe emoji to see on your child's phone, this may actually be code for a threat. The lock and key refer to being 'locked up', while the musical note may be a reference to trap music, and the rat emoji could be code for 'snitch'. While no emoji are illegal, the knife and gun are the most common emoji to arise in trials, according to Dr Zakeera Docrat, a forensic linguist from the University of the Western Cape. 'At the moment we are seeing a scourge of sexual violence and gender-based violence,' Dr Docrat told MailOnline. The biggest group is for emoji that refer to sex. Several of these are fairly well known - including the aubergine (penis), peach (bum), tongue (oral sex), and finger (fingering) 'Many perpetrators are opting to use non-verbal communication - emoji - with the view that if it is not in written text or speech there is no crime committed. 'In these types of cases, there is an increase in the use of the aubergine, peach, strawberry, peeled banana, kiss emoji, red heart and the liquid drops.' Sex The biggest group is for emoji that refer to sex. Several of these are fairly well known - including the aubergine (penis), peach (bum), tongue (oral sex), and finger (fingering). However, others will probably surprise you. According to For Working Parents, the donut emoji is code for anal sex, the hotdog means penis, and the cherries refer to genitalia. Meanwhile, the brain emoji refers to oral sex, the corn is code for porn, and the taco could refer to a vagina. According to For Working Parents, the donut emoji is code for anal sex, the hotdog means penis, and the cherries refer to genitalia Self-harm For Working Parents highlights four emoji linked to self-harm. The scissors may refer to cutting, while the flame could be code for burning. Meanwhile, the rain cloud could indicate that your child is feeling low, while the combination of the plate and red cross could suggest they're not eating. Extremism Six popular emoji may be linked to extremism, according to For Working Parents. The 'OK' hand gesture may be code for Far Right, while the crossed swords and black flag are linked with extremism more generally. If you see the hedgehog, lightning bolt, or 1488 emoji, meanwhile, it may be a reference to Neo-Nazis. The 'OK' hand gesture may be code for Far Right, while the crossed swords and black flag are linked with extremism more generally Speaking to the BBC, Jonathan Greenblatt, boss at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), explained: 'Even as extremists continue to use symbols that may be years or decades old, they regularly create new symbols, memes and slogans to express their hateful sentiments. 'We believe law enforcement and the public needs to be fully informed about the meaning of these images, which can serve as a first warning sign to the presence of haters in a community or school.' Incel As a primarily online movement, several emoji have been co-opted by incels looking to proclaim their ideological allegiance or by their opponents to brand men as incels. In particular, the pill emoji is used to show whether someone shares incel beliefs. In an article for The Conversation, Dr Robert Lawson, an expert on sociolinguistics from Birmingham City University, says: 'The cyberpunk blockbuster The Matrix is the source of a key symbol in the manosphere the red pill.' Just like in The Matrix, manosphere influencers describe adopting misogynist views as 'taking the red pill' and waking up from the illusions of the 'Matrix' of conventional thought. Dr Lawson continues: 'In the manosphere, those who have been 'red-pilled' see the world as it really is, understanding the so-called 'real' nature of women's behaviour and dating preferences.' In Adolescence, DI Bascome learns that manosphere-related emoji include the kidney bean emoji (left) and the '100 points' emoji (right) In Adolescence, DI Bascome, played by Ashley Walters, is also told that a dynamite emoji represents an 'exploding red pill' - meaning that someone is an incel. Likewise, Adam explains how the '100' emoji is another incel symbol, related to the '80 to 20 rule.' '80 per cent of women are attracted to 20 per cent of men,' he tells his dad. 'Women, you must trick them because you'll never get them in a normal way.' Finally, Adam claims that a 'kidney bean' emoji commented on someone's post can be used to say that this person is an incel. This emoji's links to the manosphere are less clear but it could be a connection to the coffee emoji which has become a manosphere dog whistle in recent years. Based on an older meme circulated on the messaging board 4Chan and Reddit, the coffee emoji or the phrase 'women coffee' is sometimes used to mock or deride women. Since the 'bean' emoji could also represent a coffee bean, it is possible that it has taken on some of the sexist meanings of the original coffee meme. It may sound like the outlandish plot of a poorly conceived science-fiction flick. But some scientists now claim that humanity, the Earth, and everything else in the universe are really part of a giant holographic projection. While this might sound all too familiar to fans of The Matrix, this bold idea could solve some of physics' most challenging questions. From what happens if you fall into a black hole to what the universe was like right after the Big Bang, thinking of ourselves as holographic might just provide the answer. According to Professor Marika Taylor, a theoretical physicist from the University of Birmingham, the universe is actually two-dimensional. However, just like when you watch a 3D movie on a flat screen, the images on that 2D surface appear to have depth because of how they are projected onto it. So, while you might see the world around you as a complex three-dimensional structure, Professor Taylor claims this is only an illusion. That doesn't mean our lives or the universe are any less real, but it does mean that the cosmos might be a lot stranger than we had previously thought. It might sound eerily familiar to fans of The Matrix (pictured), but some scientists believe our three-dimensional reality is an illusion because the universe is actually a hologram What is the holographic universe theory? When you think of the universe being a hologram, you might imagine the projected images from Star Wars or ABBA Voyage. Although this is the right basic idea, it's not quite the same type of hologram that physicists are thinking of. The idea that the universe is a hologram doesn't have anything to do with light or projectors as the name might suggest. In scientific language, a hologram is a two-dimensional surface which appears to have a third dimension - like the holographic images on some credit cards. Since holograms appear three-dimensional you can move around them and see different parts of the image as if there were a real object there. However, if you reached out to touch one your hand would find only a flat surface. Scientists like Professor Taylor argue that the whole universe is just like this - a two-dimensional surface that just looks like it has three dimensions. A hologram, like those used in ABBA Voyage, is a two-dimensional object that looks like it has an extra third dimension. According to the holographic principle, this is the fundamental structure of the universe - the universe is two-dimensional but looks like it is 3D What is the holographic principle? According to the holographic principle, the real structure of the universe is a two-dimensional surface. This surface has no gravity and no depth, only quantum and atomic forces. What appears to be the 3D structure of the world we can observe is just an illusion created by this 2D surface. This is like a hologram which appears to have depth when it is really just an image projected onto a flat screen. The holographic principle is that we can describe everything about the universe, including gravity and depth, by talking about whats happening on the 2D surface. Advertisement Instead of the universe being like a solid block, Professor Taylor says we should think of it as more like a hollow ball. Our solar systems and galaxies are contained inside the '3D' space inside the ball, but the actual surface structure of the universe only has two dimensions. According to the 'holographic principle', we can describe the gravitational movements of the planets and stars within the ball just by talking about what's happening on the two-dimensional surface. Although that might seem utterly bonkers, scientists maintain that turning our world on its head isn't necessarily a problem. Professor Taylor says: 'It is very hard to visualise this. However, it is also quite hard to visualise what happens inside an atom. 'We learned in the early twentieth century that atoms follow quantum rules, which are also quite different from our everyday reality. 'Holography takes us into an even more extreme world, where not only are the forces quantum in nature, but the number of dimensions is different from our perceived reality.' Does this mean the universe isn't real? Even if we are living in a holographic universe, this doesn't mean that our world or our lives are any less real (stock image) One of the biggest misconceptions about the holographic theory is that it means the universe isn't real or that we are in some sort of simulation. Although the holograms we are familiar with are always projected by someone and can be turned on or off at will, that isn't what scientists are saying about the universe. Professor Taylor says: 'The Matrix movies are very thought-provoking but probably don't quite capture all the ideas in holography.' Likewise, Fermilab, a United States Department of Energy particle physics laboratory, says that the notion of the universe as a 'simulation' can be misleading. Fermilab writes: 'The notion that our familiar three-dimensional universe is somehow encoded in two dimensions at the most fundamental level does not imply that there is anybody or anything "outside" the two-dimensional representation, "projecting" the illusion or "running" the simulation.' That means we don't need to worry about being in any kind of Matrix-like simulation even if the universe is holographic. Similarly, one of the consequences of the holographic principle is that features of the universe like the third dimension and gravity aren't a fundamental part of reality. However, that doesn't mean scientists are saying these aren't real. Unlike in The Matrix, there's no one on the outside projecting our holographic universe. This is just a different way of understanding how the laws of physics work While some people believe that we are living in a virtual simulation, holographic theory doesn't suggest that this is the case Instead, physicists say that gravity and the higher dimensions are 'emergent' properties. Professor Kostas Skenderis, a mathematical physicist from the University of Southampton, says you can think about this in the same way as temperature. If we look at any individual atom it doesn't have a temperature, just a position and a velocity. But if there are enough atoms all moving and bumping into one another, we can say that they collectively have a temperature. 'Temperature is not an intrinsic property of elementary particles. It rather emerges as a property of a collection of them. This does not make temperature less real. It rather explains it,' says Professor Skenderis. Likewise, gravity and the third dimension emerge when parts of the 2D universe interact in certain ways. And, just like knowing that temperature is simply atoms moving doesn't make your tea any less hot, this doesn't make gravity or depth any less real. Why do scientists think the universe is a hologram? The reason scientists believe in holographic theory is to avoid a paradox which suggests black holes, like the one at the centre of the Milky Way (illustrated), break the laws of physics The information paradox According to the laws of physics, information cannot be destroyed. However, three-dimensional black holes don't seem to follow this rule. When something falls into a black hole, the black hole gains more mass. Over time black holes evaporate by emitting a type of energy called Hawking Radiation, and will eventually vanish. However, Hawking Radiation isn't related to the things which fall in. So, when the black hole evaporates, information about what fell in has been removed from the universe. This suggests that black holes violate the laws of physics. Advertisement Although this might sound like an interesting mathematical exercise, you might wonder why scientists bother trying to explain everything in two dimensions in the first place. The answer to that question traces back to a problem proposed by Stephen Hawking known as the 'information paradox' that suggests black holes break a fundamental law of physics. You might have heard the law of physics which says that matter can't be created or destroyed. In the same way, a law of quantum physics is that 'information' can't be created or destroyed. Professor Taylor says: 'The information paradox is that black holes seem to lose memory of what has been thrown inside them.' Imagine writing a message out on a piece of paper and then tearing it into tiny pieces. You might think you've destroyed that information but no matter how small you made the pieces someone could always put them back together and read it. However, if you threw that note into a black hole there's nothing you could ever do to piece that information back together. To avoid this paradox, scientists say that black holes must be two-dimensional. This means when information falls in, it isn't destroyed but rather smeared across the two-dimensional surface of the black hole (stock image) What scientists began to realise in the late 1970s was that you could get around this problem, but only if you think of black holes as two-dimensional. On this view, when you throw your note into a black hole the information is smeared across the two-dimensional boundary of the black hole rather than being destroyed. This is the view that Stephen Hawking, who discovered the Information Paradox, came to adopt in the final years before his death. If that is hard to picture, don't worry; even physicists are still working to get their heads around exactly what that might mean. The important thing to understand is that looking at the world in two dimensions makes it easier for physicists to work out what's going on in certain cases. This is particularly useful when we want to understand what happens when gravity is extremely strong like during the first few seconds after the Big Bang or inside a black hole. And, if this works for the densest, wildest objects in the universe it should work for everything else in existence. As Professor Skenderis puts it: 'Black hole physics suggests that we only need information in 2D space to describe the 3D universe.' Stephen Hawking (pictured), who discovered this paradox, came to adopt the holographic theory about black holes in the last years before his death Do we have any evidence for this? One of the biggest challenges for the holographic theory is that it's really hard to prove. As yet, Professor Taylor says scientists haven't found any 'smoking gun evidence' for the holographic nature of the universe. However, this isn't stopping physicists from trying to find the subtle differences that holographic theory predicts. One of the best places to look is in the very earliest moments of the universe, preserved in leftover energy from the Big Bang called the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Professor Craig Hogan, an astrophysicist from the University of Chicago and director of the Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, says this radiation should preserve 'holographic noise'. Professor Hogan says: 'The CMB, and all large-scale structures, are supposed to come from quantum-gravitational noise. 'If its holographic, the CMB pattern shows signs of that. It preserves an image of the process that made.' Scientists say the best evidence that the universe is a hologram should be preserved in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the leftover energy from the Big Bang Pictured is a timeline of the holographic universe. Time runs from left to right. The far left denotes the holographic phase. At the end of this phase (shown by the black fluctuating ellipse) the Universe enters a geometric phase. Scientists believe we should still be able to see the structure from this holographic phase in the large-scale structures of the universe Professor Hogan says that the CMB reveals 'surprising symmetries in the sky' that you would expect to find if the universe was a hologram. Likewise, research conducted by Professor Skenderis does indeed show that the detailed structure of the CMB can be described by holographic theory. Professor Skenderis says: 'We tested the predictions of holographic models against the observed properties of CMB, finding excellent agreement. 'This is the only direct observational test of holography to date.' If your cup of tea goes cold, do you put it in the microwave to warm it up again? It's a practice that divides the nation - while some really don't mind it, for others there's nothing worse. Some studies suggest that reheating tea in the microwave could help save the environment. But others claim it affects the taste and creates uneven heat distribution throughout. To help settle the debate once and for all, we asked Mark Miodownik, University College London's Professor of Materials and Society. And according to the expert, the 'only thing worse' than microwaved tea is a cuppa that's served on an airplane. 'The main reason not to reheat it is that it won't taste very good,' he said, speaking to MailOnline. 'Microwaved tea is terrible. It's just terrible.' For some, microwaving tea might seem a quick and easy way to heat it up again. But Professor Mark Miodownik says it's a 'terrible' idea (stock image) A previous study showed that when water is boiled in a kettle, it is heated from underneath, causing the water at the bottom of the kettle to become less dense and move upwards by convection (left). In turn, colder water can then sink down to be in contact with the heat source until, eventually, all the water in the kettle is heated uniformly. In a microwave, however, the electromagnetic field used to heat things is pervasive, but not uniform causing 'hot spots' of heating in the liquid, as well as a warmer top than bottom Scientists have spent decades debating the best way to make a cup of tea. This method is what William Gorman, chairman of the Tea and Infusions Association, has previously suggested Professor Miodownik explained that flavonoids naturally-occurring compounds which are abundant in tea are what give the drink its distinct flavour when brewed. But these are extremely volatile, meaning they evaporate easily. 'They just disappear, so if you don't drink your tea soon after you've made it then you don't get very many of them left,' he said. 'And if you reheat your tea, you get zero. 'They don't stay around for very long and if you heat it up again they go away faster. 'Coffee is a more forgiving drink, but tea has a much more delicate flavour range.' While coffee can 'withstand a lot', it also contains plenty of flavonoids. Therefore, someone who really loves the taste of coffee an aficionado should avoid reheating their cup, because it will also lose some of the taste. One US scientist recently caused controversy by claiming that the perfect cup of tea is made with hot milk and a pinch of salt Professor Quan Vuong of the University of Newcastle has previously told MailOnline that two minutes in the microwave unlocks the same amount of healthy chemicals as brewing for 20 minutes What are flavonoids? In simple terms, flavonoids are compounds that are high in antioxidants. They're mainly found in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods but also crop up in red wine and dark chocolate. Tea - particularly green and black varieties - has high levels of flavanoids which are thought to have beneficial effects on blood pressure, heart health, risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and gut health. Advertisement According to Professor Miodownik, the worst cup of tea you can get is on a plane. There, a combination of factors including low air pressure and dry cabin air can lead to a reduced sensitivity to taste and smell at altitude. 'When you're asked if you want tea or coffee on an airplane, never say tea,' he advised. He also said the office tea round can be fraught with issues and that people are better off making their own drink. 'Never get someone else to make you a cup of tea - this is a recipe for hating your colleagues,' he said. 'It's much better to go into the kitchen with them and make it alongside them. Otherwise, they'll do it badly or not how you like it, and you'll hate them.' Another factor to consider is that water the main component of tea can also vary, he said. Certain areas such as London, Kent and Cambridgeshire are renowned for having hard water, which can affect the taste. 'It's a very sophisticated drink with loads of variables,' he concluded. 'Do not underestimate what you're dealing with here. It's the best drink in the world for a reason.' The study comes shortly after the British Standards Institution's (BSI) official guidelines revealed that milk should be put in the cup first - at least when a pot is being brewed Professor Vuong's top tea-making tips To get the most health benefits from your tea, you need to extract the phytochemicals, according to Professor Vuong. Add the teabag to hot water then place in the microwave for two to three minutes. Always add milk after the tea to ensure optimum extraction of the healthy chemicals. Advertisement Professor Chris Budd, from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Bath, also weighed in on the debate. He told MailOnline: 'It's perfectly fine to heat your tea in a microwave, as water is a good conductor of microwaves, and the convection currents in the tea ensure even heat distribution without hot spots. 'However, be cautious with ceramic cupsthey're excellent microwave conductors and can get extremely hot. 'In contrast, when cooking food in a microwave, hot and cold spots can occur due to standing wave patterns and poor heat conduction, which is why it's important to stir food after heating.' Professor Quan Vuong, head of food science and human nutrition at the University of Newcastle, previously said that the recipe for the 'perfect' cup of tea will depend on your goals. 'In terms of enjoyment, a perfect cup of tea is characterized by an attractive colour, balanced flavour, pleasing and inviting aroma, as well as a pleasant taste and aftertaste,' Professor Vuong told MailOnline. But, there is more to the humble cuppa than its taste. Professor Vuong added: 'In relation to health benefits, a good cup of tea is associated with high levels of phytochemicals such as polyphenols and theanine.' And, if it is the healthiest cup of tea you are after, then Professor Vuong has a very unusual recommendation - brew it in the microwave for two to three minutes. He says: 'Microwaving is a technique for preparing a cup of tea with high levels of phytochemicals beneficial for health. 'The microwave is employed to effectively extract phytochemicals from tea due to its rapid and uniform heating, leading to the quick extraction of phytochemicals from tea leaves into the water.' Just a few minutes of heating in the microwave extracts the same amount of phytochemicals as brewing tea in 80C (176F) water for 20 minutes, he claims, although he does admit that 'this tea may lack enjoyment in terms of taste and flavour'. But, if you're not impressed by the prospects of tea lacking taste and flavour, Professor Vuong does have some more practical advice. He says: 'In my opinion we should prepare the tea before adding the milk. The protein in milk can bind with polyphenols, minimising their rapid extraction into the water.' However the final say may lie with the real tea experts. A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Tea said: 'We all know the frustration of putting your mug down and coming back to a cold brew. 'At Yorkshire Tea, we recommend that you put the kettle on again and make a fresh one. 'That is not always practical and some people use the microwave to reheat their tea. But it can make it taste a bit funny, especially if you have added milk and sugar.' A British woman who moved to Canada has revealed the one everyday English greeting which will get you some funny looks from Canadians. Poppy, 30, moved from Nottingham to the city of Kelowna in the south of Canadas British Columbia province in August 2024 with her partner Jordan, 34, and their three children. She has since been documenting their new life on social media and has started a series on her TikTok account in which she talks about the things she wasn't prepared for. In one of those videos she told of how asking a Canadian if they are okay will illicit an unusual response. 'You don't ask people if they're okay - don't do it,' she said. Poppy then explained how English people often greet each other with this question but if you greet a Canadian in the same way 'the looks you get are crazy'. However, she was unaware of this before she moved and so learnt the hard way when she met her new colleague at work. When the woman introduced herself, Poppy replied: 'Hi, are you okay?'. Poppy (pictured), 30, moved from Nottingham to the city of Kelowna in the south of Canadas British Columbia province in August 2024 with her partner Jordan, 34, and their three children In one video she told of how asking a Canadian if they are okay will illicit an unusual response But upon asking her this she said the woman's 'whole demeanour changed' and she looked offended before looking her up and down and saying 'Yeah?' with an air of confusion. After a five second 'awkward silence', Poppy asked if everything was okay to which her new colleague replied 'Yeah, why wouldn't it be?'. She had no idea why the woman reacted in that way until her Canadian friend explained 'you can't say that to Canadians' because they interpret it as an insult. Poppy went on to explain how the question can have a different meaning in certain social situations when you are in the UK. As an example, she said if someone is 'being weird' you may raise an eyebrow and respond 'Are you okay?' as a way to highlight their strange behaviour. Canadians are familiar with this usage of the question but don't use it as a greeting and so will only ever take offence. Her friend told her she should greet people with terms such as 'How's it going?' or 'How you doing?'. Signing off her video, Poppy said: 'That was weird but yeah I would say that was my first culture shock when I moved to Canada.' "Lab Assistant": AI enhancing scientific research with speed, precision Xinhua) 09:37, April 06, 2025 BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- As scientists are striving to develop AI products and solutions to enhance various industries and daily life, this booming technology is also serving as a "lab assistant," contributing to scientific progress in turn. In China, AI has been increasingly integrated into diverse research fields, particularly in life sciences, drug discovery and environmental studies. It shows substantial potential to boost efficiency, transform approaches and expedite breakthroughs. OFFERING EARLY DISEASE DETECTION Researchers from Shanghai-based Fudan University have made a technological breakthrough in early disease detection. With the assistance of AI, this advancement enables doctors to diagnose and predict diseases simply through a blood test. Targeted at Alzheimer's disease, the research team used big data and an AI algorithm to screen 1,500 plasma proteins and identified 11 that are capable of predicting dementia risks. "Through blood tests, we identified that these proteins exhibited consistent changes. With the help of AI-based calculations for disease markers, we were able to detect Alzheimer's disease at least 15 years before diagnosis," lead researcher Yu Jintai said. "These changes are not caused by genetic modifications but rather due to differences in protein expression," Yu explained. "Much like how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly." The study soon garnered attention within the global medical community after being featured in the journal Nature in late 2024. Rather than resting on their laurels, the research team continued their experimental efforts, endeavoring to uncover more relationships between diseases and proteins with the AI tool. Following an analysis of over 50,000 blood samples and health data collected during a 14-year follow-up study, the team created the world's first atlas of plasma proteins in health and disease states, which can help forecast diabetes and heart disease risks a decade in advance. Researchers are currently developing a low-cost detection kit, priced under 100 yuan (14 U.S. dollars) to make protein testing as routine as glucose checks. SLASHING DRUG DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES At Hangzhou-based Liangzhu Laboratory, a research team has invented an AI algorithm to reduce the development process of a drug for treating progeria, a rare pediatric disease. The traditional large-scale screening method for small-molecule drug development takes 15 to 20 years, with a high failure rate. However, the AI algorithm can reduce the cycle to approximately 3 to 5 years, accelerating preclinical trials that previously consumed 90 percent of the research time, according to Shen Ning, a researcher in the lab and a member of the program. Under Zhejiang University, the laboratory in 2021 established a multidisciplinary research team of experts in clinical medicine, bioscience, mathematics, computing and statistics. They have developed several advanced AI algorithms specifically designed for the precise diagnosis of genetic and rare diseases. China's National Health Commission and other departments jointly issued the guidelines for 84 AI application scenarios in the health sector, including drug research and development. For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has been confronted with a "double-10" challenge: it usually requires 10 years and an investment of 1 billion U.S. dollars to develop a new drug. Many people believe that AI will be the most promising solution to overcome the long-standing dilemma. "AI has the potential to impact the entire chain of drug development," said Academician Chen Kaixian of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). While no AI-assisted drug development has reached markets yet, multiple candidates are advancing through clinical trials in China. DECODING CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS In March, CAS researchers and tech company Alibaba Cloud collaboratively unveiled "Luoshu," an AI model that can precisely trace water origins and predict runoff volumes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is known as the Asian Water Tower, home to headwaters of over 10 major Asian rivers. Warming at twice the global average over the past 50 years, the plateau is experiencing an imbalance in its water systems among glaciers, lakes and rivers. This imbalance is expected to exacerbate uncertainties in water supply, energy supply and demand, as well as food production, according to Xia Cuihui, a participant and an associate researcher at the CAS's Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research. Hydropower generation capacity in glacier regions has declined globally in recent years. Although the reasons remain unclear, it is most likely associated with climate change, the researcher told Xinhua. The new AI model can help predict water flow for hydropower plants by tracking where the water comes from -- like rain, melting glaciers, or underground water. "If something unusual happens, such as glaciers melting too fast or a bad drought, it will automatically update the water supply predictions," Xia explained. Compared with conventional approaches, the AI model enhances prediction accuracy by 20 percent and can monitor real-time source contributions. It can alert power grids to prepare for short-term emergencies while providing scientific support for long-term decision-making in clean energy generation. "Luoshu" is one of the numerous AI models recently launched by the CAS. Several institutes within the country's highest natural sciences academic organization have launched AI tools based on Alibaba's reasoning model, covering applications from astronomical observation to coral species identification. For researchers like Xia, who holds a Ph.D. in geography, AI has already become an essential tool in the lab, but it is not just about efficiency. "It unlocks research once deemed impossible," the female scientist added, noting that many research ideas previously limited by traditional methods can now be realized with AI support, promoting greater innovation. (Web editor: Zhao Tong, Hongyu) Americans living in the UK have said the biggest culture shock was the bathrooms. The expats who have come to call the UK home have said the bathrooms have been their 'biggest adjustment' and Americans are 'not built' for them. From no sockets in the bathroom to even how much water is in the toilets, these are the five biggest shocks American expats have moaned about. NO PLUG SOCKETS / 'OUTLETS' For many, not being able to use heated appliances to style their hair in the bathroom like they can back home was a major issue. Taylor Kane, known as Prague.Princess on TikTok, said: 'One of the most inconvenient things is that there are no outlets in the bathrooms here. 'So if you want to blow dry your hair you have to do it in the bedroom or another room, which I find really annoying because then your hair gets all over your carpet rather than just getting on the bathroom floor that you can easily sweep up.' While another, known as PeachfamilyUK, who moved to the UK to be with her British husband, was particularly frustrated by the lack of plugs: 'There are no outlets, no plugs for our curling iron or hair straightener because they don't believe in that here. 'Gone are the days of sitting in my vanity with my feet in the sink, curling my hair in the mirror. We don't get nice things anymore.' Americans living in the UK have said the biggest culture shock was the bathrooms. Above, known as PeachfamilyUK on TikTok, the woman who moved to the UK to be with her British husband was particularly frustrated by the lack of plugs She also complained that the use of mixer taps made it very difficult for her to wash her face And TikTok user Jackie Todd agreed in her video: 'There are no plugs in the bathroom. Some houses have these plugs for shavers, I usually end up having to do my hair in the living room with an extension cord.' TWO TAPS FOR HOT AND COLD Mixer taps are not common in the U.S. and the American wife complained that the use of them on her bathroom sink made it very difficult for her to wash her face. She said: 'I have not yet figured out an effective way to wash my face because my options are scolding hot or freezing cold. 'Right now I'm just doing this thing where I'm trying not to burn the sh*t out of myself and then splashing water on my face. It's honestly not very effective.' She added: 'My biggest adjustment since moving to England has got to be the bathroom. American girlies are not built for British bathrooms.' LOW WATER LINE IN THE TOILET The low water line in the toilets is perhaps an annoyance that even the brits can share with - as it makes your business more audible! Taylor said: 'The water level in the toilets is so low here, so when you go to the bathroom and if you're in someone's house, you can hear everything that someone's doing.' She shared a hack she was taught to help be more discreet: 'A trick I learned from another girl here was to put just toilet paper in the bowl to make it a little quieter when you're going to the bathroom.' While Jackie also noted the much lower water line in comparison to the toilets in America: 'The toilets are really different, the water is a lot lower on an English toilet and instead of a handle to flush there's this little button on top.' LIGHT SWITCH OUTSIDE The expat was also shocked to find that traditionally the light switch is held outside the bathroom. She joked: 'I just know that if I grew up here my siblings would be doing this [switching the lights on and off] to me very damn day.' CALLING IT A TOILET Britons calling it the more blunt, 'the toilet' has put off Americans who think it is 'TMI' (too much information). 'The biggest shock for me was that so many people here call the bathroom just the toilet. 'They're like, "where's the toilet", "I have to go to the toilet", which is just so TMI. I don't want to know what you're doing in there,' says Taylor. While Jackie also noted the different name: 'Instead of referring to it as a restroom or bathroom it's usually called the loo or just the toilet.' Former Married at First Sight bride Jules Robinson is set to join the cast of Channel Nine's new quiz show, The Floor. The mother-of-two, 42, will join 80 other contestants for the chance to take home a top prize of $200,000. Based on a hugely successful Dutch format that spawned a hit US iteration featuring 80s star Rob Lowe, Underbelly's Rodger Corser will host the Aussie version. Nine has yet to announce an air date or confirm other cast members. However, the network has teased that a former MasterChef star and an NRL champ will be among the contestants. Players go head-to-head in the elimination game are tested on such topics as Australian cuisine, famous characters, and gold medallists. Former Married at First Sight bride Jules Robinson, 42, is set to join the cast of Channel Nine's new quiz show The Floor. The mother-of-two will join 80 other contestants for the chance to take home a top prize of $200,000 Based on a hugely successful Dutch format that spawned a hit US iteration featuring 80s star Rob Lowe, Underbelly's Rodger Corser (pictured) will host the Aussie version It comes after Jules revealed her thoughts about the current season of MAFS. The red-haired beauty was paired with Cameron Merchant on the 2019 iteration of the Channel Nine reality juggernaut. Speaking to Stellar, Jules said that the current crop of MAFS stars may have been trying a little too hard to reach the dramatic heights. 'When we were on it, what you saw was what you got, as in what happened then aired and there wasnt really any contrived episodes of people doing things for, I guess, attention or for reaction,' she said. While admitting that she has been keeping up with the drama that has kept millions of Australians glued to heir screens, Jules added that it had been, at times, difficult. 'This new season has been a bit hard to watch, I think some parts of it,' Jules admitted. 'I cant put my finger on it. You keep watching but youre like, "What am I actually watching?" 'At least theres a bit of love this year, a couple of relationships.' The red-haired beauty was paired with Cameron Merchant on the 2019 iteration of the Channel Nine reality juggernaut. The pair later married and now have two children Jules, who shares two children, Oliver, four, and Carter, nine months, with Cameron, also revealed that the couple may be looking to expand their brood in the near future, admitting that she had been 'manifesting a little girl.' 'So next year, we decided we will try again,' she said. 'I think I am immortal, dont I? I go into everything with positivity - thats just how I see it. So, next year is the year.' After almost six years together, Jules and Cam recently opened up about their experience on MAFS and revealed how it can leave participants a 'shell' of a person. 'The reason why we feel it did go so well for us was because we did so much work on ourselves as individuals prior. So the universe was like, "Okay, now you're ready for it",' Cam told Yahoo Lifestyle in August. Jules added: 'We're forever grateful for our experience. 'It was tough, we both broke into tears in there, but we're really grateful for such a fun, amazing experience that led to all this.' The 2019 Married At First Sight lovebirds have gone to strength-to-strength since the show aired, welcoming Oliver in October 2020. They then added to their family, in July last year, with the arrival of their second son Carter James. The Saturday Night Live cast brutally slammed Elon Musk during the show's cold open, leaving the live audience - and viewers at home - groaning in discomfort. The Tesla CEO, played by Mike Myers, was seen cutting off President Donald Trump - impersonated by James Austin Johnson - wearing a cheese hat like the Tesla CEO did on March 31 for a rally in Wisconsin. 'Say cheese! Hahahaha, kidding, kidding,' Myers said as he tossed the hat to the side. 'That was from when I tried to buy the election in Wisconsin, uhhhh, I'm an idiot, I should've just bought Wisconsin,' he added before suffering from a 'glitch' - a reoccurring mockery SNL makes of Musk. Johnson then poked fun at Musk stepping down as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and said: 'Elon it was great, but sadly, it's time to never see you again, OK? You gotta get back to Tesla, right? Because they're doing pretty bad.' 'Yes, recently our dealerships have been the target of many attacks and suddenly, no one likes Tesla cars. So, I ask myself why and then I answered myself, 'cause of me,' Myers said as he broke into an awkward dance and chuckled. The show made another pointed dig at the billionaire, as Myers announced the new Tesla 'Model V,' an electric car that is 'self-vandalizing' and comes with features like smashed headlights, slashed tires and 'AI-powered graffiti' that can either be in the shape of a penis or Swastika. The show's takedown of Musk left many viewers uncomfortable and angry, as one called the skit 'really poor,' adding: 'Making fun of high functioning Asperger's is so typical of the mentally ill left,' referring to the tech CEO's diagnosis he went public with four years ago on SNL. SNL viewers were left uncomfortable after the she show's cold open skit took multiple digs at Elon Musk, and mocking his developmental disorder Musk (pictured in February) first told the world he had Asperger's syndrome - an autism-spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication - in 2021 Autism Capital, a citizen journalism group on X that Musk frequently interacts with, also shared its thoughts on the performance. 'This is such exceedingly bad taste. Wow. Not ever funny, just mean. Born from hate, not from humor,' the page wrote. Musk himself even commented on the act, sharing to his platform X: 'SNL hasnt been funny in a long time. They are their own parody.' 'Not funny. Same as always,' another wrote, as someone else agreed, adding: 'Uhhhh that opening was not funny. Less politics, more comedy.' 'Funny until Mike Myers shows up,' wrote another user. 'Trumps part was good but they really need to rethink the Elon part. Cringe and not funny at all,' a commenter said. While many viewers were left with a bad taste in their mouths from the skit, others found it comedic and entertaining. 'Perfection,' someone said, as another called it 'brilliant.' The show made another pointed dig at the billionaire, as Myers announced the new Tesla 'Model V,' an electric car that is 'self-vandalizing' and comes with features like slashed tires (left) and 'AI-powered graffiti' that can either be in the shape of a penis or Swastika (right) Elon Musk (aka Mike Myers) returns to SNL to hype his latest innovation: a self-vandalizing Tesla. pic.twitter.com/K8UH5x1Bec LateNighter (@latenightercom) April 6, 2025 'Funny as hell,' wrote another person, while someone else said Myers 'nailed' his role as Musk. 'F***ing hilarious Mike hit his mark again,' stated another. Musk first told the world he had Asperger's syndrome - an autism-spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication - in 2021. 'I'm actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL. Or at least the first to admit it. So I won't make a lot of eye contact with the cast tonight,' Musk said in his SNL monologue. He went on to share his vision that humanity 'must become a multiplanetary spacefaring civilization' before going on to joke about his eccentric nature and frequently bizarre social media posts. 'Look I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that's just how my brain works,' the SpaceX CEO said. 'To anyone I've offended, I just want to say: I reinvented electric cars and I'm sending humans to Mars on a rocket ship. Did you also think I was going to be a chill, normal dude?' he joked. On Wednesday, Trump informed his Cabinet and inner circle that Musk will be stepping back from his high-profile government role in the coming weeks. Musk himself even commented on the act, sharing to his platform X: 'SNL hasnt been funny in a long time. They are their own parody' The Tesla and SpaceX boss will soon be returning to the business world, Politico reported. Revelations about the shock move rattled the stock market and stunned Washington. Musk's designation as a special government employee meant he was scheduled to step down in May, but he is now leaving early in a cloud of controversy. It represents an apparent sea change in Trump's relationship with Musk from last month when White House sources were suggesting that the Tesla boss was 'here to stay.' Just days before, Musk appeared at a rally in Wisconsin, where he spent over $20 million to help Republican Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel win the election against Democrat Susan Crawford. Crawford, on the other hand, received major funding from billionaires George Soros and J.B. Pritzker. A little more than an hour after the polls closed in the state, Crawford won the election. In recent weeks, the CEO's electric car brand has been at the center of alleged attacks. On Wednesday, Trump informed his Cabinet and inner circle that Musk will be stepping back from his high-profile government role in the coming weeks. (Pictured: Musk and Trump on March 22) Just days ago, a woman was caught on camera allegedly vandalizing a Tesla in front of two children. Footage captured her appearing to scratch the electric vehicle in a parking lot, before marching between the cars with her son and daughter in tow. The young boy then flipped off the camera as he walked past, followed by the little girl and the woman as they quickly vacated the scene. People who shared the footage on X said it was filmed in Arden Hills, a small city in Ramsey County around 10 miles north-east of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, which oversees policing in the area, told DailyMail.com on Thursday that they were investigating the footage. The growing trend has also been felt across the globe, as a Tesla showroom was set ablaze in Italy last week (pictured) The growing trend has also been felt across the globe, as a Tesla showroom was set ablaze in Italy last week. The incident, which police are investigating as arson, left 17 electric cars destroyed, a security source said. Drone images showed the burnt-out remains of cars lined up in a parking lot, with two rows of vehicles back-to-back and a third row some distance away. The fire brigade said in a statement that the blaze broke out at around 4.30am. The dealership was partially damaged, but nobody was injured. Officials added that they were exploring 'all avenues' in their investigation into the cause of the fire. The Saturday Night Live audience left Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che speechless with a NSFW outburst during a hilarious bit performed by Ego Nwodim. Nwodim, 37, joined the desk to explain why she should be asked to perform at the White House Correspondents' Dinner following the ousting of Amber Ruffin. The SNL star showed off her stand-up comedy chops, telling the audience she's 'doing the roasting tonight,' while referring to herself as 'Ms. Eggy.' She continuously poked fun at the food that might be served at the dinner before shifting to an unhinged conversation about men and sex. 'Sex is a little different after 50,' Nwodim said. 'I'll tell you what though - no matter what age, Ms. Eggy go over easy! OK?,' she said as the audience and her co-stars laughed hysterically. She then brought up New Jersey Senator Cory Booker's record-breaking speech from the previous week - a 25-hour, five-minute rant against the policies of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. 'And Cory Booker out here with his filibuster, shoot, I had my fill-of-busters! 'Cause these men ain't what?,' Nwodim asked, as the audience shouted back the expletive: 'Sh**!' All three comedians were stunned by their response, as Jost burst out in laughter, throwing his hands up in the air, Che cracked up, leaning back in his chair and Nwodim said: 'We finna' get fined for that!' Saturday Night Live comedians Colin Jost, Michael Che and Ego Nwodim were left stunned after the audience's shocking response during the Weekend Update The Saturday Night Live audience left Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che speechless with a NSFW outburst during a hilarious bit performed by Ego Nwodim While Jost and Che laughed uncontrollably over the desk, Nwodim continued: 'Y'all gonna have to pay for that! Lorne gonna be mad at y'all,' referring to Lorne Micahels, the creator of SNL, and fines that networks are sometimes forced to pay to the federal government if they allow swearing on air. 'In conclusion, thank you White House for having a b****,' Nwodim said as she laughed. 'That's your ending? Oh my God,' Jost responded. 'Yes Collin, 'cause Ms. Eggy don't what?,' she asked the audience again as they responded: 'Play!' Viewers quickly reacted to the comedic moment, as one user wrote: 'I mean, how else were they meant to fill that sentence?? lmao my brain also said sh**.' 'Lmaoooo she is so funny she rode that really well,' another posted. 'The reactions have me HOWLING,' someone else said of the comedian's faces as soon as the audience responded. Another user wrote: 'The reactions are priceless! Sorry Lorne! The truth hurts!' Ego Nwodim shows us what her White House Correspondents dinner routine would have been pic.twitter.com/uGqixG739W Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) April 6, 2025 Nwodim also told the audience they're going to have to pay for the fine the show could receive for the curse word, and will also be in the hot seat with Lorne Michaels, the creator of SNL (pictured in March) 'I am in TEARS,' a commenter wrote. Meanwhile, others reacted angrily that the show later muted the audience's response after the skit aired. 'Why did y'all edit the response. The audience was hilarious,' one said. Someone else wrote: 'Muting it makes the end of the sketch make no sense!' Although a majority of people appeared to love the on-air moment, others were not so happy with it. 'That was really very awful. lol,' one wrote, while another simply posted: 'Unfunny.' Ruffin, a comedian who previously hosted her own late-night talk show 'The Amber Ruffin Show', was set to perform at the famed White House Correspondents dinner on April 26, but she was later removed from the event. The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) made the decision after she said on a podcast that Trump's Administration was staffed with 'murderers.' Eugene Daniels, president of the WHCA, said that he wanted to ensure 'the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues.' All three comedians were stunned by their response, as Jost burst out in laughter, throwing his hands up in the air, Che cracked up when the audience responded Daniels did not mention Ruffin by name in the memo and said that the board is planning a 're-envisioning of our dinner'. The move to dismiss Ruffin comes after she spoke about the dinner in a podcast with the Daily Beast. She said that the Trump White House is staffed with 'murderers' and described the administration as 'not human beings.' Taylor Budowich, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, shared a clip of Ruffin on the podcast to his X account and slammed the comic. In it, he said: 'This year's WHCA dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration "murderers."' Budowich continued to quote Ruffin saying the Trump admin shouldn't get to feel like human beings 'because you're not.' 'What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such as hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?' When Daniels had originally announced Ruffin as the main feature, he said in a statement that her 'unique talents are the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate.' Ruffin later doubled down on her criticism of the president's administration, comparing them to 'the Nazis' in The Sound of Music. Comedian Amber Ruffin (pictured on March 26) was set to perform at the famed White House Correspondents dinner on April 26, but she was later removed from the event after she said on a podcast that Trump's Administration was staffed with 'murderers' She later doubled down on her criticism of the president's administration, comparing them to 'the Nazis' in The Sound of Music on Seth Meyers' NBC show (pictured) She sat down on Seth Meyers' NBC show - where she has worked as a writer and occasional actor since its 2014 debut - and cut him off just before he was about to make a joke about the WHCA. 'If there's one thing I learned from this weekend, it's you have to be fair to both sides.,' she told Meyers. 'Amber, when people are objectively terrible, we should be able to point it out on television,' he told her. Ruffin said that she felt the same way when she was initially axed, but as days passed, she said she 'knows that when bad people do bad things, you have to treat them fairly and respectfully.' That's when she went all in on her anger toward the Trump White House and the WHCA: 'When you watch Sound of Music, you have to root for the singing children and the other people.' Meyers asked: 'You mean the Nazis?' Ruffin didn't correct him but instead joked: 'Calling them that is so one-sided!' It's been 40 years since Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly took the wheel of the DeLorean in one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. But as the era it defined disappears quickly from the rear-view mirror, Back To The Future's popularity only grows, gaining a new fanbase among science-fiction-mad children and nostalgic parents. Boasting a 93 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and ranking 11th on Empire's Greatest Movies, the time-travel movie has become a certified classic with a 4K revamp premiered to great fanfare in 2019. The film is not flawless, however, and as it enters its fifth decade - and indeed reaches the 70th anniversary of the 1955 America to which Marty travelled - obsessives have spotted ever more examples of fakery in its production. From dodgy car parts to hopelessly lost extras, the pioneering sci-fi flick has become prey for nit-picking 21st century film buffs. But how many Back To The Future fails, fakes and fumbles did you spot? It's been 40 years since Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly took the wheel of the DeLorean in sci-fi classic Back To The Future The film is not flawless, however, and as it enters its fifth decade, obsessives have spotted ever more examples of fakery in its production From dodgy car parts to hopelessly lost extras, how many Back To The Future fails, fakes and fumbles did you spot? Marty's wardrobe switch Not only does he get to the bottom of time travel in the 1985 classic, but Marty also seems to possess the extraordinary skill of seamlessly changing clothes mid-scene. During his trip to 1950s California, the teenager discovers that his father George's nasty supervisor Biff Tannen was bullying his old man even then. Hoping to change the course of history, Marty pursues his car on that staple of 80s life - the skateboard. He starts the chase wearing a black belt over some blue jeans, adding a red and blue patterned shirt with a red and gold jacket. But by the time he's clinging on to Biff's VERY 50s car, the protagonist - or rather his stunt double - has slipped into a tan shirt and even changed his belt to a light brown number. During his trip to 1950s California, the teenager is wearing a black belt over some blue jeans, adding a red and blue patterned shirt with a red and gold jacket But by the time he's clinging on to villain Biff's VERY 50s car, the protagonist - or rather his stunt double - has slipped into a tan shirt and even changed his belt to a light brown number A strange sign Staying in 1955, Marty soon realises his actions are having a perverse effect on the future, including the fact his mother Lorraine becomes attracted to him instead of his father. He must get back - hence the title - but to achieve this he needs to return to the DeLorean and recalibrate it to arrive 10 minutes before he was shown how to time travel by Emmett 'Doc' Brown in 1985. Following Doc's instructions, Marty drives the vehicle up to the 'start here' line which is noticeably filthy with its white paint heavily faded. He then hops out of the car to attach the hook pole as he gears up to return to the world he knew. But once the teen is out of the DeLorean, the words become perfectly clear as if a fresh lick of paint has been applied. Even stranger, when he gets back in again, the line is deteriorated and dirty once more. Marty realises he must get back to 1985 so he drives the DeLorean up to the 'start here' line which is noticeably filthy with its white paint heavily faded But once the teen is out of the car, the words become perfectly clear as if a fresh lick of paint has been applied Playing with fire Back to the time machine's thrilling origin story early in the film and it turns out the DeLorean scenes caused issues before it even zoomed off to the 50s. After the eccentric Doc reveals to Marty that he has worked out how to time travel, with the help of some plutonium stolen from Libyan terrorists, he gives the teen a demonstration. Zooming one minute into the future, the car leaves a trail of fire much to the amazement of a stunned Marty. The iconic scene is captured from three angles and in the second the blaze can be seen passing neatly through both characters' legs. But as the pair turn around and the camera cuts, the fire is blazing to the left of Doc, suggesting the flames have moved through him or he has stepped across them - either of which would be rather painful. After the eccentric Doc reveals to Marty that he has worked out how to time travel, the car leaves a trail of fire which can be seen passing neatly through both characters' legs But as the pair turn around and the camera cuts, the fire is blazing to the left of Doc, suggesting the flames have moved through him or he has stepped across them...Painful! Are we recording? This one's a bit meta, involving a continuity error that's within a film that's within a film...I think. As Doc is explaining how the DeLorean works after first being introduced, Marty is taping a video to document the extraordinary moment. Things don't quite line up however and this comes to light when the 80s kid shows his time travelling friend the clip in 1955. Doc can clearly be heard saying, 'Never mind that now, never mind that now', a line he certainly utters in the original scene - but at a point when Marty is not filming, instead holding the camera by his side. Either way, the video serves to persuade Doc that the teenager has, in fact, arrived from the future and that they must go back to 1985 to change the course of history (or future?) As Doc is explaining how the DeLorean works after first being introduced, Marty is taping a video to document the extraordinary moment but it doesn't quite line up when reshown in 1955 Going for a wander Considering Back To The Future was a remarkable special effects feat for its time, there are surprisingly few errors in the way it was filmed. Add in the fact that producers hired hundreds of extras to give the impression that Hill Valley was a real town, and it becomes even more astonishing. But if you look hard enough for a blunder, then you're sure to find one and this particular issue is courtesy of a seemingly lost cast member. The man in question, wearing a brown jacket, is first spotted going round a corner as Marty's high school crush Jennifer is being picked up by her father. Seconds later, he is seen turning round the same corner again. Cars do strange things in this film, including apparently sending members of the public back a few seconds in time. One extra, wearing a brown jacket (pictured, top right), is going round a corner as Marty's high school crush Jennifer is being picked up. Seconds later, he is turning round the same corner Whose role is it anyway? Michael J. Fox became one of the world's most famous faces overnight with his star turn as Marty in back To The Future, but things could have been so different. Having already made waves with an assured performance as Alex P. Keaton in NBC sitcom Family Ties, Michael was the first choice but the show's producer would not allow him off the set to read the script. Producers opted, instead, for Mask star Eric Stoltz to play the protagonist and the early scenes were filmed with the replacement actor. Director Robert Zemeckis quickly realised that Eric was not the man for the job and, having entered into an agreement with chief executive Sidney Sheinberg allowing him to refilm if this was the case, the actor was booted. The crew painstakingly reshot Eric's scenes - apart from one. When Marty is fleeing the Libyan terrorists who gun Doc down early in the film, Eric is the one in the car making the getaway, not Michael. The shot is such a distant one that few end up spotting the rejected actor's face - top marks if you noticed Eric appearing in the future. When Marty is fleeing the Libyan terrorists who gun Doc down early in the film, Eric Stolz - initially cast as the teen - is the one in the car making the getaway, not Michael J. Fox In the opening scene, Marty is trying out Doc's mega-amplifier as he practices for a gig, setting up his passion for guitar and that Johnny B. Goode performance later on The exciteable teen turns the dials all the way up to full before plugging his Gibson into the amp, playing one explosive chord and, with a spark of fire, being flung across the room But some viewers reckon he should have had his comeuppance moments earlier. The instant he plugged the cable into guitar's output jack would have likely created a tremendous noise Going out with a bang In the opening scene, Marty is trying out Doc's mega-amplifier as he practises for a gig, setting up his passion for guitar and that Johnny B. Goode performance later on. The excitable teen turns the dials all the way up to full before plugging his yellow Chiquita Travel guitar into the amp, playing one explosive chord and, with a spark of fire, being flung across the room into a bookcase. Lesson learned, you'd think. But some viewers reckon he should have had his comeuppance moments earlier. The instant he plugged the cable into guitar's output jack would have likely created a tremendous noise, increased by the amp being maxed out, resulting in a burst eardrum - or worse - before the young rocker even had the chance to play a note. Indeed, this can happen even at lower volumes, meaning that any guitarist who wants a long career quickly learns to plug the cable in before switching the amplifier on. Word to the wise, Marty. Also, much lighter items than the teenager, including boxes and rolls of paper, did not get flung across the room when the sound rung out, but this just adds to the comic nature of the iconic scene. It started with a Slack message at 8am. Then minutes later, it was like a bomb went off. On Friday morning, chaos erupted at women's media network Mamamia when News Corp gossip writer Annette Sharp published a story about the company's chief operating officer Luca Lavigne. While relatively few staff were in the Woolloomooloo office that day (most do WFH on Fridays) the story spread like wildfire. Phones were blowing up as group chats for current and former staff alighted with fury. '$300k? WTAF.' Sharp had reported that Luca, the 27-year-old son of Mamamia co-founder Mia Freedman and her husband Jason Lavigne, the company's executive chairman, was earning 'a handsome $300k salary'. (We've heard that was actually his salary two years ago, so he may well be on even more than that now). Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Luca isn't qualified for his job or that he's not entitled to receive a $300,000 salary, only that reports of his pay have caused disquiet in the Mamamia newsroom. Mia Freedman's son Luca (seen together) had his $300,000 salary leaked on Friday, leading to chaos at Mamamia whose primarily female workforce often complains of being underpaid. Daily Mail is not suggesting Luca isn't qualified for his job or that he's not entitled to receive a $300,000 salary, only that reports of his pay have caused disquiet in the Mamamia newsroom Luca, 27, is married to Mamamia executive editor Jessie Stephens. The couple share one child The news came as a shock to employees of the company, who have grumbled for years about salaries so notoriously low that it's usually the main reason why staff end up quitting. Mamamia likes to say it's the media company that captures 'what women are talking about'. Well, we know what the women who work at Mamamia are talking about - because they've been telling us. After the story was published, we hear some workers were so angry they immediately started texting colleagues within the media industry. Not just angry. Furious, in fact, by how much Luca was being paid compared to them. There has also been frank discussion of who at Mamamia leaked the story. 'We're literally dying to know who gave the story to Annette,' a source says. 'It must have been someone senior or who knows Mia personally.' Luca had joined Mamamia as a content producer in 2016. He had no prior media experience, having worked as a Merivale bartender for four months after graduating from Sydney Grammar School in 2015. However, it is not uncommon for junior positions to be awarded to people without industry experience and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest there was any nepotism at play. He rose up the ranks quickly - going from a rank-and-file writer to making podcasts to being promoted to business development manager in 2018. By 2021, he was made Head of Product and last year was appointed COO. After the story about Luca's salary was published, we hear some workers were so angry they immediately started texting colleagues within the media industry We do not suggest his career progression was the result of anything besides ability and hard work. We also note that in 2019 he attended Melbourne Business School for a year while also working for Mamamia, according to his LinkedIn profile. However, there has been unrest among staff who believe they work just as hard yet do not feel as though they are fairly compensated. Indeed, we hear the question of money is a particularly vexed one at Mamamia, where pay rises are said to be measly, even by Sydney media standards. An insider says, 'Staff are only offered pay rises at their annual performance reviews but these pay rises are actually decided before these meetings even though the whole purpose of these reviews is for staff to make their case for a pay increase.' Money is almost always the reason why people end up quitting Mamamia, which typically offers only small pay rises of between 'zero and five thousand dollars' annually. Discussions about pay rises outside of annual reviews are always refused. While many employees are said to have an almost cult-like devotion to Freedman, this often wears off when the reality of their meagre monthly pay packet hits them. 'So many talented and committed staff resign when they are refused pay rises. I wouldn't be surprise if a bunch of people quit after seeing the salary Luca is on,' a source says. Notwithstanding his pay - which puts the young COO in the top one per cent of Australian earners - some Mamamia staffers noted Luca became increasingly distant from colleagues as he was continually promoted. Before he became Head of Product, a source described him as 'one of the team' who would join in on Friday drinks. But after rising to an executive level, he reportedly became more aloof, which rubbed people the wrong way. In the background of his professional rise, he met and fell in love with Jessie Stephens, who was also eagerly climbing up the Mamamia ladder alongside her twin sister Clare and is now the website's executive editor. Disquiet at Mamamia became a talking point last month when Inside Mail reported that Clare Stephens (left, with twin sister Jessie, right) was leaving to become a freelance journalist Their relationship was apparently accepted by the staff and was not a source of office gossip, despite Jessie being eight years Luca's senior. The couple married in 2023 when Jessie was pregnant with their first child. Disquiet at Mamamia became a talking point last month when Inside Mail reported that Clare Stephens was leaving to become a freelance journalist. A powerful figure in the newsroom, Clare was central to the Mamamia brand as one half of 'The Twins'. She is now flying solo and is about to release a book called The Worst Thing I've Ever Done, which is set at a media company. Swirling rumours she quit Mamamia over money - and her brother-in-law's eye-watering salary in particular - are not true, according to staff we spoke to. Daily Mail Australia contacted Mamamia's Chief-of-Staff and People and Culture Manager for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. As she clings to what remains of her reputation, Blake Lively may come to regret the day she ever joked about asking Henry Golding: 'Hey nice to meet you, can I grab your nuts really hard?' The actress did in fact grab Golding down there and later even laughed about it as she improvised a scene with the then lesser-known British actor for their 2018 film, A Simple Favor. A strange move perhaps for someone who, years later, claims she was so uncomfortable with another co-star, Justin Baldoni, and his alleged 'improvised physical intimacy' on the set of their movie It Ends With Us that she filed a lawsuit in December accusing him of sexual harassment. Indeed, social media sleuths have delighted in the discovery of Lively's old improv admission and so too has Baldoni's team who, a source tells the Daily Mail, believe it could be the 'smoking gun' in their rancorous legal fight with the actress. (Baldoni has countersued for defamation). The clip in question comes from the recorded commentary for the Blu-Ray release of A Simple Favor. On screen, we see Lively, in character as Emily Nelson, taunting her husband Sean, played by Golding. As the pair lean in for a kiss, she grabs his crotch. Blake Lively may come to regret the day she ever joked about asking Henry Golding: 'Hey nice to meet you, can I grab your nuts really hard?' She has come under fire after she confessed she improvised a scene where she grabbed her co-star's privates. (Pictured: Golding and Lively on set). A source says that Baldoni's team believe it could be the 'smoking gun' in their rancorous legal fight with the actress. (Pictured: Baldoni and Lively on set). 'One of my favorite additions that you came up with grabbing his nuts,' director Paul Feig can be heard saying in the recorded commentary playing over the film. 'You really went for it too.' Laughing, Lively adds: 'That's always awkward 'hey nice to meet you can I grab your nuts really hard? Not because I want to but because I feel like [my character, Emily] would'.' 'This video will absolutely be used by Justin Baldoni's legal team in the case against Blake,' a source close to Baldoni told Daily Mail. 'It is a significant piece of evidence that caught everyone off guard. It is a smoking gun. 'Blake admitted to grabbing her co-star's crotch as improvisation and Paul confirmed that it was an unscripted addition. The video captures Blake doing exactly what she is now accusing Justin of, except worse. If Justin had grabbed Blake's crotch or her breasts without her consent, she likely would have pursued criminal charges for assault. Yet, when she did it in A Simple Favor, she laughed it off.' Lively's crotch grab is seen as all the more pertinent considering Baldoni, 41, stands accused of blindsiding the actress, 37, when he dragged his lips down her neck and told her 'it smells so good' as they shot intimate scenes for their movie. In December, Lively filed a a damning lawsuit against Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios and some of his associates, accusing him of sexual harassment and embarking on a 'calculated and malicious smear campaign' to destroy her reputation. For his part, Baldoni fired back with a blistering $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, in January, claiming the Hollywood couple conspired to trash his reputation. He has also launched a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times for its reporting on Lively's claims. All parties have vehemently denied the allegations against them. Baldoni has vowed to take down Lively, once Hollywood's golden girl, with a 'mountain of concrete evidence' disproving her allegations. One such piece of evidence was a video, obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail in January, which appeared to obliterate Lively's claims about his 'smells so good' comment. She insisted that nobody had heard him say it but, as the behind-the-scenes footage shows, Baldoni's sound equipment did pick up the actors' small talk, seeming to show his comment about her scent was in response to Lively talking about her recent spray tan. In response to that video, Lively's legal team said: 'Justin Baldoni and his lawyer may hope that this latest stunt will get ahead of the damaging evidence against him, but the video itself is damning. '[It] shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck [...] Every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described in [...] her Complaint.' But as Baldoni has tried to chip away at Lively's many allegations, people's accounts of allegedly hellish encounters with the actress have also trickled out. Earlier this year, film producer and an assistant director on A Simple Favor, Barbara Szeman, branded Lively the 'worst actor I have ever worked with', adding that she 'made me cry several times'. Kaitlyn Cooper, a one-time fan from Houston, Texas, accused Lively of following her to her car after she taken an innocent video of the actress when she realized they were staying in the hotel. While hair stylist Emanuel Millar has said in since-deleted posts on Instagram that Lively was 'self-centred' when they worked together on the 2011 film Hick. In an apparent attempt to save face this week, Lively surprised her fans by putting on an apron and serving donuts at a friend's Connecticut bakery. But there is no denying that the crotch-grab discovery is another big hurdle. 'The backlash that Blake is receiving over this is completely organic,' our source said. 'It is entirely her own doing and Baldoni's team is celebrating this new discovery.' Advertisement Jessica Alba flaunted her ripped bikini body in a black two-pie as she shared a selection of snaps from her tropical beach vacation with her three kids on Friday. Honor, 16, Haven, 13, and Hayes, seven, all went on vacation with their celebrity mother. The Dark Angel star, 43, captioned the Instagram post 'Vacay vibes,' and included two images with inspirational sayings on them. The first one appeared to be handwritten and said, Mood: I just wanna sit in front of the ocean and listen to the waves. The second one said, April energy: Remember that life is a miracle so don't take small joys for granted. The Into the Blue star appeared to take that last saying to heart, sharing sweet photos with the three children she shares with estranged husband Cash Warren, as well as idlylic beach shots and candid pics with pals. Jessica Alba flaunted her ripped bikini body in a black two-pie as she shared a selection of snaps from her tropical beach vacation with her three kids The actress uploaded the photos to Instagram on Friday Honor, 16, Haven, 13, and Hayes, seven, all went on vacation with their celebrity mother Newly-single Jessica spent some much-needed time with her girlfriends nearly three months after announcing her split from Cash. Jessica, who recently traveled to Mexico, did not reveal where she was at, but numerous commenters speculated that she's vacationing in Kauai. Jessica and Cash tied the knot in 2008. In January, Jessica announced that she and her husband had separated after she embarked on a 'journey of self realisation and transformation for years - both as an individual and in partnership with Cash.' Jessica filed for divorce on February 7 and is represented by Laura Wasser, whose celebrity clientele has included such A-list names as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Costner and Angelina Jolie. Now, as she and Cash embark on the legal proceedings to dissolve their marriage, Jessica has taken her mind off her woes with another vacation. No doubt the dissolution of her marriage to Cash is going to get complicated as they have no prenup and there is plenty of money at stake. In 2016, Forbes estimated Alba's net worth was around $340 million due to the success of The Honest Company, which she founded in 2011. The Dark Angel star, 43, captioned the Instagram post 'Vacay vibes' The Into the Blue star appeared to take that last saying to heart, sharing sweet photos with the three children she shares with estranged husband Cash Warren The mom of three also shared a sweet snap of herself kissing her son Hayes on the beach Jessica got into the spirit of her vacation with her kids and a few of her girlfriends The first one appeared to be handwritten and said, Mood: I just wanna sit in front of the ocean and listen to the waves The second one said, April energy: Remember that life is a miracle to don't take small joys for granted Five years later, they retracted the report and said with her '6% stake (including options)' in the brand, she 'would only be worth just under $100 million.' 'That is far less than the $340 million Forbes estimated she was worth when we estimated her stake to be 20% and put her on our 2016 list of America's most successful self-made women,' the publication explained in their correction. Like his wife, Warren has found success as an entrepreneur after launching his underwear and sock company, Pair of Thieves, valued at around $100 million. Celebrity Net Worth lists Alba's net worth as $100 million and Warren's at $50 million as of February 2025. In January, a legal expert told DailyMail.com that the couple's split could get 'complicated' as various factors come into play. Alba's money comes not just from her high-profile acting career which includes films such as Into The Blue, Honey and Sin City. It also is from her success as the founder of Honest Company, a consumer goods company based in Los Angeles and founded by Alba, Christopher Gavigan, and Brian Lee. The company is valued at roughly $640 million. The Honey actress posed with the chef in a cure photo The four women looked lovely in their sundresses Among the former couple's assets is a $10M Beverly Hills mansion that they bought in 2017. Alba and Warren met on the set of the Fantastic Four in 2004 and married four years later. The actress - who has been seen without her wedding ring for months - reportedly separated from the 45-year-old film producer last year. Kevin Bacon is opening up about the impact the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme had on him and wife Kyra Sedgwick. The longtime couple was reported to have lost 'millions' when they were among the investment victims caught in the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities scandal said to be estimated at around $64.8 billion. In a new interview with Esquire, the acclaimed actor confessed the ordeal 'sucked' when the news broke in 2008, but he and Sedgwick quickly opted to focus on the blessings they had in life as opposed to what they lost. 'There's not that much to say, really. If it seems too good to be true, then it's too good to be true,' Bacon, 66, shared on the topic straight away. 'It sucked, and we were certainly angry and all the things,' he said of their initial feelings. 'But then we woke up the next day and said, "What do we got? We love each other. We love our children. We're healthy. No one took away our ability to make a living." So we got back to work.' Kevin Bacon, 66, opened up about how it 'sucked' losing so much of his and wife Kyra Sedgwick's fortune in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, but maintained they never got 'jaded' The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native even makes a point that he and his wife never got 'jaded' after having been ripped off by Madoff, which was said to be 'most' of their money at the time, he told Business Insider in 2022. 'More careful,' he says of their attitude in the days, weeks, and months moving forward, 'But not jaded.' The Footloose star would also reveal how he uses the bad taste from the Madoff scandal as motivation that he can get through anything tough, especially when he's at the gym. It turns out, the fitness facility where he works out in New York City is right across the street from the building where Madoff used to work. And when he lays back to use the leg press machine it's situated 'right next to a window' so when he looks out he's always reminded of the ordeal. 'I'm in excruciating pain, doing the leg press, staring out that window. It's perfect, in a funny way, because I also have to think, 'I can get through this,' Bacon said, before adding, 'And that's how we felt about Madoff.' In a previous interview with GQ in 2015, Bacon confessed that there were 'so many people who got hit so much harder' financially than he and Sedgwick, who have been married since 1988. After being convicted, Madoff ended up being sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009 for defrauding thousands of investors out of their investment money over the years. Bacon says he and Sedgwick woke up the day after the scandal broke in 2008 and began to focus on their blessings: 'What do we got? We love each other. We love our children. We're healthy. No one took away our ability to make a living. So we got back to work' Madoff, who was sentenced to 150 years in prison for defrauding thousands of investors out of nearly $65 billion, died while in custody of natural causes at the age of 82 in April 2021 Longtime loves, Bacon and Sedgwick have been married since September 1988 His victims reportedly got a $4.3 billion payout, which is a fraction of the nearly $65 billion stolen in what is considered the largest known Ponzi scheme in history. Ultimately, the criminal financier died at a North Carolina federal medical center at the age of 82 in April 2021 after suffering from a series of health problems, Bacon is currently out promoting his new Amazon Prime Video series The Bondsman, which just premiered on April 3. The action horror series, created by Grainger David, tells the story of a backwoods bounty hunter who comes back from the dead with an unexpected second chance at life, love, and a nearly-forgotten musical career only to find that his old job now has a demonic new twist, according to Wikipedia. Kyle Sandilands has spilled major secrets from behind the scenes of Australian Idol ahead of Sunday night's finale. Lifting the lid on the show, Kyle addressed the judging shake-up and revealed what's in store for the Channel Seven talent program in 2025. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the shock jock, 53, confirmed that Idol has already been locked in for another season, with producers wasting no time securing the returning judges and Kyle says he was one of the first to know. 'They've already booked in the dates, I think, for next year. So Marcia says to me on the desk, last Monday night, she goes, "did they tell you about the new dates?" And I went, "of course, they f**king told me about the new dates a month ago".' Sandilands, who first joined Australian Idol in the early 2000s, claims this new era of the show is only thriving because he had a say in who came back and who didn't. 'Where's Harry Connick, Jr? Not here. Amy [Shark]'s here now. Marcia's here now,' he said. Kyle Sandilands has spilled major secrets from behind the scenes of Australian Idol ahead of Sunday night's finale Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the shock jock, 53, confirmed that Idol has already been locked in for another season, with producers wasting no time securing the returning judges and Kyle says he was one of the first to know (Pictured alongside Marcia Hines and Amy Shark) 'When we put this together, Channel Seven CEO Jeff Howard came and met me. We had lunch and I knew that he was like romancing me to come back to TV, but I was done with TV. 'Then he said, "I want you to come back to TV." And I said, "I'm not really interested." And he said, "what if we bring back Idol?" And I said "oh. Very interested only in Idol".' Kyle also said the original judging panel nearly looked very different. He revealed the 2023 Australian Idol panel was set to feature an international star-studded affair until plans fell through. Harry Connick Jr. was brought in to fill the spot, but Kyle said he always felt the show needed to be homegrown. 'It was gonna be me, Amy Shark, Meghan Trainor and Snoop Dogg. But Snoop was having some visa issues, then we nearly got 50 Cent, but he's got film companies and stuff now so we couldn't marry up the time.' The controversial host also addressed Australian Idol's ratings battle with Channel Nine's Married At First Sight and why he's not been talking about the Channel Nine show on The Kyle & Jackie O Show. 'We talked about MAFS probably five years ago. I'm just not as into it. I know it's still quite popular. Still though it [always] wins the night,' he admitted. Sandilands, who first joined Australian Idol in the early 2000s, says this new era of the show is only thriving because he had a say in who came back and who didn't 'Yeah, of course. Where's Harry Connick, Jr? Not here. Amy [Shark]'s here now. 'Marcia's here now,' he said 'I even brought it up with Channel Seven. I was like, "why would you put it up against Channel Nine's biggest show?" And they said, "We're not gonna just surrender and put episodes of Gilligan's Island on we still need to have a sexy current cool product for their advertisers." 'A lot of people don't want to advertise in MAFS because of the style of content of show.' On ratings, rival networks and future plans Kyle also took aim at the media's obsession with radio ratings after KIIS FM's recent Melbourne numbers. 'I didn't celebrate it. I thought it was f**ked,' he said bluntly. 'This is what people don't really understand about ratings. It's out of the five and a half million people in Melbourne, only 18,000 have even been asked to fill in a diary.' He also slammed reports he and co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson's rumoured salary increase was responsible for presenter Mitch Churi's departure. 'I had nothing to do with Mitch getting fired.... I don't know if it's completely true, but it probably is, it was just [his] negotiation style that didn't work.' Kyle insisted he doesn't let competition get in the way of his friendship revealing he'll be catching up with former colleague Jason Hawkins (pictured with co-host Lauren Phillips) over dinner next week Looking to the future, Kyle admitted he'd like to expand into Brisbane but isn't in any rush. 'I've made my intentions clear that I do want Brisbane as well, but while Brisbane still does well, they went down a little bit, but there's still got healthy numbers.' When it comes to rival presenters, Kyle insisted he doesn't let competition get in the way of friendship revealing he'll be catching up with former colleague Jason Hawkins over dinner next week. 'I found him when he was like a 16-year-old kid. He used to be my little b**ch at Triple M in Brisbane,' he joked. Rachael Lee has opened up about her relationship with her Bra Boys boyfriend Evan Faulks. The ex-fiancee of NRL star Braith Anasta told The Sunday Telegraph, her romance is 'so beautiful and deep.' 'My relationship with Evan is something I've never had before,' she said. 'I feel so beyond lucky to have him in mine, [her son] Addi and [daughter] Gigi's lives. Evan is such an honest, loyal and kind soul and a really great father and partner.' She also hinted that they have 'really exciting future plans happening together'. Rachael also said she and her ex Braith have been navigating the role of co-parenting their seven-year-old daughter Gigi. Rachael Lee has opened up about her relationship with her Bra Boys boyfriend Evan Faulks 'Co-parenting comes with its ups and downs, and a lot of agreeing to disagree,' she added. Evans has been romantically involved with Rachael since the start of this year. Rachael and Evan, who reportedly met at Crown Plaza in Coogee over Christmas the year before, were photographed together in public for the first time in May celebrating her 36th birthday. In 2023, he was extradited from Queensland following a sprawling 18-month investigation into alleged drug consignments intercepted by US authorities. Police allege Faulks was a 'high-ranking member' of the Maroubra-based Bra Boys surfer gang. Faulks faced court on March 19, charged with knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime with intent to conceal and dealing with property worth more than $100,000, which was suspected to be the proceeds of a crime. The first two charges were withdrawn on that date, and Faulks pleaded not guilty to the third. Faulks has been subjected to strict bail conditions, including remaining on good behaviour, reporting to Maroubra police station between 8am and 8pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and not going within 500m of any point of international departure. The ex-fiancee of NRL star Braith Anasta told The Sunday Telegraph, her romance is 'so beautiful and deep.' Pictured Rachael and Evans with her son Addison and daughter Gigi Rachael said she and her ex Braith (pictured) have been navigating the role of co-parenting their seven-year-old daughter Gigi Rachael and Braith confirmed their split in November 2022, following months of rumours. One month later, Rachael debuted her romance with Blake Hillen, a bricklayer and amateur boxer from the Sutherland Shire. However, a source told Daily Mail Australia in 2023 that Rachael and Blake were 'inseparable', but were now off - with both unfollowing each other on Instagram, and she later found love with Faulks. Braith went on to date Evie Tziomakis, but a source confirmed they had parted ways in June 2024. Advertisement Padma Lakshmi has come to the defense of a Southern Indian restaurant in New York City after a couple of food influencers gave the establishment a negative review. And the television personality and cookbook author didn't mince words in the wake of The VIP List's harsh critique of Semma in the West Village, which is the only Indian restaurant in NYC with a Michelin star. It all started when Meg Radice and Audrey Jongen, who have nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram combined, took aim at the Michelin Guide, a highly regarded restaurant guide that focuses on evaluating restaurants based on the quality of their food, not just the ambiance or service. 'This is why I've lost faith in the Michelin system ... here's the real tea,' one of the women ssays off the top of the video. 'I could name 15 better Indian restaurants right now, including the biryani cart outside of my apartment.' After highlighting a couple of bright spots about Semma's cuisine, and giving a disclaimer that this is a Southern Indian restaurant, the reviewer proceeded to say that she didn't expect to see 'tiki masala' on the menu, which was an incorrect reference of tikka masala. Padma Lakshmi joined in on the conversation of a couple of food influencers, The VIP List, who gave a harsh critique of the South Indian restaurant Semma in New York City She went on to complain why all the dishes she tried were 'drowned in this mystery sauce.' The reviewer followed up by revealing how she 'almost went full Helen Keller' after getting sauce in her eye, before adding, 'Usually I'm a wh*** for oxtail, but I closed my legs for this.' The VIP List review concluded: 'Overall nothing was horrible but nothing was great either, and I truly do not get the hype. Go cry about it.' Soon after a slew of people took to the comments section to blast the duo's review. One person wrote 'this video is sooo trashy', while another focused on the tone of the narration, 'Why is she yelling at us?' There were a number of people mystified by her use of 'mystery sauce.' 'Do you not try to find out anything about the culture/food you're partaking in??' one questioned. 'Now girl, how are we supposed to take your review of any Indian restaurant seriously when you say things like 'tiki masala', was another popular sentiment being tossed around in the comments. It took more than three weeks for the video to grab the attention of Lakshmi, who knows a thing or two about food. 'This is why I've lost faith in the Michelin system ... here's the real tea,' The VIP List review began off the top of the video 'I could name 15 better Indian restaurants right now, including the biryani cart outside of my apartment,' one of the reviewers said in the clip Specializing in Southern Indian cuisine, Semma, which is located in the West Village of Downtown Manhattan, is the only Indian restaurant in New York City with a Michelin star The reviewer said she didn't expect to see 'tiki masala' on the menu, which was an incorrect reference of tikka masala On Thursday, the former Top Chef host took to her TikTok page to share about a 'really annoying video' that was 'brought to my attention' On Thursday, the former Top Chef host took to her TikTok page to share about a 'really annoying video' that was 'brought to my attention.' 'I try not to get involved in these little things but I can't help but respond or at least comment,' Lakshmi explained, before focusing on The VIP List's video. 'I'm pretty sure Michelin doesn't give a s**t about you either, or what you think about anything, let alone food.' She added, 'Just a tip, before you go off slagging other cuisines, maybe you should understand them a little bit more. Or at least, I don't know, pronounce the dishes you're actually critiquing. There's no tiki anything in Indian cuisine. Not in North or South Indian cuisine.' The Madras, India native, who has worked as a host and judge on Top Chef (20062023), told The VIP List: 'By the way, Semma isn't made for you, it's not, it's made for us.' 'I'm pretty sure if nobody but desis [or those of South Asian origin] went there for the rest of its existence, it would still be booked solid for the next decade,' Lakshmi concluded. 'You seem like nice girls. I can only judge you by how you judge. I think you should do a little more research before you go deciding about what you're going to slag off, okay? Just a tip.' The support for Padma's response video was overwhelming, with many people referencing her as an expert on food, especially Indian cuisine, while bashing The VIP List. 'If THE Padma Lakshmi dragged me like this I'd deactivate my account and move to a cabin off the grid,' one fan shared. 'I'm pretty sure Michelin doesn't give a s**t about you either,' the Top Chef alum said, before telling the duo to do 'more research before you go deciding about what you're going to slag off' Along with Top Chef, Lakshmi's extensive food and cuisine resume includes hosting Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi, as well as writing two cookbooks and a culinary book There were others who agreed with posts like: 'Tell them about themselves, Padma!!' Someone else took back to The VIP List's TikTok page and wrote, 'Padma Lakshmi has spoken on ya'll. hang it up, turn it in.' Not only has the longtime model worked as a host and judge on Top Chef (20062023), she also has the lead in the travel and food documentary television series Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi since 2020. Throughout her career she's written two cookbooks - Easy Exotic (1999) and Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet (2007) - along with the culinary book - The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World (2016). Afterward her scathing rebuttal, The VIP List ladies didn't seem too bothered by her video, explaining their reasoning for what they do on Instagram. 'Social media gives us the freedom to spotlight what we think is great, and call it out when it's not,' they concluded. 'If we don't vibe with a place, that's not a scandal. It's just content. It's commentary. It's satire.' Nadina Coyle has vowed to 'live her life to the fullest' and 'have as much fun as she can' after losing her friend and Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah Harding. Nadine, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh made up the iconic girl band alongside Sarah until her tragic death from breast cancer in 2021. Now, in a new interview with The Mirror, Nadine, 39, has said that losing her bandmate has made her look at life differently. She told the publication: 'I just try to enjoy it, because Sarah really enjoyed life. She made the most of so many things. Thats really important. 'You can worry about so much stuff that just becomes irrelevant. Hold the people close that you love and spend time having fun, as much as you can.' Discussing Girls Aloud's recent reunion tour, where they paid tribute to Sarah, Nadine said: 'You could totally feel her presence, like she was right there. But when we all stood together to sing Ill Stand By You, it was very obvious that she wasnt. It was devastating, every single night.' Nadina Coyle has vowed to 'live her life to the fullest' and 'have as much fun as she can' after losing her friend and Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah Harding (pictured in 2022) Nadine, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh made up the iconic girl band alongside Sarah until her tragic death from breast cancer in 2021 (Nadine and Sarah together in 2004) In November, The Girls Aloud Show: Live At The O2 viewers were left 'sobbing' after the show featured an 'incredible' tribute to late band member Sarah on what would have been her 43rd birthday. The band reunited to tour the UK earlier last year in her memory, with their O2 show now transmitted on ITV. The girl group performed a rendition of I'll Stand By You set to a video of Sarah and her vocals as held hands and supported each on on stage. Black and white footage of Sarah singing were then shown, followed by a emotional montage dedicated to the late star which read: 'The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.' Meanwhile, bandmate Kimberely Walsh described how 'crazy emotional' it was for Girls Aloud to go on the reunion tour without Sarah. In an interview last year, Kimberley admitted that paying tribute to Sarah night after night was 'gut-wrenching' and that reuniting the band without her felt 'so emotional'. The mother-of-three even revealed that during the rehearsals for the show the group had 'let it all out' so that they could be strong enough to get through the live shows. However, she added how important they all knew it was to follow Sarah's wishes and show how she was an integral part of the band, admitting that despite it being 'tough' for them, they wanted to be able to honour and remember their friend. Speaking to The Sun, she explained: 'She wanted us to do it. She made it clear when she was here, but equally we felt it isnt Girls Aloud without her. Shes such a massive part of it, so we wanted to keep her part of it. Were trying to keep her spirit alive. She told the publication: 'I just try to enjoy it, because Sarah really enjoyed life. She made the most of so many things. Thats really important' (Girls Aloud pictured in 2012) Nadine added: 'You can worry about so much stuff that just becomes irrelevant. Hold the people close that you love and spend time having fun, as much as you can' (Sarah pictured in 2015) In May 2024, the group returned to the stage for the first time in 11 years to go on a huge UK tour, where their late bandmate was kept as the focus throughout 'There wasnt just one moment of her, we made the whole show have a thread of her throughout. And at times we were like: "Is this actually too sad?" Because for us it felt just gut-wrenching. But then, equally, she deserved that time and for people to remember her.' Kimberley said the end result was 'crazy emotional', but described hearing Sarah's vocals in arenas as 'epic' and confessed celebrating their bandmate alongside the fans had ended up being a 'cathartic' experience for the group. She said: 'Its been cathartic for all of us to have that time and to almost grieve with the fans. Theyve grown up with us. And theres no denying that her energy was really missed on stage. But I think everybody could feel that she was still very much intertwined within the show and the band.' Speaking to MailOnline in September, Kimberley elaborated on how painful the experience was initially. She said: 'Honouring Sarah was quite cathartic, it really was, as tough as the first part was, the planning the rehearsals without her were painful. 'But then seeing her honoured and her voice playing out in the arena again and people's outpouring of love, seeing how happy it made her mum and all of that, it made us feel really amazing.' Meanwhile Cheryl revealed that she misses her Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah's 'electric and wild side' after her death. Speaking in a special two-hour show for Radio 2, Cheryl said: 'There are little moments that you would share with her individually on stage on tour. 'Where there's no more Sarah than in that moment and I can't describe like, nobody else would know her that way, other than us four.' Iconic Australian fashion designer Perri Cutten has passed away aged 73. The style icon, known for her modern classic aesthetic, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday. Perri launched her fashion label at the age of 31 and eventually opened her first store in Melbourne in 1981. Her designs have drawn inspiration from style icons like Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. By 2011, Perri's designs were available in 32 locations nationwide including Myer and David Jones. She lived on the Mornington Peninsula with her photographer partner Jo Daniel. Iconic Australian fashion designer Perri Cutten (pictured) has passed away aged 73 A tribute post was shared to the Perri Cutten Facebook page after the devastating news was announced. 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Perri Cutten, an iconic figure in Australian fashion whose name has become synonymous with timeless elegance and sophistication,' the post read. 'As the founder of the Perri Cutten brand, she built a legacy that has endured for decades, dressing generations of Australian women with style, grace and confidence. 'Her contribution to the fashion industry was not only visionary but also deeply personal she understood the modern Australian woman and designed with purpose, integrity, and grace. 'Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with her. 'May she be remembered for her pioneering spirit, her impeccable eye, and the enduring mark she left on Australian fashion.' Many shared their condolences on social media, with one commenting: 'Love Perri Cutten clothes, my wardrobe is full of their designs. RIP Perri Cutten.' 'One of the few Australian made. RIP Perri Cutten,' another said. Perri launched her fashion label at the age of 31 and eventually opened her first store in Melbourne in 1981 'So sad, I worked for Perri Cutten for so many years. Rip beautiful lady,' a third said. Perri has received an honorary doctorate from Swinburne University, acknowledging her contribution to Australian fashion. She was a loving mother to daughters Kate and Gaby and the stepmother of Lily and Coco. There will be a private cremation with a memorial service. Advertisement Gwyneth Paltrow was seen cozying up to Chamath Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist known for being a Trump donor, at the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday. While making her red carpet arrival, she was joined by Salma Hayek and Lauren Sanchez as they led the youth-defying stars in their 50s at the glamorous gala. At the prestigious event held at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Paltrow, 52, showcased her radiant beauty in a strapless, white gown with a floor-sweeping skirt. The Goop founder the only one out of the three who has been open about her experience with Botox strutted onto the star-studded red carpet and was followed by fellow actress Hayek, 58, and former journalist Sanchez, 55, in fashionable display. Paltrow was seen in a selfie Palihapitiya shared on X, formerly Twitter, immediately after snapping the photo with the star. The entrepreneur, who also previously served as an early senior executive at Facebook, captioned the photo with three heart-surrounded, smiling emojis. Paltrow, while often encouraging her fans to vote, is not vocally political. However, she also got backlash a few years ago for saying she was 'open-minded' about controversial politician RFK Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and Lauren Sanchez led the youth-defying stars in their 50s at the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday At the event, Paltrow was seen cozying up to Chamath Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist known for being a Trump donor In contrast to Paltrow's look, the From Dusk Till Dawn star modeled a sultry, black look featuring a high-neck, sheer top layered over a low-cut slip dress. Sanchez put on a glamorous display in a striking red dress as she arrived on the arm of her husband-to-be, billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos, 61. The annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, popularly known as the Oscars of Science, is a gathering of stars in Hollywood and in science to honor laureates in the fields of life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics. Leading the glamorous arrivals on the red carpet, Paltrow turned heads in an ethereal, white dress with a tight-fitting, mermaid silhouette. She left her blonde hair down in natural, subtle waves, which were parted slightly to the side. She opted out of a necklace to showcase her bare decolletage but accessorized with silver, statement earrings that twinkled as they peeked out from behind her beach waves. She also sported a dainty ring, one on each of her ring fingers, on both hands to complete her understated, elegant look. Paltrow opted for a soft and dewy makeup look to accentuate her smooth skin, looking stunning in peachy-pink blush and champagne gold highlighter. At the prestigious event held at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Paltrow, 52, showcased her radiant beauty in a strapless, white gown with a floor-sweeping skirt Leading the glamorous arrivals on the red carpet, Paltrow turned heads in an ethereal, white dress with a tight-fitting, mermaid silhouette She left her blonde hair down in natural, subtle waves, which were parted slightly to the side She opted out of a necklace to showcase her bare decolletage but accessorized with silver, statement earrings that twinkled as they peeked out from behind her beach waves She also sported a dainty ring, one on each of her ring fingers, on both hands to complete her understated, elegant look Meanwhile, Hayek rocked a contrasting look with a black, chiffon blouse paired with a flowing, waterfall skirt cascading around her curves. She opted for a bold, red lip to pop out against the dark color and accessorized with an abundance of gold and diamond jewelry. Hayek who once said she has never touched Botox and rather credited 'meditation' and 'frequency machines' for her youthful appearance rocked a huge, statement necklace with dazzling diamonds arranged into a floral shape. To match, she wore gold bangles, chain bracelets and a statement ring with the same floral design on her right hand. The Magic Mike's Last Dance star, who is married to billionaire businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, styled her raven black tresses in bouncy, voluminous curls. And to complete her sultry look, she sported a copper smoky eye paired with rosy pink blush to accentuate her age-defying beauty. As for Sanchez, she arrived with her fiance Bezos at the star-studded event. The couple are said to be planning their extravagant summer wedding and getting ready to tie the knot in Italy. Meanwhile, Hayek rocked a contrasting look with a black, chiffon blouse paired with a flowing, waterfall skirt cascading around her curves She opted for a bold, red lip to pop out against the dark color and accessorized with an abundance of gold and diamond jewelry. She rocked a huge, statement necklace with dazzling diamonds arranged into a floral shape Sanchez put on a glamorous display in a striking red dress as she arrived on the arm of her husband-to-be, billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos, 61 The couple are said to be planning their extravagant summer wedding and getting ready to tie the knot in Italy The bombshell showcased her sculpted face and physique with a glamorous pink makeup look and a striking, satin gown The gown was styled like a sexy slip dress with skinny, spaghetti straps and a cowl-neck detail as additional, off-the-shoulder straps. She paired the figure-hugging dress with nude, patent leather pumps and a rhinestone-encrusted, Star Wars-inspired clutch purse As for Bezos, he looked dapper in a classic black and white tuxedo with a satin bowtie to match the lapels on his perfectly tailored blazer The bombshell showcased her sculpted face and physique with a glamorous pink makeup look and a striking, satin gown. The gown was styled like a sexy slip dress with skinny, spaghetti straps and a cowl-neck detail as additional, off-the-shoulder straps. Sanchez who has never publicly addressed any cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery speculation paired the figure-hugging dress with nude, patent leather pumps and a rhinestone-encrusted, Star Wars-inspired clutch purse. As for Bezos, he looked dapper in a classic black and white tuxedo with a satin bowtie to match the lapels on his perfectly tailored blazer. Another power couple arriving at the star-studded soiree was Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. The Facebook co-founder and Meta CEO donned an all-black tuxedo with his jacket unbuttoned. He arrived wearing a pair of all-black, Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses as he arrived with his wife, who turned heads in her glamorous interpretation of a power suit. She wore an oversize tuxedo jacket over a plain white top and a black, balloon midi skirt. Another power couple arriving at the star-studded soiree was Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Katy Perry turned heads in a edgy-chic, futuristic dress with cleavage-baring cutouts and a tight-fitting, mermaid-inspired silhouette hugging her body. To match the silver, iridescent sequins covering her dress, she wore a matching headpiece over her gelled curls Alicia Keys dazzled in an oversize, pinstriped suit matching Swizz Beatz's felt blazer and tailored sweatpants combo as the stylish pair arrived on the red carpet She completed her look with cream-colored, suede pumps and a crimson red lip for a pop of color. Katy Perry turned heads in a edgy-chic, futuristic dress with cleavage-baring cutouts and a tight-fitting, mermaid-inspired silhouette hugging her body. To match the silver, iridescent sequins covering her dress, she wore a matching headpiece over her gelled curls. Alicia Keys dazzled in an oversize, pinstriped suit matching Swizz Beatz's felt blazer and tailored sweatpants combo as the stylish pair arrived on the red carpet. Christina Aguilera looked like a goddess as she made her glamorous arrival in a flowy, white dress with a lace-up waist corset. Her edgy-chic dress featured flowing cape sleeves that cascaded behind her as she strutted and posed on the red carpet. The pop icon was also joined by her partner Matthew Rutler at the event. Kate Hudson looked show-stopping in a sheer, beige jumpsuit featuring off-the-shoulder, flared sleeves and crystal beading in a pinstriped pattern. She arrived alongside her beau Danny Fujikawa, who looked handsome in an all-black suit combo. Christina Aguilera looked like a goddess as she made her glamorous arrival in a flowy, white dress with a lace-up waist corset. Her edgy-chic dress featured flowing cape sleeves that cascaded behind her as she strutted and posed on the red carpet Kate Hudson looked show-stopping in a sheer, beige jumpsuit featuring off-the-shoulder, flared sleeves and crystal beading in a pinstriped pattern. She arrived alongside her beau Danny Fujikawa, who looked handsome in an all-black suit combo Drew Barrymore was also spotted in attendance in a glamorous, off-the-shoulder gown with satin bows fastened at the top of her sleeves. She paired the chic dress with a metallic clutch purse and a stunning display of diamond earrings Olivia Wilde looked dazzling in an off-the-shoulder, black gown featuring a voluminous skirt and white, brushstroke-inspired details in contrast over the textured fabric Drew Barrymore was also spotted in attendance in a glamorous, off-the-shoulder gown with satin bows fastened at the top of her sleeves. She paired the chic dress with a metallic clutch purse and a stunning display of diamond earrings. The former actress and current talk show host swept her brunette hair to one side for an effortless look and rocked a bright pink lip gloss for a little bit of color. Olivia Wilde looked dazzling in an off-the-shoulder, black gown featuring a voluminous skirt and white, brushstroke-inspired details in contrast over the textured fabric. Rapper will.i.am. dressed to impress in a navy blazer paired with a turtleneck and faux leather joggers. He wore colorful running shoes that matched the colorblock detail on his sweater and completed his look with a gray, cardboard-inspired baseball hat. Ke Huy Quan looked handsome in a perfectly tailored suit featuring a satin bowtie and matching lapels. He accessorized with a circular, blue pin and completed his look with chunky, patent leather oxford shoes. Rapper will.i.am. dressed to impress in a navy blazer paired with a turtleneck and faux leather joggers. He wore colorful running shoes that matched the colorblock detail on his sweater and completed his look with a gray, cardboard-inspired baseball hat Ke Huy Quan looked handsome in a perfectly tailored suit featuring a satin bowtie and matching lapels. He accessorized with a circular, blue pin and completed his look with chunky, patent leather oxford shoes Emily in Paris star Lily Collins arrived in a stunning look as she coordinated with her partner Charlie McDowell. She looked mesmerizing in a strapless, black corset top paired with a scrunched, sheer skirt with ruffles and sequins. McDowell wore a navy suit with sequined details on his white button-down shirt to match the actress' dazzling look Paris Hilton also opted for a black, sparkly look as she modeled a sequined dress with sheer, cape sleeves. The reality star styled her blonde tresses in a voluminous updo and accessorized with a silver, chainmail-inspired necklace with a massive pink gemstone in the middle Emily in Paris star Lily Collins arrived in a stunning look as she coordinated with her partner Charlie McDowell. She looked mesmerizing in a strapless, black corset top paired with a scrunched, sheer skirt with ruffles and sequins. McDowell wore a navy suit with sequined details on his white button-down shirt to match the actress' dazzling look. Paris Hilton also opted for a black, sparkly look as she modeled a sequined dress with sheer, cape sleeves. The reality star styled her blonde tresses in a voluminous updo and accessorized with a silver, chainmail-inspired necklace with a massive pink gemstone in the middle. Jessica Chastain put on an elegant display in a sleek, white gown with intricate beading decorating the high-waisted skirt and lining the cropped bodice. The silver screen star carried a metallic, silver clutch purse and swept her auburn waves to one side for her glamorous gala look. Glenn Close looked fabulous in a rhinestone-decorated blazer jacket paired with matching trousers, lace gloves and chic pumps with silver buckles on the front. Jessica Chastain put on an elegant display in a sleek, white gown with intricate beading decorating the high-waisted skirt and lining the cropped bodice. The silver screen star carried a metallic, silver clutch purse and swept her auburn waves to one side for her glamorous gala look Glenn Close looked fabulous in a rhinestone-decorated blazer jacket paired with matching trousers, lace gloves and chic pumps with silver buckles on the front For the star-studded gala, Zoe Saldana modeled a striking, blazer-inspired dress with long, off-the-shoulder sleeves and a sheer rose detail decorating her decolletage. She was joined by her husband Marco Perego at the event For the star-studded gala, Zoe Saldana modeled a striking, blazer-inspired dress with long, off-the-shoulder sleeves and a sheer rose detail decorating her decolletage. She was joined by her husband Marco Perego at the event. Lizzo also made a stunning appearance in a sparkling red gown with a corseted bodice and a ruched skirt connected to opera gloves for a cape-like look. Layered underneath her midi skirt was another, a burgundy, pleated garb that trailed behind her as she strutted on the red carpet. The singer rocked dramatic red makeup to go with her look and opted for a wet-inspired hairstyle. On the heels of her Snow White premiere, Gal Gadot attended the gala in a glamorous, witchy ensemble. She turned heads in a tinsel-inspired, fringe dress paired with leather pumps and a vintage clutch for her retro, monochromatic black look. Lizzo also made a stunning appearance in a sparkling red gown with a corseted bodice and a ruched skirt connected to opera gloves for a cape-like look. Layered underneath her midi skirt was another, a burgundy, pleated garb that trailed behind her as she strutted on the red carpet. The singer rocked dramatic red makeup to go with her look and opted for a wet-inspired hairstyle On the heels of her Snow White premiere, Gal Gadot attended the gala in a glamorous, witchy ensemble. She turned heads in a tinsel-inspired, fringe dress paired with leather pumps and a vintage clutch for her retro, monochromatic black look Jeremy Strong looked handsome in an all-black suit featuring his signature turtleneck layered underneath his cozy blazer Danny DeVito looked dapper in a classic black blazer paired with a white button-down and a slim, striped tie for his stylish suit Jeremy Strong looked handsome in an all-black suit featuring his signature turtleneck layered underneath his cozy blazer. Danny DeVito looked dapper in a classic black blazer paired with a white button-down and a slim, striped tie for his stylish suit. Gayle King was also seen in attendance, modeling a sparkly, white dress with intricate beading and delicate fringe. Seth Rogen was joined by his wife Lauren Miller Rogen at the gala. The actor and comedian donned a deep navy suit with shiny dress shoes. His wife wore a iridescent, copper red dress with a flowing, A-line skirt and silver sandal heels. Edward Norton and his wife Shauna Robertson were a stylish pair at the star-studded gala. Gayle King was also seen in attendance, modeling a sparkly, white dress with intricate beading and delicate fringe Seth Rogen was joined by his wife Lauren Miller Rogen at the gala. The actor and comedian donned a deep navy suit with shiny dress shoes. His wife wore a iridescent, copper red dress with a flowing, A-line skirt and silver sandal heels Edward Norton and his wife Shauna Robertson were a stylish pair at the star-studded gala. The Glass Onion star wore a dark gray suit with satin stripes running along the side of his trousers. At his side, his wife turned heads in a sparkling, green gown with a sexy, halter neckline and a cascading cape design Rob Lowe was a stylish pair with his wife Sheryl Berkoff as the actor donned a dapper black suit with a white button-down and tie. Berkoff wore a striking, bright red gown with a cape-style shawl as she joined him on the red carpet The Glass Onion star wore a dark gray suit with satin stripes running along the side of his trousers. At his side, his wife turned heads in a sparkling, green gown with a sexy, halter neckline and a cascading cape design. Rob Lowe was a stylish pair with his wife Sheryl Berkoff as the actor donned a dapper black suit with a white button-down and tie. Berkoff wore a striking, bright red gown with a cape-style shawl as she joined him on the red carpet. Celeste Barber has sold her Central Coast home. The comedian, 42, and her husband Api Robin nabbed the five-bedroom home in Long Jetty for $565,000 in 2014, located just minutes from Shelly Beach. The couple moved to Tweed Heads in 2019 and rented their place out for $650 a week before deciding to put it on the market six years later. The two-storey home sits on just over 500 square metres of land and features an open plan living space and an adjoining sun room that bathes the home in sunlight. Raine & Horne agent Matt Rogers recently found buyers for the couple's former abode, with it selling for $1.045million. Despite the couple pocketing nearly double what they originally bought the home for, the median house price in Long Jetty is $1.304 million according to PropTrack. Celeste Barber has sold her Central Coast home. Pictured The comedian, 42, and her husband Api Robin nabbed the five-bedroom home in Long Jetty for $565,000 in 2014, located just minutes from Shelly Beach Celeste, who rose to fame for her celebrity parodies and comedy skits, has built an impressive property portfolio over the last few years, buying a $1.175million penthouse in 2019 and a $477,000 apartment just a year later. Before nabbing the Long Jetty home, Celeste owned a studio apartment in Sydney's Stanmore neighbourhood, a property she bought for $259,000 in 2009 and sold for $320,000 five years later. In 2024, Celeste announced a new project that was quite the departure from her comedy gigs. The Aussie funny woman made her foray into the beauty sphere, launching her own affordable makeup brand, Booie Beauty. Among the offerings are the Where The Hell Is My? Nourished Lip Stick in three colours for $28 each. Also on sale is the Bam! Bam! Bam! Lip, Cheek and Eye Tint in two shades for just $22. There is also the popular You're Welcome Mascara Tubular Mascara for $31, which has sold out. Celeste has a strong track record when it comes to slinging cosmetics. The two-storey home sits on just over 500 square metres of land It features an open plan living space and an adjoining sun room that bathes the home in sunlight The Aussie funny woman made her foray into the beauty sphere, launching her own affordable makeup brand, Booie Beauty In 2021, she sent makeup lovers racing to buy a beauty tool she insisted was the best she's ever tried. Celeste was at the time the face of Australian cosmetics lines MCoBeauty, and plugged her favourite products - including a mascara from the brand. 'Honestly, I'm the last person who should be giving beauty advice, so I won't,' she said at the time. 'All I'll say is I'm absolutely obsessed with the products. The XtendLash tubular mascara is the best I've ever tried.' The $28 mascara, which promises to maximise length, curl and volume without flaking or smudging, is a budget-friendly imitation of Kevyn Aucoin's The Volume Mascara, a cult favourite that costs $53 at cosmetics stores like Sephora. Married At First Sight's Beth Kelly left little to the imagination on Sunday in a dress that had tongues wagging. The 28-year-old, who was partnered with Teejay Halkias during the experiment, ensured all eyes were on her when she stepped out in a daring frock at Daily Mail Australias exclusive Reunion Party at the Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. Beth showed off her slender figure in a body-hugging brown gown that fell to the floor and boasted a low, revealing neckline. However, she risked a major wardrobe malfunction in the dress, which bragged a very high slit that cut above her upper thigh, highlighting her endless trim pins. The hair salon manager slicked her hair back in a neat ponytail and opted for a bronzy makeup look, complemented with gold jewellery. Also in attendance at the swanky do were some of 2025's biggest MAFS stars, including Awhina Rutene, Paul Antoine, Carina Mirabile, Eliot Donovan and Jamie Marinos. Married At First Sight's Beth Kelly left little to the imagination on Sunday in a dress that had tongues wagging. Pictured The 28-year-old, who was partnered with Teejay Halkias during the experiment, ensured all eyes were on her when she stepped out in a daring frock at Daily Mail Australias exclusive Reunion Party at the Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo, Sydney Beth recently revealed she is no longer on speaking terms with her on-screen husband Teejay, 28, following their brutal break-up just days before Final Vows. In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, the former bride admitted she had cut ties with Teejay after feeling rejected, humiliated and blindsided by his behaviour both on and off camera. 'At the moment, no we're not on talking terms,' Beth confessed. 'I actually did think about messaging him this morning, but he's seen me cry and seen how hurt I am, and he's not taking any accountability.' Beth explained she felt she never had the opportunity to get things off her chest. 'He actually doesn't know how angry I am and the things I never really got to say,' she continued. 'I am in two minds I want to have a conversation with him, but at the same time, I don't know if I ever want to speak to him again.' The Brisbane-based bride sensationally quit the show at the eleventh hour, telling Teejay she would not be going through with Final Vows after weeks of feeling unwanted. Beth showed off her slender figure in a body-hugging brown gown that fell to the floor and boasted a low, revealing neckline. However, she risked a major wardrobe malfunction in the dress, which bragged a very high slit that cut above her upper thigh, highlighting her endless trim pins Also in attendance at the swanky do were some of 2025's biggest MAFS stars, including Awhina Rutene, Paul Antoine, Carina Mirabile, Eliot Donovan and Jamie Marinos Beth recently revealed she is no longer on speaking terms with her on-screen husband Teejay, 28, following their brutal break-up just days before Final Vows In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, the former bride admitted she had cut ties with Teejay after feeling rejected, humiliated and blindsided by his behaviour both on and off camera 'I don't see a future with you. I'm not gonna put my energy into it. I'm not wasting my time anymore,' she declared during their emotional farewell. Beth told Daily Mail Australia she had seen red flags in their relationship long before it imploded, admitting Teejay's decision to write 'leave' during a previous commitment ceremony was the final straw. 'My reason for leaving was purely because TJ wrote "leave". He was obviously completely checked out,' she said. 'I don't think you can tell a person you don't wanna be with them any more than that.' Beth revealed she regretted trying to salvage the relationship after that moment. 'If I knew he was going to write "leave", I absolutely would have written "leave" as well. Definitely.' Beth went on to slam Teejay's 'hypocritical' behaviour after it was revealed he had followed fellow bride Tara Lee on Instagram and liked several of her photos despite berating Beth for going on a date with another man during the show's controversial partner-swap twist. 'He actually had a bit of a go at me behind closed doors about going on the date,' she revealed. 'He said it was confusing, that I was going to look stupid, and it made me really upset.' 'But then I found out that he had a great time on his date. He told me something different and he's then followed her and liked her pictures. So to me, it's just hypocritical.' Vogue Williams flashed her envious physique in a black and white bikini as she took a dip in the ocean in St Barts on Friday. The podcast host looked nothing short of sensational in the skimpy two-piece and shielded her face with a matching cap. As the Irish beauty, 39, cooled off in the sea, her ripped husband Spencer Matthews, 36, displayed his very sunburnt chest on the beach. The couple have been enjoying a family holiday on the Caribbean island following concerns about their marriage. Vogue later covered up her model svelte physique with a bright lime green dress. The looked every inch the doting parents as they lifted up son Otto, two, and daughter Gigi, three, on their shoulders for a series of Instagram snaps. Vogue Williams, 39, flashed her envious physique in a black and white bikini as she took a dip in the ocean in St Barts on Friday As the Irish beauty cooled off in the sea, her ripped husband Spencer Matthews, 36, displayed his very sunburnt chest on the beach Vogue simply captioned the post with a world emoji and love heart emoji as she shared the family pictures with her 1.1million followers. The duo, who's eldest son Theodore, six, was also on the holiday, have been making the most of their time abroad. It comes after the mother-of-three took to Instagram last week to confirm the couple are not breaking up following a string of rumours. And any speculation of a split appeared far from Vogue's mind as she cheerfully chatted to her husband and mingled with their children on the beach. Getting into the spirit of things, Vogue was seen with two wooden buckets as she filled them with water in the sea. Last week Vogue took to Instagram to hit back at claims that her six year marriage to Spencer was 'on the rocks.' Beginning in a joking tone, Vogue penned: 'Its with great sadness that I have to let you know that Spen and I are NOT breaking up!' Addressing the rumours she then continued: 'I usually avoid addressing baseless and cruel rumours but this just keeps coming up. Vogue covered up her model svelte physique with a bright lime green dress Vogue Williams looked incredible in a lilac bikini as she enjoyed a beach day on Friday with her hunky husband Spencer Matthews and their children, during a family's getaway to St Barts The duo, who's eldest son Theodore, six, was also on the holiday, have been making the most of their time abroad 'Its disappointing to see this narrative being pushed almost daily when its absolutely not true and much more importantly I dont want my children hearing these lies in the playground. 'Were not sure what the angle is or where its coming from but the whole thing feels very strange and mean.' She concluded: 'Were very happily married and in love and I hope posting the truth on my own platform might make it stop.' The couple have been married since 2018, but the relationship first came under scrutiny after rumours spread that Spencer had got with Lottie Moss at Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo's wedding back in May 2023. Lottie has always denied anything untoward took place and said that the pair only partied together at the celebrations. Yet recently once again fans have been speculating over their relationship on social media and have begun questioning if all is well in their six-year marriage. Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart have reason to celebrate. The Home and Away stars took to Instagram on Sunday to share a sweet collection of pictures celebrating their one year anniversary at Mimi's in Sydney. 'Just perfect,' Ada captioned the post, which showed the happy couple enjoying a delicious meal of oysters, caviar and bubbles at the iconic eatery. In the first picture, the happy couple could be seen with giant grins on their faces as they posed with a card congratulating them on their milestone moment. In the snaps, Ada wore a maroon-coloured, strapless dress with her brunette locks falling over her shoulders. She accessorised the ensemble with a $5,3000 Chanel purse, a $19,300 Cartier Love Bracelet and Rolex Datejust watch, which retails for around $12,189. Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart have reason to celebrate The Home and Away stars took to Instagram on Sunday to share a sweet collection of pictures celebrating their one year anniversary at Mimi's in Sydney 'Just perfect,' Ada captioned the post James opted for a neutral toned suit and a white button-up shirt. Ada recently revealed how her Home and Away co-stars discovered her off-screen relationship with James. The soap opera stars, whose characters are married on the Channel Seven show, were first linked at the beginning of 2024 when they were seen sharing a kiss on Anzac Day before Ada confirmed their romance in a magazine interview. Speaking on Mamamia's No Filter podcast, the actress revealed she had only told a small group of people that she was 'close with' on set before 'word got around' about the couple's off-screen relationship. 'I figured I didn't need to tell anyone else,' she explained. 'We didn't need a group email, people just worked it out.' Elsewhere in the interview, Ada admitted growing feelings for her television co-star James was 'weird' at first. 'Jimmy and I have known each other for 25 to 30 years and there were no feelings for a really, really long time. So I was shocked when I started having feelings,' she said. The soap opera stars, whose characters are married on the Channel Seven show, were first linked at the beginning of 2024 when they were seen sharing a kiss on Anzac Day before Ada confirmed their romance in a magazine interview 'There was this chemistry for the first time this spark that happened that wasn't there before and it was weird.' In July, Ada finally broke her silence on her romance with James after months of speculation. She confirmed she was dating her longtime co-star James in a magazine interview, describing their romance as 'unexpected'. 'Jimmy and I are together, yes. It's only early days. It's very recent and unexpected. I'm super happy. It's really lovely,' she told Stellar Magazine. But she insisted their Home And Away characters Leah Patterson and Justin Morgan getting married on-screen was not an early sign of their real-life romance. The couple began dating after Ada split from her ex-partner Adam Rigby just before Christmas in 2023 and James finalised his divorce from Sarah Roberts in March 2024. Get all Daily Mail Australia's latest MAFS stories on WhatsApp here Advertisement Married At First Sight fans have slammed Clint Rice after the groom took a brutal swipe at Sydney's Western Suburbs. Clint's harsh words were uttered in the dramatic Reunion episode on Sunday night that saw him finally reveal that he was in a relationship with Jacqui Burfoot. Tensions were certainly high at the final soiree of the experiment, particularly between the newly minted couple and Jacqui's ex Ryan Donnelly. Ryan, wanting to get to the bottom of the genesis of the relationship, took Clint aside when he arrived at the event alone. While expectation was high that they would arrive together, Clint stepped in solo and Ryan quickly took him aside to get clarity on the situation. While he didn't give a direct answer, Clint made it abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with Ryan. Married At First Sight fans have slammed Clint Rice (pictured) after the groom took a brutal swipe at Sydney's western suburbs As the dinner party progressed, Clint and Ryan continued to trade barbs and after Jacqui announced she was moving to Tasmania to live with Clint, Ryan had enough 'I know you've been messaging me and trying to claim that we're mates. We're not f***ing mates,' he spat. As the dinner party progressed, the pair continued to trade barbs and after Jacqui announced she was moving to Tasmania to live with Clint, Ryan had enough. 'I'm sick of looking at you - p***s off back to Hobart,' Ryan spat. When Clint replied that he didn't live in Hobart, Ryan doubled down with: 'Mate whatever Tassie hole you crawled out of just crawl back into it.' Keen to flex his alpha male credentials, Clint then had a dig at Ryan's hometown. 'Mate you live in the Western Suburbs. Lets not talk anymore,' he said as Jacqui gleefully giggled. He reiterated the sentiment to producers, adding: 'Mate, don't go there. 'If you want to have a flex I'll send you some pictures because I'm not in the western suburbs in a one bedroom s***house. 'Mate whatever Tassie hole you crawled out of just crawl back into it,' Ryan shot at Clint 'If you want to have a flex I'll send you some pictures because I'm not in the western suburbs in a one bedroom s***house.' Clint said Clint's harsh words did not sit well with fans, who took to social media to slam the reality star 'Jacqui's gone from a Kia to a Ferrari,' he continued. Clint's harsh words did not sit well with fans, who took to social media to slam the reality star. 'How dare Clint absolute degrade a whole demographic. As Ryan says be gone,' one fan offered while another jumped in with: 'Clint really thinks he's better than anyone else'. Another took umbrage with Clint's comments, because of the house prices in Western Sydney. 'Clint saying Ryan's home is a "one-bedroom s*** house, but it probably cost the same as his Tasmanian mansion,' they wrote. Another viewer took a similar approach, writing, 'Haha Clint couldnt afford to by a one bedroom s***hole in the western suburbs #mafs' The Western Suburbs comment did not sit well with another viewer who wrote: 'Clint talking about a s***house in Western Sydney and offending probably 99.9% of the viewers'. 'Any house in Sydney can literally buy a mansion in Hobart. Get a grip Clint,' added another property-minded fan. It was a sentiment echoed by another angry fan who added: 'Someone tell Clint that If he must know, Ryans western suburbs home will always be worth more than a mansion in Tasmania - thats Sydney real estate for you ' 'How dare Clint absolute degrade a whole demographic. As Ryan says be gone,' one fan offered while another jumped in with: 'Clint really thinks he's better than anyone else' Despite all of the barbs, Clint and Jacqui shocked fans when they announced their engagement on Sunday One fan was clearly unimpressed with Clint's 'flexing' suggesting he, like Jacqui, needs to work on his 'punchlines.' 'It looks like Clint from #MAFSAustralia attended the same lame school of coming up with memorable (not) punch lines as Jacqui. They will have a great time together,' they wrote. Another slammed Clint's comments and behaviour. 'For a 45 year old man, Clint is a juvenile,' they opined. Despite all of the barbs, Clint and Jacqui shocked fans when they announced their engagement on Sunday. In footage shared to TikTok, Clint is seen on one knee popping the question to his ladylove, 29, before producing an impressive diamond ring. It wasn't long before an elated Jacqui said yes, scooping up her hunk and planting a joyous kiss on his smiling lips. Later in the footage, Jacqui proudly flashed her blinding diamond ring to her adoring MAFS fans as she grinned with glee. TOWIE star Elliot Wright is going to be a dad of five, revealing his wife is expecting another baby. Elliot, who is the cousin of new dad Mark Wright, shared a joint Instagram post with his wife Sadie on Sunday, showing his youngest two children Billy, six, and John, two, holding a series of scan pictures. Elliot is also dad to son Elliott Jr, 18, and daughter Olivia, 16, from a previous relationship, and shares son Billy and John with Sadie. Sadie and restaurant and bar owner Elliott wrote in their shared post: 'Our family is expanding. Another baby to love and adore, summer 25. Family of 7.' Reality star Elliott and Sadie welcomed their second child, John Edward Albert Wright, in February 2023, a year and half after Sadie tragically suffered a miscarriage at five months pregnant. Elliot's celebrity pals and family rushed to the comments to congratulate the couple following their joyful baby news. TOWIE star Elliot Wright is going to be a dad of five, revealing his wife Sadie is expecting another baby (pictured together) Elliot shared a joint Instagram post with his wife Sadie on Sunday, showing his youngest two children Billy, six, and John, two, holding a series of scan pictures Sadie and restaurant and bar owner Elliott wrote in their shared post: 'Our family is expanding. Another baby to love and adore, summer 25. Family of 7' Denise Van Outen wrote: 'Omg!!!!! Congratulations this is beautiful ' Elliott and Sadie tied the knot in a picturesque Bromley ceremony in 2017. They split their time between the UK and Marbella, where Elliot is a successful businessman. Elliot's first venture in Marbella was the opening of his popular restaurant Olivia's La Cala. He has since moved into real estate and yacht rentals among other ventures. The proud dad appeared in a number of episodes of TOWIE in its heyday, appearing alongside his cousins Mark and Jess Wright. Mark is a new dad, after welcoming his first child with wife Michelle Keegan last month. The Heart FM star has been sharing snaps of his newborn on Instagram, and has even been seeking parenting tips from Heart's celeb guests including Robert De Niro recently. Elliot is also dad to son Elliott Jr, 18, (R) and daughter Olivia, 16, (L) from a previous relationship, and shares son Billy and John with Sadie Elliot's celebrity pals and family rushed to the comments to congratulate the couple following their joyful baby news Elliot's cousin Mark Wright welcomed his first child, a daughter Palma, with wife Michelle Keegan last month It comes just after Mark said he is in his 'dad era' as he enjoyed a trip away with Michelle and their daughter Palma. The reality star and his wife, 37, announced the birth of their first child in March and have been enjoying the first few weeks of being parents. Mark took to Instagram on Thursday and shared an adorable photo of himself cradling Palma in bed. The radio presenter also shared photos smiling alongside Michelle as the couple enjoyed a drink in the sunshine. The couple appeared to be staying somewhere in the countryside as Mark shared another photo of himself enjoying a bike ride and another of a lake view. Alongside the post, he wrote: 'In my Dad era. trip away with my girls'. Queen of Versailles star Jackie Siegel is mourning the death of her husband, David Allen Siegel, who died at the age of 89 over the weekend. The reality star, 59, shared the sad news in a loving post Saturday on Instagram. 'I wanted to personally reach out and let you know that my husband, David Alan Siegel, passed away this morning,' she wrote. 'I was lucky enough to share twenty-five wonderful years with David, and together we raised eight incredible children. His life and legacy live on through them all.' Jackie married the Westgate Resorts owner in 2000 and shared Daniel, Debbie, Drew, David, Jordan, Jacqueline, Jonquil and Victoria. Sadly, Victoria died of a drug overdose in 2015, and the couple started a non-profit in her name. 'To say we are devastated is an understatement, the grieving widow wrote adding, 'But I find comfort in knowing that Victoria was there to greet himthe first thing he heard was Dad, followed by a big hug.' Queen of Versailles star Jackie Siegel is mourning the death of her husband, David Allen Siegel who passed away Saturday died at the age of 89 'And of course, Steven [David's son from his first marriage] is there too. That thought brings me so much peace.' 'I know you all loved him too, which is why I wanted to share this with you,' she told her many followers and fans. 'Thank you for your love and support during this difficult time. It means the world to us.' She concluded writing, 'Life is a precious gift from Godand my husband has found his peace with Him. Embrace and cherish every momentand thank God.' Jackie and her family rose to stardom the 2012 documentary Queen of Versailles, which focused on her efforts to build a lavish mansion inspired by the Palace of Versailles in France. Camera crews caught up with their efforts a decade later in Queen of Versailles Reigns Again. A Broadway musical based on their story debuted in 2024. Kristen Chenowith, who originated the role as Jackie in the stage production extended her condolences writing, 'Sending all my love.' Fellow reality star Jill Zarin also responded. 'Im so sad for you and the family and sending so much love and prayers. ' Real Housewives of Orange County cast member Shannon Beador wrote, 'I am so sorry!!! Sending prayers to your family!' 'I was lucky enough to share twenty-five wonderful years with David, and together we raised eight incredible children. His life and legacy live on through them all,' Jackie, 59, wrote next to a carousel of family photos on social media Jackie married the Westgate Resorts owner in 2000 and shared Daniel, Debbie, Drew, David, Jordan, Jacqueline, Jonquil and Victoria. Sadly, Victoria died of a drug overdose in 2015, and the couple started a non-profit in her name Jackie and her family rose to stardom the 2012 documentary Queen of Versailles, which focused on her efforts to build a lavish mansion inspired by the Palace of Versailles in France David Siegel established Westgate resorts in 1982 in the Orlando, Florida area, and the company has since become the largest privately-held timeshare company in the world David Siegel established Westgate resorts in 1982 in the Orlando, Florida area, and the company has since become the largest privately-held timeshare company in the world and one of the largest resort developers in the United States, boasting more than 13,500 rooms at 22 resorts across the country. As an army veteran, he donated more than 28,000 complimentary vacations to members of the armed services. The Victoria's Voice Foundation, the charity named for their late daughter, has advocated for coverage of drug rehab treatment to be extended from the standard 30 days to 90 days to improve outcomes. The organization also lobbied Congress to implement for the widespread availability of Naloxone, a lifesaving medicine that can save the lives by blocking the effects of opioids. MAFS UK star Amy Kenyon has been seen with her face bandaged as she revealed she had undergone a secret surgery. The reality star, 28, who married Luke Debono in the last series of the Channel 4 show, flew to Phoenix Clinic in Istanbul to go under the knife. She had her breast implants redone after having her previous ones for 10 years - but Amy surprised fans by revealing she was also having feminisation surgery on her eyes. Speaking to The Sun about her surgery, Amy revealed she had made the decision to go under the knife as horrific online trolling left her feeling insecure. 'On just one post I had more than three hundred people just saying absolutely disgusting things about me, going in about my jaw,' she said. 'I know I'm going to get absolutely trolled to death again, I'm petrified about people finding out about my surgery, but what else could I do?' MAFS UK star Amy Kenyon has been seen with her face bandaged as she revealed she had undergone a secret surgery The reality star, 28, who married Luke Debono in the last series of the Channel 4 show, flew to Phoenix Clinic in Istanbul to go under the knife Sharing a vlog of her trip to Turkey, Amy first off showed clips of her having her breasts checked ahead of here augmentation. But she then she revaled she was also having canthopexy - a surgical procedure that tightens the outer corner of the lower eyelid. 'I had a discussion about my eyes, surprise,' she said. 'I explained I wanted an almond shape to look more feminine and youthful. 'I was then dressed in this gorgey outfit and woke up a few hours later.' Amy then showed snaps of her in her hospital bed with her face bandaged as she could be heard saying in the voice over: 'Trigger warning, she is not looking cute.' 'I'm really upset about this hair,' Amy told the camera from her bed, before she revealed she had been discharged back to her lavish hotel to recover. Later in the video, Amy spoke more about her breast surgery, as she revealed she had become concerned that there was a problem with one of her implants. She said she felt like there was a 'bag of fish' in her left breast and worriedly called the Phoenix team, who reassured her she was fine. She had her breast implants redone after having her previous ones for 10 years - but Amy surprised fans by revealing she was also having feminisation surgery on her eyes Speaking to The Sun about her surgery, Amy revealed she had made the decision to go under the knife as horrific online trolling left her feeling insecure Sharing a vlog of her trip to Turkey, Amy first off showed clips of her having her breasts checked ahead of here augmentation In a post on Instagram, she wrote: 'Nervous to finally reveal my surgery journey with @aestheticsphoenixtr in Istanbul but the whole experience was amazing & they were absolutely incredible! They looked after me so well.' 'I'll be sharing my final results over the next few weeks, but for now, I'm still taped up and slightly resemble Cat Lady so keep an eye out for the glow-up,' she added. Latecomers to MAFS UK, Amy and Luke made it all the way to the final vows but savagely split in the last episode. The wedding planner ended her marriage to the prison education manager, 30, in savage fashion, by turning up to the final vows in funeral attire to declare their relationship is 'done, dead, and deceased'. She told him: 'I don't believe a word that leaves your mouth. I know my worth and you aren't worthy of me. This marriage is done, dead, deceased. I stand here in front of you today wearing black to mourn its death. RIP.' During the reunion episode Luke told the grooms that he had written Amy a heartfelt letter begging her to give their marriage another go. He explained that he had sent her a turtle brooch for her birthday along with the letter and asked her to wear the brooch to the reunion if there was any hope for them. Latecomers to MAFS UK, Amy and Luke made it all the way to the final vows but savagely split in the last episode The wedding planner ended her marriage to the prison education manager, 30, in savage fashion, by turning up to the final vows in funeral attire But the former spouse failed to mention the contents of the letter he sent along with the gift. Instead, it was Amy who revealed what he had written during a conversation with several of the brides. She told them: 'In the letter it just basically said "I miss you, I miss waking up next to you and laughing with you. 'And then at the end it said "keep slaying, no regrets. But I actually I just have one regret - when you were in the kitchen cooking, I wish I had got down on my knees and terrorised your bumhole."' After sharing the shocking remark, Sionainn covered her mouth before saying: 'What?' and laughing in shock along with the other brides. Adrien Brody put on a loved-up display with his girlfriend Georgina Chapman at the 2025 Olivier Awards. The Oscar winner, 51, was up for the Best Actor gong for his role in The Fear Of 13 - but lost out to John Lithgow as author Roald Dahl. Adrien arrived for the ceremony, held at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, arm-in-arm with his girlfriend Georgina, Harvey Weinstein's ex wife. The actor looked dapper in an all-black suit which was complete with a diamond and metal brooch. Meanwhile Georgina looked stunning in a black gown with a plunging neckline, huge cream rose feature and a cream skirt. A snap of the couple inside the venue showed them looking smitten as they cosied up to one another. Adrien Brody put on a loved-up display with his girlfriend Georgina Chapman at the 2025 Olivier Awards Adrien arrived for the ceremony, held at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, arm-in-arm with his girlfriend Georgina, Harvey Weinstein's ex wife Lesley Manville and John Lithgow proudly accepted the award for Best Actor and Actress at the 2025 Olivier Awards on Sunday night. English actress Lesley, 69, received the coveted gong for her part in Oedipus at Wyndhams Theatre. Hollywood legend John Lithgow, 79, was handed the Best Actor award for his role in Giant. The Olivier Awards is a particularly star-studded occasion this year, after a number of Hollywood veterans received nominations. Hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall on April 6, the glitzy awards celebrate the best of London's West End. Romola Garai, 42, beamed as she posed with her Best Actress In A Supporting Role gong for her role in The Years. Giant received another win as Elliot Levey was awarded the Best Actor In A Supporting Role. The competition was of the highest calibre, with American actors Adrien Brody and Billy Crudup battling it out in the Best Actor category against English stars Paapa Essiedu and Mark Strong, as Lithgow came out on top. The actor looked dapper in an all-black suit which was complete with a diamond and metal brooch A snap of the couple inside the venue showed them looking smitten as they cosied up to one another Meanwhile Georgina looked stunning in a black gown with a plunging neckline, huge cream rose feature and a cream skirt The Best Actress categories were equally as star-studded, with Imelda Staunton receiving a nod for her leading role in the musical Hello, Dolly! while Manville took hom the gong for an 'explosive' thriller retelling of Oedipus - in which she starred opposite Strong last year. Meanwhile Mission Impossible star Indira Varma also received a Best Actress nod for her leading role in a classic adaptation of the Greek tragedy which opened in January - however her co-star Rami Malek was snubbed. Impressively, Atonement actress Romola Garai was nominated twice in the same category for two separate plays; Giant and The Years, taking home the gong for the first. Other British stars up for stage gongs included Strictly's Layton Williams, comedian Meera Syal and three-time Olivier Award winner Sharon D. Clarke. Meanwhile the revival of Joseph Stein's musical Fiddler On The Roof garnered the most nods with 13 total nominations. New productions Giant and The Years also tied for most nominated play with five nods each. Lesley Manville, 69, and John Lithgow, 79, proudly accepted the award for Best Actor and Actress at the 2025 Olivier Awards on Sunday night English actress Lesley received the coveted gong for her part in Oedipus at Wyndhams Theatre Manville and Strong were both been nominated for the top gongs for their roles in a retelling of the father-killing, mother-loving king of Thebes, Oedipus. Conclave star Lithgow received his nod for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, a play which puts the author in the dock for his uncomfortable views. The play examines the fallout from revolting anti-Semitic insinuations he made in 1983 in a review of a book God Cried by Tony Clifton and Catherine Leroy, about the bombing of Lebanon the previous year. Meanwhile Brody's nomination was for his role in The Fear Of 13, which ran at the Donmar Warehouse last year and is based on Nick Yarrow's memoir about being incarcerated on death row in America for 22 years. Much loved ITV comedy series Benidorm could be set to return to screens, eight years after it was axed, it has been reported. The hilarious sitcom began in 2007 but came to an end in May 2018, and fans have been begging for more ever since. Just two months after its cancellation was confirmed, the show won best comedy at TV Choice Awards - with its creator Derren Litten calling out the decision in his acceptance speech at the time. But fans may not have to wait too long for their Benidorm fix, as The Sun has reported ITV bosses are in talks to reboot the show. A TV insider told the publication: 'Benidorm was adored by millions when it was suddenly cancelled. Fans will be thrilled to hear ITV wants to bring it back. 'An 11th series hasn't been commissioned yet, but there's major excitement building as early talks begin. Beloved ITV series Benidorm could be set to return to screens, eight years after it was axed, a source has told The Sun The hilarious sitcom began in 2007 but came to an end in May 2018, and fans have been begging for more ever since 'Producers have started to reach out to the show's stars and are hopeful a decision can be made later this year.' Fans were ecstatic as the news circulated online, writing: 'Sincerely hope this is true!! Dearly missed show!'; 'Feel like I'm dreaming. Really hope they make this happen,'; 'Omg yay I hope they all come back!!'; 'Ur 5 days late for april fools... or its actually real?!?! Finally ITV bringing back a INCREDIBLE Show,'; 'Omg! I'm absolutely buzzing with excitement! This is the best news ever! I really hope the Garvey's come back!' 'I hope so cause that would be the best birthday present every.' The ITV Brits abroad sitcom - which followed a group of holidaymakers in the Spanish resort and their hilarious escapades - came to an end in May 2018 after 11 years, and fans have been begging for more ever since. In 2023, show creator Derren teased a return of the beloved series as he announced that he was returning back to writing for 'both television and theatre'. Just two months after its cancellation was confirmed, the show won best comedy at TV Choice Awards - with its creator Derren Litten calling out the decision in his acceptance speech at the time Fans were ecstatic as the news circulated online, writing: 'Sincerely hope this is true!! Dearly missed show!' He said: 'I have had clear, recent indications that certain TV channels are interested in my decision and I hope you will be watching the fruits of my labour in time to come.' Then, last month he sparked hope of its comeback once again when a fan asked on X: '@DerrenLitten @ITV Another series of Benidorm on the cards?' and he cryptically replied: 'Who knows...' Announcing the news on social media that it had been axed in 2018, Derren said: Crazy to think Wednesday will be the last episode of Benidorm! 'I created the series over 11 years ago, wrote it, guest starred in it and ended up directing it. Its difficult to think what else there is to do! Thank you for watching!' Actor Shane Richie waded into the debate, admitting he has disappointed by the decision to axe Benidorm after 11-years. Sharing a GIF with fans, he wrote: 'Sunday is a day of rest I refuse to get angry ....inhale,exhale Sammy , just breath you big lump of beautiful gorgeousness ...F**k it !!!! Nooooooooooo !' Derren had initially dismissed reports that Benidorm was being taken off air after its 10th series. Posting on Twitter, he wrote: "Don't make me f**king laugh! (I enjoyed that story after series 6. And 7 and 8 and 9...) (sic)' He later removed the message and retweeted a series of positive fan posts. A source told The Sun at the time: 'Benidorm' has been a huge success for ITV for a decade, but bosses feel it's run its course. 'The ratings have started to drop off and a number of the fan favourites have left, so it just feels as though the time is right to let it go out while it's still on a high. 'It has been ITV's longest running comedy, which is a real achievement.' As every middle-schoolers is told, just because your friend does something risky it doesn't mean you should. Unfortunately, one middle school principal from Florida did not follow that age-old advice and was arrested after copying a friends shoplifting hack. Gregory Lewis, principal at Bok Academy North in Polk County, was caught stealing $37.45 worth of goods from a Walmart in White Haven on Saturday afternoon. During his arrest, Lewis admitted to the crime, and said he thought he would try it out after his friends taught him how they shoplifted using the tactic. 'We sit around talking, "Hey I did this." Let me try and see what I can get away with,' Lewis is heard telling police on the arrest footage. 'I did something dumb today and I understand it,' he said regretfully. According to police, Lewis had been 'skip scanning'a common shoplifting method where customers scan cheaper items while sneaking more expensive items through. Walmart security observed him placing disposable foam plates between pricier items while using a self-checkout. This method is similar to the 'banana trick' used by shoplifters, where they scan a cheap item, like the fruit, but take a more expensive item Gregory Lewis was arrested for stealing $37.45 worth of goods from a Florida Walmart The stolen items included large pack of light bulbs, bacon and frozen butterfly shrimp. Lewis admitted the 'skip scanning' offense according to an arrest affidavit. Lake Wales Charter Schools has placed Lewis on leave pending a review, according to the interim superintendent Alricky Smith. 'Unfortunately, it's turning our profession into a sad situation,' retired Polk County teacher James Barker told News Channel 8. 'More and more people are doing just stupid things without any regard to the consequences not only for themselves but the reputation of our profession,' he told the program. 'He's the principal of the school and now he's been caught doing this, so what example does he set for the kids?' The rollout of self-checkouts at large grocery and retail stores has been controversial as it has led to increased shoplifting and staff cuts. Washington State's legislature is even debating a bill that would regulate the use of the machines in grocery stores. The bill could force stores to employ more self-checkout attendants and integrate manned cashier stations. The principal at Bok Academy North in Polk County has been placed on leave pending a review Walmart stores in Washington State could be subject to a new bill if it passes The rollout of self-checkouts at large grocery and retail stores has been controversial as it has led to increased shoplifting and staff cuts If passed in its current form, the bill will ask stores to implement at least one staffed checkout lane when self-checkouts are open. Stores would also be asked to schedule one attendant for every two self-checkout stations open in the store. The bill would also limit state-wide self-checkout transaction to a 15-item purchase limit. Stores that do not follow the rules could receive civil penalties of $100 per day up to $10,000. The proposed regulations would apply to grocery stores over 15,000 square feet in size, which would likely include many major retailers in the state including Walmart, Safeway, and others. Bulk goods stores with memberships, such as Costco, would be exempt. Last month, a Florida woman was caught using 'banana trick' to steal from Walmart. The brave Ukrainians are going through hell, and as Churchill said, when youre going through hell keep going. With little or no help from the hapless EU, and the bankrupt UK under a socialist Labour government, Ukraine is pretty much on its own. The USA under Trump is now solely concerned with their own insular problems, not realising that the global picture affects all things, including the USA. By turning inward, America endangers itself further. Russia could take Alaska in less than a day with a sudden incursion. Vladimir Putin will not stop, he is a robotic chess master, and he not only looks at the geopolitical picture, but every tiny nuance and detail. Once Putin takes the entirety of the Balkans, the Russian plan is to take the Nordic and Scandinavian countries. Putin already owns Hungary, and many of the former Soviet countries are willing to let Russia back to control them. The rest of Western Europe will be on the cards, but it may take prolonged fighting for decades to achieve the Russian goal of taking the entire continent. Trump, is being played by Putin, much like a puppeteer plays with a puppet, and it is unfortunate that Trump, and his insularism as well as misguided belief in evangelical Christian doctrines is a precursor to the advent of prolonged war in the region. The poor people of Ukraine are now in hell. They were disarmed by the Obama regime, and had all military deterrents taken away, and now the world is on the cusp of a major war that seems to be fought not only militarily but economically, as well as ideologically on the internet. The good thing about the internet is that it is a buffer for physical violence. People and groups dispute and fight with their minds on the internet, and governments monitor groups and threats on the internet so they can be arrested before they commit real-world violence. The internet can only go so far, though, and eventually the vitriol and hatred will spill out into the physical world. If one looks at the internet as a pressure cooker, if the steam valve is blocked, the incremental increase in pressure levels will lead to a large explosion. Thats what we call World War III. Bring China into the mix, and we will have some interesting points of contention to deal with. Why no mention of the UK in these matters? Well, with little or no military left, and run by socialist idiots more concerned with virtue signalling and woke Net Zero issues, the UK has minimal chances of survival in a global war. Net Zero will not only bankrupt Britain, but it will disarm it completely during the coming conflict. In World War I and II, Britain was Great, it had an Empire still. Today, it has nothing. The Chagos Island giveaway by Starmer is a good example of this idiocy, and it is certain if Argentina invades the Falklands, Starmer will not do a Maggie, he will send a few planes to evacuate the Brits on the island and abandon the place. Even if there is a slight increase in funds for the British military, this is too little, too late. Successive governments have neglected Britains defence spending, and increasing now by fractions is nothing but virtue signalling by Starmer to Trump, who did not go easy on the UK with tariffs anyway. In war, a Labour government of appeasers and cowards never wins, and this is why if there is a global conflict right now, the UK would be erased forthwith. As for Ukraine, they have been brave, they fought to the last man, because they were the frontline to a conflict that will escalate exponentially. Its impossible to stop the sheer volume of amphetamine doped Russian conscripts, however poorly they are armed. They just keep coming, and coming. Eventually, your machine guns overheat, and you run out of ammo. The Russian orcs are selfless robotic drugged up fiends brainwashed to go forward into bullets. They cannot be stopped, not without massive NATO funding and arms, and the United States coffers. The Russian orcs have already been promised Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Rome. Their appetite will not be sated otherwise. They will rape and loot those countries and enjoy doing so with the utmost gusto. Pillaging Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, raping the women and parading their loot in their trucks in the streets. If Ukraine is allowed to fall, the rest is easy for Putin. Its a done deal. Help Support Independent Publishers SUPPORT THE DAILY SQUIB We fight for freedom, justice and coffee. Record shops are the heart and soul of any town. A city without a record shop is essentially a pointless collection of buildings held together by roads and sadness. Thankfully, Derry has a shop that has recently been proclaimed The coolest record shop in Ireland by Andy White (wholl be gracing these fine pages later this month). Yes, Im talking about Cool Discs, the backbone of our town and the only place where you can find the music of GRIM17 side by side with the latest release from Sabrina Carpenter and a live album by Bobbi Conn. Every year, one of the most anticipated days of the year for music lovers is Record Store Day. Starting in 2008, Record Store Day is basically Christmas for record shops, with Cool Discs being one of a handful of shops in Ireland asked to participate in that very first year. Theyve been taking part in it longer than any other shop in the north and are the only place in Derry to get the many exclusive releases. Lee Mason, owner of Cool Discs describes it as "the most wonderful time of the year for us and lots of our customers-there is not a day like it." This year, Record Store Day takes place this Saturday (12th April) and Cool Discs is the shop you need to visit if you have your eye on one or more of the LTD vinyl pressings released for the day. This years exclusives include a 7 of English Teachers R&B, the soundtrack albums of the first four Harry Potter movies, a double live album from the Pixies of the albums Bossanova and Trompe La Monde, Prince Live At Glam Slam, a picture disc of The Cures The Head On The Door, Shane MacGowan and Sinead OConnors Haunted (featuring the original track listing with three Shane MacGowan B-sides, including a cover of Neil Diamonds Cracklin Rosie), Laura Nyros Angel In The Dark, a live album from Joni Mitchells 1976 US tour and many, many more. READ MORE: MacD on Music From Lee: Cool Discs has been involved in this celebration of the "bricks & mortar" record shop from the very beginning: it all started way back in 2008. Lee has watched the day grow and grow year by year to what he says is now the busiest single day and week at his shop. Lee Mason, owner of Cool Discs "Even for those who may not be interested in any of the RSD releases, we find people just come on down for the craic and support what it's all about-the local record shop and the community we work in." "The buzz on the day is amazing, we see familiar faces and many new ones every Record Store Day, RSD veterans mingling with first time fans. Over the years the queue gets longer, if you really want that release, you need to be early on the day. Those who know are always well up the queue, and of course the VINYL format continues to grow. We already know the die hard vinyl enthusiasts never went away, and now alongside them there is a new younger generation (Gen Z) who are embracing the physical format of vinyl, CD & cassettes. It is the disconnection it provides from digital platforms, many of Gen Z now visit record shops on a regular basis. Over 57% of the vinyl buying community prefer the in-store experience when buying records, searching and finding that record is much more pleasing surveys have shown. This year at Cool Discs there will be usual raffles if you spend a few bob, and there will be lots of bargains/special offers going on. Outside the shop (weather permitting) music will be in the air from 2pm. Of course, Record Store Day doesnt stop when the shutters go down. For those of us not at home listening to our new records, Lee is also going to be putting on what is sure to be a great gig featuring some brilliant local talent that night. From Lee (again): The BIG RSD gig takes place in Sandinos from 7pm-10pm when three exceptional bands will all debut their new albums. With a line-up of The Wood Burning Savages, Hypnic Jerk and Hong Kong Nocturne, this is sure to be a great night of music. Tickets are just 5, including a local charity donation and are available at Cool Discs or on their website: shop.cooldiscsmusic.com. Finally, time for the socials. First, the bands: The Wood Burning Savages can be found on Instagram @thewoodburningsavages, Hypnic Jerk @hypnicjerk76 and Hong Kong Nocturne @hongkongnocturne. Record Store Day can be found @recordstoreday and Cool Discs @cooldiscs. There has been a huge spike in callouts for rats and mice in Irish homes with two areas pinpointed as being particularly badly affected. Rentokil, Irelands leading pest control provider, has reported a 42% increase in recorded rat activity and a 38% increase in recorded mice activity nationwide in early 2025 compared to the same period last year. The company is advising homeowners and businesses to take immediate preventative measures as infestations continue to rise. Several regions have experienced notable surges in activity, with Cork witnessing the most significant increase in 94% rise in rat-related activity and a 44% increase in mice activity in January. The Northwest region has seen a sharp 60% rise in mice activity, while Dublin recorded a 29% increase in rat infestations. Colm Moore, Regional Technical Manager for Rentokil, said: "The surge in both rat and mice infestations across the country highlights the urgent need for property owners to stay vigilant. Mice and rats can cause significant damage by chewing through electrical wiring, insulation, and structural materials. Recognising early signs of infestations, such as droppings, scratching noises, and gnawed materials, is key to preventing a small problem from escalating into a costly issue." READ NEXT: Mick O'Dwyer left letter to be opened after his death as funeral told what he wrote Rodent infestations are not just a nuisance; they can result in serious financial and operational disruptions. In addition to causing damage to infrastructure, rats and mice pose a health risk by spreading bacteria and disease through their urine and droppings. For businesses, an infestation can have severe reputational consequences, particularly in industries such as hospitality, retail, and food production. Rentokil urges all property owners to take preventative action by sealing potential entry points, maintaining proper sanitation, and installing rodent-proofing solutions like Flexi Armour. More information on how to identify and prevent infestations is available on the Rentokil website," Colm Moore added. Tanaiste Simon Harris is to tell US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick about the importance of Irish trade to America during their meeting later this week, according to a Fine Gael minister. Patrick ODonovan, Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, said that Mr Harris will be advocating for bilateral relations between Ireland and the US. The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is expected to meet the US secretary of commerce on Wednesday. It comes as government ministers and businesses grapple with the 20% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Mr Lutnick has been critical of Irelands tax arrangements, claiming it runs a trade surplus at Americas expense. Mr Harris held a late-night call with Mr Lutnick a number of weeks ago, which the Fine Gael minister described as a useful opportunity to exchange views. Speaking on RTEs The Week In Politics programme, Mr ODonovan, said the Tanaiste will be doing two things during his conversation with Mr Lutnick. He will obviously be articulating, as we all did in the United States during the St Patricks Day visit, the importance of bilateral relations and the importance of Irish trade to America, he said. The minister added that Irish companies employ tens of thousands of people across the United States. But the other thing you need to be doing is to be articulating a very simple message from the European Union, which is that this is a European Union competency, and we will negotiate on behalf of all the member states of the European Union. Mr ODonovan was critical of the characterisation of the US as a importing only nation by some in America. He said: American politicians and some American media outlets have characterised the United States as some sort of importing nation only, and it doesnt export anything, which, of course, couldnt be further from the truth. Theyre exporting to a block of 450 million people. We are not insignificant here. Thats the other thing that were being portrayed as, as some sort of insignificant group of countries, which, of course, were not. We are a very significant purchaser of global goods, and we have a number of free trade agreements with a number of different countries. Sinn Feins Claire Kerrane, who is the partys children and disability spokesperson, said the government needs to prepare for a worst-case scenario. She also backed calls from industry leaders for government supports to be put in place for workers and firms affected by US tariffs. The Roscommon-Galway TD said: We have to be very careful in terms of next step and what our next step is. I think more important than any of that, we have to do our proprietary work here to ensure that we are given supports, that supports are available, theyre on the table for businesses, that theyre ready to go tomorrow. We need that analysis, sector by sector, and we also need to ensure that we prepare for a worst-case scenario here in Ireland. She said a worst-case scenario would see the pharma and tech sector hit by tariffs. We need to work hand in hand with the North as an all-Ireland economy, because the bottom line is, we are dealing with a leader who does not make decisions based on facts and we saw that with the US trade document, she added. Labours enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson and TD for Wexford, George Lawlor, said there is funding available through the national Social Insurance Fund to back such a scheme. We need to ensure that the workforce feels that they have a future in the context of the companies that theyre working in, Mr Lawlor told RTE. If we abandon them, we go back, if we look at what happened in the recession and when the economy was bankrupt, if we had have been able to hold on to some of our construction workers, for instance, we probably wouldnt have been in the position that we are. The community of Blackrock is coming together in an inspiring show of support for six-year-old Cliodhna Diamond, a First Class student at St. Francis NS, Blackrock, who has faced an incredibly challenging journey over the past year. In May 2024, Cliodhna was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. This diagnosis led to nine months of intensive treatment, including major surgery. Thanks to the care of her local GP, Dr. Eoin McDermott, oncologist Dr. Cormac Owens, and orthopaedic oncology surgeon Mr. Alan Molloy at CHI Crumlin, Cliodhna is now in remission and bravely relearning how to walk. Her parents, Ciara and Chris, express immense gratitude to the Oncology Team and the compassionate staff of St. Johns Ward, CHI Crumlin for their expertise and empathy as they guided Cliodhna through what has been a very traumatic year for her. A Colour Fun Run and Family Day will take place at DkIT in Dundalk on Sunday, May 4th to raise awareness and funds for St Johns Ward, CHI Crumlin, that has played a crucial role in brave Cliodhna's recovery. Throughout Cliodhnas gruelling treatments, extended hospital stays and long separations from friends and her school community, the unwavering support and child-centred approach of the medical team made a significant difference. Despite the hardships, Cliodhna often remarked that she felt loved in St. Johns Ward, a testament to the care and kindness she received. In recognition of this incredible support, the Diamond family is eager to give back by raising awareness and funds for St. Johns Ward. Their efforts have been warmly embraced by the St. Francis National School Parents Association, led by Chairperson Elise Kierans, who proposed a community-driven fundraiserthe 2km Colour Fun Run & Family Fun Day. Scheduled for Sunday, May 4th, 2025, at DkIT, Dundalk, this event aims to rally the local community and raise funds for the oncology unit that has played a crucial role in Cliodhna's recovery. All funds raised through the Colour Run will go directly to St. Johns Ward, CHI Crumlin, where expert staff will decide how best to use those funds to the benefit of the ward and of the children who attend it. The Parents Association is actively seeking sponsorships and community involvement to make this event a success. Local businesses can support the fundraiser through monetary donations, in-kind contributions, or promotional sponsorships. Cliodhna's proud parents told how she is a courageous, resilient and determined young girl and her strong spirit has got her through a very tough time and will continue to help her as she negotiates her journey of recovery. Read Next: See the 18 Louth Tidy Town projects getting a share of over 100k They said the constant support and prayers of her friends, her neighbours, and of her school community, have provided comfort and strength to them. Cliodhna and her family are very thankful to the Parents Association of St. Francis NS for organising the Colour Run May 4th 2025 and to all who support it. Those wishing to participate in the Colour Run can find more details and purchase tickets via Eventbrite or the fundraising website. For more details or to support the fundraiser, contact the St. Francis NS Parents Association at pastfrancisnsblackrock@gmail.com. InterTradeIrelands 2025 Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition is now open for entries. To help potential applicants, Seedcorn Project Manager Connor Sweeney will be hosting an informative workshop in Louth next week. The workshop will take place in Dundalk on Thursday 10 April in the boardroom of the Innovation Hub at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT). This free session will provide an overview of the competition and share valuable insights on how to improve applications. Those interested can register online here. This prestigious investor readiness competition is the only all-island initiative offering an equity free cash prize. It provides early-stage businesses with a unique opportunity to showcase their potential to investors and investment funds across the island of Ireland. In 2025, the competition has been expanded to include three new categories: Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B), and Deeptech. These additions reflect the evolving landscape of business innovation and are designed to open Seedcorn up to a wider range of entrepreneurs and sectors, from emerging tech to cutting-edge solutions. The Seedcorn competition is specifically tailored to help entrepreneurs prepare for investment, offering valuable business planning support that includes expert feedback and pitching activities. This is a chance for companies to gain exposure, connect with investors, and elevate their market presence. Participants will benefit from the expertise of seasoned investors while strengthening their investment readiness. Read next: Cash trapping devices placed in 43 ATMs across Dublin, Kildare, Meath, and Louth While the prize fund has increased to 800,000, the primary focus remains on ensuring a broad range of winners across all categories. Each regional winner will win an increased 50,000 with all category winners getting 100,000. This approach provides significant opportunities for businesses of all sizes and sectors to secure vital funding and support to drive their growth. Margaret Hearty, Chief Executive of InterTradeIreland, said: Were thrilled to continue supporting businesses across the island and drive innovation through the Seedcorn competition. This year, we're especially excited to introduce the Special Impact Award, which will recognise businesses that are leading the way in digitalisation and sustainability - priorities reflected in the new Programmes for Government. Dr. Paul Byrnes, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Mavarick, and a 2023 winner of the competition, shared his experience: The Seedcorn competition was a pivotal moment for us at Mavarick. It provided invaluable insights into the investment process, which significantly impacted the next stages of our business. Since winning, weve secured 1.3m in a pre-seed funding round and continue to grow rapidly. Id strongly encourage every entrepreneur to apply - this competition can make a real difference to your business. In 2023, Mavarick was awarded 100,000 as the overall competition winner, alongside an additional 20,000 for the Sustainability/Low Carbon Award. The Limerick-based company, which developed a platform that helps manufacturers optimise supply chain emissions, has since raised significant funds and seen considerable growth. To enter the 2025 competition, please visit www.intertradeireland.com/funding/seedcorn. The deadline for entries is April 25th at 1pm. Dundalk South's Councillor Sionainn McCann, has called on Louth County Council to install more litter bins in Dromiskin to help serve the growing population in the area over the past number of years. Cllr McCann raised the issue of litter in Dromiskin at the Louth County Council March meeting. The Sinn Fein councillor said that the population in Dromiskin has grown substantially over the past decade, which has resulted in an increase in footfall and unfortunately, she added, that has resulted in an increase in litter. In comments to the Dundalk Democrat following the March meeting, Cllr McCann said that, Tidy Towns collected up to 76 bags of rubbish in Dromiskin which is a massive amount for that area. "The Council provided them with a skip but I want the Council to be pro-active in tackling litter and am asking them to provide additional bins. There have been no additional bins or doggie bins installed despite the population increase. Read next: Friends of the Earth Dundalk receive funding to support their work The only all-island conference on the female entrepreneurial scene is set to return on 11 June with AIB as title sponsor. Taking place at the Carrickdale Hotel in north Louth, the 2025 Women in Business All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference will bring together over 300 women-led business owners from across the island for a full-day of inspiration, empowerment and connection. Now in its ninth year, the premier one-day event will focus on the theme of Youve Got This equipping women with the support, tools and connections to grow a thriving business. Hosted by Caroline ONeill, new to the conference this year is a dynamic marketplace showcasing women business owners, as well as an exhibition area featuring business support organisations from across the island. Commenting on this years all-island event, Head of Business Banking at AIB, Roisin Keenan said, Enabling more and more women entrepreneurs to start and scale new businesses is a central ambition for us at AIB. We continually seek to recognise and champion their impact, which is why we are proud to be supporting Women in Business once again in the delivery of this showcase event which serves as a platform for enterprising women across the island of Ireland. Attendees will hear the latest insights and lived experiences of entrepreneurship across the island and beyond, with key topics to be explored including access to finances, expanding into new markets and how to connect to the wider business support ecosystem. Read next: Anord Mardix to host recruitment open day in Louth Looking ahead to Junes event, Managing Director of Women in Business Lorraine Acheson added: Every year our all-island conference provides a unique opportunity to connect and empower women business owners from across the four corners of Ireland. "We look forward to welcoming so many incredible women to Dundalk for what will be an energised agenda of inspiring keynotes and breakout sessions to equip women entrepreneurs with the support and tools necessary to thrive in the industry both now and into the future. Remember, 11th June is the date for your diary. To find out more about the event and to book your tickets visit: womeninbusinessni.com/events The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which represents organisations working with young people nationwide, has launched its Local Champions initiative for 2025, with two from Louth selected. The campaign aims to ensure increased investment in young people and youth work locally and nationally. Frank Rukundo from Dundalk and Niall Brady have been selected as Local Champions for Louth. Grace McManus, NYCI campaigns manager explained: As part of the Local Champions project, a group of passionate and dedicated young people have been selected as representatives from their communities, tasked with meeting their local politicians and championing the cause of youth work. The Local Champions received training and support from NYCI to effectively convey the positive impact youth work has on their lives and the lives of young people in the local area, as well as the importance of investing in youth work. NYCI is calling for an increased investment of 21 million in youth work in Budget 2026, to support services with increasing pressures, and ensure equal access to youth work for all young people nationwide. The representatives Local Champions in Louth are engaging with TDs Paula Butterly, Joanna Byrne, Erin McGreehan, Ged Nash and Ruairi O Murchu. The Local Champions initiative will include activities such as engaging with policymakers, sharing personal stories, and using social media to raise awareness and mobilise support. Through these efforts, NYCI and the Local Champions aim to create a broader understanding of the significance of youth work and its positive impact on society. The initiative is part of NYCI's campaign ahead of Budget 2026 later this year, to ensure that young people and youth work receive the necessary investment and support they deserve. The Local Champions initiative is supported by the Community Foundation Ireland. Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added: "Empowering Generations is central to our mission as a philanthropic hub for Ireland. To achieve that goal were delighted to be partners with NYCI. The Local Champions network aims to amplify the voices of young people and showcase the transformative power of youth work. "It is bringing together an inspirational group of young people, and we look forward to seeing them connecting with their local representatives to share how youth work changes lives. Read next: Japanese Film Festival returns to Louth this April To learn more about the Local Champions Initiative and NYCI's efforts to advocate for increased investment in youth work, please visit youth.ie Thank You Global Pinoy (TYGP) is our way of extending the Thank You Day campaign to Overseas Filipinos, thanking them for the sacrifices and hard work that they do for their families and for the country. Do you have a Global Pinoy friend, family member or a relative that you would like to thank today? Toblerone, the ambassador of gratitude, wants to encourage Filipinos to remember all the wonderful people who have helped them in their lives. If you have a global friend, family member or relative who is arriving/coming home tell us who they are and where they live. We will video them as we welcome them upon arrival at the airport with a Toblerone Thank You Present (Toblerone Thank You chocolate bouquet) and a special message from you. Send your entry to nominate@thankyouglobalpinoy.com and post it to the comments page of the blog post. Delivery of Thank You Bouquet starts on: November 4 to December 20, 2011 You entry should include the ff: For Balikbayan Winners: Name of entrant Mobile Name of nominee Email address Arrival date (with complete flight schedule of arrival) Good luck! Stay gorgeous everyone! To usher the Philippine release one of the worlds most iconic ink gel shadow Maybelline New York Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow, held the Maybelline Think Ink Color Tattoo Event with a Calligraphy Workshop at Sunshine Cafe at The Fort Bonifacio Global City. The workshop was developed by Ink Scribbler where everyone was given a calligraphy kit from Scribe Writing Essentials. It looks easy but it takes time to get used to. You need to master the technique of getting the right amount of ink, applying the right pressure and the strokes. I love Maybelline events, they always think of something new and something great for attendees to enjoy and look forward too aside from the product they launch. Ofcourse we played with the star of the event, the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24hr Gel Eye Shadow look at the amazing colors! Maybelline NY Philippines Chief Makeup Artist Archie also tried it on us! Sabs had teal and green, I had gold.Fun times with my beauty enthusiast friends indeed!Will tell you more of the lovely Maybelline NY Color Tattoo 24hr ink gel shadow on another post. Stay gorgeous everyone! The 4th installment of UNICEFs Auction for Acton is one of the most special one to date as the items to be auctioned are six of the limited-edition Yoda chairs used by state leaders during the APEC Economic Leaders Welcome Dinner who were present at the APEC 2015 held in the Philippines this year. This Auction for Action organized by UNICEF Special Advocate for Children Daphne Osena-Paez will be held on December 16, 2015 to benefit UNICEFs 1,000 Days campaign. UNICEFs 1,000 days campaign focus on giving support to the first 1,000 days of a child from birth up to 2 years. The six Yoda chairs for auction are those used by U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. To assure the winning bidder, each of the chair has a commemorative metal plaque bearing the name of the state leader, and a certificate of authenticity from Kenneth Cobonpue, who made the chair himself. This auction is also also the first one to have the auction live via social media and bidding can be done through text messaging. As to avoid confusion on which chair to bid for, there will be a dedicated number for each of the Yoda Chair, if you want to bid for all of the chair you should text all of the numbers. Starting bid for each chair is pegged at Php75,000.00 . They are so much more than just pieces of furniture to be sold at face value. Theyre now a part of our history that can serve a better purpose. Cobunpue said . Taking inspiration from blades of grass, Cobonpues iconic chairs are made of high-quality rattan reeds and manufactured in Cebu where he is based. The special iteration of the Yoda chairs for APEC is wider and taller. It also has armrests and a swivel mechanism that enables one to turn effortlessly in both directions. The event was held at the Kenneth Cobunpue showroom in Greenbelt Makati where the 1st generation Yoda Chairs can be found too. Interested parties can bid at the live auction or through SMS after a pre-registration process outlined on www.unicef.ph. Stay gorgeous everyone! A Welsh farmer who will have to raise thousands of euro for a man he assaulted at Reardens in Cork city on a stag weekend, damaging his front teeth, was told that he will need to sell a few sheep to raise compensation for the victim. Solicitor Frank Buttimer said Alun George, aged 35, of Llanferran, St Nicholas, Goodwick, Wales, had already pleaded guilty to the assault and knew compensation would have to be raised. Sergeant John Dineen said the injured party is now in Australia but members of his family were present to confirm that 500 in dental work had been done already and that the cost of future dental work was put at a figure in the region of 3,000. Judge Mary Dorgan said the victim impact statement in the case was very fair. In relation to the issue of compensation, Judge Dorgan said: He may have to sell a few sheep or something. The solicitor said the accused would compensate at two levels: The dental cost to the injured party and general compensation. Mr Buttimer said the defendant had 200 cattle and 450 sheep back in Pembrokeshire and that travelling to Cork for court appearance was onerous. He is an active farmer, Mr Buttimer said. Judge Dorgan replied: Well, active farmers can actively sell animals. It is going to have to be a significant sum. George was arrested in the course of a stag weekend last year by Garda Kevin ONeill and charged with assault causing harm to another man at Reardens on Washington St, Cork, shortly before midnight on Saturday, February 24, 2024. It was alleged that the injured party had some teeth dislodged. Mr Buttimer said the defendant was never in any kind of trouble. This is a co-operative, contrite individual who did not set out to cause trouble. He has no previous convictions here and nothing in Wales, he said. Iris House Cork Cancer Support, a service in the city centre for individuals and families affected by cancer, is appealing for help as it faces the fight of its life. The centre must urgently raise funds to purchase the building it calls home, following a decision by its current owners to sell. For over a decade, Iris House has offered a safe, welcoming environment for those facing a cancer diagnosis. Founded in 2011 by the late cancer patient Ann Dowley Spillane, Iris House began as a grassroots movement to ensure that no one would have to face cancer alone. Linda Goggin James, CEO of Iris House, said: This is more than just a building its where people come to breathe again, to cry, to connect, and to rebuild. Were not just providing services; were holding people through their pain, and helping them find hope. Losing our premises would be a devastating blow not just to us, but to every person who has ever crossed our threshold looking for light in a very dark time. This isnt just about bricks and mortar. Its about preserving a home that holds thousands of stories, tears, laughs, and moments of pure human resilience. We need Cork to rally with us to help us stay open, stay strong, and keep offering this essential support to anyone who needs it. "You can help by donating, sharing the story, organising or supporting a community fundraiser or advocating with local representatives to back this cause." To donate or find out more, you can visit www.irishousecork.ie or email info@irishousecork.ie. By Cate McCurry, PA The Minister for Finance has ruled out a wage subsidy scheme for sectors affected by US tariffs, saying it is not appropriate now. Paschal Donohoe said he is not aiming to bring forward a proposal that would introduce supports similar to those brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes as government ministers and businesses grapple with the 20 per cent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. I dont believe an economy-wide wage subsidy scheme in the way we had during the Covid pandemic would be appropriate, he told RTE. I am hopeful that our efforts to engage with employers, in combined with the high level of employment that we already have here in Ireland, will offer a sufficient response back. But what we will do is we will evaluate what steps are necessary, but we need to avoid doing anything that has such a cost that it, in turn, could create other difficulties for us in the time ahead. We have to keep our economy safe. That means supporting and protecting jobs, and it means keeping our public finances safe. He said that the government will engage with businesses immediately impacted by the US tariff. He said it will be on a firm-by-firm basis. Earlier, a Fine Gael minister said that Tanaiste Simon Harris is to tell US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick about the importance of Irish trade to America during their meeting later this week. Patrick ODonovan, Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, said that Mr Harris will be advocating for bilateral relations between Ireland and the US. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is expected to meet the US secretary of commerce on Wednesday. Mr Lutnick has been critical of Irelands tax arrangements, claiming it runs a trade surplus at Americas expense. Mr Harris held a late-night call with Mr Lutnick a number of weeks ago, which the Fine Gael minister described as a useful opportunity to exchange views. Speaking on RTEs The Week In Politics programme, Mr ODonovan, said the Tanaiste will be doing two things during his conversation with Mr Lutnick. He will obviously be articulating, as we all did in the United States during the St Patricks Day visit, the importance of bilateral relations and the importance of Irish trade to America, he said. The minister added that Irish companies employ tens of thousands of people across the United States. But the other thing you need to be doing is to be articulating a very simple message from the European Union, which is that this is a European Union competency, and we will negotiate on behalf of all the member states of the European Union. Mr ODonovan was critical of the characterisation of the US as an importing only nation by some in America. He said: American politicians and some American media outlets have characterised the United States as some sort of importing nation only, and it doesnt export anything, which, of course, couldnt be further from the truth. Theyre exporting to a block of 450 million people. We are not insignificant here. Thats the other thing that were being portrayed as, as some sort of insignificant group of countries, which, of course, were not. We are a very significant purchaser of global goods, and we have a number of free trade agreements with a number of different countries. Tanaiste Simon Harris is expected to meet the US secretary of commerce on Wednesday Sinn Feins Claire Kerrane, who is the partys children and disability spokesperson, said the government needs to prepare for a worst-case scenario. She also backed calls from industry leaders for government supports to be put in place for workers and firms affected by US tariffs. The Roscommon-Galway TD said: We have to be very careful in terms of next step and what our next step is. I think more important than any of that, we have to do our proprietary work here to ensure that we are given supports, that supports are available, theyre on the table for businesses, that theyre ready to go tomorrow. We need that analysis, sector by sector, and we also need to ensure that we prepare for a worst-case scenario here in Ireland. She said a worst-case scenario would see the pharma and tech sector hit by tariffs. We need to work hand in hand with the North as an all-Ireland economy, because the bottom line is, we are dealing with a leader who does not make decisions based on facts and we saw that with the US trade document, she added. Labours enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson and TD for Wexford, George Lawlor, said there is funding available through the national Social Insurance Fund to back such a scheme. We need to ensure that the workforce feels that they have a future in the context of the companies that theyre working in, Mr Lawlor told RTE. If we abandon them, we go back, if we look at what happened in the recession and when the economy was bankrupt, if we had been able to hold on to some of our construction workers, for instance, we probably wouldnt have been in the position that we are. Colonel Percy Fawcett was a most interesting man and a friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose book, The Lost World, was based on his explorations. The Lonely Planet recently listed him as one of historys most famous explorers, up there with Marco Polo and Leif Erikson. But who was this amazing man and what was his connection to Cork? Percy Fawcett was born in Torquay in Devon in 1867. In 1901 he joined the Royal Geographical Society to study map-making and survey work. Using this cover as a surveyor, he worked for the British Secret Service in North Africa. He spent his early life travelling around the world with the British Army before a posting brought him to Spike Island in 1903 with his wife Nina and their young son Jack. It was here on Spike Island that his second son Brian was born. He enjoyed his quiet life on Spike but he also yearned for adventure. Percy Fawcett spent three years on Spike Island from 1903 to 1906. In 1906 he was sent to South America surveying in Brazil and it was here that he befriended local chiefs and tribal leaders. He wrote about his travels in the Royal Geographical Society magazine, describing his exploits, the tribes he encountered, and life in the jungles of South America. Fawcett developed a fascination with a lost city which he called Z. He believed that a thriving city had once flourished in the now jungle area and he was determined to find it. He came into possession of a document written by a Portuguese explorer from 1753 which outlined a lost city near the Mato Grosso area of northeastern Brazil. In 1911 Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu and this discovery spurred Fawcett on further to find Z. In 1914, the Great War broke out and Fawcett was recalled to the Royal Artillery where he served for the next four years on the Western Front. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1916. He was mentioned many times in dispatches and received the DSO (Distinguished Service Order) for operational gallantry for highly successful command and leadership during active operations. He left the military in 1919. After the war, he returned to South America, and building on his previous knowledge he found many things, including pottery and overgrown tracks which led him to believe that he was on the right path to his lost city of Z. Each adventure took him further into the unknown and each time he returned to England he told of his escapades to masses of people. His letters back were printed to be read by people all around the world. It was at this time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his book The Lost World using Fawcett as the inspiration. In 1925 Fawcett travelled back to South America with his son Jack and Jacks friend Raleigh Rimmel where they ventured to the Mato Grosso area. In his last letter to his wife Fawcett wrote, You need have no fear of any failure. Fawcett was now 58 years old, travelling into an unknown part of the jungle, full of tribes which were weary of outsiders. One such tribe, the Kalapalo, met Fawcett and his companions. The Kalapalo later told a search party that they had warned Fawcett not to go any further along as the next area where they intended to go was controlled by a more hostile tribe who were very violent. Fawcett pushed further along and the Kalapalo tracked their campfires for four more days. After that, no more was ever seen or heard of Col Fawcett or his companions ever again. Over the following years, many searched for Fawcett but nothing of his disappearance or death was ever proven. There was lots of speculation at the time about cannibal tribes, massive snakes, even one that suggested that he had become a chief of a tribe and lived the rest of his life there. But it might be that, driven on by his age and need for success, he went too far and ran out of supplies. His son Brian arranged a book from his fathers manuscripts, log books and records, Exploration Fawcett, (Journey to the lost city of Z), and travelled to South America himself in later life. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Col Percy Fawcetts disappearance. If you were wondering whether itd be possible to ferment foods in space, the answer is apparently yes. In a study published in the journal iScience, researchers from the US and Denmark say they were able to make decent-tasting miso on the International Space Station but the flavor and smell was distinct from that of miso made on Earth. While it still scored well in the taste tests, with similar ratings to Earth miso in qualities like umami and saltiness, the ISS miso was found to taste nuttier and more roasted than the usual stuff. The team suggests the findings reflect a sort of space terroir, playing off the term often used in relation to wine grapes to describe unique, location-specific flavor characteristics. For the study, the researchers sent a package containing the miso paste ingredients (cooked soybeans, rice koji and salt) to the ISS in March 2020, and let it ferment for 30 days. They also started miso batches back at home in Cambridge, MA and Copenhagen, Denmark, and monitored the environmental conditions of each setup. After a month, the space miso was sent back and analyzed in comparison to the Earth batches. There are some features of the space environment in low earth orbit in particular microgravity and increased radiation that could have impacts on how microbes grow and metabolize and thus how fermentation works, co-lead author Joshua D. Evans of Technical University of Denmark said in a press release. We wanted to explore the effects of these conditions. Not only were there differences in flavor, including the notable roasted nuttiness of the space miso, but also in the microbial composition of the misos. The team concluded that overall, the space miso is a miso, but says the findings suggest a specific fermentation environment in space. Daughters often must take time off work to help older parents. Finding care for an aging parent is emotionally and financially draining. When you choose the right caregiver or long-term care facility for someone you love, you will avoid costly mistakes and ease family stress and anxiety. When Your Parents Need Help, Are You Ready? One phone call can change everything. Your mom falls. Your dad forgets the stove is on. Suddenly, you're faced with a tough reality: they need help, and fast. "People are often shocked to learn that Medicare doesn't pay for custodial care, which is the type of assistance most seniors need as they age," says Matt McCann, CLTC, a nationally recognized expert in long-term care planning. "Long-term care services include help with bathing, dressing, and eatingthings we all take for granted until we can't do them alone. When that happens the family must act, whether they are prepared for not." True Cost of CareHealth Insurance and Medicare Won't Cover It Long-term care isn't short-term rehab. It's daily helpoften for years. Medicare only pays for limited skilled nursing after hospitalization Health insurance typically excludes routine personal care and will only pay for a limited amount of skilled services According to the LTC News survey of long-term care costs around the country, families find themselves facing the reality of high long-term care costs: Home health aide : $66,000+ annually, depending on location Assisted living : Often $58,000+ per year before surcharges that add even more Nursing home : $125,000+ annually in many states That kind of expense can change lifestyles and wipe out savings fast. McCann says that since many people never thought about planning nor purchased Long-Term Care Insurance, the family goes into crisis. "Families often try to provide care themselves at first. But when the demands become too great, they're forced to find outside helpand figure out how to pay for it. Neither step is easy." When You Become the Caregiveror Have to Hire One Maybe you've already stepped in to helpdriving to appointments, cooking meals, bathing them, keeping them safe. But caregiving is a full-time job, and most of us can't do it alone forever. You have options. Here's what to consider: Home Care Agencies Trained, insured professionals from licensed providers Offer personal care, hygiene help, medication reminders, and companionship Pros : Supervision, reliability, backup staff Cons : Sometimes more expensive than private caregivers Independent Caregivers Found through referrals, online platforms, or bulletin boards Pros : Sometimes more affordable Cons : You handle screening, employment taxes, and legal liability. Scheduling and lack of backup can be problematic Warning : Many are unlicensed or lack background checks Assisted Living Residential communities with meals, help with daily tasks, and social activities Pros : Community life, 24/7 support, privacy, couples can stay together Cons : It can be expensive, especially nicer places featuring higher monthly fees. "In many cases, the home is sold, eliminating housing expenses. As a result, the higher cost of assisted living often balances out so people focus on chocie nd quality of care." Nursing Homes For those usually needing medical care or substantial supervision for those with severe dementia Pros : Skilled staff, rehab services Cons : Costly, less homelike, often last-resort or Medicaid-funded Make Your Search for Quality Care Easier The LTC News Caregiver Directory helps you find: Local home care agencies Adult day care Assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities You can filter by zip code, care type, and service levelall in one place. Profiles include reviews, contact details, and service offerings to simplify the process. Plus, the directory is free. What to Look for in a Caregiver or LTC Facility Choosing care isn't just a transactionit's a relationship. Prioritize: Credentials and Licensing : Ask for proof and verify it Experience : Specific training in dementia, mobility issues, etc. Background Checks : Especially important for in-home care Compassion and Communication : Does the caregiver make your parent feel heard and respected? Contract Clarity : Hours, responsibilities, rates, and cancellation policies Facility Transparency : Visit in person, review inspection reports, and talk to staff and residents "Finding the right care isn't just about servicesit's about your parent's dignity, happiness, and safety." McCann says that's what makes the right caregiver or long-term care facility life-changing. How Long-Term Care Insurance Changes Everything If your parent has Long-Term Care Insurance, you have more flexibilityand peace of mind. Covers in-home care, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing Often includes case management to coordinate care Reduces physical, emotional, and financial strain "Long-Term Care Insurance offers peace of mind, knowing that the financial resources to access quality care will be there when you need it." Some policies even help pay for home modifications, like wheelchair ramps or walk-in showers. Need help filing a claim? LTC News and Amada Senior Care offer free assistanceno matter which insurance company issued the policy. Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim has never been easier - Get Free Help Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim. Care is About More Than Health McCann says the right caregiver doesn't just keep your parent clean and safethey help your parent live. Ask yourself: Will my parent feel respected, heard, and safe with this caregiver? Will their emotional needscompanionship, dignity, purposebe met? Will this care plan adapt as their needs change? These are hard questions. But they matter more than anything else. What About Your Future? You're focused on your parents right now. But this experience raises another question: What happens when you need care? "Understanding how longevity and living a long life will impact your family and finances is a key part of retirement planning." McCann says you don't want your adult children to face a crisis 20 or 30 years from now, scrambling to find care for you. Think about it nowwhile you still can. Steps to Take Now You don't need to figure this out alone. "Finding quality care isn't just about logisticsit's about love, dignity, and peace of mind." McCann recommends using the help of an experienced Long-Term Care Insurance specialist who represents the top-rated insurance companies offering long-term care solutions. Most people acquire an LTC policy between ages 47 to 67, but your health will determine eligibility and even the cost of a policy. Get Professional Planning Help Now Matt McCann, CLTC is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, representing top-rated insurance companies that provide long-term care solutions. His innovative approach allows clients to consult with him over the phone while viewing his computer screen, ensuring a convenient and transparent process for learning about, exploring, and selecting the best options. You can get free and accurate quotes from all the top companies, along with professional recommendations - Free and Accurate LTC Insurance Quotes. Media Availability McCann is available for radio, TV, and podcast interviews. He also speaks to groups and organizations worldwide on the issues of aging, caregiving, health, and long-term care. Contact McCann through his website for information. One of my right-wing Facebook acquaintances posted No Virginia you cannot pay back thirty-six trillion in debt by taxing the rich as a meme (lack of punctuation is his). Then he added this comment: Its the Elephant in the room nobody wants to address; how do we pay it back if we are adding to it by 1.8 trillion a year? Any Ideas? Anyone? So of course, I jumped in: Having the super-rich pay their fair share is part of the puzzle. Other parts: 1) Reducing military waste, ending subsidies of fossil fuels, nuclear power, big tobacco, etc. 2) Ending imprisonment of undocumented immigrants who have committed no crime (coming to this country is NOT a crime, under international law) and drastically reducing imprisonment for nonviolent offenses in general. Imprisonment costs more than a university education! 3) Immediately kicking Elon out and freezing DOGE operations. Instead of finding inefficiencies to cut, they are CREATING inefficiencies and huge costs because they havent done their research, dont know what theyre doing, and are closing programs that then have to be reinstated at a high cost over and above the cost of defending undefendable lawsuits, which also doesnt come cheap. 4) And obviously, dont extend the tax cuts from his first term. Oh, and by the way, the tariffs dont save any money. All they do is add to the cost of goods. If you want to know more, read and listen to people like Paul Krugman and Robert Reich, who have created oodles of documentation over the years. Better still, visit the National Priorities Project, https://www.nationalpriorities.org/interactive-data/trade-offs/, to find the cost of wasteful military spending in your community. My answer is tip-of-the-iceberg. There are hundreds of places to cut government wastebut Musk is going about it all wrong, using ideology rather than impact and utterly failing to pay attention to the good these programs do, and the damage to the US that is done every time he eliminates stuff, and the high cost of creating it again under court order. It also scares me that Musk has access to very personal data on government computers. To what ends will he use it? Judging by his history, hes likely to sell it even though it doesnt even belong to him. Whether he sells to commercial entities, foreign governments, or vigilante groups, that will not be good news for US citizens who dont agree with his ideology. Panama hopes to maintain a "respectful" relationship with the United States, even as President Donald Trump has repeated threats to retake the Panama Canal, Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said Saturday. His comments came ahead of a visit next week by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a trip made more urgent against the backdrop of Trump's threats and his allegations of Chinese interference in the canal. "We discussed illegal migration, organized crime, drug trafficking and (other issues)," Martinez-Acha wrote on X of a call Friday with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. "It was a cordial and constructive exchange." "I reiterated that all cooperation from Panama will take place under the framework of our constitution, our laws, and the Canal Neutrality Treaty," he wrote. "Relations with the US must remain respectful, transparent and mutually beneficial." The US State Department said Landau had "expressed gratitude for Panama's cooperation in halting illegal immigration and working with the United States to secure a nearly 98 percent decrease in illegal immigration through the Darien jungle," an arduous path northward followed by many migrants. The two officials also discussed the sale last month by the Hong Kong company CK Hutchison to giant US asset manager BlackRock of its concession in ports at either end of the Panama Canal, Martinez-Acha added. Panama's comptroller has been conducting an audit of Hutchison since January. Landau "recognized Panama's actions in curbing malign Chinese Communist Party influence," the State Department said. The deal was set to close on April 2 but has been held up as Chinese regulators pursue an investigation. The United States and China are the two biggest users of the Panama Canal, which handles five percent of global maritime trade, giving it vital economic and geostrategic importance. It was inaugurated by the United States in 1914 and has been in Panamanian hands since 1999. bur-hma-gw/bbk/acb People packed Main Street in downtown Bozeman on Saturday for a protest against the Trump administration as part of a national series of Hands Off! rallies. With signs that read United we Stand, Hands off our Public Lands and Save our Democracy, people chanted, cheered, sang and marched up and down Main Street. Estimates of the crowd size ranged from 1,000 to 3,000, and Bozeman police reported no notable incidents. We are here today to register our collective objection to what the Trump administration is doing, said organizer Jim Klingaman, to cheers from the crowd gathered at the Gallatin County Courthouse building. Were here today to counter what the Trump administration is doing, and also, and perhaps most importantly, to demand that our elected representatives, Daines, Sheehy and Zinke ... we want them to stand up. Shane Doyle, a well-known Bozeman resident, academic and member of the Crow Tribe, spoke to the crowd before the march. We will not sit idly by while the First Amendment rights of our brothers and sisters are being trampled senselessly and illegally, Doyle said. Were all in this together, and for the long haul, and we will keep standing and speaking. The crowd then marched through downtown, chanting things like hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go! and show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like. On the way, passing cars honked and revved engines some in clear support for the protestors and others in clear opposition. The crowd had people of all ages, including children in strollers and, in typical Bozeman fashion, many dogs. Ruth Lott from Cardwell and Linda Foy from Twin Bridges were marching together down the sidewalk. Both said they wanted to make their elected officials hear their frustrations. Democracy is at risk on the most basic of levels, Lott said. If we arent out demonstrating, theyre going to destroy us ... Im so excited there are (protests) in red-state Montana. Well, it shows it's not partisan, Foy chimed in. It's not, it affects everybody. Many signs took aim at widespread tariffs President Trump announced April 2, as well as Elon Musk and his DOGE Department of Government Efficiency, which has been behind mass layoffs of federal employees and funding cuts for government and social services programs. Bozeman resident Ben Swartz came to the protest holding an American flag. He said he wanted to come out because he thinks it is time for us to stand up. Swartz said he couldnt pick just one issue he was most upset about, but said he generally feels like the government isnt representing the public. I think this kind of turnout gives hope, Swartz said. Its pretty dark, so were here for the hope and the sunshine. Andre Zollars, who is part of Indivisible Bozeman, spoke at the end of the rally and encouraged people to stay involved with the group and national and statewide politics. Today we were seen. Today we were heard. We made good trouble! Zollars said to cheers. We are going to be deeply involved, not just in national politics but in what's going on in the Montana Legislature, because you all need to be paying attention. Criticising the recent US decision to cancel duty-free treatment for low-value packages from China, the China National Light Industry Council said the move disrupts normal trade order between both countries, affects global industrial cooperation and undermines the rights and interests of consumers on both sides. Terming it a self-defeating action, the industry group said the move not only undermines the stability of global industrial and supply chains for light industrial consumer goods (which includes textiles), but ultimately harms the interests of all parties, including the United States. The industry group urged the US administration to respect market rules, acknowledge the needs of the people and stop its wrong practices. Criticising the US decision to cancel duty-free treatment for low-value packages from China, the China National Light Industry Council said the move disrupts normal trade order between both, affects global industrial cooperation and undermines the rights and interests of consumers on both sides. The China National Textile and Apparel Council also strongly opposed the US 'hegemonic actions'. It also called on the international community to jointly resist trade bullying and firmly safeguard an equal and mutually beneficial international trading system. The China National Textile and Apparel Council also expressed strong opposition to the US hegemonic actions that disrupt the international supply chain order and increase trade costs through domestic administrative measures. The duty-free treatment for low-value packages is an internationally recognised practice for trade facilitation. "The US side disregards practical realities, violates the WTO's [World Trade Organizations] non-discrimination principle, and contradicts the spirit of fair trade," a state-controlled media outlet quoted a statement by the China National Textile and Apparel Council as saying. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Following the recent US decision to impose a 46-per cent reciprocal tariff on imports from Vietnam, the latters deputy finance minister Nguyen Duc Chi said his country is committed to working with the former to achieve a trade balance that benefits consumers on both sides. Vietnam has been proactively reviewing and adjusting its imports to increase trade turnover and work toward balancing trade with key partners, including the United States, said Nguyen. The finance ministry has recently comprehensively reviewed import tariffs. Following the recent US decision to impose a 46-per cent reciprocal tariff on imports from Vietnam, the latter's deputy finance minister Nguyen Duc Chi said his country is committed to working with the former to achieve a trade balance that benefits consumers on both sides. The new US tariff is substantially higher than the current rate and will affect Vietnam's production, a senior official said. The new US tariff is substantially higher than the current rate and will affect Vietnam's production, particularly in key export sectors, including garments, textiles and footwear, Truong Ba Tuan, deputy head of the tax policy department said. The country hopes the United States would discuss and make appropriate adjustments, Nguyen was cited as saying by domestic media outlet. According to the office of the US trade representative, Vietnam's average tariff rate stands at just 9.4 per cent. Most US exports to Vietnam are subject to an average tariff of around 15 per cent, with only a few exceptions. Vietnam had earlier promulgated a decree to reduce import tariffs on 16 product groups, effective from March 31. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Kartik Aaryan is the great new hope of the industry today, what with top banners vying to get his signature on the dotted line. His signing amount has reached astronomical figures, though he neither confirms not denies this news, saying that he isnt defined by his fees. But in an industry where nothing succeeds like excess, you have to flaunt your achievements because no one else will. Kartik looks like a sure bet right now and he insists hes no one-trick pony. He has trained himself for the long course and loves the challenge. Behind all his street smarts and the hunger of an outsider, he still remains the Gwalior lad who came to Mumbai with big dreams. Hes still in awe of cinema, of making people fall in love with stories. And thats good because magic needs a certain belief for it to work. Excerpts from a freewheeling interview:Choosing D.Y. Patil college was my way of staying close to Mumbai and pursuing auditions while studying. Coming from Gwalior, I wouldnt have had a reason to move here otherwise. My parents might not have allowed it. But I did study and enjoy my time there. Though mostly, I was going for auditions.What happened was that Vijay Patil sir, the owner of D.Y. Patil College, said, My students will be so inspired by the kind of hard work youve done. Its not just about being in the field of medicine, biotechnology, or engineering. Its about inspiring people. So, I want you to be here. I want this to happen so that they work towards their dreams and goals. I was really happy with that idea.My younger sister is also pursuing a career in medicine. Growing up, my parents hoped I would become a doctor or an engineer. I used to prepare for exams like PMT and AIEEE. Our family faced financial struggles because my parents were working to set up their clinic while dealing with debt. Being a doctor in a small city doesnt bring the wealth people often associate with the profession. Despite the challenges, we were happy, and Im really proud of my parents journey and how they gradually built their practice.When I first moved to Mumbai, my parents thought I was just studying B.Tech in Navi Mumbai, unaware that I was secretly auditioning. For over two years, I searched for casting calls on Facebook, as there were no WhatsApp groups or easy access to auditions back then. Rejections were common, especially without industry connections. One day, I came across a post from the Pyaar Ka Punchnama team, sent them a portfolio made from cropped group photos and boldly wrote, Im the guy youre looking for. That got their attention. Though initially rejected, they saw potential and called me back, marking the start of my journey.Pyaar Ka Punchnama was my debut, but Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety was the real game-changer. Before that, I was just the guy with the long monologues, but after Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, people started recognizing Kartik. Another major breakthrough was Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. When it was announced, there was scepticism but I believed in the script. It connected with the audience and proved how unpredictable the industry can be. Along with Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, it became one of the biggest milestones of my career.I used to be impatient, constantly questioning why things werent working out. After my first film, setbacks with my second and third made me feel stuck. I overthought a lot but looking back, I have no regrets. Coming from nothing to where I am today makes me proud. If I had to start over, Id do it the same way. I once stood outside Mannat, hoping to see Shah Rukh sir and admired Amitabh sir from a distance. Now, being part of the same industry is a journey Ill always cherish.Shah Rukh Khan is incredibly warm and kind. Whenever I meet him, he always discusses my films that he has watched. For instance, after the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, when we met during an event, he personally called me over to compliment the film, mentioning how much he enjoyed it. His willingness to genuinely congratulate and appreciate others is truly admirable and reflects his gracious nature.To excel in acting, you must fully experience and express your emotions, as it is an emotive art. Without truly feeling emotions, it becomes challenging to authentically portray them on camera. I believe being an emotional person is essential to becoming a good actor. Moreover, embracing these emotions not only enhances your craft but also makes you a better human being.I do but I am a little shy when it comes to messaging, especially when I dont have a personal connection with them. But I always try to do it when I meet them in person.Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Vijay Sethupathi. I wouldnt call him a colleague, but we crossed paths. For instance, during my visit to Chennai, I really enjoyed his film Maharaja and couldnt help but praise his work when I met him. This is just one example. In the industry, its common for people to share their thoughts on each others work. I think thats a positive practice. I reciprocate this whenever I can, though Im mindful not to overstep or intrude into someones personal space.Ranbir (Kapoor) congratulated me on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. I find it a bit odd to mention who congratulated me. Ive also congratulated Ranbir on his films, like Rockstar, whenever weve met. At the time, he was working on a film with Luv Ranjan sir, so we had those conversations. It feels unfair to name who congratulated me, as those moments feel more private and personal. That said, I do reciprocate such gestures.Nepotism exists across many industries, including the film industry. I acknowledge its presence without wanting to single anyone out or assign blame. Everyone has their own journey and if I had been born into an industry family, I might have benefited from such connections too. Its not their fault. However, Ive missed out on opportunities, especially the chance to work with top-tier directors and big names who come from massive, high-budget projects. This uneven playing field makes it difficult to fairly judge an actors trajectory. But Ive made my peace with it.As an actor, I often reflect on my performances and feel I could have done better in certain scenes or films. However, when it comes to saying no to projects, Ive never regretted those decisions. I believe my nos have shaped my career more than my yess. By turning down roles that didnt feel right, I avoided situations where I might not have done justice to the character or the film.Theres always a filter, but in my journey, Ive mostly stayed true to who I am. The way I speak to you is how I speak in real life. I strive to be authentic. Im not perfect; I have flaws. I overthink, which often stresses me out and when Im stressed, I tend to eat a lot. Overthinking is a big part of who I am and it affects me deeply.Vidya Balan had a profound impact on me, not just through her acting but also through her real-life persona. Her ability to create a warm, joyful atmosphere on set was remarkable. Everyone felt at ease around her. Working with her on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was an incredible experience; it felt like we were college friends, sharing a carefree and fun connection. She truly left a lasting impression on me.Am I the only actor who has received such a price? Nobody writes about others. Everyone writes about meThe thing is, I dont have a spokesperson. I dont have a family here. I dont have my uncle, or my dad or my sister or my girlfriend spreading positivity about me in the articles or in the industry. This news is coming from somewhere else. Its not necessary that this is needed. I dont need this to prove anything. There are some who get irked by the fact that people make it on their own. And they try to make stories about that person a lot more.My biggest achievement has been establishing my name in the audiences hearts. As an outsider, getting recognised is a challengeunlike those with established backgrounds, I had to earn everything. It took me 78 years to land a proper endorsement after Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. Success isnt instant. From Pyaar Ka Punchnama to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Chandu Champion, my journey has been built on merit, not privilege. When Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was announced, there was doubt, but it became a franchise, yet no one talks about the ones that fail. Standalone hits like Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Luka Chuppi and Pati Patni Aur Woh worked because of the efforts involved. If I dont protect my hard-earned success, no one else will. I know my journey and Ill keep building on it.Im currently single and not dating. In the past, there was a lot of speculation about my dating life, some true, some not. At the time, I was new to the idea of people linking me romantically with others and didnt pay much attention to it. The media would often spin stories from a single photo, even if Id just met someone. It felt surreal and Id even get updates about my own dating life. Over time, I realised I needed to be more careful in how I handled such situations.I would consider dating an actor because they understand the profession. Its crucial to prioritise time for each other despite busy schedules. Actors are often on the move, and relationships can be unpredictable, with partners potentially ending up in different parts of the world. Mutual respect... or each other and our careers is essential, as is carving out time together and offering support in such a demanding field.If my partner were more successful, Id genuinely be happy for them, even if I felt a bit disappointed in myself for not being as successful. My happiness for them would outweigh any personal doubts, and Id wholeheartedly support them. Growing up, my family celebrated each others achievements. My mom and sister, both hardworking role models, taught me to value and uplift success. Id naturally celebrate my partners accomplishments, sharing their joy and success.The decision is ultimately made by the director and the producer. My approach is guided by my instincts regarding the script. Im not influenced by who else might be cast. From what I understand, they see me fitting a specific role, and Im here to fulfil that role. Im the one being hired, not the one doing the hiring. Its not really an actors decision to make. Exclusive documents obtained reveal DEA Attorney Aarathi Haig, the key DEA attorney in MMJ's cannabis research constitutional Administrative Law Judge case, is ineligible for a Certificate of Good Standing in the N.J. Bar due to compliance failures. New Jersey Bar records obtained by MMJ International Holdings reveal that Aarathi D. Haig, a DEA attorney central to the agency's controversial handling of MMJ Biopharma Cultivation's Bulk Manufactures cannabis research application, is not in good standing with the New Jersey Bar. A February 2023 letter from the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners states Aarathi Haig is ineligible for a Certificate of Good Standing due to: Failure to pay mandatory annual fees to the Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, designed to compensate victims of attorney misconduct. Non-compliance with Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements, mandatory for maintaining legal competency. Lapsed status with New Jersey's IOLTA program, which safeguards client trust accounts. Haig, admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 2006, currently represents the DEA in federal litigation against MMJ Biopharma Cultivation. Her lack of good standing raises questions about the DEA's ethical oversight and due diligence in assigning attorneys to high-stakes cases. Connecting the Dots: DEA's Legal Team Under Fire The revelation comes as MMJ Biopharma's Cultivationsfederal lawsuit against the DEA alleges systemic corruption and unconstitutional delays in processing its application to grow research cannabis. Internal DEA emails previously exposed Aarathi D. Haig's failure to collaborate with MMJ's legal team on court filings, violating the procedural rules and the Supreme Court recent rulings on the DEA Administrative Law Judge hearing process. Legal ethics experts note that while DEA attorney Aarathi D. Haig's New Jersey standing does not directly impact her federal practice, it severally undermines credibility in a case where the DEA faces accusations of procedural abuse. "This is a red flag," said Duane Boise CEO of MMJ International Holdings. "When an attorney tasked with enforcing compliance can't meet their own professional obligations, it erodes public trust." Broader Implications for DEA's Cannabis Crackdown Aarathi D.Haig's compliance failures amplify concerns about the DEA's Diversion Control Division, already possibly under DOJ Inspector General scrutiny for alleged misconduct by officials Thomas Prevoznik and Matthew Strait. Critics argue the agency's culture of non-transparency extends to its legal operations: Fee Misuse : The DEA's Diversion Control Program, funded by registrant fees, is accused of prioritizing enforcement over research approvals . Constitutional Violations: MMJ's lawsuit challenges the DEA's ALJ system as unconstitutional, a claim the agency conceded in part. Public Calls for DEA Accountability Intensify Advocates are demanding: Immediate audit of DEA attorneys' state bar compliance. Congressional hearings on the DEA's legal and ethical practices. Suspension of Haig's role in MMJ's case pending resolution of her continuing education compliance status. "This isn't just about paperwork-it's about a pattern of disregard for the law," said Duane Boise. "The DEA can't demand compliance from others while ignoring its own obligations." What's Next? The New Jersey Bar's findings add fuel to MMJ's federal lawsuit and the potential Investigator General's investigation. With cannabis rescheduling hearings delayed until late 2025, the DEA faces mounting pressure to reform its practices or risk losing jurisdiction over cannabis research entirely. MMJ is represented by attorney Megan Sheehan. CONTACT: Madison Hisey mhisey@mmj.com 203-231-8583 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings Many social media users earlier this week shared a short clip from 2019 Arabic short film Burqa City, noticing similarities between the stories of the two movies read more Biplab Goswami, who penned the story of Kiran Raos critically-acclaimed film Laapataa Ladies, on Saturday dismissed the claims that the movies plot has been plagiarised. Many social media users earlier this week shared a short clip from 2019 Arabic short film Burqa City, noticing similarities between the stories of the two movies. In Burqa City, a newlywed man sets out to find his wife after she is mistaken for another woman in a burqa. Advertisement The writer has now shared a post on Instagram denying accusations of plagiarism. He wrote- I first registered the films detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title Two Brides, with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014. Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. He added, This is where the story takes off. I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the brides face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment. Goswami concluded, Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue. These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team. But now, social media users think the film is inspired by a 2019 Spanish short film Burqa City. Advertisement A user said on X- Kiran Raos Lapata Ladies, Indias official entry to the Oscars and projected as an original work, actually seems heavily inspired by a 2019 short film titled Burqa City. Police said the investigation remains open and urged anyone with relevant information to contact the force read more British police on Friday charged Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault following an 18-month investigation sparked when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the controversial comedian. Londons Metropolitan Police force said Brand, 50, faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault. Brand denied engaging in non-consensual sexual activity. Advertisement The alleged offenses involve four women and took place between 1999 and 2005 one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in the Westminster area of central London. Police said the investigation remains open and urged anyone with relevant information to contact the force. In September 2023, British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published claims by four women of being sexually assaulted or raped by Brand. The accusers have not been identified. The comedian, author and Get Him To The Greek actor has been interviewed by police about the allegations, which he denies. In a video posted Friday on X, Brand said Ive never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes. He added that I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and Im incredibly grateful for that. Known for his unbridled and risque standup routines, Brand hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012. Advertisement In recent years, Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. He recently said he had moved to the United States. Brand is due to appear in a London court on May 2. Jaswant Narwal, of Britains Crown Prosecution Service, said prosecutors carefully reviewed the evidence after a police investigation into allegations made following the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023. He added that I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and Im incredibly grateful for that. Known for his unbridled and risque standup routines, Brand hosted shows on radio and television, wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol, appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012. In recent years, Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. He recently said he had moved to the United States. Advertisement Brand is due to appear in a London court on May 2. Jaswant Narwal, of Britains Crown Prosecution Service, said prosecutors carefully reviewed the evidence after a police investigation into allegations made following the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023. Now that Vedang has expressed interest in working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, it would be exciting to see him shine under the unique vision of the celebrated filmmaker read more Vedang Raina, one of the most promising faces of Indian cinema, has established himself as an in-demand actor among his contemporaries. After making striking debuts on the big screens and in the OTT space, Vedang continues to shine. As he is currently gearing up for his next big-ticket release, he expressed the desire to work with the ace director Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Baiju Bawra. When asked about his favourite Hindi film, Vedang shared, I think Baiju Bawra. For as long as I remember, Ive had a huge poster of Baiju Bawra at home. My father loved the movie and introduced me to it at a young age. I also feel strongly for music in general, so thats a film Id love to be a part of. I heard SLB (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) Sir is remaking Baiju Bawra. Id love to be part of it. Though I still feel like I may have a long way to go before being on an SLB set. It is my one biggest dream nonetheless. Advertisement Now that Vedang has expressed interest in working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, it would be exciting to see him shine under the unique vision of the celebrated filmmaker. Currently, Vedang Raina is collaborating with the dynamic director, Imtiaz Ali. The hype around Vedangs first collaboration with Imtiaz is sky-high, and adding up the excitement, the actor is said to kickstart filming for the romantic drama from May onwards. This mega collaboration with Imtiaz Ali represents a significant milestone in Vedangs flourishing career, and his fans are keen to see what is to unfold on the big screens. A new study, published in Frontiers journal, suggests that spending an hour on your phone in bed can increase the risk of insomnia by as much as 63 per cent, and cuts down your sleep time by around by an average of 24 minutes. The study conducted by Norwegian Institute of Public Health surveyed over 45,202 young adults aged 18 to 28 about their screen habits in bed read more A new Norwegian study suggests that spending an hour on your phone in bed can drastically increase the risk of insomnia, cutting down your sleep time and making it harder to rest. Image courtesy: AI-generated representational image Weve all been theresnuggled under the covers, scrolling endlessly through social media, watching just one more video, or catching up on messages before finally putting the phone down. But what seems like harmless screen time could be sabotaging your sleep more than you realise. A new Norwegian study suggests that spending an hour on your phone in bed can drastically increase the risk of insomnia, cutting down your sleep time and making it harder to rest. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But how is using your phone linked to less sleep? What did the study suggest? Heres a closer look. Sleep or scroll? What the research says A large-scale study conducted by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health surveyed over 45,202 young adults aged 18 to 28 about their screen habits in bed. Participants were asked about their bedtime routines, including whether they used screens before sleep, how long they spent on them, and what kind of content they engaged with, ranging from social media and streaming videos to gaming, browsing the internet, listening to podcasts, or reading study material. Participants also reported details about their sleepwhat time they went to bed, how long it took them to fall asleep, whether they struggled with insomnia, and how often they felt sleepy during the day. To understand patterns, researchers grouped responses into three categories: those who primarily used social media, those who used screens but not for social media, and those who engaged in multiple screen activities, including social media. The results, published in the Frontiers journal, were strikingevery extra hour of screen time in bed reduced sleep by an average of 24 minutes and raised the chances of insomnia by 63 per cent. Further, the researchers found that it wasnt just about doomscrolling on social media. Whether it was texting, watching videos, or reading articles, screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption. Researchers found that it While previous research has often suggested that social media use is particularly disruptive to sleep, our findings challenge this notion, senior author Borg Sivertsen, PhD, senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, told Healthline. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Researchers believe this effect is largely due to time displacement, where screen use delays sleep by consuming time that would otherwise be spent resting. However, they caution that the study was conducted within a single cultural setting, and the relationship between screen use and sleep could vary globally. Additionally, to compare social media use with other screen activities, some behaviourssuch as listening to music or gamingwere grouped together, even though they may have different effects on sleep. The study also did not determine cause and effectit remains unclear whether screen use leads to insomnia or if individuals with insomnia turn to screens more frequently. This study cannot determine causality for example, whether screen use causes insomnia or if students with insomnia use screens more, Dr Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, lead author of the study, said. The study also did not include physiological assessments, which could provide more precise insights into sleep patterns. Also read: What is pink noise, believed to improve sleep? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How watching screen disrupts your sleep The biggest culprit behind sleep disruption is often blue lightthe high-energy light emitted by phones, tablets, and laptop screens. Research has shown that exposure to blue light at bedtime can interfere with the bodys natural production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. Melatonin helps signal to the body that its time to rest, and when its production is disrupted, falling asleep and staying asleep becomes more difficult. Research has provided evidence that blue light exposure at bedtime dysregulates the production of the hormone melatonin, which helps promote and maintain sleep. Image courtesy: AI-generated representative image During the day, blue-wavelength light plays a positive role, boosting attentiveness, improving mood, and sharpening reaction times. However, concerns about its negative impact on sleep have been widely debated, and not all research fully supports the idea that blue light is the main culprit. A recent study published in the Nature journal, examined how exposure to different wavelengths of light before bedtime affected sleep. Researchers tracked 16 participants and measured the effects of blue versus yellow light exposure for an hour before bed. Surprisingly, they found no significant difference between the two. Their findings suggest that any bright light before bedtimeregardless of colourmay be equally disruptive to sleep. We still have the same neural circuitry as our caveman ancestors, whose lives and activities were ruled by the sun, said Leah Kaylor, PhD, MSCP, a clinical psychologist, in an interview with Healthline. Since we still have the same circuitry, we can easily confuse the brain by being in the presence of light close to bedtime. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aslo read: Why sleeping with a cuddly is good even for adults How to sleep better without giving up your phone completely If ditching screens before bed sounds impossible, dont worrysmall changes can still make a big difference. Heres how you can improve your sleep without giving up your favourite nighttime scroll entirely: 1. Set a screen surfew Try to stop using screens at least 3060 minutes before bed. If you absolutely must check something, use night mode or a blue light filter to reduce the impact. 2. Create a wind-down routine Replace your phone habit with a relaxing pre-sleep routineread a physical book, listen to calming music, or do some gentle stretching. This signals your body that its time to rest. 3. Keep your phone out of reach Charge your phone outside the bedroom or place it across the room so youre not tempted to pick it up. Using an actual alarm clock can help break the habit of checking your phone first thing in the morning. 4. Dim the lights before sleeping Lowering indoor lighting an hour before bed helps your body naturally produce melatonin, making it easier to fall asleep. 5. If you cant sleep, dont stay in bed STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lying awake scrolling wont help. If you cant sleep after 20 minutes, get up and do a calming activity (without screens) until you start feeling drowsy. With input from agencies While private ownership of heritage is not an unwelcome thing, such sites need to be monitored and any efforts to modify them needs to be done by trained hands. Else, in a state where several venerable shrines are already vulnerable, it is only a matter of time that they entirely vanish read more On the day of Ram Navami, an occasion when one would imagine that all Vishnu temples would be decorated at their best and be filled with devotees, a few shrines in West Bengal are merely shadows of what they once were. No, not because they are under threat of attack by fanatics, but because of a greater evil lack of interest in preserving historical architecture. One such shrine lies in Sonamukhi, 32 kilometres north of the iconic temple town of Bishnupur in Bankura district. For a place whose name literally translates into golden face, Sonamukhi does a great job of hiding its best face deep within its folds. While the Sridhar Temple here does appear on GPS, finding it on ground is a harder task. It is inside a lane no four-wheeler can penetrate and from outside the lane, no temple is visible either. Advertisement Explorers to Sonamukhi need to be persistent in their enquiries, and direct them to older folk here, the younger ones being engrossed in their mobile phones. Sonamukhis older inhabitants guide travellers to Madani Gully, a short walk through which reveals the top of what looks like an old temple. But there is one more barrier! The temple lies inside private property and is within a locked compound. Which explains why common people are not aware of it. A visitor has to request access. Pinnacles of the temple at Sonamukhi The Sridhar Temple at Sonamukhi, though small, can give the terracotta marvels of Bishnupur a run for their money. Built in 1845 when the town was at its peak as a hub of silk and cotton weaving, as well as indigo, its patron was a wealthy weaver called Kanai Rudra. Rudra brought in a master architect called Hari Sutradhar who seemed to have been on mission mode to create a marvel that would match the temples of Bishnupur. The shrine is one of the very few in the state that is a Panchabingswati Ratna - meaning it has twenty-five pinnacles. Its exterior is richly embellished with Bishnupur style terracotta imagery depicting stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharat, Puranas and Krishna Leela in regal style. There are also sages, birds, animals, common people wearing the clothes of the early 19th century as well as floral patterns. A striking feature on the edges is the Mrityulata a vertical depiction of animals and humans alternating, each depicted as if it were attacking the creature below. In the inner sanctum is a Shaligram the non-anthropomorphic symbol of Lord Vishnu. Stunning iconography on the walls of Sridhar Temple at Sonamukhi Today, not only does this fine temple remain private property, it finds itself wedged as part of not one but two houses. Of its four sides, only three are visible and the fourth wall finds itself almost touching yet another private residence. A long shot of the temple is well-nigh impossible. The good part is that the shrine is still in worship and is not moth-balled into irrelevance like many monuments managed by the authorities. Advertisement Perhaps we should be thankful that the temple at Sonamukhi still has its iconography intact. Kotulpur, 32 kilometres east of Bishnupur, has another Sridhar Temple. While Sonamukhi is a town, Kotulpur is a village and has all the chaos of one. Like in the case of the town, mention of the temple does not ring a bell with anyone in the village either. Asking for the estate of Niranjan Bhadra is a better idea, as the temple lies within. From the outside, the prospects are rich for a heritage explorer. There is an ornate gateway, albeit in a ruined state. On entering one sees a Rasamancha a structure used to house a Krishna idol in a manner that it is visible from all sides on festive days. The Rasamancha is in its original state and looks close to a century old, if not older. On the right are two more temples, their gleaming exterior advertising their being new. Next to them, behind a high wall, is another temple of indeterminable age. Advertisement Rasamancha at Kotulpur Like its namesake in Sonamukhi, the Sridhar Temple at Kotulpur was built by a wealthy patron in this case the Bhadra family who had prospered in trade facilitated by the British. The temple, as well as a larger estate, was their power statement. In reports as recently as 2021, the Sridhar Temple here was depicted as a magnificent terracotta structure covered with carvings on all sides. Photographs reveal it to be a riot of carved iconography even more than Sonamukhi. Visitors today would be shocked by the contrast between those pictures and what has transpired since. At the time of this authors visit in March 2025 the temple was being restored. The ornate pinnacles and delicately carved side edges of the shrine had been covered with a greyish plaster which was also being slowly put on the other parts. Some terracotta iconography on the fronts still remained and the workmen at the site were not forthcoming about these parts remaining intact or not. Advertisement Two relatively new and restored temples in Kotulpur Not that the Sonamukhi temple is in great condition. The wear & tear of nearly 180 years is visible, as is the lack of trained efforts to conserve the site. But it is in a far better state than the restoration one is witnessing at Kotulpur. While private ownership of heritage is not an unwelcome thing, such sites need to be monitored and any efforts to modify them needs to be done by trained hands, by people who are both vetted and supervised by trained conservationists. Else, in a state where several venerable shrines are already vulnerable, it is only a matter of time that they entirely vanish. The author is a heritage explorer by inclination with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Advertisement Hopefully, the second visit of Israeli PM Netanyahu to the White House on Monday and President Trumps upcoming visit to West Asia will create a regional modus vivendi and not deepen differences read more The key to addressing the volatility in West Asia is to address Irans nuclear programme and find credible and sustainable ways to settle the century-old Palestinian problem, for which a positive shift in the mindset of Tehran, Tel Aviv and Washington DC is a prerequisite. Each one has a strategic incentive as well. More specifically, instead of threats, counter threats, escalations in rhetoric and the ever-prevailing Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) syndrome, an upbeat, unorthodox President Donald Trump, a boisterous and trigger-happy Benjamin Netanyahu and an excessive hardliner Ayatollah Khamenei will have to sanely and judiciously introspect and deliberate whether the kind of policies they have pursued or are following are making their countries, people and the world, especially West Asia, safer and secure. Advertisement I would argue the opposite. All actors in the region and the world are worried. Yet the high-decibel bombastic threats and statements have increased in frequency to no avail, as the hardened positions become the natural outcome, however destructive and dangerous these might be. Deep-seated trust deficits, deepening hostility and the absence of global enforceable leadership unfortunately do not give cause for confidence. While Iran, being an NPT signatory, pursued a dubious nuclear programme, the eventual efforts made by some European countries and the US with the Chinese and Russian support yielded a nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2015 under then-POTUS Barack Obama, much to the chagrin of Israelis as well as the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, which did and do not wish Iran to go nuclear or buy time to just do that. Then President Trumps first tenure came, and he quashed and pulled out of the US agreement to the deal in 2018 and imposed even more severe and far-reaching sanctions on Tehran. This reversal may have pleased Israel since it was able to maintain its regional open secret of nuclear supremacy. Saudis, who, along with 27 Sunni countries and though with the connivance of the US, launched an unwinnable war against the intractable Houthis in Yemen, also wanted to show their displeasure with the US for unilaterally agreeing to the nuclear deal with Iran, as the US has been their security guarantor and largest weapons supplier. Advertisement Helpless Europeans also lost their credibility with Iran since they were unable to provide sanctions relief by creating their own version of SWIFT, which really never took off, much to the frustration of the Iranians, for whom the JCPOA continued to be operative in a literal sense and gave them the freedom to enrich more uranium and develop centrifuges, taking steps towards their strategic objective. During the Biden administration, they secured occasional relief through indirect yet inconclusive talks. Efforts were further deteriorated due to the Iranian and US domestic situation and the Israel-Hamas war, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, and Tehrans relations with Moscow became far more strategic during this period. The ten-year JCPOA will end in October this year; hence, some action by the Europeans, Americans and Iranians is being witnessed. Apparently the French, German and UK foreign ministers discussed this in Brussels with Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, on the sidelines of the NATO meeting earlier in the week. Advertisement Early on, while reiterating that he will not allow Iran to secure or develop nuclear weapons, Trump has indicated that he does not want war with Tehran and would prefer to sort the issues through discussion. Both sides seem to have concurred with indirect talks. He even wrote a letter to President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered by the UAEs presidential adviser Anwar Gargash, but its threatening tone provided a platform for a public spat among the leaders once again. In the meantime, to put pressure on Iran to come to the table, howsoever immature it may be, Trump started bombing Houthis the closest remaining non-state actor and arm of the Iranian regime, which has caused havoc for commercial shipping in the Red Sea. In the wake of the threats to Iran being the next target, either by them or by Tel Aviv, created an unprecedented response and pushback from the region and other major powers like Russia and China. Since Tehran has not minced any words regarding the retaliation on US bases and assets in the region, all Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia have conveyed to their security partner in the Trump administration that they will not allow their airspaces to be used to attack Iran. Advertisement Of course, all through the last year and a half of the Israel-Hamas war, the region and the world have tried to avoid the Iran-Israel escalation, which would be disastrous for the region and beyond. Despite fundamental differences, Iran has been cautiously integrated into the regional matrix by major Arab powers. Post-2023 rapprochement engineered by Baghdad, Muscat and Beijing is a testament to keeping the differences within the threshold. In fact, all regional majors have begun to follow greater strategic autonomy in their foreign relations while enhancing their strategic value with major powers. Saudi Arabia is mediating and providing comfort for Americans, Russians, and Ukrainians to talk to effect a ceasefire; Qatar and Egypt are playing a critical role in ending the latest Israel-Hamas war while working with others for reconstruction in the day-after scenario; and the UAE and Oman are acting as powerful conduits between Tehran and Washington. The Act East policy of the Arab majors, focusing on their key markets and partners in Asia, including India, China, Japan and South Korea, while keeping and even increasing their stakes in the US and the West, is here to stay. Advertisement Even as President Trump remains engaged with West Asia like his first term, he has inherited a vastly different Tenure 2.0. His attention is focused more on domestic issues and the quick delivery of promises he made to Americans, and the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars have turned into prestigious closing points for him while trying to speak from a position of strength against the conventional wars in general in his unorthodox style. Even as he has turned into a disruptor number one and champion of weaponising tariffs, whether it will expedite a more balanced global order and sort out the ongoing wars and conflicts remains to be seen. But his efforts, even in an unconventional way, continue unabated. Hopefully, the second visit of Netanyahu to the White House on Monday and President Trumps upcoming visit to Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi and possibly a quick dash to Tel Aviv will be conducted in a way to create a regional modus vivendi and not deepen differences. Perhaps Trump is the only one capable of using unconventionality against the prevailing conventional disruptive equations among these key actors in West Asia. Advertisement The author is the former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is currently a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The oppressor/oppressed castes terminology, derived from critical race theory and contemporary US woke and DEI ideologies, is problematic because it creates false and harmful caste-based binaries in a small minority sector of British South Asian dance read more In the 1980s and 1990s, Arts Council England integrated Indian dance genres into British multiculturalism by renaming these as South Asian genres but without assigning caste labels to artists. Image: Wikimedia Commons In January 2024, three UK academics responded to Rahul Gandhis caste census idea by incorporating it into the field of Indian and South Asian dance, which are often used interchangeably in the UK. To realise the caste-justice objective, they founded the South Asian Dance Equity (SADE) network, funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council). Although described as a British South Asian dance-research project, SADEs objectives are geopolitical, with the aim to incorporate caste discrimination within the UKs Equality Act 2010 and to develop anti-caste diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies for South Asian arts in the UK and globally. Advertisement The networks initiatives, including a large-scale anti-caste statement and an anti-caste DEI survey, aim to categorise South Asian artists into dominant caste-oppressor and caste-oppressed groups, a classification not used in India or the Arts Council England over the last hundred years. SADEs Perspective on Hinducentrism in South Asia SADEs radical geopolitical anti-caste vision was expressed clearly in the project launch titled South Asian Dance in Britain: Decentring India and Hinduism. The decentering objective directly counters the concept of greater Indian influence in the subcontinentincluding Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Nepal. Rabindranath Tagore referred to this undivided region as Greater India. While Bharatanatyam, Kathak and classical dance artists envision modern South Asia as part of an ancient Indic cultural sphere and historic Indian civilisation, SADE academics unduly induce the divisive ideologies accusing caste discrimination, which they contend marginalised minority communities and their dance forms in India and across South Asia. SADEs atrocity narrative lacks methodological rigour because it ignores the broader impact of colonialism and decolonisation politics, which shaped South Asia and fuelled its cultural diversity and arts movement in the 1950s. In April 2024, SADE academics released a major anti-caste statement titled We Stand Against Casteism in Indian Performing Arts. The official statement supported and amplified the notion of caste supremacy in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, a view misleadingly advanced by the well-known musician TM Krishna. Signed by over forty academics, the statement called for both individual and collective actions against casteism in dance and music institutions in India, Britain and globally. Advertisement Indophobia in the British South Asian Dance and UK Higher Education? SADE academics realised their decentring India in South Asia initiative by focusing on five systemic inequities in the British South Asian dance sector. These are India/Hinducentrism, cisgenderism, casteism, ableism and the invisibilisation of Adivasi, indigenous and folk performance cultures. SADE academics created a new caste classification for the British South Asian dance sector by labelling British Hindu Indians as caste-dominant artists, contrasting them with caste-oppressed artists. To discredit the legitimacy of the eight classical dances of India in the UK Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, and SatriyyaSADE academics rebranded these forms as India/Hinducentric forms, associated with the oppressive ideologies of Hinduism, Hindutva, and caste discrimination. How are we to understand the equity ideologies of the SADE initiative which labels Hindu-Indian South Asian artists prejudicially as caste oppressors and their art forms as casteist? Is this an example of Indophobia, Hinduphobia or both? Who is responsible for these labels, and what is their motivation? Advertisement SADEs Historical Misrepresentation SADEs anti-caste research initiative is regressive and not grounded in historical fact. Specifically, the project ignores the 70-year decolonial and postcolonial history of Indian classical arts. After India became a republic in the 1950s, national academies were established to support and promote the arts. Under the leadership of Maulana Azad, the first minister of education in independent India, the government made the significant decision to abandon caste classifications in the arts sector. Caste data was not collected because such classifications were seen as divisive and incapable of fostering national unity and fraternity. Consequently, no caste census has been done in the Indian arts sector for over seventy years, based on the then widespread liberal belief that arts are universal expressions of the human spirit. In the 1950s, India granted classical status to Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Mohiniattam and created modern dance classifications, including folk and creative dance. During this transformative period, the national Akademies tackled class inequalities with economic support by creating modern multicultural policies that championed inclusivity within the pan-Indian framework of democracy. Advertisement In the 1980s and 1990s, Arts Council England integrated Indian dance genres into British multiculturalism by renaming these as South Asian genres but without assigning caste labels to artists. Why are SADE academics reintroducing previously excluded caste labels and tribalising the British South Asian dance sector? Are these efforts intended to amplify the voices of marginalised minorities, or are they primarily advancing their careers as anti-caste activists and human rights dance academics? Prejudicial Caste Classifications in SADS Survey In early March 2025, SADE academics expanded their political objectives by launching the British South Asian Dance sector (SADS) survey. The survey aimed to collect demographic, caste, and DEI information about dance cultures across South Asia. The SADS survey was distributed widely to artists and stakeholders with heritage from eight South Asian countries, as well as those people of South Asian ancestry living in the UK, US and Canada. Questions 2 and 3 of the SADS survey ask respondents to identify whether they come from caste-dominant or caste-oppressed backgrounds. The leading questions categorise Indian and South Asian artists into oppressor/oppressed groups. Advertisement The oppressor/oppressed castes terminology, derived from critical race theory and contemporary US woke and DEI ideologies, is problematic because it creates false and harmful caste-based binaries in a small minority sector of British South Asian dance. The retrospective imposition of caste labels could severely impact the equitable distribution of the already limited funding available to South Asian dance sectors in the UK and globally. Should Arts Council England decide to implement caste classifications in the South Asian dance sector, it could result in the fragmentation of global South Asian minority communities along the lines of caste and identity politics. Conclusion: Reclaiming Representation SADEs effort to rebrand Indian and South Asian dance genres within a caste framework transcends mere historical distortion of history: it is a deliberate act of geopolitical misrepresentation. This rebranding aims to vilify and tribalise the 100-year modern histories of Indias eight classical dance forms, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, by reframing them within contexts of Brahmanical patriarchy, caste discrimination and oppression! Advertisement This rebranding is a severe misrepresentation, primarily conceived by academics in the US and UK, aimed at spreading misinformation about Indias classical, contemporary, folk, tribal, and Adivasi dance forms. If dance truly matters, it is imperative that every artist and stakeholder, whether in India, the UK, or globally, directly address this misrepresentation by contacting the AHRC Dance Research Network, Arts Council England, and the SADE academics inclusively. The author is a performance studies scholar, dance academic, dancer-actress, playwright, and curator and has received numerous national and international fellowships and awards for her work in the field of Indian performing arts. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. If Xi Jinping cannot trust the Chinese military leadership or capability, he is less likely to risk combat operations against Taiwan or India. The importance of success in such conflicts is too high for the Chinese presidents own legitimacy read more Xis urgent mission now is to fill the top ranks of the PLA with officers whom he trusts to fight and win wars . Reuters The purge saga in the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) continues. The latest names of senior military officials, who reportedly have been removed from their posts, as tweeted by Jennifer Zeng, a writer, reporter and China expert, are: Wang Haijiang, Commander of the Western Theatre Command; Wang Peng, Minister of the Training and Administration Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC); Wang Zhongcai, Commander of the Eastern Theatre Command Navy; and Ding Laifu, Commander of the 73rd Group Army. Defence Minister Dong Jun is also under investigation. Advertisement All these were one-time favourites of President Xi Jinping. December 2024 Purge Chinas Ministry of Defence announced in December 2024 that Admiral Miao Hua, a very senior figure within the PLA, had been suspended and is under investigation for serious violation of discipline. Admiral Miao Hua, the number four military leader below Xi, oversaw the political and organisational work of the PLA. Miaos ouster makes him the third PLA general in charge of political and organisational work Xi has purged and the second of the six members of the 20th CMC. Admiral Miao Huas military career took off soon after Xi came to power. In 2014, he received a major promotion to become the political commissar of the PLA Navy, making an unusual switch from a career in the Ground Force. Three years later, he was promoted into the CMC, the apex of military power. As the chief political commissar of the PLA, Miao was tasked with ensuring the PLAs loyalty to the ruling Communist Party. He oversaw promotions in the military, vetting key candidates for their political loyalty. Xi might have viewed Miao as becoming too powerful and independent and wanted to uproot what he saw as a bastion of influence that he could not fully control. Miaos downfall comes less than a year after former defence minister Li Shangfu was removed from the CMC. By suspending Miao, Xi has further demonstrated a willingness to remove a perceived loyalist at the highest levels of Chinas military to ensure compliance with his political agenda and set an example. Xi wants to ensure the PLA develops in the direction he intends. Advertisement An official announcement in late December also confirmed the removal of two former PLA Generals from the National Peoples Congress (NPC), You Haitao, former deputy commander of the PLA Ground Force, and Li Pengcheng, former commissar of the PLAs Southern Theatre Command Navy. Another case is of He Weidong, who has long been a key member of Xi Jinpings core military circle, having served as the commander of the Eastern Theatre Command and was directly responsible for Taiwan Strait affairs. He is currently the No. 3 figure in the PLA. His influence within the Party and military was immense. More recently he has been CMCs vice chairman. He Weidongs houses were searched, and he was taken away on the spot after returning to the building following the end of the Two Sessions of interrogation on March 11. Next, Zhao Keshi, a General born in 1947, once served as the Commander of the Nanjing Military Region and the Minister of the General Logistics Department, and was well-versed in military funding flows, material allocation, and the military-industrial system. His downfall signifies the unravelling of a corruption chain. Is it related to a major anti-corruption purge in the military? Or has factional struggle within the military entered a new phase? The focus of Xis purge has shifted ominously from financial corruption to political reliability. Advertisement More than half of the CCPs CMC members have either been removed or have encountered significant problems. Several Fujian-origin army commanders have been detained, indicating a fierce escalation of factional struggles. Fujian has long been an important base for Xi Jinping. The CCP is trying to cover up information regarding Qin Gang and Li Shangfus cases to minimise the impact on Xi Jinpings reputation. It is believed that the downfall of these people signifies that Xi Jinpings power base in the military has been fundamentally shaken. Would Xi Jinping be stepping down at or before the Fourth Plenary Session of the CCP? Xis Unrelenting Campaign Anti-corruption efforts have been on the agenda of successive Chinese leaders, though the effectiveness of these campaigns has been diverse. Since economic reforms began in 1978, political corruption in China has grown significantly. The types of offences vary, though usually they involve trading bribes for political favours, such as trying to secure large government contracts, or subordinates seeking promotions for higher office. Advertisement Upon taking office in 2013, Xi vowed to crack down on Tigers and Flies, that is, high-level officials and local civil servants alike. He also tried to convince his colleagues on the Politburo that corruption would doom the party and state. Several provinces faced the brunt of his anti-corruption campaign, Guangdong, Shanxi, Sichuan, and Jiangsu, in particular. In addition to curbing corruption, the campaign was also meant to reduce regional factionalism and dissolve entrenched patron-client networks that have flourished since the beginning of economic reforms in the 1980s. The Central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) were also investigated. Between 2013 and 2017, twelve top executives of core central SOEs were removed from office due to corruption charges. Most of the officials investigated and removed from office had faced accusations of bribery and abuse of power. The campaign caught over 120 high-ranking officials, including about a dozen high-ranking military officers, several senior executives of SOEs, and five national leaders. As of the end of 2023, approximately 2.3 million government officials had reportedly been prosecuted. Advertisement In January 2025, President Xi emphasised that corruption remains the biggest threat to the Communist Party, underscoring the governments commitment to addressing entrenched corruption. Xi, who also directed the anti-graft efforts of the military through his holding the office of Chairman of the CMC. Proposed National Supervisory Commission The proposed constitutional changes published in February 2025 envisioned the creation of a new anti-graft state agency that merges the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and various anti-corruption government departments. The proposed National Supervisory Commission will be the highest supervisory body in the country and will be a cabinet-level organisation outranking courts and the office of the prosecutor. Deep Rot at Highest Levels of PLA Command? Heads rolling at the highest levels of PLA command expose deep rot and large-scale corruption that have been exposed in the last nearly a decade. The PLA now faces a significant leadership crisis. Military commanders are known to be notorious for selling promotions, taking bribes and running side businesses that are hollowing out the PLA from within. Advertisement Xi was forced to launch a second wave of purging in 2023. The sacking of the heads of the PLA Rocket Force, officials from the Equipment Development Department, and more recently, Adm Miao from Xis inner circle at the CMC, has sent shock waves. Miao was responsible for ensuring political loyalty throughout the officer corps. His removal suggests even Xis handpicked enforcers cant also be trusted. Blind loyalty to the CCP has had a higher premium than military competence. As Xis geopolitical ambitions grow, he finds himself commanding a military rife with uncertainty, distrust and corruption. The high turnover in leadership is also very bad for the PLAs effectiveness and strategic continuity. Mid-level officers are already imagining that they could be next on the block. Officers are preferring to play it safe and take no risks. The PLA may project strength through military parades and new equipment, but its leadership core is deeply compromised. Corruptions Direct Effect on Operational Preparedness When internal reports show that corruption has directly compromised Chinas strategic weapons, it is a new low. Funds meant for the PLA Rocket Force were allegedly misappropriated. Affecting silo construction quality and questionable missile components, including fuel. Xis anti-corruption campaign exposes how unprepared his forces might be for actual conflict and weakens his resolve to push for a Taiwan takeover. Also, his capability to secure the South China Sea and handle border disputes with India, or intimidate any of its neighbours through military posturing. It also threatens his grand vision of Chinese military dominance by 2049. It emboldens the US and makes Eastern neighbours feel secure. Yet, this instability also creates dangerous uncertainty. The crackdowns on graft inside the PLA are motivated at least in part by a desire to increase military readiness after viewing the effects of corruption on the Russian armed forces during the invasion of Ukraine. Reactions to the Campaign Xi Jinping inherited a political party that was faced with pervasive corruption and in danger of collapse. Xi Jinping obviously believes that his anti-corruption campaign was vital to enable him to save the Party. The campaign is believed to enjoy popular support among most ordinary Chinese. The anti-corruption campaigns Chinese public approval rating was 71.5 per cent. Some analysts felt that Xis anti-corruption campaign looked more like a Stalinist political purge where he relied on the regulations of the party and not on the laws of the state; the people carrying it out operated like the KGB. Factional struggle has been suggested as another explanation. Effectively Xi cleared up what once used to be patron-client relationships, rather than merit, which became the primary factor in securing promotions, giving rise to the formation of internal factions based on personal loyalty. Proponents of Xis view believe that the ultimate aim of the campaign is to strengthen the role of institutions, thereby creating a more united and meritocratic organisation and improving efficiency for governance. Xis campaign did curb corrupt practices at all levels of government. It may have restored public confidence in the CCPs mandate to rule and also returned massive ill-gotten wealth back into state coffers, which could be redirected towards economic development. Need To Address Systemic Issues Many contend that the root of problems will not be permanently fixed until much deeper systemic problems are addressed, including the judicial system. Many regulations and laws governing cadre work and public service were rarely enforced. There were two prevailing approaches among the officialdom. Firstly, If everyone else is doing it, then it must be okay, and secondly, I probably wont ever be caught anyway. Bribe giving and accepting is common and considered a normal process in Chinese society. This needs to be looked down upon and changed. To Summarise A renewed anti-corruption drive has led to the dismissal of a remarkable number of defence ministers and Chinese top brass. Xis purge of the PLA is widening. There are unconfirmed reports that the current defence minister, Dong Jun, is under investigation for corruption. The sacking of Admiral Miao Hua is a clear sign that graft and disloyalty within the military continue to haunt Chinas leadership. Not even Xi-appointed officers are safe from the ongoing purge. In front of the entire military top brass, Xi referred to political war as the lifeline of the PLA, emphasised the need for party leadership to be upheld, and demanded that senior officers introspect, engage in soul-searching reflections, and make earnest rectifications. In the early years of Xi Jinpings war on corruption, he consolidated control over the worlds largest military by taking down powerful generals from rival factions and replacing them with allies and proteges loyal to himself. A decade later, he is still engrossed in a seemingly endless struggle against graft and disloyalty. China has purged nine generals from its national legislative body, a move that analysts say exposes corruption in the senior army ranks and could slow Xis campaign to modernise the military and raises questions about Chinas ability to fight a war. Xi had remained unsure of the PLAs leadership and their commitment to the party and its goals. Over a dozen top generals have been removed from their posts or placed under investigation since mid-2023, including two consecutive ministers of defence, Li Shangfu and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe. Xi has also fired the two generals who headed the PLA Rocket Force, which is in charge of Chinas missile and nuclear capabilities. If the investigation into Dong Jun is confirmed, this would turn him into the third consecutive defence minister to be fired for corruption. Has Xi misjudged his personal appointments? As the party is pushing for an ever-greater focus on conflict preparedness. Xi has called for Chinas top national security officials to be prepared for worst-case and extreme scenarios and has repeatedly exhorted the PLA to be ready for war. But the corruption may dampen Xis appetite for conflict in the short term. His pursuing the purge is with geopolitical goals in mind. Tackling any signs of disloyalty in the military has moved to the top of Xis to-do list. Xi has stated that the PLA should be able to fight and win wars. Given Chinas geopolitical situation and designs on Taiwan, this means a military which can confidently prevail over the United States in a regional conflict. While in terms of material capabilities, there are signs of success. Chinas current military production capacity is among the best, and some of its weapon systems are world beaters. PLA is also focused on informatised and intelligentised warfare backed by integrating AI and the cyber domain and multi-domain cognitive control across conventional air, land and sea combat. However, material capability is of little use if not backed by an effective command structure. The Strategic Support Force (SSF) that focused on information dominance was dissolved to create three new branches that all sit directly under CMC control. This move indicates a desire for direct political supervision of Chinas integrated strategy at the highest level. The intent of building the advertised silos was always unclear. The construction would be so flawed and missiles would be compromised was unexpected. It will take some time for China to clean up the mess and restore confidence in the Rocket Forces competence and trustworthiness. In 1938, Mao said, Every communist must grasp the truth; political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. In modern China, it implies that the authority of the supreme leader rests upon his control over the military. Xis urgent mission now is to fill the top ranks of the PLA with officers whom he trusts to fight and win wars. Because of corruption and purges, the military morale and cohesion are being hit. International credibility is also getting eroded. The PLAs capabilities might be less formidable than officially announced. This is capped by the perception that the PLAs lack of overall combat experience and very few multi-nation exercises place it at a disadvantage. To offset perceptions of PLA incompetence, Xi has chosen demonstrations of capability through increased large-scale exercises around Taiwan. If Xi cannot trust the PLAs leadership or capability, he is less likely to risk combat operations against Taiwan or India. The importance of success in such conflicts is too high for Xis own legitimacy. The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by Indias Tata Motors confirmed the temporary export suspension after the Times newspaper reported the plan read more Jaguar Land Rover (Tata), which imports 100 per cent of the cars it sells in the US, could be badly affected. Reuters Jaguar Land Rover will pause shipments of its Britain-made cars to the United States for a month, it said on Saturday, as it considers how to mitigate the cost of President Donald Trumps 25% tariff. Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by Indias Tata Motors confirmed the temporary export suspension after the Times newspaper reported the plan. As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions, including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans, JLR said in an emailed statement. Advertisement Britains car industry, which employs 200,000 people directly, is highly exposed to the new tariffs. The United States is the second-biggest importer of British-made cars after the European Union, with nearly a 20% share, data from industry body SMMT shows. Jaguar Land Rover, one of Britains biggest producers by volume, said in its statement that the U.S. was an important market for its luxury brands. It sells 400,000 Range Rover Sports, Defenders and other models annually and exports to the U.S. account for almost a quarter of sales. The U.S. 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks took effect on April 3, the day after Trump announced tariffs on other goods from countries across the globe. Britain has said it is focused on trying to secure a trade deal with Washington. The Times said that Jaguar Land Rover is thought to have a couple of months supply of cars already in the U.S., which will not be subject to the new tariffs. Israel last month ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground offensive, carrying out waves of strikes and seizing territory to pressure the militant group to accept a new deal for a truce and release of remaining hostages. read more In this aerial view, Palestinians check the devastation in the yard of a destroyed school, a day after it was hit by an Israeli strike, in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City on April 4, 2025. Image- AFP Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Sunday left at least 44 people killed and dozens injured, according to the territorys civil defence agency. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump. The death toll as a result of Israeli air strikes since dawn today is at least 44, including 21 in Khan Yunis, the Gaza Strips main southern city, agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Advertisement Last month, Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and resumed its air and ground operations in Gaza. The renewed offensive involved widespread strikes and territorial advances aimed at increasing pressure on Hamas to agree to a new truce and release the remaining hostages. Israel has also imposed a blockade, halting the entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which heavily depends on external support for basic necessities. Stocks are getting low and the situation is becoming desperate, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said on social media. The latest Israeli strikes overnight into Sunday hit a tent and a house in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing five men, five women and five children, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Gaza erupts in anti-Hamas protests Dozens of Palestinians took to the streets in Jabaliya for a new round of anti-war protests. Footage circulating on social media showed people marching and chanting against Hamas. Such protests, while rare, have occurred in recent weeks. There is also anger inside Israel over the wars resumption and its effects on remaining hostages in Gaza. Families of hostages along with some of those recently freed from Gaza and their supporters on Saturday urged Trump to help ensure the fighting ends. Netanyahu on Monday will meet with Trump for the second time since Trump began his latest term in January. The prime minister said they would discuss the war and the new 17% tariff imposed on Israel, part of a sweeping global decision by the new U.S. administration. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Fifty-nine hostages are still held in Gaza 24 believed to be alive after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Advertisement Israels offensive has killed at least 50,695 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants but says more than half were women and children. It says another 115,338 people have been wounded. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. With inputs from agencies Le Pens party has described the ruling as a nuclear bomb aimed at silencing one of the countrys most prominent opposition voices. The conviction, which includes a partly suspended jail sentence, has stunned Frances political establishment read more Frances far-right leader Marine Le Pen is facing mounting political turmoil after being convicted of embezzlement and banned from holding public office a verdict that threatens to upend her ambitions to succeed Emmanuel Macron in the 2027 presidential election. The shock ruling, handed down on Monday, has ignited protests, drawn condemnation from Le Pens allies and prompted fierce debate over judicial independence, as the 56-year-old figurehead of the National Rally (RN) party appeals what she and her supporters have denounced as a politically motivated attack. Advertisement People of France, let us mobilise to defend freedom, save democracy and support Marine! read a rallying cry posted by her party on social media ahead of a mass demonstration planned in Paris on Sunday. The protest is set to take place in Place Vauban, in the capitals affluent 7th arrondissement. The conviction, which includes a partly suspended jail sentence, has stunned Frances political establishment. Though Le Pen has long been a polarising figure, the ban has triggered concern even among her ideological opponents, some of whom argue she should still be allowed to stand in 2027. The Paris Court of Appeal is expected to review her case in the coming months, raising the possibility her sentence could be modified or overturned in time for the election. A judicial bombshell Le Pens party has described the ruling as a nuclear bomb aimed at silencing one of the countrys most prominent opposition voices. Her comparison of herself to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny drew sharp criticism with Liberation, the left-leaning daily, calling the analogy indecent to the end. President Macron has defended the ruling as the product of an independent judiciary, while Prime Minister Francois Bayrou criticised US President Donald Trumps description of the case as a witch hunt by European leftists. Bayrou dismissed the former US presidents remarks as interference in French affairs. It is neither healthy nor desirable to mount a demonstration against a court decision, he said in a weekend interview, insisting that the rule of law and separation of powers were foundational to French democracy. Despite calls for restraint, National Rally president Jordan Bardella has doubled down on plans for Sundays protest, describing it as a mobilisation not against, but in support of French democracy. Advertisement Its not a power play, he said. A smaller gathering of supporters took place in Marseille on Saturday, drawing around 500 people. Bardella has indicated that more events are likely in the coming weeks as the party works to channel public outrage into political momentum. A legacy at risk Le Pen, who has stood for the presidency three times and led the far-right party since 2011, has worked for over a decade to detoxify the RNs image and distance it from the controversial legacy of its co-founder her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was repeatedly accused of racism and antisemitism. The RN is now the largest single party in Frances lower house of parliament and a potent force capable of derailing Bayrous legislative agenda. With inputs from agencies Emergency services were called to Glentrool in Galloway, southern Scotland, at about 11.50 pm (local time) on Friday. The fire crew were still operating on the scene on Saturday read more Firefighters are struggling to control the wild blaze that has engulfed a large area of forest in Scotland. In light of this police are raising alerts and urging locals to stay away from the area. According to The Guardian, emergency services were called to Glentrool in Galloway, southern Scotland, at about 11.50 pm (local time) on Friday. The fire crew were still operating on the scene on Saturday. The Scotland police said that the wildfire was expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire at about midnight. Helicopters are being used in efforts to extinguish the flames which have also affected Merrick Hill, Ben Yellary and Loch Dee, police said. Advertisement Apart from this, one appliance from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is at the scene as well. Another wildfire was reported in around the same area on Thursday and covered about 1.5 miles (2.4km). On Wednesday, officials in Scotland tacked a large grass fire at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has warned it needs long-term and sustained investment to cope with the climate crisis and increased demand for its services after firefighters battled wildfires across the UK this week. It is pertinent to note that in just this year, 286 wildfires hit the UK, according to the NFCC, 100 more than the number recorded in the same period in 2022. The NFCC warned the government that it could not continue to cope with significant increases in wildfires with current budgets already under strain. There is no getting away from the fact that climate change is driving increases in extreme weather events, such as wildfires," Phil Garrigan, chairman of the NFCC. Responding to wildfires requires a lot of resources, and often over long periods, which puts pressure on other fire and rescue service activities." Advertisement Rising resilience threats mean there is an increased demand on fire and rescue services and that has to be met with long-term and sustained investment. This is really crucial to ensuring we can continue to keep our communities safe," he added. Meanwhile, fire services in Scotland, Wales and England have all warned against barbecues and campfires in open spaces this weekend. They also urged people to dispose of cigarettes properly. With inputs from agencies. Nearly 1,900 people have been detained in the unrest following the detention of the man widely considered Erdogans greatest political challenger, including several hundred students, journalists and young people read more People listen to speeches during a rally called by Republican People's Party or (CHP) against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 29, 2025. Image- AP The leader of Turkeys main opposition party on Sunday called for early elections to be held at the latest in November, laying down the gauntlet to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is grappling with widespread protests. In an attempt at galvanising its supporters the CHP party held an extraordinary congress in Ankara to re-elect its leader Ozgur Ozel, who ran unopposed and won an overwhelming 1,171 votes out of 1,276. The congress comes as Turkey has clamped down on the countrys largest demonstrations in years, triggered by last months arrest of Istanbuls popular opposition mayor and the CHPs presidential candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu. Advertisement In November at the latest, you will come to confront our candidate, Ozel said, addressing Erdogan, hailing his partys campaign against the Turkish president as the greatest motion of no-confidence in history. We will defy you, we want our candidate at our sides, Ozel added. We invite you to once again appeal to the will of the people. Nearly 1,900 people have been detained in the unrest following the detention of the man widely considered Erdogans greatest political challenger, including several hundred students, journalists and young people. Ozel has become the face of the protests and the party hopes Sundays rally will help counter further political and judicial pressure, following the dismissal and arrest of seven mayors from its ranks. Show of force Eren Aksoyoglu, a political communications analyst, said by gathering crowds in the face of the government crackdown, the congress is an opportunity for a show of force. This congress is an opportunity to show our solidarity with the mayor of Istanbul and the arrested students, CHP party member Safi Karayalcin told AFP. The mayor of Istanbul is unjustly in prison, as are the other arrested mayors and city council members. There is no justice left in Turkey, said Mustafa Arslan, a party member from Diyarbakir, in the southeast. Advertisement According to Turkish media reports, the authorities are seeking to remove the CHP partys leaders, a year after the oppositions sweeping victory in municipal elections. The party came out on top in the March 2024 municipal elections with nearly 38 percent of the vote across the country. In addition to maintaining its lead in large cities such as Istanbul and Ankara, the CHP also made inroads into regions previously considered Erdogan strongholds. In the days following Imamoglus arrest, the CHP drew tens of thousands of people into the streets of Istanbul and many other cities to denounce a coup detat. Tenacious opposition Empowered by his re-election at the top of the party, Ozel called for the demonstrations to continue. We will hold a rally in Samsun next Sunday, and then on May 19 in Izmir and a night rally every Wednesday evening in a district of Istanbul, he said. The partys campaign calling for the release of Istanbuls mayor has gathered seven million signatures, he said, adding that the aim is to collect at least as many signatures as half of Turkeys 61.4 million voters. Advertisement Since Imamoglus arrest, Ozgur Ozel has given the CHP the image of a party that listens to the street and leads a tenacious opposition, said Aksoyoglu. This approach has been successful within the CHP and with voters, the political analyst added. For Berk Esen, a professor of political science at Istanbuls Sabanci University, Ozel may not be a very charismatic speaker but hes articulate, precise and very critical of those in power. Ozel is at the head of the CHP but has not yet fully assumed the role of leader, he added. By pursuing a tenacious opposition to Erdogan, he could strengthen his leadership. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.) The protests began after the government arrested Imamoglu, the man seen as posing the most serious electoral challenge to Erdogan in years, on March 19 read more A protester throws a firework during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey. File image/ AP The arrest of an opposition presidential candidate last month has triggered Turkeys largest anti-government protests in more than a decade, uniting demonstrators from different walks of life and sometimes diametrically opposed political views. It includes supporters of popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and young people who see all politicians as ineffective. Protesters range from the socialist left to the ultra-nationalist right, and from university students to retirees. They are united by a sense that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly authoritarian, diminishing the secular and democratic values and laws that the country was built upon. They are fueled by outrage at Imamoglus arrest and the governments attempts to quell the ensuing protests. Advertisement Protests began after opposition leader was arrested The protests began after the government arrested Imamoglu, the man seen as posing the most serious electoral challenge to Erdogan in years, on March 19. Prosecutors accuse him of corruption and aiding an outlawed Kurdish organization. Critics say the charges are an excuse to get a key rival out of the way, but the government denies interfering with the legal process. The largest protests have happened alongside rallies of Imamoglus center-left pro-secularist Republican Peoples Party, known as the CHP, but many young protesters said they dont support the party. Ogulcan Akti, a 26-year-old university student working two part-time jobs to support his family, said both the opposition and the ruling party are liars. The ones in power and the opposition that will come later, theyre all the same, he said. We dont trust anyone. Students led the charge In the days after the mayors arrest, thousands of students converged near Istanbul city hall. Some waved Turkish flags; others held images of left-wing figures from the 1970s and sang a Turkish version of the Italian protest song Bella ciao. In images on social media, some protesters made the ultranationalist grey wolf hand sign, standing next to others showing the leftists raised fist. Some showed the peace sign favored by both leftists and pro-Kurdish groups, while others chanted slogans attacking the banned militant Kurdistan Workers Party. Advertisement Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabanci University, said most protesters he has seen are educated, urban young people aged 18 to 25, but they have little else in common: This is a much more amorphous, eclectic group politically, he said. Anger spurs unrest One afternoon last week, dozens of students from Bogazici University gathered at a metro station in Istanbul, many wearing masks to avoid reprisals or arrest. More than 2,000 people, including journalists, have been detained since the protests began. Around 300 were formally arrested on charges including joining an illegal protest and resisting the police, with some accused of terrorism links. Lawyers for the arrested students say that the charge of joining an illegal protest does not justify extended detention, and that the number of arrests is unusually high compared to offenses such as terrorism or drugs. At the metro station, 22-year-old management student Burak Turan and his girlfriend slipped into a mall, watching officers detain dozens of protesters. Advertisement We are here because so many students are getting arrested for no reason, Turan said. They act like its a war; they are exercising wartime laws. Turan refused to wear a mask, saying he had nothing to be ashamed of. Other protesters include public employees, artists and retirees, many of whom support the CHP. A man in his 60s watching a standoff at city hall said he was there to defend the rights of the younger generation. We dont matter, they do. They are our future. he said. Others were there to speak out against as what they perceived as a slide away from Turkeys secular and democratic values under Erdogan. Mehtap Bozkurt, a 70-year-old pensioner and a CHP supporter, joined a protest outside Istanbul city hall. This country is secular and will remain secular, she said. We will resist until the end. I am ready to give my life and blood for this issue. That doesnt mean that people protesting arent practicing Muslims, said Esen, the Sabanci academic. There are Muslims, religious people and those who at least perform some religious duties amongst the protesters, he said. But they also probably define themselves as secular. Advertisement Parents protest treatment of students Outside the courts in Istanbul, parents and relatives, some holding flowers, maintained an anxious vigil. Some hoped for a loved ones immediate release, while others were overcome with frustration. One family member, who asked to remain anonymous fearing reprisals from officials, told local media that the detained students had studied day and night to get into the best universities. Look at the treatment they are receiving now. There are no rights. There is no law. There is no justice, she said. Another woman showed journalists a picture of her son with a black eye. He told me, Mom, they beat me up, she said tearfully. Another woman said she was a cancer patient left waiting since dawn. What did these kids do? Did they murder someone? What did they even do? Around 300 protesters spent the Eid holiday in prison, separated from their families. Lawyers for several protesters told The Associated Press that students are held in overcrowded cells and face physical and verbal mistreatment, as well as limited access to meals since prison commissaries are closed for Eid. Lawyers also fear that students could miss exams or be expelled as a punishment for taking part in the protests. Advertisement On Thursday the police issued a statement describing as vile slander claims that women had been sexually assaulted in custody. The Interior Ministry said that at least 150 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators. Images from the protests showed riot police using tear gas and plastic pellets, while students threw plastic water bottles and flares. A pivotal moment Esen says the protests may mark a pivotal moment for Turkey. Will the police violence used by the government against them make them throw in the towel after a certain point or will it bring about a bigger showdown and make this a long-term affair? If the latter happens, I will be very optimistic about Turkey becoming democratic again. If the former happens, all of this is heading toward a very bad place, he said. A young female protester wearing a mask watched the standoff with police unfolding near city hall last week. I am here today because I do not accept autocracy, she said. Ekrem Imamoglus arrest means that we accept that there will be no more elections in this country. I do not accept this. Advertisement Israel denied entry to two British politicians, accusing them of spreading hate in the country. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the move unacceptable and counterproductive read more The United Kingdoms Foreign Secretary David Lammy slammed Israeli authorities for denying entry to two Labour MPs and deporting them from the country. The two women MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected by the Israeli authorities upon arrival. The British politicians were suspected of plans to document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry cited by Sky News. Yang represents the Earley and Woodley constituency in Berkshire. Whereas, Mohamed is the MP from Sheffield Central. Advertisement The two MPs flew into Ben Gurion airport from Luton with their aides, according to reports. Shortly after the news broke out, the British foreign secretary released a statement condemning the Israeli authorities. What Lammy said Lammy called the move unacceptable and counterproductive. It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities, the British foreign secretary said in a statement on Saturday. I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support." The UK governments focus remains to secure a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza," he added. Several Israeli media reported that the two MPs were refused entry into the Jewish nation because they intended to spread hateful rhetoric against Israel. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel denied entry to both the MPs and their aides following an interrogation, the population authority said according to the Times of Israel. As per the report, Israel had not verified the arrival of an official visit. However, in a statement, the UKs Foreign Office confirmed the group was part of a parliamentary delegation. Meanwhile, the Israeli embassy in the UK said Ms Yangs and Ms Mohameds visit was intended to provoke, harm Israeli citizens, and spread falsehoods about them. It is Israels responsibility to prevent the entry of such individuals (just as is the practice in the United Kingdom), it added. Advertisement Netanyahu, who has spent the last few days visiting Hungary, departs for Washington on Sunday for an impromptu visit with Trump that is expected to take place on Monday, officials said. read more US President Donald Trump (R) meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2025. Image- AFP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington on Sunday to meet with US President Donald Trump and discuss issues including tariffs and the Iranian threat, his office said. The two leaders will discuss tariffs, efforts to bring back Israeli hostages (from Gaza), Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court, which has accused Netanyahu of war crimes, his office said in a statement on Saturday. Advertisement Netanyahu said he hopes President Trump will ease tariffs imposed on Israel when the two meet in Washington this week. Trumps recent tariff policy subjects Israeli exports to a 17% duty, despite the longstanding alliance and strong trade relationship between the two nations, with the US being Israels top trading partner. Netanyahu, who had been in Hungary in recent days, is set to travel to Washington on Sunday for a hastily arranged meeting with Trump, expected to take place on Monday, according to officials. In a statement, Netanyahu said the discussion would address several key issues, including Israeli hostages held in Gaza for 18 months, the goal of achieving victory in the Gaza conflict, and the new U.S. tariff policy impacting Israel. I hope that I will be able to help on this issue. That is the intention, Netanyahu said of the tariffs. I am the first international leader, the first foreign leader, who will meet with President Trump on the issue, which is so important to the Israeli economy. There is a long line of leaders who want to do this regarding their economies. I think that it reflects the special personal link, as well as the special ties between the U.S. and Israel, which is so vital at this time. Trump extended the surprise invitation in a phone call on Thursday with Netanyahu when the Israeli leader raised the tariff issue, according to the Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Advertisement An Israeli finance ministry official said on Thursday that Trumps latest tariff announcement could impact Israels exports of machinery and medical equipment. Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on U.S. imports last Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about 98% of goods from the U.S. are now tax-free. With inputs from agencies French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Sunday she would peacefully fight her five-year ban from running for office and draw inspiration from American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., as thousands of people rallied in Paris to back her. read more RN party's President Jordan Bardella (R) applauds as President of Rassemblement National parliamentary group Marine Le Pen gestures after delivering a speech during a rally in her support, after she was convicted of a fake jobs scheme at the EU parliament, in Paris on April 6, 2025. Image- AFP Marine Le Pen, the leader of Frances far-right National Rally (RN), declared on Sunday that she would continue her political fight despite a recent conviction for embezzlement that bars her from running in future elections. She denounced the verdict as a political decision. Last week, a Paris court found Le Pen and more than 20 RN party members guilty of misusing European Union funds. The ruling includes a ban on her participation in elections, effectively blocking her from contesting the 2027 presidential race unless she successfully appeals the decision within the next 18 months. Advertisement I wont give up, Le Pen told members of her National Rally party and supporters, who packed the Place Vauban, with the glittering golden dome of the Hotel National des Invalides, one of the French capitals best-known landmarks, in the background. She denounced a witch hunt against her party as supporters waved French flags and chanted Marine! Marine! Le Pen supporters waved French flags and chanted we will win as they gathered in central Paris on Sunday afternoon for a peaceful protest, which could give an indication of how much popular backing there is for her accusations that prosecutors in the case sought her political death. Le Pen still ahead, poll shows The courts ruling was a massive blow for Le Pen, 56. The National Rally chief is one of the most prominent figures of the European far right, and a front-runner in polls for Frances 2027 election. Le Pen has appealed the courts decision, and she vowed on Sunday to use all the tools and legal means to be able to run in 2027. The court has said it will issue a ruling on the appeal in the summer of 2026. An opinion poll by Elabe on Saturday showed Le Pen was still favourite to win the first round of the presidential vote with between 32% and 36% support, ahead of former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who was polled at between 20.5% and 24%. But attacks by Le Pen and her allies over the tyranny of judges have not gained traction, even among some of her supporters, particularly after the lead judge in her case was put under police protection following death threats. Advertisement Most French people do not see any problem with the courts decision. Some 65% of respondents said they were not shocked by the verdict and 54% said Le Pen was treated like any other defendant, according to an Odoxa poll. Across the city, at Place de la Republique, leftist party supporters flocked to a counter-demonstration to protest Le Pens attacks on the French state. Follow Martin Luther King On Sunday, ahead of the rally, Le Pen urged her supporters to take inspiration from Americas iconic advocate of nonviolence in the fight for equal rights for black Americans. We will follow the example of Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights, she told members of Italys hard-right League party, who were meeting in Florence, via video-link. It is the civil rights of the French people that are being called into question today, she added. Le Pen has also compared herself to Alexei Navalny, Russias late opposition leader who died in an Arctic prison in 2024 after being jailed under President Vladimir Putin. Le Pen has worked to turn the party into an electable force and rid it of the legacy of her father, its co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died in January and was frequently accused of racism. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The French president is expected in Cairo on Sunday evening, where he will hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart on Monday morning read more French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said he would hold a trilateral summit on the situation in Gaza with Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordans King Abdullah II. Israel has pushed to seize territory in Gaza since the collapse of a short-lived truce in its war with Hamas, in what it has called a strategy to force the militants to free hostages still in captivity. Simultaneously, Israel has escalated attacks on Lebanon and Syria. Advertisement In response to the Gaza emergency and during my visit to Egypt at President al-Sisis invitation, we will hold a trilateral summit with the Egyptian president and the King of Jordan, Macron wrote on X ahead of his trip. The French president is expected in Cairo on Sunday evening, where he will hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart on Monday morning. The trilateral summit will be held the same day in the Egyptian capital, according to Macrons office. On Tuesday, Macron will also visit the Egyptian port of El-Arish, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the Gaza Strip, to meet humanitarian and security workers and demonstrate his constant mobilisation in favour of a ceasefire. El-Arish is a transit point for international aid intended for Gaza. Direct negotiations would be meaningless with a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said read more Iran has rejected the prospect of direct negotiations with the United States, calling the notion meaningless in light of persistent military threats and mixed signals from Washington. On Sunday (April 6), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained open to diplomacy, but would only consider indirect talks. His remarks followed renewed calls by US President Donald Trump for face-to-face discussions on Irans nuclear programme an offer accompanied by warnings that the US could bomb Iran if talks fail. Advertisement Direct negotiations would be meaningless with a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials, Araghchi said in a statement issued by Irans foreign ministry. The foreign minister added that while Iran continues to support diplomatic engagement, it is prepared for all possible or probable events, and will defend its national interests and sovereignty" with equal seriousness. Trump, speaking on Thursday, had said direct talks would be more efficient. I think it goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries, he said. Scepticism and sabre-rattling Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed Araghchis cautious tone, stating that his government was open to dialogue with the United States but only on equal footing. If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening? Pezeshkian asked in comments that cast doubt on Washingtons intentions. The renewed diplomatic wrangling comes amid a fresh wave of military rhetoric from both sides. On Saturday (April 5), Hossein Salami, head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, declared Iran was ready for conflict. We are not worried about war at all, he said. We will not be the initiators of war, but we are ready for any war. The threat of open conflict is entangled with the long-standing standoff over Irans nuclear programme, which the West, led by the US, accuses of being a front for nuclear weapons development. Tehran has consistently denied the allegation, insisting its nuclear activities are purely civilian in nature. JCPOA unravelling In 2015, Iran signed the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council the US, UK, France, China, and Russia plus Germany. The agreement promised sanctions relief in return for verifiable curbs on Irans nuclear work. However, the pact began to unravel after Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal in 2018 and reinstated sweeping sanctions. In response, Iran progressively reduced its compliance with JCPOA restrictions and stepped up uranium enrichment. Advertisement On Monday, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that while Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, it might be forced to reconsider if attacked. We would have no choice but to do so, he said. As the Biden administration weighs its next move, the possibility of reviving the JCPOA remains distant. For now, both Washington and Tehran appear locked in a tense stand-off, with threats and counter-threats doing little to narrow the diplomatic gulf. Peter Navarro, White House senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing, told Fox News Sunday (April 6) that while he thought Musk was doing great work at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), he was simply protecting his own interests by opposing US tariffs on key trading partners read more A top economic advisor to US President Donald Trump, also the architect of the reciprocal tariff regime, has criticised billionaire Elon Musk for his remarks against the policy, accusing him of looking after his personal interests. Peter Navarro, White House senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing, told Fox News Sunday (April 6) that while he thought Musk was doing great work at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), he was simply protecting his own interests by opposing US tariffs on key trading partners. Advertisement Elon when hes in his DOGE lane is great, but we understand whats going on here. Elon sells cars. Hes simply protecting his own interests, Navarro said. He further acknowledged that Musks companies like Tesla are set to take a hit from the tariffs, adding that he sources a lot of components from China. They get a lot of their content from China, Mexico, Japan and Taiwan and elsewhere, said the top Trump advisor. Is Musk breaking with White House on tariffs? Musk, who is also a top advisor to Trump, has been a vocal supporter of the presidents policies. However, he has been quiet since Trumps Liberation Day tariff announcement led to the US stock market losing a whopping $2.5 million, a loss of value that cost the Tesla CEO more than $30bn, CNBC reported. Taking to X, Musk earlier vented his frustration at Navarro, arguing that a PhD from Harvard can result in a big ego. A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing, he wrote. Results in the ego/brains1 problem, he added in the post. Another user replied to the Tesla CEO, trying to defend Navarro, but Musk rejected the argument and questioned Navarros practical economic experience. He aint built s***, the Tesla CEO wrote. In a separate statement, Elon Musk said he hopes the Trump administration will relax tariffs on Europe. This comes after the administration announced a 20 per cent general tariff on goods from the European Union just last week. At the end of the day, I hope its agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America, Musk said during a video-link at a congress in Florence of Italys right-leaning co-ruling League. Advertisement If people wish to work in Europe or wish to work in North America, they should be allowed to do so in my view, Musk told League leader Matteo Salvini, adding that this has certainly been my advice to the president. Musk has been a vocal critic of tariffs in the past as well. Last year, during a podcast, Musk said, I think you need to be careful with tariffs. I deal a lot with supply chain issues like the global automotive supply chain for Tesla is incredibly complex. So, when there are sudden changes in tariffs it messes everything up. He had also batted for having predictability in the global tariff regime, something that has definitely gone for a toss under the new US administration. Tariff talks would make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to travel to Washington in an attempt to negotiate a better deal with Trump read more President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive for a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, discussing issues including tariffs and the Iranian threat, his office said Saturday. The meeting will take place on Monday, a White House official said on condition of anonymity. The two countries are dealing with a set of extremely thorny issues, including Trumps shock imposition of 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports, an elusive search for a ceasefire in Gaza, and mounting concern over Irans nuclear program. Advertisement Netanyahu will meet Trump to discuss tariffs, efforts to bring back Israeli hostages (from Gaza), Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court, which has accused the Israeli leader of war crimes, his Jerusalem office said in a statement Saturday. Tariff talks would make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to travel to Washington in an attempt to negotiate a better deal with Trump. Israel had attempted to duck the tariffs imposed on nearly every country by moving preemptively Tuesday a day before Trumps big global tariff announcement to drop all remaining duties on the one percent of American goods still affected by them. But Trump moved ahead with the tariffs, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with its Mideast ally and top beneficiary of military aid. Trump had said Thursday that he expected a visit soon from Netanyahu maybe even next week though the Axios website said Israeli officials and even some in the Trump administration were caught by surprise. Also on the agenda will be stalled efforts to reach a new agreement on a Gaza ceasefire deal and the return by the Hamas militants of the remaining hostages. Israel renewed military operations there last month, ending a short-lived truce. Advertisement Trump meanwhile has pressed Iran, so far amid few signs of progress, for a new deal on its nuclear program. There has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might launch a military strike on Iranian facilities if no agreement is reached. Netanyahus US visit, originally expected to take place later this month, appears to have been moved up following the tariff announcement Wednesday, Axios reported. Trump and Netanyahu had spoken by phone on Thursday about Hungarys decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the possibility of the Washington visit apparently arose at that time. Opponents of the Republican presidents policies, which range from reduced government employment to trade tariffs and eroded civil rights, gathered in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles, among other cities read more Demonstrators rally against U.S. President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk during a 'Hands Off!' protest on the Washington Monument grounds, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Reuters Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., and across the United States on Saturday, as part of approximately 1,200 demonstrations expected to be the largest single day of protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk since they launched a rapid-fire effort to overhaul government and expand presidential power. Under the dismal sky and mild rain, people flooded into the grassy area surrounding the Washington Monument. Organisers told Reuters that around 20,000 people were expected to join a demonstration on the National Mall. Advertisement Opponents of the Republican presidents policies, which range from reduced government employment to trade tariffs and eroded civil rights, gathered in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles, among other cities. According to the events website, over 150 activist groups have signed up to participate. Protests were planned in all 50 states, as well as Canada and Mexico. I am so angry, Im so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged rapists are controlling our country. Its not great, said New York painter Shaina Kesner, 43, joining a crowd marching through the heart of Manhattan. In Washington, thousands of demonstrators many traveling from across the United States gathered on the National Mall where dozens of speakers rallied opposition to Trump. We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home, said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide. Theyre gutting our government. Advertisement In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale waved a large flag with the message: Get out of my uterus, a reference to Trumps anti-abortion policies. In Denver, Colorado, one man in a large crowd of protesters held up a placard reading No king for USA. The rallies even extended to some European capitals, where demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump and his aggressive trade policies. Whats happening in America is everyones problem, Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen told AFP at a London rally. Its economic lunacy He is going to push us into a global recession. And in Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said Trump had created a constitutional crisis, adding, The guy is a lunatic. In the US, a loose coalition of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Womens March organized Hands Off events in more than 1,000 cities and in every congressional district, the groups said. Doge under fire With Trumps blessing, Musks Department of Government Efficiency team has scythed through the U.S. government, eliminating more than 200,000 jobs from the 2.3 million federal workforce. At times, the effort has been haphazard and forced the recall of needed specialists. Advertisement On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service began laying off more than 20,000 workers, as much as 25% of its ranks. Several hundred people gathered outside the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, a top DOGE target, near Baltimore to protest against cuts to the agency which delivers benefits to the elderly and disabled. Linda Falcao, who turns 65 in two months, told the crowd she had been paying into the Social Security fund since the age of 16. Im terrified, Im angry, Im pissed, Im bewildered this could happen to the United States, she said. I do love America and Im heartbroken. I need my money. I want my money. I want my benefits! The crowd chanted, Its our money! White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston disputed the protesters charge that Trump aimed to cut Social Security and Medicaid. President Trumps position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors, Huston said in an email. Advertisement Anger Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize the government, unilaterally impose conservative values and sharply pressure even friendly countries over borders and trade, causing stock markets to tank. Were out here to stop the, honestly, fascism, protester Dominic Santella told AFP in Boston. Were stopping a leader from jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants. Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trumps moves. At the National Mall, just blocks from the White House, thousands heard speakers including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who served as impeachment manager during Trumps second impeachment. No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, he told the crowd. Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, also addressed the protest, saying: Theyve woken up a sleeping giant, and they havent seen nothing yet. Advertisement We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away. Saturdays demonstrations were largely peaceful. An upbeat atmosphere prevailed on a mild day in Washington, with protesters ranging from the elderly to young couples with infants in strollers. A Womens March shortly after Trumps first election in 2016 drew an estimated half-million protesters to Washington. Organizers for the latest Washington rally had predicted a turnout of 20,000 but by Saturday afternoon said the number appeared considerably larger. As Trump continues upending Washington, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest since taking office, according to recent polling. But despite global pushback to his sweeping tariffs and bubbling resentment from many Americans, the White House has dismissed the protests. Trump returned to office on January 20 with a stream of executive orders and other measures critics say are aligned with an agenda outlined by Project 2025, a deeply conservative political initiative to reshape government and consolidate presidential authority. His supporters have applauded Trumps audacity as necessary to disrupt entrenched liberal interests. Advertisement Hours before the protests were due to kick off in the United States, hundreds of anti-Trump Americans living in Europe gathered in Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris and London to voice opposition to Trumps sweeping makeover of U.S. foreign and domestic policies. The United States and China are the two biggest users of the Panama Canal, which handles five percent of global maritime trade, giving it vital economic and geostrategic importance read more Panama hopes to maintain a respectful relationship with the United States, even as President Donald Trump has repeated threats to retake the Panama Canal, Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said Saturday. His comments came ahead of a visit next week by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a trip made more urgent against the backdrop of Trumps threats and his allegations of Chinese interference in the canal. We discussed illegal migration, organized crime, drug trafficking and (other issues), Martinez-Acha wrote on X of a call Friday with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. It was a cordial and constructive exchange. Advertisement I reiterated that all cooperation from Panama will take place under the framework of our constitution, our laws, and the Canal Neutrality Treaty, he wrote. Relations with the US must remain respectful, transparent and mutually beneficial. The US State Department said Landau had expressed gratitude for Panamas cooperation in halting illegal immigration and working with the United States to secure a nearly 98 percent decrease in illegal immigration through the Darien jungle, an arduous path northward followed by many migrants. The two officials also discussed the sale last month by the Hong Kong company CK Hutchison to giant US asset manager BlackRock of its concession in ports at either end of the Panama Canal, Martinez-Acha added. Panamas comptroller has been conducting an audit of Hutchison since January. Landau recognized Panamas actions in curbing malign Chinese Communist Party influence, the State Department said. The deal was set to close on April 2 but has been held up as Chinese regulators pursue an investigation. The United States and China are the two biggest users of the Panama Canal, which handles five percent of global maritime trade, giving it vital economic and geostrategic importance. It was inaugurated by the United States in 1914 and has been in Panamanian hands since 1999. Francis is, in theory, undergoing two months of convalescence following his life-threatening health scare, with strict rest, no public activity and no contact with crowds. While being assisted his recovery by healthcare workers night and day at his Vatican residence, Francis has not seen any visitors beyond his closest colleagues since his release from the Gemelli Hospital read more This photo taken and handout on April 4, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Italian Archbishop Rino Fisichella (R) greeting Pope Francis during a surprise appearance at the end of a mass for the sick and healthcare workers as part of the Jubilee Year in The Vatican. Pope Francis, who is recovering after a serious case of pneumonia, made a surprise appearance Sunday as he mingled with crowds at the Vatican just two weeks after leaving hospital. "A good Sunday to all. Thank you very much", the 88-year old Pope said as he was wheeled through Saint Peter's Square in his wheelchair after a mass dedicated to the sick. Source: AFP Pope Francis made a surprise Sunday public appearance as he mingled with crowds at the Vatican just two weeks after leaving the hospital for a serious case of pneumonia. A good Sunday to all. Thank you very much, the 88-year old pope said as he was wheeled through Saint Peters Square in his wheelchair after a mass dedicated to the sick. Surrounded by a mass of smartphones and cameras, and attached to nasal breathing tubes, his voice was fragile but more audible than when he left the Gemelli hospital on March 23. The Argentines last public appearance was on February 14. Advertisement Francis is, in theory, undergoing two months of convalescence following his life-threatening health scare, with strict rest, no public activity and no contact with crowds. Yet the Jesuit spent Sunday morning blessing the masses gathered on the sunny square, in an encouraging signal for his health two weeks before Christians the world over celebrate Easter. His eagerness to reach out to the flock however comes against the advice of his doctors, who have urged him to avoid meeting groups of people to limit the risk of infection. Hes doing better, thats clear, and he wants that to be seen, a Vatican source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Hes not yet well enough to deliver a message, but well enough to make a gesture and show up, the source added. Blessed be the doctors According to his doctors Francis almost died twice suring his time in hospital, the longest and most fraught of his 12 years as head of the Church. His physical state has sparked speculation the pontiff might hang up his papal crook after the example of his predecessor Benedict XVI, who quit in 2013 citing his declining mental and physical health. A few minutes before his surprise appearance the leader of the globes 1.4 billion Catholics received the sacrament in St Peters Cathedral, the Vatican said in a statement on Telegram. As in previous weeks Francis did not read out the customary Angelus prayer, which was published in written form instead. I pray for the doctors, the nurses and the healthcare workers, who are not always helped to work in adequate conditions and who are even, sometimes, victims of attacks, the pontiff wrote. Advertisement Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected. His message went on to offer a prayer for an end to the worlds conflicts, mentioning in turn Ukraine, Sudan, neighbouring South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, quake-hit Myanmar and Haiti. Pray for Gaza Francis likewise prayed for the Middle East and especially Gaza, where Israel last week again launched a ground offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas. In the Palestinian territory people are forced to live in unimaginable conditions, without shelter, without food, without drinkable water, the pope said. Let the weapons fall silent and dialogue begin again, he added, calling for the freeing of the hostages held by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack that began the war. Francis, who had part of his lung removed as a young man, has suffered a series of health woes in recent years. While being assisted his recovery by healthcare workers night and day at his Vatican residence, Francis has not seen any visitors beyond his closest colleagues since his release from the Gemelli Hospital. Yet he has taken up his papal duties again, notably in editing and putting his signature to documents, according to the Holy See. Advertisement He has, however, been forced to reduce his usual frenetic schedule, and the scale of his involvement in the religious events leading up to Easter the holiest period in the Christian calendar is so far unclear. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.) The latest blow to relief efforts comes as heavy rains, unusual for this season, compound the misery of thousands living in makeshift camps. Aid agencies have sounded the alarm over the potential spread of waterborne diseases, including cholera read more In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers conduct a search and rescue at a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar. AP Unseasonal rains lashed parts of earthquake-hit Myanmar over the weekend, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis and heightening the risk of disease outbreaks among the thousands left homeless by last months devastating quake. According to state media, the death toll from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on March 28 has climbed to 3,471, with 4,671 people injured and 214 still unaccounted for. Aid groups warned that the arrival of rain, coupled with soaring temperatures, could unleash fresh suffering as survivors endure nights in the open, exposed to the elements and growing health risks. Advertisement Families sleeping outside the ruins of their homes while bodies of loved ones are pulled from rubble. Real fear of more quakes, said Tom Fletcher, the United Nations top humanitarian official, in a post on X. We need to get tents and hope to survivors as they rebuild their shattered lives. Fletcher has called for urgent, coordinated global action as international responders struggle to reach devastated communities in a country already reeling from political and economic collapse. Aid efforts falter as disease threat looms The latest blow to relief efforts comes as heavy rains, unusual for this time of year, compound the misery of hundreds of thousands living in makeshift camps or beneath tarpaulins. Aid agencies have sounded the alarm over the potential spread of waterborne diseases, including cholera, which could rip through vulnerable populations in the absence of clean water and proper sanitation. Myanmars neighbours, including China, India, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), have mobilised rescue teams and shipments of aid in recent days. Yet much of the quake zone, home to an estimated 28 million people, remains difficult to access due to collapsed infrastructure and ongoing conflict. Ceasefire in tatters as military resumes attacks The earthquakes devastation has landed on a country already fractured by civil war and humanitarian crisis. Since the 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has spiralled into chaos. Public services have all but collapsed, more than 3 million people are displaced, and a third of the population requires humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. Although a ceasefire was announced last Wednesday, reports of renewed military attacks suggest little has changed on the ground. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that Myanmars junta was blocking aid to opposition-held regions and was investigating allegations of further violence, including post-ceasefire assaults. The Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian group operating in conflict zones, said Myanmars military had conducted aerial attacks in Karenni and Shan states on Thursday and Friday, killing at least five people. The groups founder, David Eubank, said at least seven such attacks had taken place since the ceasefire was announced. Civilians were among the dead, he said. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Kirill Dmitriev, Russias international economy envoy and head of the countrys sovereign wealth fund told Channel One television that the next contact between the two sides could happen already next week read more A senior Kremlin official has said Russia and the United States could resume direct contact as early as next week, in what would mark a tentative step toward reviving dialogue between the two nuclear powers amid the continuing war in Ukraine and deep diplomatic estrangement. Kirill Dmitriev, Russias international economy envoy and head of the countrys sovereign wealth fund, made the remarks in an interview broadcast on Russian state television Sunday (April 6). Advertisement Dmitriev told Channel One television that the next contact between the two sides could happen already next week, the TASS news agency reported. Dmitriev, who visited Washington last week in what is believed to be the highest-level Russian visit to the US since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said he saw positive dynamics in the bilateral relationship, though he cautioned that deep divisions remained. There are undoubtedly still a large number of enemies of Russia in the American government, he said. So there is now a fragile hope that dialogue has been restored. In his latest remarks, Dmitriev did not specify the format or agenda of the possible upcoming contact, nor who might be involved from the American side. There has been no public confirmation from Washington regarding new talks. US-Russia ties remain tense The comments come amid a prolonged freeze in formal diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Washington, with contacts between the two countries largely limited to crisis management channels and rare talks on arms control or prisoner exchanges. US-Russia relations have remained deeply strained, dominated by Moscows ongoing military campaign in Ukraine, sweeping Western sanctions on the Russian economy, and bitter rhetoric from both capitals. The previous administration, under former President Joe Biden, had insisted that no normalisation of ties is possible without a withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. President Donald Trump, however, has leaned towards Russia and his counterpart Vladimir Putin since campaign days. With inputs from agencies